Small Biz: Change 'N' Go brings car maintenance to clients

photo James Chapman, owner of the onsite oil change company "Change 'N' Go," shows off his oil change van. Chapman started the business, which brings oil changes to a customer's workplace.

• Name: Change 'N' Go

• Owner: James Chapman

• Location: Mobile

• Opened: Sept. 30

• Service: Change 'N' Go takes oil changes to customers. Mechanics meet each customer at his or her workplace and change the vehicle's oil in the parking lot. A customer can schedule a time online or by phone for Change 'N' Go mechanic to arrive, then meet the mechanic in the parking lot to pass off the vehicle's keys. The mechanic will change the oil right then and there, and the customer can go back inside and continue working, Chapman said.

"We do not drain the oil, we extract the oil," he added. "So you don't have to worry about a mess because we take the oil from the top." To start, the company will only serve the Chattanooga area. When the oil change is complete, the mechanic will bring the keys back inside to the customer.

• Price: $39.99 for conventional oil, $69.99 for synthetic oil

• Staff: 2

• How it got started: Born and raised in Chattanooga, the inspiration for Change 'N' Go hit Chapman out of the blue, he said, as he was considering how inconvenient it can be to set up oil changes.

"One day I woke up and was thinking how convenient it would be if an organization would come to you and do the oil change," he said. "Then I decided that I'd be the one to start that business."

• The model has been successful in other cities, he added.

• Initial investment: $30,000

• Five-year goal: Eventually Chapman hopes to franchise out, setting up Change 'N' Go services in cities beyond Chattanooga.

• Website: www.change-n-go.com; www.facebook.com/oilchangengo; Twittter: @oilchangengo

• Phone number: 423-228-0450

- Compiled by Shelly Bradbury, who may be reached at 757-6525 or at sbradbury@timesfreepress.com.

Upcoming Events