Where to start?

[P.Jackson]

Well basically i am looking to get into the Car sales industrie on my own.

Currently my skills are Landscaping 2 Years Mechanic 1 Year however i know alot about cars and i allways read about them so i think i have what it takes to make a sales person and the knowledge of the right cars.

But i need some help on where do i start?

I think i would need finacial backing of 10k+ i would be importing cars in from japan sourcing the current market here in the UK see what prices and then purchase the car from japan and have it shipped over i have allready sourced out a dealer in japan so now its my side that i need to get kicked start.

Any help on where and how i should start would be great!

Regards,
Paul

[Jill.A]

Make sure you do all your research before you commit any money!
Is there a demand for the type of cars you are thinking of dealing in? What is the current supply (Car Sales Yards and private sales)? How quickly do these cars sell? If there are private sales, call them and see how long the car has been on the market? Visits some car yards regularly over a couple of weeks to see the turnover of the cars. Goto the library and look at newspapers that are a couple of weeks old to see of the cars advertised then are sold now.
You need to make sure there is a market for you to sell this type of car.
You also need to know what your profit margin will be.
First you need to know what it will cost you to get the car to go from door to door and then sell it.
Are there tariffs or import duties on importing cars into the UK from Japan? (I am in Australia and there is)? If there is, how much is it?
Do you know the costs of shipping for one car at a time? How much is the shipping and transport insurance?
Are you going to sell the car registered? What does it cost and take to register an imported car? Are there any issues with Japanese cars versus Cars made for the UK (eg pollution gear etc)?
Will you pay someone else to detail it?
Make sure you know exactly how much it is going to cost you to get a car from the supplier in Japan to your door. Breakdown each physical step and cost it out.
And then what is it going to cost you for marketing and advertising? How do you intend to advertise? Will you advertise in the newspaper or on the internet? Find out the prices.
How much you intend to sell the cars for?
Do you have a good knowledge of the market prices of the cars you are going to specialize in?
Find out much as you can about the market for these cars.
What are the wholesale and retail prices – because the car dealers are buying their cars at wholesale and then selling them at retail price. You need to know what the wholesale price of the cars your thinking of dealing in? If you do not, find out.
Where do the dealers currently source this type of car from? If they are buying them at auctions, go to the auctions. If you are considering specialized cars that are rare and hard to source, contact different car clubs and do some background research into what the current market prices are in the UK. If there have been any sold recently ask if you can contact the person who just sold one – usually people are more than willing to help you out.
Go around to as many car dealers as you can? Check out their range and (retail) prices. Act as a customer so you can see what they are selling, the price and condition of the cars.
What will be your angle into the market? Decide if you will you be competing on price or quality?
Is your source in Japan a solid lead? How did you get find it? Are you confident about the details and the condition of the cars they would supply you with? Do they have a constant supply of the type of cars you wish to deal in. Or how long does it take them to source one? Question everything when it comes to dealing with someone els in another country – have a healthy amount of skepticism.
How long does it take to ship the car form Japan to the UK?
What are the payment terms with supplier in Japan? How long will your money be tied up in one car before you sell it?
By answering all of the above questions is a good place to start. HOpe this was a help!

[roy]

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