Questions for Chainsaw shop owners......

[Jacklefty]

hi,
My name is Andy Finnie and I'm a stay at home dad that likes to repair chainsaws for fun. I have been asked to take it to the next level by a few people and become a shop owner. I will be running it out of my garage between kids, school and well, life. I've got around 20 years as master certified auto mechanic and have no problem translating the expirence to power equipment.

I first would like some input as to the hourly rate most shops charge and services that go along with it. Im not looking for someone's business plan just a place to start. Pricing , packages stuff like that.

And also, who do I contact for pricing on whole sale parts and such? Is that at the local level or more regional? The auto business was all local. And do not know if saws are different. I've been ordering parts off the web at no markup And would like to change that if I could.

I thank you very much for your time.


You guys rock!!

 

[Derf]

Welcome to the small business owner world. Great idea to smart with what you have and know. Rates are very regional specific around the country, so call 3 or 4 local dealers and ask about their shop rate and undercut them by 20%. Getting parts through an OEM supplier may require you to become a licensed dealer and carry a certain volume. You don't want that when you're just starting out. You may be better off scouring the internet or buying the parts off the other dealers (for Stihl stuff) and just marking it up accordingly for your effort in obtaining the parts. Parts markup is generally about 30%, but you have to be careful because the Internet can offer some great deals and educated shoppers may get turned off by obvious markup.

Try to always keep the repair price below 1/3 the cost of a new saw. At 1/2 the price of a new saw customers start scratching their heads if it's worth the effort.

I'd stock up on small things like fuel line and carb kits for the most common saws in your area, but don't go too crazy with stocking inventory. For jobs that require specific parts you can order them as needed. Let the customer tell you how fast they need it, which will dictate your shipping (ground, overnight, etc). Bill accordingly.

Look into getting a demo of the Huztl 372xp or Stihl clones. If a saw is beyond repair, you might be able to talk a customer into buying the copy-cat clone off you for a tidy profit.

 

[HarleyT]

Most suppliers will welcome your business, if you have credit and get a state sales tax number. Start by contacting the region's Oregon and Stens, Rotary distributors. They usually carry many other lines, and their reps can help you out a lot.
There are some distributors that will sell to you without a tax number.

 

[Jacklefty]

Welcome to the small business owner world. Great idea to smart with what you have and know. Rates are very regional specific around the country, so call 3 or 4 local dealers and ask about their shop rate and undercut them by 20%. Getting parts through an OEM supplier may require you to become a licensed dealer and carry a certain volume. You don't want that when you're just starting out. You may be better off scouring the internet or buying the parts off the other dealers (for Stihl stuff) and just marking it up accordingly for your effort in obtaining the parts. Parts markup is generally about 30%, but you have to be careful because the Internet can offer some great deals and educated shoppers may get turned off by obvious markup.

Try to always keep the repair price below 1/3 the cost of a new saw. At 1/2 the price of a new saw customers start scratching their heads if it's worth the effort.

I'd stock up on small things like fuel line and carb kits for the most common saws in your area, but don't go too crazy with stocking inventory. For jobs that require specific parts you can order them as needed. Let the customer tell you how fast they need it, which will dictate your shipping (ground, overnight, etc). Bill accordingly.

Look into getting a demo of the Huztl 372xp or Stihl clones. If a saw is beyond repair, you might be able to talk a customer into buying the copy-cat clone off you for a tidy profit.

Thanks guys! I thought about doing a loaner program with the hutzl saws for some of the tree companies I do a bit of work for. I wouldn't mind an 066, 372 and the 360 clones....

Most suppliers will welcome your business, if you have credit and get a state sales tax number. Start by contacting the region's Oregon and Stens, Rotary distributors. They usually carry many other lines, and their reps can help you out a lot.
There are some distributors that will sell to you without a tax number.

I will get in touch with all three of them tomorrow! Thank you sir!

 

[HarleyT]

Here is one of the distributors that I deal with.

https://www.rbicorp.com//

 

[Jacklefty]

Man thanks very much!

 

[Deleted member 149229]

Here is one of the distributors that I deal with.

https://www.rbicorp.com//

That was nice of you. What's wrong, off your meds?lol

 

[Jacklefty]

Haa I'm hopped up on NyQuil right now... does that count?

 

[HarleyT]

Well, he'll have to figure out the dist. for his region, I just gave him an idea on what to look for.

 

[Jacklefty]

I appreciate it. Don't mind a point in a direction. I like working for things

 

[HarleyT]

http://www.powerdistributors.com/Dealers#Brands

 

[Jacklefty]

Man again! Thanks sir!

 

[Deleted member 149229]

http://www.powerdistributors.com/Dealers#Brands

I knew inside that gruff Rottweiler was hiding a Laso Ahpso.

 

[Jacklefty]

Ha isn't hat another dog breed?

 

[HarleyT]

I inherited my mom's dogs when she passed away. One is Sam, a nasty little Laso Apso. Bad tempered little ****.

On facebook, I corrected the family on his true breed, said it was "Lotsa Assho"....

 

[Deleted member 149229]

Ha isn't hat another dog breed?

Yep. But a little, tiny, fluffy lap dog. Just busting on old @HarleyT. He has given me lots of good info, he just likes busting me about Echo, and sometimes rightly so. He's a mechanic, I'm a hack.

 

[Jacklefty]

Haa! You guys are great! Thank you both!

 

[HarleyT]

I've been called that here a lot as well. {lotsa assho}

 

[Deleted member 149229]

I've been called that here a lot as well. {lotsa assho}

What, Lotsa Asho?

 

[HarleyT]

What, Lotsa Asho?

Oh yeah.....