opening a garage

[gavcarter]

SO apart from a shit load of tools, bike lift, somewhere safe and dry and just about enough knowledge to tackle services and most general jobs, odds and sods - what do i need to open a garage.

I am already self employed so that is easy to sort out - change of business.

Is there any rules about being a qualified mechanic or can i just go about my thing and start servicing and repairing bikes?

I can readily get rid of oil ( not down the drain) but do i have to prove its been disposed of etc etc?

what else is involved?

appreciate the input.

[Bendy]

Insurance?

[Dalemac]

I think evoboy has recently done this so might be able to provide some decent info on setting everything up.
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YBR125 -> GPZ500S -> SL1000

[gavcarter]

[map]

[wr6133]

Insurance is probably actually extremely important. What if a member of the public injures themselves on your premises and it can be shown you are part to fault? A bodge repair you made ends up injuring a customer? Someones bike gets stolen while under your care? etc, etc......................

[arry]

[gavcarter]

[lihp]

[lihp]

[P.]

Running a business like that from home.. I'd call it a bad idea, especially if you have one irate customer that has friends called crowbar and brick.

[c-m]

You need to use an approve waste disposal for the oil and other materials and have all the paperwork to prove it.

[gavcarter]

[lihp]

Council will be interested in business rates though.

Planning permissions may also be required to operate a garage out of a residential premises.
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covent.gardens: lihp is my most favourite member ever

[arry]

[The Disapproving Brit]

[lihp]

[map]

[Frog]

A key? (I will, and do, laugh at anything, sorry)

Seriously: Are you going limited company?
If so, public liability insurance is a legal requirement.

It sounds like you're not however, so I don't believe it's legally required.

If doing it from your house, you'll need to check the council are OK with it, or be prepared for a load of hassle if/when they find out. Angry customer argument above is a good one as well!

Seems to be a good overview here:
https://www.thomsonlocal.com/businesshub/business-advice/starting-up-a-business/article/starting-a-garage-services-business-what-you-need-to, although this might only apply to cars?

First place I'd start would be your local enterprise agency... see what information and advice they can offer, and there might even be grants available
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CBT 23/09/10 - Theory 19/03/11 - Mod1 19/04/11 - Mod2 06/05/11
Bikes: CBF125 (sold 30/10/10-25/09/12) - CB400 24/06/11 (broken) - ER6-f 25/09/2012

[arry]

[Skudd]

[gavcarter]

Will check my tenancy, I knew it wouldn't be as straightforward as i thought though.

Roof, lift, bike ramp, workbenches etc are already up - just for me to work on my own bikes, landlord was fine with that, as the roof is a temporary structure (just bloody well fixed down) i didn't need planning permission.

I understand where we are heading with business rates and planning permission, I will have to get onto local council and see what the score is.

I live right opposite a garage, but they only MOT bikes, and don't actually do any work on them so ethel will be used to it haha.

It is something I genuinely want to do, but I need to keep the up-keep as low as possible ( preferably £0 ) so when I make £0 a week I lose £0 a week.

Insurance, business rates, N.I ect its all going to add up!

[map]

[pits]

Insurance for starters you will need public liability
Business rates, as you're running a business.
Registering the company
Home insurance/Business insurance.
Waste management
Neighbour problems
Security

From the top
You will need public liability in case you drop someones bike, your work causes them to have a massive accident and are killed to death/bits. This also goes for damaging any other property not related to you, by all means don't get it but don't complain when someone is coming after you for thousands of ponds because you did XYZ.

Business rates, you will get some relief as you will be a start up but you will still need to pay them, because you will need to register a company.

Register a company, you wont need to go VAT registered for a while, but you will need an accountant or be good with numbers and sorting out your tax returns, keep every business related receipt catalogued in date order, a summary of everything then at the end of the month (makes shit easier to find)

Home/Business insurance, you get broken into your home insurance wont cover your tools, if you have an engine fire and set your house on fire, your home insurance wont cover that "oh you were running a business from your house, you didn't tell us, burnt the house down working on a customers bikes and you want us to pay for it?" *click*

Waste management, how are you going to dispose of oil and oil filters? What about brake fluid? Tyres?

Neighbours, if my neighbour started working on peoples bikes in their garden next to mine, and had bikes turning up all hours, bikes running, spannering at late hours I would get pissed off pretty quickly, so would others. Is that now worth the risk of a pissed of neighbour smashing a customers bike up? You will need public liability if that happens

Security, what type of security would you have? I wouldn't leave a CG125 in someones garden unless it was the hardest garden in the world to break into.

Now you need to work out what you will charge, how that will cover your rent, rates, business rates, business insurance, public liability insurance, the waste management and the security.
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Stinkwheel: You have no right to free speech
00:32:08 Blau Zedong: yes, i am a massive CB400 fan and collector
00:33:00 Blau Zedong: the CB400 is my favourite road bike

[gavcarter]