BizStarts Milwaukee helps create jobs rather than waiting for jobs

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WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE - There's a silver lining of the clouds of recession that looms over the United States. According to BizStarts Milwaukee, hard times often lead to accidental entrepreneurs. The non-profit group has been helping small businesses get on their feet for two years.

While many are waiting for jobs to come to Milwaukee, BizStarts Milwaukee VP Dan Steininger wants to create jobs in Milwaukee. "The only way you're going to do that is help people start companies."

In less than two years, BizStarts Milwaukee helped coach and launch 22 start-up companies. Steininger says, "We're figuring over 350 jobs which have come out of that, which is terrific. It's wonderful, we're starting to see hope."

One of the companies BizStarts Milwaukee helped is Hands-On Garage in Milwaukee. It's a do-it-yourself garage that FOX6 featured in a story earlier this year. The garage is putting mechanics to work, and saves many automobile owners money. Steininger says, "They needed someone to say, 'Here's what you do to get the business started' Stop talking about it. This is what you need to do. So they had smart people from BizStarts giving them advice. We call them mentors, who gave them the advice they needed to get started."

BizStarts Milwaukee welcomes businesses of all types from hair salons to solar energy companies. Steininger says, "Where are the jobs going to come from. How does this region grow if we can't get this right. So we're all still waiting for companies to relocate here. So in the meantime, we are going to start companies. We are taking our own fate in our hands."

Hands-On Garage :15 Pick-up & Delivery

Successful start-ups!

Hands-on-Garage in Milwaukee has 22 new jobs on site and is adding eight more!

http://www.jsonline.com/business/96701699.html

Hands-On Garage Fleet Crew Member - John McCliment

Fleet Crew Members are independent mechanics using the Hands-on Garage facility as their base of operations. These independent mechanics have completed an extensive training program at Hands-on Garage to become your personal mechanic. For the privilege of operating at the Hands-on Garage and owning their own Fleet Crew Member business, they are bound by specific rules of operation which create a trustworthy, hardworking, and fair environment. Their performance is monitored by us through your feedback to meet high standards and those high standards are passed on to you and other clients.

A Fleet Crew Member may have several dozen vehicles on their client list, each one being tracked by our in-house system for scheduled maintenance, work history, and recall notification. We provide the Fleet Crew Members with all their back office needs, leaving them free to service you, which is exactly what they want to do.

Fleet Crew Members aren't employees. They operate by coming to you, leaving their car behind while they test drive your vehicle on the way to a Hands-on Garage facility. They will then perform the maintenance you desire. The Fleet Crew Member then returns your car with an invoice printed at Hands-on Garage and payable to him, and moves on to his next customer. YOU don't have to do a thing.

The benefits of having a Fleet Crew Member perform your vehicle maintenance are many:

Pick-up and delivery at the location of your choice (work, home)
An invoice created at Hands-on Garage, which means the service was tracked by us.
Flexible scheduling
Competitive pricing, often much cheaper
Motivated mechanic running his own business on his own reputation
Maintenance reminders
Low pressure atmosphere
Trust
A Fleet Crew Member is your advocate in the frustrating world of vehicle maintenance

John McCliment
414.526.5598
jmccliment@wi.rr.com

Hands-On Garage Fleet Crew Member - Ryan Morales

Fleet Crew Members are independent mechanics using the Hands-on Garage facility as their base of operations. These independent mechanics have completed an extensive training program at Hands-on Garage to become your personal mechanic. For the privilege of operating at the Hands-on Garage and owning their own Fleet Crew Member business, they are bound by specific rules of operation which create a trustworthy, hardworking, and fair environment. Their performance is monitored by us through your feedback to meet high standards and those high standards are passed on to you and other clients.

A Fleet Crew Member may have several dozen vehicles on their client list, each one being tracked by our in-house system for scheduled maintenance, work history, and recall notification. We provide the Fleet Crew Members with all their back office needs, leaving them free to service you, which is exactly what they want to do.

Fleet Crew Members aren't employees. They operate by coming to you, leaving their car behind while they test drive your vehicle on the way to a Hands-on Garage facility. They will then perform the maintenance you desire. The Fleet Crew Member then returns your car with an invoice printed at Hands-on Garage and payable to him, and moves on to his next customer. YOU don't have to do a thing.

The benefits of having a Fleet Crew Member perform your vehicle maintenance are many:

Pick-up and delivery at the location of your choice (work, home)
An invoice created at Hands-on Garage, which means the service was tracked by us.
Flexible scheduling
Competitive pricing, often much cheaper
Motivated mechanic running his own business on his own reputation
Maintenance reminders
Low pressure atmosphere
Trust
A Fleet Crew Member is your advocate in the frustrating world of vehicle maintenance

Ryan Morales
414.416.9366
moralesservicing@gmail.com

Hands-On Garage Fleet Crew Member Dan Bedard

Fleet Crew Members are independent mechanics using the Hands-on Garage facility as their base of operations. These independent mechanics have completed an extensive training program at Hands-on Garage to become your personal mechanic. For the privilege of operating at the Hands-on Garage and owning their own Fleet Crew Member business, they are bound by specific rules of operation which create a trustworthy, hardworking, and fair environment. Their performance is monitored by us through your feedback to meet high standards and those high standards are passed on to you and other clients.

