Business plan for auto electrician computer diagnostics

History of the profession

In the first cars powered by steam traction and then by gasoline engines, electrical devices were practically not used. Over time, technology improved and new systems appeared. Since the 50s of the 20th century, narrow specialties began to emerge from the general profession of “car mechanic”.

Nowadays, the electrical component in a car with an internal combustion engine has increased significantly. To understand electronic systems on which many important functions are based, specific knowledge is needed.

Description and characteristics of the profession

The profession of an auto electrician is now in great demand. The number of personal cars and trucks has increased significantly over the past decades, and any mechanism requires constant maintenance. You can work as an auto electrician either in a car repair shop, at a service station, or privately.

The main task of an auto electrician is to identify the causes of malfunctions in the vehicle’s electrical system and eliminate them. Nowadays, special equipment has appeared for car diagnostics, which has made the work much easier, but the main factor is still the knowledge of the job and the professionalism of the performer.

Directions, specialties and educational institutions according to the profile of training

There are different ways to study to become an auto electrician:

1. In secondary specialized educational institutions and vocational schools. In colleges there are several specialties in which you can obtain the necessary knowledge: “auto mechanic”, “maintenance and repair of motor vehicles”, “car repair and maintenance specialist”, “operation of transport electrical equipment and automation”. Advantages: more complete basic knowledge, but often lack of practice.
2. At auto electrician courses, which are available in many cities of Russia. Graduates who successfully pass the exam receive an official certificate and can get a job.
3. Through an internship at a company or workshop. If you wish, you can get a job as an auto electrician apprentice and work for free or for pennies, acquiring the necessary knowledge.

It is impossible in one article to list all the colleges that teach auto electricians. Here are just a few of them:

1. The educational complex "South-West" in Moscow provides education in the specialties of "car repair and maintenance specialist" and "car mechanic".
2. Nevsky College named after A.G. Nebolsina (St. Petersburg) also trains auto mechanics3 who are able to work after graduating from college as an auto electrician at a car company.
3. Novosibirsk Electromechanical College has a direction on types of transport “Operation of transport electrical equipment and automation”. Students are awarded the qualification of an electromechanical technician.
4. Ryazan Motor Transport College named after. S.A. Zhivago. Here you can also obtain the specialty of a master in electrical equipment for various types of wheeled vehicles.
5. College of Automotive Transport No. 9 (Moscow) supplies the labor market with qualified workers specializing in “maintenance and repair of automobile engines, systems and components.”

Short-term courses where you can gain specific knowledge on auto electrics are widely represented in the capital and large regional centers, for example, Engineering, School of Repair “101 course”, School of Auto Diagnostics by Alexey Pakhomov with his video lessons, etc.

Market Review

Before planning to open a business, you should study the market: demand, competition, trends.

Business relevance and demand for services.

According to the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, over the past 10 years, the vehicle fleet of Russians has increased by 65%, and the annual increase in the number of cars is 1.5 million units. As the domestic vehicle fleet grows, the number of crimes related to vehicle theft also increases. At the end of 2016, 13,700 car thefts were registered. According to police data, about 30% of the total number of crimes is solved. This means that only every second car is returned to its owners.

Disappointing statistics highlight the need to protect your car from theft and install security systems. The modern car alarm market offers devices of varying degrees of protection, complexity and cost. However, according to experts, the share of cars protected from burglary and theft is only 18%.

In addition, the peak of the crisis in the Russian car market has passed. In 2018, about 1.5 million new cars will be sold in Russia. Every car owner is a potential client for an alarm installation service. When purchasing a new car, drivers first of all care about its safety. Also, do not forget about servicing used cars. When purchasing a used car, many owners also install a security system or replace the old one.

Today, there are many different options for protecting your car from car thieves: these can range from basic steering wheel and pedal locks to rather expensive, complex electronic security systems. Recently, there has been a growing trend in the popularity of expensive security systems, which provide reliable protection and are quite difficult to install, which forces car owners to turn to alarm installation specialists. Most car enthusiasts have managed to appreciate the benefits of working with private craftsmen, since the services of an official dealer are often much more expensive.

These circumstances make this type of service such as car alarm installation in demand. Such a service is capable of generating a stable, high income, since the cost of services for installing a car alarm varies between 5,000-20,000 rubles.

Competition.

Installing car alarms is a fairly developed area of ​​commercial activity, so finding a free niche is quite difficult. In a large city with a population of about 1 million people, there may be 40-60 car services that provide alarm installation services.

