if you were to start your own car audio business...

[Expy2K 10+ year member]

Actually you guys are thinking small

I would go BIG

1. Buy a Kwick Kar Auto Franchise

2. Build a Carwash next door with full detailing and drive thru washing capabilities.

3. Have my demo cars to my caraudio shop out so the customers can see it while waiting for an oil change or detailing job

4. Hot CHICKS!!! and investors cause this shit aint gonna be cheap!

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

lol i want to know how much unique gets for the systems they do. dont get me wrong they arent bad but i bet they make a pretty penny out of those panels they block everything in with. what makes them good to very good is what the apolster uses to cover them with and the fact he is skilled at doing so imo.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

Get one helluva security system....//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[pik 10+ year member]

well im ventureing into the car audio sales thing myself, and the thing i belive to be the better key is dont sell someone something they dont need and dont mark up crap 35-60% AND **** the customers, if you charge a lower price 10-15% over cost you will sell more and when you sell more of something you can get a better price and keep the item at the old price and make more, and when you sell more at a lower price think of it like this , would you rather sell something for 1000 dollars and make 200 of that one sale and it be the only one for the day or would you rather sell 3 of the same item for less and make 325-400 for the one day sales?

i hope you don't mean you are opening your own store.

Come on!

I run my own business (not audio) and it's the hardest thing i have ever done. It was fine and dandy when it was only me, doing it trying to support a wife and child makes it even tougher. trust me it always seems so easy when you're lookin through the window. what would you do if you were the shop owner that didn't want to "****" his clients, and since you were only charging 10% over cost, you didn't have enough sales to make your day. now what happens when you don't make the week, then you have to pay your people. what are you gonna do? maybe it's slow for a month uh-oh now your insurance is due, rent is due, and oh your workers understood, so they let their pay slide, but now they need their money. . .oh lookthere goes your shop, cuz you refused to "****" you clients, and charge something close to MSRP.

I swear the wlamart mentality has ruined this country.

 

[eatank 10+ year member]

Don't do it,

UNLESS you know how to do every car yourself.

You know how to install everything the customer brings you.

Inspect EVERY car for any deflauts!

Have tons of money on hand.

Have every tool that could be required and there are many.

Good point, don't carry to much high end stuff.

Do carry middle to low end stuff. (It will sell)

I did it and lost 200,000.00 in 8 months, because I bought what (I) liked and not what the customer liked and could afford.

I am selling off what I have left here for cost or lower what I thought the customers wanted.

Just giving my 2 cents...

 

[pik 10+ year member]

Don't do it, UNLESS you know how to do every car yourself.

You know how to install everything the customer brings you.

Inspect EVERY car for any deflauts!

Have tons of money on hand.

Have every tool that could be required and there are many.

Good point, don't carry to much high end stuff.

Do carry middle to low end stuff. (It will sell)

I did it and lost 200,000.00 in 8 months, because I bought what (I) liked and not what the customer liked and could afford.

I am selling off what I have left here for cost or lower what I thought the customers wanted.

Just giving my 2 cents...

nice post, people need to hear about the stark realities of things, it takes alot to stand up and talk about it

 

[6spdcoupe 5,000+ posts]

What you would do and what you Actually do are two totally diffent things. Its good to set goals, but it doesnt happen as easily as people think. Theres ALOT of hard work in this business and things Cannot work the way you want them too all the time. You need to cater to your customers as well as the area your in. Fortunately I was blessed with a fairly good area and the demand for "high end" products that I typically carry is there. But it wont be everywhere or for everyone. Ive been doing this +/- 18years and had Alot of help from elders that brought me in when I went on my own. I can also assure you it does NOT get easier with time.

 

[6spdcoupe 5,000+ posts]

well im ventureing into the car audio sales thing myself, and the thing i belive to be the better key is dont sell someone something they dont need and dont mark up crap 35-60% AND **** the customers, if you charge a lower price 10-15% over cost you will sell more and when you sell more of something you can get a better price and keep the item at the old price and make more, and when you sell more at a lower price think of it like this , would you rather sell something for 1000 dollars and make 200 of that one sale and it be the only one for the day or would you rather sell 3 of the same item for less and make 325-400 for the one day sales?

If your considering this industry, then you either have ALot of learning to do or you need to find a different job. Because RETAILers make money and charge the prices they do makes them rapists? Are you also aware that these prices are set by the manufacturer and not the retailer? Are you aware that the majority of binding contracts require you to maintain these prices? Do you have ANY idea what costs are to run a business?

Not trying to sound harsh, just giving you a bit of reality here.

 

[bimma85 5,000+ posts]

well im ventureing into the car audio sales thing myself, and the thing i belive to be the better key is dont sell someone something they dont need and dont mark up crap 35-60% AND **** the customers, if you charge a lower price 10-15% over cost you will sell more and when you sell more of something you can get a better price and keep the item at the old price and make more, and when you sell more at a lower price think of it like this , would you rather sell something for 1000 dollars and make 200 of that one sale and it be the only one for the day or would you rather sell 3 of the same item for less and make 325-400 for the one day sales?

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[Chevyaudio 5,000+ posts]

Yep MAP...Minimum allowable price, manufacturer catches you selling below MAP, you loose that line of products/

 

[6spdcoupe 5,000+ posts]

Too bad Way too many dealers do it. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[pik 10+ year member]

i'm so glad some of you guys saw this thread. . .

 

[Showrides]

Yep MAP...Minimum allowable price, manufacturer catches you selling below MAP, you loose that line of products/

Minimum Advertising price:up2somet:

Any dealer can sell at any price they want. If a company makes rules that dealers can't sell below a certain price, that is price fixing and is 100% illegal.

MAP means, you can't publically advertise under a certain price. Like on my site, I can't list mags at $50 each, but if I wanted to, I could sell them that cheap.

Get it?

 

[6spdcoupe 5,000+ posts]

Minimum Advertising price:up2somet:
Any dealer can sell at any price they want. If a company makes rules that dealers can't sell below a certain price, that is price fixing and is 100% illegal.

MAP means, you can't publically advertise under a certain price. Like on my site, I can't list mags at $50 each, but if I wanted to, I could sell them that cheap.

Get it?

Correct, but I can almost guarantee you wouldnt keep that line very long. I know several that you certainly wouldnt.

 

[pik 10+ year member]

Minimum Advertising price:up2somet:
Any dealer can sell at any price they want. If a company makes rules that dealers can't sell below a certain price, that is price fixing and is 100% illegal.

MAP means, you can't publically advertise under a certain price. Like on my site, I can't list mags at $50 each, but if I wanted to, I could sell them that cheap.

Get it?

true, but there's a difference between running a business and being stupid, i think most of us are on the same page here. Isn't price fixing moreso when a few local retailers get together and agree to sell at the same price though? I didn't think it would be that way from the manufacturer. I'm sure i'm wrong