The Top 7 Reasons Most Shops Fail
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many of the top shop owners in America. I have met thousands of owners who simply go about business as usual and then, unfortunately, and unexpectedly, fail. I have made quite a few discoveries along the way, so I would like to use this article to share what I feel to be the top 7 reasons most shops fail.
Top Shop Automotive: Three Talented Guys And A Successful Automotive Repair Shop
What do you get when three guys who also happen to be technicians become friends? A highly successful Santa Barbara, CA-based repair shop.
Executive Interview: Rusty Bishop, CEO, Federated Auto Parts Distributors
Rusty Bishop began his career in the automotive aftermarket more than 40 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 headquartered in Staunton, VA. Through the years, Bishop’s leadership allowed Federated to grow to become one of the leading program groups in the industry.
Marketing To Women: It’s More About What You Do Than What You Say
Let’s be honest: our industry has a less-than-stellar reputation, especially among women. It’s understandable, considering that less than 1% of ASE-certified technicians and only 7% of service advisors are female. This is still predominantly a man’s world; and let’s be real, most men just don’t get women.
Time Stealers: Identifying And Averting Barriers To Productive Use Of Your Precious Time
Whether it’s silver, gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies or even cold, hard cash, we take numerous measures each day to protect our valuable items, some more drastic than others. We use locks, banks, safes and alarms to ensure their safe protection. We lock our homes, cars and businesses in order to safeguard our personal possessions and the things that are important to us.
How Paperless Inspection Might Change The Way You Run Your Shop
This article takes a closer look at some newly implemented features that have been reported to significantly improved the benefits for shop owners, technicians, service writers and motorists. If you haven’t looked into paperless inspection, the
prospect of this feature can significantly improve your shop’s productivity.
The Trend In New Vehicle Sales And The Impact On You
Here in the states, you don’t have to look very hard to find Hyundai and Kia vehicles. They are not only becoming quite popular, but in the first half of this year their combined U.S. market share was 9%; putting them ahead of Nissan, and right behind Honda. I am mentioning this to you because it wasn’t very long ago when these two brands were unknown in the U.S., and because I feel this increase offers a peek into the future.
Summer Performance Incentives Drive Up Sales And Profits
For most of you, summertime is when you can skyrocket productivity. So rather than telling your techs that you’ll provide them with a bonus if they reach certain productivity goals, give them the bonus up front, with the understanding that it is theirs to lose.
New Car Sales Are Up! Prepare Or Beware?
As the economy recovers, new car sales will increase. The aging U.S. fleet, which was predicted to be a boom for repair shops, never really materialized as we thought it would. As an industry, independent repair shops survived and some fared quite well; just not to the extent that many of us predicted. That’s not to say we did not have opportunity, we did. However, as we painfully found out, when people are out of work, feel poor, and when consumer confidence is low, it makes our job a lot more difficult.
Is Groupon For You?
We all know about the rage that is going on with the Groupon-type services, and with many businesses, I see where it can be a really good fit. Examples would be in the fast food industry, and with companies that sell commodities like soap or shoes. Yet, when it comes to the auto repair business, with just two exceptions, I feel that this type of marketing is a bad fit. Here’s why …
What’s Your Competitive Advantage?
Creating a list of your competitive advantages will help every shop owner position their business in the market. It is an advantage that enables you to survive against competition over a long period of time. In today’s era of hyper-competition, shop owners are better able to capture the customers they are looking for if they plan to create and focus on what sets them apart.
Maintenance Mindset Racks Up Miles And Service Opportunities
How many miles do you think a pampered engine could rack up? Hundreds of thousands? How about millions! Irv Gordon, a Long Island, NY, resident who has traveled the U.S. for nearly 50 years, can attest to that. He’s driven the same vehicle, a shiny, red 1966 Volvo P1800, racking up nearly 3 million miles.
