Estimated reading time: 3 mins
Old and vintage vehicles are continuing to grow in popularity (and value) with both collectors and those who want a characterful and unique ride. Therefore, the restoration of classic cars can be a lucrative business and provide you with a steady flow of income. If you have the passion and knowledge to bring an old vehicle back to life; starting a specialist garage could be a great business option. The following are some things to consider if you’re venturing into the vehicle restoration market and want to expand your portfolio of projects.
Know Your Audience
However enthusiastic you might be about giving a car a new lease of life; not every car connoisseur will have your background and taste in vehicles. Therefore it’s vital that you get to know the market and who will be investing their money into your business. Visit classic car shows and gauge the age group and background of those who prefer to take their pride and joy to a garage, rather than fix it up themselves at home.
Once you know who you’re aiming your business towards; you can begin to target the relevant magazines, websites, and car events. Ensure that your target audience is aware that you’re there and let them know what service you can provide them with; it might take a little time to establish a strong presence in the market, but once you do, you’ll have a steady flow of customers through your workshop doors.
Obsess About The Detail
After you’ve tempted the trade into your restoration space; you’ll need to have the knowledge and the emphasis on details to impress them and ensure they’ll return. Whether it’s the era of the wooden gear stick or the zinc plated finish of the automotive components; car lovers know exactly how things should look and function, so you need to as well.
Offer more than just the mechanic side of things; knowing the history and specialising in a particular period of classic cars will help to ensure that you’re the go-to company when it comes to their restoration. Hire in and outsource reputable experts to ensure that paint work, upholstery, and radios are fitted and functioning successfully; your consumer base will begin to share your expertise,and you’ll increase the cars being driven towards your business.
Set Up Shop In The Right Location
Try to set up your garage, warehouse, or workshop in an area that most will be able to find and access. Although you’re dealing with cars; they might be at a stage where they’re not road-worthy and have to be delivered by tow truck or lorry. Large, heavy-goods vehicles will need wide access to your premises and be able to reach you by motorway and main roads; so it’s not a smart idea to have your business in the middle of nowhere at the end of several narrow and winding pathways.
Ensure that you have ample space to carry out your work and storage space that will allow you to work on multiple projects at once. If you make an effort to gather together your customers, impress them with your skills and knowledge, and have the right environment for your business to expand; you’ll be en route to a winning restoration company.
