Case Study: Harry J. Weirich Auto Repair – The Shop Next Door
Technology, specifically for marketing our businesses, doesn’t always come naturally. This month, I decided to get out of my own office and get a better understanding of the challenges and pitfalls facing new shop owners as they try to build awareness and clientele, says Jeff Phillip, Digital Development Manager, Babcox Media.
Executive Interview: Mark Drennan, General Director, ACDelco
Mark Drennan is the general director of ACDelco, the true General Motors original equipment maintenance and repair parts brand. Over a three-decade career at GM, Drennan has influenced every part of the aftermarket value chain, from product design to marketing, sales and distribution.
Differentiating Your Shop With A Unique Brand Promise
So what separates a good shop from a great shop? There are many answers to that question. Is it location, training, techs, management? These are just a few, but one thing is certain: If a shop owner doesn’t concentrate on branding, all that other work and planning won’t matter.
Will A Few Unhappy Customers Kill Your Chances Of Selling Your Shop For Top Dollar?
Just a handful of negative social media reviews can paint an inaccurate picture that poisons the sellability of your thriving business. Develop an action plan now to avoid scaring off buyers later.
Speed Wrench: Providing Repairs And Customer Service With A Retro Flair
Customers at Speed Wrench Garage in Sandwich, IL, a Bumper to Bumper certified service center, certainly appreciate the attention to detail, whether it’s the authentic Texaco Motor Oil sign, or the reclaimed hubcaps adorning the wall.
Navigating The Roller Coaster Ride Of Running A Small Business, And Realizing The Importance Of Personal Well-Being
Running a small business is simultaneously one of the most frustrating and rewarding journeys a person can embark upon. Even more so when that small business is an auto repair shop. The highs and lows can both be extreme – one minute, you’re on top of the world and everything is going great. The next minute, the sky is falling and nothing seems to be going right.
Hosting A Women’s Car Care Clinic – Easing Fears & Providing Education Helps Instill Trust
With more and more women making primary automotive-related purchasing decisions, including service and repair decisions, forward-thinking shops are trying to better educate this important clientele base. So, in recent years, many shops have decided to host women’s car care clinics as a means to educate customers.
Edmonds Import Auto: Award-Winning Shop’s Edge Starts At Square One – Impeccable Customer Service And Solving Customers’ Problems
Edmonds Import Auto in Palmer, AK, runs like a well-oiled machine, thanks to the tag-team effort of Tobi Klunder-Edmonds and her husband Kevin, who together decided to open a shop of their own and put their skills to the test.
Community Automotive Repair: Success Through Specialization And Creating An Inviting Environment For Customers And Employees
Having been repairing European makes and models in Grand Rapids, MI, since 1975, Community Automotive Repair owner Dick Zaagman has learned how to navigate the automotive repair field, both in terms of customer service and employee retention. According to Zaagman, the best practices that work in one facet of shop management often translate to another.
All Work And No Play Is Not The Secret To Success: Achieving Both Work-Life Balance And Shop Success
As small-business owners, we are often caught up in this obligation to do everything it takes to succeed. We feel that we owe it to our investment, to our future, to our employees and to our customers. So, we stay late, we fix employee mistakes ourselves, and we lose whole weekends working to catch up on the work that employees didn’t get done.
Traits Of A Successful Small-Business Owner: What It Takes To Bring Your Shop From Its Current State To Your ‘Ideal Scene’
I didn’t know much about running a business when my partner and I opened our first automotive repair shop in 1997. One day I was a technician, the next day I was an owner responsible for the entire shop and its profitability. I just figured that I could work hard and put a lot of hours in and everything else would fall into place. That notion was far from reality.
Monitoring Employees: Staying Within Legal Boundaries
In this article, we are going to discuss the steps you should take to stay within the legal boundaries if you’re checking in on your employees.
