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Article: Digital Vehicle Inspections Your Auto Repair Shops Marketing Secret
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By nptrb
Hi, Natalie here. There is wealth of information to clear up confusion about the new regulations regarding PPP loans. There will probably be changes, so this is summary is based on the best information currently available. Before you take action, I encourage you to check for updated rules and make sure you are fully informed before signing any paperwork.
As with any government program, there are a lot of details that need to be understood. So this may be spread out over two-to-three blogs, as my goal is to deliver this information in bite-sized chunks. For additional information, I suggest you contact your local Small Business Association (SBA).
Here’s a headline of the first section from an article in Forbes magazine:
“Second Draw PPP Loan Eligibility Requires that Borrower will have spent the “Full Amount” of the First Loan Before Receiving the Disbursement of the Second Loan”
The title for this Act is a mouthful of legalese, but the short title is the “Economic Aid Act”. This Act states that “a Second Draw PPP Loan may only be made to an eligible borrower that (1) has received a First Draw PPP Loan, and (2) has used, or will use, the full amount of the First Draw PPP Loan on or before the expected date on which the Second Draw PPP Loan is disbursed to the borrower.
Let’s break this down into simpler language.
You have to be eligible You have received the first PPP loan You will spend 100% of the first loan before collecting any of the funds from the second PPP loan Here is some clarification from the Interim Final Rules:
The borrower must have spent the full amount of its First Draw PPP Loan on eligible expenses under the PPP rules to be eligible for a Second Draw PPP Loan; and “The full amount” of the borrower’s First Draw PPP Loan includes the amount of any increase on such First Draw PPP Loan made pursuant to the Economic Aid Act. This next topic is what the definition of “Gross Receipts” is. “Gross Receipts” Defined for Purposes of Determining Whether There Has Been a 25% Drop in Revenues to Qualify for Second Draw
Unfortunately, the Economic Aid Act does not include a general definition of “gross receipts” for purposes of determining a borrower’s revenue reduction.
Here is what is included in gross receipts: ““All revenue in whatever form received or accrued (in accordance with the entity’s accounting method) from whatever source, including from the sales of products or services, interest, dividends, rents, royalties, fees, or commissions, reduced by returns and allowances.”
Here is what is not included in gross receipts:
“Taxes collected for and remitted to a taxing authority if included in gross or total income (such as sales or other taxes collected from customers and excluding taxes levied on the concern or its employees); Proceeds from transactions between a concern and its domestic or foreign affiliates; and Amounts collected for another by a travel agent, real estate agent, advertising agent, conference management service provider, freight forwarder or customs broker.” One additional statement regarding what may not be excluded from gross receipts has to do with contractor costs and other items under the category of “all other items”. These items include:
reimbursements for purchases a contractor makes at a customer's request investment income employee-based costs such as payroll taxes Lastly for part 1, this definition of gross receipts is consistent with SBA’s size regulation 13C.F.R. 121.104. This is another great reason to check out the SBA’s website www.sba.gov or go to your local SBA office for additional information.
I may be able to shed some additional light on these new rules, so contact me if you want to talk this over.
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By [email protected]
We are in the process of switching to a digital inspection system that will allow us to send customers a detailed vehicle report including pictures and videos. We're about to invest in tablets for our technicians, and I'm hoping some of you have already traveled this road and can lend some advice on which type of tablets to buy or not to buy. I'm leaning toward Samsung, but I've also heard good things about the Amazon Fire tablets. I'm open to all feedback, but I have absolutely no interest in buying Apple products. Their totalitarian attitude toward their hardware and software systems just doesn't jive with my free-market values.
Key Considerations:
Speed and functionality Durability Camera must have a flash Low cost is a plus, but less important Thanks in advance!
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By nptrb
Hi, Natalie here. You have a great selection of tools on hand that will cover every job a customer will bring into your shop. Whether it’s Mac Tools, Snap-on, OTC, or Wright, the right tool for the job is priceless.
The tools we’re talking about in this post are for finances, but the same strategy holds true. If you’re planning to do your own bookkeeping, the right tool for your financial job is also priceless. They can take what may appear to be a daunting challenge and save you a ton of time. You’ll be back to running your shop before you know it.
Stick around until the end and I’ll outline what’s in my bookkeeping toolbox. Here is an overview with some suggestions on how to choose great financial tools
Here are the top 10 categories:
1. Accounting Software
QuickBooks has been the go-to software for accounting for decades. There are online tools that may be a better option for you. The most popular choice is Xero and the numbers of small business owners that are using Xero is increasing. Compare several and pick the one that is both robust and flexible.
