From the beginning of time to mid-2020, if we had an employee not performing their duties well either in productivity, sales stats, or basic work ethic, we as employers let our employees know where their shortcomings were and to either “shape up or ship out!” But now, things are different. In the current employee-driven labor…
There are two main reasons an automotive repair shop owner decides to work with ATI: either they are not making the profit they should, or they have no freedom. First, we find areas to make more money quickly and improve profitability immediately by working with the owner. We then focus on the areas of opportunity…
It was the first week of January, and the gym was packed. It was hard to get a machine. It was hard to find room to work out! But people were starting their year off on the right foot! But now it’s later in the year, and the gym crowd is thinning out. Why does this…
It is hard work to find your authentic self, see what you are best at, and discover what brings you great joy in life and business. However, those that can find their authentic self, find that they are at the front of the pack encouraging and leading others to follow them — hence they have…
Every business strives to fully satisfy its customers due to understanding the number one rule of marketing: loyal customers are the ones who keep our doors open. For loyal customers, there’s no longer an acquisition cost, happy customers promote your business to others, but there are costs to maintain them long-term. Considering the number of…
Are you a “one-hit wonder” who can’t maintain the success you experience? This question reminds me of an encounter I had with “Jim,” a shop owner struggling to find the right technicians. He desperately posted hiring ads and communicated with his vendors to find “Mr. Right.” He spent most of his time working in the…
Moving forward in your business takes creativity and ingenuity. Forming an informal group of mentors who can serve as advisors is a brilliant next step toward advancing your vision for yourself and the business. The group of advisors is not a board of directors. They do not have any financial interest in your business. Instead,…
Unlike parts, labor margins (what you make on the labor you sell) can swing dramatically based on a number of factors. So if you feel like your technicians in your automotive repair shop are busy but don’t see the dollars on the bottom line, here are some things to look for to increase your labor…
We’ve all had those moments when we were daydreaming in the shower and fantasizing about a bigger house, a new boat, or a shiny new spouse. (Did you read that right? I think you did!) We long for some of these dreams so much that we end up daydreaming about them repeatedly. But, unfortunately, we…
Something happened a few weeks ago that knocked me out of my seat. I was speaking with a shop owner named “Rose” who was concerned about the performance of her shop. She was down in gross profit dollars for the month and suspected that her service manager “Nick” wasn’t fully engaged. Rose recommended that we…