Repair Shop Looking Shabby? Here Are 4 Ways to Make It Better

  We get it. Your repair shop is your palace. Whether you’re repairing cars, computers or appliances—There is always a certain satisfaction in being surrounded by the tools of the trade and the guts of your projects. However, it’s always important to keep in mind how this presentation may be affecting your walk-in customers. The purchasing public often makes decisions on first impressions. Something as simple as a messy workshop could be costing you business. At the same time though, you want to preserve as much workspace as you can for yourself. Here are four ways you can clean up your repair shop without sacrificing too much of the space you need.

1. Establish a Cleaning Schedule

Many people who manage workshops only really focus on getting it clean when it’s gone past the point of needing it. Customers pay more attention to this than you might think. Establishing a cleaning schedule will help you enforce some minimum standards for the state of the workspace. The tighter the schedule, the better the results.

2. Expand Your Storage

If you have tools and spare parts resting everywhere, it’s probably because you don’t have convenient storage available for them. Good storage doesn’t need to take up that much space. You can play with horizontal and vertical options to find the best results. Better storage can save you some stress, and it also undeniably makes your workshop look better.

3. Apply Some Style

If customers have to see your workspace, it may be worth it to invest in making it look good. This doesn’t have to mean impractical furniture or trendy colors. Something as simple as matching the styles and colors of your tools or working spaces can go a long way toward making your workspace look sharp. If you have room on the walls, you may want to try hanging some interesting pieces from your work.

4. Separate the Cashier and the Workspace

If you don’t want to bother keeping things shiny, you can always just create a “room” with two large plywood walls. This can be an affordable solution that doesn’t restrict your open floor plan as much as space with a separate room would. If you ever need the space, the walls can simply be moved around. This is a solution used by a lot of auto repair shops.