New shop starting up...give me ideas..

[Outlawz24]

Hey all...

As of tonight i am the co owner of a new performance shop. We are just getting things set up through our distributor and i would like to hear what everyone would like to see as part of our product line. The shop is mostly geared towards 4 wheeled rides but we are also willing to set up a bike section if there is enough demand for it. So with that said...what are my fellow riders seeking for their rides? Feel free to list anything and i will see what i can do about getting said items as part of the line.

[JRotten]

Congrates!!!

Carry tires and tire changing equipement. Carry premium lubricants and cleaners. Have a big screen tv displaying "Speed Vision" always motivates buyers to purchase the good stuff.

[pecarlo]

Sell top quality items, great customers service, get a web page set up, always treat your customers with respect and you will see your business grow. Word of mouth is the best advertisement. good luck

[Brit]

Lowering kit for the VFR...

and let me know when you get them...

Thanks
Brit

[Bubba Zanetti]

Go into "other" shops and see what they do that's good. Or ask people you know who ride, in your neck of the woods, what's important. They'll be forth coming with the info.

And don't feel bad for checking other places out. Trust me, there is no such thing as an "original" idea.

BZ

[tbones86]

The absolute biggest thing you need to do to be successful in any service business is customer service. Regardless if you have the particular part any one is looking for or not; if you come off as an arrogant prick or you hire people that deal directly w/ customers that come off that way you will lose repeat business. Also don't talk down to your customers( treat them like three year olds) this will also affect repeat business. Rule of thumb, treat people like you'd expect to treated. Return phone calls in a timely manner even if your sure the guy or gal is blowing smoke. Don't let your technicians due a lot of pro bono "fix my whatever over the phone". If its something simple sure help a brother out, it will reap rewards down the road. If its something bigger best to have your tech listen & say something like that could be a lot of different things we'd have to get it to the shop for some diagnistic time to figure it out for you.
If you give a quote, stick to it;if you cannot MAKE SURE to CALL the customer before work continues with a reasonable reason why you cannot & get thier ok to continue. Be up front & honest about add'l fee's ie. hazmat disposal(tires, oil, coolant etc.), misc shop fees( to cover incidentals like rags, solvents,uniforms, misc connectors & fasteners that will not be itemized). Also stay current w/ your payments to vendors, nothing will cause a small shop to go under faster than being on a "cash only" basis with vendors. Also when dealing w/ vendors have one or two go to people that you can deal w/ & build a repor w/ them this will expedite the handling of your orders.
Another cardinal rule is your business is only as good as the people you have working for you. Treat your employees well & they will make you money; this by no means let them walk all over you. Your still the boss, make sure they no that no matter how well you may like or get along with them. Being you said you are a partner in this venture that has issues all its own, if its only two its doable if there gets to be more or other family members get involved thinking they are part of the business that gets messy fast. Keep business, business; friendship/family as friendship/family those that are succcessful especially in a smaller venture have figured out how to do that.
As far as items you should stock a small/medium quantity are impulse buy type stuff rims/tires, low end/entry level hop up kits for common vehicles in your area( get DMV records of registered vehicles in your area) pick the types of vehicles most likely to want your services & stock parts for the top two three most popular. Carry a line of performance filters( K&N, etc), top of the line lubricants (Amsoil, etc.). Touch up paints, polishes, cleaners etc. offer teaser service rates on oil changes, transmission flushing, tire rotation etc. Its a good idea when starting out to undercut everyone in you area on these items. Make sure to budget for it though as you will lose money or break even by doing this. The idea is to get people into you shop & upsell, upsell, upsell(with out being annoying or transparent, this takes finesse). Something else to consider is either in house powder coating(you could get set up small medium sized items professionally for under $10K though Eastwood, www.eastwood.com) or set something up w/ a local powder coater to do speciality work for your shop. The latter, you offer a service to your customers & you get to mark up the cost 33-36%(being reasonable) for doing the paper work. I've worked in the service industry for going on 20 years I've seen what works & what doesn't, I would love to do something like this myself but a series of poor personal desicions has made that difficult to date. I wish you the best in your endevour

[RE-Agent]

Be cool to your customers and especially your potential customers. Make it a place where they feel comfortable hanging out and asking questions. Even people who haven't purchased an item or a service can bring a lot of goodwill... "Hey I was down at this new shop and even though I'm not ready to buy yet you should check it out for your stuff!"

I would love to have a good nearby shop that is run by guys without "tude".

I know some bicycle shops like that (maybe it is because they know me to be a good bicycle racer and I can't make the claim on a motorcycle) but I don't know of any local M/C shops like that.

As for products, just make it clear to your customers that you can get things that you don't have on the floor. Tell them that you can order it and show them that you'll give it to them for a slight price break (even if it is very small). Then, and this is a big one, tell them that you would love their feedback on the product. This makes them feel like they are important and part of the process! I'm telling you, this can be huge in terms of building cheerleaders for your business.

[ZonaMan]

Have reasonable shop rates as well. These car and bike shops who think they deserve $75/hour to work on stuff is bullshit. And then they turn around and pay their techs $15/hour who could care less if they are doing quality work. $45-50/hour tops. When most people make $10 - 30/hour at their own jobs, they aren't going to come to you at $75/hour unless you are the only shop for 100 miles. That's all part of what RE-agent said about making people feel comfortable. Avoid the nickname "stealership" at all costs.

One more thing, don't charge customers shipping when they order things through you. I had experienced that when I was first getting into motorcycles again. I can order something online if I wanted to pay shipping. Now I know which shops don't do this and that is who I get small parts through.