According to the 2015 edition of the Business News Daily’s Buyer’s Guide here are the features you should look for:
Invoicing
Expense Tracking
Client/Vendor Contact Management
Billing and Recurring Payments Automation
Quote and Estimate Creation
Tax Preparation
Multiple-User Access
Payroll Processing
Mobile Access
Integration with Programs Such as Point-Of-Sale Software, Credit Card
Processing, and Google Apps
2. Budgeting Tools
Creating a budget is the cornerstone of your shop’s financial success. Staying on task within your budget is equally as important. If your accounting software has this feature, you may already have the proper tool to create that budget. If your preference is a tool dedicated to this task, a recommendation is PlanGuru.
3. Payroll Management System
Payroll management can occupy so much of your time and mistakes are easy to make. Look for tools that streamline the payroll process and cut costly errors. A tool that integrates with your other tools is another feature to look for. Some tools like SurePayroll can calculate and pay payroll taxes. Simple. A couple of other tool suggestions are ZenPayroll and ADP. These combine payroll and HR functions in one.
4. Agile Billing
Speed and flexibility in your billing process means quicker cash flow back to you. With a tools like FreshBooks or Bill.com the billing process will be quicker and give your customers an easy experience. Improving the billing process will serve you and your customers better and shorten delays in receiving payments.
5. Financial Dashboard
The dashboard gives you a quick look at your shop’s financial health. See at a glance if your shop is thriving or surviving. Tools such as LivePlan or InDinero give you clear visuals and show you if you’re starting to go off course. Then you can take the actions to keep moving towards your financial destination.
6. Cash Flow Analysis
Your accounting software should have cash flow statement capability. As with the budgeting tools there are specialty tools for cash flow tracking. A couple of suggestions are Float or a simple spreadsheet. These give you patterns from the past to offer a forecast of your shop’s financial future.
7. Inventory Management
This is all about efficiency and tracking. From the purchase of parts and consumables to generating sales reports and low inventory alerts, this is a very valuable tool. A couple of cloud-based options are SOS Inventory and Scout’s top Shelf.
8. Expense Tracking
Those tiny expenses can quickly add up and may be hard to track. Using an expense report tool such as Expensify or Xpenditure makes this much easier. Track those meals, gas, and incidental expenses by scanning receipts and typing in cash expenses. Some tools have the capability to link to mobile devices helping to track these instantly..
9. Business Credit Card
A business credit card, when used properly has several benefits
Improve your shop’s credit history
Earn higher credit limits
Receive rewards and discounts
Manage employee cards (ease of tracking expenses)
Boosts employee morale due to convenience and trust
10. E-commerce Solutions
Imagine your customer paying for their oil change before the service is completed. They need a couple of quarts of oil to tie them over. It’s easy to buy them online from their trusted repair shop.
Many businesses have seen an increases in cash flow since the beginning of the pandemic by using E-commerce solutions. These are powerful and create revenue streams that you may not have thought of.
11. Three Rivers Bookkeeping
With my 5-years of experience, these are the tools I use:
Accounting software – QuickBooks
Payroll Management System – ADP
Agile Billing – bill.com
Financial Dashboard – LivePlan
I’m passionate about books and service to my clients. If you’d like to have a conversation about tools and why I selected the one’s above, contact me. I can also outline the services I provide and why adding me to your team may make perfect sense to you.
Saving you time and headaches is the value I bring to you, the Auto Repair Shop Owner.
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By CAautogroup
Hello all,
We have a rather small waiting room and have removed a few chairs to aid in social distancing (we now have only 4 chairs total). I wanted to know if your shop is requiring customers to wear a mask while they are inside the waiting area? How is your experience? Do you have a sign up on the front door stating they must wear a mask?
Stay safe and healthy!
Nick
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By Joe Marconi
In my 40 years as a shop owner, I have battled the age old dilemma: Is it my car count, my customer count or some other reason why some weeks I find it hard to hit my sales goal.
It always comes down to production. Now that's really simplifying it, I know. But, when you look at the numbers, with the right jobs and a balanced schedule, the ARO goes way up and car counts become not as important as we thought.
Another thing to consider, this is not 1995. Cars do not come in 5 to 6 times a year for an Oil Change Service. You are lucky to see some customers every 10,000 miles as they wait for that Oil Change Percentage light on their dashboard to tell them...NOW IT"S OK TO GO TO YOUR REPAIR SHOP. Isn't it funny how so many people will listen to the dash board light, and not you!
Anyway, what are your thoughts. How do you reach your weekly sales goals and what KPI's are important to you?
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