People think starting a business is all about freedom — no boss, no time clock, no rules. What they don’t tell you is that it’s also about figuring out how to do a hundred things you’ve never done before… while still making rent.

We officially started Swift’s Automotive in August of 2024. But the story really starts before that — back in Iowa, when my husband was doing side work for friends and family. He’s always had a talent for turning wrenches, but the brutal winters up north didn’t exactly make working outside ideal. When we moved to Southeast Texas, we decided to stop treating it like a hobby and go all in. We formed an LLC, put a name on it, and started offering mobile mechanic services here in Beaumont, Orange, Vidor, Lumberton, and Port Arthur.

We didn’t come from money. We didn’t have a degree. We didn’t know how to run a business. But we knew how to work — and that was enough to get started.

Why We Started This Business

Yeah, we want to be our own bosses someday — that part’s obvious. But for us, it’s also about something bigger than just money or status. It’s about doing business with purpose.

We know what it feels like to be tight on money, to live paycheck to paycheck, to need a car fixed and not know how you’re going to afford it. We’ve been there — standing at the parts counter hoping the price doesn’t go up, debating whether you can risk waiting one more week to fix something that's getting worse.

We’ve seen people hit with outrageous repair bills they can’t swing. We’ve had single parents call us in tears because a shop quoted them double what they had in their account, and their vehicle was their only way to get to work, take their kids to daycare, or grab groceries. Some were even facing towing fees they couldn’t afford on top of the repairs.

That’s where Swift’s Automotive comes in.

We don’t have a big building or shiny waiting room. But we bring the service to you, and we keep it fair. We show up when others won’t, we offer options when customers feel stuck, and we talk like real people — not like someone trying to sell you something.

This business is about filling that gap. Helping real people in real-life situations. Making sure that car trouble doesn’t knock someone’s whole life off track.

What No One Tells You About Running a Mobile Mechanic Business

Let’s be real: most folks think once you get the LLC, you’re good to go. But the truth is, that’s just the start. Running a mobile mechanic business — especially as first-timers with no background in business — has been one long learning curve.

Fixing the car is the easy part. The hard part is everything that happens before and after that repair.

There’s the constant juggling of:

• Writing up invoices with correct labor, parts, and multiple line items

• Remembering to attach policies and keep documentation clear

• Sorting through receipts, bills, and part orders for tax purposes

• Trying to understand business accounting without a CPA in your back pocket

• Managing taxes (don’t even get me started)

• Returning calls, handling bookings, ordering parts — and doing it all without missing something

We didn’t grow up around this stuff. No one handed us a step-by-step guide. So we’ve had to teach ourselves everything — Googling late at night, watching videos, messing up and redoing things the right way the second time around. We’ve made mistakes, no doubt. But we learn. We adapt. And we keep moving forward.

Some days it feels like we’re building a plane mid-flight. But we’re still flying.

How We Make It Work (Even When It’s Hard)

Running a mobile mechanic business takes more than just turning wrenches — especially when you’re starting from the ground up. Most people only see the SUV and the tools, but behind every job is a constant grind: balancing repairs, scheduling, parts sourcing, billing, customer service, and all the behind-the-scenes work that never stops.

Like many small business owners, it’s a juggle — building something new while still managing everyday responsibilities. There are no short cuts, no big teams, and no safety nets. Just a determination to make it work, one job at a time.

Some days that means working late. Some days it means learning something new on the fly. It means pushing through mistakes, refining systems, and figuring out better ways to operate — all while staying focused on the people who count on the service.

What matters most is showing up, doing the job right, and giving customers a reason to trust and call back the next time they need help. That’s how real businesses grow. Not overnight — but through consistency, honesty, and hustle.

For Anyone Else Thinking About Starting From Nothing

If you’re thinking about starting your own business — especially in a trade like auto repair — here’s what we'll tell you:

You don’t have to know everything right away. You just have to start. You learn as you go. You ask questions. You make mistakes and fix them. You fall, and then you get up and try again. You stay hungry. You stay curious.

What matters is that you’re honest, you work hard, and you care about doing things the right way. That’s what builds trust. That’s what keeps people calling you instead of the big-name shops.

Don’t let not having a degree stop you. Don’t let not knowing everything hold you back. The only way to figure it out is to do it. And if we can do it, you can too.

Final Word from the Wrench