Looking for help

[mBdrvr]

Those young kids are out there. I know of a 20 something that is into cars and mechanics. He became friendly with a machine shop owner, worked for free for a while getting to understand what it took. He now works there full time and is hoping to buy the business when the owner calls it quits.

There are colleges and schools like McPherson College in Kansas who offer degrees in auto restoration. Contact them for a lead. There is even a prison in Arizona that trains restorers too.

I'd go to some car shows looking for a young person showing a car who has the itch too. Most mechanics I know got into the business by working on their own cars but get burnt out doing oil changes all day. Working on classics would be a step up.

Best of luck.

[ja17]

I wished I lived closer to you Dan, I'd go over to your place and help you out just for the fun of it!

[mdsalemi]

I wished I lived closer to you Dan, I'd go over to your place and help you out just for the fun of it!

As an FYI Joe the border opened today!! 😉

[TOM250SL]

Dr. Benz - like many others in this Group, I have never met you, but ALWAYS read your posts.  Have even often thought about trying to bring my car to you.  I agree with many responders here - your knowledge is vast and would be a shame to lose.  Over the past year many of us have had to work from home/remotely and correspond/collaborate via zoom, etc.  Many have suggested you could be an expert consultant - it would be amazing if you could do consulting via the web.  People could schedule a video call with you for whatever time - half-hour, hour, whatever - and you could help them with their car problems - and could be paid through PayPal or any other process.  Speaking for myself, I'd love the opportunity to get some face time with you about my car.  Just a thought.  Whatever you decide, I wish you all the best!

[Pinder]

Dr Benz

 Your knowledge is priceless. I would probably focus on that and possible doing a Channel. No heavy lifting.

[JamesL]

It is not just in your business that you've got difficulty with employees. I have the same in my traditional electronics and software development company. Young graduates all want to become team leaders, managers, consultants etc, without putting in the 10 years of hard slog to build up the experience they need to be capable of independent work.

I notice that newly graduated university engineers haven't been taught proper engineering discipline, only think through part of the problem, not the whole solution. They do not know how to design for manufacture and production. They don't build software in a resilient manner. They don't sit down and think, and design. They grab a keyboard and it all becomes a sequence of prototypes. In fact the whole SCRUM world came into existence because they can't design and plan the whole thing ahead of time, but make things up as they go along (and someone needed to manage that).

My view: find someone with ability, some formal education, and a willingness to really learn a skill. Then guide and train them. Make sure there are no "management obstacles", i.e. Dilberts around, because it will frustrate them no end. But it is hard, I experience this all the time.

And I second Cees's recommendation: offer them the reward of ownership in the future, with a way for them to "earn into" the business. But do put it in writing with a partnership contract, and the so called "tag-along, drag-along, right of first refusal" clauses in case some company comes up in the mean-time which is prepared to buy the whole business.

Peter

Peter

You’ve just described my 15yo. He loves making things, out of anything he can get hold of. He’s graduated from cardboard and duct tape to glue gun and “stuff”. Loves the subject at school too. But… can we get him to design/sketch on paper? Not a chance. He builds, adapts, discards and builds again. Each time it improves but I can’t help but think that working it through on paper first would help. Messy though he is, at least he’s not playing Assassin’s Creed all the time.

[mnahon]

That's an intriguing idea. With the trend toward telemedecine, where doctors diagnose over the phone, it would make sense that a car mechanic could do something similar. With a camera/microphone on the 'patient' end, you could even guide some repairs.

[Cees Klumper]

I think that model of 'remote diagnosing and helping' already exists. At least, when I google some issue I am having with a more modern Volvo or Ford, I oftentimes end up on forums where quickly a pop-up 'ASE Certified Mechanic with 30 Years of Experience' presents himself (it's always a him) asks how he can be of assistance, in a chat manner. I do my taxes the same way, with always a CPA at the ready to do a video call. Could easily work for our cars. I can see myself taking Dan 'into the garage, show him what I am facing, listen to the engine' etc and talk through what's next with Dan. Thanks to fast mobile connections and wifi.

[Benz Dr.]

I guess I need to improve my computer skills a bit. I have high-speed internet here but it's not as good as I might need.

I've considered many of the ideas presented here and some of them I'm already doing but on a smaller scale.

Thanks, everyone for your suggestions. Right now I need more help while I work on a restructuring plan.  One way or the other, I'll figure it out.

I had a guest for a couple of days and not only did he help in the shop he also helped me to deliver a car today. Thanks, Mark.

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Hi Dan,

Another idea for you would be to have someone help you to set up a good web site of the Benz Barn. It can list items like,

A) Services you provide
B) parts you have for sale
C) photos or short videos of work, maintenance and adjustments
D) A on line video consultation you can offer for a fee of course as Chees recommended
E) you can also include a section on your web site of jobs completed and/or ongoing
F) and a section when you are looking for “Help” describing the type of help you need 1) Hands on and 2) sorting out parts etc after removing them from old cars etc.

Etc. Etc. I’m.sure you can think of more items to list.

You have many cars (in the barn away from the shop) there are valuable parts that can be sold for cool cash. If I was you I would hire a auto mechanic to remove, clean and inventory parts From the various cars you have there that you direct him to remove. This then becomes part of the parts database. If your web site is properly set up and someone is looking for a part (you have many different Benz models in the aforementioned barn) your web site and parts list would then show up no charge to you only what the original web site abd parts database set up has cost you as well as the cost to hire the mechanic. Right now those parts are not much of your company assets since they are part of the cars in the barn. However, once cleaned, inspected and part of your inventory they will become valuable assets should you ever sell the company. Have a walk thru that barn and make a list of possible parts to remove and give each a value (after you make some research on the Internet). You  be amazed the amount of cash you have in that barn.

Dieter

[NYC-MB280SL]

I live in the NYC area and would be glad to offer assistance to forum members when needed.

Peter Paris

[GM]

Peter - have you signed up for the Emergency Contact List?
https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Main/EmergencyContactList