Is it Profitable to Run a Tire and Rim Business in Canada?
- swaraj prasad
- Jan 15
- 4 min read

Due to the large population of cars and trucks that are in circulation in Canada, there is constantly high demand for quality tires and rims for personal and corporate use. However to answer the basic question i.e. “Is the tire and rim business profitable”, this blog will discuss what is tire and rim business, the investment needed, sources of revenue, and business models followed by a conclusion.
Here is a complete rundown for you
What is a tire and rim business?
Top Expenses for a Tire Shop
One-Time Setup Costs for Tire and Rim Business
Sources of Revenue for Tire and Rim Business
Franchise vs Independent Model
Conclusion
What is a Tire and Rim Business?

A tire and rim business is any establishment engaged in the business of selling tires and rims for varied automobiles. A business can sell tires or rims for commercial, personal, and passenger vehicles. These businesses include selling and repairing new and used tires, alloy and steel rims, and other related products including tire balancing and alignment services. They may also offer tire balancing and selling, wheel alignment and balancing, and rotational or seasonal tire swaps for better road performance and safety.
Tire and rim firms are among the most important in the automotive industry because they support car owners to ensure the tires and rims are in the right condition to enable safe driving. To start this type of business you may require an investment of roughly $300,000. The ideal season for this business is the 4 winter months from November to February.
Top Expenses for a Tire Shop

Here is an overview of the top expenses for operating a tire shop in Canada.
Leasing or Renting: Cost of renting or leasing retail space, utilities, and maintenance.
Permits and Licenses: Expenses for obtaining necessary business permits, licenses, and insurance.
Equipment and Supplies: Wheel balancing machines, air compressors, and other necessary tools and equipment.
Employee Expenses: Salaries, wages, benefits, and training of mechanics, salespersons, and personnel in the office.
Tire Inventory: Storing a stock of tires in different sizes and types available for sale to meet the customer's demand.
Marketing Costs: Advertising, promotions, and other forms of digital marketing to attract and retain customers.
One-Time Setup Costs for Tire and Rim Business
If you are wondering about what is the profit margin of a tire business, understanding the one-time setup costs for this business is essential. To gain insights into one-time setup costs refer to the table below:
Permits and Licenses | $3,500.00 |
Initial Inventory | $50,000.00 |
Tire Changer | $1,500.00 |
Wheel Balancer | $3,500.00 |
Air Compressor | $350.0 |
Lifts and Hoists | $8,000.00 |
Hand tools | $3,500.00 |
Tire repair tools | $550.0 |
Shop supplies | $750 |
POS System | $2,500.00 |
Alignment equipment | $2,500.00 |
Diagnostic equipment | $1,250.00 |
Storage and display | $5,000.00 |
Inventory Management System | $2,500.00 |
Signage | $3,500.00 |
Total One-time setup costs | $88,900.00 |
Monthly Recurring costs:
The monthly recurring costs can be roughly $48,000.00. This includes advertising or marketing, website, salaries, restocking inventory, royalties, and interest on loans.
Sources of Revenue for Tire and Rim Business

The different sources of revenue for the tire and rim business in Canada are:
Tire and Rim Sales: Sale of substantially new and used tires and rims for varied types of vehicles.
Wheel Enhancement or Lifts: Earnings from additional service offers such as customized wheel enhancement, rims repair among others, and vehicle lift kits.
Tire Swaps: Charges for seasonal tire-changing activities such as changing the winter and summer tires.
Rebates and Incentives: Account of receipts from manufacturers or distributors for rebates which may extend to the customers or be pocketed by the company.
Finance Company Interest: The income derived from giving credit to its customers in the purchase of tires, rims, or related services, and the interest on the balances outstanding on such products on installment.
Want to learn more about the profitability of other businesses in Canada? Here is a quick look at other posts in our profitability series.
Franchise vs Independent Model
Here is the difference between a franchise and an independent model.
Franchise Model:
Franchise benefits from owning an established brand image in which customers patronize familiar brands.
These resources eliminate several barriers and hurdles associated with starting a business as the franchisors guide the new business owners through the process, offering training prospects for marketing the business, and each helping hand being extended continuously.
Franchises are generally coordinated systems that guarantee compliance with certain levels of service delivery or customer satisfaction.
They also have to pay royalties to the franchisor or initial franchise fees that erode the franchise’s gross profit.
A franchise agreement can put a lot of constraints on the owner to have full discretion to run businesses.
Independent Model:
They are not restricted by franchise agreements, meaning you are fully in charge of prices, running of operations, and business decisions.
You can develop some new services no others are providing or create special promotions no one else is doing.
The franchise has expenses such as the fees paid to the franchisor and royalties on the products sold, which makes the independent businesses have greater profit margins.
The independent business enterprise has to carry all the burdens and responsibilities of the commercial operations, be it promotion, procurement, etc.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a business can be started in three models including the Mobile operator model, FOCO (franchise-owned company operator), and independent model. The FOCO, or Franchisee-Owned, Company-Operated model, is a hybrid business arrangement in which the franchisee owns the location while the company operates it, maintaining brand consistency and operational standards.
Still looking for the most profitable business in Canada? Consult our team today (free consult) to pinpoint the right option for you.
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