Charging for oil changes, brakes, etc
#21
09-14-2024, 04:50 PM
#22
09-15-2024, 10:40 AM
Road Master
That is what I figured, hence my question above.
I know you did not ask for any of this "advice' and I won't say anymore after.
I did the same thing long ago, I wrenched for a living on swing shift from 4:00 to 1:00 am, and then wrenched for trucking customers on the side out of my shop building engines and transmissions on the side to get extra money for the toys I wanted as a young man. I let them talk me into it, I did not even go looking for this
This spun out of control after about a year. You THINK you are doing people a favor by giving them quality work for less than half what a shop would charge, but in reality people (and friends) suck when it comes to money. It was never done fast enough, any mistakes were never handled the way they wanted, and then when I dared to go on vacation. one guy marched into the branch where I actually worked looking for me and complained to my boss that he had injector jobs lined up for me due to fuel contamination and he could not reach me. I nearly lost my job.
All this to say...be careful. I have known many techs in my career, and many of us have done this "on the side" and I have yet to find one guy that did not lose at least one friend over it.
I know you did not ask for any of this "advice' and I won't say anymore after.
I did the same thing long ago, I wrenched for a living on swing shift from 4:00 to 1:00 am, and then wrenched for trucking customers on the side out of my shop building engines and transmissions on the side to get extra money for the toys I wanted as a young man. I let them talk me into it, I did not even go looking for this
This spun out of control after about a year. You THINK you are doing people a favor by giving them quality work for less than half what a shop would charge, but in reality people (and friends) suck when it comes to money. It was never done fast enough, any mistakes were never handled the way they wanted, and then when I dared to go on vacation. one guy marched into the branch where I actually worked looking for me and complained to my boss that he had injector jobs lined up for me due to fuel contamination and he could not reach me. I nearly lost my job.
All this to say...be careful. I have known many techs in my career, and many of us have done this "on the side" and I have yet to find one guy that did not lose at least one friend over it.
You don't really know your friends until you get money involved. You find out who's real, real quick. Same with relatives. You seriously only have a few really good friends in life that share same values as you. If you want to find out the hard way to scratch your itch, go right ahead. You may have asked to find validation, but you're not gonna find it here from the wizers.
The following 5 users liked this post by Old New Rider:
aharleyrider (09-15-2024),
brakeless (09-15-2024),
NorthWestern (09-15-2024),
pgreer (09-15-2024),
Trumpet (09-16-2024)
#23
09-15-2024, 11:30 AM
Seasoned HDF Member
This right here.
You don't really know your friends until you get money involved. You find out who's real, real quick. Same with relatives. You seriously only have a few really good friends in life that share same values as you. If you want to find out the hard way to scratch your itch, go right ahead. You may have asked to find validation, but you're not gonna find it here from the wizers.
You don't really know your friends until you get money involved. You find out who's real, real quick. Same with relatives. You seriously only have a few really good friends in life that share same values as you. If you want to find out the hard way to scratch your itch, go right ahead. You may have asked to find validation, but you're not gonna find it here from the wizers.
#24
09-15-2024, 12:20 PM
I say do it!
Open you a small business! but do it smart as with insurance. I always cary 1-1.5 mil on me general liability just in case as I do all kinds of work on the side. I think I pay $50 to $75 a month for the insurance on me. I learned the hard way that I don't work on other peoples bikes. I tried to help a buddy put forward controls on his bike 25 years ago ( He, not me but he stripped the bolts ) he freaked out on me and I thought It was gonna get bad quick. I got him to calm down, I then drilled his stripped bolts out and fixed his mess up and sent him on his way and told myself and him that I would NEVER touch another person bike.
I have leaned the hard way with bikes, people computers and most anything inside a drunk rich ladies house, it never ends well for me if I touch it!
Open you a small business! but do it smart as with insurance. I always cary 1-1.5 mil on me general liability just in case as I do all kinds of work on the side. I think I pay $50 to $75 a month for the insurance on me. I learned the hard way that I don't work on other peoples bikes. I tried to help a buddy put forward controls on his bike 25 years ago ( He, not me but he stripped the bolts ) he freaked out on me and I thought It was gonna get bad quick. I got him to calm down, I then drilled his stripped bolts out and fixed his mess up and sent him on his way and told myself and him that I would NEVER touch another person bike.
I have leaned the hard way with bikes, people computers and most anything inside a drunk rich ladies house, it never ends well for me if I touch it!
#25
09-15-2024, 03:04 PM
Sounds like the days of shade tree mechanics/in the garage (in this case lol) are long gone. These days real friends are far and few. I thought it would be a good idea but like someone said i might just scratch my own itch, got my bike, my dads, and my papaw left me his 72 shovelhead when he passed away. Looking forward to getting back to work on it this winter! I appreciate everyones opinions, might just do it here and there if it comes up but wont press it too much. If its meant to happen itll come to be.
The following users liked this post:
Old New Rider (09-16-2024)
#26
09-15-2024, 03:09 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
I like the idea of it in theory as side job. And maybe for some it can grow on its own with right people. I just don't have the ambition to chase customers. I'll help people.
That it seems these days my own list of things I should do is pretty long.
When I was young I wanted business. But like everything else those crazy dreams just came and went.
Maybe not that hungry these days either
That it seems these days my own list of things I should do is pretty long.
When I was young I wanted business. But like everything else those crazy dreams just came and went.
Maybe not that hungry these days either
#27
09-15-2024, 06:50 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
I don't think he wants to actually open a "business" It's the fantasy of working on bikes and making a few bucks on the side. The only problem is once he starts charging, it's a business.
I used to like building and upgrading computers. Set myself up to make a few bucks, got a business license,pretty soon the hobby that I enjoyed turned into a job, along with all the BS that goes along with it. That was the end of that.
I used to like building and upgrading computers. Set myself up to make a few bucks, got a business license,pretty soon the hobby that I enjoyed turned into a job, along with all the BS that goes along with it. That was the end of that.
The following 2 users liked this post by roussfam:
Ghostrider_7211 (09-16-2024),
Old New Rider (09-16-2024)
#28
09-15-2024, 07:23 PM
The following 3 users liked this post by smitty901:
#29
09-16-2024, 04:28 AM
I don't think he wants to actually open a "business" It's the fantasy of working on bikes and making a few bucks on the side. The only problem is once he starts charging, it's a business.
I used to like building and upgrading computers. Set myself up to make a few bucks, got a business license,pretty soon the hobby that I enjoyed turned into a job, along with all the BS that goes along with it. That was the end of that.
I used to like building and upgrading computers. Set myself up to make a few bucks, got a business license,pretty soon the hobby that I enjoyed turned into a job, along with all the BS that goes along with it. That was the end of that.
