As independent shop owners, it’s important to understand why consolidation is happening and what impact it has on your business. While some shop owners might see the trends and view this as a perfect opportunity to cash out, if you’re in it for the long haul, you’ll need to figure out how to continue growing your business in light of the consolidation.
Running a small business is simultaneously one of the most frustrating and rewarding journeys a person can embark upon. Even more so when that small business is an auto repair shop. The highs and lows can both be extreme – one minute, you’re on top of the world and everything is going great. The next minute, the sky is falling and nothing seems to be going right.
Mary DellaValle says that as a shop owner you’re working harder and faster today to stay ahead of the competition and boost profitability. But you really need to be working smarter. She tells you how, coming up next. Sponsored by Management Success.
Mary DellaValle explains how working “on” your business helps your shop stand out from the competition, elevates your shop’s image and builds trust — all of which keep customers coming back for service. Sponsored by Management Success.
There are a number of challenges associated with running your own business and, typically, they can be categorized into four major stages. How you approach these stages and overcome the relevant obstacles are key to taking your shop to the next level.
I own a small shop that’s just over 3,000 square feet. In order to maximize every square foot of the building, it’s critical that I have policies and procedures in place so that everything runs efficiently. In a nutshell, this boils down to working smarter, not harder.
Whether a vehicle finds its way into your shop for worn rotors or a broken timing belt, you have an obligation to the customer to ensure his/her car is in good working order by the time it rolls out of the bay.
Adam Redling provides pointers on gaining a competitive edge when navigating through today’s digital landscape that include competing on value rather than price, and communicating with customers in the way they prefer to be reached. Sponsored by ACDelco.
The unspoken mantra of every business is something akin to, “See opportunity, profit off of opportunity.” But succeeding as an independent repair shop is more complicated than that. You have to earn your customers’ trust through transparency and a focus on individual needs if you want to become a staple within a community.
Whether your employees work directly with customers or in the service bay, they may come into contact with sensitive, competitive information that they could potentially use to establish a competing business nearby.
Like heading to the doctor for an annual checkup, preventive care can be an important tool to maintain the health of your business. Here are a couple of areas to keep in mind to help reduce your employment headaches in the future.
Many people have tried to define sales over the years. After much reflection on my own experience, I’ve decided to redefine the modern day definition of sales. Simply put, sales is, “The conveying of meaningful information to encourage a buying decision.”
