I want free advice to help me break into the RV industry
Start by gathering information from trade groups, say our experts.
Pat, Trego, Wis.
I am interested in starting a company catering to the recreational vehicle industry. Where can I find business consultants to help me? I’d prefer to find consultants who are willing to work for free.
By Paul Roberts, Fortune Small Business Contributor
Dear Pat: Recreational vehicles are a small niche within the much larger automotive industry. Many different companies fall under the RV industry umbrella: manufacturers, parts suppliers, dealers, and so on.
If your business will cater to RV manufacturers, start with the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), the national trade association that represents RV manufacturers and their suppliers. Those two groups together build more than 98% of all RVs produced in the U.S., according to the RVIA.
The group also sponsors national and regional trade show each year. These shows provide excellent networking opportunities for a small business owner hoping to break into the market, says Kevin Broom, an RVIA spokesman.
If you’re interested in becoming an RV dealer or in catering to that part of the market, the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) is your best bet, says John Roba, President of John Roba Company Inc., a RV industry consulting company in Clarence, N.Y.
The RVDA provides a wealth of information sessions, trade shows and networking events for RV dealers. An associate membership starts a $406 a year. That’s a fraction of what you’d pay a consultant, Roba points out.
Broom cautions that these aren’t great times for the RV industry. After enjoying its three best years ever between 2004 and 2006, business dropped 9.5% in 2007, with an even bigger decline forecast for 2008, Broom says. Gas prices are a big factor in that, but so is the housing market collapse, which has robbed potential RV buyers of a prime source of disposable income.
Still, RV rentals are up 20% this year, Broom says. And 30-somethings are a fast growing demographic in the industry, which has long been dominated by retirees.
Roba agrees, noting that the industry has survived gas price spikes before–in the 1970s–and that vast numbers of retiring baby boomers bode well for the RV industry. And though high gas prices may discourage many RV owners from buying new equipment, that might be a good thing for parts and accessories vendors.
When it comes to free business consultants, you may find that you get what you pay for. As with any other service, consultants get compensated in proportion to their knowledge and expertise. Roba says his company does consulting work for manufacturers who want to start selling to RV makers. Like many consultants, his rates are flexible and he sometimes works on commission.
But short of striking up a personal friendship with someone who happens to be an RV industry expert, you’re unlikely to get any worthwhile consultant to provide valuable advice or market intelligence for free
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Diggget piece of food prices in Hawaii. the stupid reporter looked shocked where he found out that the comsumer was going to pick up the tab on the increase in freight costs.
thanks for the tip on air in my tires, such an educational show!!!
I am curious, why would you think that a consultant would help you free of charge? I have often thought how great it would be to have similar situations but never even thought of it as a possibility! Sounds like you may know something I dont….
Micromentor (www.micromentor.org)offers what you’re looking for for business consultants and free consulting.
Disclaimer: I’m a mentor with that organization.
In addition to the industries mentioned, RVers also purchase books, magazines, solar panels, wireless products for staying in touch and accessing the Internet, add-ons for their tow vehicle or RV, and more. There are many possibilities for starting a business.
I do heartly agree that finding a free business consultant will probably get you what you pay for.
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Author of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider’s Guide to Working on the Road and other RV books
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Check out the Service Corps of Retired Executive sponsored by the SBA. They provide free consulting to people thinking about starting a business. Also find a Small Business Development Center at the nearest college or university. They also provide free consulting to prospective entrepreneurs.