Car recycling centre as a business.

B00056718

Hello, wise motorists.

Couple days ago found out the the job I'm in for the past nine years will be gone by the end of August. I could be gone even sooner as it will be done in stages.

So I was thinking about what I would like to do for living and decided that I enjoy taking things apart. Even as a kid I was taking apart everything I could get my hands on.

Therefore I was considering putting the redundancy money towards opening a car recycling site and possibly borrowing more from a bank if needed.

What would be your opinion on this? What challenges do you think I will be facing and why I shouldn't do it?

I haven't even looked yet how to obtain a waste recycling license and how hard it is to get the planning permission.

Thanks.

mickdw

Starting from scratch, Id say it would be a nightmare. I dont know of any such business that started from scratch with all the paper work in order. Most of the current ones were scrap yards operated from a field out the back until they were forced to comply with current rules.
I think the planning permission for such an enterprise might be a major stumbling block.

Stavros Murphy

That and the applying for a licence, which last time I checked was 15k+ depending on what you wanted to do. It's a brilliant business, with multiple income streams, but the set-up costs are currently huge, the compliance issues are huge, licencing is very tight and you would need at the least a million or three to even be at the gate of the races. You would be expected to jump all the hurdles stacked one on top of the other that your competition got to jump one at a time over a long period of time, and still haven't jumped yet but are "in the process of complying". Much easier to be in the business and dealing with compliance than to enter the business and meet compliance all in the one bite.

As a quick example, I have a mate who runs one and his last purchase was a shears that cost 750k, used. And it was no biggie for him. If that's big money for you(and it is to me) then have a long hard think. You could pi55 away your redundancy money just tarmaccing the entrance correctly and laying the drains for that...

B00056718

I see. Didn't realize that the license alone would be that expensive.

Another thing I had in my mind was self service valeting place that would be spotless clean, well heated and with excellent lighting, maybe even have a coffee shop inside. Place you would gladly spend a good part of your Sunday in.

But the market would be very limited considering that most of people treat their cars as white goods these days, plus the insurance company wouldn't be too happy with anybody having to handle chemicals designed for professional use, combined with the power washers.

Stavros Murphy

B00056718 wrote: »

I see. Didn't realize that the license alone would be that expensive.

Another thing I had in my mind was self service valeting place that would be spotless clean, well heated and with excellent lighting, maybe even have a coffee shop inside. Place you would gladly spend a good part of your Sunday in.

But the market would be very limited considering that most of people treat their cars as white goods these days, plus the insurance company wouldn't be too happy with anybody having to handle chemicals designed for professional use, combined with the power washers.

I have another mate who runs a very basic car wash - one of those drive in, sit there while they wash it, pay and drive off yokies - set up costs, ferk all tbh apart from a drain interceptor, washer and wages (site obvs) - he charges c.a €7 for a basic wash and a bad day is 100 cars... Do the math..

B00056718

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

I have another mate who runs a very basic car wash - one of those drive in, sit there while they wash it, pay and drive off yokies - set up costs, ferk all tbh apart from a drain interceptor, washer and wages (site obvs) - he charges c.a €7 for a basic wash and a bad day is 100 cars... Do the math..

I'd say the location has been chosen wisely.

mickdw

Water changes would be severe Id say unless he had a rainwater harvesting system

B00056718

mickdw wrote: »

Water changes would be severe Id say unless he had a rainwater harvesting system

Would you not be able to put in a filtering system to recycle the water?

Stavros Murphy

mickdw wrote: »

Water changes would be severe Id say unless he had a rainwater harvesting system

Go wild at 50c per car, that still leaves a good margin... I think he occasionally drops in to see how it's going, but usually he's too busy being rubbed down with Myrrh and eating swan...

Atlantic Dawn

mickdw wrote: »

Water changes would be severe Id say unless he had a rainwater harvesting system

Fingal County Council charges €2.21 for 1000 litres for commercial use, wouldn't impact much on costs, I would think if you used 25 litres per car it would be overkill.

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/business-and-economy/business-charges/commercial-water-charges/

djimi

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

he charges c.a €7 for a basic wash and a bad day is 100 cars... Do the math..