To assess the level of competition in your city, use the 2GIS service. This data will help form an idea of ​​the number of competitors and their geolocation. This way you will assess the level of competition and determine the area in which it is more profitable for you to open. Conducting such a mini-research should be the initial stage of implementing a business idea. You must collect as much information as possible before taking action.

Why is it worth installing car alarms? To answer this question, consider the main advantages of such a business:

• stable profit;
• a current trend that is in demand;
• high level of income at low level of costs;
• relatively simple registration, market entry and business processes;
• relatively low level of initial investment.

How to open a car alarm installation service from scratch?

The initial stage for any business is market analysis and marketing research. Assess the level of demand, study competitors and prices, decide on your target audience, draw up a business plan calculating the costs and income of the project. When this is done, you can move on to solving practical problems:

• Go through the business registration procedure
• Define the concept, target audience
• Find premises and buy equipment
• Purchase consumables
• Find personnel
• Organize promotional events.

The main thing is that all the listed stages are carried out consistently and correspond to the prepared business plan. Let's take a closer look at each of the stages.

Professional Responsibilities

The job description of an automotive electrician usually includes the following responsibilities:

• Carrying out diagnostics using special devices of electronic control systems, ignition and other electrical equipment of various types of vehicles;
• identifying faults in electrical equipment, repairing them and adjusting systems using additional equipment or manually;
• parameterization of electronic systems;
• installation of units and electrical appliances with their connection to the network according to the diagram;
• installation of additional electrical equipment of the car (car radios, air conditioning systems, car alarms, etc.);
• charging car batteries;
• replacement and repair of electrical wiring in a vehicle.

In order to perform these works efficiently, the master must have perfect knowledge of the structure of machines of various manufacturers, brands and models, and their electrical circuits. Ability to operate modern diagnostic devices and common plumbing tools is also required. It is very important to comply with fire safety precautions and labor protection standards in your work.

Necessary equipment

To work in this field of activity, it is necessary to purchase high-quality and reliable equipment. It is considered quite simple and inexpensive, but it is important to carefully study all the rules for working with it. For on-site car diagnostics you need:

• a mobile scanner, which is a universal equipment, and its price varies from 50 to 90 thousand rubles;
• a thickness gauge that allows you to determine the thickness of the paintwork on any part of the car, and its cost starts from 10 thousand rubles;
• a laptop in which a specialized program must be installed that can decipher various fault codes on different brands of vehicles;
• adapter for connecting a car to a computer.

Important! The diagnostic program must be purchased in order to take advantage of all its benefits, and regular updates are also required, and usually you have to spend up to 5 thousand rubles on this monthly.

Who is it suitable for?

This job is suitable mainly for men who are well versed in technology and like to tinker with hardware. Such workers are required to have a number of qualities:

• knowledge of the principles of electricity;
• diligence, diligence and meticulousness in work;
• accuracy, patience and endurance;
• good memory and developed eye;
• ability to read technical diagrams and drawings;
• ability to communicate with clients;
• Ability to work with small parts and in awkward positions.

Love for your work and passion for it are very important. A true auto electrician constantly studies, searches the Internet for information about the design of electronic systems in new car models, and follows the development of technical thought. If you do not replenish your knowledge and practical experience, you can find yourself on the sidelines and lose clients.

Wage

Due to personnel problems, employers are ready to fork out money to get a professional in their field. On average, a worker in this specialty in Russia receives about 50 thousand rubles a month, and they are willing to pay an auto electrician-diagnostician up to 75 thousand rubles a month, especially in remote regions of the country. The largest number of vacancies are open in Moscow and the Moscow region, as well as St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, which is not surprising, given the level of motorization of the population of both capitals.

The main employers of auto electricians are:

• service stations and auto repair shops;
• service centers of car manufacturers;
• companies with a large fleet of vehicles (taxi companies, public transport companies, industrial and transport companies);
• tuning studio.

In addition to official work, an auto electrician can provide repair and consulting services at home.

Financial expenses

To open a business you need 112 thousand rubles:

• purchase of equipment – ​​70,000;
• advertising expenses – 40,000;
• business registration – 2,000.

To this we need to add the costs of writing a business plan for on-site auto diagnostics, which will become the “cornerstone” of the entire business. At this link you can find a business plan for organizing a full-fledged car service, and here you can read about how to create a mobile car service.

