Possible Insurance Contract?
Interesting... I received a phone-call this afternoon from SGI; SGI is "Saskatchewan Government Insurance", the motor-vehicle insurance agency in Saskatchewan. Some provinces, like Alberta, have private insurance and you can select from any number of insurance companies to insure your motor-vehicle. In Saskatchewan, the provincial government is the absolute authority, and you buy your plates and insurance from them. This can be a savings or an extra expense, depending on what sort of private rates you might have been able to get elsewhere, but it's also a moot point as you simply don't have any other choice here, other than to not own a motor-vehicle. (I'd be saving money here, but for the loophole I learned about in Calgary that saved me a small fortune in insurance premiums.)
At any rate - SGI called this afternoon, and at first I was worried that they wanted some sort of insurance review or something. Turns out they were calling because they need someone in the area to do provincial inspections for motorcycles. They were looking for mechanical shops, and apparently I'm one of the few in the area that they think might meet their criteria. Oddly enough, they found me by searching the web, and my very lack-lustre (and in severe need of an update) website got their attention. They're sending an information packet out to let me see what all would be involved, and what I'd need to do. The inspections are purely visual, so I don't have to tear a bike apart or anything like that. I should already have most of the specialized tools required, with the exception of a motorcycle-lift. I've actually been wanting to get one for a while now, and this would be a perfect excuse to do so.
I don't really do much work on bikes, mostly because most bikes are far more complex than I'm comfortable working on, without having the proper training and tools and manuals. I've had to turn down a number of potential customers because I'm simply not a "powersports" mechanic, even though it's very similar to "regular" small engines. I'm hoping that someday I might be able to hire a powersports mechanic, but so far that hasn't been feasible. I was hoping that maybe The Piglet would be interested in that, since he seems to like motorcycles, and he could actually take a motorsports mechanic course at SAIST, but he's only slightly less interested in that than any other work here at the shop. :/
Despite that, i do do some work on the smaller, less complex machines like the Chinese mini bikes, and I've repaired a couple of scooters as well. A motorcycle-lift would definitely make those jobs easier. SGI said that they would provide the training needed to do the inspections, and it's not that complicated to do. I think this would be a good addition to the shop, and would further expand my range of services. It looks like I'm really going to have to hire someone this summer if I don't want to get so far behind as to never be able to catch up. Anyone looking for a job working with small engines and motorsports?
At any rate - SGI called this afternoon, and at first I was worried that they wanted some sort of insurance review or something. Turns out they were calling because they need someone in the area to do provincial inspections for motorcycles. They were looking for mechanical shops, and apparently I'm one of the few in the area that they think might meet their criteria. Oddly enough, they found me by searching the web, and my very lack-lustre (and in severe need of an update) website got their attention. They're sending an information packet out to let me see what all would be involved, and what I'd need to do. The inspections are purely visual, so I don't have to tear a bike apart or anything like that. I should already have most of the specialized tools required, with the exception of a motorcycle-lift. I've actually been wanting to get one for a while now, and this would be a perfect excuse to do so.
I don't really do much work on bikes, mostly because most bikes are far more complex than I'm comfortable working on, without having the proper training and tools and manuals. I've had to turn down a number of potential customers because I'm simply not a "powersports" mechanic, even though it's very similar to "regular" small engines. I'm hoping that someday I might be able to hire a powersports mechanic, but so far that hasn't been feasible. I was hoping that maybe The Piglet would be interested in that, since he seems to like motorcycles, and he could actually take a motorsports mechanic course at SAIST, but he's only slightly less interested in that than any other work here at the shop. :/
Despite that, i do do some work on the smaller, less complex machines like the Chinese mini bikes, and I've repaired a couple of scooters as well. A motorcycle-lift would definitely make those jobs easier. SGI said that they would provide the training needed to do the inspections, and it's not that complicated to do. I think this would be a good addition to the shop, and would further expand my range of services. It looks like I'm really going to have to hire someone this summer if I don't want to get so far behind as to never be able to catch up. Anyone looking for a job working with small engines and motorsports?