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As others have mentioned, if you are engaging in a regular pattern of servicing customer cars after hours, it is a business, regardless as to what you want to call it, with all tax, liability, insurance, and zoning requirements falling upon you. If you were to pick up work at a gas station, for example, that would be a side job, but you are running the proposed enterprise, so it is a business.
With respect to liability, you will be held to a higher standard because you are a mechanic. Also, there are scammers who look for outside mechanics that don't thoroughly inspect, or who do not engage in the level of paperwork and documentation, such that they can use that person to sue for a replacement car or engine. Even if you have the best intentions, if it is done in the name of commerce, you can be sued. I know someone who got the value of a car, and other associated damages, because a couple of guys from a quick lube shop came to her rescue when she broke down by the side of their business. They improperly jumped her car, and she claimed that caused a fire, etc. a couple of minutes down the road. Because they are mechanics, the court held them to a higher standard, and that they should have been familiar enough with vehicles to know that not every car can be jump started in the same way. As a sole proprietor, you are at even more risk.
Also, because of your day job, do not ever mention that you work on the side, or accept work from a customer of that dealership, or you will find that you will have no day job when the two worlds collide. Undercutting your employer is not a good means to stay employed, even if you are targeting a different customer base than their more affluent customer.
You may be better off looking for someone who has a shop doing some sort of automotive-related work, such as an air conditioning or transmission shop, and asking if you can work with their business to add in a bargain oil change and inspection facility (not state inspection, of course). You could payout a commission to them, and because you are under their business umbrella, it would be a means to protect your assets, until you are more established to strike out on your own, or the business grows to a degree that you and the other shop expand. Partnering with someone who knows the ins and outs of taxes, zoning regulations, pricing, insurance, etc. can do much to help you in the long run.
If you do a job for your sister's friend and he gives you $50 or tickets to a ball game, whatever, that's a side job. And, you may have more protections in the event of a lawsuit because it was not a business venture, i.e., you were doing them a favor and were not compensated in a professional capacity, by the hour/job. Similarly, church ministries that offer low cost car care clinics, only charging for parts/materials, are protected in that they are not engaging in a for-profit venture. What you have proposed is a business with all the benefits, and pitfalls, of being a sole proprietor.
See if you can offer a mobile service, as that does not require a huge investment. There is a guy who operates a specialty brake service that I know of who has a fantastic reputation, and runs it all from his truck. He has regular business, and has done my neighbor's Mercedes SL, Toyota Sequoia, and their son's BMW all in the family driveway, and they don't just recommend him to others, but extol his virtues to others as he is less expensive than the dealership, comes to your house, and offers quality work. When their Lexus hybrid needs brakes, they plan to have him come back to do the work, but the Lexus is too new to need brakes yet.
There is another mobile service that comes to your location to install and balance tires that is a franchise. The local franchisee has a fantastic reputation from people I have known who have engaged their services. My friend's office is a regular customer and he is absolutely ecstatic that people have that option, and is encouraging the mobile brake guy as well, because it cuts down on absenteeism because of car repairs. Concierge services for inspections and the like are also around, though perhaps not quite as popular, unless the shop has an inspector on staff who solely works on the appointment vehicles.
I think that the auto parts store is going to become suspicious of you as well, if you are bringing oil from multiple cars a week for disposal. They are required to have citizen disposal, but you are commercial because it is a business, and it is a free service for the consumer, when available, i.e., the drums are not filled to capacity. I believe there is a limit as to how much you can recycle per person per day at many such facilities, so you may have to store used oil in your garage until you can dispose of it for free; or, contract with a service to remove the oil, which would drive up your costs.
I am a proponent of the entrepreneurial spirit, and of small businesses, and that's what you are proposing, regardless as to whether or not you have a day job. Look to the Small Business Administration (sba.gov) and SCORE Association (score.org) to find a mentor, and gain insight into the running of your business. SCORE offers its services free of charge, by volunteer retired business executives, so if there is a nearby chapter, talk to them, as their services are confidential, and the wisdom and experience offered by a retired professional can be invaluable when you are getting started in business.
