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Using manufactures logos on signage at shop?


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I'm 99% sure you will have an issue with using the logo. As far as describing yourself as a bmw specialist, as long as it's not in the official business name you should be fine.

 

For example if your shops name is 'Mccannable's Auto' and you have BMW Specialists written below that on your sign out front, you should have no issue. You would have an issue if the business name is 'Mccannable's BMW Specialists'. One is a descriptor, the other is considered copyright infringement and they will argue that it could be misleading for consumers.

 

There are some 'feather' or 'swooper' flags you can find online at amazon for example that do not have logos. Should have no issue with just the flag saying BMW, and what are the odds someone from BMW legal corporate is going to drive by your shop and notice?

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There's a shop not too far from me that had the word "FORD" in their business name. Ford actually contacted him (lawyers that is) and told him to remove or face huge court costs and fines.

 

He changed it shortly after that.

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There's a shop not too far from me that had the word "FORD" in their business name. Ford actually contacted him (lawyers that is) and told him to remove or face huge court costs and fines.

 

He changed it shortly after that.

Sounds like my experience with Toyota. They weren't threatening or rude, they were very understanding actually and gave me plenty of time and answered any questions I had.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
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