There are many opportunities for profit if you’re considering opening and learning how to start an auto glass repair business. After all, the market has been quite booming for the last few years. In fact, by 2025, the annual market in auto glass services in America will exceed $8 billion. With its low startup and recurring cost, opening an auto glass shop can yield big rewards, and you just need to work hard on your business.
You’ve come to the right place if you are looking for ways to open an auto glass shop. This guide will help you launch your business and make it a success while also knowing how to boost the entire process and compete with other businesses in the area.
Do Your Auto Glass Market Research
Before you open your auto glass shop, it is important to clarify what services you can offer, and if your market is specific, it is a good place to work with this business.
Generally speaking, auto windshield repair services usually include the repair, replacement, or tinting of vehicle glass. It isn’t only to simply “paste” the glass and work around a very basic service. Thus, this is why your services need to be reviewed.
Keep in mind that it is also crucial that you do good market research. This means that you must gather as much information as possible to validate your business idea and increase the chances of getting leads.
In this case, it is a must for you to understand the market’s supply and demand and the competition and potential client’s needs.
Demand will be directly affected by three main factors: the number of cars on the roads, the number and severity of car accidents, and last but not least, the disposable income of your clients.
You also need to consider the average age of vehicles. Why? Well, because older vehicles are more susceptible to need some repairs and reconditioning than the newer models.
This actually translates into more business for your auto glass company.
Do a SWOT Analysis
SWOT stands for “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats,” and as useless as this analysis seems, it can save many businesses’ future.
If you still have doubts about opening an auto glass shop, a SWOT analysis is a nice tool that can help you answer any questions you may have.
It is also a great way to assess the market and provide a framework for your lead generation process that will boost your company’s clients. But where should you start with it? These are a few questions you can ask while building the analysis:
- For strengths wonder:
How much money do I need to start the business?
Am I able to attract a wide range of customers to guarantee the company’s future and success?
Am I familiar enough with the market and its potential?
What sets me apart from my competitors?
Which internal resources do I have? Determine the ones you can use in the future as well.
- For your weaknesses:
Am I short on resources?
Do other auto glass shops offer similar products or services?
What can your competitors do better? Where should I improve?
- For your opportunities:
Do you see additional cars on the roads and therefore a greater need for your services?
Are there any signs of a drop in the number of new cars sold? You’re more interested in the increase since it means there will be fewer old ones to repair.
Are older vehicles being driven more often?
Are you looking for auto glass repair businesses in your local area?
Are you in a competitive area?
Are your customers more likely to have higher disposable incomes and are therefore more likely not to wait for not-so-essential services like auto glass repair?
- For your threats:
Are your customers likely to have a higher disposable income, which could translate into more cars with better safety features?
Are there new competitors in your region?
What regulations will your industry change?
Create a Business Plan for Your Auto Glass Business
Statistically speaking, a business plan is 2.5 times more likely to help you start your business than not doing it. We know it can take time, but you will be grateful for taking THAT time to do it properly.
First, a business plan helps you to organize all your ideas and to avoid potential pitfalls. This plan can help you secure funding. Also, it doesn’t have to be a long essay. As long as it is well written, a one-page business plan is all you need.
If you’re focusing on a short business plan, we can help you by mentioning what you must include in specific:
These are the essential points that your business plan should include for your auto-glass shop:
- Your auto glass shop’s mission statement: What do you want to achieve? What are the short- and long-term missions?
- Information such as your registered name, address at any physical location, and names of key persons involved in the business
- A statement of objective that describes your vision and goals for your auto-glass shop
- This business strategy outlines how you intend to achieve your goals.
- The management structure of your business includes key employees, managers, and other owners. This also includes their ownership percentage and involvement in the company.
- Plan how to package your auto glass repair services and how to set pricing.
- A list of potential customers that you want to target, their problems, and how your company can help them.
- Your unique value and what sets you apart from your competitors.
- A marketing and sales strategy with messaging about why your services are valuable and which channels you will use to promote your business.
- A financial plan that includes your revenue goals, startup investment, and growth opportunities
Decide Your Budget & Source Funding
It’s clear that each business has a cost, and it is also up to you to determine how you will cover those costs.
