Start a Business for Under $1,000

With over 255 million vehicles on America’s roads, Windshield repair is a service with opportunities nationwide and can be easily scaled to fit the amount of time you have to dedicate. A windshield repair business can be a full time occupation or a side business to generate extra income. Startup costs, including  a basic equipment package, business licensing and general liability insurance can be as low as $1000 or even less. Business registration and licensing requirements are minimal in most states and a great deal of free information about starting a business is available on the IRS website, including links to your state’s website for state and local requirements.

To get started you need to select the equipment you want to use, learn how to do windshield repairs, form your business entity, and market the service. Professional quality equipment starts at around $800 and goes up from there. Systems can be purchased for under $300 but these tend to be of low quality and do not provide the speed, durability, consistency and ease of use of a professional system. Every Delta Kits system includes enough supplies to complete 100 repairs which will generate $5,500 in revenue on average.

Once you have the equipment and have learned how to use it, you need to market your service. The skill is relatively easy to master with free videos and hands on training classes available from reputable windshield repair equipment suppliers. Many new windshield repair technicians feel very comfortable with the repair process after only a few repairs.

Marketing can be as simple as advertising on websites like www.WindshieldReferral.com (a free site) to radio and print campaigns in your market. A more direct approach like making sales calls on car dealerships or companies with vehicle fleets is also effective. Marketing does not have to be expensive to produce results.

Your local Small Business Administration office can provide help on all aspects of your business planning and even help you to secure funding if needed. Other resources may also be available through your local community college or chamber of commerce. One very important resource specific to the windshield repair industry is www.windshieldrepairforum.com. Forum members include windshield repair technicians varied levels of experience, many of whom are eager to share their experiences.

Delta Kits, a Eugene, Oregon company, has been in providing professional grade windshield repair equipment since 1984 and is one of the pioneering companies in this industry. We take pride in helping people understand the business before making a commitment and welcome your questions.