Online Vendors & Entrepreneurs, some advice please.

[messenger13]

I am in the early stages of considering a new business. I am currently self-employed (for the past 6 years), but I am always looking for "the next thing". I am looking at a few products in the motorcycle accessory industry. I would be selling these products online, as well as at trade shows to retailers and at rallies to end-users. Obviously, the products are very exciting to me or I wouldn't even consider it.

Have I given enough information to even ask for advice? Considerations? Things I may not be thinking about?

My current company is based on local service and some local sales. I want "the next thing" to be a business that allows me to travel more. But more importantly, be able to relocate in the next 10 years. An internet-based and traveling business would allow this. My current business model does not.

Thanks in advance.

[Millenhaus]

I've a few LT Tail Trunk Latch Handle Repair Kits - if you're interested.

By itself - not enough to build an entire business on...

[jorawro]

"Local" is far too restrictive in today's economy------if you are committed and the product relates to something that you are truly interested in (and you have an obvious interest in motorcycles) then just go for it. The possibilities for financial gain are limitless, and isn't that what it is all about. (the people who claim money can't buy happiness are shopping in the wrong stores, broke and making excuses for it, or they started out as unhappy people).
You fortunately have been in the service industry so you should have an advantage there-------sales are simple if you have a good product and decent marketing but the service you provide MUST be outstanding or you are no better than hundreds of other people out there "pushing the same product". Think back to all of the complaints you read about on this board------they invariably relate to service, attitude and empathy, not the defective product itself (we can accept a defective product because "it" is impersonal -----defective service is VERY personal and will not easily be forgiven by the masses)
Remember though that it is going to cost you time away from your family and if you don't address this issue "from the start" you probably won't have a family to be away from:(, and then it really doesn't matter how successful you are.
Soooo - my opinion is:D go for it as long as you have the support of your family. And remember-------it would be a shame to lay on your deathbed (a long time from now I would hope) saying----"I wish........"

[grifscoots]

Joe, I'll second that being away from fambly thang.

With contestant #1 I was a conductor with Southern Pacific RR and was gone all the time. That and my rather rock n roll lifestyle (hey I was young and liked to party) cost me that marriage... and she was no saint, so I reckon I was worse.

I eventually quit the RR because I was making more money in the en-trap-manure thang.

Up until a couple of years ago I had a Safety Consultation firm and was all over Texas at least 3 days a week, sometimes more. While getting a chance to ride the bike a great deal, I missed my wife and kid's considerably and since they were in their teenage years then, something bad in a teenage way, always seemed to happen when I was gone.

My wife was behind me 100% as the considerable bucks made allowed us to build our house on our land (would have been quicker if not for our lawsuit happy society).

Tina with Motolights has it perfect, but she doesn't have kiddo's around. I've dreamed of doing that, but at what cost? Now there are grandkid's in the mix!

The travelling is exciting, but it does get old and you do miss being home if you have a family.

If your current bidness is doing well and you have the opportunity to grow it and prosper, I'd stay the course till at least the kid's have grown. They grow up so fast. My kid's are now great adults (who'd have thunk it) but I missed a lot of their childhood. Then, there is also your church to consider.

[pkpr1998]

Dang Grif, WELL SAID!

[BUGKILLER]

If you are going internet some things to consider.

Pick your name and search the URL line for it with .com .net.org. . If it is available register it immediately with a service like Godaddy.com. It will run you $9.95 per name per year or a package deal for all three.

Pick a reputable web designer and email the customers in his portfolio and ask:
1. If they are happy with his/her service.
2. Did they complete the project on time.
3.Are they happy with their web hosting and long term fees
4.Are they pleased with how the web developer handles changes to the web site after it is up and running.

Don't expect that your customers are going to be able to find you on the web.The first six months if I typed in Junkyard Juice in the search line of yahoo and Google I "Might" end up finding my site on page 28 or 29.
You are going to have to pay search engines for your customer to find you.
For instance. When some one searches Google and types in leather cleaner my web site pops up as a paid advertiser out to the right of the search text field. If someone clicks on that ad it cost me 47 cents. If they they get to my site from words like junkyard or juice I pay 3 cents. You pick your key search words and bid for positioning in the ad space. The more money you commit on a monthly basis and the more you bid for the exposure the higher up toward first position you will be. It is the same with all other search engines though they have different ways of getting you there. As far as I can tell Yahoo and Google are the only ones that really need to be paid. Sites like Ask.com and Webcrawler and others redirect to the first two anyway.
You will spend a lot of time with search engine optimizers submitting your site for review. Or, you can pay a company to do this for you. It enables the search engine to find you and analyze your content for future searches. This can be painfully slow so don't expect to start seeing traffic to your site unless you are linked with other websites and link theirs to yours. For you, use all non competing sites like apparel or touring communities like this one or other biker related sites.

So how do you keep companies like Yahoo and Google from picking your pocket with a boiler room in India just doing random searches and clicking on the sites of their own customers? Yes.. you pay another company to watch them. This part is reasonable. For a one year commitment. $4.95 a month prepaid. I use Extreme Tracking www.extremetracking.com . It will give you detailed info as to who comes to your site ,how often,what time of day,how much time they spend on each page etc. If you see a unique user constantly hitting your site from the same address you can block them or their boiler room.
The bottom line is don't expect to build a web site and watch the income flow. It takes daily work and positioning. You can do it once you get past the learning curve or you can pay the multitudes of companies out there to do it for you. Good luck with your new venture.

[messenger13]

Some really good information and insight guys. I hope this keeps up. Thanks for all your time.

(Well...all except for you Brett. What would you know?! You just IM Duddy Dearest for cash and he comes runnin'!) :D

[pkpr1998]

What's bad is this, he runs the OTHER way! LOL