Nuestro querido colega loco-por-los-vintage-Saab, D. William C. W. "Chip" Lamb ha puesto a la venta su negocio. Pide 145.000$ (unos 110.000€ a día de hoy)
Si alguien se anima podríamos hacerle una oferta y montar una sociedad para comprársela. Con esto de la crisis a veces pienso que no sería mala idea dedicarse a otra cosa.
Estas son sus razones:
Eleven years ago and with a max initial experimental capitalization of $2,500 borrowed from one of my other small business ventures (long ago liquidated, who would have thought it!) along with a private cache of spare parts, I started a small restoration parts business for the vintage SAAB automobile called 'West of Sweden SAAB' (Please pardon the out-of-date website, but we have found that it is more expeditious to ask people to call with their needs and thus provide them with the best customer service rather than rely more on eCommerce.)
Eleven years later, I can add to my roster of success having been the chief parts vendor to the General Motors Heritage Collection as pertains to their 25 or so car assortment of SAAB cars as well as thousands of 2-stroke, V4 and model 99 clients literally from sea to shining sea. My client list consists of people from the eastern United States to the Far East and all the way around both ways. Despite the Swedish SAAB Club for many years having sold parts to their countrymen, we even have a sizable business presence and name recognition in the mother country among some of the most rabid followers of this aircraft-inspired marque. We nevertheless traded actively with this operation until the sudden death of the chap running it last summer. Further, I have said for years that I have more clients in Japan than I do in a 50-mile radius of home base here in Richmond, VA - and that remains true.
I started out with less than what most potential suitors of this business will possess for knowledge when undertaking this venture; I was merely a hobbyist with general mechanical knowledge and a reasonable handle on more modern SAAB and other European car repair. In building an inventory, I fostered good relationships with major and minor wholesale parts sources for new items as well as plundered many a resource of new-old-stock items up and down the east coast and even out into the Midwest. Using a decent collection of parts and service manuals - that convey with the business as well as the reproduction rights to the same - I taught myself what I needed to know in all areas of the cars, even restoring three or four of them about nine years ago in order to completely know the full extent of disassembly and reassembly so to best serve my clientèle. The enterprising small European car repair shop or dedicated SAAB independent would have no problem making the transition, and with the sale of the business, I offer my services as consultant merely for expenses for a period to be determined through negotiation to make your transition as profitable as possible. The same offer goes out to any large British or European collector automobile parts operation (hello, Moss Motors, your Eastern distribution facility is a short drive down I-95!) who might like to add a lucrative line to their already-attractive operations.
I have maintained a very low-overhead operation throughout my 11 years at this business. I have subcontracted as much as possible, developing relationships with veterans of the vintage SAAB who have been at this longer than I have been alive. My dedicated 2-stroke engine and crankshaft rebuilder was supplying the Washington, D.C. SAAB dealerships with rebuilt crankshafts when they could not get them through normal channels back in the day. Because I have stood behind his efforts, he has made it so we offer the finest NEW REPLACEMENT COMPONENT PARTS for the component assembly. This was especially challenging since SAAB never provided these parts, just the rebuilt cranks or engines. For many years before we made the critical investment, a rebuilt SAAB crankshaft used 'previously-enjoyed' connecting rod bearing cages, rods, pins and more than had long since gone past their expiration date. It is no wonder that the 2-stroke 1964 model 95 recently restored by GM Heritage has one of our long-blocks at its heart - and this from an operation who demand to build all mechanicals themselves. I have maintained, developed and even flourished the availability from Europe the parts needed to keep these cars on the road for the dedicated masses who continue to drive these cars regularly, not just on warm, sunny days. We have thus, by supporting our outsource vendors more than a normally-protective business would, helped grow what could potentially be our dangerous competition into great partners in the marketplace who help each other - that is a real-world supply chain solution!
I am further happy to report that West of Sweden continues to be recession-proof, (knock wood) as does most of the collector car industry relative to the broader market picture. During our eleven years at this, we have chased out many of the traditional spit-and-bailing-wire repair artists who dared not spend more than the $250 they paid for the car back in 1978 in keeping it up over the years. As a result, the average vintage SAAB today is a respectable road-going car, owned by more dedicated collector car enthusiasts - not just vintage SAAB club types - than ever before. My only regret is that I have other new and exciting things going on right now that I have not time to continue the refinement of this project nor am I likely to for the near future. In one respect, after single-handedly heading this up for eleven years without let-up, I'd like a break to develop some other interests. Nevertheless, our three year median average gross profit is well into six figures and will only continue to grow with more creative spark behind it.
What will you get? Everything! My client list - which has never been shared or sold to anyone and will be protected in future as part of the terms of sale - with a non-compete agreement from me AND all the strategic transition consultation you desire, all our books, manuals, new and spare parts, vendor lists, part number interchanges, our relationships with our outsource vendors who will serve you well for years to come - everything you need to be successful at this. Our advertising extends to the two primary SAAB Club publications and the Internet and all resources to continue marketing these aspects will convey.
Good turnkey low-overhead opportunities come around once in a long while because they practically run themselves when they are based around a niche market that provides reliable and trustworthy customer service to back them up. The long road of growth and development towards name recognition and a bulletproof reputation has been done and done right in this case.
Most businesses also sell for a figure around their three-year combined gross profit figure. As I am more interested in this business finding a good home rather than just a new one, you will find that the asking price is barely more than our best year in the last three. Obviously you will not want to pay with Paypal, either nor are we willing to take that kind of hit on the percentage.
The serious suitor will not e-mail or send messages through eBay regarding the sale and transition of this business. The serious suitor will call me on 804-357-4926 and plan a visit to Virginia. As such, those who wish to discuss this will give me a call or come to see me at a mutually-convenient time. I have been going around and around with a couple of potential buyers for about a year now but have been getting nowhere, so I'm open to those who are ready to get to work.
All the best,
William C.W. "Chip" Lamb
Owner & Sole Proprietor
West of Sweden SAAB
Chip Lamb vende su negocio
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