At the very beginning of the article I want to say right away: driving cars as a business does not require its owner to be an expert on the structure of the car. Even if you are not familiar with the design of the engine and have never been involved in this business, you can always use multiple information resources to accumulate the necessary theoretical knowledge. And in this article we will consider driving cars as a business that should bring stable earnings.
Necessary funds
To start providing car driving services, you only need a computer (with an Internet connection) and a telephone. Therefore, sometimes this business is called home. Of course, no one limits you and does not stop you before renting a separate office.
But such costs at the very beginning can be detrimental to business development. In the list of necessary things you can also include a certain stock of knowledge about the device of the car. Fortunately, we have the best and most free source of knowledge - the Internet, where we can get a wide variety of information.
Scheme of work
There are many schemes by which cars are driven as a business. As a business strategy, you can choose one of the ready-made solutions. Most of them are based on the same principle. The client describes the required model of the car, and the contractor transports it by any means to the appointed place.
Many may think that this business requires that cars from Germany or other countries be driven. But this is an erroneous opinion. After all, few customers are ready to expect their car for several months and at the same time overpay a lot of money for customs. Therefore, now most of these dealers are looking for the right car in the territory of their state (in this case, Russia will be considered). Driving trucks is no different from carriage.
Circuit details
The first stage of work is as follows: you find the client and write down all his wishes regarding the expected car. Next, using Internet portals or other sources, look for the right car for the order. Having found a suitable model, you draw up a contract of assignment with the client. This document allows you to make an official purchase on behalf of the customer.
It will be best for you if the contract does not specify a specific car, but its description. This item will significantly expand the list of offers and to some extent protect you from “empty” trips (when the transaction did not take place due to inconsistencies in the machine parameters). As for the search for offers for sale, the Internet comes to our aid again, as well as more primitive sources of ad placement. In the vastness of the World Wide Web there are hundreds of sites where people exhibit their cars. By the way, Internet portals have convenient filters that significantly speed up the process of finding the right ad.
Pre-ride Activities
Suppose you have already decided for yourself that you will provide services for driving cars. And they already found their first client, and began to sort out the offers. You liked some car. What to do next? Pack up and go shopping? In no case! Before you go to another city to purchase a car, you need to thoroughly communicate with the seller.After contacting the owner of the car, you need to find out the following facts about the car from him:
- Main characteristics. This includes the model (accurate) indicating all modifications, body type (sedan, hatchback, station wagon, etc.), color, engine information (power, type), gearbox (manual, automatic, semi-automatic), fuel tank capacity, gas mileage, etc. You can continue this list for a long time. And let the seller not be confused by such a detailed questioning. Explain to him that you will be traveling from another city. You may need to give him time to figure out all the information.
- Condition. The seller must give a full description of the car, starting from the presence of scratches and defects and ending with the presence of tinting. This also includes the condition of the passenger compartment. If possible, ask to send additional photos confirming his words.
- The performance of electrical appliances. Here you need to be persistent and demand to check all the electrical devices in the car. Sometimes the owners themselves are not aware of the presence of certain devices.
- Pedigree cars. Where and by whom was the car purchased, the number of former owners. Request a service book.
- Equipment. Here, as in the case of the main characteristics, the list is very long. In short, find out what is available in the car: for example, power steering, air conditioning, stereo, fog lights, tires, wheels, cruise control, etc. Also, divide all the "lotions" into two categories: those included in the standard package (with factory) and installed independently.
- Consumables. Ask when was the last time consumables replaced: oil, pads, anthers, filters. Although some information is difficult to verify even during inspection, it’s still worth asking.
Post Arrival Activities
As soon as you arrive at the appointed place, ask all the questions that were described earlier, and immediately check everything personally. Inspection should be done during daylight hours. The car itself must be clean, including the engine. It often happens that some flaws are hidden under the mud. Please note the following characteristics that are worth paying attention to.
- No odors. This applies to both the interior and the engine. It often happens that this characteristic is capable of giving out hidden problems to the car. Under the hood, it should not smell like gasoline - this indicates a violation of the tightness and normal operation of the engine. The salon should not be excessively fragrant with various flavors, most often this indicates an attempt to mask various unpleasant odors. It should be noted that some of them are difficult to weather, and in some situations this is completely impossible.
