Getting back into it

[Balzyone]

So 20 years ago I was really into the whole custom world and helped/learned from a good friend how to tint. My Step-Son is 17 and has a car and wants his windows tinted. Since I do know how to tint, and have seen some of the newer techniques, I am considering getting the stuff to do both of our cars windows. My hope is that in doing this, I can teach him a skill so he has something to work with in the future. I do have a couple of questions that I thought some of you guys may be able to help out with. First off, he goes to a sizable HS in the area, and I am sure he can pull in a lot of the kids to do their cars. Should I start this as a small word of mouth at his school business as I have time. I know there are three tint shops in the region, but I do not feel I would be a major competitor. I figure if I get him into it, he could eventually take it over and have something to build on. I am curious about how profitable it is these days, and how do I start pricing? Eventually I would like to be able to get completely back into the custom world, but would need to move back into it slowly so the wife does not try to say I am having a mid-life crisis. Any help, hints, or stories of pitfalls of this idea would be greatly appreciated.

[The ///Man]

Tell your wife to shut that you wear the pants and dive in head first.

[Ryker]

20 years ago....did you know anything about shrinking film?

Learn all that you can and expect the cobwebs to be in full effect....plan to ditch some film.

Start out small. There is a great deal to the cars and the variety of cars today. Profit is dependent on where you are and the market that is there. I would not even want to work just 45 miles east of where I live, but make a pretty good profit myself.....

[Balzyone]

20 years ago....did you know anything about shrinking film?

Learn all that you can and expect the cobwebs to be in full effect....plan to ditch some film.

Start out small. There is a great deal to the cars and the variety of cars today. Profit is dependent on where you are and the market that is there. I would not even want to work just 45 miles east of where I live, but make a pretty good profit myself.....

I am fully expecting the cobwebs to be there, but I do not think it will take that long. As far as shrinking film back then, I kept asking and was always told it would ruin the film. Hindsight, I wish like hell I would have not listened and tried it anyways. Could you imagine 20 years ago being the lone person shrinking in the south Georgia, North Florida area and how well I could have done for myself? As far as telling my wife to shut-up, no married man with any sense would give or take that advice lol. I am currently living in CT kinda near a couple of Indian Casinos. I think there is a serious market and have heard that the shops around here are charging $---+ for cars. Being the smart one, I will send my kid to get estimates at a couple of the shops and we will start out significantly less until I am back up to speed. Since the time I was tinting was while I was stationed aboard a submarine making 3 month on, 3 month off patrols, I was used to having breaks in using the skills and picking back up and I have done a few cars here and there up to about 10 years ago. I have seen many of the YouTube videos of people shrinking, and can't wait to try it out. I know I had some old tint kicking around and hope I did not chuck it out when we moved. If I still have it, I will practice a few times on my window to get the hang of it with the old tint before I use the newer good stuff. BTW I have seen a place selling tint and they had a professional tint and high performance tint. What is the difference other than price??

[Balzyone]

Tell your wife to shut that you wear the pants and dive in head first.

Not the best idea for me on several accounts. First, I like my wife and do not want to end up on the couch. Second I am not going to dive in and give up a job where I make $50/hr and have healthcare coverage. Third, it is not something I want to do as a full time job right now, maybe as a retirment opportunity to stay out of trouble, but not yet.

[Balzyone]

Tell your wife to shut that you wear the pants and dive in head first.

[The ///Man]

Tell your wife to shut that you wear the pants and dive in head first.

Not the best idea for me on several accounts. First, I like my wife and do not want to end up on the couch. Second I am not going to dive in and give up a job where I make $50/hr and have healthcare coverage. Third, it is not something I want to do as a full time job right now, maybe as a retirment opportunity to stay out of trouble, but not yet.

Dive in head first, a good tinter makes way more than $50/hr.

If you didn't notice I'm the little devil on your shoulder. I'm also a bit serious.

[Guest scottydosnntkno]

if you have a way to get steady business, auto can easily make you double that an hour, and FG even more than that.

[Balzyone]

if you have a way to get steady business, auto can easily make you double that an hour, and FG even more than that.

I do understand that I could make way more than I currently make tinting, along with other things I would want to do. I remember my buddy Mike Place bringing in serious money before he even graduated, and when he opened his shop before he was 21, he was rollin in the dough back in the late '80s, but at my age just giving up a good job for tinting would have to be incremental, and would involve having my son trained up to do a majority of the tinting until solidly established for me to make the jump full time. My first post was that I wanted to be able to get him set up since I don't know if I can see him finding much else. Hey, how many teenagers come out of school where they are set up with a business? I would also like to relocate before I went full time since I do not like my commute, but that is a whole different post.

[Ryker]

Do NOT start out lower...I don't care if you think you will put out the same quality or not...

You will not be able to get the price up if you start out low and you will be looked at as a hack to us.....

Charge what it is worth! Take the time to do it right even if you lose money on the job!