Owning my own car shop?

Question

Hi, im 17 years old and i am about to become a senior in high school. I am not really sure what im gonna do after high school so hoping you guys can help me. Im taking a collision repair 2 class and an auto tech 2 class this year and i just love anything to do with cars. Im an honor roll student. What i need help with is what college to go to. I really really want to own my own car customization shop but i think i would like to work as a body man in a shop for awhile to save up some money and have something to fall back on if my business doesnt work out. My question is should i go to a college called Wyotech and take the applied service management class which teaches you to run your own shop and try and get a job knowing only about repairing cars from what i learned from my collision repair 2 class. Or should i take a Collision repair class at Wyotech or UTI and then try and save up money from a good paying job and teach myself how to run my own shop.Thanks!

Answer 1

You need two things to be a successful business owner.

Knowledge of the product (fixing cars)  The only way to get that is thru years of experience, not book learning.

Business sense.  The only way to get that is education.

So what I'm saying is work your way thru school at a body shop and get the experience you need while your learning the business end of it all. After 4 years of school and about 10 years of solid job experience you'll probably be ready.

Answer 2

>>  My question is should i go to a college called Wyotech and take the applied service management class which teaches you to run your own shop and try and get a job knowing only about repairing cars from what i learned from my collision repair 2 class. Or should i take a Collision repair class at Wyotech or UTI and then try and save up money from a good paying job and teach myself how to run my own shop.Thanks!

I don't believe Wyotech is a college (not that Wyotech is a bad school). But if you plan to run / own your own shop, take the business oriented courses. Eventually if you get big, you will NOT do most of your the repairs.

Business is all about BUSINESS!

good Luck...

Answer 3

Take the classes you mentioned at Wyotech or UTI, and then see if you can enter into an apprenticeship somewhere in the business, either during your schooling or immediately after. You want to gain the skills first, then learn the business end from someone who knows. If you try to start your own shop straight out of school, you're looking at the wrong end of the barrel.

Book knowledge will only get you so far. Best to learn the business end of things from someone who has experience and is willing to take you under their wing.

Case in point: Chip Foose... he worked under Boyd Coddington for years, then decided he'd learned enough to strike out on his own. Boyd didn't care for it (may he R.I.P.), but hey, his loss.