Mobile Mechanic Service

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Executive Summary

On-Site Auto Care is a mobile auto repair service in the west side of our city. We come to our customers' homes, workplaces and parking lots to do maintenance and common repairs: oil changes, brakes, batteries, starters, alternators, belts, diagnostics and more. We also keep small business vehicles running with regular fleet service. Most people lose half a day or more getting their car fixed: getting to the shop, waiting or finding a ride, and going back. Many also worry about being overcharged. We bring the shop to them and explain every repair and price before we start. Here is what our numbers show. We expect sales of about $116,500 in Year 1, growing to about $821,500 by Year 5 as repeat customers and fleet accounts grow and we add mechanics. We expect a loss of about $19,700 in Year 1 while we build our customer base, then a profit from Year 2 (about $12,200), growing to about $142,700 by Year 5. We need $70,000 in total. That covers $38,500 in startup costs (a used service van, a diagnostic scan tool, tools, insurance and opening parts), the money we expect to lose in the early months, and a cash cushion of about three months of bills. I am putting in $14,000 of my own money, and I am asking for $56,000. I am Linda Flores, the owner and lead mechanic. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

On-Site Auto Care will be a limited liability company (LLC) in South Carolina, owned by Linda Flores, working from a fully equipped service van. What we believe. Honest work, clear prices, and respect for our customers' time. What we offer:
- Maintenance: oil changes, filters, fluids, belts, wipers, bulbs and inspections. - Repairs: brakes, batteries, starters, alternators, cooling system and common engine repairs. - Check-engine-light diagnostics with a professional scan tool. - Pre-purchase inspections for people buying a used car. - Fleet service: scheduled maintenance for small businesses with work vehicles. What we do not do on site. Jobs that need a lift or heavy shop equipment, like transmissions or major engine work. We refer those to a trusted shop. Licenses, insurance and rules. Our state requires auto repair businesses to register with the Office of Consumer Protection. We will only work in lots where the property owner allows it. We carry garage liability insurance, which covers damage to a customer's car while we work on it. We dispose of used oil, fluids and parts at licensed recycling centers. Where things stand today. I own most of my hand tools, have 25 friends and neighbors who already call me for repairs, and have priced used service vans.

Problem & Opportunity

Car repair is a hassle for most people. 1. Lost time. Getting to a shop, waiting or arranging rides can take half a day or more, and many people cannot take time off work. 2. Trust. Many people worry they are being charged for repairs they do not need. 3. No car, no way to the shop. When a car will not start, people pay for a tow just to get a simple battery or starter fixed. 4. Small businesses. Businesses with a few work vans lose money every hour a vehicle is in the shop. How we know people want this. I have done repairs for 25 friends and neighbors in the past year, mostly by word of mouth, and two small contractors asked me to service their trucks every month.

Products & Services

What we sell. 1. Service calls. One visit for maintenance or a repair. Our plan assumes an average of about $165 per call in Year 1, rising to about $185 by Year 5, with parts costing about $55 per call. About 500 calls in Year 1 (about 10 a week), growing to about 2,900 a year by Year 5 as we add mechanics. 2. Fleet service. Scheduled visits to service several vehicles for a business, averaging about $850 per visit in Year 1, rising to about $950, with about $380 in parts. About 40 fleet visits in Year 1, growing to about 300 a year. Our prices. $95 an hour labor (one-hour minimum), parts at cost plus 20%, free diagnostics with repair, fleet plans priced by number of vehicles. How it works for the customer:
1. Call, text or book online, describing the problem. 2. A price estimate before we come out, and a written approval before any extra work. 3. We do the work in their driveway or parking lot. 4. We show them the old parts, explain what we did, and take payment by card. Gross margin, explained. "Gross margin" is the share of each sale left after paying for parts. Our plan shows about 63% in Year 1. That money pays the mechanics, the van, fuel, insurance and tools.

Market Analysis

Who will hire us:
- Busy working people and parents who cannot spend half a day at a shop. - People whose car will not start at home or work. - People buying a used car who want an inspection first. - Small businesses with work vehicles: contractors, landscapers, delivery services and churches with vans. Where we will work. Within 25 minutes of my home, covering the south side of our city and two nearby suburbs. Our plan is careful on purpose. About 10 service calls a week in Year 1 is a manageable start for one mechanic.

Competitive Landscape

Other options people have:
1. Repair shops and dealerships. Full equipment, but customers must bring the car in and wait. 2. Quick-lube chains. Fast oil changes, but often push extra services, and limited repairs. 3. Other mobile mechanics. Northside Services (a made-up name) charges a higher price (replace this with their real price); known for being fast, but hard to reach on weekends. 4. Fixing it themselves. Cheap if you know how, but most people do not. How we will win customers: we come to them, explain every repair, get approval before extra work, and charge fair, clear prices.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How people will find us. - A Google business listing with photos, and a review request after every job. - Facebook and Nextdoor neighborhood groups. - Van lettering, since every job parked in a driveway is an advertisement. - Partnerships with apartment managers, employers and churches for on-site service days. - Visits to small businesses with work vehicles to offer fleet plans. - A thank-you discount for customers who refer a friend. Marketing budget. About $6,000 a year. Van lettering, business cards and a simple website are paid for from startup costs.

The first 90 days. Days 1 to 30: outfit the van, get insurance and licenses and set up online booking and payment. Days 31 to 60: market to nearby neighborhoods and fleet customers. Days 61 to 90: fill the weekly schedule, collect reviews and offer simple maintenance plans.

