Opinions needed, Opportunity Ahead
 

Ok, let me start by telling you a little bit about myself. I'm 21 years old and I still live at home. I work for a foundry that makes high pressure pipe. I'm enrolled in an Mechanical Apprenticeship. My work pays for school and pays me hourly while I'm at school. It's a 4 year program and I've completed 1 year. We have 4 different classes of mechanics, Apprentice, C Class, B Class, and A Class. I'm currently a C Class making $16.00 an hour and by the time I'm done with the program I'm be making $26.00 an hour as an A Class mechanic and I will also receive a Journeymen's Card which just basically means I'm a certified mechanic for industrial equipment. As of right now I work 3rd shift, go home, go to sleep, go to school, and then back to work.

Now that you know a little about me, here is what stumpled upon me this morning when I got home from work. My mom pulls me aside and explains to me that the husband of a friend of hers owns a muffler shop downtown and is looking for someone young and hardworking to come to his shop and learn the business so when he retires, which is soon, he could hand the shop over to said person. I asked what of work they did there and the only thing I could out of my mom were "muffler" and "custom." Just sounds like your average exhaust garage to me. My next question was "How's the money?" and all my mom could say was that when her friend worked with her, she could spend the money she made freely and didn't really need to work. So this obviously tells me the he makes enough money to support a family and own a home. Now I'm not really sure if this guy means, he just wants someone to manage the shop, or he wants someone to takeover ownership of the shop.

I really need to go talk to the guy about it and see what the benefits and such are before I can make a real decision. But I'm not even sure if it's worth it. And lately I've been become extremely interested in cars, not that I wasn't before but just much more now and I've also realized how much my area needs a shop that actually builds motor and such and has a dyno. The closest shop that has a decent is about 4 hours away from my area and I know quite a few people that I could get to help run it. Granted that would be the road if I grabbed this opportunity.

So what do you guys think?

Not enough info, come back and fill us in when you find out more about the opportunity.

I think you should go to that shop and talk to the guy to find out exactly what he wants. The information your mom gave you is limited, so you need to find out more before you make your decision.

Also, don't rush this. Weigh your options to figure out what is best for you and your future. Either way, it seems like you will be doing something that you really like and it doesn't seem like you will lose out no matter which choice you make.

Talk to that guy and let us know what he says. Good luck, man.

by take over, id assume you would have to buy the business from him...cause if hes just gonna give it away for free..there is a catch.

My initial thoughts on this is you are better off where you are. especially when you get certified.

this guy may be looking to find somebody to take over his shop, but how long is that going to be? 2 years? 20 years? a lot can happen in that time.

Yeah who knows when the shop would be "handed" over to you. Plus he may be doing well now, but there's no guarantees the shop will continue to do well if you took over. Not saying anything bad about you, but owning a business is tough work. The path you are on now seems pretty good especially since you are getting paid for work and your school is taken care of. Talk to the guy, get all the details and find out what it's all about.

Theres much more to owning a business than just knowing how to do the services they provide.


Stick with your job. Get to the point where your making 26 an hour, then look into investing. Turn that earned income into passive/portfolio income!!

Gotta see what the other job has to offer before you do anything else.

Heres my 2 cents, the field you are in now is a specialized field with long term security. That is a mom and pop or national chain muffler shop on every corner, all of them are cutting each others throat for their piece of the pie.

Managing a shop or any place that deals with pulbic is a headache (to put it nicely). Like everyone said, talk with the guy and find out his plan and see if you think you would fit into his plan. It does'nt cost anything to talk. Remember "all that glitters is not Gold".

The job you are in now may not be a glamous job and you will have to "pay your dues" but when you reach the top of the heap things get better and the money gets a lot better. When your shift is over, you leave and go home and the job stays there until the next day. Management is a full time job. Its like a bad fart, it stays with you.

Good Luck and remember this is you and your future, you are the only one that knows what best for you.