by Turo
posted on 22 November 2024
Queensland mechanic Neil has turned his workshop into a thriving car sharing business – and he’s confident mechanics across Australia could find similar success.
Neil fell into hosting more or less by chance. He had a spare car he was thinking of selling, but once he noticed the lack of Turo hosts in Queensland, he decided to take a leap and list it instead.
That decision paid off: “There was no one in Queensland doing it at the time. I just put that car up, and it was rented out pretty much the whole month.”
After the success of his first listing, Neil kept adding more vehicles to his portfolio and found demand remained strong with each addition.
His cars were booked out almost constantly, making him realise that Turo wasn’t just a simple side hustle – it could be a fully-fledged, scalable business.
Neil’s unique edge
Neil is no stranger to entrepreneurship. He’s owned numerous businesses in the past, including cafes, service stations, and furniture stores, and now runs a successful mechanic workshop.
Having his own workshop gives him a significant edge in his car sharing business because he can seamlessly integrate the two. It’s a model he wholeheartedly recommends to other mechanics.
For instance, he can store his cars in his shop without paying extra leasing expenses. Plus, he can access parts and tyres for much less, reducing his overall operating costs.
“If you’ve got 20 cars and you had to lease a building to store them, then you’d have another cost,” he says.
“We don’t have that – the cost is already offset by leasing this shop. The power, the storage, everything’s already covered through this business. Essentially, the car sharing business has no overheads.”
The main advantage, though, is that Neil can run his business more efficiently, maximising the number of bookings he gets each day.
“If we do a service, someone will bring the car back today at three o’clock, we’ll have it serviced by four, back on the road by five, washed, ready to go, and then someone can pick it up tonight – so our downtime is tiny,” he says.
There are plenty of benefits for his guests, too. His workshop’s location in Queensland makes for a convenient pick-up point. It’s also open daily and staffed throughout the day, providing security and reliability.
“It makes it a lot easier, from a customer perspective, to pick up the car because we’re here and we’re active,” he says. “They feel safe [because] we’re a legit business and we’re under security cameras.”
Neil adds that mechanics could also incentivise their existing customers and boost their revenue by having loan cars on hand during repairs.
“You can then get an additional revenue and income stream from that,” he says. “It’s just a better way to embed your mechanic brand in the community.”
All in all, Neil believes hosting is a logical next step for automotive businesses: “If you’re an independent mechanic, it’s an absolute no-brainer.”
Giving back to the Turo community
Between managing his car sharing business and mechanic workshop, Neil has found the time to set up a YouTube channel that shares his Turo journey.
His videos provide insight into his hosting experience, covering his earnings strategies, wins and challenges. His goal is to inspire potential hosts and help others achieve similar success.
“I’m trying to provide some educational content for people who want to do their own Turo, whether it’s one car or 10 cars, and hopefully they can get something out of that,” he says.
“Or if we get to a point of 20, 50, 100 cars, hopefully they can follow me on that journey and feel inspired to do the same thing.”
Driving his business into the future
Neil’s excited about his future on Turo and the growth possibilities for his car sharing business.
He currently has 10 cars in his portfolio but has his sights set on an even more ambitious goal: he wants to build his collection to 50 or even 100 cars, possibly turning his business into a large-scale enterprise.
“It’s growing and seeing that I can build a real business – not just a little side hustle paying a few bills. I have a chance to grow a substantial, potentially million-dollar business with higher cash flow,” he says.
He envisages adding unique rides like a supercar to his portfolio, which could be hired out for special occasions or by car enthusiasts and families booking for a memorable activity. He’s also thinking of expanding his car sharing business to Brisbane, where he owns another workshop.
This future potential has reignited his passion for entrepreneurship and given him a newfound drive. Overall, he’s feeling really positive about the direction he’s heading.
“It’s by far the most enjoyable thing I’ve done … I absolutely love it,” he says.
“I haven’t had that mojo for a long time – of going through that growth phase and being excited about something – and I’m right there. This makes me feel young again, and I’m really, really enjoying the process.”
