As the new editor of Shop Owner, I want to build upon what has already been established within the pages of this magazine. Your day-to-day is about solving other people’s problems, so I want to help you solve the problems facing your business. From HR issues and marketing to customer service and keeping up with today’s technology, I want to cover it all, says Kristen Criswell, editor of Shop Owner magazine.

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.

In a perfect world, small businesses would have enough capital to fund any renovation or new construction project they wished to pursue. Buildings would never be run down, shops would use the latest equipment technology and operating space wouldn’t be an issue. But this isn’t a perfect world. Construction costs can add up quickly, and not every small business has enough free capital to fund a project without bank financing.
Equipment costs are unavoidable. Whether it’s the front of a shop, back office or in the bay, repair shop owners and tire dealers need a variety of tools to keep their businesses running. The debate for many business owners is if they should buy or lease this equipment. So when it comes time to make equipment acquisition decisions, it’s important for business owners to understand the pros and cons of buying and leasing.