advice on getting into buying/selling cars

[dannyem]

hi im new to pistonheads,and am looking at getting out of bricklaying and into the car trade
im 31 now and my knee is on its way out after a motorbike crash which happend when i was 18 so i really need to start thinking about doing something thats not going to leave me done in by the time im 40
i would guess a lot of you may tell me to leave well alone but my only qualifications are related to my currant trade
and shop/office work would kill me
i have a intrest in cars and can manage basic servicing
i want do do this properly vat reg insurance and everything that goes with it
the end goal would be to have a forecort somewhere
any help tips and pointers would by hugley appreciatedhttp

[Jasandjules]

Be honest. You will sell a lot more.

[Ozzie Osmond]

It would IMO be prudent to get a job as an employee in the trade before trying to "go it alone", which is a very high risk strategy.

[hufggfg]

Ozzie Osmond said:

It would IMO be prudent to get a job as an employee in the trade before trying to "go it alone", which is a very high risk strategy.

Exactly this. While I'm certainly no expert in the automotive sales industry, ultimately this is true for everything.

The best idea is probably trying to get a job in any large dealership, then work your absolute nuts off trying to learn everything you can and impress. Hopefully you'll get a huge amount of experience and move up the ranks relatively quickly to allow you to learn more about the management side.

Unfortunately, it's not going to be quick though, personally, in your shoes I'd be expecting it to take at least 10 years before you even thought about going it alone. The reality is you're starting out on an entirely new career, and that certainly isn't easy!

Of course, if you have a big wedge of cash behind you, where you can effectively hire people who already know the ropes, (and learn from them) then you could do it immediately, but even then it's a huge risk, as you don't know the business, so can't be sure the people you hire are making the right decisions.

As with all businesses, start from the ground and work your way up!

[Matt UK]

Buy low, sell high.

[dannyem]

my plan would be to stick with the bricklaying and buy a car that needs tidying up nothing major then sell it on for a small profit i would do this until i had 2 maybe 3 cars and just see how it goes i wouldnt be able to just stop what im doing and jump into the unknown
i feel this way i can still earn a decant wage and ease my way into the car trade
but im unsure about insurance,vat and if it will apply to me like i said before i would like to do this properly but am unsure on the legal side of things