Good luck with your new venture, but approach it with a smart plan as opposed to a more haphazard means of starting, and you can enjoy the fruits of your labor, without looking over your shoulder and waiting for the next shoe to drop with respect to the ramifications of operating a business improperly. Ignorance of laws, regulations, and requirements for the business are not excused, so don't assume that you can say that you were just doing a side job and all will be well.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
As others have mentioned, if you are engaging in a regular pattern of servicing customer cars after hours, it is a business, regardless as to what you want to call it, with all tax, liability, insurance, and zoning requirements falling upon you. If you were to pick up work at a gas station, for example, that would be a side job, but you are running the proposed enterprise, so it is a business.
With respect to liability, you will be held to a higher standard because you are a mechanic. Also, there are scammers who look for outside mechanics that don't thoroughly inspect, or who do not engage in the level of paperwork and documentation, such that they can use that person to sue for a replacement car or engine. Even if you have the best intentions, if it is done in the name of commerce, you can be sued. I know someone who got the value of a car, and other associated damages, because a couple of guys from a quick lube shop came to her rescue when she broke down by the side of their business. They improperly jumped her car, and she claimed that caused a fire, etc. a couple of minutes down the road. Because they are mechanics, the court held them to a higher standard, and that they should have been familiar enough with vehicles to know that not every car can be jump started in the same way. As a sole proprietor, you are at even more risk.
Also, because of your day job, do not ever mention that you work on the side, or accept work from a customer of that dealership, or you will find that you will have no day job when the two worlds collide. Undercutting your employer is not a good means to stay employed, even if you are targeting a different customer base than their more affluent customer.
You may be better off looking for someone who has a shop doing some sort of automotive-related work, such as an air conditioning or transmission shop, and asking if you can work with their business to add in a bargain oil change and inspection facility (not state inspection, of course). You could payout a commission to them, and because you are under their business umbrella, it would be a means to protect your assets, until you are more established to strike out on your own, or the business grows to a degree that you and the other shop expand. Partnering with someone who knows the ins and outs of taxes, zoning regulations, pricing, insurance, etc. can do much to help you in the long run.
If you do a job for your sister's friend and he gives you $50 or tickets to a ball game, whatever, that's a side job. And, you may have more protections in the event of a lawsuit because it was not a business venture, i.e., you were doing them a favor and were not compensated in a professional capacity, by the hour/job. Similarly, church ministries that offer low cost car care clinics, only charging for parts/materials, are protected in that they are not engaging in a for-profit venture. What you have proposed is a business with all the benefits, and pitfalls, of being a sole proprietor.
See if you can offer a mobile service, as that does not require a huge investment. There is a guy who operates a specialty brake service that I know of who has a fantastic reputation, and runs it all from his truck. He has regular business, and has done my neighbor's Mercedes SL, Toyota Sequoia, and their son's BMW all in the family driveway, and they don't just recommend him to others, but extol his virtues to others as he is less expensive than the dealership, comes to your house, and offers quality work. When their Lexus hybrid needs brakes, they plan to have him come back to do the work, but the Lexus is too new to need brakes yet.
There is another mobile service that comes to your location to install and balance tires that is a franchise. The local franchisee has a fantastic reputation from people I have known who have engaged their services. My friend's office is a regular customer and he is absolutely ecstatic that people have that option, and is encouraging the mobile brake guy as well, because it cuts down on absenteeism because of car repairs. Concierge services for inspections and the like are also around, though perhaps not quite as popular, unless the shop has an inspector on staff who solely works on the appointment vehicles.
