Move to LA or Ventura? Mechanic and Office Job Sakowski Motors and Ride Free Tours

UPDATE APRIL 24, 2013:
11014 S LA CIENEGA BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CA NEXT TO LAX AIRPORT, YOU CAN WAVE AT OUR BACK DOOR AS YOU DO DOWN THE 405 SOUTHBOUND BEFORE THE 105. MOVING IN SOON.

JOB AT RIDE FREE MOTORCYCLE AND CLASSIC CAR TOURS AND SAKOWSKI MOTORS CLASSIC CAR AND MOTORCYCLE USED INDEPENDENT DEALERSHIP.

Hey Guys!
I thought I would throw this up, you never know. Maybe it will help one Hamber help another.

We are opening the shop full time in California again.

Either in Ventura,CA or back in LA.
Back in the big city, or more manageable Ventura?
What do you think?

Also, I have been trying monster and other traditional ways,
But people lack the passion of The Hamb.

I would love to find some people with a real passion for classics and sharing America

Not only are we doing the shop www.sakowskimotors.com, but have merged the tour side of the business together also. http://ridefree.com

I am looking for:

1- Mechanic Fabricator
2- Office= pictures of cars for sale, parts, act manager for tours= emails, data entry etc, internet sales

1- Mechanic / Fabricator: to maintain our fleet of classic cars and motorcycles. Basic maintenance and prevention. Also getting cars ready to sell, and a little customer work. I need the best in the business only.
A top professional, willing to pay top money for the best. Prefer experience like: master tech at Ford Dealer 10 years + independent shop 5 years + 5 years at hot rod shop with great reputation.
You would also at time go on the road as our classic car mechanic on the tours driving the support truck.
Read the ad below about the office help. Much that I list there applies here.
Follow application process below.

2-
Adventure Travel Agent Account Reservation Manager Internet Sales Tours Rentals Motorcycle Classic Cars

Ride Free and Sakowski Motors are one in the same company. So you would be working with both.
Over time, you will gravitate to where you are best. If you are best right off at the Ride Free Part of the job only, then we won't use you much on the Sakowski Motors. So no worries if you don't know anything about the Car side of the business.

What we are really looking for is a professional for the Ride Free / Tour Side of the business.
Though with our upcoming Classic Car tours also, there will be work with both together.

http://ridefree.com/ and www.sakowskimotors.com

If interested, first spend a couple of hours studying both websites above, and our facebook sites http://www.facebook.com/ridefreetours and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ride-Free-Motorcycle-Tours/125247524439?ref=hl

Being able to follow every step in this email is the first screening process.

Looking for long term opportunities. We do need another office person asap for Ride Free and Sakowski Motors in LA.
If interested but have a great job now, you are probably the type of person we are looking for. Then if RF is the right move for the next chapter in your life, we will explore that for the future.
If you think this might be a great opportunity a year from now, get in touch now or down the road. Looking for the best, is a constant process.

Ride Free Motorcycle and Classic Car Tours and Sakowski Motors is really growing, and we will be looking for spectacular human beings to be part of it all.

A person with experience as a Travel Agent / Account manager / Sales specializing in the Motorcycle adventure travel field would be great.

To apply to any of these positions. Send info about yourself and resume, feel free to include pics, facebook link, info about yourself, etc , as well as a regular resume to [email protected]
Do not call or contact any other way / any other email / this is the first test to screen people
if you can’t read an email fully and follow instructions... Send past experience, and after your couple hour review of all our sites, how and why you think you would fit in. Give specific examples you have found in your research of our businesses.

# It is important to stress that I like to do everything to an A+ standard. If you are happy with a B..... I will drive you crazy. Looking for someone to “bring it” every day. If you don’t have a track record of being that type of person, no need to waste each other’s time. Build the track record and then contact us. One of the first things we do is contact references and see if you are the type of person that the last company was wishing you were still there.


Part 1 of the Job. -Ride Free= Office Full Time - Los Angeles
Pay= $10 to $20 an hour- but possible business incentives and opportunities for the right person that proves themselves.
Another person in the office to help with tour bookings, developing tours, maybe get to go on some tours.. but if you are not the type of person to go on the road, that is okay also. We can use you running the home base.

Office work, admin work, filing, managing the leads that come in through email, phone, and skype; emails, data entry on computer ( this a large part of your day ). Following up on leads for tours and rentals. Doing Tour and Rental quotes.

