Originally Posted By: toneydoc
And most people want this done while they do NOT need the piece of equipment.
And when you do take in a job, get it done in a timely, efficient and reasonably priced manner and you will get referral business.
These are IMHO the best pieces of advice.
I run a small engine repair business on the side. I work and go to college so it is kind of a hobby more than a business. My busiest times are right before the season. People want their snow blowers tuned before the first storm, and they want their mowers ready to go before spring. Anything you can do to get the word out about your business before the idea starts popping in people's heads to service their equipment is a sound investment.
With a small business, reputation is EVERYTHING.
I've actually never done any real advertising. All of my business is through word of mouth. I'm thorough, I explain to the customers what needs to be done, and I do small things like wash their equipment. Just doing equipment washes has probably gained me business. It makes the equipment easier for me to work on, and customers are amazed when their stuff looks brand new when they go to pick it up. I type all my service bills on the computer and it comes out very organized explaining each charge. Customers feel more comfortable paying for stuff when they know what they are paying for.
The timely manner thing is also very important. I can usually turn around equipment pretty quickly, and that makes customers happy. Especially when the shop down the road told them it will sit in their building for 3 weeks before it is even looked at, then charge insane amounts of money to fix it.
It is also important to be transparent. If you screw up, TELL THE CUSTOMER. It is better to let them know you messed up (and will cover the damages) than to try and hide it and have them find out later. That will only give you a bad reputation and have them questioning your work.
A solid reputation is your best investment, period. A lot of the machines I work on are from other people screwing up, and the customer doesn't trust anyone else to fix it.