Nine years ago, when Roman Nakonechnyi moved to America with nothing but determination to build a new life in America, little could he have dreamed that one day, he would become a successful businessman and owner of ROMCAR, a local car dealership in Commerce, California. As with most immigrants, life for him involved working tirelessly to build a life, and took his first dip in working life at Toyota and Mercedes-Benz dealerships as a salesman. For three years, he developed skills, not only in car sales, but in reading and working with buyers, and learning how to compete in a competitive car sales environment.
Long days and a commission-only salary, however, did not give him any room for family life. It took a chat with his wife for him to re-think his career path. Feeling that she alone took care of raising their kids, she urged him to try an alternative career path—one that could allow him to have a say in pay and schedule. That conversation encouraged him to work out a concept for ROMCAR.
The Challenges of Building a Business
Building a business is not an easy accomplishment, and for an immigrant in a competitive environment, the challenge is even larger. Traditional dealers have years of experience, name recall, and trust with buyers. Roman, on the other hand, started developing from scratch.
One of his biggest roadblocks was financing—both for him and for buyers. Many of whom he hoped to serve, many of whom happened to be immigrants, couldn’t buy cars because, having no credit in America, no one could trust them with a car payment.
Rather than seeing such a barrier, Roman saw opportunity: he planned his business to include in-house financing, allowing car purchases for buyers who couldn’t receive financing through traditional channels.
But even with a direction, early days were not rosy days. Mistakes were made, sales failed to go according to script, and sometimes doubt crept in. Yet, through determination and a will to change, Roman kept moving in a positive direction.
Niche Carving
What distinguished ROMCAR in the long run, in fact, was its ability to serve a range of buyers. Unlike many dealerships that sell high-ticketed cars, budget cars, ROMCAR found a sweet spot in between—selling cars at a range of price points for a range of buyers.
Also, Roman appealed to a community long bypassed by larger dealerships. By dealing closely with immigrants from Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Georgia, he earned a name for himself as a man who understood them and could speak with them in a language in a language with which they could understand him.
Word of mouth became one of ROMCAR’s best advertisement, with satisfied buyers speaking about him to similar buyers.
The Road and Growth
Nearly five years in, ROMCAR outgrew even its founder’s initial dream for it. ROMCAR is relocating to a larger property, expanding its inventory, and expanding its presence in cyberspace. His channel, through which he posts tips and observations regarding buying cars, has 11,000 followers, through which he can build a larger following. On top of that, over 120 buyers have posted positive testimony regarding transparency and service at the dealership.
But success isn’t about statistics for Roman. It’s about living a life in which he can care for family and attend to them at the same time. In the future, a hope is to develop ROMCAR, not simply a commercial success but a tool for car buyers in a new country.
Lessons for Aspiring Business Owners
The journey of Roman isn’t about cars, necessarily, but about taking a chance, living with uncertainty, and forging through obstacles. For any dreamer interested in starting a business, his journey teaches a few important lessons:
There’s no perfect opportunity in which to start out. Were Roman to have waited for “the perfect opportunity,” then, years down the road, he could have continued working long days for a wage for years to come. To start, sometimes, takes a tremendous amount of courage.
Know your target. Having an awareness about buyers’ frustrations helped shape ROMCAR in a manner in which real wants could be filled. To fill a niche in a marketplace and differentiate yourself can make your competition irrelevant.
Achievement doesn’t occur overnight. There have been rough years, but determination and a willingness to change kept ROMCAR afloat. Roman Nakonechnyi’s journey is a reminder that while nothing worthwhile comes easy, those willing to put in the work and stay committed to their vision can build something truly meaningful.
To learn more about ROMCAR, visit their website:
https://www.romcar.us/