January/February 2015 Archives - Shop Owner Magazine
Five Ways To Keep Your Business Out Of Court

When it comes to business, there are so many things that owners need to do and think about to keep the shop running. The last thing they need is a lawsuit related to employment matters that can be easily avoided. Here are five tips to avoid employment lawsuits.

legal paperwork
Kracl Automotive: Family Atmosphere Attracts Customers, Employees

When Adam Kracl and his wife Annette decided to open their own automotive repair shop in Glenwood Springs, CO, they knew they wanted to fill a void in the area with a shop that not only provided top-notch repairs, but also created a warm, inviting atmosphere for customers and employees alike.

Kracl Automotive
Ensuring Auto Care Financial Success

Can you point your company in the direction of financial success, step on the gas, and then sit back and wait to arrive at your destination? Not quite. Any business owner knows you need to make numerous adjustments along the way – decisions about pricing, hiring, investments, and so on. So, how do you handle the array of questions facing you? One way is through cost ­accounting.

good accounting practices
Team Incentives: How To Keep Employees Engaged, Optimistic

Over the last 15 years, since we started helping shop owners in 1999, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen every pay plan known to man. I’m also pretty sure that I’ve heard every possible variation of the same question: “How can I pay my team in a way that motivates them without eating all of my profits?”

incentivizing employees
Preferred Automotive: Business Growth Through Education, Customer Service

Preferred Automotive Specialists, Inc. is proof positive that business growth doesn’t have to mean sacrificing customer service. Tom Palermo, who serves as the general manager of the Jenkintown, PA, shop, has been able to expand his fleet customer base while continuing to maintain the personal, one-on-one relationship with regular customers.

Precision Automotive
The Industry’s Talent Gap: Is It A Crisis Or An Opportunity?

Have you taken a look around our industry lately and made the same observation that I have? We are getting pretty old. From the parts house counterman to the shop owner, we are seeing a lot more grey hair and maybe a few more comb overs. In fact, statistics indicate that the average age of a shop owner is 55!

Hiring new employees
Wright’s Automotive: Protecting And Preserving A Legacy With A New Owner

An independent automotive service business can be so much more than bricks and mortar, equipment, employees and a source of revenue. It can also be a source of pride – a testament to a lifetime’s worth of hard work. I sometimes share case studies of the clients I have been able to assist in my role as an aftermarket business broker and provider of intermediary and advisory services. I do that when I think the story will provide a reader in ­similar circumstances with new insights or helpful information.

Wright's Automotive sale