Must be highly organized, have lots of endurance and energy, take the ball and run with it. Skype and talk to people from around the world and help them with their dream. Keep track of booking, new requests, booking hotels, booking rental cars and motorcycles, ( the next part is not required, but could be a perk for some people, but again, don't let this discourage you if you are the type of person that would never want to go on the road but to handle the home front, that is okay also, we mostly need that person who wants to stay and handle the home front, we don't want to pass on someone who would be great at the office that would not enjoy hopping on the road on a rare occasion or in the shop ) leave the office behind at a drop of the hat and fly across the country unexpectedly to drive the support van on a tour on a rare occasion if needed or anything else you couldn't imagine or foresee. Jump into the shop if needed and wash a car or drive the truck and trailer delivering a car or bike.

We never know what awaits us on any day. Be responsible, no excuses, but the type of person that thrives and enjoying taking control of a seemingly vast challenge and organizing the challenges, and turning it into a simple solution. Where most people would be frustrated and fail. You need to be able to do A level work. If you got A's in high school and college this job will probably be fun and easy for you. If you got B's, it will probably drive you crazy and be frustrating.
-do you fit into: http://www.ridefree.com/about_us ? Let us know how you would fit into our team.

If you are more of a professional office type person, that is okay also. We are really looking for that type of person to "hold down the fort" and handle the nuts and bolts of day to day business in the office.

2nd Part of Job - Sakowski Motors= Office
Your primary part of the job is the Ride Free Part of the business, but you may also have the
opportunity to help our on the Sakowski Motors side, often when doing part of the Ride Free part.
They are merged together. You don't need to have experience in the car business, we need your main experience to be the travel agency business.
Help Sakowski Motors side of the business locate cars and bikes, take pictures, and list / sell the cars and bikes on ebay and other places, emails.... Order parts for cars and bikes we will be using on tour and for sale. Help with tours.... Drive the support van or truck if needed...

NO DRUGS. Willing to do anything. Not a job, but a mission.....
-do you fit into: http://www.ridefree.com/about_us ?


This is not a tour guide position, but an intense fast paced dynamic office job where the brightest A level student minds will be stretched and challenged. You need to be looking for an adventure. Nothing 9- 5 Mon thru Friday about this mission and adventure. Regular random drug tests / 0 tolerance. If you are the type of person where you can get ahead of the job, then you will be able to run a 9-5 Monday to Friday Schedule a lot of the time. This means if you are the type of person that gets absolutely anything and everything done when you have the opportunity, you will be clear and ready when the big pushes come in... = then you are caught up.. not behind.

Do not call or contact any other way / any other email / this is the first test to screen people
if you can’t read an email fully and follow instructions... type “Star Wars” at the top of your email response. Only respond to [email protected] with all the information asked for in this email.



Salary USD 10 - 20 Per Hour
Career Level Required Entry Level
Experience Required 1+ to 2 Years
Education Required High School or equivalent
Job Type Employee
Job Status Full Time

Contact Information
Phone :
Fax :
Email : [email protected]

Guided Motorcycle and Classic Car Tours and Rentals USA
ridefree.com
Guided motorcycle and Classic Car Tours and Rentals USA. Ride a Harley Davidson Across America on Route 66, Pacific Coast Highway, The Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Sturgis, Blue Ridge Parkway, Yosemite, Colorado, and the Sierra Nevadas

 

I try to save the Hamb for just my hobby, but maybe this can help someone.

 

I looked into being tour guide once. I was working my " day job" 14 days on and 14 days off. Wanted to be a tour guide on my days off. I've put on 80,000 miles on my H-D. Know every Diner, Drive In and Dive in Central to So Cal including Baja. Been all over the US this side of the Mississippi. Traveled the world too . Apprieciate a GOOD Host. Wanted to be one.
Day job now days is only weekends off so thats out.
I'd been good at that

Another Wild Hair idea was to offer Guided Tours to Famoso.
Someone fly into LAX - Pick them up and get to Bako have them a trailer set up ready to camp out and enjoy the March Meet or CHRR. Night life at Famoso is much better than a hotel. Looks like your more than half way there with your buisness. Feel free to run with that idea I know there must be some International HAMB's be interested.

 

Thanks. You have got some miles on for sure!
It is a lot of work. Doing the shop, and doing tours.

But so much deep deep satisfaction when you get someones car running right for them,
or getting to be on the road on a successful adventure.

Also I love helping someone find their dream hot rod, then going through it for them.
Making it a "real car" they can really enjoy.

Helping make people's dreams come true.
It is lots of hours and hard work, but worth it to me.

We have been really honored and take the responsibility seriously.
I don't take any of it for granted.

 

I would love to work for you Will, but you can't afford me.

 

Will 13 years at an Mbz dealership cut it? Master diag tech making really good money. Very intense and 'fix it right the first time attitude'. Kind of an anal perfectionist I've been told. Extremely passionate about old American iron...
Worth a shot

 

Hey.
Great to hear from you!
Yes. That is what I am looking for.
I apprecicate your interest.
Metal is metal. I started on old Jaguar XKEs and Aston Martins like DB4s...
Send me an email to [email protected]
Happy to talk to you.

