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HTI.WERKSTATT

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Hey guys, I'm finally getting all my ducks in a row over at the shop. (Well for the most part). I should be receiving my LLC paperwork from the state of Ohio any day now. The DBA will take another couple weeks. As you all may have read in some of my prior postings we aren't a high volume shop at this point in time, but we are growing steadily. I'm loosing my best technician other than myself on Friday of this week. And come monday I have a college student with two years of automotive tech training from the local community college starting on Monday, he's only going to be part time until he finishes his education at the community college, as I have agreed to of course work him around his school schedule. As well I may need to bring in another full time technician, although I'm still having trouble finding one who is worth a darn. More on that later.

 

 

Well since my shop is about to be official within the next couple days, and I'm hiring technically my first employee. Where in the world do I start as far as accounting/book keeping? I can't afford to pay an accountant at this point in time, and I have the experience of doing my own 1099 taxes for the past 5 years, so I understand the basics of profit and loss, etc... My biggest issue here is not only going to be book keeping, profit and loss, but also: payroll, federal, state, city, social security, and workers compensation, and etc for my employees... What do some of you small guys use, or have used when first starting up.

 

I know from reading a lot on here I should just hire someone in charge of my quote un quote HR dept, service writing dept, etc... but as well I'm not in full bloom as many of you guys are, and need to save as much cash for the business as possible at this point. We still need more equipment and etc... Any help or words of wisdom here will be much appreciated guys. And as far as this forum goes should be a wealth of information for future use of any new comers, possibly a good "sticky"...

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

    • Joe Marconi
      The Toolbox is Last to Leave, First is the Heart
      By Joe Marconi in Joe's Blog
         0 comments
      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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