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Managing Family Business Dynamics [THA 218]


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHXSUyYR6Nc&t=6s

Judy Zimmerman Walter is co-owner with her uncles and the CFO of, this 57-year young service business. Zimmerman’s Automotive, Mechanicsburg, PA is a true blue ‘family enterprise’ with 12 out of a team of 29 team members that are ‘IN THE FAMILY’. Zimmerman’s is a top automotive repair facility along with a quick lube and a used car division.

Among her involvement: Women’s Board of the Car Care Council, AASP-PA Alliance of Automotive Service Providers, and the Auto Care Association. Listen to Judy’s other episodes HERE.

Joe Hanson owns Gordie’s Garage. Joe has attended Management Success, NAPA training, Lawrence Tech University and most recently he is a member of the RLO 20 Group 13. He has earned his ASE C1: Automobile Service Consultant Certification. Under his father’s leadership, he has seen what it really takes to make a business like this work. Listen to Joe’s Episodes HERE.

John Klarkowski

Key Talking Points

  • Growing up in the family business and deciding to work in the family business

    • Judy’s Rule: You have to work 2 years somewhere else first, instead of expecting/assuming them to work in the family business 

    • Finding your own way first then can always circle back to the family business later

    • “I’m here because I have to be here” mentality is a responsibility that will lead to resentment long term

    • Introduce to beginning stages- cleaning shop

  • Team concept and positive culture

    • Treat employees like family

    • Everyone’s treated the same

    • Family dynamics have to be separate

  • Allowing failure

    • No favoritism

    • Failure is learning

    • Giving space- share your own mistakes but don’t try to intervene 

    • “Quarterbacking” instead of forcing a certain way 

  • Regretful or grateful

    • Heightened emotions with family

    • Not giving things time to work out, treating family members with disrespect

    • Experience trumps new ideas

    • Let your family members know your feelings- call them after work

  • Nurturing the following generation

    • Guidance and positive reinforcement, moral support 

    • Put things in perspective about the journey 

  • Advice 

    • Recognize if you work well together or not well together 

    • Recognize your communication style among family members

    • Family issues and business issues are checked at the door- no fighting in front of other employees

    • Keep it simple- find out/analyze whole story first then react after

    • Focus on celebrating it is a family business and working together

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This episode is brought to you by Shop-Ware Shop Management. It’s time to run your business at its fullest potential with the industry’s leading technology. Shop-Ware Shop Management will increase your efficiency with lightning-fast workflows, help your staff capture more sales every day, and create very happy customers who promote your business. Shops running Shop-Ware have More Time and generate More Profit—join them! Schedule a free live demonstration and find out how 30 minutes can transform your shop at getshopware.com

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This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros. Your guides are Kim and Brian Walker with a rich history as shop owners and industry veterans. When someone searches for a shop, who are they finding? Your competitors? It should be you! The good people over at Shop Marketing Pros know how to drive website traffic and make Google work for you! www.shopmarketingpros.com

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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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