r_xplicit

if you can accurately put together a shop in your area, it could be good, but can be bad also. you have to realize that the market is SATURATED with mailorder and internet service companies only. there is good money and exposure if you cna get a dyno. but do you have the knowledge to tune and the money to open up with one? selling race gas and refilling N2O bottles is also a profitable business, and can be an added bonus to those tha tare leaning to go somewhere else. however, the liability and and insurance that go along with the ownership/lease of a dyno/race gas/and nitrous shop are unreal. i know because i have done all the research myself and had a healthy inventory opening $ amount of $100k. i never made the jump. nor did i take on the responsibility of ownership or hte payback of the monay that i almost took on.



when i say that the market is saturated, i really mean it. too many people want everything for little to nothing. they will buy **** from ebay, used, and from HUGE companies like landspeed racing, NOPI, and other very well known wholsesalers that have been in business for years. it is almost unfair to yourself to try and open a shop like that. the dollar amount that must be spent b4 hand to open gets grossly higher as the days wear on. buy ins and wholesale accounts are great, but there are soo many guys out there that are selling **** soo cheap that is just doesnt seem right...



i think that anything can be done. and by anything, i mean any idea tha tyou have for a shop is feasible. however, you MUST have the capital to begin, and i am not talking about 10-12K.......i am talking like 50K+....you also need to think about what company is hot and what YOU want to sell, without SELLING out.....IE-tunable mufflers, neon windshield squirters, seat belt pads and the like.....



i wish that i had some kind of good news to tell you, but you know how it can be opening up a business for yourself....taxes, rent, phones, cc company %'age bills, and yep if you have a lift INSURANCE.......



but dont let this get you down, it is just a "BEWARE" sign to help you htink of problem areas before they might get overlooked.....i think that if you stick to it and know where you want the shop to go, that it is possible....remember, networking is the key....have a shop car, write it off on your taxes, and get it out to the local scene....the more that you self promote and network, the more you will profit in the end....



lou

Jims5543

O.K. I see what your saying. Look at me. I rarely buy from a speed shop I buy online. I am not sure what route to go I know there is money to be made though.



The import crowd in this town needs something to do. The cops during the daytime are almost non-existant but at night they are everywhere looking to nab the imports.



There is a gaping hole in the import community I am just trying to figure out what it is that would make some money off of it.



Someplace to hang out. Like a Biker bar except for cars. I was thinking dyno they can be found for decent prices. How cool would it be to have a bar that had a dyno in it?



I have to bang this around some more. I am staring straight at a great idea I just dont see it yet.

i.didnt.do.it

If you opened a shop with enough parking, everyone would hang out there. They do it at Speed and Truck World, but they don't allow imports to loiter to long. They usually end up tellin' people to leave, probably cause they don't want that name. So having a place to hang out would be the ****; plus you know they'd be buyin' stuff!



As for the bar action, you would only be able to sell soda being as most of the ricers here are around 17!

Nemesis

Well, what does the potential market you are looking at need the most. It doesn't necessarily sound like a speed shop. Maybe more of a place to congregate, show off their cars, and compete against each other. If there were a local dedicated autox/driftland/tuning center in my area, I would be there all of the time. A place where I could go polish my driving/drifting skills, meet and hang out with other enthusiasts, and not be harasses by the police.



There used to be a local "car show" every Saturday night in town where all of the ricers, car enthusiasts would congregate. Now it has become not nearly as popular since the police would show up all the time to break everyones *****.



I think if the right balance is found between shop, track, hangout, and cost could be found, the concept could be huge.

Seppuku

jim if your wanting to sell parts the best thing to do is find something no one else offers and go from there.. Find out what the people want but cant get.

wraith

my friend just started a small thing were he just sells stuff doesnt do installs, and he is doing pretty good right now. might want to start a little smaller and then go for a full speed shop.

DaddyMac

lots of good points made, and especially like r_xplicit mentioned. I too was/still am considering getting into business doing something similiar. The difficult part is making it through the first year

j9fd3s

thats a good idea, i like the hangout aspect



mike

treceb

u know how u could boost business, i think, if theres a "track" close by, have "your" imports have friendly contests with the domestics.

j9fd3s

a friend of a friend, has a misuc/coffee shop sounds like fun, but you could do like a car/hangout shop



mike