If you could do it all again?

[Lambchop 4]

Hi , currently have a pretty big pitch. Good location with a tyre fitters next door . Currently have a car wash and sell a few cars there. Anyway, sick of breaking my back working at the wash 7 days a week and thinking of going all in with selling cars . However got a few months before I take the plunge . Just wondering if there’s anything else that I could use the pitch for , any ideas? 

[Lambchop 4]

Is there anything you wish you’d done instead ? Do you know anyone who has changed their car sales pitch into something else and done well from it? 

[metcars 397]

depends where you’re based, but in London if you can have a small block of flats built for rental they are the gift that keeps giving? Six tiny ‘luxury flats’ at a competitive £2k a month each is the sort of pension I’d want? 

[Lambchop 4]

St. Helens Merseyside, just on the outside of town centre , don’t think I’ve got the money to turn into flats. Was seeing a lot of artificial grass sales places popping up and considering that seems like less of a headache than cars but don’t know how long that would last . 

I think if I turned into a service station doing exhausts batteries brakes etc would do really well with the tyre bay next door , however would require building work and seems like would be hard to find a good mechanic .

[David Horgan 564]

Car washes round here employ 25 slaves , owner turns up in Ferrari shouts at them , they bow to him and he goes off on holidays again .

All at £5 a car too. 

I'm thinking of having a go at car washes . But i cant find his alternate income source 

 

[Lambchop 4]

Tell me about it ,I employ young local lads and actually pay them ! Hence why I’m skint just pissed down for a month straight So havnt made a penny since january . 

[trade vet 702]

9 minutes ago, Lambchop said:

Tell me about it ,I employ young local lads and actually pay them ! Hence why I’m skint just pissed down for a month straight So havnt made a penny since january . 

Hang on,you are paying minimum wage rates,PAYE / pension contributions and VAT,that would be a first for a car wash.Its also been the worst Feb weather on record.You will be fed up.The Eastern European car wash next to us have about 3 who are in daily and depending on weather, they sometimes have a dozen people they can call in.The thing is,I know the landlord and he is not a philanthropist and he tells me the car wash guys always pay the rent on time.

Maybe sub let the car wash to similar tenants and the pitch for car sales to someone else with an arrangement to have a few cars of your own on the pitch.Other than that ,not knowing what your site consists of ,I cannot think of anything else.

[Rory RSC 596]

@Lambchop   'failed car washer here'. Bought and sold a few got sick of having a completely weather dependent business and the headache of staff plus the constant influx of easter european / asian washes using the cheapest products in a race to the bottom. Gradually took over the pitch with clean, well presented cars gave the valeters something to do on the wet days. If the car wash was busy the customers cars took priority. 

Honestly never looked back.  'Failing' was the best thing I ever did. Grew it as much as I could organically re investing all the time not touching a penny of car sales profit, opened a workshop on a neighbouring unit employed a tech for our own cars,. Did the cars right, when the time was right and the foundations secure borrowed some funding to stock up the space I had available. Its gone very well so far. 

Best thing I ever did and kept me out of a lot of trouble.

 

 

9875631-Nil

[New year revolutions...... 197]

Might be best if you can ascertain what might sell best in your location before buying scattergun stock

This year gone it was suggested to me to sell xmas trees,I did a bit of digging but not with a spade and came to the conclusion everyone including Harry's dad was selling them so it was a no no

What about a mobile cafe? On site

[Lambchop 4]

Thanks Rory , nice to see someone else has been in same position, was my dad bought the pitch years ago was a car wash then the fella who was renting had enough and I took over . spent all my earnings on it and am currently at end of my tether . Would have gave it up a while ago but know the location is good and don’t want to give it up . 

I’ve actually had loads of Albanians asking to buy/ rent of me , but if I want to sell cars up there will struggle to get them off again . 

Well when my dad bought it was car sales .

[BHM 994]

Car washes/valeting centres work in the cash-only black economy.

Young staff at £60pw (I overheard a conversation & was staggered but these folk are claiming from the DSS or whatever it’s called nowadays) or immigrants being paid a pittance by the big man. 

It’s a totally horrible industry & I genuinely feel sorry for anyone working in it. My cars (my better ones that is) come back almost like new after a valet - due to the man hours it OBVIOUSLY can only be done on abusive pay levels.

