July sales 2017

[MattGM 12]

Crazy, crazy week. Done about 80 hours this last week, and I have to admit, doing everything myself including the hands on repairs is taking its toll. However, 4 in a week out the door, and a healthy mark up on all of them.

Off up to Liverpool tomorrow to collect a very nice ebay find that I'm confident about. I have to admit it's going to be nice getting out the unit for a good 3/4 of the day.

Thinking seriously about getting a mechanic on board given the hands on nature of the stock I keep to free me up, but concerned the extra overheads will (at first at least) hurt the profits, we'll see. I know one thing, another 80hr 7 day week is NOT going to happen anytime soon!

[have a word with the wife 299]

26 minutes ago, MattGM said:

Crazy, crazy week. Done about 80 hours this last week, and I have to admit, doing everything myself including the hands on repairs is taking its toll. However, 4 in a week out the door, and a healthy mark up on all of them.

Off up to Liverpool tomorrow to collect a very nice ebay find that I'm confident about. I have to admit it's going to be nice getting out the unit for a good 3/4 of the day.

Thinking seriously about getting a mechanic on board given the hands on nature of the stock I keep to free me up, but concerned the extra overheads will (at first at least) hurt the profits, we'll see. I know one thing, another 80hr 7 day week is NOT going to happen anytime soon!

good man keep it up 

re mechanic, consider a ramp in the corner, and his rents paid by doing 25 hours for you ? something along those lines, that way your well, nearly in control ? 

[MattGM 12]

2 minutes ago, have a word with the wife said:

good man keep it up 

re mechanic, consider a ramp in the corner, and his rents paid by doing 25 hours for you ? something along those lines, that way your well, nearly in control ? 

It's an option bud, it certainly is. A mate of mine I used to work with already uses my 4 poster some weekends for his foreigners, I'm just happy to help but he has said he'll repay me with some work when I need it and he isn't working.

As it stands, we've had the conversation, but he hasn't enough of his own work to leave his job and do 50/50 for me, so it's a bit stalemate.

[Rory RSC 596]

13 hours ago, MattGM said:

Crazy, crazy week. Done about 80 hours this last week,


 I know one thing, another 80hr 7 day week is NOT going to happen anytime soon!

Those 7 day long weeks are what will get your business off the ground. Your new, you have to put in hours if you want to be a success.

I still do 7 days, I love it. Its paying off.

[XFS 70]

Until 10 days ago, I thought it would be an awful month, then I ended up doing my three best deals ever in quick succession.

[MattGM 12]

11 hours ago, Rory RSC said:

Those 7 day long weeks are what will get your business off the ground. Your new, you have to put in hours if you want to be a success.

I still do 7 days, I love it. Its paying off.

I take your point completely Rory, but there's extremes I won't repeatedly stretch to. I'm far from 9-5, infact it's approaching 10pm and I'm still at my gaff now, but 80+hrs over 7 days a week is not sustainable, let alone enjoyable.

I didn't leave my job to start my venture to see none of the home, and the family I work so hard for. Don't get me wrong, there's times when one must go above and beyond the reasonable working day, tonight is a prime example, but I offset that with the days I've had half a day because as far as I was concerned, I'd done for the day.

Aslong as the business IS making reasonable money (which it is), and if that difference is the difference between 40k a year, and 50k a year, so-be-it.

Other people may see things differently, and that's grand for them, but I'm not trying to build an empire, just a living. And I'll work to live, not live to work.

[MrC 142]

Not been busy with cars, had a couple of nice touches. I have been busy with the VW camper side of my life. I completed and sold a full conversion now on the look out for a clean base van to convert. 

I have a customer dropping a Caddy Maxi off for a load of work on Friday plus a Leisure battery and few USB points on a T5. And On Monday another T5 leisure battery job. 

I have a customers T5 Camper is a very poor condition that needs a whole pile of love to get to a saleable state.

And a Motorhome that is having parking sensors fitted, TV relocating, 240v Inverter, Retro fitting traveling seats.

Cant see me getting to BCA this week.

But on a serious note I can see cars taking a back seat (pun intended) and more efforts put in to building my camper business. 

