Accessories Business
Any tips on opening my own business?
I’m thinking about opening up a car audio and truck accessories business. I’ve been doing some research but it’s very overwhelming. I would like for your tips and opinions.
My husband is really good and loves to install car audio and such. I’m good at financial part. We already have the shop and there are only two audio places in town that are extremely high priced. We priced what we can get our inventory for and it’s atleast 100 dollars less than what they are selling it for. I’m just open for all tips and opinions.
My first biz was a stereo installation shop. Lasted not even a year cause I did it wrong. I then opened a detail shop, it closed in under a year. A year later I reopened the detail shop and it lasted 3 yrs then failed. I then went to work for those in the detail industry and got jobs as head detailer at Lexus and Infiniti. While there I hung out at the body shops to get a eye for paint. After like 9 yrs of detailing for myself and for others, I got a job as a touch up paint guy. I worked for them for a year and then went out on my own. 10 yrs later this May and I am still here, going strong, and have one of the best reps around.
Know your field inside and out, live it, breath it, work all levels inside it to know all angels, suppliers, prices, methods, competition, etc.
I would then actually get a map of your town, paper or use like Google Earth, and put push pins all over the map of where every competitor is, no matter how big or small. Then color in or mark off the regions you are going after for clients. Being stereos and all I would assume middle to upper class that has money to spend on their cars.
To save expense, I would skip the shop. Shops seems sweet and all but they are such a pain. Rent, electric, gas, water, dumpster bill, employees, taxes, cleaning the place, security system, stock, just a big pain and it takes up so much of your time and money.
All of my work is mobile, I have the back of a Blazer set up as a rolling mini body shop. Tool box with 300 paints, air compressor, you name it. I can paint up to an entire side of a car from the back of my truck, outside, mobile, on the spot. Great angle for customers….never lose their car, I do the work while they are home or at work.
For you I would say do the same thing. Get a SUV of some sort and get a basic tool box and bolt it down. Put all your wires, tools, harnesses, wire nuts, etc all organzied in the box. Set up anything else you need, extension cords, tube lights, battery jumper box, etc. Name yourself something like Mobile Sound on Wheels or something. Get some biz cards, open up a bank account in the biz name. Then go around to dealerships, detail shops, muffler shops, parking lots with high line cars, ricers and leave cards everywhere. Waste like $100 just dumping biz cards all over, even get the little plastic holders at Office Max to hold them in for counter displays.
Color print out all images, catalogs, etc of all items you know you can get, have access too, know how to work, install, etc, every last thing and put it all into a binder. That is now your work bible. As customers call you, you meet up with them, check out their car, what they have, and then you flip through your bible and pick out what you believe will be the best system or items for them. have a price sheet in the back of the book with THEIR PRICE showing, NEVER yours. Leave that price at home.
This will be more of a personal service, more home touch, and I can tell you from dealing with guys with BMW, Porsches, etc all day long. They love guys who know their stuff who come out mobile and do work at their homes so they can watch and learn a few tricks. They just eat it up all day long.
You can even use the SUV as your normal car as well as the stuff is just in back. Plus I can tell you from experience, when you are self employed, you are never off the clock, you are always working, shopping, marketing, spreading the word, something, you do live it, but its a fun life if you love what you do.
Glad to see another come into the car industry. Be different, be yourself, be personal. Don’t follow the crowd, odd man out is who gets noticed and gets the work.
Bare Accessories Business Project
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