Help me out! New domestic shop in Ottawa.

[FieroDough]

Hey guys! i posted this on the j-body forum.

anyone here interested in shooting me some feedback?

Hey guys!

Well I'm pondering in openening a domestic performance shop in the Ottawa area. (yes, a Honda can get a fart can if they want, but I want to specialize in domestic)

My background is sales and customer service, me and my potential partners have lots of mechanical and engineering background as well. So what does that mean? A preffesional job done with good customer service. ie: customers are #1, no making fun of a perticular car type, brand ect...

Here is the real kicker! Instead of the typical customer walking in asking for a fart can, altezas etc.. (don't get me wrong, you can if you want) We would sit down with you, discuss your budget and what you expect the modifications outcome to be. And from there our pros. would RECOMEND the best way to go, taylored to your budget.

I need your advice (the potential customer) to make this work. what would you like to see in a shop like this? What do you like about the shops out there already? what do you dislike? what type of work would you like to have done on your car in the near future?

We want to do it all, from oil changes, repairs to full out mods.

So let me have it guys, tear a strip out of me, give me your .02, it's totaly open. I'd like for this to work out and can't do it without gnowing what you want.

cheers!
Eric

[FieroBUZZ]

Might make an interesting sideline.  Speed shops seem to come and go pretty fast around here.  I don't know if there is enough business left over to make it worthwhile.

Just my opinion....

[Fieroflyer]

I know that here in Peterborough there has been many speed shops come and go over the years. The only one to survive has done so because the owner is a high school teacher and is only open part time. This is a town with a lot of hot rodders and custom guys and only one shop has survived so I would really check into the local market before spending any money or comitting yourself to anything.

[WillEV]

As a shop owner I know if he does only domestics then he will be limited on who shops there. When I open I did a lot of research first for what the market wants. Buy excluding imports , he'll be losing VW,BMW ,Mercades, Honda ,Toyota's, Hyundai's...

[FieroDough]

Thanks for the info guys.

Yeah, still researching everything. But my intent is to be a speed shop and service center. do it all from oil changes, to engine swaps. (hopefully not due to one of my oil changes.  )

We will specialize in domestic, but I'll never turn away a customer with.. ugh... even a Honda.. I just wond agressivle advertise the import stuff. When it comes to imports, the market is already saturated. But even the J-body guys have a hard time finding performance parts. I just want to make it easyer for everyone and offer a consulting service. So kids don't come in with $500 in hope to buy a chrome exaust and hope to beat a vette with it.

 

[WillEV]

Where are you going to locate you r shop, because it's important not do do it near orther shops.
An example is Bank ST. You have Derand, Goldwing and NOZ performance, Too much compitition so some one so someones going to hurt.

[fiero308]

if you are really serious about it, why don't you look into starting with the smallest possible liability for yourself to see if there is a market and to get a bit of cash flow. You could probably run a parts supply-only service out of your garage and basement. No, it's not what you want to end up doing, but it can lead you there.  That would also get your contacts going and develop a rapport with your suppliers which is pretty useful when they start calculating discounts and kickbacks.  It would also show who is actually willing to spend money and who is not.

It would take minimal space, minimal investment, No liability for actually performing WORK on peoples cars..... (think about that one - and check out liability insurance - WOW! it is WAY up since 9/11...) and it would give you a way to gauge your potential market and business plan.

You could always announce that you are expanding etc "in the near future" (because of your success) which is fair ball and expected by people.  Anyway, my two cents after running a (full time) business out of my home for a number of years.....
Personally I think you should be ready to cater heavily to the import crowd and use that to offset the other stuff.  There have to be 1000 customized imports for every hot domestic..........  

[CaddyRob]

Just for your information. as Im sure some of you are aware, but in order to be come a distributer to for some of ther major brands and such you would need to have a heafty order to start out with. I knew a guy who wanted to expand his used car dealership into a combo speedshop/dealership, but he needed something like 16k or more of initial orders in order to become a distributer, and get a good discount so it was worth his while. He didnt end up doing it, cause it was too much initial investment. But if your looking for someone to work in your Domestic shop, You can pick me, I will be a 3rd year apprentic in a year... and I promise I wont bail when Im fully cert! haha

Later;