Any aspies out there running their own business?

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Jamieohs
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30 Dec 2015, 10:27 am

So after a bad experience at my previous job I pretty much decided that I wanted to start up my own business and be able to Work for myself. I'm currently working on a business plan which will hopefully allow me to take out a small loan to get started.

Just wondering if anyone else on here is already running one and if you do you enjoy it? Is there any particular areas you struggle with?

Any advice would be appreciated


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JohnConnor
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30 Dec 2015, 9:26 pm

In order to launch your own business you first have to have a steady source of income which will allow you to the opportunity to invest the necessary amount of $ to build your own business.



JohnConnor
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30 Dec 2015, 9:28 pm

What were you doing at this job where you had the bad work experience?



cathylynn
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30 Dec 2015, 9:32 pm

i had my own business for six years. it didn't work out. i have no sales skills and i didn't manage my employees well. one embezzled $8000 from me.



Fnord
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30 Dec 2015, 9:36 pm

I run a consulting business on the side; but I work my regular job to support myself and my family. I also have some rental properties that are moderately profitable.



Jamieohs
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31 Dec 2015, 8:59 am

Was a mechanic, I was good at the job but just didn't get along with the bosses, currently in college taking a mechanic course to further improve my skills, my idea basically involves buying damaged cars/cars involved in accidents, stripping them down and selling all the good parts online, sort of like an online based car parts store.

Can easily do most of the work myself, I'd have no problem stripping down a vehicle and I'm not terrible around people so long as there ain't too much of it (exactly the problem with my previous job). I will need to find another job so I can save up enough in order to set up somewhere, invest in a decent set of tools and have some backup cash in case something goes wrong but I eventually want to get to the point where I can give up the other job and make this my main focus.


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JohnConnor
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31 Dec 2015, 4:03 pm

Looks to me like you got a really good plan. Do yourself a favor. Go to www.jessicakingsleypublishers.com and buy yourself a copy of The Asperger Syndrome Workplace Survival Guide by Barbara Bissonnette. Because no matter what you do professionally your AS will get in the way at some point. This book will be a guide to teach you how to get around those potential pitfalls.



cathylynn
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31 Dec 2015, 6:17 pm

JohnConnor wrote:
Looks to me like you got a really good plan. Do yourself a favor. Go to http://www.jessicakingsleypublishers.com and buy yourself a copy of The Asperger Syndrome Workplace Survival Guide by Barbara Bissonnette. Because no matter what you do professionally your AS will get in the way at some point. This book will be a guide to teach you how to get around those potential pitfalls.


the link didn't work, but i was able to order the book on amazon. so, thanks.



Jamieohs
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31 Dec 2015, 6:31 pm

JohnConnor wrote:
Looks to me like you got a really good plan. Do yourself a favor. Go to http://www.jessicakingsleypublishers.com and buy yourself a copy of The Asperger Syndrome Workplace Survival Guide by Barbara Bissonnette. Because no matter what you do professionally your AS will get in the way at some point. This book will be a guide to teach you how to get around those potential pitfalls.


Thanks Johnconnor, will do, the biggest pitfall in my last job was certainly my a**hole of a boss, I showed up early, did everything I was asked and I still got treated like sh*t. The worst thing was that the a**hole kept on making up excuses as to why he couldnt pay me.

There was this one time where i showed up and he straight away points out 5 cars and says that they all need servicing immediatley and to get on with it and 15 minutes later he comes storming into the workshop and quite angrily asks as to why i havent filled up his bmw with diesel, nearly flipped out on him but somehow managed to keep my cool. I also got the blame put on me for everything, somethings gone missing- lets blame jamie, somethings broken- lets blame jamie, one of the vehicles got damaged- lets blame jamie.

Cant wait to get this thing started, ill be much happier once it is


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JohnConnor
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31 Dec 2015, 7:51 pm

Looks to me like you need a new job if your boss is not paying you.



Jamieohs
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31 Dec 2015, 8:10 pm

JohnConnor wrote:
Looks to me like you need a new job if your boss is not paying you.


Left that place a few months back, not wasting my skills for idiots who don't pay me


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Kajin
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31 Dec 2015, 11:02 pm

I've wanted to start my own business since I was old enough to know what a job was. I hope your venture goes well.



Magi
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01 Jan 2016, 9:38 am

I am making computers and video games. I encourage autistic people to join up and learn whatever you dont know.



AspergersActor8693
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01 Jan 2016, 11:09 pm

I am what you would call a 'reseller' where I go out and buy stuff to re-sell online for a higher price. The links to my Bonanza Booth and eBid stores are linked below if you want to check it out. I would eventually like to build up my business to the point where I could live off it if needed. It's nice because it is a one man operation (just me), it is low interaction, I work when I want to, and it usually isn't stressful.