When thinking about this, you need to ask yourself: “Do I have enough money to support my startup and myself?” “Will I have to borrow money?”
Whatever the case may be, it is important to establish a startup cost. This way, you know clearly where you stand in terms of money.
In most cases, businesses tend to fail because they run out of capital before actually making a profit. To avoid this, you can estimate the capital required for generating sustainable revenue.
Not sure if you are managing your finances properly? Try doing this:
Perform A Breakeven Analysis
This type of analysis is an excellent tool to calculate how much money your company requires to start up.
It will allow you to predict when your product, company, or service will be profitable.
In simple terms, the analysis runs by this formula: Fixed prices or average price – Variable costs = What you must earn.
If the profits aren’t positive, it is only natural to avoid the option and just bet for a new one.
Now, what this formula actually does, is to tell you the minimum performance that your business needs to achieve to avoid losing money. It helps you to organize your work, understand where your profits come from, and set production goals accordingly.
If you still are not convinced, here you have these top three reasons why you should conduct a breakeven analysis:
1. Determine profitability: This is every business owner’s biggest interest, so it doesn’t need much explanation.
It will help you calculate the amount of revenue that you should be making to cover all your expenses, and at the same time, it points you to which products and services are more profitable.
2. Pricing a product/service: You must consider both the cost of making your products and your competition’s prices.
A breakeven analysis will make your life easier by estimating variable costs, the total price of your goods and services, and the labor cost.
3. Analyze your data: It will keep track of how much profit you are able to make and what you can do to reduce your fixed costs and your unit’s variable costs.
Next, Pay Attention to Your Spending Habits
Before you make any purchases, take your time and think about what is best for your auto glass repair business.
People tend to think that spending large sums of money on equipment will help them be more successful, but in the end, they just spend too much money on unnecessary things.
Don’t make the same mistake and consider creating a list beforehand, or simply be more aware of the things you don’t need.
You can always keep track of all your business expenses to ensure you stay on the right track.
Consider Your Financing Options
If you still lack some money, there are many options available to raise your startup capital for your business.
Creditworthiness and the total of available options are the two main factors that will influence the success of raising this capital.
These are some available options:
1. Loans for businesses: A bank loan is a good starting point to get financial assistance. However, these loans can be difficult to get.
To raise your success chances, try contacting The U.S. Small Business Administration. They can help you apply for a loan if you face too many difficulties, starting with not having a good credit score.
2. Business grants: Compared to loans, grants don’t have to be paid back. Most of them are very competitive and require that you meet certain requirements to be eligible.
Remember that not all grants work for every person. It is important to search for ones that are tailored to your current situation.
3. Investors: People that need substantial upfront funding may find investors a great option.
Your investors will expect you to be trustworthy. The best way to prove it is to be involved in your business’s management and be aware of the common repayment. Your business plan will come in handy for this as well.
4. Crowdfunding: If you can’t contact one big investor for your business, crowdfunding has proven to be a valuable tool in recent years by helping business owners raise small amounts from multiple investors.
Get an Insurance Policy
Buying the right insurance before your company launches is actually a big deal, so never think this is something you can “get around to.”
It is super important to ensure that you are adequately protected against theft, labor accidents, and lawsuits from clients because this could happen at any time.
Make sure to at least get the basic coverage plans like workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance; these are essential for employees of your business.
Be mindful of your business location and industry. Most small businesses will need to purchase general liability or a policy that covers you as a business owner.
General liability covers you and your third party from bodily injury, property loss, and personal injury, so if you make a mistake or fail to follow through on your obligations as a business owner, you are protected.
Apply for Permits and Licenses
Starting a business is not only about setting up a store and making sure that qualified leads come your way. You will also need to apply for licenses and permits in order to start up.
If you are unsure which structure is best for your company, you can always seek help by reaching out to a CPA or the local secretary’s office.
You have the option to set up your business as a sole proprietorship or partnership, a limited liability corporation (LLC), or a corporation.
Make sure you have your Tax IDs since they are required for both federal and state taxes. You will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) in order to get it.
The IRS website has a helpful checklist if you happen to have any doubts.
If you intend to open an auto glass shop in a physical location, a Certificate of Occupancy is required. It certifies that your business is compliant with local building codes and zoning laws.
