Successful enough to earn a shop isn’t the same as having money to build the shop prior to opening. Like someone else mentioned, mega capital behind it makes it easier to look like a million dollar business… on paper.
A business is a business… make money. If you want to make the most money you can, sell to the highest paying customer base. mostly people that dont “know” what they are buying, just sign the check and pass it across the table. Transaction is complete, see you later enjoy your car.
If you open a business to continue hobby, like apparently he did… making money shouldn’t be a top priority. Working with customers to build your knowledge base and getting chances to build something awesome should in my mind be their real goals, customer support and relationships would be priority #1, and doing just enough profit wise to keep it afloat.
Not trying to put myself at Redlines level, but that how I roll. All the side work I do for people on and around here, I do for practice, to learn more, to build relationships, and make just enough money to buy the new tools each job usually requires so that at some point I can open my own business and actually make money and be more productive. My father’s business is a great example of producing top shelf results from a “shitty looking shop”. He has not once advertised the business name in 30 years, it’s been up and running off customer relationships, good customer relationships. They roll up to your house in a 2004 F250Super duty and a 2008 econoline van, 3 people get out and get to work. They only build HIGHEND kitchens, baths, additions, and remodeling projects for some of the richest people I ever met and in some of the most expensive houses I ever walked into. Kitchens costing more than T-money’s ZR1 WITH MODS, and additions costing more than most of your houses! If the customer ever saw the shop, they would think twice! BUT the same 3 people have been doing this for so long, and respect the customers 24/7 110%. If they have to turn down work, for whatever reason my father will call them back and tell them why, or work a deal and put them on the waiting list for work a year+ from then. Never ever NOT call them back like they did to Adam.
And if someone is sellign their house, like OP is with the vette, my father would only be 100% positive for the customer. Knowing if they stay in the area still (like the OP staying in performance cars) if he kept the relationship strong and professional, they might come back for more work, or better yet, recommend them to other potential customers.