Your question is valid, and it's good that you're asking.

Have a business plan, or at least a basic concept.

What I see:

Be a specialist in one thing - this could be a brand, a type, or a specific problem.
Take on something that initially feels within your comfort zone, and then it's up to you what you say yes or no to later.

Look, although my own website is in Hungarian about forklift services ( there's an english flag at the bottom: https://mechepit.com/szerviz/targonca-szerviz/ ), you can already see here that you need to position yourself.

I believe the competition is very high in any country. Whether you're an entrepreneur or an employee.

My suggestions above, of course, were related to opening your forklift service business.

And if you decide to start a business, you also need a strategy: in Hungary, it's called a lifting equipment inspection (this means paperwork and safety checks), which is a closely related profession to service. Then there's the consultant for purchases, then the appraiser, and you can list all the things you can expand into and start with.

I think it's important to start small, enjoy it, love it, and not let the business suffocate you if it doesn't take off immediately.

Finally, and I always recommend this, decide at the beginning whether you'll be doing this as a vocation, out of love for the profession, or for a living?

Plan accordingly, because each entrepreneurial path has a different structure and strategic implementation.

For success mechanisms, I've still seen that it's good if someone connects well with an area where forklifts are used, such as the food industry.

This way, one reference leads to another. Or, as I wrote, the brand, type, a specific problem, or an inspection and consulting activity!

Whatever your decision, I wish you the best of luck!

Starting a forklift repair business with your experience is a solid idea. However, expanding your knowledge of other truck brands and technologies like diesel and propane can provide valuable expertise and improve your service offering. If you want to create an app or online service, it's crucial to secure it properly to protect your customers. For that, I suggest looking into web apps pentesting like those offered by ImmuniWeb https://www.immuniweb.com/resources/application-penetration-testing/. They help identify vulnerabilities and ensure your app is secure, which is vital for building trust and ensuring long-term success.

I think it's a great idea to start your own forklift repair business. You already have three years of experience operating Crown forklifts, mostly electric. This gives you a good foundation to start your own business.

Of course, you can also work for another company to gain experience with other brands and diesel/propane forklifts. This may be a good idea if you want to expand your knowledge and experience. However, if you want to start your own business, then you don't have to wait until you get experience with other brands.

Don't forget cybersecurity, it is a very important aspect of any business.

I wish you success in starting your own forklift repair business!

I started 45 yrs ago , I put my hand tools in a station wagon and never looked back, with that said it is a long haul and you better be ready to put the extra time in , it is not for everyone but you will need the self motivation not many people have , good luck

Do you know what a Business Model is ?

Are you familiar with Employment Law ?

Can you conduct proper Background Checks or will you hire an Advisory Firm to do that for you ?

Are you ready to select Healthcare & Retirement plans ?

Of course, you already have your own money to pay for these things instead of getting a loan from a bank.

I think you should start your business, and hire people who have experience with gas/diesel/LPG. there is no need to work under someone. yeah just take basic knowledge of them, and even if you start you can easily learn about them, you will have time to concentrate. and even you will grow your business. if you do a job you will learn everything very slowly. so I suggest opening up your business.
refer: https://businessentitysearch.us

As a former crown lead tech as well as a toyota lead tech, I highly recommend you gain more experience with gas/diesel/LPG. While I was at crown, most techs struggled when it came to working on anything but an electric crown. As a new business you will likely be working on older equipment so LPG is going to be common. You also won't want to turn down any work so being prepared will result in more success. Good luck in your endeavors!

I have been involved with lift trucks for 50 years (this week is my anniversary). I started my own company/dealership about 35 years ago following a rewarding career as an award winning tech, and 2 years as a service operations manager for an industry leading dealer. Do yourself a favor and stay with your trade until you learn all aspects of the hands on requirements. Then (important!) get in on the management side to learn what it takes to run a service department and how to price your service, parts, and rentals. If you fail to get management experience you will leave a ton of money on the table. Good luck!

Experience on a variety of equipment, makes etc. is essential along with financial needs - to support your business needs to take care of potential customer. Start by developing a list(s) of what you need to develop a customer base, how you can get source of parts for various brands and a line of credit, equipment beyond a tool box to service equipment, plus chain hoist, access to technical and parts manuals and other service literature pressure washing, exposure to service training classes or just on the job training, building, towing/hauling, liability insurance, etc & put a $ sign next to everything. F Fro the near future keep your day job.
You need to honestly access how much time you have spent on servicing equipment at a customers location doing service work beyond routine maintenance - like oil, filter changes , lube, etc. This is not a complete list and others may add other consideration.
Starting out on your own can be a good thing - if you plan well. and willing to work beyond the 40 hours work week - - remember you can't do it all all by yourself.

Having been around many years, I would suggest you learn more about diesel and propane lifts. The market in your area may support an electric lifts only operation but having more options will help you be successful. As stated by dsakaluk, you may find repairing lifts without the software more challenging than it is now. They change up things from year to year, plus, there are those that will lock you out if you try to access the system without proper codes.
Not trying to discourage you, just be aware of things you are looking at.
I admire the enthusiasm and wish you the best of luck with your decision.

That is a tough call. Without a major line to represent in today's market it is very tough for independent companies to service any unit today without access to all the OEM software, etc. the systems are getting very tough to work on without that OEM laptop connected to it. Love your inspiration. I hope whatever path in life you choose, it will be very successful for you. Running a company in this very difficult and competitive labor market has many challenges and expenses.