Questions about Starting an Instrument Repair Shop

[Dan Schultz]

Want to be a repairman, huh?

Before


After


Gotta get me a 'buffer boy' one of these days!

[rocksanddirt]

interesting project idea! for the work space you certainly should think about something that includes a "sales floor" area and a workshop area. The place I go to locally has about 1,000 sf salesfloor, a workshop area that is open to the sales area with some workbenches and then additional rooms for things that the public should be away from.

The third thing to think about is....practice rooms/lesson rooms. a place where local teachers can give lessons, or hold small ensemble rehearsals.

[pulseczar]

get a feree's catalog and go through votaw's website. That would give a good idea of what you need to stock a 'good' overhaul shop with and how much it costs.

shop space depends on demand. If you have a big enough line of customers waiting for your work + the staff to accommodate the needs, a big shop would be nice. If you were just starting out and still building a reputation taking in a job here and there, a garage sized place would be good.

Pulse "who notes customer horns take up alot of space" czar

[chhite]

When you're considering your space requirements, keep in mind your utilities requirements and the costs associated with installation and management of those resources. Certain types of building construction prevent, or make very difficult, routing of power, water, and sewer lines. There may be local requirements and policies that govern how and what type of utility services may be used. These are all factors in the bottom line that banks are interested in and you should incorporate these costs into your business plan.

BTW, Lee's initial workspace in Atlanta was in his garage while we built his shop which had raw dimensions of 20' x 40'. He had walled in a buffing room, office space, and a bathroom. He also had storage space in the attic for cases and shipping boxes. His HVAC air handler was also up there. His new shop dwarfs the old one and he was able to use lessons learned from the last shop to make this one better. He'll have to post details.

[sungfw]

A few startup costs that are often overlooked that can add up to a big pile of cash.

1) If you're going to put the shop in a garage attached to a residence, be sure to include the cost having the property rezoned for commercial use if it is not already zoned for dual use;

2) Don't forget to include the cost of the various permits and inspections that will be needed before you can occupy the place, and the cost of upgrading the garage and utilities to meet the current requirements of local and state building, fire, accessibility, and safety codes. Depending on the requirements of the jurisdiction your business is located in, you are likely to need to hire a licensed architect to produce a set of plans for the permit application.

3) Don't forget to budget for business property and liability insurance since most homeowners insurance policies will not cover loss or damage due arising from business use, and absolutely will not cover any tools or equipment used for business purposes, inventory, or customer's instruments. Depending on the fine print, ANY commercial use of residential property may be grounds for rejecting a claim, even if the claim is unrelated to business use.

4) Incorporation. You do NOT want your personal property at risk of seizure in the event of an adverse judgment, whether by a creditor or a customer, against your business.

Just about any bank is going to require proof of insurance and code compliance anyway, so you might as well include them in your budget and presentation. At the very least, it will show them that you've done your homework regarding the cost of starting a business.

[Dan Schultz]

Yeah although I've thought about having the shop at my home .....

In many localities, one can operate a family business as long as you don't employ outsiders. You could probably get buy in one of these locations as long as you don't get heavy into chemistry, lacquering, or degreasing. Once you begin purchasing quantities of chemistry and paint materials, you will find yourself into much EPA stuff that might not be worth dealing with for a small operation. This is the main reason why I DO NOT do complete overhauls and stick only with play conditioning. That being said... you CAN sell complete overhauls as there are several shops in the country that will do it for you.

[The Big Ben]

Another easily forgotten thing is money to support yourself until the business becomes profitable.

Even if you have good success in the first months of your business, there still will be a lag from the time the work is done until the time you are paid.

[Dan Schultz]

Another easily forgotten thing is money to support yourself until the business becomes profitable.

Even if you have good success in the first months of your business, there still will be a lag from the time the work is done until the time you are paid.

I have school accounts that are out over 90 days! Actually, that's pretty common. Walk-in business is good. You pay... then you get your horn.

[chhite]

One thing we've missed is tax liability for both the shop building and the property the business resides on, unless you're renting, and taxes on income. Figure in a good accountant to process your taxes. Businesses often pay quarterly estimated taxes instead of letting the big number hit all at once. Since that is not a fixed number, and varies by state and locality, plan accordingly. If you're not financially/mathematically astute, someone to monitor the books is a must.

If you employ a staff, figure out how their employment will be handled. Most small businesses will consider their employees as self-employed or independent contractors and they will be responsible for filing their own taxes and paying FICA, etc. If not, you are tasked with reporting their income. Your own health insurance costs should be a consideration, too.

[Daniel C. Oberloh]

I'm in a Music Business class this semester and for our big project we have to develop feasibility studies and presentations to money givers (banks in my case) for a music related business of our desire. I chose as my business an instrument repair shop since I hope to be a repair man some day. I was just wondering about how much space would be needed to house a good repair shop (if possible I would like to be more of an overhaul shop if that makes any difference) and about how much would the cost of tools and other equipment need?

The minimum of space for a shop that is capable of performing complete overhauls is aprox. 1200 sq.ft. I figured this out a while back. Any less and you get pretty tight. The higher the ceilings the better. You should construct a floor plan using paper models on graph paper. You need to know what equipment you will need and its dimensions. The size of things like cabinets, benches, drill press, metal/engine lathe, pedestal-grinder, polishing lathes, air compressor, spray booth, vapor degreaser, dent machine, vice-stands, tool boards, display cases, office desks and other furniture, gas cylinders, tube sander, dust collection units, trash and recycle bins and baskets, storage shelving, 50 and 30 gal. lined chemical tanks and rinse tub. Make rough cut-out scale drawings of the items and build your first shop on paper. This will help you show your work.

I have listed the lions share of large tooling that will be needed. The supplies i.e. woodwind pads, cork, felts, adhesives, buffs, polishing compound, nickel-steel rod, brass and nickel-silver sheet, rod and bar stock, ABS plastic stock, soldering and brazing fuels, sanding belts, lead-tin solder, silver and lead-free solder, fluxs, cleaning and stripping chemicals, drill bits, end mills, cutting and profile tooling and cutters for your lathe, and so on.

Hand tools: everything your Dad had in the box he used in the house and garage. You know, hammers, wrenches, etc. plus a whole lot more. And then all the specialty stuff like dent hammers, burnishers, mandrels, arbors, rolling tools, "V" blocks and lead jaws, bench anvils, lead block, micrometers, calipers, and a ton of other stuff. How much? How much you got?


Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works
www.oberloh.com