On August 9th, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS Act which will provide subsidies to companies that make semiconductor chips in order to meet the demand for these chips and bring more manufacturing of them into the U.S. The automotive industry has been one of the hardest hit by global chip shortages causing dramatic…
“Paying extra to fly first-class is a waste of money!” This is what I said back in 2008 as I boarded my flight headed to St. Louis. My seat was in row 4, and the first-class section was rows 1-3. We were all going to the same destination, and the state of the economy was…
The demands of the automotive repair industry have been difficult for as long as I can remember. Put profitability, marketing, and customer experience aside, and you’re left with the core of our business — automotive repair. Any technician can tell you that the premature assumption of a repair being easy-to-do, can quickly ruin your day…
“Meet The Fockers,” starring Ben Stiller and Dustin Hoffman, is one of my favorite comedies of all time. The most memorable scene in the movie was when Hoffman’s character “Bernie” bragged about his son Gaylord’s past accomplishments. Bernie was so proud that he created a special trophy case in his honor known as “The Wall…
Everyone loves to have a blueprint for success in their hands for business and personal goals. I know I do. The blueprint serves as our roadmap to accomplishing our targets and objectives. It is best to start with a good foundation at the base of every blueprint, roadmap, and plan. The Importance of a Foundation…
You’ve hired this person to help at your auto repair shop’s front counter — now what? Whether you just hired your first service advisor or are replacing a service manager who was with you for years, service advisor training may be a great way to accelerate the learning process and make sure this person has…
Are you keeping up with the times? Shop owners have seen a slew of hardships in the last twelve to eighteen months related to rising costs. All the stories we hear of rising housing costs, groceries, fuel, and other items are bound to have a ripple effect on our industry. If you haven’t reevaluated where…
Knowing which targets and goals you want to aim for and what results you want to achieve are a must in business and life. Think about targets in sports. In basketball, there’s a hoop; in golf, there’s a cup; in football, there’s an endzone; and in hockey, there’s the net. In these sports, there’s a…
We’ve all heard this phrase ever since we were kids. In its simplest form, the understood takeaway was if you plan for unseen circumstances, it won’t catch you off guard, and therefore won’t be an emergency. In the automotive repair industry, this could mean ensuring the onboarding of a new employee includes how to conduct…
Charles Schwab was the Jeff Bezos of 1918. He was one of the richest men of his day, and the president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, one of the largest producers of Steel during that time. Yet, despite being the “top shop” of his time, he felt something was missing in his business. He scheduled…