Hello, my name is Chris and I feel like I'm at a meeting, lol. I live in south western Pennsylvania. I used to own an XJ. Loved it, but sometimes you need to move on. now I own a 2013 Rubicon Unlimited. I recently opened my own business out of my garage called JUST JEEPS. I install aftermarket parts and accessories. I don't currently have an inventory since I work out of my garage. I was wondering if anyone else has a small shop out there willing to help me learn a bit about the venders and stuff. I'm not a computer guy. Just a carpenter trying to do something I love on the side.

Thanks,
Chris

 

Welcome Chris. I have a very close friend who used to have a sucky little job he hated. He started doing some work out of his garage similar to what you are starting to do. That really grew and grew and now he has one of the biggest and most reputable shops in our metroplex area. We have a huge market down here and he is a real go-getter who has leveraged the power of social media. His journey is only about 6 years old and the growth has been impressive. You might start with a call to TransAmerica about wholesale prices and see what they require. I know my buddy started through TA, did some things with NorthRidge4x4, back to TA, and is now sourcing most parts through another vender. The margins on parts is pretty dang skinny . Best of luck in your new side venture.

 

Welcome Chris, Good to read of your initiative and going after your goal. When researching companies; e.g... Warn, Smittybuilt, etc.. online look for their D N B (Dunn and Bradstreet) it should provide contact information on who and how to contact them. Now you can go direct to the company and maybe get set up to buy direct. Starting up definitely watch out for having to invest heavily in inventory and paying shipping. Good Luck. BTW .. make connections (get set up as an account) with area Jeep dealers that advertise they Wholesale Parts- in case you need OE parts or components..

 

thanks for all the info. I don't want to carry an inventory at all really. most people just bring me stuff they already purchased, but cant install it themselves.
im doing all the "legal" stuff now. registered my DBA, insurance, LLC. Etc.

 

research what shops around you are charging to install basic bolt on things and undercut them by at least 1/3 if not half to start. get your name out there with word of mouth and social media, and do your best to do more than your customer expects. They bring you a basic kit to bolt on......install it and wash that jeep, return it clean. That is the little stuff that gets them telling their friends.

**keep in mind a lot of people will choose "shops" based on the thought that things will be done right, or any problems will be fixed with no questions, even if that isn't REALLY the case. That is what makes people choose a "business" vs. an individual out of their garage. once you build up a good base you can start easing prices higher.

 

Welcome, I have done about 9 JK lifts in my garage and two XJ lifts... and I'm not a mechanic at all... So I'm real slow and often require the owner to be here to help me... and I don't get paid. I have never had a jeep come back because it was done wrong. We have had parts fail on lifts... but never from the lift being installed wrong. So, for the process of starting... get the reputation out that you do it RIGHT the first time! Even if you take longer... you being careful to get it RIGHT and it will go a long ways by word of mouth! People are so tired of poor work at shops. On the other hand...messing one up from going to fast- is hard to recover from, mess up two or three in a few months time period and your reputation will carry the errors for at least 5 years in the jeep community! Jeeps are a close community with many in clubs and local 4x4 groups... so word of mouth works great in the community. Maybe start off with facebook customer reviews when you start doing work... have the people just comment on how well they think you have done on camera and throw it out on social media. When people post the pics on face book after the job, and write or tell others about how well you did, and the care you took to do it right... you will gain years worth of good recommendations. Social media is one of the great new advances in "word of mouth" growth. As you grow, be very careful who you hire... one careless employee can do much damage to a shop! I hope you plans are successful and you get to build a great shop with a great name in your community!