Osborn’s Automotive: Good Things Come In Small Packages
Can an independent repair shop still be successful with only limited space? Just ask Scott “Oz” Osborn, who makes the most of his three-bay shop in Redondo Beach, Cal. Square footage comes at a premium in Southern California, and Osborn prides himself on providing quality service and making every square foot count.

A Step-By-Step Guide To Learning From Your Customers
As business owners, our best teachers will always be our employees and our customers. They understand many components of our businesses, and, in most cases, they really do care about our success. Learning from our employees is relatively simple. All we need to do is pay attention to their passing comments and engage them during our employee meetings and reviews. Learning from our customers, on the other hand, may take some extra effort.

Brand-Building Efforts Solidify And Boost Customer Loyalty
If you think you’re too busy running your shop to focus on branding, you might want to think again. Thanks to longer service intervals and better-built cars, your customers don’t have to visit you as often as they did in the past. They also have more choices when it comes to service – from specialty providers to dealerships to chains that seem to have shops on every corner.

Automotive Specialist Finds Success Close To Home
Some people seem to have an uncanny ability to find professional success without venturing too far from home. One such individual is Dennis Fourreau, owner of Automotive Specialist, a six-bay automotive repair facility in Lisle, IL.

Working Smarter To Increase Shop Efficiency And Productivity
How many hours have service writers everywhere lost because of a missing wheel lock? How many frustrating hours have been wasted on getting the wrong parts because of incorrect VIN numbers? Little stuff like this really adds up!

Recover Lost Time: Simple Steps For Increasing Shop Productivity
The first step to increasing productivity in many shops is the introduction of Digital Inspections and Shop Workflow Worksheets on tablet devices that help to eliminate or minimize the use of paper in the shop.

Do You Know Your Shop’s ‘Sellability Score?’, Part 1
It’s fun to imagine how much your business is worth. It’s not as much fun when you find out that for all the energy you poured into it, a business broker or potential buyer can’t see the value you can, or thinks your number is unrealistic.

The Path To Shop Growth Is Adaptable Leadership, Service
The NACE | CARS 2014 Conference wasn’t just about the next great tool or the latest technical information, it was also about running a better shop. Key to running a better shop is improving customer service and employing a motivated, professional team. These issues were the focus of Kim Trochlil, national account manager for Leadership