[betginge 73]

Bloody crap here, 

Had 8 approvals since Saturday not one has been down, all keep fobbing us off just cannot get one through the door. its like they get approved cant believe it and go quiet on us.

anyhow we do have two people due in tomorrow so lets see if we sell out. we have not sold a car here now for two weeks.

Bloody school holidays 

[BHM 994]

Absolutely flying here this week - the bottom end of the market is screaming for cheap cars. Although they want cheap AND half-decent which fortunately I've got, whereas the tales I'm hearing is cheap normally means knackered at many outlets.

A visit to the block yesterday resulted in me empty handed, I cannot believe the pure shite traders are buying & are obviously going to pass on to customers - the cheap stuff looked like scrap to my eyes, everyone was whinging that it's quiet and any finance applicants usually have a dire credit history. For once I'm glad I'm swimming at the bottom of the pond.

[Cornish Guy 45]

On 7/25/2017 at 10:30 PM, MrC said:

But on a serious note I can see cars taking a back seat (pun intended) and more efforts put in to building my camper business. 

Lots of people seem to be looking for campers for the weekends away. The growth in outdoor pursuits is huge at the moment with various weekend challenges, and these people also seem to want to camp!

On 7/24/2017 at 8:23 PM, MattGM said:

Thinking seriously about getting a mechanic on board given the hands on nature of the stock I keep to free me up, but concerned the extra overheads will (at first at least) hurt the profits, we'll see. I know one thing, another 80hr 7 day week is NOT going to happen anytime soon!

Good revenue stream servicing those vehicles you sell! A lot of people will not pay the main dealer rates for servicing. Our local Merc dealer is charging £140/hr, and a friend of mine thought stuff that and is going to a specialist.

[BHM 994]

Self appointed "specialists" aren't much better in my opinion & are just as eager to ramp-up the bills as any main dealer.

I just had a reminder yesterday when a customer phoned me, the first genuine come back I've had in 6 months. Nice chap, asked if I could help him as he'd only had it a week, a pleasure to deal with. Anyhow a 1.9 diesel VAG product that struggled to start so he got the AA to take it up the road to the local VAG specialist. The diagnosis was weak battery AND weak starter motor - somewhat optimistic at almost £500. Drove it to me, brand new battery and guess what, the starter motor works fine with a new battery. Who'd a thought it!

So yes, based on main dealers (the local Audi dealer charges 50p per cable tie, £3 for a sump plug washer & £100 for a diagnostic plug in) and the specialists which search for work I'd say that a ramp is definitely a strong revenue stream.

[grant8064 219]

Best month ever for us...we're stocking ever more carefully which is really paying dividends.

Opening up the second forecourt on Monday so hopefully if we keep doing things right and treating people as we would want to be treated then it'll continue!

As for specialists/main dealers...

I have used plenty and found a few really good specialists for 4x4 Landys and auto boxes...still yet to find an independent that can handle diagnostics properly and actually work out the issue.

Cases in point;

Had an L200 come back with an intermittent EML and occasional limp mode issue. Tried two independent garages and a specialist who tried the usual but were bloody clueless, took it to a Mitsi main dealer and they had it worked out and fixed in a day for less than we wasted at the independents...happy us & happy customer.

Had an X3 with a ABS light that again one independent and a specialist couldn't work out...one even convinced us to fit a replacement £900 transfer box to no avail. Took it to our local BMW main dealer and it was on the road fixed within a week...took some working out but in the end it was simply a wheel speed sensor at fault, cost £190 fitted. 

My point is that independents and specialists are only as good as the guys running it, as are main dealers. I personally don't mind main dealer prices at all when it's a complex or confusing issue...I know that if I take it to them it'll either get fixed or they'll work out what's up and i'll decide it's not cost effective to fix. They're not the dragon rip off merchants people make out sometimes when it comes to the tricky stuff. That said we all know that they're not the places for a simple service or easy job. For the complex stuff I wouldn't go anywhere else these days. Independent specialists...hmm well. I think it all comes down to the guys with the blue gloves on...some are good and some are utter crap trading off the idea that they are specialists.

BMW Hailsham service dept and Mitsi Brighton service dept come highly recommended for weird diagnostics issues if you're in the area.