America’s car-buying habits have changed. Fewer drivers trade in their cars every couple of years, and more drivers are keeping their cars longer. At the same time, fewer kids spend their Saturdays working on the family car with Dad — today’s car owners are less likely to be able to do their own oil changes or simple repairs.
The result is a growing need for auto service. Express Oil Change & Service Center is ready to offer you a piece of that action.
Express is not a hyper-specialized outfit providing just oil changes or only brake service. However, they do have a signature service in their 10 minute oil change and 22 point inspection. Customers don’t even have to leave their cars for this service — a real help for moms with small children, and comfortable for consumers who can drink that cup of drive-through coffee and check headlines on their phones while the car is being serviced.
If further work is needed, Express franchises can provide it in-house.The franchise includes everything from tires to air conditioning, so happy customers will come back month after month and year after year.
The founder of Express Oil Change & Service Center started out with a job at Standard Oil and then opened a single service station in the 1940s. When he saw a quick oil change operation for the first time, he realized that his specialized knowledge would let him do a better job of it. Express now has more than 200 locations.
While this franchise opportunity may appeal particularly to car lovers, franchisees don’t need any automotive skills or experience. Express provides a comprehensive eight to ten week training program that lets franchisees hire and manage mechanics with confidence. Trainers visit on-site during the first year, in addition to the mix of classroom and field training.
Express helps with the hiring and training of the franchisee’s crew, and has an employee-friendly HR strategy focusing on full-time workers. Since team members benefit from the franchise’s success, they’re more likely to stay. That means lower worker turnover, better trained personnel, and happier staff. Express finds that this leads to greater customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Express provides management software with easy back office reporting, and they help with store site choice and design. They even provide ongoing assistance with operations. Because of this extensive support, franchisees don’t need prior experience.
General business background is a plus, though. Beyond that, Express looks for energetic, positive, highly motivated people with strong communication skills. The minimum cash requirement is $300,000, and the total investment is in the $1,400,000 – $2,000,000 range. Net worth must be at least $500,000.
This type of business naturally requires a specialized location and building with drive-through capability and a mechanic’s pit. Franchisees usually start out with six or seven full-time team members, including the franchisee or a manager. Franchisees are also required to spend 3% of gross sales on local store marketing.
Standard location hours are 8-6 on weekdays, 8-5 on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays, so this franchise is designed for positive work/life balance.
