Neighborhood tire shop

Local drivers, small businesses with vans or work trucks, used car dealers and repair garages that don't fit their own tires.

Profit on each tire sold plus fees for mounting, balancing, flat repairs, rotations and disposal of old tires. Repeat fleet customers help fill quiet days.

• Mechanical aptitude and comfort with heavy tools
• Customer service and honest advice on what drivers need
• Inventory buying and pricing
• Basic bookkeeping

• Zoning and business license rules for automotive work, check with your city or county before signing a lease
• Scrap tire rules: many states regulate how old tires are stored and who may haul them away, check your state environmental agency
• Whether your state has rules on selling used tires, and any tire fees you must collect
• General liability and garagekeepers insurance, plus workers' compensation once you hire
• Safety around tire changers, lifts and tire inflation, and following OSHA guidance
• Sales tax registration with your state for tires and parts

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $60,000 to $250,000, depending on your premises, the number of bays, your equipment and how much tire stock you buy. Get local quotes to firm up your own budget.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $15,000 to $70,000, depending on location, stock, pricing and whether you serve small fleets and dealers. These are estimates, not guarantees, and the figures are before costs.

Check zoning and business license rules for automotive work with your city or county before signing a lease. Check state scrap tire rules, rules on selling used tires and any tire fees, plus insurance, OSHA guidance and sales tax registration.