You Know you are in the AGR business when:

Other people try to tell you who you can or can’t do work for.
It requires no training at all to be an EXPERT.
All around you prices rise & your net profit shrinks.

Your competitor "just happens" to have a special going "today only" where they are waiving your insurance deductible so you don't have to pay "anything"!!

you know your in the AGR business when...

urrrr...I'm coming up empty. Sorry.

You can't pay your mortgage!

Christmas gives you new numbers on the blood pressure machine!!

Start thinking you can make something really wonderful out of a broken windshield and make a huge profit with it!!!! lol

Start selling Christmas trees on the front lawn and anything else that might appear to be a christmas tree! lol

When your post on the forum gets removed because you hurt someones feelings.

When the transmission goes out in the rack truck and you cant afford the $350.00 to have it repaired.

350.00 for a tranny is very cheap....maybe they'll take 50.00/month?

You get to work harder for less $$$, slowly everyday.

You do everything you can to give a customer a fair price, it gets turned into a tpa, and they short pay ya, then you have to take the time to file and go to arbritration, just to have a third party tell the ins co or tpa they owe you the money, spend 60 bucks just to get it back and the 40 or 50 they shorted you. Just a headace.

You look at road kills in a whole new light,,,,,,supper for the family,,,,,!!!!!

Man...I hope you guys are being funny.

I know several independants in my area who don't seem to be doing to awful. I think overhead is becoming a big factor with the way pricing is going in this industry. I can see a day when "shops" are going to be a thing of the past.

When Christmas comes and your accountant sends you a condolence card.

When insurance companies tell you what you will charge and then reject the invoice becuase you didn't dot your i or cross the t

When the IRS tells you your not worth the audit.

crystalclear, good one! And AGN,,, sorry dude, but I have to disagree with your statemant on shops,,,, I've done the mobile only, started small, but in my area there is no way shops will be a thing of the past, flat out no way! As a matter of fact, if agrss gets it together completely they will have better constaints or better restrictions on what constitutes better, safer mobile work. I know in your area maybe mobile is so much the norm, but where I am, there are very few days that the weather will permit proper and safe installs of w/s outside in the driveway. We could go on and on about this topic but I speak from a lot of experience, and in my area in shop, will never die,, it will only get stronger as installers strive for better quality, so at any rate please don't think because of what you have to work with, will work here,,, it won't. As vehicles get more complicated, and proper conditions are even more critical, shops will inevitably be even more important to doing QUALITY workmanship! I remember a time when the big shots at HARMON said the day will come when ALL w/s installs will be in shop,,, but remember there are no absolutes, As always wishing you great success in being your own boss!
And just remember, whether in shop or mobile, shody work is still shody work and quality is still QUALITY, DOESN'T MATTER IF IN THE DRIVEWAY OR SHOP, trying to do more for less will result in crappy work,,, hands down, every day! Basic formula!

I appreciate the constructive criticism XXX.

I would love to work in a shop all day long! I certainly would love it if mobile became a "few and far between" thing. Having the vehicle in your environment is much better then dealing with a lot of the crap you find out on the road.

My comments were based solely on my observations around here and of course were in no way intended to be offending to anyone.

I am hoping to build a quality first company that will derive most of its business from referrals from happy previous customers. The trick is just being able to hang on long enough to make it work.

exactly AGN, And remember,,, perseverence,,,, don't give up!

....you drink too much.