Getting back into it

[Guest accurate]

Charge what it is worth!

[Balzyone]

Charge what it is worth!

So I talked with my Step-son a little bit this morning and asked him to go to a couple of the local shops to get estimates. At first he did not get it, but after I drug the horse to the water and made him stand there a few minutes, he figured out where I was going with it, so the beginning of the business plan has been hatched. The light came on and he started to see the level of profit. I told him that we were going to have to pay ourselves a modest wage from the money we bring in, and most of the money needed to go back into the business for more inventory. He has always been artistic, so I plan on using that to do designs on his windows to show off at school. I figure if his windows are really nice, then he will be able to use that to advertise. That is going to be my logic to use my car as the first practice run and then on to his. The other thing that will be nice is he will be eager to help me clean out the garage to have a workspace. Ahhhhhh my evil plan is starting to come together. There is also a guy that lives in our subdivision who owns a sign company. I am going to check with him to see if he does the commercial tinting. If he does not, I may set up a deal with him to sub through his business to go that route..

[Guest scottydosnntkno]

if you actually start a "business", your inventory is only a small portion of your total income. My cost per car is about -%, so its not that high. Say you sell a tint job for $---. I subtract --% for taxes, or $--. Then take out --% for what I call the "business cut" or what I invest in my business. Basically its my cost for that particular car, -% more to buy new film for the next car, and --% extra that pays for my gas, oil changes, drinks, uniforms, towels, etc etc. The extra --% is what I pay myself, usually once a week on friday.

If you start doing jobs, your inventory lasts for a relatively long while in relation to how much it costs related to the income you make.

[Balzyone]

if you actually start a "business", your inventory is only a small portion of your total income. My cost per car is about -%, so its not that high. Say you sell a tint job for $---. I subtract --% for taxes, or $--. Then take out --% for what I call the "business cut" or what I invest in my business. Basically its my cost for that particular car, -% more to buy new film for the next car, and --% extra that pays for my gas, oil changes, drinks, uniforms, towels, etc etc. The extra --% is what I pay myself, usually once a week on friday.

If you start doing jobs, your inventory lasts for a relatively long while in relation to how much it costs related to the income you make.

This is kinda the model I am looking at. Since I am going to be teaching him how to tint, I am going to pay him a little to kepp his interest and show him how business works. At first it may not be a full business, but I will run it with him like it is. As his experience grows and we have a fair amount banked for supplies, then what he gets will go up, but at first it won't be much. I am also going to tell him that for each job, we are going to set it by how long it should take to do it. If it takes him longer then he still needs to do it right, but not at the business cost. If we figure it should be less than two hours to do a car, that is what he will get, and of course that will apply to me also. I am not looking to just teach him the skill, but how to run a business. I really would prefer to do flat glass since there seem to be more pitfalls with auto such as tint laws. With the tax incentives in commercial and residential tinting, we could make out better there. My wife is opening a flower shop and I am thinking about tinting those windows with him and making flower designs to show what we can do. He is very talented and has freehand drawn roses without looking at one that look real. I have not seen much in the area so the market seems wide open. I know the tax incentives are for the materials purchased for energy efficiencies, so does anyone have any ideas on how to set up rates after the material purchase, or are you building in the cost in the materials?

[TintJunkie]

I cant help but ask...

If you learned 17 years ago, and assuming you havent tinted a car in 17 years, how will you teach someone a 17 year old technique, when a lot of what was done 17 years ago is not done today? Id also like to point out, cars from the 80's had mainly flat side windows, and you said you never shrunk film...how will you teach what you dont know?

Im just asking...

[Booms]

Im just asking...

Very Valid points. I would buy a roll of film from someone and see if your SkillZ are still there.

[Guest scottydosnntkno]

Im just asking...

Very Valid points. I would buy a roll of film from someone and see if your SkillZ are still there.

[Balzyone]

I cant help but ask...

If you learned 17 years ago, and assuming you havent tinted a car in 17 years, how will you teach someone a 17 year old technique, when a lot of what was done 17 years ago is not done today? Id also like to point out, cars from the 80's had mainly flat side windows, and you said you never shrunk film...how will you teach what you dont know?

Im just asking...

when I learned way back in the dark ages lol, I used to sit for hours and watch my friend tint. then one day I got the nerve up to do my own windows. the truck int the background of my avatar pic was the start and it came out good. that truck ended up less than 2 inches off the ground which was some feat back then. once I got the knack I did several other friends cars and then started working here and there helping Mike. after that the navy transfered me to ct and I was tinting on the side. I did that for a while and then got into other things. I am sure that some things have changed like shrinking but watching some of the videos it looks similar to other shrinking I have done. same basic concept just understanding how much it will shrink until it wont shrink no mo. my plan is to start out on my car and I have some interest from friends at work. looking at my 02 audi a4, it looks like it may be a fair challenge. as to all the windows being flat back in my day... my 93 eclipse did not have a flat quarter. I am looking at this as a challenge and will go until I win. that is another reason I am thinking about doing more commercial and residential. reading some of the posts about tint laws makes me wonder how strict they are here about enforcement on the tinter. there are a lot of things that I am considering thanks to this forum. so I guess a big thanks to tintdude.

[VIP tint + glass]

first things first, go tint a car, any car

[Guest scottydosnntkno]

first things first, go tint a car, any car

business models and plans are the last thing you should think about.

thats like me going out and coming up with a "foolproof" plan to start a competitor to UPS, and having it all worked out, but then not having any trucks to deliver my packages