Can you make a LIVING at this???

[JT101]

Hello all,

I'm a brand-new member on here but my wife and I have been lurking for a few months. We have been considering opening up a business that won't require a huge amount (although we are actually well-funded, we would like to keep the up-front expenditures down) AND serves an existing need not currently served well. We have been noticing the HUGE number of cloudy, discolored and hazy headlights in our area and thought "hey, this could be a goldmine!".

Problem is, after reading all these threads, I am still unsure as to how lucrative this is. We are considering doing this as a "stand-alone" business, not an adjunct to a detailing or WR business, so we already know we are limiting ourselves.

The big question is: Forget about "making money" or "turning a profit" doing HLR - can you make a LIVING at it? Not looking to become rich or anything, but can you support a family on this? If the answer is "no" then we will most likely abandon this effort - we would appreciate any feedback.

Thanks
John

[Brent Deines]

Welcome to the headlight restoration forum John. Yours is the million dollar question, regardless of that type of business you start. Whether it is windshield repair, headlight restoration, cleaning carpets, or killing bugs, some people will find a way to prosper at it while others will fail miserably. The problem with headlight restoration is not the lack of vehicles that need your service, but the lack of consumer education and of course the current economy.

We faced the same problem when I started repairing windshields in the 80's. Most people had never heard of it so they were naturally very skeptical and glass shops were very much against it which didn't help matters much. It was not easy to build a thriving business back then but those who worked the hardest, and more importantly, the smartest, achieved success, but there were many more who never quite got their businesses off the ground.

Headlight restoration is very much like windshield repair in that it is a safety issue. Of course discolored headlights look bad as well, but it's the safety issue that really helps us sell our headlight restoration service. It's actually much easier to convince people that if their headlights only project 50% of the light intended there is a safety issue than it is to convince them that a small chip in their windshield is a safety issue. I don't know that I have ever spoken with a customer who needed a headlight restoration and did not want it done, it always comes down to cost. To have your headlights restored costs about the same as having your brake pads replaced and both are safety issues that should be addressed. Can you make a living just replacing brakes?

I know this is probably not the response you were looking for, but just trying to help you understand that you are the only one who knows what you are capable of. Are you a good salesman? Do you understand the importance of marketing? Are you a hard worker? Do you believe you can do something most people can't...like run a business? Restoring headlights is the easy part, it's running a business that can trip people up.

One question that will help other forum members to give you helpful responses is this: What do you consider making a living? For some that may be $25,000 a year while for others it is $100,000 or more. When I first started repairing windshields I saw an advertisement that said it was possible to make $100,000 a year. I was working very hard at the time and not making anywhere near that so I thought it was false advertising, but now I have many customers making far more than that. I also have many who will never make that much for any number or reasons. For that reason I "never" tell anyone how much they can make restoring headlights or windshield repair for that matter.

Whatever your decision, I wish you the best of luck.

[t4k]

There are a lot of DIY kits on the market now and I have been told by several people that they would rather spend $9.95 and try themselves first. They get their kits at Wal-Mart or I saw one in a drug store last weekend, and do a poor job and they think this whole business is a hoax.

When I started doing HL restorations 5-6 years ago it was new on the market and I was bombarded with work, now not so much from the general public. All of my work comes from the high-end dealerships I do W/S repairs for, like Lexus, BMW and Mercedes.

A stand alone HL restoration business would tough in my opinion. If you do decide to give it a go, buy a good system such as the one Delta sells. It has worked well for me.

[Brent Deines]

There are a lot of DIY kits on the market now and I have been told by several people that they would rather spend $9.95 and try themselves first. They get their kits at Wal-Mart or I saw one in a drug store last weekend, and do a poor job and they think this whole business is a hoax.

We have the same problem here but we have had quite a few people come to us to have us fix the mess they made. When we do the job correctly the customer relates the entire experience to friends and family, hopefully convincing them not to waste their money on the DIY kits. We have the same problem with the DIY auto windshield repair kits sold in auto parts stores, but those messes are sometimes more difficult to correct. I know what you mean though, it's impossible to know how many jobs we have lost because of the bad taste left in the mouths of DIY kit purchasers.

I think you really need to target specific economic groups when selling headlight restoration. The wealthy don't typically drive their cars long enough to have the problem and the poor don't consider it a high priority. The middle class is concerned about status but can't always afford to drive a brand new car. Some areas have a larger concentration of middle class than others so it's naturally it's easier to make a living in some areas than others. I think the cash for clunkers program took its toll on our industry as well.

Competition is another factor to consider. A few years ago there was no one in our area who offered headlight restoration but now, in addition to independent technicians, there are a number of glass shops, dealerships, detail ships, etc., offering this service. Competition helps raise consumer awareness but every time a new competitor pops up the pie gets sliced a bit thinner. One thing I learned early on however, was that the pie is not sliced into equal sized slices. When we opened a glass shop we didn't automatically get the same number of customers as our competitors who had spent years building their reputation. We had to earn our slice by suffering through a few lean years until our reputation was as good or better than the competition's. I have to admit that by most people's standards my wife and I did not make a very good living for several years after starting our windshield repair business and by the time we started restoring headlights we didn't need to make a living on that service alone.

[t4k]

Some very good points, Brent.

[candyman]

When I first started I purchased the HLR & WSR kits. I made most of my money from the HLR kit the first six months. It was enough to pay for both kits and the trip to Oregon for class. Educating the people and getting your name out to the public is the first order. I do this part time. The past few months HLR has been slow while WSR has increased. Repeat & referarals are my main source of customers at the moment for HLR. I am now getting some insurance jobs for WSR. Only 5% of my yellow page ads are generating business. about 94% need repalcement for WSR and about 1% ask for HLR. These two trades seem to work hand-in-hand. You can make a living at this but it will take time and you will have to do a lot of work to generate leads. I see cars all the time that need HLR. The trick is getting them to let you do it. A lot of people want something for nothing. Some will just keep driving and never do anything to correct the safety problem of their headlighhts. Talking one on one seems to deliever the best results. Flyers, radio, and news papers seem to generate very few jobs and it cost the most to advertize. A Delta HLR kit cost very little to start out. They have a good product that produces quality results. You could earn your money back within a few weeks. After a few months you will have an idea if this is for you or not. The customers are not going to line up at your door step. It takes hard work and determination to make it in this economy. Build your clients one customer at a time and this will generate referrals and repeat business. WORD of MOUTH is a powerfull source. Candyman.
Good luck to you. Candyman

[JT101]

One question that will help other forum members to give you helpful responses is this: What do you consider making a living? For some that may be $25,000 a year while for others it is $100,000 or more. When I first started repairing windshields I saw an advertisement that said it was possible to make $100,000 a year. I was working very hard at the time and not making anywhere near that so I thought it was false advertising, but now I have many customers making far more than that.

Brent,

Thank you very much for your detailed and informative response. We live on Long Island where the cost of living is very high, so we'd like to be able to make as much as possible. However, I cannot imagine any geographical USA location where $25,000 a year would be considered "making a living" - so, I would be looking for a figure "north" of that.

Not to beat a dead horse but you pointed out above that you have customers making in excess of $100k annually doing WSR. Would you be able to say the same about HLR?

Thanks
John

[t4k]

One question that will help other forum members to give you helpful responses is this: What do you consider making a living? For some that may be $25,000 a year while for others it is $100,000 or more. When I first started repairing windshields I saw an advertisement that said it was possible to make $100,000 a year. I was working very hard at the time and not making anywhere near that so I thought it was false advertising, but now I have many customers making far more than that.

Brent,

Thank you very much for your detailed and informative response. We live on Long Island where the cost of living is very high, so we'd like to be able to make as much as possible. However, I cannot imagine any geographical USA location where $25,000 a year would be considered "making a living" - so, I would be looking for a figure "north" of that.

Not to beat a dead horse but you pointed out above that you have customers making in excess of $100k annually doing WSR. Would you be able to say the same about HLR?

Thanks
John

What is your yearly goal?

[Brent Deines]

John,

Most of our customers don't share detailed sales figures with us so I can't say for sure, but if we do have customers currently making north of $100K per year "just" restoring headlights, they would be few and far between. If $100K is the target I agree with t4k, that would be tough to achieve, especially if your thinking of being a one man show.

The problem I and many others had when we started our businesses, was two fold. I had almost no start up capital and and I thought too small. I spent my last $500 to buy a windshield repair system and had nothing left to market my service. I also had nothing to live on while I built my business. While being broke can be an excellent motivational tool, it can also fill you full of doubts that cause you to lose focus. Sure, I had dreams, but all I could think about during the day was how many repairs I had to make to buy groceries that night. Whether it be windshield repair or headlight restoration, our most successful customers (success being $$ in this case) are those who don't need the income but have a detailed business plan and the skills to implement that plan. I had trouble lining up jobs back to back for myself so it never even crossed my mind to hire more technicians until I was well established, but I have customers who have dozens of employees, all contributing to what adds up to be a very respectable income. Granted all that come to mind started with windshield repair but I think we'll see the same thing happening with headlight restoration as the industry grows out of its infancy. Keep in mind that most consumers still don't know it is possible to restore headlights but consumer awareness is growing at a far faster rate than windshield repair did back in the 70s.

To answer your original question as bluntly and honestly as possible, I would say the vast majority of our population cannot make a living ($100K per year) only restoring headlights. Even fewer would be able to make that kind of money in the first few years of starting their business. However, the vast majority of the population cannot make millions selling cookies either, but Wally Amos (Famous Amos Cookies) didn't let the limitations of others stop him from creating a very successful company doing what most of us would say could not be done. To be a successful entrepreneur you have to be a bit of a dreamer and have faith in yourself even when others do not. The investment is minimal so what you are really gambling with is your time and your sanity.

[JT101]

One question that will help other forum members to give you helpful responses is this: What do you consider making a living? For some that may be $25,000 a year while for others it is $100,000 or more. When I first started repairing windshields I saw an advertisement that said it was possible to make $100,000 a year. I was working very hard at the time and not making anywhere near that so I thought it was false advertising, but now I have many customers making far more than that.

Brent,

Thank you very much for your detailed and informative response. We live on Long Island where the cost of living is very high, so we'd like to be able to make as much as possible. However, I cannot imagine any geographical USA location where $25,000 a year would be considered "making a living" - so, I would be looking for a figure "north" of that.

Not to beat a dead horse but you pointed out above that you have customers making in excess of $100k annually doing WSR. Would you be able to say the same about HLR?

Thanks
John

What is your yearly goal?

I think we'd be happy with $80k but $100k would be great (I take back my "north of $100k" comment from before, I don't think that's a realistic goal).

We considered opening up a small garage on LI and hiring someone after my wife and I got the business off the ground.