The cost of a 1800radiator franchise.

[PandaBear]

California is very difficult on business owners, particularly those with nasty chemicals like dip tanks. I'd pass for that reason alone.

Relatively speaking yes. However remember there are also demand no matter where you are and how tough businesses are. The market will adjust for the local condition and priced accordingly. Better to do business places would have over time increase competition as well. The market balance itself out no matter where you are. We are all trading pros and cons no matter where we go and live.

 

[SC Maintenance]

the aluminum core gets eaten by electrolysis

This is interesting. The plastic tanks splitting or the seal with the rest of the rad I see, but what is causing the electrolysis? This would imply a metallic substance in the coolant? Are people maybe using un-distilled hard water or something - rather than the proper coolant / pure water mixture?

 

[Chris142]

What is rooting you to this hot place in CA coupled to work that exposes you to it?

I love my house and it's location

 

[Chris142]

This is interesting. The plastic tanks splitting or the seal with the rest of the rad I see, but what is causing the electrolysis? This would imply a metallic substance in the coolant? Are people maybe using un-distilled hard water or something - rather than the proper coolant / pure water mixture?

Most likely. Many people think antifreeze is just that and do not understand that it's got corrosion inhibitors too. Since it does not get that cold here many people run around with tap water only.

 

[dlundblad]

Rather than getting into the whole franchise thing, what about starting your own business?

Any 2-3 car garages in town available to rent?

 

[97prizm]

I'm looking to find work that is easier on me. I'm a little old now to be in the heat all day. I come home absolutely wiped out after crawling around cars all day long.

Plus barely scraping by is getting old.

Looked into a 1800radiator franchise. I was good friends with the one we had years ago until they retired and moved away. I never asked them the specifics.

So I looked them up. Looks like you gotta have a lot of $$$ to get into that gig.

View attachment 295641

Franchisees require various amounts to start. Chick Fil A is someone like 30ish thousand from recent memory but they take something like 25-30% profit. How many people are needing radiators specifically? Or do they offer other services? Muffler shops used to be everywhere when I was a kid. There might be one in town now.

 

[skyactiv]

1-800 in a name sounds dated to me.

The real question is will you have to use your house as collateral?

If you look at who has their hand in this it's Driven Brands Holdings in which the private equity firm Roark Capitol Group invest in.

I did bring up public sector mechanic jobs in which you may have to drive which sucks, but owning a franchise will be a 6 day a week job with long days.

 

[AZjeff]

but owning a franchise will be a 6 day a week job with long days.

No, owning your own business is 24/7 no matter your open hours, you never really shut it off. Did it for almost 20 years.

Franchises aren't all bad, they have the business figured out and you hit the ground running. If you have the money to put into it.

 

[Dave Hess]

You don’t want to ‘buy a job’ and end up working 80 hours per week.

Mobile mechanic and only take cold hard cash if you decide to have a small business.

 

[eljefino]

Relatively speaking yes. However remember there are also demand no matter where you are and how tough businesses are. The market will adjust for the local condition and priced accordingly. Better to do business places would have over time increase competition as well. The market balance itself out no matter where you are. We are all trading pros and cons no matter where we go and live.

Hard, hard disagree. How about renting space at a dead mall for your next big idea? Mall rents don't drop in price to fill empty spaces because then the mortgagee has to admit to their financiers that business isn't what it used to be.

Franchises exist for estate tax reasons; you can pass down to your kids more money in a business than you can in cold hard cash. Notable if you have 10 million, probably not in OPs case.

Many businesses are houses of cards, money laundering fronts, tax dodges... impossible to make an honest buck at. Beware of those coming to you with "good" ideas for your money and labor output.

OP should get together with his other mechanics and unionize to get better working conditions. I know I'm 2800 miles away but we're starving for mechanics here and his situation can't be so much different. If his cheap boss won't put in a couple of mini-splits his (heavily leveraged) franchise deserves to fail due to a labor walkout.

 

[PandaBear]

Hard, hard disagree. How about renting space at a dead mall for your next big idea? Mall rents don't drop in price to fill empty spaces because then the mortgagee has to admit to their financiers that business isn't what it used to be.

Franchises exist for estate tax reasons; you can pass down to your kids more money in a business than you can in cold hard cash. Notable if you have 10 million, probably not in OPs case.

