Make National Car Care Month Your Business Resolution

Looking for a way to bolster your business in the new year? By making a resolution to conduct a community car care event during National Car Care Month, your business will reap the benefits, according to the Car Care Council.

“Each year, $50 billion in vehicle maintenance and repairs go unperformed. That’s a lot of service, repair and parts sales sitting out there because so many consumers don’t know what needs to be done to their vehicle and why it’s important,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “Hosting a free and fun car care event during National Car Care Month in April is an inexpensive and highly successful way to capture a greater share of that potential new business.”

The Car Care Council has a free video available to give distributors, repair shops and stores a “test drive” of community car care events with vehicle inspections. Loaded with footage of events in several states and candid testimonials from industry professionals, the video shows and describes specifically how car care events grow new business, increase traffic, improve employee morale and demonstrate community good will.

Shop and store owners on the video explain how the cost of holding a car care event is minimal, compared to traditional advertising and describe the tool kit of marketing, event management and other resources available from the Car Care Council. A point-of-sale kit is available that includes consumer education brochures, posters, bay banners, mirror hangers, vehicle inspection forms, an English/Spanish countermat and the very popular Car Care Guide.

“Now is the perfect time to start thinking about how National Car Care Month can help grow your business,” continued White. “By choosing a date and determining the scope of the event now, you’ll have plenty of time to make sure your event is a huge success.”

About Car Care Council
The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For a copy of the council’s Car Care Guide or for more information, visit www.carcare.org.

When Your Shop Is Worth Much More Than You Thought

Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.

Case Study: Owner of San Francisco-based Import Service Shop Delighted to Discover Just How Valuable His Business is to Qualified Buyers
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.
In the case of Cowden Automotive, Inc., I acted in a consulting capacity assisting the owner and his broker in valuing the business, creating a marketing plan, finding a qualified buyer, and arranging financing for the sale.
Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.
Needless to say, delivering that kind of good news to a shop owner is a rewarding experience. Discovering that the sale of his business would result in his retirement nest-egg being substantially larger than he had ever thought was a fitting tribute to someone who had spent his entire working career as a busy automotive service shop owner.

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