Hi Dave, Just the opposite when I bought the existing business on the site I now own, that was just the scenario. Two old fashioned boys who I have a great deal of respect for, had run the business down and would only work on BL cars; none of this foreign rubbish! Although I bought their Goodwill stock & equipment, the real asset was the location of the site, just on the edge of the Town centre on the affluent side of town right opposite a railway station on a busy road.

I have built my business up from a one man band being given a boost of an instant customer base from a large local church I attend. After 18 months of successful trading we had to move on. Not easy finding premises in a large town that in the early days I found difficult paying rents or being stuffed away in the back of some obscure trading estate. Eventually again I shared another workshop with another local rouge who after 2 years of watching my business grow successfully told me to F*?% Off; after returning from 2 weeks summer hols, and he meant it, it was too painful for him to watch another successful business beside him. I managed to last a year of abuse and threats of ABH from him until I heard down the grape vine of this old fashioned garage in the town and the two old boys thinking of retirement. I do still believe in miracles as I know that many other traders or developers would have snatched this place up before you know what, but I managed to sign a ten year lease and bought the business from them stretching myself to my every last penny.

Amalgamating a one man band & apprentice with a two man business meant more employees bigger pay checks a ten year lease all very daunting. Again my good wifey stepped in and ran the books but what with small children and the rapid growth of the business we had to go computerised which in the early 80’s was not her forte. I spent 3 years messing up the accounts and learning an old DOS computing system and another 3 years trying to sort out the mess with my accountant. Fortunately today I can afford someone who understands accounting better than me. Never having been computer literate at school you can imagine the mess, however it was do or die and I finally became computer literate so as to say.

Along the way we have been able to buy the freehold again investing every penny in a very large mortgage which at the time seemed like suicide, but as time has gone on we managed to pay it off in less than ten years and the property has proved to be the best investment ever made.

My policy has always been to keep investing every penny I can afford in equipment not only for the workshop but also for the office. There never has been a year in 25 years of trading that we have not shown an increase in turnover or profits. Even with me possibly giving it all up soon. I am investing in a brand new MOT line with new scissor ramp and ball joint play plates with latest headlamp beam setter for one man testing. When I come to sell I want the business in tip top condition. I have spent 25 years of my life struggling to make it one of the best Independent Garages in our Town. Even though the site may be worth a greater fortune to a developer to put up a block of 50 flats?

John Kennard.