Need help looking for a shop to lease?

[RDZL1]

Hi all,

I have been searching for a shop to open my detailing and protective film business. I just wanted to get some tips and ask you guys to share your experiences.

Location - NJ

Few top questions:

Where to start lookig? I have been using Loopnet.
How big (in SF) and how much is enough to start with?
How much (lease $) is fair?

Please share your comments and add questions with solutions as per your experiences.
Thank you in advance for sharing.

[trekkeruss]

Are you doing mobile now, or working from your house? If not, you should do that first; opening a shop in a fixed location is expensive, and if you do not already have lots of clients lined up, you will go out of business in a hurry.

[RDZL1]

I have been doing mobile and from home for over a year now. I wanted to get a shop as I may get some business form the protective film side. May being the key word as "no guarantees in life". Thanks.

[Evan.J]

Do you have the steady business coming in to where you can pay the bills and make money?

What is the average work load you have per week?

What is your average total income for a week?

What is the work load like in the colder months since you are in NJ?

Can you pay the bills when business slows down durning those months?


All things to think about when you are looking for a place.

[2modfast]

Try showcase.com, also believe it or not craigslist have properties as well.

BTW...what part of NJ are you looking at/thinking about?

[RDZL1]

I prefer south/central jersey. I will check those out thanks.

[Pureshine]

Do you have the steady business coming in to where you can pay the bills and make money?

What is the average work load you have per week?

What is your average total income for a week?

What is the work load like in the colder months since you are in NJ?

Can you pay the bills when business slows down durning those months?


All things to think about when you are looking for a place.

[Gr8Fan]

I'm actually on the same boat here North Jersey. My focus is on the "pro wash" then the detail. I dont have a client base yet but I'm working on getting my pro gear ready to start doing it on weekends. I figure to get clients faster through the "pro wash" and the detailing jobs would follow.

[KJW Detailing]

I would suggest contacting family or friends, to see if anyone has a garage that you could work out of per job. I have this arrangement with two individuals and use their garages only for when I have details that follow with OCP applications. Locally, their is a single location that if it ever went up for sale id have to take a very long look at it. Otherwise, my goal is to build a nice detached garage off of the future house my wife and I buy...

Remember, opening a shop has a ton of overhead...rent, electric, water, etc. I'd make certain you have a solid clientele.

[Justin M.]

I also rent shop space from friends in the auto industry that own shops. I only do this for jobs that require indoor work (long paint corrections) or as a convenience for people that do not have a garage/drive that I can do my mobile work from.

Might be something to consider as opposed to a full time shop, that is a ton of overhead.