This episode is sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group.

To learn more about Castrol Service, please visit: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html

Jordan from JLK Vehicle Solutions, better known online as The Norfolk Tech, joins us to share how a Covid redundancy pushed him into self-employment and how he's built one of the healthier mobile businesses in the UK.

In this episode, Jordan breaks down why the trade undercharges, what it really takes to run a mobile business day to day, the value of community for solo operators, and why he's been willing to talk openly about burnout.

00:00 – Introduction

02:15 – Redundancy during Covid

06:10 – Six weeks to self-employed

08:45 – Building the business on Facebook

19:20 – A typical day on the road

22:35 – Why the trade undercharges

33:00 – Sponsored Segment

38:00 – Getting scammed, security, and working on driveways

53:00 – Diary management and parts

01:06:00 – The mobile tech community

01:10:00 – Talking openly about burnout

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If you are a garage owner thinking about starting, specialising or scaling, this episode offers a clear look at what actually drives results.

In this episode we cover how this specialist garage was:

- Built With Clarity From Day One

- Built Without Guesswork- Built With Purpose, Not Pressure

- Built Through Focus, Not Expansion

- Doing the Right Things Early

This episode is kindly sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. Find out more about Castrol using the link below:

https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:42 - Early career and dealership experience

04:15 - The decision to leave the dealership

07:10 - Career perspective and Australia

10:05 - Starting The Mini Repair Shop

14:20 - Building the brand before the building

18:35 - Launching during COVID

23:10 - Finding customers in the early days

28:45 - Why specialising in MINI works

34:20 - The role of social media

40:05 - Partnerships and early growth

46:30 - Expansion vs focus

52:10 - Key lessons for garage owners

57:00 - Final thoughts

Most garage businesses start broad.General repairs.

General customers. General positioning.

But over time, staying general can make growth harder, not easier.In this episode, we explore the journey from a traditional town-centre garage to a specialist Land Rover business and the structural decisions that built long-term resilience along the way.

We cover:

- Transitioning from petrol station to full garage operation

- The risk of moving from a high street location to a commercial unit

- Why mastering internal workflow comes before expansion- How specialisation strengthens pricing confidence and authority

- The importance of perception in building value

- This is not about chasing trends. It is about deliberate evolution.

- If you are thinking about resilience, repositioning, or future

-proofing your garage, this episode is for you.

This episode is supported by Castrol and The Race Group.

To learn more about Castrol and how they support independent garages,

visit:https://www.castrol.com

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

2:10 - The Origins of the Business

6:15 - From Petrol Station to Garage

12:40 - The Risk of Leaving the High Street

18:20 - Moving to a Commercial Unit

24:30 - Building Systems Before Expansion

30:15 - Controlling Parts and Workflow

36:40 - The Shift Toward Specialisation

44:10 - Becoming a Land Rover Specialist

52:30 - Perception and Premium Positioning

1:01:20 - Lessons in Building Resilience

1:08:45 - Final Thoughts