I wear a lot of hats.
Auto auctioneer.
Creator of the Long-Term Quality Index.
Developed Mileage Impossible during COVID which now has over 360,000 members.
Car dealer for over 20 years.
I have written probably over 1,500 articles about my life and experiences in the used car world.
And I also have a popular car buying service on Facebook called '48 Hours And A Used Car'.
That last line of work is what I think I want to mainly focus on for the next five to seven years. Here's why.
Over 95% of my business comes from three sources.
Commercial Businesses (Mostly fleet companies and those dealing in the airline and HVAC industries)
Auto enthusiasts (A few folks who have bought from me here at BITOG are an excellent reflection of this.)
Those who work in high-tech industries. (Executives and IT professionals along with immigrants and H1-B's who know exactlty what they want.)
99% of the time these are stress free customers. They either see the vehicle they buy as a tool, or they know exactly what they want.
They don't nickel & dime. They don't waste time. They know what they want, and focus on the long-term quality of the vehicle.
Everything I buy is at the wholesale cost plus $700. That's it. My customer knows everything about the vehicle before they buy it, and we typically go through about a dozen to two dozen vehicles before hitting their exact bullseye.
I'm trying to brainstorm how to better market to these three groups.
With commercial businesses, I'm not sure if buying floor space at a trade show that specializes in that industry is a smart idea. Has anyone here done this? Any ideas on whether it makes sense to do this if you're not there selling an industry product?
I'm also thinking about creating a sub-forum at various enthusiast sites where regulars and visitors can buy a newer version of what they already like.
The third market probably requires some type of mass market appeal. I'm not sure what the best strategy would be. I am thinking about changing the name of the business to Keepers. That's the name of my dealership, and most everything I retail and write about is focused on how to buy the best car possible and then doing what's needed to make it last for decades.
I'm happy to brainstorm. So if you have any ideas, please feel free.
Auto auctioneer.
Creator of the Long-Term Quality Index.
Developed Mileage Impossible during COVID which now has over 360,000 members.
Car dealer for over 20 years.
I have written probably over 1,500 articles about my life and experiences in the used car world.
And I also have a popular car buying service on Facebook called '48 Hours And A Used Car'.
That last line of work is what I think I want to mainly focus on for the next five to seven years. Here's why.
Over 95% of my business comes from three sources.
Commercial Businesses (Mostly fleet companies and those dealing in the airline and HVAC industries)
Auto enthusiasts (A few folks who have bought from me here at BITOG are an excellent reflection of this.)
Those who work in high-tech industries. (Executives and IT professionals along with immigrants and H1-B's who know exactlty what they want.)
99% of the time these are stress free customers. They either see the vehicle they buy as a tool, or they know exactly what they want.
They don't nickel & dime. They don't waste time. They know what they want, and focus on the long-term quality of the vehicle.
Everything I buy is at the wholesale cost plus $700. That's it. My customer knows everything about the vehicle before they buy it, and we typically go through about a dozen to two dozen vehicles before hitting their exact bullseye.
I'm trying to brainstorm how to better market to these three groups.
With commercial businesses, I'm not sure if buying floor space at a trade show that specializes in that industry is a smart idea. Has anyone here done this? Any ideas on whether it makes sense to do this if you're not there selling an industry product?
I'm also thinking about creating a sub-forum at various enthusiast sites where regulars and visitors can buy a newer version of what they already like.
The third market probably requires some type of mass market appeal. I'm not sure what the best strategy would be. I am thinking about changing the name of the business to Keepers. That's the name of my dealership, and most everything I retail and write about is focused on how to buy the best car possible and then doing what's needed to make it last for decades.
I'm happy to brainstorm. So if you have any ideas, please feel free.
Last edited by a moderator:
