preparing a business

hey guys, I am thinking about starting a tinting business, no I have no experience except for when I helped a friend on a few jobs and couldn't believe how easy it was and the amout of money he was pulling in. I want to start it off right but most likely won't do it till next year. my questions are:

1. where can I get proper professional training for residential tinting? (mostly houses under 4000 sq ft)
2. where can I get supplies and what will I need to start off right?
3. what business liscenses and insurance do I need?
4. what estimating programs does every one use and were do I find them?
5. I want a brand name product what else besides 3m is a good film? hows llumar?

I see there is a post very similar to this one already on the board, unfortunately instead of posting answers to his question everyone just seems to be ribbing him. I'm hoping you guys can help me out without much unneeded ribbing. thank you for your time.

Oh Really If it's all that Forking easy figure it out yourself Einstein

why not ask your friend?

No experience-no knowledge....why put yourself thru it????I know experience tinters that can't make a shop go.

If you really want to learn the business, go work for someone. What you enjoyed was the tail end of the business. There is much more to learn than just hanging film. There is product knowledge, window framing, glass technology and others involved before you determine what film to offer the client.

After that, then you learn the business end.

sorry isnt going to happen...

because he is several hundred miles away and I want to get proper training in my area, not only that but he has a monopoly on the market where he is and price gouges and still can't keep up with it all.



I have owned several successful businesses, running one isn't very hard, but it will only be a successful business if you can offer a quality product at a fair price. that and I'm not opening a shop, this will be a part time side business for me.



yes product knowledge, yes glass technology, yes windows, but the whole point of me asking were to get "proper professional training" was so I could learn correctly from the representatives thenselves as opposed to someone who cuts corners. also like I said this will be a part time side business for me, I am a Firefighter/EMT and my shift work won't allow me to work for anyone.

my friend who does this for a living told me this is where english speaking people go for a job since the illegals have taken all the landscaping work, please someone smart come up with a few good responses to prove him wrong.

if you have owned so many successful business' then how come you arent still running them? LOL

Better expect some "ribbing" when you tell a bunch of professionals that you can't believe how easy it is to do what they bust their asses for for a living. Having said that, where are you from? I'm sure someone on here would be willing to offer some formal training and such if the price is right.

I am sure that there are people out there who will come to you and train you in all aspects of the business. Be prepared to spend upwards of $750.00 per day plus expenses. Experience don't come cheap. But you can make alot too, so balance it out, sleep on it, and if you can do that, email me.

All contact info is on the website.

steve@tamingthesun.com

or a better question is "Why are you not just simply 'set' with the investments that those 'successful' businesses have provided you to make????"

Oh and good luck with that one.....it is as easy as making a pie.....of course I have had some pretty nasty pies too.

Hit search. All these questions have been previously answered.

I started when I was 13 doing construction and netting over 65k a year but hated it so I sold the cabinet hanging business I had to my partner. I had several other businesses all of which I grew tired of and the last one I sold off to go back to school, buy a new car and pay the mortgage for a year and a half, I don't own any businesses now because I'm a firefighter/EMT and I love it. but only working once every 3 days leaves me with alot of free time.



I didn't mean to offend anyone, but the work isn't hard for me compaired to what I do on a normal basis, my friend works usually about 6 hours a day and made over 200k last year and he has enough business that they are booked 4 months out, he wanted me to partner with him, but I hate where he lives. I'm currently in central florida. I was looking for factory training, I'm sure some of you guys are awsome, but I've found that learning from the field is like having someone tell you about a movie instead of seeing it yourself. Llumar just emailed me back with information on what I need, but thanks to all who would have helped.

So your saying you really didnt want our help to begin with? How many tinters here learned from llumar or a film rep? good luck dude!

I needed help to answer some questions, but I made it clear I wanted formal training, anyway it doesn't matter I can tell there is little help to be gained from most on this site, but I thank all who gave me good professional answers.

If you feel that LLumars "Training Class" is adequate, more power to you. Where did you get a response from? Performance Films? They will get your feet wet and throw you to the sharks. Thier training course is designed for someone who will continue to work for a shop after the class to perfect the skills learned. But Hey, what do we know? Most of us never took the course. We wrote the curriculum!! Have fun!!!!

Key West is right, if you want someone to offer a good training program it will not be from a distributor. All they offer is a crash course for a week and send you out with a book and a truck load of film.

$750.00 per day is about right. Some of us have a good training program and have trained some successful people throughout the years

lighten up man it's the internet

Why go yourself just hire some monkeys and pocket ALL the money minus bananas of course

200k working 6 hours per day? Are you talking about gross sales or net profit? Is he a solo operation or does he have employees? I bet he's selling Klingdon films for $20 per square.

As for your questions, it sounds like it would be best to ask your friend. He has a successful business and can answer your questions personally over a six pack of beer or nine holes of golf.... Or both I personally would rather take advice from a close friend with a successful business than a bunch of strangers on the internet.

Having said that, my advice would be to take a vacation and go to work with your buddy for free training. Its the best training you will find. What works for him may work for you, take a close look at his operation.

he is a solo operation but sometimes pays for helpers, up until a couple of years ago he was the only 3m installer in the area where he is and has earned a reputation. and that is 200k net profit after he buys a new truck each year, it's sick how much he makes for what he does.

[quote]As for your questions, it sounds like it would be best to ask your friend. He has a successful business and can answer your questions personally over a six pack of beer or nine holes of golf.... Or both I personally would rather take advice from a close friend with a successful business than a bunch of strangers on the internet. [quote]

I did take his advise, and his advise was to do several things, he said pick one and only one very well known product (most people know 3m and llumar), become an authorized installer, and make sure I get trained by them directly. yes I may be able to get more out of working at a shop, but I won't be able to say I was trained directly by llumar or 3m. think of it this way, if you wreck your chevy do you want it fixed by any body shop, or do you want it fixed by the chevrolet collision center. I've followed this same business model my whole life and it has gotten me a nice nest egg, so it makes sense to me to follow his thoughts and continue with it.

if i get in a wreck in my truck i fix it myself ..cuz i saw a guy do it and it looked really easy ..now im thinking about opening up a body shop ..you know where i can get some advise on how to open up a body shop.

is there a bodyshopdude.com anywhere on the net that they will give me free advise so i can make a lot of money and hack up the body shop industry.

Is this Close enough



http://www.autobodystore.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=3


Sorry just had to do that

Dude, you are vclimber!

So does that mean...............................................................

Man, that's good!

... I'm Harold?

could be just how short are you

How short do I gotta be?

Well..........If ya wanna be Harold, then you've gotta be short as Harold, round 4' 7 1/2" I recon would work

Must be using Kilngdon has well as 3M. Very lucrative.

No one MFGR has every fim for every application. Picking one and only one will severely limit you. Now, if you are entertaining the thought of picking and commiting to the "Big Red One", consider it carefully. Sure, the name recognition is there, thats over 3/4 of the reasons for the success of those dealers. And that is nothing to sneeze at. HOWEVER, in my experience, dealer support is severely lacking. Thier distributors are allowed to, and are in the practice of competeing with thier dealers.
The "big red one" makes a whole gamut of products, and window film is a very small percentage of the whole. Other MFGRs make one product, and do it well. If other MFGRS made as many products, they too, would be a household name. In the general knowledge of the big red, most custys did not know they made film. The Double L brand is probably the most well known film MFGR with custys who do thier homework. The Vista line is probably the most well known and well marketed brand on the scene. KUDOS to CP for thier marketing.
I know many successfull "Red" dealers, but also, many who have failed. Installation ability, Quality, people skills all come into play. The film they produce is NO BETTER than any other, and costs WAAAYYY more. Until recently, thier car film was a joke! They do, however, have films that are worth carrying, but not to the point of excclusivity.