Go to school and learn all you can, make more money doing a different trade and try to get into a union, get a good credit rating, work on as many of your own cars and friends cars as you can after work to learn more. Keep buying more tools along the way and when you get good make sure people see your work. Take a business class, talk to score, and do it on your own. You don't make money working for someone else. Thats what I would do if I was your age again.