Tap Into the Power of Collaboration To Grow Your Business, Part 2
In Part 1 of this series, we discussed how collaboration can positively affect your business by producing better business decisions. Now, let’s discuss options for broadening your decision-making inputs by finding the right business group for you.
Executive Interview: Jim Graninger, Vice President, Regional Business Unit, Bosch Diagnostics
Bosch’s Jim Graninger brings to automotive service more than 30 years of experience in the automotive industry, including over 20 years in the aftermarket arena. Before joining Bosch, he was Vice President and General Manager of Rexnord Industries, LLC, and prior to that, served in several vice president level roles with Snap-on, Inc., including their diagnostics business. Jim’s successful career includes international assignments in Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands as well as international responsibilities for Asia, Australia and Latin America.
Think You’re Female Friendly? Examine the Basics to See if Your Shop Measures Up
Women account for 85% of all consumer purchases, including everything from automobiles to healthcare, and they spend about $5 trillion annually – about half of the U.S. gross domestic product.
Discrimination in the Workplace: Prevention Starts at the Top
The U.S. Justice Department tells us that lawsuits alleging discrimination in the workplace more than tripled in the 1990s. These stories can be found online, in the newspaper and on the evening news almost daily, and most commonly involve race, gender, disability, religion or age. The uncertainty of today’s business climate, the downturn in the economy, and most importantly, layoffs, increases the likelihood of legal action.
Employee Retention is Key to Continued Success
Companies that build and maintain a superior workforce will have a long-term competitive advantage in their marketplaces. Here are some strategies for doing just that.
Don’t Close the Sale – Open the Relationship
Extensive consumer research has proven that there’s a direct link between positive customer experiences and greater sales results and reveal that when there’s a disconnect between the way businesses go about selling their products and the way consumers want to buy them, sales results suffer.
Buy Now, Depreciate Now: What Does Section 179 of the Tax Code do for Capital Equipment Purchases in 2010?
Almost every shop owner can recall what he/she paid for a
piece of capital equipment in his/her shop. Smart shop owners
can even tell what year of depreciation a piece of capital
equipment is in, and how much was claimed on the shop’s taxes. But, a recent rewriting of the tax code has changed this practice.
Outsider Interview: Jim Ruggles, Sr., Bicycle Shop Owner
Albert Einstein once said, “Life is like riding a bicycle, in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving.” The same can be said for any business, especially automotive repair. If an automotive repair shop does not stay current and grow, it is at risk of going off track and failing.
Executive Interview: Rusty Bishop- CEO, Federated Auto Parts
Rusty Bishop began his career in the automotive aftermarket 38 years ago when he joined Fisher Auto Parts, where he held a number of positions in warehouse and jobber store management and also served as a director of the company. In 1985, Bishop co-founded Federated Auto Parts Distributors, a program marketing group for major warehouse distributors.
Tips for Revving Up Your Credit and Debit Transactions
“Cash moves everything around me.” It’s a common thought for many automotive repair shop owners. Cash flow is one of the biggest and most important challenges many business people face, especially in the service business. Capital equipment payments and rent are both expensive, not to mention parts purchases and payroll.
Exclusive Excellence: Exclusively Bimmers Banks On Its Solid Reputation
Dennis Walczuk’s Exclusively Bimmers shop in the Charleston, SC, suburb of Mount Pleasant is a far cry from “the dungeon” that was the back office at the independent repair facility’s previous location. While Walczuk admits the old shop’s less-than-ideal setting definitely lost him a customer or two, he knows that the current facility on Lansing Drive has the opposite effect.
Getting ‘Green:’ Reduce, Reuse, Recycle To Reignite Your Business
By now it’s evident that the whole ‘green’ movement is more than just a fad. In fact, successful businesses everywhere have
adapted their operations to cater to consumers who are looking
for more environmentally friendly products and services.