Jamieohs mentioned selling car parts online, which is one of the things I sell, though I buy individual parts or lots of parts instead of whole vehicles. I mostly deal in emblems, smaller lights like side markers, corner lights, turn signal lights, interior lights, light lenses, etc, as well as any other random car parts I find at my primary source for car parts inventory.

I also sell electronic stuff, collectibles, diecast cars, media like DVD's, VHS, CD's, etc, vintage books, old coins, and trading cards. I've been doing this since 2012, and it has put an extra $2200 in my savings selling the kind of stuff I mentioned. I recently sold a Yashica 35mm film camera for $110, a Sony Playstation 2 bundle for $55, and this morning I sold a complete in the box Sony Discman portable CD player for $50.



Jamieohs
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02 Jan 2016, 5:52 am

AspergersActor8693 wrote:
I am what you would call a 'reseller' where I go out and buy stuff to re-sell online for a higher price. The links to my Bonanza Booth and eBid stores are linked below if you want to check it out. I would eventually like to build up my business to the point where I could live off it if needed. It's nice because it is a one man operation (just me), it is low interaction, I work when I want to, and it usually isn't stressful.

Jamieohs mentioned selling car parts online, which is one of the things I sell, though I buy individual parts or lots of parts instead of whole vehicles. I mostly deal in emblems, smaller lights like side markers, corner lights, turn signal lights, interior lights, light lenses, etc, as well as any other random car parts I find at my primary source for car parts inventory.

I also sell electronic stuff, collectibles, diecast cars, media like DVD's, VHS, CD's, etc, vintage books, old coins, and trading cards. I've been doing this since 2012, and it has put an extra $2200 in my savings selling the kind of stuff I mentioned. I recently sold a Yashica 35mm film camera for $110, a Sony Playstation 2 bundle for $55, and this morning I sold a complete in the box Sony Discman portable CD player for $50.


Just checked out your stores, you got a good thing going there man, if you put your time into it then there's no doubt that you can quit whatever job your doing now and just focus on this, you have quite a good selection of car parts too, whenever somebody restores a classic car there's always that one little piece they can't find anywhere and you potentially have some of those pieces. If you have facebook then I'd advise you to join up with some of the classic car groups, theres plenty of people doing restorations there so you could easily Sell them parts and potentially even take order lists from people.

You're doing exactly the sort of thing I want to be doing except my main focus will be on car parts, when I start off later this year I'm probably just gonna operate out of my house and buy parts in bulk from people selling them online (normally at a highly discounted rate of what they'd sell for individually because they want a quick sale) and have a few cars parked out front that I strip down to order and use my bedroom as a storeroom for all the parts and tools. I eventually want to get to the point where I can afford to rent a warehouse which will make it much easier because they'll be space to take on more cars and more parts and hopefully I can also expand into restoring classic cars,

when I do get to that point I'm thinking about hiring my sister to deal with all the customers and the orders (she already works in a shop so its what she does every day) because I have a great relationship with her and it'll be better to work with somebody I know and trust, I don't really plan on taking anyone else on full time though.


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AspergersActor8693
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02 Jan 2016, 9:36 am

My bedroom is already doubling as a warehouse. :roll: I am joined on some Facebook selling venues, where you share your items listed on these groups, but I'll have to see if there there are any groups looking for these kind of parts.

I have MANY more parts to list. I have at least 1,000 more emblems alone that I have not yet listed. There are also plenty of used and NOS (new old stock) parts I have in my inventory that I need to get listed, but as you may have seen in my listings, I put a lot of effort into the descriptions and photos which takes time, plus there is the time I spend putting them on Pinterest and Twitter.

I would like to someday have the luxury of storing a whole parts car to part out, but at this time having individual parts is the best I can do, and the middle class neighborhood I live (and my mother) in might frown upon having parts cars in the backyard. :roll:

If you are interested in selling parts online, I would recommend eBid. You have to do some of your own self-advertising on social media sites (I used Pinterest and Twitter) but the fees are low, fees are no more than 3%, and with a Seller+ subscription you can open up to five stores. eBid is also based out of the UK so given my understanding, out of all the eBid sites, eBid UK has the best traffic. Otherwise there is ebay, but as a seller I am kind of disgruntled from them. :evil: That's a rant for another day though.

Out of curiosity, would you sell a whole engine or transmission if they were in working order? What if you got a car that only needed some work, would you fix it up and sell the car itself? How would you get the car to your house? Is there a cap on how much you initially spend on a car? These are questions I'd ask myself if I were going to buy a whole car for parts.