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Cut4fun

Cut4fun

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Why not Stihl, Husky, Echo, Redmax, Mac, Poulan, Homelite and etc. Then we could just order are parts online and bypass the stealerships hehe. But they wont because they like the noose tight around our necks.
 
sedanman

sedanman

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Cut4fun, The term "stealership" shows the limit of you grasp on reality. You know NOTHING of what it takes to survive in business. I propose a wager, I bet my life savings against yours that you could not operate a successful saw shop for a year without going broke. Go rent a storefront for 5 to 10 thousand a month, hire a helper, pay the utility bills, advertise, and stock your shelves and parts room, buy tools etc,etc,etc. And then turn enough of a profit by cutting your throat on every sale so as to appear to be a "theif". GOOD LUCK.
 
stihltech

stihltech

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business

ANY small business requires a certain amount of investment to make a profit. I would think our parts inventory is into the thousands. One reason our customers come back is the fact it can be fixed while they wait. Not every time, but most of it.

Someone here mentioned they want to deal with someone that ONLY sells saws. Without selling a complete line, you are only hurting yourself. Besides, it is not that difficult to repair other 2 cycle equipment if you know saw repair.And if you don't want to take time to do it, you do not have enough time to service a good customer base.

And without a customer base, you have no business.
 
bcorradi

bcorradi

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sedanman said:
Cut4fun, The term "stealership" shows the limit of you grasp on reality. You know NOTHING of what it takes to survive in business. I propose a wager, I bet my life savings against yours that you could not operate a successful saw shop for a year without going broke. Go rent a storefront for 5 to 10 thousand a month, hire a helper, pay the utility bills, advertise, and stock your shelves and parts room, buy tools etc,etc,etc. And then turn enough of a profit by cutting your throat on every sale so as to appear to be a "theif". GOOD LUCK.

Where are you paying your 5-10k for a storefront? If you averaged $100 profit per new saw, you would have to sell between 50-100 saws per month just to pay rent for your storefront? Wouldn't you be doomed for failure then?
 
sedanman

sedanman

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Around here a 5,000 square foot commercial building with a decent sized parking lot is about 1,500,000.00 to buy ONE POINT FIVE MILLION. Do you think they'd rent it for less than 5k?
 
Lakeside53

Lakeside53

Stihl Wrenching
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Woodinville, WA
sedanman said:
Around here a 5,000 square foot commercial building with a decent sized parking lot is about 1,500,000.00 to buy ONE POINT FIVE MILLION. Do you think they'd rent it for less than 5k?


Dang... I guess that's why we're in 850 square feet:hmm3grin2orange:
 
cuttinscott

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bcorradi said:
Where are you paying your 5-10k for a storefront? If you averaged $100 profit per new saw, you would have to sell between 50-100 saws per month just to pay rent for your storefront? Wouldn't you be doomed for failure then?

Maybe thats why we sell more than just chainsaws.. BTW im working out of a 3200sq. ft. store/shop on a little over 2 acre lot.
Scott
 
bcorradi

bcorradi

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sedanman said:
Around here a 5,000 square foot commercial building with a decent sized parking lot is about 1,500,000.00 to buy ONE POINT FIVE MILLION. Do you think they'd rent it for less than 5k?
I guess if you were starting out and took the leap to rent that 10k storefront you would definately be doomed. You don't need to put your caplocks on. I can read lowercase just fine.
 
eyolf

eyolf

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Sedan is right; in many rural areas here in the midwest the towns are dying (partly) because nobody can afford to operate their business in one. It isn't just the cost of land or its worth; how about 12,000/annum in property taxes for 50 feet frontage in a commercial zone? Many small towns wait for a business or two to buy a lot outside of town to escape, then annex the area.

It costs a lot to operate a town, I guess. When I was a kid, the little hamlet a mile away (pop 600) had a part-time cop who was also the part-time town maintenance guy, dogcatcher, city clerk, etc. This guy also had a sewer pump service business on the side to tide him over. In the winter, the streets stayed snow-covered...you had to drive carefully (country roads too!). Now this town is down to 480 pop., but has a full-time chief of police, two part-time sergeants, 3 full-time maintenance guys, and if somebody has to drive in an inch of snow they call the mayor and threaten violence! It's interesting that nobody in 1960 had a 4-wheel-drive...too expensive! Now, how can anyone survive without one!