[Mikey360 68]

1 hour ago, Rory RSC said:

@Lambchop

9875631-Nil

[trade vet 702]

1 hour ago, Lambchop said:

Thanks Rory , nice to see someone else has been in same position, was my dad bought the pitch years ago was a car wash then the fella who was renting had enough and I took over . spent all my earnings on it and am currently at end of my tether . Would have gave it up a while ago but know the location is good and don’t want to give it up . 

I’ve actually had loads of Albanians asking to buy/ rent of me , but if I want to sell cars up there will struggle to get them off again . 

Well when my dad bought it was car sales .

The guys running the car wash next to us are young Polish,they have an incredible work ethic.Washing and valeting 8 to 4 then home and then do taxi work to late at night. Every so often they buy a cheapy like a diesel Passat and drive back to Poland to sell it and then check out the houses they are building over there with the money they are making here.There must be plenty of Poles in your area Lambchop given the number of flights to and from Poland out of Speke.Out of interest which car sales pitches in your area have impressed you to make you think ‘ I could do that ‘ .

[andymc1973 199]

4 hours ago, Rory RSC said:

@Lambchop   'failed car washer here'. Bought and sold a few got sick of having a completely weather dependent business and the headache of staff plus the constant influx of easter european / asian washes using the cheapest products in a race to the bottom. Gradually took over the pitch with clean, well presented cars gave the valeters something to do on the wet days. If the car wash was busy the customers cars took priority. 

Honestly never looked back.  'Failing' was the best thing I ever did. Grew it as much as I could organically re investing all the time not touching a penny of car sales profit, opened a workshop on a neighbouring unit employed a tech for our own cars,. Did the cars right, when the time was right and the foundations secure borrowed some funding to stock up the space I had available. Its gone very well so far. 

Best thing I ever did and kept me out of a lot of trouble.

 

 

9875631-Nil

Never forget your roots brother! Failed car washer today, still a failed car washer tomorrow 

[metcars 397]

4 hours ago, New year revolutions...... said:

Might be best if you can ascertain what might sell best in your location before buying scattergun stock

This year gone it was suggested to me to sell xmas trees,I did a bit of digging but not with a spade and came to the conclusion everyone including Harry's dad was selling them so it was a no no

What about a mobile cafe? On site

Not sure if Christmas trees are the money maker they used to be? Lots of places round these parts had heaps left over when they usually sell out. I was in a farm shop last week and they still had a unit full of them? 

On the subject of mobile cafe, and again maybe just round these parts, but you need permission to sell hot food, and I don’t mean from the council? 

[New year revolutions...... 197]

44 minutes ago, metcars said:

Not sure if Christmas trees are the money maker they used to be? Lots of places round these parts had heaps left over when they usually sell out. I was in a farm shop last week and they still had a unit full of them? 

On the subject of mobile cafe, and again maybe just round these parts, but you need permission to sell hot food, and I don’t mean from the council? 

Yes xmas trees everyone seemed to lots left this year,wouldn't have one in my house mind

Cafe mobile.. Every area is different,thing is you could get 2 years trading before the council shut you if you were sensible in some places

[Lambchop 4]

6 hours ago, Rory RSC said:

@Lambchop   'failed car washer here'. Bought and sold a few got sick of having a completely weather dependent business and the headache of staff plus the constant influx of easter european / asian washes using the cheapest products in a race to the bottom. Gradually took over the pitch with clean, well presented cars gave the valeters something to do on the wet days. If the car wash was busy the customers cars took priority. 

Honestly never looked back.  'Failing' was the best thing I ever did. Grew it as much as I could organically re investing all the time not touching a penny of car sales profit, opened a workshop on a neighbouring unit employed a tech for our own cars,. Did the cars right, when the time was right and the foundations secure borrowed some funding to stock up the space I had available. Its gone very well so far. 

Best thing I ever did and kept me out of a lot of trouble.

 

 

9875631-Nil

thanks for the response , actually tried selling cat d cars for a family member a few years back  Up there (for no profit more of a favour) And got nothing but screamers , put me off. Encouraging see that you can actually make a living starting from scratch . Gonna persist and start trying to sell more up there hopefully it goes well . 

[Rory RSC 596]

7 minutes ago, Lambchop said:

thanks for the response , actually tried selling cat d cars for a family member a few years back  Up there (for no profit more of a favour) And got nothing but screamers , put me off. Encouraging see that you can actually make a living starting from scratch . Gonna persist and start trying to sell more up there hopefully it goes well . 

Do you know how to limit screamers?  Sell decent cars, prep everything as best as you possibly can and know your rights and the customers rights and the law around selling cars better than anyone. 