Register Your Business and Website Name
Thinking of a name for your business is for sure a fun experience. But most importantly, you should verify that your business name is not already registered or trademarked.
You must register your business name with your county clerk if you are a sole proprietor. Your name will be registered for LLCs, limited partnerships, and corporations when you file your paperwork.
For your website, take your time and find a suitable domain name for your auto glass shop. This way, it is yours and only yours.
Hire Your Team
In some cases, this can be optional because it is not necessary to have a team when opening an auto glass shop.
But even if you plan to work solo, it is always beneficial to have a support group.
The next main point is how you want your team to look. What positions are you seeking to fill? It’s also important to determine whether contractors or employees are best for your company.
Contractors are the better option only if you require more flexibility in your finances. Their only disadvantage is that they will not allow you the same control as employees and may be more costly in the long term.
Make sure you have an independent contractor contract before you begin looking for them.
In the case of employees, there is a useful Hiring Guide available from the Small Business Administration.
Open a Business Bank Account or Credit Card
Always keep your business finances separated from your personal spending; this way, it is easier to manage them. Opening a bank account or credit card for business is a great way to protect your personal assets.
In addition, having a business credit card will guarantee more money when requesting credit. Thus, you should definitely go for it.
Promote Your Business
Promoting your business is the key to getting high-quality leads. Once you have opened your business, you need to promote it.
Establish your online presence by creating a website and using social media. Create content and show your clients what services you offer.
The best part of using these marketing channels is boosting your lead generation process and improving it over time by incorporating customer reviews and other feedback.
Don’t be afraid of trying different tactics in the beginning because it will help you determine which ones will work best for you in the long term.
Keep in mind that if you have a marketing plan in place from the beginning, you won’t waste valuable money. If you have no idea where to start, we can give you some tips to strategize your marketing plans:
Creating a Website
A website is a great idea to generate leads. By creating one, you make it easier for clients to find you.
WIX is a free website builder that allows you to create professional websites if you are new to all of this. You simply need to choose a template, then modify it with the drag and drop interface.
Also, a web developer can create one for you anytime.
We recommend WordPress only after you have learned the basics or are able to hire an expert, or even Snapp can help you simplify the process and still have a great website.
Use Social Media
Create business accounts on the most prominent social media platforms to promote your services to potential clients.
Facebook and Instagram are good examples of platforms where you can start promoting your business because they have a very large user base. They are likely to prove to be the best choice for you.
Create content and post pictures of your services or client testimonials to increase engagement and exposure. People feel more attracted when they hear good things about your services from past clients, so ask customers to share your post and leave reviews.
Increasing word-of-mouth publicity is an effective way to convert leads into clients.
Remember to Market Offline
Nowadays, online is the best way to do business. However, you can still use offline marketing to increase your chances of generating qualified sales leads.
Abuse the worth of mouth tactic. Tell your family, friends, and acquaintances about auto glass repair.
Distributing flyers is the old-school way to do offline marketing. Door-to-door advertising is also possible.
Tips and Tricks to Make Your Company a Success
These tips will help keep you ahead of your competitors and more than just set up your company.
- Allow people to book your auto glass repair job quickly and easily.
- Automatically send client messages. To send quotes and invoices, create templates. This will make it easier to keep in touch with clients.
- Make discounts and offers that are exclusive to regular clients. This will increase your client retention rate.
- Ask for customer feedback. This will help you maintain or improve the quality of your services.
- Local businesses will appreciate your business cards. Be polite and approach them to promote your auto glass repair services.
We will also be developing the following tips:
Time and Effort Is Key
It can be difficult to manage your business, and it will take some time at first, but eventually, you will have a steady income and grow your company. Don’t give up easily.
There May Be Expenses
Auto glass repair is like any other business. There are some costs involved in starting up.
For example, if you’re looking to hire workers, it is important to consider labor and payroll costs. When it comes to equipment, you need to consider maintenance and purchase of new tools.
Taxes are often the most expensive and frustrating expense. Make sure your business has a trustworthy accountant that provides you with detailed notes.
Make a Plan
Always think of the future. Think about the potential opportunities for your auto glass repair business and where it can go next.
Set your goals to be both short and long term. This way, you can envision the future but also allow you to expect the unexpected.
