This is a VERY good idea, but it would only work with people who intend to use it quite a bit. This could be good to market towards those type of people...the people who picked 9 times a month on my poll The problem is that most people have a lot of memberships they are a part of like netflix, xm radio, sirius radio, just to name a few and they're trying to keep them down because it all adds up. So someone really has to see this as an investment to be a part of my membership. I like the idea and just might use this. Thanks!

 

No problem. I think after reading some other posts the important thing to reconsider here is target audience... Perhaps it's not terribly viable to think of this as a cheaper option to service. 1. It forces you to keep your costs down at a potentially impossibly low level. 2. You're going to have the customers who are just trying to save a buck--which is certainly okay in many situations, but consider some of the scenarios painted above. 3. More conceptually: people are there for cost savings not fun.

If you alter your target audience to focus more entirely on the hobbyist, you will be able to charge more... People will be doing it for fun, rather than to save a buck. That's where membership options come in... Or better yet, here's an option: some sort of charge-by-the-project rate. Like a short membership.

Say I come in and I intend to redo my stereo system. You would need to design a stereo system package where I pay... $175 for unlimited use of your equipment for the project.... BUT unlimited would have to still have stipulations. If it takes them longer the X visits, or X time, or whatever limiter you want to put it on, then they must either extend their package, or pay your mechanic to do it, or help them do it.

Someone who is installing an audio system for the first time doesn't know how long it will take... But here the option actually is cheaper still. A shop would be $500 or so...

 

The shop on base that I would go to would charge something like a $5 dollar storage fee. No car was allowed to stay inside the shop and would be parked in a gated parking lot. The car was usually pushed out by hand, or they had this little forklift with a tire mounted to the rear to push amd pull cars out. If they can't pay up eventually then put a lien on that bish!

 

I work for a pretty large E&S insurance company, and I can't even imagine the liability that would be on something like this let alone if we would even be willing to write something along these lines. As soon as you put your business's liability in the hands of customers by giving them access to your tools, lifts, and facilities your rates would go through the roof.

 

what is your position in that company you work for? What I know is that there are growing businesses alike that have insurance companies behind them. I guess I just need to find out which one cause right now, it's not a matter of will a company back me up, it's which one?

 

you definitely want to start off with a membership. It'll keep the ricers out of your shop

btw, what's a lathe?

 

yup,this is sounding more and more like a good idea when I think about the details.

 

I've walked around most small garages in my area asking if I could use their lift. They all turned me down for "safety" reasons

 

I can't see in which one of the 50 states this would be legal in. You would never EVER be able to get your business insured, so the first time someone takes their arm off with a tire machine, you are homeless. You will never be able to open such a business. Ever notice why repair shops don't allow customers into the work bays? Insurance! Your liability would be astronomical.

 

i love the idea and price, but i do hours and hours of work a week so i have to have my own set up.