chino13com

Hi guys and girls,

I want to introduce myself first, My name is Alex I have been browsing through acurazine for like more than 6 months and i have got a lot of ideas from you guys, and I want to thank you all for it.

Here is the real post, How many of you would actually prefer going to a store and buying parts and rims for your car? The reason why I am asking is because I want to open a rim & accessories shop in MA. I want to get you guys and girls opinion before doing so.

I first have a great location, it is suppose to be one of the most bussiest streets in MA, where there are lots of dealerships around and small shops.

I have a big warehouse where part of it I already have a showroom for lighting needs and i still have a ton of space at back where I can easily build a second showroom but this one smaller and put up a big window and door so that they can see what i carry.

Right next door there is a Meinike and the owner is a really easy going guy so I can work a deal with him, so I dont have to buy a machine to mount rims and balance them.

What do you guys think???
Should I go for it? I will try to match the internet price so people can buy it from me around my neighborhood.
ofcourse I would have to contact distributors so I can get Wholesale price.

positive and negative feedback welcome.

Sorry for the long message

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Just remember it's the bottom line that counts most of the time.
I certainly wouldn't want to purchase wheels that I haven't seen, but the price would be the determining bottom line. People could look at the wheels you have available and if the price is too high, they would either go elsewhere or order on line. Starting out is difficult as you may want to make as much money on the sales as possible, but having a competitive pricing structure so as to encourage more sales is a better avenue to proceed upon.
Good luck

chino13com

Turbonut,
Thanks for your comment,
Yes I would have my pricing very competitive so they can buy it from me, it will be about the same as online pricing and also i will mount and balance for maybe a little extra because, if you buy online u gotta pay for shipping.
I would love to have more sales like you mentioned and gain in the long run.

01tl4tl

the `Tuner` market- racer parts for hondas may be more cash in the till for you
Tires and wheels are pretty well covered by the 20-50 tire stores in your area~

If you can offer a place to rent out for others to come work on their cars in the warm and dry- a few lifts and compressor system, some used air tools off CL and you are ready to go.
there is a huge market for that- many DIY people with no garage or tree or warmth right now or cool in summer

You MUST make at least 200 a day in profit to keep the doors open on the smallest business, not easy to do

Its lke the choice of opening a quick lube or buy an operating quarter car wash-
buy the car wash!, no employees, minimal cost and you fix when things break...money every day!

look in the phone book and internet for othr stores within 50 miles that sell what you are thinking of- do the math on sales
Go chat with the manager, remember they get huge price cuts you wont see

Not to be a naysayer on your desire- just advising of the realities of the current and projected economy
racers and blingers will always have money for stuff that not a needed item-

chino13com

01tl4tl,

Thanks on your feedback, you are right in many ways, you need to atleast sell 200 in order to keep the doors open. But how would you go in renting out my garage for people? The machines for the lifts and compressors systems, arent that gonna cost a lot of money?

I want to save up to actually open a car wash in the future, but that i would need a lot of capital.

but as of now, rent will cost me 500 a month if i did this show room. and its on lock down for another 8 years. Im actually paying 1500 a month for the entire unit, and i would use 500 for the rim & accessories campany to pay towards rent.

I mean since I have the spot already. Now the question is, will people buy from stores though...

chino13com

about the store around the area that sells rims, for example townsfair, They dont have as much alternative besides tsw and some other few brands.

also when it comes to selling rims and tires, I will also sell them springs or coilovers to lower the car and i can get it done,
because i can work something out with the meinike people.

I hate cars

I think it would be important to carry a large inventory so people know they can come in and see the products and buy on the spot.

I try and support local businesses as much as possible. For example I went looking for clipless shoes for my mtn bike at a local store. I found the pair that fit me the best and I could've easily have left the store and ordered that pair on the internet for a savings after wasting the store's time but that would be wrong. It's nice to have a place to walk into to see what you're purchasing.

Same with stereo shops, I hate when people use them to demo a set of speakers and then buy them online. Maybe this is another topic... Maybe find a way to encourage impulse buying. I've heard from some local owners that renting rims out has been big money.

What I've learned from the local performance shops around here is they have had to offer normal services such as oil changes and brake jobs as their bread and butter and the parts and performance part as a bonus even when they started as a performance parts business.

chino13com

Really helpfull,

Thats smart for someone to rent the rims out, I saw a store that actually did that.

anyways, yeah i know people do that a lot. I use to work at best buy and after spending like 30min-1hr with the customer they will leave and buy it elsewhere - internet.