It may seem that you are jumping too far. However, it isn’t. To grow your business, you must be at least ten steps ahead. Each business should regularly review its business plans to make sure they are in line with its goals and requirements.
The Local Lead Generation Process for Your Auto Glass Repair Business
All right! So, everything is about building properties and generating leads. But how does the process actually take place? Are there other steps I need to know?
The steps I mention below are what students from our local lead generation program follow to generate leads for businesses like yourself. So I’ll help you see what we do. And how if you join our program, you can simply generate leads for your own business (unless you want to start a side hustle and build a laptop lifestyle business).
Essentially, our lead generation can be divided into four steps:
The first is prospecting. You need to take the time to do market research on a niche (industry) and determine how many phone-driven businesses are there.
Keep in mind that this is local research as you need to know how many companies need leads. For example, you may search for “plumbing services Youngstown OH.”
You will find dozens or even hundreds of businesses trying to get themselves in front of the customers by ranking on Map Listings, organic results, and even Ad.
The second step, building. When you find a niche (plumbing, tree services, a software company, real estate…), you will need to start building your digital properties. You don’t need to be an expert in HTML or coding. It can be easy with the right tools.
The third step is now taking time to rank your lead gen website. With the site done, you need to work on SEO strategies and start dominating those Google search results. If you’re new to SEO, it stands for Search Engine Optimization.
To keep it simple, it consists of the entire process of growing a company’s visibility on search engines like Google and generating organic traffic. And remember this, local lead generation is part of the strategies.
Moving on to step four, once you rank the site, you will start getting your ROI and profits. You only need to rent it out to a local business interested in the leads the site generates. You can offer a couple of free leads to their move on with the actual pay per lead.
To review steps 1-4 above, I described it to a normal student who is building a lead gen business to help local service providers generate more calls. But replace the student with you as the business owner. And replace sending the leads to a business to simply siphoning the leads to your personal business.
By the way, fun fact, about 20% of our students in our local lead gen program are actually business owners who went through the program. And they use the skillsets we teach to generate leads for their own business.
An Example of Lead Generation: Home Advisor
You must be thinking, “if lead generation sounds so good so far, how come I haven’t seen any company?” That’s the thing; there are many out there. You just don’t know they are dedicated to it.
HomeAdvisor is one of the best examples you can find on the Internet as it is a top lead generation company that has spent millions building its brand but also earned even more zeros for this same reason.
They started small as everyone else but invested in building their brand awareness to make people who are looking for home services go to their website and find what they need. They are over 75% of people’s first choice when they need those services.
If you don’t get HomeAdvisor that much or need a refresh, users need to submit their information to request a service and get a professional or expert who can provide it.
HomeAdvisor’s job is to share your information, which makes you a lead, with local companies so they can contact you and offer the service you’re requesting. For sharing this lead information, HomeAdvisor gets paid by the companies. This happens for every single lead they send to multiple businesses.
Business owners who don’t have marketing skills or don’t even know how to have any online presence will always rely on those pages to list their services. They will save time and effort, but companies like HomeAdvisor can make them spend lots of money as leads aren’t exclusive (one lead is sent to multiple companies after all).
Using Facebook Ads aka Paid Ad Platforms: Do They Generate Leads?
They DO generate leads. If not, no one would use them.
However, you need to remember two facts:
- Paid ads or platforms can be expensive.
- They don’t generate “natural” leads.
Whenever someone sees or clicks in one of those ads, over 80% of them did it by accident or are trying to close/report it.
Why? Because they aren’t looking for those services. At least not at the moment.
What those ads do instead is interrupt their time on the platforms. Users aren’t there to find companies or businesses unless they are searching for a specific company’s user, and for that, there’s a search bar. This is why it is hard to convert them to actual customers who will show interest in the companies’ services. Also, you’re limited by a budget.
When using lead generation, everything is organic. You aren’t forcing others to pay attention to your business but rather being there when they need you. This is why Google’s organic traffic will always beat paid ads, and the reason companies continue investing in it, which is a lot cheaper as well.
What Is Local SEO?
Don’t worry… I didn’t get it at first either. Following the short explanation, local SEO focuses on scaling businesses’ visibility on search engines. However, this is only for those who serve their communities face-to-face.
