When we say DealersLink was “born in a dealership,” we really mean that DealersLink was born in a dealership. No, we’re not using it as cheesy marketing copy to make it seem like we know the automotive industry. I literally created DealersLink while I was a car dealer, based on the struggles that my dealership and those around me were having with sourcing inventory.
I grew up in the fast-paced action of the auto industry and was lucky enough to have father who was a car dealer. From the age of 8, he mentored me on all the details of the business and the inherent magic behind it. After college, I felt I had to go out on my own and prove myself. I didn’t want to just be labelled as another entitled dealer’s son. More than anything, however, I wanted to earn the respect of my father, so I used my programming talents to start up several mildly successful start-ups. After risking it all on a failed telecom project, I was forced to go back to my dad’s dealership to sell cars and manage a sales team. It was a blow to my ego, but ultimately the best thing that ever happened to me.
From the get-go, my father knew I had a good read on the industry, so after only a few months of working with him, he proposed I expand his dealership and open my own location. And that’s exactly what I did, with the help of my brother, Santos. The two of us renovated a space my father had purchased and opened up shop.
Santos’ marketing ingenuity along with my sales and tech skills helped us find success. We licensed the University of Wyoming cowboy logo to help give our dealership a face for Wyoming locals. We did things ourselves instead of hiring out third parties. We strived to create a genuine relationship with every customer – something my father taught me. Be it the skills my dad instilled in us, the determination of my brother and I, or a bit of good luck with the oil and gas boom, we eventually grew to become the largest dealer in the state of Wyoming. In 2004, we were even fortunate enough to be named to the Entrepreneur 100 list.
But despite it all, I still wasn’t satisfied. My brother, my father, or I would still spend hours on hours driving to auction in Denver, Colorado, just to bring inventory back to sell in our Wyoming market. It wasn’t efficient or fun, and we knew there had to be a better way. I started tinkering around with some coding before and after work, eventually getting into the routine of programming at 5am, opening the dealership at 8am, and programming again after work for as long as I could keep my eyes open. The idea? Create a digital network that car dealers could use to trade amongst themselves. In other words, cut out the middleman. I was determined to make our lives easier, and within a few weeks I had a prototype I could test out amongst our own market in Rock Springs.
Initial feedback was strong, and dealers were able to satisfy more customers and increase profitability. The dealer community is tight, so word-of-mouth played heavily in our favor and soon dealers were coming to me, asking to be part of the club. It was the mid 2000s and the “tech boom” was just starting to gain steam. Why not start a business? With the help of a few of my friends, we turned this idea into a company and in 2005, DealersLink was officially born.
We started out with a beat-up Jetta TDI with 150,000 miles, a few laptops, and the combination of the will and courage that 20-year-olds have to dream big. We slept in KOA campgrounds, worked 21 days on, one day off, starved, and used side gigs to keep our dream alive. We feared failure over lusting for success and were relentless. After all, we had to convince 50-plus-year-old car vets to wholesale with their competitors and avoid the lure of the auction. Ultimately, we were the pioneers in dealer-to-dealer trading before it was a fancy buzzword, like today.
We took our idea and ran with it, and today the DealersLink Marketplace is the largest dealer-to-dealer trading platform in the nation – now offering automotive software solutions for any type of dealership, in any kind of situation. To this day, we remain a self-funded, completely independent, 100% employee-owned enterprise.
So, what is the point of this story?
When we say DealersLink is made by dealers, for dealers, we really mean it. I’m not just somebody who bought a tech company. I’m a car dealer, who wanted a solution to my problems. And that’s what’s made DealersLink a successful enterprise: we’re a group of car dealers who want to help each other find mutual success. It’s a simple as that. We’re not part of a bigger corporation that will put you on hold for an hour when you try and call. We’re like-minded individuals who all share the same struggles, and we will treat you as such.
Eventually, we retired the original TDI after the timing belt blew at over 500,000 miles. For us, the journey has meant everything. Looking back, it’s those conditions that made us who we are today – both as individuals and as a business. Ultimately, our journey hardened a bunch of punk 20-somethings and gave us the chance to learn from thousands of world class entrepreneurs. Thanks to all the dealers who inspire us to be great every day and continue to support us along the way!
To learn more about DealersLink, visit: https://public.dealerslink.com/