I need some advice WOULD YOU ??????

[All Things Custom]

I have recently started a shop in my small town. We are a very water sport driven town and there are 4 other repair / dealers within 4 blocks of me.

I have a good customer base so far because I treat my customers right and go the extra mile for them. (Unlike the local dealers, or so my customers tell me)

I have done very little advertisement and built my clientele on word of mouth mostly. (The new phone book wont be out for another two months) and my shop is off the beaten path where it is hard to find.

So here's the question......

I am going to make some flyers up and offer a Super Summer Tune Up!!! and pass them out Maybe Door to door in heavily watercraft neighborhoods and on car windows.

Something like $15.00 for a tune up / summer checkup. (Spark Plugs, Lube zerks, Compression test and top off oil.) Coupon only with a map to my shop.

Would you as a PWC owner respond to this or am I wasting my time?

 

[seadoosnipe]

Don't know....

I don't know about that one Mike......My view here is, you know how people hate telemarketers or advertisers. The idea is, those who have skis running are only thinking about going out and riding them. I know people who drive a car and never check the freakin oil till something breaks......so that said,
It seems if you were somewhere in the local area of one of those shops, where people were bringing in their skis, quickly walk by and put a flyer on their cars..............:cheers:
No, I know I didn't say something sneaky and underhanded..........:rofl:
I do a bit of repair work on skis myself, not to mention the riding lawnmowers, weed-eaters, and all other small engine equipment as a hobby. I've told all my neighbors, that when they bring this stuff to me, I'll get to it when I have the time...........They know, it's only a hobby. I love to do it!

 

[All Things Custom]

I see your point, However its sort of a way to let people know where Im at that would otherwise just continue to go to these other shops and cuss all the way in and out... LOL

$15 for a checkup and service will be costing me a little dough but I think it is a good enough price to perk some interest...

Like the Lube shop advertising $9.99 oil change... then everyoune finds out they are there and its business as usual.

 

[kustomkarl]

Mike, I own a small business in a local town kinda like your own. I know for a fact that word of mouth is the best advertising you can do. Personally I take offense to anybody putting anything on my car...I never even look at it I just throw it away...but I also get pissed if anybody even touches my car or leans on it ...that's just me. I would recommend you look into hanging out at the boat launch on a busy Saturday and talk to people launching their water crafts. Friends deal with friends. Is there a local gas station that most people use? Park your vehicle with a couple water craft on the trailer with a business sign on the tow vehicle...with specials on a magnetic sign on the fender...I would look for busy places that the local PWC people frequent and be seen there...In some areas like Walmarts you can get fined for window advertisement and littering the parking lot...(remember they have your name and phone # now). Ask the store if they mind first. I did just that here at my local Walmart...worked like a charm on a busy weekend, and they let me hand out at the front door!! I sell mobility equipment for the Physically Challenged. Scooters, wheelchairs, driving controls, and I'm a certified Florida Car dealer. The cheapest advertisement isn't always the best... word of mouth is.

Karl

 

[hfgreg]

You may want to goto the local ramps and talk directly with the PWC owners and give them a card there and let them know who you are and what you do. Talking with them would let them feel more comfortable with you.

 

[All Things Custom]

Thanks for the input so far guy's....

Here are some of the ideas I have done so far. The jetski sign was placed up on the highway (95 through town) in a vacant lot ( I had permission from the land owner as he is a customer) The local Seadoo Dealer called the city on me and they made me remove it. They said I can park it there 2 weeks a year only if it has a for sale sign on it. The inspector said he had seen it there and it didn't bother him till he got the complaint. Needless to say I am a little upset at the local seadoo dealer too.....

I may take it down to some of the launch ramps and hand out cards like suggested....

here is my rolling window display... LOL

 

[kustomkarl]

Ive been in business since 1986...I have tried all kinds of advertising...I spend now on average like $40,000.00 a year.
It isn't cheap but you have to spend it to make it. I also sell $50,000.00 lowered floor mini vans with my car dealership.

This is my web site...www.kustomability.com

 

[Saqqara]

my 2 cents

I don't run a successful Seadoo business, but if you are soliciting feedback I figured I'd chime in. These are just my thoughts, as a consumer and a businessman (working in venture capital for the moment but I've not made a career of it).

I think your company suffers from an identity crisis. You are clearly a talented jack of all trades, and your excellent posts here certainly confirm your expertise in PWC service, but your company should probably have a more concise focus, because most consumers with PWC problems will be seeking a specialist. If you expect PWC's to be the majority of your business, I would suggest building a brand image around that idea.

