Greenhorn, ME

[Salva]

Hello Gents

I was looking into doing windshield replacements, then I realized how involved it is. So, I've decided to back off a bit and try repairs instead(for now). A bit of background info:

My brother setup a real estate office, and given the current market conditions, he decided to convert the office to a cellular store. Well, some other business opportunity came up and he has to move to a different city. Which is where I come in. I already have an existing business, for which I don't need or want an office or building. The new location has come in handy, but is not necessary!

I have taken over the store. The cellular store is very well located with plenty of parking/yard space--and a lot of traffic(major street). I'm not very interested in the cell phones but they do pay all the site's expenses and a bit more. What I'm interested in the most is the site and its possibilities!

I live in a fairly small town of 44K people, with another cluster of cities of 6 million people 30 minutes away. There aren't any other local WS repair/replacement shops. The closest replacement shop is 15 minutes away. There are 4 main streets in this town(not counting the major highway).

I already signed up for the next training in Eugene and have everything lined up and am ready to go. I could fly by myself, instead, for the same price as a plane ticket----we'll can make it a long weekend trip with the wife and kids.

I have been lurking in the forum and appreciate all the info I have found in here. BTW, this will be my second business/forum I'm involved with where the Internet played a great part. Well, not the Internet, the people who take the time to share information, give advise, and steer( ) the greenhorns like myself.

Again, thank you for the info you have provided and hopefully I will be able to repay the favor with other types of info.

[jayjacque]

Wish you the best of luck bro. I've not been to a Eugene training yet, but plan to at some point. That city you live in has its own identity, but is it also considered part of the metro area from one of those other big cities? That of course would be a plus, though not necessary. Outlying areas like that can sometimes do really well.

[Brent Deines]

Welcome to the windshield repair forum Salva.

I had a fixed location for a number of years and offered both windshield repair and auto glass replacement, along with a variety of other services. If you already have something that is taking care of the overhead I would consider having a fixed location a big plus.

I also did a lot of mobile work and think that for most that is a very important part of the windshield repair business, but the more you can get people to come to you the more profitable you will be, especially with today's gas prices.

I started with windshield repair and then got into auto glass replacement. Obviously the two services compliment each other, and both can be quite profitable when done correctly. Replacing glass has much more of a learning curve, so if you have never done it before I recommend hiring the best installer you can find. A good installer will make you money, and perhaps just as importantly, save you money by helping you to avoid costly mistakes. Be careful though, experience does not alway equate to quality, so finding the right installer for the job will by your hardest task should you decide to offer a windshield replacement service.

Good luck!