Operations Plan

How the business runs day to day. The van. A used service van with shelving holds tools, common parts and fluids. Equipment costs about $32,000 at opening, including the van, a professional scan tool, hand tools, jacks and stands, a portable compressor, battery equipment, fluid recovery equipment, and a tablet with repair information and invoicing software. We set aside about $3,500 to $4,500 a year after that for tools. Parts. We keep common parts on the van (filters, fluids, belts and bulbs) and buy job-specific parts from nearby parts stores the day of the job. About $12,000 a year is budgeted for parts inventory and tools, and about $8,000 for van upkeep. Scheduling. Jobs are grouped by area to save driving time. Safety. Wheel chocks, jack stands (never working under a car held up only by a jack), eye protection, and a fire extinguisher on the van. Clean work. Drop cloths and drip pans to protect driveways, and used fluids and parts taken to a licensed recycler. Staff. The owner works alone in Year 1. We add one mechanic in Year 2, two in Year 3, three in Year 4 and five in Year 5, at about $46,000 a year each.

Risks and how we plan for them:
- Working at customers' locations. We choose jobs that are safe to do at a driveway or parking lot and decline unsafe ones.
- Parts delays. We keep common parts in the van and use two suppliers.
- Warranty and liability. We carry garage liability insurance, give written estimates and warranty our labor.
- Weather. We use a canopy for rain and reschedule when conditions are unsafe.
- Tool and van costs. We maintain the van on a schedule and budget for tool replacement.

Management & Organization

Who runs the business. Linda Flores, owner and lead mechanic. As owner I will do repairs, quote jobs, schedule, buy parts, hire and train mechanics, and handle the money side of the business. I plan to pay myself $54,000 a year. People who will help us: a bookkeeper or accountant, an insurance agent, a nearby full-service shop we send bigger jobs to, and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Carlos Carter serves as a key volunteer advisor.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them. - Before starting: buy and set up the van, get insurance and any required registration, set prices, and launch our listing. Target start: February 2027. - First year: about 10 service calls a week, 3 fleet customers, and about $116,500 in sales. - Year 2: hire our first mechanic, about $248,750 in sales, and a profit of about $12,200. - Years 3 to 5: grow to five mechanics and about $821,500 in sales by Year 5. What we check every week: jobs done, average job price, parts cost, comebacks (jobs we had to redo), reviews and cash in the bank.

What the plan's numbers say. Year 1: sales about $116,500, loss about $19,700; Year 2: sales about $248,800, profit about $12,200; Year 3: sales about $415,000, profit about $56,400; Year 4: sales about $599,500, profit about $108,700; Year 5: sales about $821,500, profit about $142,700. The lowest year-end cash is about $16,600.

How we will keep score. Every month we compare real sales to the plan, check the cash in the bank, review the direct cost of each job or product, and look at what customers say. If sales are behind plan for two months in a row, we slow spending and delay hiring until the numbers catch up.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total needed: $70,000. This number comes from the Funding Need Calculator in this plan. It adds up: - Startup costs of $38,500, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section (about $32,000 for the used service van, scan tool and tools, $1,500 for opening parts, $400 for licenses, $2,500 for the first insurance payment, $600 for business setup, and $1,500 for van lettering, cards and a website). - About $11,200 to cover the money we expect to lose in the early months while we build our customer base. - A cash cushion of about $31,500, about three months of bills, so slow weeks do not put the business at risk. Lenders call this "working capital." Where the money comes from: - My own money: $14,000. - Amount requested: $56,000. Kind of funding we are looking for: an SBA 7(a) loan through a local bank or community lender. How we will pay it back. We expect a loss of about $19,700 in Year 1 while we build our customer base, then a profit from Year 2 (about $12,200), growing to about $142,700 by Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank every year of the plan. The loan is planned at 12.75% interest over 10 years, the most the SBA allows for a loan this size, so payments of about $828 a month are already included in our cash flow. What we are offering the lender: our equipment as collateral and a personal guarantee from the owner. A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan: - Phase 1: start part-time on evenings and weekends with your own vehicle and the tools you already have, focusing on simple jobs like batteries, brakes and oil changes. Get insurance first. - Phase 2: once you are turning down work, buy the service van and scan tool and follow this plan. To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match. All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

What if sales are slower? We also tested a cautious case where sales come in 20 percent lower every year. In that case the plan shows a loss of about $37,700 in Year 1, a profit of about $14,000 in Year 3 and the lowest year-end cash is below zero, by about $17,300. Cash would run short in that case, so we would cut costs early, delay hiring and talk to the lender before it happens.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume (one page is fine) and any licenses or certificates. - A personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form). - Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov). - Your mechanic certifications (for example, ASE) and training certificates. - Proof of garage liability insurance, or a quote. - Any required state repair registration. - Quotes for the van and tools. - Your price list and a sample repair estimate form. - Reviews or letters from past customers or fleet clients. If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue. The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Service calls: about $165 each in Year 1, rising to $185; about $55 in parts; about 500 calls in Year 1, growing to 2,900. - Fleet visits: about $850 each in Year 1, rising to $950; about $380 in parts; about 40 visits in Year 1, growing to 300. - Owner pay: $54,000 a year. Mechanics: $46,000 a year each, from one in Year 2 to five in Year 5. - Other yearly costs in Year 1: parts inventory and tools about $12,000, van upkeep about $8,000, marketing about $6,000. - Tax rate: 21%. - Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Plain words used in this plan:
- Mobile service: repairs done at the customer's home or workplace.
- Diagnostic: finding out what is wrong before repair.
- Garage liability insurance: coverage for damage or injury while working on vehicles.
- Labor warranty: a promise to fix problems caused by our repair.
- Fleet customer: a business with several vehicles that need regular service.

Startup Costs