CMillet86

I'm working on the waiting room right this minute, I cleaned it up immensely. Looks like a whole new place actually. Cleaning the shop is always a ongoing project, but something I'm also working on. I've already spoken to my website guy about shifting the focus of the website, that will take place in the next couple weeks. The google reviews I will make a point of to get, just need to figure out how to do it in a way that I feel comfortable. I understand the Yes man mentality, at the same time I have to say no more in my opinion. To keep jobs that I think are going to be unprofitable out of here.

The website is honestly an afterthought. It's something that I've neglected because I've mostly just forgotten about it. I'm terrible at soliciting reviews. Both are things I'm going to actively work on going forward. The waiting room needs work. I tend to try and tackle too many things at once and fail to accomplish most of them. When I'm slow I can focus on doing things a certain way, when It does get busy I have a bad habit of throwing everything out the door.

While I do a fair amount of that stuff, 90% of my work is normal service work. I have been doing a little marketing towards standard crowds as I'd call them. I haven't seen much difference in it though.

I figured I'd come in and reply to this. I'm sure as shop owners we all have ups and downs. Earlier this year was definitely a down time. I did take a job working at an R&D place, it lasted all of 2 weeks. I've been back in the shop since, making a go of it. I'm still struggling but have been able to do some things to allow me to keep going.

I have the stands, but I only have a small 2 bay shop. They do take a long time to set up correctly but It's a tradeoff for me until I can get more space.

I'm feeling the same as xrac, I'm a state over from him. Very soft right now. Trying to ramp up affordable marketing solutions.

The Engine Dyno & machine shop is technically a separate business. I do run a chassis dyno, but that is one reason I've been floundering, it's not making any money. My biggest issue's are marketing and me. When I do get busy I get behind as a one man auto repair shop. My car count only averaged 21 a month last year, now I have a high ARO at $508 for the last year, but profit margin wasn't there. I only averaged 26% on parts last year. I try not to cut my prices, but in my town it seems like everyone is selling parts at cost and only running a $65hr labor rate. I'm at $70 and trying to make a minimum of 40% on parts and everyone keeps telling me how high I am.

Not to clutter his thread, but I'm struggling to stay profitable. I'm a solo operation, but I can't get above 10K gross, which is barely putting $200 a week in my pocket by the time parts and overhead are paid.

Wow, some people are really cut out for this. I've been doing it in my 2 bay shop since 09, and I think it's time to close the doors.

This is going to be more a common issue in the coming years.

In my City of Piqua, The dealer is only $85, the highest shop I know of is $77/hr. I understand the value of the service but I don't want to price myself out of a job either.

Yep, I'm getting ready to make a raise myself. When I took over for my grandpa it was $55 and that was in 2009. You can only imagine the type of customers that brought, I'm up to $70, about to go to $75 soon. Thats getting upper end for our area.

I'm guilty of having cars for a month or more at times, as a one man shop, if it's a second vehicle and non critical the customer doesn't seem to mind. I work on it when I can, but I focus on cash flow jobs to keep everything flowing smoothly.

I'm sure there is money to be had not buying from the chain stores, the problem is, if you have an issue from one of those warehouses, how do they respond? You pay more for a part, but you also pay for the service, granted the service may not always be great, but hopefully they take care of you in a way that a warehouse can't.