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People think that being a car dealer is about selling cars, but for me its more about buying them. That's what makes this job interesting. I enjoy reading the market and researching 'hot' prospects, the cut and thrust of auctions, prepping and repairing. The selling is for me only 10% of the job. This is why I couldn't work for a large dealership, I couldn't just stand in a showroom all day, I may as well just sell carpet or photocopiers? Just my opinion?

A guy is walking the strip in Las Vegas and a fantastic-looking Vegas hooker catches his eye. He strikes up a conversation and eventually asks the hooker, "How much do you charge?" The Hooker replies, "It starts at $500 for a hand-job." The guy says, "$500 dollars! For a hand-job! Holy crap! No hand-job is worth that kind of money!" The hooker says, "Do you see that Denny's on the corner?" "Yes." "Do you see the Denny's about a block further down?" "Yes." "And beyond that, do you see that third Denny's?" "Yes." "Well," says the hooker, smiling invitingly, "I own those. And I own them because I give a hand-job that's worth $500." So the guy says, "What the hell? You only live once. I'll give it a try." They retire to a nearby motel. A short time later, the guy is sitting on the bed realizing that he has just experienced the hand-job of a lifetime, worth every bit of $500. He is so amazed, he says, "I suppose a blow-job is $1,000?" The hooker replies, "$1,500." "I wouldn't pay that for a blow-job!" The hooker replies, "Step over here to the window, big boy. Do you see that casino just across the street? I own that casino outright. And I own it because I give a blow-job that's worth every cent of $1,500." The guy, basking in the afterglow of that terrific hand-job, decides to put off the new car for another year or so and says, "Sign me up." Ten minutes later, he is sitting on the bed more amazed than before. He can scarcely believe it but he feels he truly got his money's worth. He decides to dip into the retirement savings for one glorious and unforgettable experience. He asks the hooker, "How much for some pussy?" The hooker says, "Come over here to the window, I want to show you something. Do you see how the whole city of Las Vegas is laid out before us: All those beautiful lights, gambling palaces and shows? "Damn!" the guy says, in awe, "You own the whole city?" No," the hooker replies, "but I would... if I had a pussy." There is always a catch to everything!

Plus: The never ending advertising costs The paint guy The wheel guy The dent guy PDI + Service costs per car All coming out of you bottom line... My accountant couldn't believe how little margin was left in the stock after everything taken into consideration! The beatch still didn't give me a discount on my year end!

As Metcars says, the selling is the easy bit. It's the buying where you make your money. You are competing with huge numbers of 'traders' all trying to find the same bits for stock. Legitimately or otherwise. The pitfalls are many: Sellers lie Cars can go wrong; anytime, anywhere. Never convenient. Cashflow controls everything Buyers lie Overheads General expenses HMRC FCA 'Experts' Conmen, thieves, tax-dodgers, halfwits and lunatics. And not just the ones you employ. Other than those, if you could get rid of the paperwork and the customers, it'd be a cracking job!