Motor Works hoping business takes off

By Michael Hargrave and Shayna McKie
BengalNews Reporters
 Running a small business on Buffalo’s West Side involves more than simply creating a plan for making money. As Andre Sadoff and Dan Sciolino, co-owners of Buffalo Motor Works have found, businesses on the West Side need to be involved in improving the neighborhood.
  Buffalo Motor Works, located at 202 Rhode Island St., is a small auto dealership in the process of becoming specialized in energy efficient vehicles. With a green motto and focus on improvement, Buffalo Motor Works is reaching out to the neighborhood in more ways than one.
  “It is our hope to establish a community garden nearby,” Sadoff said. “This could promote neighborhood interaction, accountability and help to improve the vacant lot situation.”
 Sadoff, an environmental planning and design graduate of the State University at Buffalo, said he hopes by improving the neighborhood it will help to improve their business.
 But it’s harder than it appears.

Buffalo Motor Works co-owner Andre Sadoff talks about the challenges of going into business:


 Among their various challenges: an old disused building, city zoning issues, city hall bureaucracy and a lack of planning.
 “Starting a business is like trying to start a fire with wet wood,” said Sciolino, a former BMW mechanic and part owner of Buffalo Motor Works.
 These hardships are normal, said Bill Grieshober, a financial business advisor in the Small Business Development Center.
 “The big problem that most businesses have is that they have tremendous competition out there,” said Grieshober. “Even people who think they don’t have competition, have competition.”
 Grieshober recommends doing competitive analysis before starting a business to determine where the competition comes from. As Sadoff and Sciolino have found out, business is hard to find. The two have resorted to using Craigslist and eBay in order to publicize their business.
 In order to drive more business, and increase their profit margin, Sadoff and Sciolino have switched from selling pristine vehicles that they have restored, (no comma needed) to vehicles with damage.
 “We’ve gotten into some of the salvage vehicles just so we can stay afloat,” said Sciolino. “Some cars with damage go a lot easier.”
 The co-owners are also finding that their green dream is a bit harder to sell than they had originally hoped. Sciolino said that many people seem to be hesitant with second hand hybrid vehicles, especially the battery.
 “We are looking to offer a battery warranty in the future” said Sciolino.
 Mostly Sciolino said he regrets not putting more time and effort into the initial planning stage of their business. Issues such as cash flow and a lax business plan have hampered their ambitions.
 One of the bright spots for the pair is the building that they occupy. While it is in a certain state of disrepair, the former Chrysler dealership, has a massive amount of space, as well as some of the original flooring which dates all the way back to the 1920s.
 Sadoff said he has received many compliments from the community, words of thanks for putting the old building to use again, as well as words of encouragement for the two young entrepreneurs.
 “They’ve got to get out into the market and publicize, not advertise, publicize” said Grieshober. “Get out into the community and let people know they are there.” Edited by Alana Ransom