DealersEdge Professional Forums

We will be opening a new dealership? Any advice on things to get? Things you have ran into needing... We have an existing franchise combined and will be splitting up.. I have already thought of nuts and bolts drawers, wheel weights.., ets... Anyone that has been thru this offer any advice...

We have an elevator in parts and it is a god send for putting heavy cores upstairs and out of my hair. Also works nicely for side steps and bed liners. A good, strong roll around cart for parts. Also with all the different oils some of us have to carry now, they have these big, yellow platforms that you can lie your drums on and they have a catch for the drips. No crappy barrel pumps to break all the time and no oil all over the floor. Good, comfortable chairs.

Key machine
Pallet jack
Strapping/shrink-wrap
Hand-truck
Trash cans
Calculators, staplers, tape guns, etc
Warranty storage bins if nec.
Nice padded floor mats for counters
Stools for customer/techs
Cash register if nec.
PO Books, invoices, letterhead, envelopes etc.
Clocks
Coffee machine
Mini-fridge full of Buds

We've done this twice... I've built two satellite stores and you never think of everything...

SHOPPING CART from the local A & P to put stock away with, or I think you can get one from Aldi's for a quarter.

Good Luck.

solid 1/4" steel countertop that won't dent when the techs slam things on it.

Good answers guys. A carry around basket from the grocery store too for taking parts to the techs. Good 22" or bigger monitors, a good printer with scan and fax. Adding machines, a really good tape dispenser, speakers for the computers, zip ties, a good broom and that red stuff you sweep with to keep the dust down. A couple of file cabinets. Some little drawer boxes for bulbs, keys and fuses, and the metal or plastic little bins with dividers for bolts, nut, washers, studs, o-rings and other little parts that always seem to fall in the floor and disappear. We have a small safe for the "key fobs" (hate that word). Battery racks and a peg board wall or some way of hanging up all the transmission cooler lines and the like. Tire racks and larger shelves for big parts. A decent long bed half ton truck. A bin made out pallets and hog fence to put all the cardboard.

Scale (postal and/or ups)
Check with supplier possible bulk taks for coolant, w/w solvent(safety kleen has a good deal on this)
and most of all
PATIENCE

Thanks for all your ideas...and suggestions.. Some apply some won't.. But how the hell could I forget beer for the mini fridge... I think I should hire a beer assistant like the guy from FAST-N-LOUD

the most important thing for you to have put in is the super secret emergency exit,for use only when the pooh hits the fan.

also while i am thinking about it and if you can talk the boss into it......how about a couple of those massage therapist's and a
physco therapist like they have in those new gm training courses for when things get really wacky.....