I am faced with a decision and would like some imput on others that have been doing it longer than I. I opened my doors to the public 4 years ago and it has been non stop since, We are located on a main road in town and most of our work is on display in the lot because we only have 2 bays. So I have been renting with option to buy but it's been tied up with DEP for almost 2 years now. A place down the road will be avaliable soon Owner is downsizing Same $ for the land and building but the building is 10X the size. 1800 sqft now but 150' of road frontage 13000 sqft but no road frontage and is hidden behind a small shopping center. I figure if I stay where I am now it will cost me double the $ to have a building half the size as the other property and own it. So is Road frontage worth the extra or have you guys not deemed it nessesary. I do have a retail store as well right now and sell everything from carbs to step bars but I hope I have got the Name recognition where it wouldn't mater if I was in the spot light so to speak. Thanks in advance for the responses. Josh
I really don't know what's the best... But i do have of two friends here in upstate NY that have small shop's, WAY off the beaten path that have work lined up at least a year in advance. Both of them... Simply because they do top notch work and are stand up guy's. The business followed one guy from Indiana back here to NY.......And i'm not kidding, he has customers that ship thier cars for him to work on, or build.. So, my own thought would be if you do quality work they will come to you no matter where you are.. And if your only a couple blocks away from your current location, it may not make a difference at all...
I think,if you have a shop...space is the thing. If you just have retail...location is everything! How much work do you get from drive-bys anyways? If you have already been in business 4yrs,then you have already got you name out there. Advertising is a must also.
I agree. Your over the hump so to speak and have a reputation that will allow you to locate anywhere it's convenient AND practical. Sounds like you are going to soon need the extra room and it's available just by moving a few blocks. If you do good work people will find you and the old customers will p*** the word. I can't imagine you ever regretting the move. Frank
Space, Space, Space... I have 5k and it isn't enough..I am off the beaten path a couple blocks.. Shop is full, yard is full, 6 guys working and A waiting list... Jason.
Thanks for the knowledge Guys. I have been out of room for 3 yrs now but this slowdown has made me think twice about things. Before it was a constant phone ringing or someone coming in or jobs just getting dropped off then about a month ago it all just stopped. I still have work but nothing like it was. To top it off I have 3 good jobs waiting because I don't have the room to fit them in out of the weather right now. My decision is starting to become clear... I think haha
location is for impulse buyers. Restaurants, convenience stores, etc. If you have a following, they will come. Spend some money on a NICE sign. I don't care how good a shop is, if they don't care enough to represent with a nice sign, I am skeptical about the quality of their work.
You might miss some of the impulse buyers but the guys who are seriously looking for the parts you have will find you. You might have to advertise the retail side a bit more than you are now though.
Werd. If your worried about your shop being a bit hidden, maybe consider attempting to lease a spot on the 'main drag' close to your new shop. That would prolly help with the new customers that can start as an impulse thing.
I can't agree more about a quality Sign, logo, letterhead, and even all of your shop paperwork. This is mainly for new business, but it will set you apart from the fly-by-nights. If you have a good following, go for the extra space. Del
I have been in business for a little longer and as you know it was rough at first. At least for me, when I was slow I would wonder what else I could do to help "get the word out". I found out just as you have that it takes time for a good rep to form. I can tell you it won't matter where your location is and may actually help your business as it does mine, that customers want security. Having a location that is off the beaten path is kinda like having a good gimmick or "secret handshake". Carries with it the mystery of those who are in the "know", know where it is. I am a one man show and when I first started I could do 4 cars at one time in my shop. Now in the same shop, 2 if I'm lucky. I just do electrical and mechanical, no building so I don't have all those "extra" tools. Go for the space. Brant
space trumps location if you are good at what you do and you advertise. Make it easy for people to communicate with you and provide good directions. They will find you if they desire your services. Screw the impulse buyers. They always have remorse.
Altered, I have to agree with the majority here, in that you're over the hump in getting your shop and work known a****st the car folks. And if you can get 10X the space for the same money, you could probably offer for rent some storage space at the new location to offset some of the costs, and still have way more room than you do now.
Very little of our work (and others) is just drive by/drop in work. Most is sourced through previous customers, word of mouth, seen at events, and friends. Personally I'd go for the big property, especially since you've been going well for 4 years now. Your rep is known and will continue to grow if good.... But to p*** on this ... You're only as good as your last project. (construction management saying but pertains to this work pretty much too)
Our shop is on a very busy road (Berlin Tpk) 35,000 car count per day. I believe the location increased our business at the begining and also the name recognition. As time goes on people know the name and will find you based on your reputation and not location. It seems that being in on a busy route attracts the people that are maybe not so serious just curious. I don't know about you but I'm too busy to be greeting people and giving tours all day. I started doing my work in a chicken coupe on an old farm in the middle of nowhere and was always busy with a fraction of the overhead. Then moved to a much bigger facility that was still cheaper to rent than what I now pay for property taxes alone. Since you are not into retail sales I would suggest a larger building for less $ and maybe spend some time and $ on advertising. Good luck.
Space is the place. And if you built a good rod shop on the back side of the moon, people would still be beating down the door. Bob
I know both of the guys Tony is talking about and what he said can't be any truer. If you have established your reputation, the work WILL come to you without doubt. In addition to the two guys Tony is referring to, there are at least two others that are building cars and are in a town that you can count the total residents on two hands, no feet needed. Relatively small shops, but work lined up for at least a year. Do quality work and you will be golden. Stand behind your work and you will be even more golden. People respect honesty and quality when they spend their money. They should get nothing less...
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