Business for sale / partnership opportunity

[rogercbryan]

I'm looking for someone a little smarter then me as I know you're out there...
I have a great piece of business real estate that I can't seem to capitalize on. I own the domain 1866vehicle.com and I own the phone number 1-866vehicle. I started a vehicle purchasing program in Cleveland, OH using this but can't seem to expand beyond that market.

My primary company National Charity Services manages vehicle donation programs in 93 different US markets and I have sales in excess of $1M USD in 2007. I say this to show that I know a little bit about what I'm doing.

I've tried to use 866 Vehicle as a vehicle purchasing program in a market where I have a lot of connections (dealers, auctions, junk yards, tow companies, title companies, and mechanical services). The problem is that I have not been able to get the needed service levels in other markets.

I've developed a few low cost advertising campaigns that seem to work well when implemented correctly.

I guess what I'm looking for is someone to throw out some ideas as to how to grow or sell the company. The company is a Corporation with all the necessary licenses to operate.

I have thought about:
Franchising: Trying to find people in a major market that might have the connections needed to make a program like this work.

Changing business models: I would like to find someone who could help me develop 1-866 Vehicle as a number people can call to get approval for vehicle loans. (I have a full service call center up and running w/12 operators already).

Selling out: If someone else thinks that can do better with this equity then by all means I would sell. I have done some research and found that many 1-800 number bring high six figure selling prices. This being an 866 number I know it is not as valuable, but in owning the number and the domain I still think I would need a fairly reasonable offer to consider selling it.

Partnership: If you have an idea but not enough money to get it going I still wold like to talk to you.... as I said in the begging I know there is someone smarter then me out there.... PM me...

Any questions or comments? Please post them here... I love a good conversation / debate...

Roger Bryan

[rogercbryan]

Per a PM info request here is some more info:

Franchising: In my mind this would be best suited for someone in a major market (500K population or more). I would give them a blue print for my marketing program to get them started. My call center would take all incoming orders and then dispatch them back to the franchisee. The right partner would be someone who works in the automotive sales/salvage side of the industry. Income potential is very hard to forecast. I would not be able to give any type of estimate.

If I was to sell the company how much would I want? At least $50K... if this sounds high please research the sale price of any other corporations with this type of equity. With phone numbers selling for $100K plus... I'm not to sure how far off I am. I'm in no hurry to sell nor am I in a dire straight for money.

Partnership: I can provide the phone number, web address, a phone center, consulting/ marketing expertise, and funds for the right idea. I like the idea of a national phone center for auto loans. This not a new idea. I also considered an auto insurance company. Although I do not have the resources to underwrite either. This would have to be as a reseller of some type.

Please send over any ideas...

[jasaunders]

Where are you getting that phone numbers sell for $100,000? It's illegal to broker toll-free numbers, the FCC regulates it.

[rogercbryan]

I have a great deal of appreciation for many of your posts... but there are hundreds of websites selling vanity phone numbers:
Buy Vanity 800 Number Service, Purchase Toll Free Services.

From the famous song w/ 867-5309

There is even an industry dedicated to evaluating the selling price of a phone number

I have personally bought/sold numerous numbers. The industry behind reselling numbers is decades older then selling domain names.

Do you have a reference to an FCC code that regulates this?

Where are you getting that phone numbers sell for $100,000? It's illegal to broker toll-free numbers, the FCC regulates it.

[BusinessAdviser]

I have a great deal of appreciation for many of your posts... but there are hundreds of websites selling vanity phone numbers:
Buy Vanity 800 Number Service, Purchase Toll Free Services.

From the famous song w/ 867-5309

There is even an industry dedicated to evaluating the selling price of a phone number

I have personally bought/sold numerous numbers. The industry behind reselling numbers is decades older then selling domain names.

Do you have a reference to an FCC code that regulates this?

Check out 47 C.F.R. § 52.107:

Under this Federal Regulation, "Hoarding" is defined as "the acquisition by a toll free subscriber from a Responsible Organization of more toll free numbers than the toll free subscriber intends to use for the provision of toll free service," and "also includes number brokering, which is the selling of a toll free number by a private entity for a fee."