You could perhaps even have more than one company names, and advertise them distinctly, pointing them to the storefront, bearing two signs, if at this point you still take on other kinds of work too. This is all so easy these days: extra phone numbers/listings, web pages, etc.

If you are really lucky and build a customer base for two distinct lines of business, then it's time to sell one off and grow the one you enjoy most.

 

[All Things Custom]

That makes a lot of sense.

Let me give a little background. I have always been a tinkerer, since I was 7 years old and working on supermodified circle track racers with my dad.

We have built hotrods & Harleys together all my life and always talked about owning a shop together. 15 years ago I got maried and moved away and started tinkering with watercraft of all sorts. Boats, skis, seadoo, kawi and yamaha. I love the water and have owned over 200 different skis and 8 boats in the last 15 years. (Im partial to seadoo) LOL... Anyway I was working for a cable company in FL and doing Seadoo repair out of my garage in my spare time. I finally decided I had, had enough of my wifes BS and in talking to my DAD decided to divorce and move to Bullhead to start that shop we had always talked about. So we started a Hotrod and customization shop. As you all know It is hard to get a business going anywhere and especially with the economy the way it is.

So when I was sitting around with no customers, I would take the skis out and help stranded skiiers at the ramps and at our condo on the river. One thing lead to another and to keep the doors open I have been working on skis that come in by word of mouth. My DAD working on the few hot rods that come in..... SO Im thinking Jetskis are the way to go and my side work has turned into the main focus and is just paying the bills. Oddley enough, Bullhead has 3 distinct seasons I want to cash in on. Summer / watercraft of course: Fall and spring / Hot rods: and winter / Off road, Quads, rails and trucks.

I like the idea of having two distinct businesses though.

Thanks for the advice and please keep it coming.

 

[seadoosnipe]

Big business!....

You will have to contend with the big fight you are going to have with the local Seaoo dealer. They make $90 bucks an hour in labor, they don't want you cuttin in to their business. And they know, if there is someone qualified to do a repair for what they know cost $50 bucks and with them having the monopoly, charging $150, then there going to do anything they can to stop you. That will be a continued up hill battle. One that would make me want to fight it more and more.
Good luck and keep coming up with innovative ideas, you'll get them. I got about 15 a year that seem to keep getting a few more every year. And it's only my hobbie, not my business! I'm gonna have to start charging these guys.
One more thing. I think if you hung out at the local sand bar, just kinda talking, letting guys now your a pretty good mechanic, word of mouth about you fixing one, will lead to several more.
Do you know how many people actually winterize?..........not nearly as many as you'd think. Then, come spring, they want to know why their crankshaft won't spin over...........LOL
Good luck!:cheers:

 

[kustomkarl]

What might work for you to is to pass out the word of a FREE clinic "check out your water craft" nothing major but it might bring in people that didn't know your here. It is a visual inspection thing a local dealer did here in Florida to get established. He got like 50 jobs to have problems resolved just from a free look over and not get dirty clinic...it's just a thought.

Karl

 

[Saqqara]

One of my mentors in business always said he didn't ever want to be the cheapest; he always wanted to be seen as worth a premium. I don't think most people care if service is $90 an hour. They just want to be sure you are working efficiently in that hour and billing fairly for work that was truly necessary; and being accountable when you screw up.

A grand opening loss leader special is fine, but $15 is too low. Bump the price up to the point where it is still a good deal, but people don't wonder if there is a catch. Then deliver more than they expect.

You will have the disadvantage of not having factory warranty service work to supplement your volume.

You might consider a niche that the local dealers might not want to compete with. For example, you could be the Jiffy Lube of PWC's, with a limited menu of while-you-wait service. Jiffy Lube charges much more than WalMart, but less than most dealers.

You might also focus on aftermarket performance, which the dealerships might not cover well, and your hotrod background could be an asset. There seem to be a lot of people in this sport interested in top speed.

Or you could become an SBT dealer and focus on engine replacement.

These days, mechanics don't bill by the time it takes, but by the time a book (or software) says it should take; and the book was intended to maximize revenue. I'm a bit suspicious of that.

I'm just brainstorming here, I know nothing of this industry; don't take me too literally.

 

[kustomkarl]

I think the point of business doing anythiing at a discount is to make more money. If you get people's attention than show them you not just about chrging them and you get a good customer...remember the old slogen...friends deal friends, not strangers. If you open a free anything they will come. Show them you care, and you know what your doing, they will spend money. It has worked for me 22 year in my own business.