- Wear rubber. Wheels should wear evenly. If the rubber on one side is worn more than on the other, this indicates incorrect alignment and other possible causes. In the most extreme case, the wheels will need to be changed.
- Defects. Once again, ask the seller to indicate all dents, scratches and other defects. Also find out the source of their appearance. Many people try to hide the fact of a collision or other accident. And in reality, it’s very difficult to find out the truth. Carefully inspect the paint on the car, pay attention to the presence of different shades of the body parts. In daylight, such differences stand out best. Also take a look at the seals (rubber bands between the individual body parts) and check for traces of paint on them. If there is, then, most likely, the car was repainted (or its separate part), while it was of poor quality.
- Engine operation. This section is very extensive. Describe all the points that you need to pay attention to in a few paragraphs will not work. Therefore, only the main points will be given here. The process of turning on and running the engine should occur smoothly, without sharp sounds and without delay. Extraneous noises, creaks or tapping should not be heard.When you press the gas, the engine should accelerate evenly (without sudden jumps). Let the car be wound up for a while in your presence. Inspect the exhaust pipe. No unnecessary sounds should be heard from it and gasoline should not flow out. The gearbox should shift easily and smoothly (as far as the car itself allows).
- Completeness. Naturally, you need to check all the documents, the correspondence of engine numbers, the presence of several sets of keys. Pay special attention to TCP (vehicle passport).
additional information
To all the previously listed actions, you need to add a few tips. When testing a car, you need to try to identify possible problems, that is, emulate non-standard driving. For example, try to sharply press the gas and the brake, turn the steering wheel too much, use the turn signals, windshield wipers, emergency gang, etc. with special enthusiasm.
All this will help to reveal at first glance invisible problems. Do not buy a car from people who own it by proxy. The contract for driving a car must be concluded in a specialized company. When signing the agreement, check everything yourself, pay attention even to the presence of grammatical errors (since they can be used to terminate the contract).
Excessive caution in this case will not be superfluous, so when you sign the contract, make sure that the "sellers" do not steal the car, but rather, let your person be on duty there. After the purchase, immediately check once again the quality of the alarm console and all keys.
Business organization
Driving cars involves many specific difficulties. And earlier tips were given to help get around some of them. But now it's worth talking about the business itself. In addition to the general problems that are characteristic of any business, here are some typical questions. Firstly, it is communication with customers. As mentioned above, an office is, in fact, an extra waste of money.
But you still need to meet with customers. It’s not worth inviting them to your home, it causes distrust and indicates the frivolity of your services. You can try to invite customers to neutral territory and already communicate there. This option is more acceptable. Or you can even communicate with people using the Internet and a webcam. Another problem is finding customers.
After all, a person will have to make a full prepayment and pay for additional services. Today, people have become more suspicious and less trusted even trusted companies. But trust issues are resolved over time, after completing several orders. Always compile a database of customers, then if you wish, you can contact a person to positively characterize you.
Advertising
Advertising is always necessary for everyone. And this business - driving cars - is no exception. We have three main advertising platforms: newspapers, magazines, the Internet. Surely you have already seen handouts in print. Mass newspapers still help to build a customer base. As for magazines, attention should be paid to automotive and related publications. In the latter, the price of advertising will be slightly higher than in regular newspapers. And do not forget about the World Wide Web. Here we can do everything for free and quickly.
The risks
In this business, there is another major problem - transportation. This factor cannot be accurately calculated. Weather conditions, personal problems or just fools on the roads - all this can lead to a collision. This means that no further sale transaction will take place. Therefore, in order to somehow protect yourself, you need insurance to drive a car. This will significantly reduce the potential risks of losing cash and time.
Choice of work scheme and earnings
The article has almost come to an end, but there was not a word about the percentage of earnings.Of course, there is no official information, but according to statistics, people take about 10-15% of the total cost of the car. All expenses incurred during the trip, as a rule, are borne by the client.
As for the choice of a work scheme, practice shows that it is better to work with machines that already have mileage in Russia. Although quite often people drive cars from Germany, Japan and from other countries. But we have already examined the disadvantages of this scheme.
Conclusion
Today we examined the driving of cars. As a business, this business has many technical subtleties, especially related to the right and careful choice of cars. Plus, there is a difficulty in circumventing scammers who are trying in every way to hide the flaws of the car, after which you will be forced to pay for repairs from your own pocket.
