Automotive franchises in the UK 

If you want to build your own business and have an interest in automotive products and services, a garage sector franchise could be an ideal opportunity.

With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at some facts and figures relating to this area of the business world. 

Garage industry facts and stats 

• The UK Automotive Aftermarket generates an annual revenue of £21.1 billion, and services in excess of 30 million vehicles every year.
• Around 8.1 million used cars were sold in the UK during 2017. 
• If you’re interest is electric cars, there are now 110,684 of these vehicles in use. The UK’s automotive manufacturers total turnover was £82 billion in 2017.

Garage franchise overview 

As the figures show, the garage sector services a huge auto market and there are a correspondingly diverse range of opportunities for you.

These would obviously include vehicle servicing as well as motor repairs and accident & bodywork facilities. Beyond this, there are other services such as tool suppliers, tyre services, and vehicle financing operations. 

In addition, the changing nature of our own transport habits and lifestyle expectations is also creating increasingly important niche areas. Some of these include motorhomes, ‘green’ automotive technologies and mobile services of all kinds, as well as luxury types of car hire and valeting businesses. 

With most large car manufacturers happy to work with franchises which can supply important back-up services, there is plenty of opportunity for you to develop sustainable success as a franchisee in this sector.

This has been demonstrated by the continuing success of a number of brands, including Kwik Fit’s impact on the tyre market and the dominance of the Snap-on Tools franchise in the area of garage tool supplies. 

The success of the franchise brands mentioned above suggests that the criteria for securing profitable returns includes speedy delivery of products and services. You will also need to provide rock-solid reliability and a total focus on customer convenience. 

Available franchise models 

This franchise sector primarily involves what automotive people describe as aftermarket care. And because vehicles are an indispensable part of personal and commercial mobility, this is a market in which customer expectations are invariably high. 

The great diversity of business franchise opportunities means there are also various different modes of working that you will be able to choose from.

Some businesses you will be able to operate as a home-based enterprise with little specialist equipment (e.g. wheel restoration). Others, such as windscreen repair services, you can deliver as a mobile, van-based facility which may lend itself to multi-vehicle operation.

In other cases, services like tyre fitting may demand that you have a premises and trained service teams to cope with the anticipated volume of business. You will also need to offer the drop-in convenience most customers will expect. 

With so many different kinds of franchise options, it is not easy to generalise about the typical work environment that you will have.

For example, windscreen repairs are an area where consumers expect a rapid response and may have a variety of needs. You will have regular B2C enquiries, perhaps from both local and national advertising, as well as B2B business from dealerships wishing to outsource work to a specialist. You may even be able to develop a relationship with insurance companies able to offer a steady volume of business. 

The auto market is very responsive to the emergence of new technologies. The 21st century promises to be a time of both evolution and revolution for the transport sector.

And, while older cars aren’t disappearing anytime soon, there are a lot of exciting opportunities for this sector. This could make a garage business an attractive franchise option for someone seeking an industry with good future prospects. 

Is a garage franchise for you? 

The Revive franchise brand who carry out paint and bodywork repairs for both private and corporate customers say their franchisees come from ‘a diverse range of backgrounds, and past experience in the industry is certainly not necessary.’

If you are planning on applying to be a franchisee in the garage sector, you will need to have excellent communication skills and the drive to push your business towards success. Customer service will always be a part of owning any franchise in this sector!

So if a garage franchise looks appealing to you, then you should find a search of the franchise opportunities available at BusinessForSale.com Franchises very productive.