While I wish you every success, I'm curious about your sources of supply for parts and consumables.
I can tell you from personal experience that as soon as you start attracting customers, the "trade" will approach the wholesalers to deny you supply.
There's not a lot you can do about this short of sourcing everything from overseas....
I started out the same way 12 years ago.
Get accounts opened with all the wholesalers (and dealers for anything OEM) and you're sorted for parts.
Best of luck to you - although it ain't easy starting from scratch with zero customers.
Maybe the "trade" just didn't like you.
While my local competition may not have rolled out any red carpet for me, I'm certain they didn't try influencing the wholesale network against me.
In fact, as long as you pay your bills on time the New Zealand wholesalers couldn't be more helpful.
Best of luck Logan. There's plenty of work for everybody here in Welly. Especially now that WMCC have moved out to Petone.
Pete
Boyle Kawasaki
Must be a bit more hostile down your way mate. No such carry on happening up this way. The more the merrier. The good ones will last.
Hell yeah. If this Grumpy Old Cunt can do it...anyone can!
He's actually really good at what he does...and a good bloke to boot.
The motorcycle trade can be a bit of a clique...as someone who has dabbled as a motorcycle repair person, I've noticed it very much. Working in rural workshops (as I did a couple of years ago, and previously too) where we work on everything, we had accounts with all the local dealers and wholesale suppliers - couldn't be better, excellent service. However, when you are not in ''their'' trade, it's a different story, they don't want to know you. People I used to deal with over the phone for parts will no longer sell parts to me, just because I now work for Joe Blog Motors. Also very telling that no motorcycle parts suppliers are in the Capricorn Society, anyone in the auto trade will know what clout Capricorn has....but that means opening your doors to everyone, and they don't seem to want that.
In and out of jobs, running free
Waging war with society
When I saw that the OP was opening up in his garage - as per the opening post - that's when I saw problems.
Down here, if you don't have premises like a "real shop" the wholesalers don't want to know you.
I've done it both ways - home based and as a partner in a shop. The wholesalers here know me well but now I'm once again home based they won't deal direct. And I've never had credit problems either.
I've actually done work for guys who work for the wholesalers too....Including the manager of one of the biggest when I was working from home initially.
He still wouldn't let me open an a/c...
Ironically, the dealer who put the boot in with the wholesalers first was someone who started out in his own garage....
Now come on you coffee killer, whoér ya talking about now????????????? aye, aye, can't be ol Katman he's a right obknoxious type, who one late Saturday afternoon as I was motorcycling ( a bit mechanically deprieved) dropped his tools, hoped on my wifes bike, took it for a run, came back, spannered about for a while, gave it back to me and said there ya go. Barstard wouldn't accept me Dorkland peso's neither.
Never forgotten that and will never let anyone else think any differently of him, on ya mate.
Every day above ground is a good day!:
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Bookmarks