Which would you do? Im about to go back to school for either Cosmetology or Automotive Services. Which would be best? I want to go into business for myself one day. All opinions welcome

well, if you would like to go into cutting nasty hair off, you should go with the barber business, good luck makign more than $50 an hour... where as the autmotive business guves you a whole range of things to work with. everyoen has to have a car, and cars break down quite frequently. the car shop would be the way to go, in my opinion. everyone does have hair though... def a car shop. income=HIGH!!!

Cosmetology? My goodness... what is it? What's a cosmet?

Just kidding... it's hair cutting of course. There's serious money in hair cutting for women. The men don't contribute much to the profits of a cosmeticianally aligned business.

I believe the women spend $2500 to $13,000 annually on their hair.

Setting up a shop to cut/wash hair is fairly straighforward, obtaining customers is not easy as there's so much competition and women can be right beastly when it comes to getting their hair cut JUST RIGHT and it's not done PERFECTLY.

On the plus side:

You get to meet a lot of women... some of whom will be quite wealthy... hmmmm.

Automotive services... yep, good money in that as Gharth said. Better to specialise though instead of doing everything.

You could specialise in fixing/replacing/diagnosing the engine control computers or auto transmissions or indeed adding more electronics into the interior.

Conversion of cars to ethanol or LPG is very profitable in some places.

Those are two very different careers. One is messy and one is pretty clean. One you might have to work out in the weather while the other you can work inside where it is nice and either warm or cool.

Are you a people person? If so, consider cosmetology. My roommate goes every three weeks, I go every six weeks. He spends about $340 plus 25% tip. I do probably about half that plus 25% tip. It usually takes him a bit under one hour to do both of us and he charges $20 per hair cut. He in essence with both of us, he is make a bit under $50 an hour. You can make your own hours and rent a chair in a local shop.

Being a mechanic - you will probably have to end up working for a larger company because most cars these days are handled by the dealer for warranty reasons.

So decide for yourself how you want to work etc.

One of my closest male friends is a hairstylist. He is very good at what he does, has a clientele of "movers and shakers" in the area (except me and my family) and does very well financially.

I have sold to the auto repair business for many years and can tell you it is a reall headache. Keeping people, always in debt, financing the latest diagnostic and repair equipment, etc.

An average mechanic's tool box probably contains close to $ 4,000 in tools - plus. Toolman can fill that in. So, the investment is much greater.

Your investment in equipment will be much greater in the automotive world...

That said... do not let that throw you.

You sound like you are starting from no experience either way. Do you know that you will LOVE the automotive business (you can't just like it, if you want to be wildly successful.)

Training in the automotive field is very important. It is also important to market the business effectively. Auto repair is the biggest bargain in the world! The average car today has more electronics than the lunar module! And yet, the average member of the driving public still thinks that the stupidest people should become a technician... That is what they used to do, encourage the lowest in the class to "fix cars." It is not that way anymore! Some of the people with the skill sets to be engineers should be repairing cars. And, sadly, the field does not pay at that level. That is beginning to change.

$4000 is a bare (BARE!) minimum for a professional's hand tools. I will also tell you that many techs have a very inflated idea of what is in their toolbox.

I will probably post some more later, as I need to get back to work...

well... if you are a 'hipster' the hair work might be the way to go. Especially if you open up your own salon.

on the flip side, cars don't talk so when you're working on them you don't have to worry about conversation.

depends on your tastes I guess.

Auto mechanics generally don't make more that $25 an hour-maybe at dealers they make more but I would check that out. Opening your own shop is very expensive. Mobile mechnic's are valuable. Also did some work on mobile auto inspection for people buying cars..I like that can start at couple a grand to 60K....

I think there is a big market for on-site hair cutting (MEN)People are busy and don't have time. Busy executives even retail shop owners anyone that is busy and needs a professional look. I remeber seeing some franchise/business opportunity in the at home day spa arena...

If you can do good work--are customer oriented--listen to customer--get referrals this could be a good opportunity...If you are young you could save money for shop or mobile business..I think there is amobile nail business too..

I think it will take more time to get established as mechanic and the schools are expensive without getting the experience...

Keep us posted good luck

Focus on the electroncis in cars. There's masses of it in cars now. Every car has at least one computer. Some have 6! Then there's the stereo, the nav gear, the communications gear, sat stuff, security gear, instrumentation, seat controls, phones and screens.

There has been a lag in training of specialists to look after the electronics in cars and the average mechanic is not coping although they are getting better at it.

A specialist shop that deals with repairing and installing electronics should do well.

One outfit I know made a fortune repairing engine managment computers for many models of cars. They did this by exchanging, repairing the incoming module and then stocking it as the future exchange module for the next repair coming in.

The hair cutting and the automotive thing are a hugely different contrast. One will suit you.

To a point, I can agree with specializing in electronics. The theory is good, however, many problems with drivability are combinations of electronics and mechanical issues. If the person's car does not run right, they just want it fixed, weather it is a mechanical or electronic issue. I believe that there is a real future for a person to work in a shop for someone else when they have amassed an electronic expertise above most other techs. Then they become diagnostic experts. The trend in shops today is to charge for diagnostic time (or they should be... a doctor charges for X-rays, and reading them.) Therefore, this person should be more than earning his money. They do not waste their time changing parts, and farm that work out within the shop.

The problem is, if you have a shop specializing in electronic repair of cars, you still need to fix the issue, weather it is mechanical or electronic. You can't diagnose it, and ship it out to another shop.

Repairing electronic modules is done by some, but requires more computer knowledge than automotive knowledge.

One form of specialty that seems to be taking hold is transmission shops. You can actually set up as a franchise with some national companies for this. Transmissions are the ultimate marriage between mechanical and electronics, and are now difficult to repair for the average technician.

Some business outlooks for the automotive repair business...

There continue to be more cars on the road each year. People are keeping their cars longer. The number of shops are actually decreasing, whereas the number of technicians are increasing. The demand for automotive technicians will continue to rise, as will the pay for said technicans, and hourly rates for the shops.

Here is an interesting one... 80 percent of all automotive maintenence decisions are made by women.

Here are two types of shops that I would look into starting...

First, a quick lube shop. Specialize in a ten minute oil change and service. Offer vacuuming, glass cleaning, and quick, personal, professional service. Add on sales, such a tire rotation, air filters, bulbs, transmission flush, coolant exchange, power steering flush, and the like will bring good margins. Service work is some of the best profit margins that you will find. The investment in equipment is much lower than a conventional shop. Your techs will not require the same skill (although clean, professional, quality people will be important).

Another, would be a full service shop, catering to that 80 percent women figure. Clean waiting rooms, clean restrooms, perhaps female service writers who are good at comunicating the technical to those who may be non-technical. Courtesy transportation to a local day spa (and a special rate, negotiated with said spa), and other things that will go well with the womens audience.

Food for thought...