Many businesses are houses of cards, money laundering fronts, tax dodges... impossible to make an honest buck at. Beware of those coming to you with "good" ideas for your money and labor output.

OP should get together with his other mechanics and unionize to get better working conditions. I know I'm 2800 miles away but we're starving for mechanics here and his situation can't be so much different. If his cheap boss won't put in a couple of mini-splits his (heavily leveraged) franchise deserves to fail due to a labor walkout.

I wouldn't say mall rent don't drop is the same thing as whether there is a demand for the business. In the end in the long run lenders have to mark to market and face the reality of asset pricing to market, it can take a long time but in the end it has to match in the long run, just like in the end whatever a market can bear will match the reality based on the condition. Nobody can stay afloat forever in a loss and nobody can stay without competition forever if the condition can breed more new competitors.

Business passing down to children is more beneficial is true, but that doesn't mean franchise is a good business model. You can start a corp and pass the controlling stake to the children, you can pass down a foundation to your children and pay salary over time as income instead of triggering a massive tax, etc. It is probably not the same thing as a, say, subway franchise that doesn't make much, nor a reason to start a subway franchise.

OP should find another job. The boss not wanting to install AC in 120F work conditions means he doesn't care or can't afford, and even if you win once to start a union there will be no incentive for him in the future to treat the people right. It is time to find another job with less hazardous for no reason work condition.

I still think Chris should move out of that town and into a better city. It doesn't have to be anywhere in CA, it can be anywhere that have better opportunities.

 

[Chris142]

Don't worry guys. I was just thinking of trying something new until I saw the cost. I'm a little short of the needed cash at the moment.

 

[AZjeff]

Cali is an "at will" state. Can't think of a faster way to get unemployed than the owner getting a sniff of union organizing.

Something you guys who don't live in the west probably don't know about, many indie mechanic shops have lifts installed in front of the bay doors so mechs are working in the open. If a shop doesn't have even evap coolers which are inexpensive compared to A/C it's just suck it up buttercup at least you've got shade.

The manufacturing company I worked at had evap coolers and mid summer when the temp was 105 outside with dew point 50 it would be in the mid 90s inside with the air more humid than outside thanks to the coolers. Miserable conditions but this is the SW and it's hot and if you don't like it do something else.

Hope you find something better Chris. It seemed like you liked working at the radiator shop and were good at it as well as making hoses and AC work. Maybe you could investigate what it would take to get a shop going if that's your thing. Don't know unless you know.

 

[slo town]

I still think Chris should move out of that town and into a better city. It doesn't have to be anywhere in CA, it can be anywhere that have better opportunities.

I think Chris would have a variety of job choices if he and his wife were willing to move north into the Hwy 99 or I-5 corridors - but that wouldn't be home. Didn't his grandparents or parents settle in the Cali desert originally? Hard to leave when you're rooted like that.

Scott

 

[AZjeff]

I think Chris would have a variety of job choices if he and his wife were willing to move north into the Hwy 99 or I-5 corridors - but that wouldn't be home. Didn't his grandparents or parents settle in the Cali desert originally? Hard to leave when you're rooted like that.

Scott

I think this is the homestead place. He talked about it before.

 

[02SE]

No, owning your own business is 24/7 no matter your open hours, you never really shut it off. Did it for almost 20 years.

Franchises aren't all bad, they have the business figured out and you hit the ground running. If you have the money to put into it.

Yep. Starting and owning my own business was by far the hardest thing I've done. It did eventually pay off, but the stress and sacrifices during that time, were extreme.

 

[D60]

So I only read the first 20 posts, but a franchise is rarely a way to get rich. Seems like the odds are always stacked in favor of the house AND you get to deal with corporate BS and irrational requirements, mandatory updates/remodels etc

Many small business owners work for themselves because they have a low tolerance for stupidity, esp when it's "above" them (you'll always have some nonsense "below" you if you have employees)

YES, there are prestigious franchises like McDonald's but they're expensive and exclusive.

@Chris142 here's my tough advice, coming from someone who doesn't know you well: you need to gain confidence, believe in yourself and start a shop focusing on radiator and/or a/c repair. You're skilled and will quickly build a client base where you can charge whatever you want.

First you need to stop thinking of yourself as a worker bee and think of yourself as a BOSS. Or as the kool kids say: SLAY KAWEEN!! Until you can believe in yourself, you'll always be a grunt.

Not trying to be rude.