A few lads down the road from me opened a car wash and Id say they do similar business, but to be honest they work their bollox off all day every day and it doesnt exactly look like the most pleasant work. Youd want to be making a decent living off it for it to be worth it imo,

Bigus

B00056718 wrote: »

Hello, wise motorists.

Couple days ago found out the the job I'm in for the past nine years will be gone by the end of August. I could be gone even sooner as it will be done in stages.

So I was thinking about what I would like to do for living and decided that I enjoy taking things apart. Even as a kid I was taking apart everything I could get my hands on.

Therefore I was considering putting the redundancy money towards opening a car recycling site and possibly borrowing more from a bank if needed.

What would be your opinion on this? What challenges do you think I will be facing and why I shouldn't do it?

I haven't even looked yet how to obtain a waste recycling license and how hard it is to get the planning permission.

Thanks.

If you considered doing/specialising in only one model of car it could work, most scrapyards in Ireland don't bother putting pictures up on ebay and leave a lot of margin behind.
You could piggy back on somebodies licence(with their agreement) by stripping in your own workshop and delivering the raw shell to them at no charge for them to get the weight value. Councils won't be too worried about a neat workshop storing clean parts once the shell are disposed of immediately and off site with End of life certs issued.
There's a polish lad doing bmw's only near enterprise cars on the Nass rd d12 I can't think of his name, he has the right idea and you could also supply new parts once you get to know a particular model backwards with your eyes closed.

Offer to work in a scrapyard free for a week to get a feel for things before you lash out money.
Good luck

biko

I do hope you get to do something you love but starting a recycling place from scratch is pretty infeasible, unless you already have tons of experience working for one.
Go chat to some local lads and see if they have a job opening, maybe offer a few pints in the local in exchange for the "low down".

Stavros Murphy

djimi wrote: »

A few lads down the road from me opened a car wash and Id say they do similar business, but to be honest they work their bollox off all day every day and it doesnt exactly look like the most pleasant work. Youd want to be making a decent living off it for it to be worth it imo,

Yearrhhherrrggg, I'd rather be the boss and have someone else do the washing...kinda like I do with the rest of the stuff we do...

Ninap

B00056718 wrote: »

I see. Didn't realize that the license alone would be that expensive.

Another thing I had in my mind was self service valeting place that would be spotless clean, well heated and with excellent lighting, maybe even have a coffee shop inside. Place you would gladly spend a good part of your Sunday in.

But the market would be very limited considering that most of people treat their cars as white goods these days, plus the insurance company wouldn't be too happy with anybody having to handle chemicals designed for professional use, combined with the power washers.

I like the idea, but I'm one of the 1% of people (and many of them are on here) who would think an afternoon spent hoovering and polishing the car is an afternoon well spent, rather than a sign of mental illness......

hfallada

djimi wrote: »

A few lads down the road from me opened a car wash and Id say they do similar business, but to be honest they work their bollox off all day every day and it doesnt exactly look like the most pleasant work. Youd want to be making a decent living off it for it to be worth it imo,

But there is very few businesses in 2014 that have a very low start up cost and yet have a good chance of success. A car wash has very low set costs and if it fails,it fails. You arent tens of thousands in debt like a car recycling business

mickdw

hfallada wrote: »

But there is very few businesses in 2014 that have a very low start up cost and yet have a good chance of success. A car wash has very low set costs and if it fails,it fails. You arent tens of thousands in debt like a car recycling business

What insurances would be required. Public liability and some form of cover against damage claims possibly.

BorneTobyWilde

Bikini car wash would allow for a mark up in price, maybe 10.00 a car

Stavros Murphy

mickdw wrote: »

What insurances would be required. Public liability and some form of cover against damage claims possibly.

089 chuckable number, a fast car and some sunglasses/fake moustache..like most of them have.. Seriously, PL, EL and a massive disclaimer sign.

randy hickey

OP, your original query has come up here before:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=81574003

B00056718

Thanks for al the inputs.

I spent some time yesterday on the internet and I have dropped the thought altogether.

There are other things I like to do too.
What kind of money are the gigolos on?

Just messing.