The Regulation states that "[t]oll free subscribers shall not hoard toll free numbers," that "[n]o person or entity shall acquire a toll free number for the purpose of selling the toll free number to another entity or to a person for a fee," and that "[r]outing multiple toll free numbers to a single toll free subscriber will create a rebuttable presumption that the toll free subscriber is hoarding or brokering toll free numbers."

Might be something to his comment after all, huh?

[jasaunders]

Yes. Here is the FCC's frequently asked questions page.
What Is A Toll-Free Number And How Does It Work

And by the way, I'm not attacking you, I was just wondering where you came up with phone numbers selling for $100k? Is that a random guess or is it based on comps from your industry?

[jasaunders]

The first site you listed doesn't broker toll-free numbers. They list numbers that might be available. If you click on it, they check the availability for you. If you wish to purchase it, they then go out an buy it. They don't actually presently own the phone number, they buy it for you if you want it. It's a nice scam.

[rogercbryan]

I take no offense to reasonable criticism. I may need to reword my offer:

I'm offering to sell an incorporated company which owns the domain name 1866vehicle.com (.net) and the phone number 1-866 Vehicle. Along with these equities I'm offering an established business model with current income streams.

The prices I quoted are based on the fact that 867-5309 sold for $29K, $69K (different area codes) and in one instance with an attached business brought $200K on eBay (item was pulled by verizon). Recently at the request of one of my clients Capital Auto Auction I made an attempt to buy the phone number 1-800-Capital, negotiations fell apart at the $300K price with the seller wanting closer to $500K

47 C.F.R. § 52.107: (jmenq2) this is good information. I do not believe this would apply to this situation as I am offering a corporation for sale that holds the phone number as one of their equities.

jmenq2 & jasaunders.... let me know what you think... as your opinion is valued..

[BusinessAdviser]

I take no offense to reasonable criticism. I may need to reword my offer:

I'm offering to sell an incorporated company which owns the domain name 1866vehicle.com (.net) and the phone number 1-866 Vehicle. Along with these equities I'm offering an established business model with current income streams.

The prices I quoted are based on the fact that 867-5309 sold for $29K, $69K (different area codes) and in one instance with an attached business brought $200K on eBay (item was pulled by verizon). Recently at the request of one of my clients Capital Auto Auction I made an attempt to buy the phone number 1-800-Capital, negotiations fell apart at the $300K price with the seller wanting closer to $500K

47 C.F.R. § 52.107: (jmenq2) this is good information. I do not believe this would apply to this situation as I am offering a corporation for sale that holds the phone number as one of their equities.

jmenq2 & jasaunders.... let me know what you think... as your opinion is valued..

Just provided a regulation that you inquired about. There are actually a few others that are relevant.

My thought about your situation? I don't know that it would fall into the definition of "hoarding" either.

Think about it in the context of one large private company purchasing another large company. Does the company being purchased REALLY have to divest itself of its toll free number for the purchase to be legal?!

I think it all comes down to whether you're owning toll free numbers FOR THE PURPOSE of selling them to make a profit. Seems logical to me.

[jasaunders]

IMO, if you are selling an actual business, then maybe you would be ok. But if the phone number is your largest asset or one of your largest assets, then I think you could run into trouble.

[rogercbryan]

I purchased this phone number from a previous employer with the intent of using the number. I've been using the number actively every day since I purchased it. I was not aware of the hording rule and as stated in your last thread I don't think it applies.

The FCC rule is good information. I wonder if there is a further definition of the word 'hording'.

Has anyone ever worked with a company that can help you to differentiate local usage of a 1-800 number? What I mean is that there are numbers 1-800-95 Truck (Salvation Army) that can tell where a caller is calling from so that they can direct the call to a local office.

If I was to use this phone number and domain name as a lead generator for the auto loan industry then I would need this service.

Any ideas? I'd really like to find a way to use this number/domain... any ideas would be appreciated.

[accounting]

I would have preffered 1800cars.com

[rogercbryan]

I would have preffered 1800cars.com

So would everyone else.... just a note... in your signature.. you have "sale your business" it should read "sell your business"...