Reflections of a Car Entrepreneur…

Three years ago, I thought I had it all figured out. I was 100% sure of my plan. A Ligier dealership was on the way, born from an idea in my head, and just three months later, Ligier Store Doesburg launched—on my birthday! That first month, we were active online only. Then the idea grew into the first Ligier Store in the Netherlands—and immediately the largest. But looking back on those three years: did all the bold plans come true?

The answer is: no! Let me be clear—I’ve learned a lot over the past three years, mostly about what I don’t know, what I can’t do, or where I’m simply not good enough to make it work the way I envisioned.

I wanted to be the number 1 Ligier seller in the Benelux by now. That didn’t happen. I’m a top-3 player. Nice, but clearly not number 1! Adding a workshop? Seemed like a good plan, but I find it tough. It’s not scalable, and if it stays small, it’s more of a burden than a blessing…

But opening the second store—Experience Store Doesburg—turned out to be a good idea. And ‘online first, offline second’? Check: that works! So yes, many things are going well, but I still struggle with others. Let me name a few…

Selling New Ligiers

I underestimated the challenge of selling new Ligiers. I had a clear plan: all online—on portals, Marktplaats, Facebook, and other social media. Gather leads and convert at least 13% into sales. With the right CPL, you’d get a healthy CPS, and just go for it… Luckily, I thought like that, because had I known how tough the microcar market is—especially as a dealer with no database, no customers, and no territory—I wouldn’t have started. But then again, I wouldn’t have learned anything either…

Generating leads still works. But leads from social media, despite their low CPL, convert very poorly. Some Facebook campaigns brought in 100 leads and only one sale. A lot of work, not very efficient.

I also thought the portals would help, but microcars don’t sell on Autoscout24, Autotrack or ViaBOVAG. People simply don’t search for microcars there. On Marktplaats it’s better, but if your focus is on new microcars, even that’s a struggle.

Now I’ve found the right approach. I know where to invest in marketing and what budgets to allocate. And I still try out everything new, just to see if it might be the ‘next big thing’.

Building a Brand

The Experience Store Doesburg, our used car store, did well from day one! With help from Frank Moormann of Nieuwenhuijse, we sold Lynk & Co’s. Used cars have something microcars don’t: demand. List them online, on portals—you don’t even need a website to sell.

Compare that with the investments we made in Ligier—building a sporty brand with F1 heritage, aimed at young drivers—and the difference is huge. I’m glad I did it, but I wish it weren’t so hard to build a brand as a new dealer.

Impulsive

I’m an entrepreneur who doesn’t overthink—often impulsive, quick to act. That has advantages, but also downsides. The reason I settled in Doesburg—besides being close to my home in De Steeg—was the low rent. Still, I couldn’t resist telling the real estate agent that, while the rent was low, I’d rather buy the whole building—four units in total.

Seven months later, I was allowed to buy the entire property. So now, instead of one unit, I have four. Two storefronts, a workshop, and a studio. That low rent turned into a mortgage—with higher monthly costs and commitments.

In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have bought the four units. I should’ve just stuck with that one-quarter. Low rent, and first survive five years. But I didn’t do that—so now I have to go full throttle to make it work. I don’t see it as a downside anymore, but rather as extra motivation to push harder.

Conclusion?

Well, the past three years have flown by. I hope I’ve made all the big mistakes by now and that I can move forward. Looking at our current team, the leaner organization, marketing that delivers, and minimal fixed costs—it should all work out. Especially with partners like Ligier Benelux with Bart Seelen, and DFM, who help us grow.

I’ve gone through the same thing with my wife’s store, Il Fienile. Ten years later, it’s now a great shop—it just took time.
Sometimes you need a mirror held up to your face. Writing about dealers and automotive companies is clearly easier than running one. Fact.