Monthly expenses will be equal to 136 thousand rubles:

• rent of a small office – 9,000;
• wages of four field specialists and two managers working in shifts – 100,000;
• utility bills - 2,000;
• advertising expenses – 8,000;
• program update – 5,000;
• travel expenses for employees – 12,000.

Calculation of profit and payback period

If two field managers work per day, then the daily revenue will be equal to 6 thousand rubles. The monthly income is 180 thousand rubles, and the net profit will be 44 thousand rubles. The investment pays off in just a few months of work.

The business is highly profitable, promising and stable. Over time, the number of clients will increase, which will require additional expansion of the company, and the profit will be enough to create a stationary diagnostic center. In this case, the amount of money received by the entrepreneur will be increased.

Video for “dessert”

How to build a career

If an employee has proven himself well as a specialist in his field, if he has leadership and organizational qualities, then he may well manage a car repair shop: private business does not have much reverence for diplomas. You can try to open your own business.

At state transport enterprises, in order to become the head of a section or department, you will need to obtain additional education. Fortunately, we have many technical universities in our country, and you can study by correspondence.

Another option is to have good recommendations from clients so that you are offered a change of job. This way you can get from a small workshop to the official service center of a large automaker, where the salary is higher and the work is cleaner.

Promotion of a workshop for installing alarm systems

Greater competition in the automotive service market increases the role of the workshop’s reputation and advertising. Therefore, the basis of the marketing plan is a careful study of the level of service and advertising campaign.

High-quality service from an alarm installation workshop involves:

• convenient opening hours;
• possibility of pre-registration by phone;
• availability of a waiting room equipped with a TV, water cooler and Internet;
• wide range of services.

The main task of marketing in the auto service business is the transition of one-time customers to the status of regular ones. It is possible to gain consumer trust with the help of high-quality service and a convenient location of the workshop.

The target audience consists of car owners, of which 60% are men aged 20 to 50 years.

An advertising campaign for a car service workshop is carried out using the following tools:

• advertising on billboards and signs.
  The most effective advertising for a car service center is outdoor advertising. The production and installation of one sign next to road signs costs an average of 15,000 rubles. To increase the effectiveness of outdoor advertising, it is planned to produce two signs that can attract the required number of customers. The billboard should serve not only as a pointer, but also as an information field where it is recommended to reflect the specific features of the offer, for example, you can indicate the working hours or current promotions.
• business cards and flyers

  . It is best to distribute printed material in places where the target audience gathers. This could be the territory of a gas station, auto parts stores, car washes, etc. The main offer for the client will be a discount upon presentation of the flyer. It is more rational to use this tool at the initial stage of a car service. The cost of this type of advertising is about 10,000 rubles.

• building customer loyalty.

  To form your customer base, it is necessary to provide for bonus programs for regular customers. To achieve this, it is planned to create a cumulative system of discounts. For example, you can accrue 2% bonuses from each purchase, which the client can use to pay next time. To keep records of the bonus program, you will need a computer with the appropriate software.

Also, periodic calling of bonus card holders with notification of current promotions can help attract customers. This tool is aimed at improving the quality of service, increasing sales and working with regular customers.

• advertising in the media

  . You can place an ad in a newspaper or order an advertisement on the radio. A classic radio advertisement is a 30-second commercial, the advertising text consists of 60-75 words, excluding prepositions. The cost of radio advertising depends on the selected radio, the broadcast time of the video, its duration and the number of repetitions. On average, the cost of 1 minute of a commercial is about 4,000 during the period 7:00 to 22:00. The approximate budget for advertising promotion through the media is 15,000-20,000 rubles.

• creating your own website

  . Firstly, this tool allows you to promote services via the Internet, and secondly, it simplifies the process of interaction with potential clients. The workshop website should indicate a list of services provided and a price list for them, contacts, a location map, information about promotions and special offers. It is also recommended to create a form on the website to quickly place an order. For a car repair shop website you only need a couple of web pages and a simple interface. The cost of such a site is about 15,000 rubles.

However, the best advertisement for a car service center is its favorable location. If you choose the right site, you can ensure a sufficient flow of customers. Therefore, it is worth paying special attention to choosing a suitable site.

It is recommended to plan the bulk of promotional activities for the first months of opening a car service. You will have to spend about 50 thousand rubles on this. An active marketing strategy allows you to speed up the process of recoupment of funds invested in opening a car repair shop.