My own shop!

I know a man who owns a car audio business. I worked for him before. His best friend was the manager. His best friend blamed a lot of shit on me and got me fired. The problems didn't stop, and he himself got fired by his best friend (the owner). The owner, then offers ME the job BACK which he couldn't trust his best friend to do. So I got fired in October, then I get re-hired/promoted to GM today!!!

I work on my schedule, I make the appointments, I make the prices, I do all the work, and I get 60% of labor profits.

It's essentially MY SHOP!!!!

I'm so fucking excited.

/excitement

are you gonna post some of your shop's work...??

What product does your shop sell?

I will post pictures when I take them. Keep in mind it will be far less customization, and far more basic electronics /alarms /tints.

I did do an H2 SUT last september though, and I have a handful of pics, but its nothing that any professional can't do. I'll try to post a link to pics. Anyways, what I did with it was I put in 2 amps, a cap, a satellite TV receiver and a dc/ac converter for PS2 under a beauty panel under the backseat. I put a video switch box under the pass. seat which controlled the indash kenwood excelon 6.5" monitor, a pre fab visor monitor on pass. side, and two headrest monitors. I mounted a PS Slim in the backseat fold down armrest. I put Stinger Roadkill (essentially dynamat) on all 4 doors. And I installed 2 pairs of tweeters in the pillars. Two pairs of boston Z6's in the doors, with the crossovers in the doors as well. Also I installed the satellite dish on top of the H2, and relocated the backseat cupholders to the floor. My boss did the alarm, the head unit, and put a 10" Boston G5 sub in the center console, and fucked some things up that I had to fix.



As for our product lineup, so far we've got:
Alpine
Kenwood
Boston
Pioneer (the kids love pioneer)
and some other stuff

we're trying to get
Focal
JL (very very soon)
Rainbow


I mentioned some of the brands that are frequently discussed on this forum, but the owner is going to sell what the market demands. It's my job to determine and create the demand. I can take it from there.

I will be practically living in the shop. This is my time to take life by the horns and produce some results. If anybody is in South Florida you should come check me out in a few weeks.

speaking of this, I have an Alpine training meeting to attend tonight at the Windham hotel... I'm so f***ing excited. Tonight I get schooled on Alpine's brand new product rollout for 2 1/2 hours.

some advice ......

1) have a good selection of price range ... like at least 2 of each product type in that cost category.

2) WOKING display are a must ... ones that show off the equipment.

3) do not BS customers ..... give them a reasonable estimate, if you can't do it - don't even suggest it, keep within their budget.

Become and Incriminator Dealer if you can find a competent installer that can do more than just prefab stuff. The kiddies will think pioneer is garbage after that. RE can suck a nut for the moment :)

awesome. I'll more than likely be asking for a lot of advice here once I get all my tools into the new location. As far as custom work goes, that will have to wait. I am fully capable of basic custom work. But I don't imagine I'm going to have the time to do it, seeing how I will be the installer/tinter/car washer/general manager, for at least 2 months. Which is okay with me.

My plan is to talk to everybody I know and see who can pay me to install some custom boxes in their cars, and do a few basic custom projects for friends, something I may be able to finish overnight. Then let those people advertise for me. If I do about 3-4 cars in the next 2 weeks, my business should be rather steady in a month and a half. I imagine I'll need some help in about 2 months.

As for now, I don't mind being there 70 hours a week and earning 400$ because I know my work will build a reputation. I'm all about the long term right now. Any and all advice is kindly accepted. This is the first time I will be running a business essentially by myself.

So...hmmm...what about selling some of your shops things online? Can you do that...I am needing a new hu.

Before you start custom enclosures i'd reccomend buying a program like LEAP and/or Term Lab.

I'd also reccomend an installer who does nothing but the custom stuff who has a good reputation in dB Drag, MECA, or others. Doesnt have to own records or have won national titles, but must be a good compeditive contender in either SQ or SPL or both.

Im not talking about Fibrglass custom, im talking baotu designing an building your own enclsoures. There are two shops locally and both think they can design and build cutom enclosures. I have at least 5 people a week either complement me on past works or ask me about a new box to replace the box either of the shops built.

If you get someone who is reputable and you start doing good installs people will drive over 100 miles for your shop (which is what you want). Pipo's truck (vids on realmofexcursion) resides in Orlando Florida...he takes it to shawn flemming who lives in gainsville florida, about 100 miles away. Why? Shawn has competition titles and a good reputation.

Work more on your shops reputation than a large profit margin for the first year or so at least.

I REALLY like that idea of hiring an installer that knows what it takes to win in SPL and SQ. If you don't know it takes to win, you should go to a few contests and talk to the competitors that do well - most will talk to you about their systems in pretty good detail.

The bread and butter of car stereo shops is a deck, 2 or 4 speakers, and alarms. You need to be able to whip those installs out quickly. Carry at least 2 of each product in each price range. Some people want an expensive stereo but most can't afford it. You might try doing installs from stuff people got elsewhere (like the internet) - just be careful the stuff works before you start.

some advice ......

3) do not BS customers ..... give them a reasonable estimate, if you can't do it - don't even suggest it, keep within their budget.


Yeah that is my biggest complaint about local shops here. They tell you that the best stuff on the market is their most expensive item, but then they can't tell you what makes it so good. Make sure you're knowledgable about what you're talking about and be able to admit you're wrong sometimes.

I would def. look into becoming a dealer for Incriminator Audio, just imagine the 20.1's hanging on the wall. 187's killing everthing in its price range...an RE is still fine for a dealer to pick up. Showcase a XXX or two

IMHO...RE can go suck a nut for the time being

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Im probably going to change my avatar too, i would change it to my SSA avatar but it is too large, may got with an Incriminator or TCsounds avatar.

I finally saw the new location and I have to admit... it's wack.

It used to be a little car wash bay built into the side of a chevron. It's 15' wide and 27' long. The bay doors are 11' wide. Just enough room for a car to drive through basically. I've got 3' of room on one side of the door, and 1' on the other. Just enough room for 1 of my demos, 1 very large product shelf, my stinger wires rack, and a tool/work shelf. I'm gonna have slot wall all along the smaller side to hang wire kits, caps, etc.

There is no office. Just me in a car wash bay with the products. The bay is wack, but I have to admit, being on the side of a very busy gas station is a plus. Not to mention it's less than a block from the highway. Hopefully I'll be doing head units/alarms/tint/speakers all day long while also taking appointments. Custom work is going to have to wait. I can't be cutting boxes in my tint bay. If anything, there is a home depot right next door to me. Right now is all about making enough money to get a better bay.

I won't lie, I have a feeling I may just be getting rid of this man's product before he calls it quits. But I'm not going to ask him. I just plan on working hard and showing him that there is a future with me running the business. If it works out, there is a facilty across the street where I could get a nice bay. We've talked about keeping the small bay as a car wash to make people aware of us. Let them see what we offer, and direct them to the REAL shop.

I have a good feeling about this. I'm being given a chance, that's all I need.


Junktitlegolf... I can't sell product online. If anything you can call me and I can arrange shipping. In otherwords just buy from crutchfield lol.


Thanks again for the advice guys. I'll check out some local sq and spl circuits to get better knowledge on them both. Once I get a new bay I'll be looking for more ideas on product.