Finding a Tent Location

[WindshieldMedic]

What are you guys doing to find a tent location? I keep hitting road blocks. No leasing company will even consider the option of me setting up on their properties. They say that they don’t allow vendors or that the liability is prohibitive.

I know that I do not want to speak with anybody about setting up on their location that might possibly kick me off and then do it themselves, such as a manned car wash or an oil lube shop.

Are you guys paying for your location? If so, how much?
What approach do you use and with whom do you speak?
Do you have the property manager or shop owner sign a non-compete form?
Do you recommend one location, 6 times per week? Or 6 locations, once per week?

Thanks in advance! (see my other thread "How are you marketing yourself")

[Bois]

I have found that locations owned by large companies, such as shopping center parking lots, chain gas stations, nationally known stores, etc., want too much rent and its takes forever to get permission.

I look for the small Mom & Pop, family owned business with a good traffic location. For instance, I set up adjacent to a busy vegtable/fruit stand on weekends ($50/wk). I've set up on a motel parking lot owned by an individual in a busy location (free) and I've got permission to set up along side a busy auto tire/repair business owned by an individual (I cut them deals). Once a month I set up in a field across the street from a large flea market parking lot ($100 for weekend). I use an RV and stay overnight.

Dale...

[dwrs]

I have a business that lets me set up anytime. I usually do a Saturday or two a month there, epedns on the weather. We have progrssed to advertising with a sign up sheet in his business. It advertises what day I will be there and time. People sign up with their name and number and a time. If it rains me out, I call and go to them during the week. I give the business owner $10.00 per repair done. It started out,I did maybe two a day. Now he signs people up for me. Sometimes calls me with people who can't make it Saturday and I schedule another day. I am doing 30 a month of that arrangement.

[ClearView WRS]

I am having the same problem... Everywhere I go I get a no! One mall excepted me, but they charge $800 a month. That is too much, if you look at the average number of repairs I do there. I have been there for about 3 weeks, and was averaging 2.8 repairs a day. It seemed like it was getting busier with every day... Cause I started out with 0 repairs a day for like 2 or 3 days. last time I did 4 and 2 left cause they came while I was doing repairs and they couldn't wait. When I tried to schedule an appointment, they would just ask for my card. Well yesterday, I laid in bed for about 3 hours thinking what should I do? There are other guys in my city that do the tents, and they average out 6-7 repairs a day. On the sunny days, some do up to 12! That's why I am thinking hard on what to do next. My payment was due today. But I have decided to just keep searching! There are lots of other places that you can find, you just have to look. Why do you think they keep on saying, "LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION"!
The way I do it, is I go to the mall, and then I just ask for like the manager or something... Someone who is in-charge. Then you say that you would like to rent... lease or what ever. Don't say that you want to set up the tent or something! Good luck to you man, and good luck to me! I am going to be driving around tomorrow, looking for that perfect location.

[GlassStarz]

Go to a full service carwash constant flow of customers and generaly not bright enough to figure out how to offer it themselves and even if they do what do you care you went to thier place and made a living of thier customers and gave everyone you saw a card I still get a couple calls a week from the 4 months I worked a carwash 3 years ago