I am sure you know about traditional hot rods and customs if you are on this site.

A professional is what we really need to keep the fleet maintained, and other work done right.
Thanks again
Wil

 

Thanks will email you soon!

 

You never know! A guy that really knows what he is doing and has the background and experience can do really well.

 

Well... I got up a 6am... it is 4am... that is a long Friday!
No complaints. Just had a certain amount had to be done. I always fullfill my commitments no matter what, always. Too much to do tomorrow to wait. It keeps coming. Very fortunate it always does.

Love to share some of this work and money with some people. But for now, I guess I get to keep it all.

 

I say Ventura. and I'm actually retired so I might like the opportunity. I'm 47 too.

 

Email sent.. Keep it in LA

 

Ventura is sure nice. Affordable housing, and plenty to choose from.
Lots of shop space.......
Can quicky and easy get across town.
Looking at some shop space you can walk to C street from with your surfboard,
And a 5 minute commute to home....
Not bad.

All the cities in LA fight you tooth and nail to
Keep automotive uses out.
Traffic, congestion, just a mess....
But great being by LAX airport because have so many
Overseas customers.

 

cant argue that..

 

Ventura is way more mellow than LA.

 

would the position include unlimited use of a dealer plate?

 

Guess you are joking my friend?

Not with insurance the way it is these days.
If we wreck a car, we have to pay cash out of our pocket.
Our car and the other.
You can't use your insurance as a small business or you will be dropped, or your rates go up too high.

 

maybe you should move to WI. Lot of open space and safe drivers.

sorry, I need to be able to drive old cars almost daily or I get cranky...er

 

Wisconsin is nice for sure.

Love to give some Hambers a job.

 

I'm very proud to have worked for Wil at Sakowski Motors. He has a natural balance of craftmanship, creativity, perfectionism and pride in good work that is rare nowadays. It won't be easy but very rewarding place to work with the right attitude.

Wish I were closer to drop by the shop. Maybe a RideFree tour one of these years....

 

Another terrible winter in Ventura. A few days ago....





Lunch on the pier...

 

Ventura looks lovely! But it is probably so warm a guy would work up a sweat.

it was ZERO degrees when I hit the road yesterday morning here in WI.

 

Hey Kev!

C street!

That would be my morning surf spot.
The 2 warehouses I am looking at are bike ride w board rack for board, or walk to C street.

I really want to pull the trigger on Ventura, but the convenience being by the hell a LAX airport is serious / closer to the port as I export lots of motorcycles etc...

 

I think setting up near Lax is the best option, overseas custermers would be your custermer base for your tours, I would set up in the long beach or fontana area, lots of cheap wharehouse space, a lot of overseas custermers buying and shipping cars out of there, a lot of these custermers purchase a car and want a little work done on them before they get shipped out. Ventura is a great town to visit but not much bussiness going on there. There is a show once a year in ventura, in L.a. their are car shows almost every week, put up with the traffic, it's worth the investment to be near your custermer base. good luck and wish you the best.

 

^^^ yea what he said

 

Hey Miguel
Always great to hear from you.
You are 100 percent right that it is the right business move.
My old landlord even wants me to move back into my old shop...
which was an incredible shop space... especially with the huge gated lot.

But, then there is quality of life issues. Sometimes you just have to decide to let some business go.... maybe not make as much potential money.. just so you can pop home for lunch with your kids... etc.. have more family time / less commuting time etc...

 

Don't be fooled. It is great, but never hot at the beach in California.
That is one of the downsides of CA. You don't get a large portion of the year with great beach days like North Carolina. It is too cold in CA to jump and swim in the water etc without a wetsuit.
But great surfing.
Just not fun family days in the water at the beach ever.

Maybe a couple days a year it is warm enough if you have a big board where you stay out of the water to surf without a wetsuit.

Though I did it a full winter once because I thought it was tough to do when I was in my late 20's...

 

well good luck just what calif needs one more shop, that does rod hot work?? Ventura? how do you live in ventura building cars??

 

Hey Wil!

Glad to have you finally coming back to SoCal! I definitely recommend checking out the Long Beach area.

We have the port on one side with good spots for the shop, and nice neighborhoods for the family on the other side (plus great surfing just across the OC line in Seal and Huntington Beach). I can't say enough good things about LB.

Let me know the next time you are out and I'd be happy to give you a tour or point out some good neighborhoods to check out.

-D

 

I am a CA Native. Born here.
Not my first rodeo in CA. This is not a start up business.

90 percent of my car work comes from all around the country or world from the last 20 plus years of having my shop.
So no worries being in Ventura. I can be anywhere.

Don't worry, I am not looking for more local work, just trying to take care of the great people we already are fortunate to have.

Have a great day.