I’m tired of hearing about winter, talking about winter and experiencing winter, and I bet you are, too. However, what has been the worst winter in a generation may in fact be a blessing in disguise for independent repair shops across the country.

The harsh elements will leave many vehicles in need of service and National Car Care Month in April is the ideal time to capture your share of these service and repair opportunities. It is also a chance to improve relationships with customers and attract new ones, leading to more long-term business.

Having a proper plan in place to capitalize on National Car Care Month is the first step. The Car Care Council website features a toolbox of information, promotional materials and suggestions to help you get started. Since there is no one-size-fits-all template for participating in National Car Care Month, the toolbox also offers a variety of ideas on how to incorporate National Car Care Month activities into your plans, whether you choose to host an event or participate on a smaller scale.

Hosting a free community car care event during National Car Care Month is an inexpensive and highly successful way to enhance customer relationships, capture more business from current customers and generate new business. For a larger community event, you could partner with other businesses in your area, as well as a local radio station. For a smaller event, you could offer free vehicle inspections right at your business location. The possibilities are endless. Whatever you decide to do, this is a tremendous opportunity to increase the goodwill and trust within your customer base.

If you decide to conduct an event, the Car Care Council has a point-of-sale kit available for use during National Car Care Month and throughout the year. The kit includes consumer education brochures, posters, bay banners, mirror hangers, vehicle inspection forms, an English/Spanish countermat and the very popular Car Care Guide. In addition, the free digital version of the Car Care Guide is available as a reference for you and your ­customers. It can be found here.

Free resources for your customers don’t end with the Car Care Guide. The council has a free personalized service schedule and email reminder service to help consumers remember to “be car care aware.” By sharing this link, your customers can become more proactive in maintaining their vehicle and follow a service schedule with your help.

Does your shop have a social media presence? If so, why not “like” and “follow” the Car Care Council on Facebook and Twitter. The council frequently posts helpful tips, videos and information, such as its new Maintenance Mondays posts, that can easily be shared with your own fans and followers.

Participating in National Car Care Month is time well spent and gives you a chance to build awareness of your business, increase car counts and educate consumers on how much of their vehicle’s maintenance is going unchecked. Don’t sit out this National Car Care Month. Start planning today for what could be the start of a real game changer for your business. For more information on National Car Care Month and the Be Car Care Aware campaign, visit www.carcare.org.