Small diesel repair shop

Owners of diesel pickups and vans, small haulage and trucking firms, farmers, and local contractors with equipment.

Shop labor rate per hour plus parts markup. Larger jobs such as engine rebuilds and turbo or injector replacements bring higher tickets.

• Diesel diagnostics and repair
• Quoting jobs and managing parts suppliers
• Customer service and record keeping
• Basic business management

• Zoning and a local business license for an auto repair shop, so check with your city or county
• Some states require auto repair shop registration, so check your state's consumer affairs or licensing board
• Garage liability and garagekeepers insurance for customer vehicles on your premises, plus workers' compensation once you hire
• Environmental rules for waste oil, coolant, solvents and tires, so check your state and local requirements
• Rent and tool costs are fixed, so make sure you have enough customers lined up before signing a lease

Startup costs are typically around $20,000 to $100,000, depending on the size of your rented bay or unit, the lift, diagnostic equipment and tools you buy. These are estimates, and your total may differ with insurance and your lease terms.

Monthly revenue is typically around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on how many bays you run, your job mix and how steady your customers are. These are estimates of revenue, and rent and tool costs are fixed, so line up customers first.

Check zoning and local business license requirements with your city or county, and whether your state requires auto repair shop registration. Also look at garage liability and garagekeepers insurance, workers' compensation once you hire, and environmental rules for waste oil, coolant and tires.