A Fleet Crew Member may have several dozen vehicles on their client list, each one being tracked by our in-house system for scheduled maintenance, work history, and recall notification. We provide the Fleet Crew Members with all their back office needs, leaving them free to service you, which is exactly what they want to do.

Fleet Crew Members aren't employees. They operate by coming to you, leaving their car behind while they test drive your vehicle on the way to a Hands-on Garage facility. They will then perform the maintenance you desire. The Fleet Crew Member then returns your car with an invoice printed at Hands-on Garage and payable to him, and moves on to his next customer. YOU don't have to do a thing.

The benefits of having a Fleet Crew Member perform your vehicle maintenance are many:

Pick-up and delivery at the location of your choice (work, home)
An invoice created at Hands-on Garage, which means the service was tracked by us.
Flexible scheduling
Competitive pricing, often much cheaper
Motivated mechanic running his own business on his own reputation
Maintenance reminders
Low pressure atmosphere
Trust
A Fleet Crew Member is your advocate in the frustrating world of vehicle maintenance

Dan Bedard - e-mail - thejonas53@gmail.com
phone - 262-993-9981

Hands-On Garage :15 Fleet Crew Member

Hands-On Garage :15 Do-It-Yourself

Hands-On Garage :60 Jingle

Our marketing is going live late next week. I will post our jingle soon.

Story on WISN-TV Channel 12 last night

Here is the link to the Channel 12 story.

We will embed the video as soon as we have it.

http://www.wisn.com/video/23536172/index.html

WISN-TV Coverage

Look for us on WISN-TV Channel 12 tonight at 10pm. We will be a feature story. we are excited the see how it turns out.

I will post the link to the story as soon as it is live.

New garage helps do it yourselfers, freelance mechanics

http://www.jsonline.com/business/93353319.html

Nearly every Tuesday and Friday for the past two years, Gary Miller and four investment partners have gathered at 6 a.m. to dream out loud.

They were looking for a business opportunity and came up with this: An auto repair facility that would serve everyone from shade-tree mechanics to experienced automotive technicians who wanted their own business but couldn't scrape together the start-up costs.

The result is Hands-on Garage, which opened this month at 5757 Lover's Lane Road on Milwaukee's northwest side.

"Instead of buying a company, we decided to make one," said Miller, president, founder and driving force behind the concept.

The company focuses on do-it-yourselfers interested in simple maintenance and repair who need a place other than their driveway to do it, and on experienced mechanics that can join the organization as Fleet Crew members.

Fleet Crew members are independent contractors who use the facility as a base of operations, Miller said. They are required to incorporate as a business and to purchase insurance.

Hands-on Garage has a law firm and insurance company that handle the paperwork. It also has accounting and banking services available for fleet crew members.

Facility charges are on a per-use basis. Technicians set their own hourly rates, and there is a written code of conduct for all Fleet Crew members.

An automotive technician joins the garage as an independent contractor after paying a $585 start-up fee. They would service individual and small-business accounts, Miller said.

The crews members go to a customer's home or workplace, pick up the vehicle, perform the work, and return the vehicle.

"We're reversing the way the mechanic operates," Miller said. "We've turned it into a hub-and-spoke instead of sitting and waiting for customers to come in."

Mechanics are available to answer questions for do-it-yourselfers, or help if someone gets in over their head, Miller said.

The company also has a retail section and sells parts. The garage has entered into an agreement with national auto parts chain AutoZone Inc. as part of its retail segment.

The business is equipped with engine diagnostic equipment as well as hand tools for use in its repair bays. Two computers are available to look up parts and repair information. Equipment is also available to service air conditioning equipment.

Tom Reinke is one of the floor mechanics. He was laid off in February after his employer outsourced its fleet maintenance work. He has 30 years of experience.

"People don't call you back. You just keep plugging away," he said. "I was getting sick of sitting around the house."

Dan Bedard of Germantown is signing on as a Fleet Crew member. He is a graduate of the auto service program at Waukesha County Technical College, and at age 25, he is looking to establish himself in the business.

"I can see it being a very beneficial opportunity for me," he said.

Two years to start
Miller is an Air Force veteran who is a standby flight crew member for American Airlines. The other investors include a sales rep and information technology professional.

"It's taken us almost two years to get where we are now," Miller said.

The downturn in the economy may actually help the fledgling business, Miller said, as folks who have been putting off repair and maintenance work decide to have it done.

Nationally, there are very few similar businesses, said spokesmen for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence in Leesburg, Va., and the Automotive Service Association in Bedford, Texas.

Miller is aware of the risks involved in starting a business.

"It's not about getting rich," he said. "This is what we do as Americans."

Hands-On Garage Fleet Crew Member Chris Mangan

Chris Mangan
CCM Automotive Fleet Crew LLC
Phone - 414-750-9983
email - ccm.automotive@yahoo.com

Please look for an article about us in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Business section tomorrow. I will post the link as soon as it is live.

Hands-On Garage: New Hands-On Garage saves you money on car repairs - WITI

http://www.fox6now.com/news/witi-100505-do-it-yourself,0,2616809.story

Hands-On Introduction

Take a look at the Fox 6 news at 5pm and 6pm there will be great story about Hands-on Garage tonight.

We are getting close to opening. Look for us sometime in May.