Just started WSR and im very excited

Post your windshield repair tips, questions, advice! Note there is a sub-forum specifically for business development questions.
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Brent Deines
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Re: Just started WSR and im very excited

Post by Brent Deines »

Candyman, I think you are assuming Ghosttech will never have employees or expand his business. While a sole proprietorship may be all you need to get started it may not be the best option. Then again, maybe it is. That's really not for me to say which is why I recommended speaking with a good CPA who will ask the right questions to be able to give the best possible advice. My point was simply that there are reasons for the various options available and so far no one on this forum has asked the right questions to make a responsible decision in my opinion. Long term goals should always be considered in my opinion, and not thinking ahead is a major contributor to the failure of small businesses in this and every other industry.

Having a business plan, seeking professional advice and finding successful mentors will always improve the chances of success for small business owners.
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Re: Just started WSR and im very excited

Post by candyman »

My wife has many clients as a professional tax preparer & bookkeeper. She is an Enrolled Agent with the IRS. This is not a complicated business as a mobile glass repair tech or HLR. If they have partners, or plan to add a shop, property, vehicles, buildings etc... then they should seek professional guidance not only by a CPA but by an attorney, prior to making a decession as to which of the other alternatives would be best. They can change down the road depending on how they grow the startup business, again seek professional guidance from an Attorney practicing business law. Many of the forum members and beginers have a limited amount of money to invest at the start. A good Attorney / CPA will charge an average of $165 per hour for consultation fees. I have some in my area that will charge a much higher fee. This is well worth the money if you fall into the catagory.
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Re: Just started WSR and im very excited

Post by jad_atx »

Ghostteck wrote:
t4k wrote:Where did you receive your training?
I am going to be practicing myself and then when I get the hang of everything and get better established I will go for my certification, also want to do PDR and HLR. I've always been into cars modifying doing all the work myself so I'm no stranger to diy.

I've been doing this for 3 years now, which isn't long compared to others, but I would recommend that you get your certification first due to the fact that what you learn in the certification class will greatly improve the quality of your work. If you begin working on people's windshields beforehand then you risk building not such a good image for yourself starting out. You must remember that a lot of this business consists of word of mouth from other customers, the happier they are with the repair then the more likely they are obviously going to be to recommend you or even use it again for that matter.

ATX Imperial Auto Glass, GM
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Re: Just started WSR and im very excited

Post by candyman »

I should have attended the training first. I waited six months prior to attendng. I concentrated on the HLR and the WSR took a backseat which was a waste of valuable time. It was fall/ winter by the time I got started good with the WSR. The class for me was a fine tuning to what little I knew at that time. I came back after the class and took the online certification exam for WSR by the N.W.R.A. . The videos and DVDs are fine. The class is more hands on an you get answers and feed back immediately, that may be vital to you and your success. Have a great day its a warm 25 degrees this morning on the east coast.
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Re: Just started WSR and im very excited

Post by t4k »

candyman wrote:I should have attended the training first. I waited six months prior to attendng. I concentrated on the HLR and the WSR took a backseat which was a waste of valuable time. It was fall/ winter by the time I got started good with the WSR. The class for me was a fine tuning to what little I knew at that time. I came back after the class and took the online certification exam for WSR by the N.W.R.A. . The videos and DVDs are fine. The class is more hands on an you get answers and feed back immediately, that may be vital to you and your success. Have a great day its a warm 25 degrees this morning on the east coast.
I agree, training should come first.
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Re: Just started WSR and im very excited

Post by Ghostteck »

candyman wrote:My wife has many clients as a professional tax preparer & bookkeeper. She is an Enrolled Agent with the IRS. This is not a complicated business as a mobile glass repair tech or HLR. If they have partners, or plan to add a shop, property, vehicles, buildings etc... then they should seek professional guidance not only by a CPA but by an attorney, prior to making a decession as to which of the other alternatives would be best. They can change down the road depending on how they grow the startup business, again seek professional guidance from an Attorney practicing business law. Many of the forum members and beginers have a limited amount of money to invest at the start. A good Attorney / CPA will charge an average of $165 per hour for consultation fees. I have some in my area that will charge a much higher fee. This is well worth the money if you fall into the catagory.
Brent Deines wrote:I don't think you are doing anything wrong but I would check with an independent insurance agent for your insurance if your bank cannot help you. In fact I would do that anyway and have them explain the difference between straight liability insurance and garage keepers. Some in this industry don't feel they need a garage keepers policy but I personally would not do business without one. If you are doing business as a sole proprietor you will use your social security instead of you EIN as thousands of other windshield repair technicians do.

I'm pretty sure Safelite and Lynx will also allow you to use your social security number as a sole proprietor as well.

