aN-i-No Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 Ok, I know there are a lot of vendors here so I figured I'd ask. A good friend of mine recently came to me with a proposition. He inherited a good bit of inventory of aftermarket JDM parts (not sure on the specifics yet as this is in the baby steps phase) from his dad who ran a small eBay-based business with a few local sales here and there. The thing is, he wants to take it big and make this his living, and has offered me the opportunity to sort of spread the word and maybe buy into the company in it's infancy. First off, I'm one year out of high school and currently at a Community College majoring in Mechanical Engineering and working at a pos fast food joint making ~$600 a month. I'm at a point in my life where I'm wondering if what I'm doing will turn around and feed me later. I do live with my parents (and our relationship is stable, so I don't expect to get kicked out any time soon) but I buy all my own food (I have a special section in the fridge just for my stuff lol) in lieu of paying rent. That's a little personal lol but what I'm trying to get across is that I'm attempting to break into self-sufficiency. I would LOVE to break into the performance scene and be a big part of an independent business but sadly I have NO (nada, zero, zilch,) experience with owning a business. Honestly, I'm not really worried about that yet. What I want to know is...how difficult is it for those who have attempted it, done it, or seen it done? What does it take to be a mega-super-ballin ass eBay seller that maybe has an independent website and is a vendor in multiple places? Also...from a business standpoint, if we're in an empty market (meaning people drive a few hours away to get real performance parts) would it just be more profitable to have a brick and mortar shop that sells parts? I mean...being in the Car Audio community you see it all the time, some guy has a few bucks and calls up an OEM company or somebody starts up a little service that blows up like Toolmaker. I'm not asking for a "road map" per se, but I'm trying to judge how feasible this is. One thing I DO know is that money makes money. By that I mean...you sell enough parts on the side (which he's doing already), get a few decals printed up (which is easy), put together a demo car (94 Nissan 240SX, he already has started work on) and put your name out there and find ways to make your business grow but once again, how feasible is that? Am I in over my head here or is this a golden opportunity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdgarG0721 Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 No way to tell a business is hard the economy and all the bullshit u coud make it a hater will say u won't ........ No way to tell what's gonna happend go for it I'f u don't risk u won't win Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aN-i-No Posted June 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 No way to tell a business is hard the economy and all the bullshit u coud make it a hater will say u won't ........ No way to tell what's gonna happend go for it I'f u don't risk u won't win That's the truth. I'm just looking for a few pointers from somebody who's been there...I mean sure it looks like I have nothing to lose on paper but shit, time, effort, and money are things DO NOT want to lose out on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nautical7 Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 If you aren't willing to risk your time, effort and money then the business won't take off. No one can really say if it will be successful but attempting to start one is always a risk, it just depends if you're willing to take the chance. No one wants to waste their time but that's the only way to know for sure if you'll become successful, but if you won't risk it then don't do it. Running a company takes a lot of dedication and sometimes a lot of money to stay in business if you slow down. And I don't personally run one but I have 3-4 relatives that started a business, some which have come close to shutting down, and I've heard a lot about what it takes. If you're looking for easy income, starting a company probably isn't for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEMT8 Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 If it is something you are passionate about then do it. As the other have said no reward without risk. If you try and fail, hey at least you can say you had the balls to at least try and do something instead of siting there saying "I wish Quote formerly known as Jaylor Swift Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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