JDM Plates

Serendipity brought AJ and me together, starting with buying a racing wheel from him. We got chatting over F1, gaming and cars, which led to us asking what each other actually did for a living. I told him about JDM Plates, he told me about his years in marketing (another passion of mine) and about BIB, the app he had in development. Naturally, I asked to take a look, while he quizzed me about my marketing strategy. He sent me a review link and I thought it was brilliant. Genuinely, I'd been noodling over building something similar for JDM Plates customers myself. No need. We partner with AJ instead. What got me was how specific it is, and at £3 for a 13-section report, a fraction of the cost of competitors. Put in a reg and BIB doesn't just give you a pass/fail history, it's a comprehensive health check, reliability score and rating system, benchmarked against every other car like it in the UK. It even tells you what's likely to need work next, and gives you suggested questions to ask the seller. You can really get to know a car before you buy it, especially if you're not a "car person". Clever. AJ's given all JDM Plates customers free Bibs to try it for themselves. Go check it out.

I instantly connected with Carl when I met him after he bought a racing gaming wheel and Playseat from me. We got chatting about what we did, including cars of course, but after mentioning marketing and my latest app, BIB, Carl took a specific interest, wanting to know more. Fast forward a few months and we are partnering, Carl sharing Bib with his customers and me throwing masses of ideas for JDM's marketing team to explore. So very much a win-win. JDM's back story is particularly interesting, starting as a side hustle and developing now into a family-run business - all because of a passion for JDM cars (I didn't know what JDM stood for until meeting Carl). I do love a good story - it's the ex-editor in me. Having bought a private plate for myself and my daughter in the past, I love some of the unique ways JDM do things, the products they create and their clear, straightforward and creative approach to what is quite a specific sector in the automotive world. Carl's approach, as an ex-engineer, really resonated with me - his relaxed approach to business and obvious passion for specialist cars. I can't wait to see how our partnership matures over time.