Once you decide what type of business entity your company will be you will need to register your business with your state corporations division. Some states require a business license as well but others do not. I think it will then be much easier to obtain insurance and sign up with the networks.
So I had the meeting with the CPA and he recommendation is to file as a C-corp then convert to an S because it will make taxes at the end of the year easier than being a sole pro... He was nice enough to sit down in a meeting with me and my girlfriend which is in marketing and had some accounting experience so she understood it better and the conculsion would be to file as a corp.
- I will try to call safelite and lynx again just to be sure. One question.. it maybe dumb but what is a garage keeper? Thanks for the help :P
candyman wrote:I should have attended the training first. I waited six months prior to attendng. I concentrated on the HLR and the WSR took a backseat which was a waste of valuable time. It was fall/ winter by the time I got started good with the WSR. The class for me was a fine tuning to what little I knew at that time. I came back after the class and took the online certification exam for WSR by the N.W.R.A. . The videos and DVDs are fine. The class is more hands on an you get answers and feed back immediately, that may be vital to you and your success. Have a great day its a warm 25 degrees this morning on the east coast.
[quote="t4kI agree, training should come first.[/quote]
t4k wrote:
candyman wrote:I should have attended the training first. I waited six months prior to attendng. I concentrated on the HLR and the WSR took a backseat which was a waste of valuable time. It was fall/ winter by the time I got started good with the WSR. The class for me was a fine tuning to what little I knew at that time. I came back after the class and took the online certification exam for WSR by the N.W.R.A. . The videos and DVDs are fine. The class is more hands on an you get answers and feed back immediately, that may be vital to you and your success. Have a great day its a warm 25 degrees this morning on the east coast.
I agree, training should come first.
I am not going to start on anyones windshields until the quality of work is to my standards, at the moment I bought a old windshield to practice on at night and the weekends because I work full time as an architect and I am getting bored and would like to start this as a side business. I am kinda bummed though because the weather on the east coast just took a nose dive and its suppose to be 14 degrees tonight... :(
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Re: Just started WSR and im very excited

Post by Brent Deines »

Wow, a C-corp huh? I would never have guessed that, although if switching to an S-Corp right away I assume there is a valid reason for doing so. Here is an article that may help explain why the CPA recommended an S-Corp over an LLC which would have been my guess. http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/ ... 29025.html and another comparing corporations to sole proprietorships. http://accountant4me.com/sole.htm

Garage keepers insurance is a type of policy that covers things a general liability will not, such as a customer's vehicle while it is in your care, custody and control. An example would be if you are in a mall parking lot repairing a windshield on your customer's new Mercedes while the owner is shopping. The customer's vehicle is now in your CCC. Now if some punk steals a car and in trying to allude the coppers broadsides the new Mercedes that you are working on the owner and the owner's insurance company are going to look to you to cough up $30,000 to pay for the damage to the vehicle. Typically your general liability insurance is not going to cover that but garage keeper's will. If you like to read here is a site that has some good insurance info. http://www.irmi.com/online/insurance-gl ... l-ccc.aspx

My dad was in the insurance industry for 30+ years but I'm no insurance expert, which is why I recommend contacting a local independent insurance professional who can compare a number of different policies for you and explain the differences between them. Once they understand your business model they can recommend the best policy for you, which unfortunately is not always the cheapest policy.

This forum is good for many things but very few of us are qualified to give you advice on the best way to structure your business or which type of insurance you need. These things are best left to professionals.
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Re: Just started WSR and im very excited

Post by candyman »

You are correct in your assumption Brent. It didnt occur to me that he may be looking at this income from jump start for SS tax, medical, retirement etc... . I am still listed as a sole and had considered a LLC at one time. It works fine for me. I also draw Fed Retirement and work full time as a City employee with state retirement benefits. Some may generate so much business that they may need to pay estimated taxes to avoid penalties. After looking at your post and some of my IRS updates, I may make some changes as well. I will consult with a friend that is a Tax Attorney prior to doing anything. I need to protect my retirement and my IRA investments. Several years ago an attorney informed me that no matter how you listed your business, If someone wanted to sue you, the sky was the limit in todays courts, unless you lived in a protective state, such as Florida. A lot of people starting out with a WSR or HLR kit are generally looking to make some quick money because they need the moneuy now. They may not be looking at creating officers and Boards, medical, or retirement. They are looking for Food on the table, clothes for the kids and paying the utility bills for now. I read a report that states that more than 80% of college graduates will seek work other than what their degree is in. #1 reason, not happy with choice or bored.
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Re: Just started WSR and im very excited

Post by Brent Deines »

I hear ya. No need to make it any more complicated than is has to be. I also agree that the corporate vale does not protect the shareholders of a closely held shareholder like it does shareholders of a large corporation. The best way for small business owners to avoid legal issues is to be honest and to assume responsibility for your actions.
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Re: Just started WSR and im very excited

Post by t4k »

Brent Deines wrote: The best way for small business owners to avoid legal issues is to be honest and to assume responsibility for your actions.
This is the best way to live your everyday life too !!
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