I think that the auto parts store is going to become suspicious of you as well, if you are bringing oil from multiple cars a week for disposal. They are required to have citizen disposal, but you are commercial because it is a business, and it is a free service for the consumer, when available, i.e., the drums are not filled to capacity. I believe there is a limit as to how much you can recycle per person per day at many such facilities, so you may have to store used oil in your garage until you can dispose of it for free; or, contract with a service to remove the oil, which would drive up your costs.
I am a proponent of the entrepreneurial spirit, and of small businesses, and that's what you are proposing, regardless as to whether or not you have a day job. Look to the Small Business Administration (sba.gov) and SCORE Association (score.org) to find a mentor, and gain insight into the running of your business. SCORE offers its services free of charge, by volunteer retired business executives, so if there is a nearby chapter, talk to them, as their services are confidential, and the wisdom and experience offered by a retired professional can be invaluable when you are getting started in business.
Good luck with your new venture, but approach it with a smart plan as opposed to a more haphazard means of starting, and you can enjoy the fruits of your labor, without looking over your shoulder and waiting for the next shoe to drop with respect to the ramifications of operating a business improperly. Ignorance of laws, regulations, and requirements for the business are not excused, so don't assume that you can say that you were just doing a side job and all will be well.
I will keep my costumers at a low and select a few.
And its not a business its just a quick buck on the side.
Lets back up.
First.
Do you intend to do more that $500 in sales a year. If so IT IS a BUSNISS
side~work is a business.
If your smart you will get a LLC
To separate your personal assets from your business and to safe guard your business name and there are more reasons
Like instead of paying retail for your supply's you can now get them wholesale and delivered to you.
TAX. the tax man will want his money.
You will collect it and pay them.
It's a business.
Next you need a location that is zoned for your business.
Next you need some osha training.
Protection for yourself.
Lifts are dangerous.
There is a reason oil change places use pits and not lifts.
You will also need liability insurance.
when you f-up and my engine seizes it will cost you around 10k to replace it.
Does your side~work account have it?
Remember I don't have to let you fix it I can take it anywhere.
MY training was at a To-Tec class.
Not much but the plugs threads could already be going bad.
It will be your fault.
are you ready to fix it.
Then I don't want you working on my dodge(cummins) as none of those will work to get the drain plug off (it does not take a socket) and the recommended drain time is 20minutes this allows the quart that likes to stay in the crank case ventilation filter in the valve cover to fully drain out.
.
My truck(s)take 3gal of oil designed for diesels.
You will have your own 55gal drums for the oil you generate.
The epa will come in and want to see your "hazer-douse waste generators LIC".
Your competition, you know the jiffey lube.
Will not like the competition. They will report you just to make it difficult or to make you go away.
Busies is a dog eat dog adventure, don't be caught warring milk bone underwear.
Call it tomatoes if you wish, as soon as you do $500 in sales it's a business.
Again this time thing.
Some could go this quick some take a bit longer.
How many different types and grades of oil are you going to stock?
Next you have to figure in the time it took you to go to mall-mart and buy the oil , at retail prices.
and I don't want a farm filter.
So now your going to napa or cummins to get the correct one.
pissst i'm not paying napa's prices.
You have a lot to do before you do your first oil change.
It is a business.
You could be better off buying a jiffy-lube franchise or one similar.[/quote]
You guys are seriously over complicating this situation.
I will be choosy with my customers. Thats all. It's just some sidework in my garage. How would Jiffy Lube even know I exist??
It's small quantities. .I will probably do like 16-20 oil changes a week..and I will buy products from the auto store..
80 cars a month is a small business, not a couple of side jobs, but call it whatever you want...
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Shhhhhhhhh, ............leave the kid alone. He's texting with the customer to ensure the proper filter and oil.
You know, the right customer, not the wrong one. The one he will do an inspection for, but he doesn't do inspections. And he's getting this done in a mere 6 minutes. So for you information buddy. He's busy!
^^LOL - It's been 12 hours. You reckon he's done yet?
I'm still trying to figure out what "I will be choosy with my customers" means.
I always thought it was the other way around, especially when you're first starting out.
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