MannyC
Enthusiast
Guys,
My business partner and I both own a handful of sports cars. I have a couple Vipers, a Z06, a CBR 929 and a new BMW with the performance race package. My partner has one of the fastest Miatas on the planet, a Lotus and a Z3. We are pretty successful with our software company and we're looking to diversify into other markets. We have already branched out into the real estate market, and have also branched out into one other area that seems to be doing well so far.
One other market we have always wanted to do, was to own a high end tuner type shop. A place where people could send their Viper to and turn it into an 800 RWHP monster, or more. A place people can go to get their cars ready for the track, or to Dyno it.
We are pretty good about running a business, but are ******** when it comes to this type of market. I'm posting this because we have some cash we can throw at a business like this, but want some feedback on what it takes to do so, and more importantly, how many good people are there out there that could accomplish what we need them to, and are available for hire. We would need these people, as we would not be running the shop -- we are needed at our main business which is our cash cow.
At the moment, there is almost no high end Viper representation here on the west coast. Roe, Hefner, Levine, BTR and most others are all on the East Coast. SVS is also half way across the continent. California has got to be one of the biggest markets for any sports car, yet we have very little to choose from.
So, open up some dialog with me. What would it take to open up a great shop? What would the shop need? What kind of people and how many? How big? What should be offered? Should it cater to just Vipers or include other vehicles -- perhaps also including a more lucratve Vette market since there are so many more of them.
We are serious about this. We may not jump into this market, but it is interesting to us and we now have the funds to experiment. Are there people from this forum with the experience it would take to run such a shop that would want to take part in it -- to be their own boss and create something of themselves?
We're located in San Diego and would look at having the shop somewhere in or near our area.
Manny
My business partner and I both own a handful of sports cars. I have a couple Vipers, a Z06, a CBR 929 and a new BMW with the performance race package. My partner has one of the fastest Miatas on the planet, a Lotus and a Z3. We are pretty successful with our software company and we're looking to diversify into other markets. We have already branched out into the real estate market, and have also branched out into one other area that seems to be doing well so far.
One other market we have always wanted to do, was to own a high end tuner type shop. A place where people could send their Viper to and turn it into an 800 RWHP monster, or more. A place people can go to get their cars ready for the track, or to Dyno it.
We are pretty good about running a business, but are ******** when it comes to this type of market. I'm posting this because we have some cash we can throw at a business like this, but want some feedback on what it takes to do so, and more importantly, how many good people are there out there that could accomplish what we need them to, and are available for hire. We would need these people, as we would not be running the shop -- we are needed at our main business which is our cash cow.
At the moment, there is almost no high end Viper representation here on the west coast. Roe, Hefner, Levine, BTR and most others are all on the East Coast. SVS is also half way across the continent. California has got to be one of the biggest markets for any sports car, yet we have very little to choose from.
So, open up some dialog with me. What would it take to open up a great shop? What would the shop need? What kind of people and how many? How big? What should be offered? Should it cater to just Vipers or include other vehicles -- perhaps also including a more lucratve Vette market since there are so many more of them.
We are serious about this. We may not jump into this market, but it is interesting to us and we now have the funds to experiment. Are there people from this forum with the experience it would take to run such a shop that would want to take part in it -- to be their own boss and create something of themselves?
We're located in San Diego and would look at having the shop somewhere in or near our area.
Manny
It takes a while to get your name out, and even longer to build a customer base. RSI in Houston is an example of a greenfield start-up Tuning business that is doing well, but it has taken over a year for them to really get rolling. They started with a knowledgable well known (Viper) mechanic and do work on most vehicles from Vipers, to Vettes and Hummers. It appears to me that there is a lot of "mid-market" bussiness in Vettes, Mustangs, and Cameros.... with a few high end Viper, Mercedes and Porshe Tuners holding a big piece of that market.... just my 0.02 cents worth.
