As some of you may know, and not know, I have started my own Home Theater Sales & Installation business. Most companies, small or big use typical vans or trucks to transport their product and tools. I had a different idea. I figured, get a vehicle that serves those purposes, but also can serve a hellacious advertising tool as well. My friend bought a HUMMER H2 and put some chrome 24's on it as shown below, and has his business name / logo's on it. People awe at it any where he goes. I tossed the idea of the hummer around, but then said, 9 mpg... ARE YOU CRAZY!!! The lexus LX450 or 470 is nicer, and get's more than that ( correct me if I'm wrong ), and if customized nicely ( grills, wheels, tint, and GOOD STICKERS or Paintwork ) could possibly turn some heads,... what do ya'll think???

 

AS much as I think the H2 is a POS, it WILL attract attention to your business. I say go for the H2. When the H2 brings u business, you can then buy 10 LX 470s. Ya dig?

 

From a business perspective considering the industry your in, I would do the H2, do not get a first year one. Also, with the way the weight played out on the GX, your in better tax shape to get the H2.

Edit- LX, not GX my bad. Even still, H2.

 

H1 will get more attention than the common H2 (I see more H2s than Civics these days)

but then again you're not at war so why the combat vehicle

 

As a car: LX470

Advertising for Business: H2 (as much as i hate to say it, but hey, it'll attract attention)

 

I'd get a van. Practical (you won't curse trying to get a huge projection TV out of it) and you can STILL mod it with custom paint job, wheels, etc. Hey, how about a modified Honda Element?! I'm serious - it would be cheap to start with, reliable, tons of room, and I'm sure you could do some interesting mods to attract attention.

 

How about one of these? It's made by MB Great gas mileage and you can stand up inside no. other van will do that. It may run until Toyota comes out with one.


http://www.dodge.com/sprinter/index....epage&type=top


or import a Toyota Van fron the UK?

http://www.vanman.co.uk/newvans/toyota/

or a Toyota Sienna

http://www.toyota.com/sienna/


or a Toyota Sequoia

http://www.toyota.com/sequoia/

 

i would look @ any sweet vehicle...the h2 isn't that sweet and i don't pay too much mind to them. a brand new lx470 is way more appealing. but you must think about what the common person thinks is nice, but when i want to buy a projection tv, i don't worry about what kind of vehicle the store owner drives, but i understand the point of the thread. Get the lexus, nice items...and it will KILL any h2.

 

I think bit's on the right track. As a startup your first need is to preserve working capital. Rather than invest in big lease payments, put your money in your own pockets with a solid marketing program. Work from home at first to keep recurring overhead costs to a minimum. That Honda Element might be just the thing with suitable mods, graphics, etc. It's reliable (which the H2 is NOT), quirky, has a huge load space for its size, and won't look like a plumber's van. Best of all, it's (relatively) cheap, and won't cost a fortune to insure and maintain.

After a number of years as a small business owner, I can safely say that you are better served by a six-figure cash reserve than a big "dead horse" of a monthly payment you will have to drag for the next three years. Cash will give you fiscal flexibility, limit debt service, and help you survive the bad months. More important, it will let you take advantage of opportunities for growth you couldn't handle with severely limited resources. As any gambler will tell you, the downward spiral starts when you start playing with "scared" money.

For now, focus on the business, not your own ego's needs. Hey, I had to suffer through a few years with a Civic. Treat yourself to a nice new ride in about three years after the business is on its feet and you can make meaningful sales projections. Good luck in your new venture!

 

I actually have been leaning towards the LX450,.. and a side note is, new is not a requirement for me, and I would rather have a used lexus any day over a new Element, van, or ford vehicle,...

A hummer is pimp, and most company's around here are using them for advertising, but I think with my pimp juice, I can possibly get the neck snap effect from the LX.

The other reason I was considering the h2 was for the weight and tax break on them. You can deduct 38K of the vehicle's cost in the first year ( i've done my research on that aspect ). Even the escalade made the weight requirement of 6000lbs, but i don't care for GMC / Chevy interchangeable vehicles.

I wouldn't attempt a delivery in any of the listed vehicles, ...my distributor would handle that,... this vehicle would deliver me, my tools, and speakers/components/ regular sized tv's.... nothin' insane.

The SC400 is doin' it now,... but that's gonna have to stop.

 

Who are you trying to attract as a potential customer?

Some people have no problem with paying a fair price for an install but have little interest in subsidizing Lexus and Hummer utility vehicles.

 

OMG TOOO FUNNNNNNNNNNI!!!!!!!!!! LOLS

 

The Hummer parody site reported by AutoSpies is hella funny but also tells a lot of truth.
http://www.hummerdinger.com/
http://sierraclubmedia.net/page2.asp

I agree that the H2 will get you the attention you're looking for, though I hate to think about its environmental implications.

 

Exacty, Driving up in a flashy Luxury Utility Vehicle gives the wrong inpression, the status shows that your Clients are being overcharged.

 

Didn't want to come out and say it but when you run a business and you are under that spotlight, customers know exactly who is paying for every bauble you have. Some customers might think you are doing well (and they are generally wrong) and others are going to think you charge more just for the vehicle you drive. And the impact on other employees, well another whole topic. Have to figure out what is most important to you and how to get there. Plenty of time for baubles. If you get a reputation for providing good service at a fair price, need to ask yourself how many more customers you get with the luxo install vehicle. If you don't get the good reputation, it doesn't make any difference.