What does this mean?
Experts and professionals like painters, plumbers, and dentists (but not only them) offer their services to their local customers. Why? Because they can’t deliver them unless they are located in the same area of their customers.
To make sure those businesses get more leads, you need to rank them locally by claiming the business listing on Google to place them on Map Listings. Local SEO also involves online reviews, citation management, and how you manage your entire online presence in the local area.
If you are going to bet on lead gen, you need to adapt yourself to today’s world: The Internet.
Keep in mind that although traditional channels and methods like billboards, warm calls, and pamphlets still work, they aren’t part of your tools. Whenever someone needs a service, they go to Google and search for it.
“Dentist in Miami” or “plumbing services in Orlando,” etc. And you can keep coming up with services or professionals people need and look for. Thus, you need to make sure you’re using Google to get the companies in front of their clients.
Users will always click on the first search results (those near the top), and many of them will be either Ad links (people paid to place their websites there), Map Listing, and then you get websites. Almost all of them are your goal and where you should always aim to place yourself.
Can My Auto Glass Repair Business Utilize a Local Lead Generation Strategy?
If you want customers, you better know you need it. Following the previous explanation, lead gen is all about placing businesses in front of their customers, choosing them over their competitors.
Put it simply – it’s all about closing deals and having clients for those companies to make money. The main difference with the usual methods companies use for this is how lead generation approaches different channels to get them in the right place of the market to get customers.
Those channels are all focused on the Internet as most people are searching for products but also services across the net. The issue is that the Internet is way too broad, and businesses don’t know how to place themselves. They usually try, but they get one common result: losing money and time.
How Powerful Are Organic Auto Glass Repair Leads from Google?
For companies looking for customers, it’s everything. For you? Pretty much the same. When you build a business with digital properties, you get to make thousands of dollars a month.
This isn’t a “get started today and get rich tomorrow” thing, but it is HIGHLY scalable, and ROI + positive results are guaranteed. Learning a fairly decent and very needed set of skills to create your digital properties and start ranking them on Google is required.
I have invested in several online businesses over the years, and if there’s something uncertain, whether you will get your ROI or not, even more than the actual profit.
However, this business moved my earnings from five figures a year to a month in ONLY passive income while sitting comfortably at home.
On my laptop. Anywhere. Anytime.
You can look at one of the first sites I built back in 2016, and it continues making me over $1.000+ every month. The best part is that I don’t need to touch it or the rest I’ve built over the years, just like this digital property.
What Makes Lead Generation SO Alluring?
Here it goes: you can work from home.
The main issue with regular business opportunities is how much you need to invest in staff, equipment, or rent to have a place to sell your products or offer your services.
We all know the hassles of traditional businesses that involve regular expenses, which are extremely high. Can you afford it? I don’t think so, and even if you can, is it worth it? Now, it isn’t only about the money. You also need to put in a lot of work, and it isn’t only during the first couple of months or years. Usually, it is as long as you continue running it.
You can save yourself those headaches and bone-breaking tasks and expenses with lead gen since it is more about generating leads with digital channels—mainly websites.
Websites can be VERY cheap to build, and with many tools online, you get to do it in a couple of hours instead of days. Any virtual or digital business is scalable and won’t need constant maintenance.
So, let’s summarize this:
- You save money in regular expenses with traditional and most online businesses as what you need is yourself and digital properties (websites).
- You can bet on passive income.
- There’s no need to hire more people to get started.
- You can generate leads in multiple industries, which allows you to work on any niche you want.
How Can I Get Started in the Local Lead Generation Program?
Anyone can start and learn. That’s the beauty of this business model. I knew nothing about SEO, Map Listing, and everything I’ve mentioned so far. It is all about learning the skills, gaining experience, and deciding to take the step.
Remember that this business model will never get old as business owners are always looking for leads. They need to do business and scale their companies. Why not do the same while helping others and still making money?
You can start with this local lead generation course highly recommended for anyone wanting to grow in the business. It is a close training that will take you through each step and make sure you are able to get your ROI, profits and take control of your life.
You will be added to an incredible lead generation family ready to help you 24/7 when asking questions on the group. Anyone is welcome who’s willing to put in the work. Click here to watch the lead gen webinar.