Rad Rydz Golf Cart
843-972-8525
radrydz.com
When did you decide to go into the business?
We used to own Finz Bar and Grill, and Chad started selling golf carts on the side. Once we sold the restaurant, we traveled a bit and were trying to figure out our next steps. Chad was selling golf carts, and then people started dropping off golf carts for repairs. We would wake up in the morning and there might be three or four golf carts sitting in our driveway, with little notes asking him to fix their cart. Eventually, we decided that our path had been chosen for us and we haven’t looked back.
How did your business start?
Chad and I moved into the Old Village, and I wanted a golf cart. We bought a really old and ugly cart. Chad painted it red for me and installed a set of used batteries. I drove the heck out of it. We put about $700 into the cart and Chad bet me he could sell it for $1400. I told him he was crazy, and no one would buy that cart for $1400…but they did. We used the money and bought a little bit nicer cart, fixed it up and flipped it. We continued this, and eventually it grew into a business.
How do you find your passion?
My passion is people. I just really like people. I love our customers. I have people that stop by the shop with their golf cart just to say hi and chat. They get excited telling me about what they did over the weekend, and I get excited with them.
What is a piece of advice for young women?
Just because it has been done one way doesn’t mean there isn’t another way to do it. Like most golf cart dealerships, we originally bought golf carts from brokers and refurbished them. Once the price of carts started to rise, this didn’t make sense. We had to get our price point down. Now I buy fleets of carts directly from golf courses and wholesale them across the country. Because I have a relationship with other dealers, I can buy carts directly from them, too. This keeps costs down.
What inspires you?
What inspires me is growing Rad Rydz. I strive to make our business the best it can be.
What challenges did you overcome to get to where you are today?
The biggest challenge we have faced is finding golf carts to sell. Over the past 18 months, demand for golf carts has grown exponentially. Unfortunately, the number of golf carts available has decreased. We strive to make our golf carts as affordable as possible, so finding inventory at a decent price is a huge challenge. However, this forced us to expand our original business model and place additional attention on the service and wholesale parts of our business.