But i guess what i will try to do is to sell it for what the internet offers. ofcourse i will include the shipping with the cost.

I could rent the rims out. Great Idea I totally had forget that stores did them.

For the oil change service, I wont be able to do it since meineki is right next door.

chino13com

So far what I am planing on selling are first ofcourse rims and tires.
springs/coilovers,
intakes,
mufflers,
sound system
hid lights,
tints?????? <--- maybe offer tints if i can find the right guy that can do it,
renting rims <---- thanks to "i hate cars"

chino13com

what other plans can i come up with to open this business?

*r00kie

u gonna be sellin oem aspec kits?

01tl4tl

ck what other shops there are doing similar sales- they are in every town if you research
Ck the local race track- ask who is doing things in the industry, car parts, car prep and

Storage Space for race cars--there is a good biz all in itself - and if combined with lift rental/work space,,now there is an idea !!

you can buy a nice lift for $2,000, or lease the equipment and its all a biz expense
couple of compressors for half that
retired mechanics sell huge toolboxes of everything you can every use on CL or the bay
You rent out the lift and space and basic tools, most guys have their own hand tools so you rent them air tools for extra cost

no need to build a new car wash with extra EPA bs and huge expense, someone is selling one~, put the word out to a few realtors of what you are looking for and let them do their job

$200 a day minimum PROFIT from total sales required 5 days a week just to stay open-- rent, electricity, insurance, and you deserve at least minimum wage for your 80 hour weeks
Look at the mark up required over your wholesale cost to generate the profit needed.

you seem to have a list of things you would sublet the labor to Meinke, the suspension and exhaust work they normally do at cheap prices for general public (?)
how much discount will they give you- so you can match their retail price when quoting customers

Are you an experienced stereo installer, and HID -the other things listed?

as others pointed out- having inventory is expensive when you start out, and having the exact tire and rims in stock??? you would have to beat the internet price total with shipping, plus any other tire dealers within 50 miles, and not try to nick customers with high priced mount and balance charges
Word spreads on good deals and bad places to do biz with

ck craigs list for other shop listings-auto repair-tire sales and compare

I hate cars

Very good post.

I think he could carry the most popular rims and tire sizes at first especially if he's concentrated in one niche such as Hondas.

X100 on the tool boxes. I paid $2,000 for about $25,000 worth of MAC tools. They're all used but they have a lifetime warranty so there's no reason to buy new.

One thing I learned early on is honesty and going the extra mile pays off. I worked at a trans shop from an early age and the owner/builder was a very honest guy. I watched people bring their cars in and tell him it needed a rebuild just to find out the solenoid pack was bad. $120 later the trans worked perfectly and the customer was extremely happy. It seemed like those happy customers always referred other people to us. When times got tough the loyal customers stayed while many of the trans rebuilding places went out of business.

Giving someone a break on the sales tax or eating the shipping charges for an unhappy or impatient customer will pay off in the long run even though it hurts right now.

People love to talk and talk and talk to others about negative experiences.

d-townhakuzo

Well here is my opinion, rims and tires are something I would NEVER order from online unless I went to a shop and saw lots of pics of them and ordered through a store. Parts like exhaust, air intake, susp., etc., I would order online, BUT I am inpatient so if available for the same price at a store nearby, I would get it from there.

chino13com

Wow,
Guys I thank you all for posting! A lot of great ideas, and honesty helps a lot. I will take advices from all of you, I could sell rims really cheap to try to beat the internet price, how many rims should I have in display?

I was planning on ordering like 30 sets of samples and have a great variaty so people can see them in person,
Winter time I can do your idea by renting out lifts and stuff but what else can I do during winter time.

I guess that's my only concern because what will people do when it comes to winter mod?
Should I also sell stuff for trucks??

d-townhakuzo

Yes to the trucks idea. Medford itself sounds like it would have lots of trucks (idk why). Also, teenagers (as I'm one myself) love trucks, and most of them get a truck as their 1st car, so there will be a market right there. Provide everything for everyone. You have a good list. Sound system is something I forgot in my original post. I would rather take my TL to a shop than order it online, even though I install my self, it allows the customer to hear, in real life, what they are buying.

