Q: To Bryan- How long did it take you to get your company really started up?

A: Well, that depends on your idea of "really started up".  The company was established in 2003 and got a brick and mortar location in 2005.  Although I understood business, it's been a huge learning curve for me being in the automotive business.  It's not like a franchise.  I had to find my own way of doing things, figuring out which marketing technique best reaches our target audience (and spending a lot of money doing so), and creating an efficient system that works for MSA.  Myles Kovac, CEO of DUB Publishing, told me it took 10 to get DUB to where it is today.  

Would I say MSA has really started up as of today?  No.  My dreams of this Company are huge.  I am no where near where I set my sights to be today and there are different avenues I am still pursuing to get this Company rolling at a comfortable pace.  When the economy bombed in 2008, I had to cut costs and added more to my plate - book keeping, web management, etc... - and cut my salary completely (what little it was at the time).  It was more important to me to see that the guys that worked for me got what they needed to keep food on their tables.  That stands the same today.

For those thinking of starting their own custom shop, my advice is to look around.  Look at the tire shops, mechanic shops, etc...  Custom shops aren't needed by the general public as much as they are, and you're fighting for a small market share anyway.  Any one there appear to be where you want to be in the next 5, 10, 20 years?  We have our celebrities - Chip Foose, Boyd Coddington...yea sure - but what's their ratio to the US?  Would you be willing to work 80+ work days for free for the next 4 years?  It's not easy, but then again, what business is. 

- Bryan Lin | CEO, The Motorsports Authority, Inc. | MSAStore.com