Treat people fairly, do the job properly and you can't go wrong but its hard graft. 

[metcars 397]

49 minutes ago, New year revolutions...... said:

Yes xmas trees everyone seemed to lots left this year,wouldn't have one in my house mind

Cafe mobile.. Every area is different,thing is you could get 2 years trading before the council shut you if you were sensible in some places

If you are selling kebabs in a lay-by you more likely to get a visit from guys with baseball bats? Same as ice cream vans! Try and pitch up at the park and see what happens? lol

[BHM 994]

10 hours ago, Rory RSC said:

Do you know how to limit screamers?  Sell decent cars, prep everything as best as you possibly can and know your rights and the customers rights and the law around selling cars better than anyone. 

Treat people fairly, do the job properly and you can't go wrong but its hard graft. 

+ do not conduct business by text messages and don’t be afraid to sack off difficult and/or undesirable punters - knowing who not to sell to is half of this job I reckon.

[Lambchop 4]

19 hours ago, Rory RSC said:

@Lambchop   'failed car washer here'. Bought and sold a few got sick of having a completely weather dependent business and the headache of staff plus the constant influx of easter european / asian washes using the cheapest products in a race to the bottom. Gradually took over the pitch with clean, well presented cars gave the valeters something to do on the wet days. If the car wash was busy the customers cars took priority. 

Honestly never looked back.  'Failing' was the best thing I ever did. Grew it as much as I could organically re investing all the time not touching a penny of car sales profit, opened a workshop on a neighbouring unit employed a tech for our own cars,. Did the cars right, when the time was right and the foundations secure borrowed some funding to stock up the space I had available. Its gone very well so far. 

Best thing I ever did and kept me out of a lot of trouble.

 

 

9875631-Nil

thanks for the response , actually tried selling cat d cars for a family member a few years back  Up there (for no profit more of a favour) And got nothing but screamers , put me off. Encouraging see that you can actually make a living starting from scratch . Gonna persist and start trying to sell more up there hopefully it goes well . 

Here’s one idea , the yard could hold bout 30 cars plus there’s secure storage in the back. Is there money to be made in buying breakers and selling for parts . Could you do that as a 1 man band ? Has anyone considered or done this already? 

[Casper 272]

4 minutes ago, Lambchop said:

thanks for the response , actually tried selling cat d cars for a family member a few years back  Up there (for no profit more of a favour) And got nothing but screamers , put me off. Encouraging see that you can actually make a living starting from scratch . Gonna persist and start trying to sell more up there hopefully it goes well . 

Here’s one idea , the yard could hold bout 30 cars plus there’s secure storage in the back. Is there money to be made in buying breakers and selling for parts . Could you do that as a 1 man band ? Has anyone considered or done this already? 

Loads of paper work and licenses involved then sepa want fully concreted yards etc my little local yard said its a nightmare now and if he could do something else he would in a minute .

[Highlinev8 28]

5 hours ago, Lambchop said:

thanks for the response , actually tried selling cat d cars for a family member a few years back  Up there (for no profit more of a favour) And got nothing but screamers , put me off. Encouraging see that you can actually make a living starting from scratch . Gonna persist and start trying to sell more up there hopefully it goes well . 

Here’s one idea , the yard could hold bout 30 cars plus there’s secure storage in the back. Is there money to be made in buying breakers and selling for parts . Could you do that as a 1 man band ? Has anyone considered or done this already? 

As above, Breakers are covered by environmental licenses to buy the brakers and to break and recycle used parts. Not something easy to get into. Also Breaking takes up a huge amount of space, you can always sell 40% of a car but will sit on the rest of it for years. 

 

I'm up in the Northwest and know St Helens, What sort of traffic goes past , is it main road ? 

 

Presuming its an old canopy forecourt how secure is it ?

[Lambchop 4]

You know millennium motorcycles ? Just by there , I’d have to fence it I’d imagine 

The road is sort of in the middle , not a main road but gets decent traffic, just down from shops etc .

[Lambchop 4]

35 minutes ago, Highlinev8 said:

As above, Breakers are covered by environmental licenses to buy the brakers and to break and recycle used parts. Not something easy to get into. Also Breaking takes up a huge amount of space, you can always sell 40% of a car but will sit on the rest of it for years. 

 

I'm up in the Northwest and know St Helens, What sort of traffic goes past , is it main road ? 

 

Presuming its an old canopy forecourt how secure is it ?

It used to have a canopy but the fella who was renting cut it down to fit more cars up there