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Expand business or just be happy?


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Hi everyone, I joined this site a few months ago looking for some ideas to help my business and have gotten many good ideas from here. However I am in a situation that I am hoping some of you have been in before, and am hoping that I may receive some help. We are going into our second year of being in open and have seen a pretty good increase in sales this last year. I am a young and have read that some of you were also young when you started your shops (I will be 27 in March).

Let me lay a little ground work so you know what the circumstances are, we are located in the same building as a used car lot that has been there for 18 years and has a very good reputation around town, and have gotten a lot of customers from that. Unfortunately I don't think that we can grow the business any more without expanding the building, you see our current facility is 2 bays one of which has a hoist, the other is a flat stall that the car lot uses for detailing cars and occasionally I use for repairs. The other problem is that I am the only one running the repair business and working on cars.

I do have a business partner that also owns the car lot, so anything that I do usually gets run past him before I do it. I guess what I am looking for is some ideas as to what direction we should go with the business, you all seem like you have been through some things in the business that you may be able to offer some suggestions. I believe that to grow the business we at least need to expand the building and add at least one employee. What are any of your thoughts?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Eric

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Joe, I think that you are absolutely correct, my feeling is that either I need to expand or I may as well close the shop. We just finished our second year of business and our net profit was more than double from last year, so I am excited, however I would like to continue to keep that going and I am afraid that without adding on there will be no hope of that happening. I am kind of overwhelmed right now trying to do mostly everything by myself, so I am hoping to get some advice and guidance from some other professionals in the business. Joe, I really appreciate the reply and I think that it is great advice, I just need to do some acting on that advice. Thanks for the help and good luck with the new building. Eric

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

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      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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