Meet Mr Fix It For Car Audio Retailers

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Jon Dewar

A Mr. Fix It for car audio retailers is helping some east coast retailers more than double their sales.

Jon Dewar, a rep and former VP for RI-based SoundFX (as well as a former Field Sales Manager for Rockford) helps car audio retailers who are in trouble or just trying to improve sales.

He fixes inventory, hiring/firing, supplier programs and digital marketing.  You could compare him to the Fix It men on cable shows like The Profit or Bar Rescue, only Dewar focuses on car audio.

He works with stores including Boomer Boston (Boston MA), Bumper to Bumper Accessories (Brockton MA), Boston Audio Design (Quincy MA), Eastcoast Motorsports (GA & FL), Coastal Tint (Brunswick, GA), as well as SoundFX (E. Providence, RI)

With a few visits per week and then some ongoing work once a month, Dewar says he can help jump start sales.

His method is to go into a shop and audit inventory, vendor programs, sales training and more. “I audit everything. I even get an energy audit on the building. I audit the staff, the checkbook, buying patterns and habits and the programs for product,” he said.

Along with his wife, Dewar also runs a digital marketing company so he helps retailers with social media and marketing, as well.

He negotiates deals with suppliers. And as he represents more than one store, he can get better deals.     “It allows me to almost act like a regional manager for a larger chain,” he said.

“Before 2008, when car stereo was doing well, you could just buy and sell. When things got tight, you had to start watching inventory more carefully and make sure you are turning stock into money,” said Dewar.

Bumper to Bumper owner George Polillio said after years of losses during the recession, he felt the worst was over and it was time to hire a consultant who could help with advertising. Polillio claims his sales went from just over $1 million a year to almost $2 million over four years with Dewar’s help.

Chuck Cochran of East Coast Motorsports in GA said he “had been struggling for a long time trying to get my shop going.” His sales were around $218,000 in 2013. Dewar helped him with his online presence and digital marketing, and sales grew to $680,000 in 2014 or almost a 300 percent increase. Sales are also tracking ahead by 20 percent for this year, said Cochran.

Dewar heads JDSMC, a rep firm handling brands including CRUX, Maestro iDatalink, VisionX, ARC Audio, Audiomobile, CT Sounds and all Maxxonics brands.

Source: CEoutlook

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1 Comment

  1. Any chance this miracle worker takes on small single location shops? We purchased our shop last July with an annual gross sales tab of around $350,000. As we are about to round out our first year of ownership I am having some budgeting issues this Month after having a sub-par May and could use some guidance. We grew the business over the last year by an average of 25% per month compared to that month in the previous year, but I do not see the Profit I should be seeing to go along with this increase. I know Central Nebraska does not have the appeal of a large metro area but I know there is a ton of money to be made off of these Farmers! Thank you for your time.

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