"You also can't run a business for long with free labour from mates "
Correct.
You quickly find that these mates, even with the best intentions, have their own lives and work commitments and frankly as a mate the last thing you want to do is rely on unpaid labour to get you started.
Of course you can strike a deal, let them do a few odds and sods on their own cars down there but don't let them store their long term projects down there, their total hassle and out of sight out of mind springs to mind.
Look, there was a lot of negativity in my first post and rightly so but the advice I'll offer if your really determined is this:
1. Book every car in and get a good deposit, at least 10/20% of the job cost at the point of quotation. This will seperate the men from the boys, something I never did unfortunately leading to a lot of folk not turning up etc.
2. Your time is ironically your best asset, charge for it, don't say "I can get by on £7 an hour because you may as well work in poundland and mess with your cars on the weekend.
3. Be diverse, you can do wiring mods? Fabrication, drilling etc? Offer towbar fitment, trailer builds etc, great money in that and often quick in and out jobs.
4. No cash no car, only rule I really stuck to apart from once, never really got paid, lost a so called "mate" through it.
5. Breakdown/recovery/movement of projects to the yard? Needs to be charges for at the hourly rate, amazing how many people baulk at this when you present them the bill. I used to rent a trailer @ £20 a day, my fuel etc to go and get the motor, all the hassle of loading a smashed up non driving car and people just thought that was me being kind. I foolishly did that a few times then quickly cottoned on. Amazing how many people started shopping around for cheaper quotes then, pathetic.
6. Flows nicely into point 6, if people see you doing well from something, they often want a bit of that pie. I had this with recovery when an employee of mine decided he could make a cut by using his mates garage as storage/recovery because he knew I was doing well from it. I found out and due to a long list of misdemeanours we parted ways.
7. Which flows nicely to point 7, staff, avoid wherever possible, total nightmare, amazing how quick mates become unprintable lady area parts when cash is involved.
8. Wherever and whenever possible, get suppliers to deliver, I wasted a lot of time driving about getting paint, parts etc.
9. Cheapest is not always best when it comes to suppliers, as poor quality parts and components are always going to require more time to rectify if they don't fit well etc, often not a great deal in it on price.
10. Work out weekly costs and every week, regardless of how well or badly you've done make sure at least that amount is in the business account. Most bills are monthly so you get a good bit of leeway at first but you'll be amazed how quick it gets swallowed up.
11. Cash jobs were king as recently as 5 years ago but in this day and age there not that easy to hide, particularly in the game you are in as a big selling pint of the car is that you've had an engine professionally fitted, so you need a reciept for that. If you've offered it for say 20% less for cash then it's only you that loses out.
Fitting a set of pads supplied by the customer and a bit of welding on a saxo? Well, you could certainly put that to cash.
Good luck either way.
As for the get my coat comment above if you've been there and done it successfully then I take my hat off to you. If you haven't then I suggest you do, get the coat that is,keep dreaming.