pinoyheat551
New member
Before i get into this type of work, i want to get a different angle from you guys? Is this a good side business to add to detailing? Is it harder to tint than to detail (im assuming because the steps are more precise)?
I want to add WINDOW TINTING into my business. Is this a good idea?
- Thread starter pinoyheat551
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JohnKleven
New member
Window tint can be a great business if you're good. If you're going to add it to your business I suggest you find the best tinter in town and hire him or her. It can be a really competitive business, and you will want to pick up dealership work to stay busy. If you're going to try to learn it yourself you need to do it every day for about a year to get good enough to sell to customers. You also can't tint in the same room that you're detailing cars, as the dust will contaminate the film and make for some dirty tints. It will also be a fairly large investment in films and tools to get started, plus you will need plenty of lighting, and large sheets of glass mounted on the walls to cut film on. $10-15K to get started plus salary for an experienced tinter, plus advertising. We do tint, and it's a profitable avenue, but if you don't do it the right way, and invest the money you will not be getting the type of business you may want. Best of luck, and I hope this helps.
John
John
brwill2005
New member
It depends. Does your customer base and target market even care about window tinting? Most of my customers are not interested in tinting their windows.
WAS
Driven
brwill2005 said:
But would you get new customers who didn't care about detailing but want their windows tinted ?
brwill2005
New member
Yea I suppose. I was basically saying it is an easy decision if your target market already happens to be the type that wants their windows tinted. I usually try to focus on adding services that my customers want.
WAS
Driven
brwill2005 said:
True enough, that makes sense. But if your shop wasn't consistently busy, or you had room to be busier, then I'd go after tinting. Hell, I'd go even further and venture into car audio / video, remote staters, alarms, etc.
WAS said:
Do what you do and do it well. Concentrate on your core strengths and make partners with those businesses that are strong in what they do. What you're talking about is trying to run multiple businesses under one roof. You'll never be able to devote enough time to make them all successful. They'll all end up hurt because of it.
Related reading: "Raving Fans" by Ken Blanchard
Region plays a huge part in tinting business. California, Arizona, Florida and other states that get pretty much year round sunshine will always do better obviously. My brother-in-law runs a window tinting business for the past 8 years (straight out of high school) and he's making me regret pursuing higher education. He just bought his second Lambo and a Bentley this year 
pinoyheat551
New member
2 lambos and a bentley...all from tinting...im def going to add this into my business....if you dont mind, what city does he have his business in?
WAS
Driven
MichaelM said:
I agree in principal with what you're quoting here. However, I don't agree with saying that detailing and tinting is "running multiple businesses under one roof". Running multiple businesses under one roof would be like running a detail shop and a hair salon under one roof. Even a detail shop and an auto body shop would be debatable. But detailing and tinting ? Sorry, but I find it hard to see the rationale there.
AZN_C300 said:Region plays a huge part in tinting business. California, Arizona, Florida and other states that get pretty much year round sunshine will always do better obviously. My brother-in-law runs a window tinting business for the past 8 years (straight out of high school) and he's making me regret pursuing higher education. He just bought his second Lambo and a Bentley this year
I think your brother-in-law is the exception to the rule. For everyone one story of his, there's thousands of stories of failure from others. Not saying it can't be done, but sometimes luck really does have something to do with it. Also, I would venture to guess that a state's tinting laws would also have an impact on the viability of the business.
WAS said:
Do you want to be a jack or a master?
Aside from the fact that both involve vehicles, the two aren't similar. One is a service, the other an accessory.
Regardless of how you classify them, to be successful in either requires a full time commitment. If you are running a slow detailing business then adding a service that requires different tools, skills, equipment, inventory, etc., won't help you're detailing business. It'll only take you away from something that needs your undivided attention. Now, if your area won't support a full time detailing business then that's another thing altogether.
It is easier, and initially more profitable to partner with an established tinting, PDR, wheel repair, etc., business and use them as a sub then to take on the time and expense to become proficient yourself. This leaves you with the benefits of the service (straight profit, no out of pocket expense, etc.) without the cost in both time and start-up expense.