nickyboy |
06-07-2009 03:52 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by AggiePhil
(Post 193969)
$100K isn't too much. That's actually about what I'm looking at needing to get started. But $130K for the dealership aspect alone is a lot IMO. Add to that all the other expenses you'll have to cover (plus all the expenses for the tour aspect) and you're probably looking at well over $200K. And THAT probably IS too much for me. So, for that reason, I guess I've almost written off the idea of there being a dealership aspect to my future business.
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Don't get me wrong, being an Authorised Segway Tour is great, and it has many benefits (we have taken 3 bookings from overseas because of our "authorised" status). In addition to that, I am very proud that we are one of only 3 authorised tours in the UK.
However, you do not need to hold the dealer status to run a tour (many top tours are not dealers, Tom for example). Whilst I appreciate that many tour's are dealer add on's, in many ways they are seperate business's. One is a high turnover low revenue (relatively) operation, the other is a high value lower unit turnover operation. Concentrate on one (the tour operation) 1st as it is a lower cost set up and it is actually what you want to do. Contact your nearest dealer(s) and maybe set up a recipricol deal, they advertise you, you sent customers to them. After all, what better way to find out if you want to buy a Segway than take an extended test drive!
Recipricol links work well. For example CovRob and I both operate tours, but at opposite ends of the country. We promote each other on our websites, and indeed, it is not unknown for either of us to get sales enquiries from the others area, which we happily pass on and don't poach on each others area. We also talk about once a fortnight and exchange idea's, as well as having a good old moan at times, as it can be a lonely business, especially here in the UK with only about 7 dealers in total.
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