01tl4tl

I would really ck out the local race track scene- having a nice clean secured area to store the race car-and trailer if lots of space- and if you can work on it too- wow~
50 bucks a month is a bargain price, ck your area,
You can fit several cars? in the space--how much room are we talking about? 1000 sq feet or 4000
racers need a lot of parts and you can serve them with discounts

Thats `passive income`, you sit back and it comes in every month..no delays and hassles of a regular parts business-
auto anything is a nightmare, slow boats come from japan with parts- honda specialty racer stuff can take 3 months,,
Do you enjoy having a life outside work?,,maybe a vacation in the next 10 years?

call a few tire suppliers and shock suppliers- ask about getting started with them- will they give you credit for xx sets of merchandise,
do they have plastic demo rims for display models?
You cant have 50 grand out of pocket on display items~ at least to start

Not to be the negative guy on your desires
BUT
I was never happier in my life than when I walked away from the industry- bleeding ulcers from the stress~ after numerous years and positions, owning a shop yada

01tl4tl

I guess what we should ask you is; How is business now with the lighting?
Walk in foot traffic? or only know about you from word of mouth or from ads?

2Slo4U

Make sure you know what you're getting into. I know two separate owners of tire stores. They have both told me that before the economy turned for worse, every month they would sell lots of aftermarket rims and tires. Currently, they feel lucky if they can get a couple new sets sold in a month.

chino13com

The lighting store is doing good. I had a Grand opening on the 22 on Jan. and with no Advertisement i have been getting a lot of walk in customers, and I have sold a lot already, the only thing that is holding back on a lot of customer is that my lighting fixtures are high end, and the people around arent looking to spend a lot for lighting fixtures.

so it is busy street here, i have about 3500 sq ft. left.

Another plus is that there are a lot of dealerships around me. a mean like the entire strip, and there isnt any rim shop besides if you drive like 1 mile away there is townsfair tire.

I called a couple of distrubitors for pricing and this one guy was a jerk, but he said it would roughly be only 25 - 30% mark up from whole sale to retail. that isnt a lot.

I would have to do more research...

chino13com

I tottally love your ideas,
The space that i have is good but after building a second showroom for the rim & accessories store, I will only have a smaller warehouse for my stock lighting fixture, so i could probably only fit 3 cars after everything is done. the second floor i already have build for office space.

its gonna run me about 8 grand to build the showroom, change door and put up big window.

now, about stocking a bunch of rims i dont want to spend that much. in the beggining i probably will just order the sample rims to show, and i will order it in when a customer buys, and if i get a distributor around the northeast, it should get here in 2 days.

I will def. beat the internet price if i can and i will also beat around 50 miles.

I havent gone to any drag race around here, I remember a few years ago i went to an industrial park and there was people doing illegal street racing. which i think around this neighborhood i might get a lot of customers.

now this place is like 45 min. away from boston. boston there is already a couple of rim shops and i wouldnt want to compete with them. atleast not yet...

I found out that the mark up isnt much either, I m not 100% sure, because the guy was a jerk. I def. would not give him business and i will look elsewhere for rims.

01TL,
wanna be my partner??
LOL
u think i should or shouldnt open it?

tri2tun

iTrader: (5)

Actually, this may seem insignificant, but what I really like about shops are their rewards for customer loyalty. Whenever we shop online, it's always for the cheap prices and, usually, we shop from place to place for whatever's giving us the best deal.

I go to the shop around my area because they have good customer service and they reward us for spending our money there and spreading the word out. (exclusive coupons for every $100 spent, pictures of rides on Wall of Fame, etc)

I'm contributing this because there are a ton of shops here that I go to for mini-installations (HID, car alarm) and they can be really rude and I never go back to that place or recommend them. I'm sure you're not going to be rude or anything, but I'm just saying, from experience, it's really hard to keep yourself up and gitty at work all the time and it's even harder to get your colleagues, or in your case, employees to do the same.

So I guess the bottom line is, if you want people to get off their ass to go to your shop, make them glad they interacted with you and spending their cash there.

I hate cars

I completely agree with the above post. During the hiring process you may have better luck picking out the enthusiasts instead of the guys that are there only for the paycheck.


