Become a Car Consultant
By Eric Hammer
Do you love cars and pretty much know everything there is
to know about which cars are worth buying and which ones are
going to be duds? If so, you could make a really good living
becoming a car consultant. Car consultants help people who are
considering buying a car, usually a used car, though some car
consultants help people to pick out the perfect new car for their
needs as well.
Think about it – there is a reason why used car salesmen
tend to have such a horrible reputation – because people
often feel cheated when they go out to buy themselves a used
car. After all, the car you purchase off of a used car salesman
may need new breaks, a new transmission, even a new motor. It
may have been through a major accident and then rebuilt. While
some information can be obtained by looking through CarFax vehicle
reports, nothing can replace a qualified car consultant when
inspecting a used car as there are many things that simply cannot
be seen by a layman.
Even when purchasing new cars, many people get flustered by
all the choices – should they buy the Hyundai with the longer
warranty or should they go for the Toyota with the better reputation.
What if they want to purchase an electric car? Which choice is
the best option? All these questions are things that you may
be called upon to answer as a car consultant.
How Much Can You Make?
The amount you can make as a car consultant varies widely,
though it is not uncommon for car consultants to charge as much
as $500 to $1,000 to inspect a used car that someone is considering
buying. This means that if you are good and can inspect say three
to four cars a day you could easily take home in the neighborhood
of $1,500-$3,000 per day. Of course the catch is getting yourself
to the point of being in demand and getting consistent work,
however for those who can get it, being a car consultant can
be extremely lucrative work.
Ways to Make More | Related Opportunities
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As mentioned previously, you can also offer your services
to people who are considering a new car purchase, sitting down
with them to discuss what it is they are interested in getting
and then helping them to figure out the best possible option
for their needs. This is likely however to be a lower paid job
than that of a car consultant who inspects used cars.
In addition to this, another area you can work in as a car
consultant is repairs. If people feel like they get ripped off
when they go to buy a used car, they feel doubly ripped off when
they go into a garage and are told that there is a long laundry
list of things that need repair. Unfortunately, the average person
simply doesn’t know enough to be able to say what is a real
repair and what is the garage owner lining his own pockets. Therefore,
you can easily offer your services as a "second opinion"
on such transactions, especially when the repairs in question
may be costly to complete.
Finally, you may want to consider becoming an auto broker.
Unlike a car consultant, a broker actually becomes a middle man,
negotiating a price on behalf of their client rather than simply
providing the second opinion that many people might want. The
catch is that auto brokers may have to comply with state laws
regarding car sales whereas as a car consultant, you are in essence
a "car guy" who simply knows what to look for in a
used car.
Qualifications / Requirements
Bottom line, to be a car consultant, you need to know more
about cars than the average person. There are no licensing requirements
for becoming a car consultant and virtually anyone could hang
out a shingle if they so desire, however you are not likely to
get business or stay in business very long if you can’t
realistically offer your customers quality advice.
You should also check with your city hall as to the requirements
for a sole proprietorship and you may want to look into liability
insurance in the event that you make a recommendation on a vehicle
which later turns out to be a lemon.
First Steps
Get yourself some experience in the car business. Go to mechanics
school and learn everything there is to know about a variety
of different car makes and keep learning about them. While you
can just refer to yourself as a car consultant regardless of
your experience, you are more likely to get business if you can
show that you have experience to back up what you are saying.
In fact, many auto mechanics make extra money working on the
side as a car consultant, offering their expert knowledge to
long time customers who have come to trust them.
Resources
Gaebler: How to Start an Auto Consultants and Information
Business – More basic information on the business of
being a car consultant.
National Independent
Automobile Dealers Association – This is more for those
who are interested in becoming brokers than consultants; however
there is a wealth of information here nonetheless.
ArticleAlley: Understanding the Auto Consulting
Home Business – While this article is intended to get
you to visit the consultant listed at the end of it, it does
provide some useful information about the business of being an
auto consultant.
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