Hi Everybody

[automaster]

Hi guys. I am new to this website. My name is Issa Dawud and i am 16 years old. My dad has a small 4 bay shop in blue island illinois. I want to take over the business when im older and i want to learn as much as i can from your experiences. Thank You!

[GobblesAuto]

  automaster said:

Hi guys. I am new to this website. My name is Issa Dawud and i am 16 years old. My dad has a small 4 bay shop in blue island illinois. I want to take over the business when im older and i want to learn as much as i can from your experiences. Thank You!

 

Issa,

Do you work with your dad now? You can learn a lot by listening to others experiences as well as your dad I am sure. Good luck

 

Tony Gobble

www.gobblesauto.com

tony@gobblesauto.com

[Joe Marconi]

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[automaster]

Yes i actually do work with my dad. i am on winter break right now and ive been there everyday monday thru saturday from 8 to 6pm. i also go whenever im off of school, so i am there every saturday. i have learned a lot from him but he doesnt want me to become a tech. but i love doing it. he wants me to go into the medical field but i am not interested in that. do any of you guys recommend this job for me or do you all agree with my dad.

 

thank you

Edited January 3, 2009 by automaster

[automaster]

Hi Joe, so do you thing there is money in the automotive field. Is it a good field to get into because i have looked up all types of jobs to see what fits me but none of them seemed right. i always loved cars and loved to work with my hands, so this job fits me perfectly. what kind of education should i get. i want to go to UTI(Universal Technical Institute), but my dad said that they only will teach me the entry level stuff and i already know all the basics and much more. i can diagnose cars with the matco scanners, i can clear codes on cars, i can do brake jobs and a lot more, so i think i should stick with the automotive field. please reply to this so i can hear you opinion. Thank You!

[Joe Marconi]

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[automaster]

Thank You for your thoughts Joe. You're really helping me out. Everytime i visit this website, i get more interested in cars and the Automotive business. Is your shop nice and comfortable to work in, because my dad's shop is old and it has the pits in the ground instead of lifts, so its very hard to work in. so i think that has something to do whith why he doesn't want me to become a technician. Its only a four bay shop with very little storage room. We're actually looking for a bigger shop but business by us isnt the greatest. its always up and down. this week was very busy for us but last week was slow. Do you have any tips on how to boost up our business. The shop us very small so its hard to stay organized. Do you think that has anything to do with how business is. what are some ways you advertise for your shop? Thank You, Issa

Edited January 4, 2009 by automaster

[Joe Marconi]

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[automaster]

I havent yet shared any of this whith my father but before i found this website i always told him to start advertising a little better. he just made pens and calendars for his customers but im trying to get him to mail cupons to customers. We do have one lift in the shop for brake jobs, and one bottle jack in the pits to lift the cars up. He doesnt want me to become a tech because there isnt really an education to get, but i know there is good money in it. My father isnt really a business man. he is not on top of things. Sometimes i have to remind him to call a customer to pick up their car, or i have to order parts for him. Sometimes we have cars at the shop that are sitting in the parking lot for 2 days before we get started on them. thats not good for the business but we only have one mechanic other than my dad, but my dad needs to concentrate on running the business and answering phones. I keep telling him to hire another mechanic but he says that he cant because when business is slow, he wont be able to pay the mechanics. I havent really shared any of this with my dad but i think i should. it would really help the business out. Thank You--Issa

Edited January 4, 2009 by automaster

[Joe Marconi]

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[automaster]

Hi Joe, I was just wondering the average salary of your lead tech., and how do you pay your mechanic, also how many mechanics do you have because you have a big shop don't you? How was the expansion? I hope everything went smoothly.

[Joe Marconi]

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[automaster]

Hi Joe, i have a question: Do you think there is a good future for the automotive business. I really want to do it but i also want to make good money. Do you think i can make over 150k per year if i open a shop 10 years from now? or will the economy bring down the auto industry? Thank You

[Joe Marconi]

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[automaster]

Hey Joe. I was wondering what you actually do at work. Are you a mechanic, or a service writer? What is it exactly that you do? My dad is everything. he fixes cars, but we only have one other tech. He also talks to the customers. he is a service writer and when im there on saturdays and days off of school, i am also a service writer. i also greet the customers when they walk in. So what do you do, and how many techs. do you have?

Thank You!

[Joe Marconi]

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[Vegas14]

  Joe said:

I have my business set up in a way that all positions are taken care of. My role is to oversee the operation, work on growing the business and to coach the people around me.

 

There was a time when I did everything. From service writing to working on cars, all the office work, road testing, etc. But I was killing myself. We are much more profitable now that I concentrate on running the business, instead of working in it.

 

We have 4 techs, a service advisor, office manager, shop foreman and a clean up crew.

 

 

In my opionion, if you desire to become a tech and eventually run the business, that is what you should focus on. It sounds to me like you are passionate about this profession.

 

I agree that you are right on track about running the business more so that working in it. Keep getting as much information as you can about managing and marketing your dad's automotive shop. This website a great resource for answers to all your questions...THANK GUYS!

 

There are several automotive management and automotive marketing companies that will be helpful in running and marketing your business. I hope it's ok to name of few, I'm not trying to sell any of them but just listing the resources that I know of. There is ATI, Management Success, Cinron, Dan Cricks, Autoprofitspro. These are just a few that I have heard about, but again, this website is especially helpful because your questions are answered by people that are in the same field. And, it's great input and advice on what has/is working for them and what hasn't.

 

Good luck!

[Joe Marconi]

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[autoguy]

I don't belive that I welcomed you...WELCOME automaster! A few months late..sorry..