In addition, having a car to showcase some of the things you sell isn't a bad idea. If you know people with race cars or just real nice cars that would be willing to let their car sit at your place provided you have the setup to protect the car it would be a good idea. I have a sticker of a local performance shop on the turbo car that the guy paid me to put on. My car has none of their stuff on it but it has brought business to them.

01tl4tl

IMO- having employees will drive you nuts- no one cares about the place like you do- plain and simple. So you are chief janitor and bottle washer too

From the sounds of it so far- your best investment would be in lighting fixtures for the home that are in the price range of your current walk-ins
If they look and the lowest is $500 and they were thinking 50-100 like home depot has, they look and smile and walk back out= profit lost forever

Add car lighting as an upsell to those type clients- who can appreciate color ratings and lumens output

If you are not fully providing for what you specialize in now,
how much do you have time to learn, know, do all these other projects...its a hassle just keeping up now if you are a normal person,,
and not doing advertising in person- which is your biggest need, finding and bringing in customers of the right price range, while still having things for budgets

current tire stores have to offer more and more services just to keep the doors open, and running a place alone- what happens when you have to run a car somewhere or go get a part- the doors are closed and the next walk in is lost
True, cell phones help - you are never out of reach but...will they bother or keep going to the next store

01tl4tl

20-30 percent is normal for new wholesaler- when you are buying mass amounts weekly they do better for you
remember the economy has trashed every industry in a trickle down fashion

the banks got money from the govt and are not loaning it back out, home building drops because no loans for buyers, home improvement projects pick up slightly but major remodels take a dive, and kids with money will spend it on their cars,,but can you rely on that group to make your bills and a profit for your efforts?
to me- less diversified is better if you can do it

Thats where your currect items may play- perhaps sell the auto dealers stuff for the showroom or their homes
but even car guys are hurting- used to be a great thing to sell cars- huge money each month..and managers pockets filled with gold~
now they hope to make the months commission on 1 sale,,if they can get the buyer qualified

Bender

I have never found anything cheaper in a store than online.

chino13com

thats what i heard if you start to buy more from the distributors they will start giving you a better price. I have a couple of guys that already works for me and they can do the picking up parts and stuff like that. I will be on site most of the time to check on customers and I would probably be selling them... Like you said, I probably will be doing all the work.

the lighting business is good in the spring winter time, and for the car summer will be good, I would hope...

Very good ideas!
I def. will have some stickers made out for my shop to pass around for customers that buys from me and even hand them out.

Hey our cars is attractive. i will have it expose in the front when people drive by they can see, and also i probably will leave some rims outside aswell so they can see it too...

I guess my bottom point is, sell rims maybe focus on Hondas, but i wanna have a little of everything. I want to look for manufactors that also offers unique rims.. maybe this way margin is higher,
On top of just selling wheels, I would be selling springs/coilovers,
HID lights, where im good installing them i would say. Intake/muffler and maybe sound system.

but carry a limit of brands in the store. I love Kickers! thats what I have, maybe just do that.

I think i have it down, I just need a real business plan now...
so i can have it in writting. what do you think?

chino13com

any other suggestions?
Onlive vs. Store

so far store is sounding good.

01tl4tl

brick and mortar stores have far more expenses,, and there is no way to keep up with the internet competition the way you envision

Your goal of undercutting local and net prices will bring in the bottem feeders, but thats not your bread and butter customer~
making 5 bucks profit after expenses was a total waste of your time

Stick with what you know now, get the merchadise in stock that people want to buy today- ready with money now

You will find it takes 1-3 months for a buyer to finally order $1300+ Teins, or $1200 rim and tire sets...from first visit to having placed the order,,with 50 calls and visits in between
maybe the younger guys/girls living at home can still do it- but the rest of the country is hurting on many levels
If things recover in a year, you can expand into auto stuff

In truth most parts/repair shops are opened so the owner can get discounts on the stuff for their own cars/race cars--
the rest of it is a hassle with more govt oversight all the time- down to how you store used oil and records of it being picked up etc

If you want to get technical about it- most mods to cars take them out of compliance with fed safety standards they were passed under- change the car height and it reacts differently in crash results..will big brother crack down on installers someday??? (teins and most parts have a disclaimer- Off Road Use ONLY to protect makers)

I would open an internet store division of what you do now- before spending 8 grand remodeling current setup and still not having much display room for auto parts

if you think honda stuff will sell - get ahold of the local racetrack and meet some people