Windshield repair offers a great starting point for launching your own business. You have to shake the bushes to drum up business and put in the work, but you can make a living if you put in the effort.
I began my business doing automotive glass repairs in 1994. Each repair is like a snowflake: It’s a bit of an art form. You never get bored doing repair work, and you get to meet people from all walks of life, from the average blue-collar worker to CEOs.
The key to success in any business is to listen to your customers. Listen to their needs—that’s how I ended up expanding my business. We did repairs for eight years and then added automotive glass replacement. Customers were asking for it, and we couldn’t provide it. I learned the business and shadowed some installation technicians at another company for a while before I was ready to offer the service at my company.
Soon after adding automotive glass replacement, my residential services began to grow. Many people have a need for these services and they don’t know where to go, so I invested the time and effort to fulfill this need. You can be the answer for your customers if you’re willing to listen.
Now we offer AGRR services not just for vehicles, but also for large trucks, construction equipment and trains. We also offer window film for the residential and commercial sectors. We work on storefronts and will take on special projects. Our company also offers stained glass services and is willing to cut glass for all sorts of projects. There are many companies that began by offering repairs and have grown like we have. This could be an option for you.
As a repair technician or company owner, you have the opportunity to interact one-on-one with the customer and learn from them. Perhaps you don’t want to go the direction we did. Perhaps you decide to add on paint services. The key is getting that foundation in place as a strong repair business and growing from there.
And perhaps you are happy with repair-only work. If you are willing to put the time in, that is a great business. Sometimes I miss my days as a repair-only company.
I care so much about the repair field that I became president of the National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA). I encourage you to come out to Auto Glass Week™ 2016 October 5-7 in San Antonio, Texas, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and learn more about what we are about.
Stop by booth #628 and ask about the NWRA Trusted Repair Technician Program. We are launching the program during Auto Glass Week. By standing by our values and agreeing to be audited for them, we are telling the industry and others that we are professional about our level of work and we are willing to set ourselves apart. I believe this will reap benefits for us down the road. So if you haven’t already booked your flight for San Antonio, do it now, and come join us.
Jeff Reddell is the president of the National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA) as well as the owner of PACE Glass in Texarkana, Texas. He can be reached at jeff@paceglass.us.