Here's my point: if the guy across the street wants $100 too much for a chain saw, better just fork it out. At least its going back in your town. Unless you like the idea of plowing somebody else's streets when it snows.
 
Cut4fun

Cut4fun

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sedanman said:
Cut4fun, The term "stealership" shows the limit of you grasp on reality. You know NOTHING of what it takes to survive in business. I propose a wager, I bet my life savings against yours that you could not operate a successful saw shop for a year without going broke. Go rent a storefront for 5 to 10 thousand a month, hire a helper, pay the utility bills, advertise, and stock your shelves and parts room, buy tools etc,etc,etc. And then turn enough of a profit by cutting your throat on every sale so as to appear to be a "theif". GOOD LUCK.
Naw not into slave labor. Thats why I got myself a state job, So people that run shops can pay my salary with the taxes you pay. Thanks for the offer though. But the 3 stihl dealers in my area 15 miles apart are stealerships with noses in the air. Sorry if that offends you, but thats how I feel about the ones around me. My bro buys only stihl from a shop 3 hours south and you would swear he was a king when he enters their doors. Just different people run their shops like you would want to be treated and some like stealerships.
 
clearance

clearance

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State job? You mean you don't really work, you "work". I thought that maybe you had been scammed by a dealer but now I get it. If state "workers" are anything like govt. "workers" are here that is truly pathetic. Check out what Eyolf said in his post, the cop was the man, he did it all, now replaced by "workers".
 
Cut4fun

Cut4fun

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clearance said:
State job? You mean you don't really work, you "work". I thought that maybe you had been scammed by a dealer but now I get it. If state "workers" are anything like govt. "workers" are here that is truly pathetic. Check out what Eyolf said in his post, the cop was the man, he did it all, now replaced by "workers".
I work at trying not to work, If I break a sweat I want OT. I just think it is funny to watch the ones defending the big saw name when I jerk the chain alittle. Just bad stihl dealers in my area. The best dealer in my area sells Dolmar and Echo from a 2 door garage beside his house. Thats the way I like them, not fancy, not a suit type person and sure the heck aint wearing one to buy a saw in a stihl shop. Plus he will deal with you one on one and show you what and how things need to be done. Just hope this Crap with Dolmar hasnt effected him too.
 
clearance

clearance

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Cut4fun, I too like small dealers that know wtf is up with the saws. Some big dealers that are into mowers and gensets etc. are good too. You were kidding about the state job I hope.
 
Vernon Tull

Vernon Tull

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I know it's incredibly tough these days to operate and prosper in a small business with expenses what they are. I'm glad for the very few saw shops that are left, and I wouldn't refer to them as stealerships (auto dealerships, almost certainly, but not independent saw shops). I don't have much to add to that, but I can say a word about service and attitude within equipment dealers. In the last few years I've had dealings with three Stihl dealers within 60 miles of my house in rural Alabama. Two offered A+ excellent service and attitude about their Stihl line; however, the closest one to me considered it an unwanted hassle to help any customer who wished to purchase a Stihl product. Their main business was hardware and builiding supply, and they never had time to help with the Stihl line.

Would it surprise anyone that the best Stihl dealer I've ever purchased from -- most knowledgeable, most willing to help, quick with service -- was and still is owned and run by a young woman? Is that rare within the Stihl network?
 
wagonwheeler

wagonwheeler

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clearance said:
Cut4fun, I too like small dealers that know wtf is up with the saws. Some big dealers that are into mowers and gensets etc. are good too. You were kidding about the state job I hope.

But it won't be long till the govt owns and runs the saw shops, too - they just can't decide if it should be handled at the state or local level...

If you take a map of any given city and highlight all the govt. owned land/buildings/businesses (schools, universities and military bases included) you'll wonder how 'we' (the non-highlighted area) are able to pay for it all.

I'm less concerned about businesses I can refuse to give my dollars than those I cannot refuse.
 

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