Quantcast
Jump to content









Hello from a noob

ray

By ray
in New Member's Area

 Share

Recommended Posts

ray Rookie

ray

Posted
Posted

Hey guys, I am a relatively young shop owner (31 next week). I currently have a single location shop in Baltimore MD. I started the company in 2006 out of my 20x20 home garage, and now have a 10000 square foot facility. We specialize only in European automotive performance, maintenance, and repair. We basically have 3 divisions here in our shop. We have a web store, a service repair shop, and our performance division. We have grown incredibly fast, and that is why i am here. i hired general managers to operate the administration of the company and always stuck to what i did best, working on cars. While those guys were really good and loyal, they inadvertently handicapped our company because they were without my support, and made some poor decisions, and were forced to be reactive instead of proactive. I re-took control of the administration of the company and I have very big goals for growth. I am here to learn from you much more experienced guys on how to further do this. We kind of differ from most general shops, but the core operating remains the same. We manufacture our own parts, and stock many other performance parts. We also have international relationships with companies that distribute our products. We also burn a lot of money in R&D as well as engineering and performance equipment. I was not fortunate to have any financial backing starting this and pretty much built it as I could. This shop is my life's work, just like most of you, and I am truly terrified of making mistakes that can cost me and my personnel dearly. i look forward to knowing you guys and receiving guidance from you. My goals are to have a very state of the art facility for my development, and multiple franchise locations for my service shop. But I need to get the groundwork built first. Its pretty sad that we are at this level and I am just learning to properly run a business. Thanks for reading and I will be up for a while browsing!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CARMandP Proficient

CARMandP

Posted
Posted

Welcome to the site Ray. As a young shop owner myself (35) I am encouraged by your success in this business. I have also learned a lot from the "older" owners on this site that have been doing this business longer than you and I have even been alive. Ask questions and don't be a stranger here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

    • Joe Marconi
      Want to End Your Technician Shortage? Focus on Retention!
      By Joe Marconi in Joe's 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!”

  • Similar Topics

    • Changing The Industry
      The Basics of Owning An Auto Repair Shop - FAQs
      By Changing The Industry
      The Basics of Owning An Auto Repair Shop - FAQs
    • Changing The Industry
      Bonus Episode - Frank Scandura on AutoTechIQ And Enhancing Shop Dynamics
      By Changing The Industry
      Bonus Episode - Frank Scandura on AutoTechIQ And Enhancing Shop Dynamics
    • carmcapriotto
      Road to NAPA Auto Care Gold Certified: From Technician to Owner of 6 Locations [RR 946]
      By carmcapriotto
      Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Auto Care Brad Updegraff's transition from a general service technician to a visionary business owner of 6 NAPA Gold Certified locations is a story of dedication and strategic planning. Discover the milestones and the speed bumps he encountered along the way. Brad Updegraff, Dave's Ultimate Automotive, 6 locations, Austin, TX. Show Notes
      Learn more about NAPA Auto Care Gold Certified and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting https://www.napaonline.com/en/auto-care Transition to the automotive field (00:01:55) Brad's transition from managing a pizza delivery company to becoming a general service technician in a small gas station repair shop. Seizing the opportunity (00:05:06) The unexpected opportunity that led Brad to become a partner in 2012 and the risks and steps involved in his journey. Building a successful partnership (00:06:15) The partnership with a former homebuilding executive and the successful merging of their expertise for store growth and development. Learning the business side (00:07:25) Brad's learning curve in understanding the business side, seeking help, and investing in personal and business development. Challenges in growth and expansion (00:10:52) The challenges in advertising, customer base, and geographical analysis that impacted the decision to halt further expansion. Recruitment and training strategies (00:12:29) Brad's recruitment strategies, including internal referrals and partnerships with local vocational schools for technician training. Promoting the industry to youth (00:14:32) The need for industry professionals to promote the technical nature of the automotive industry to young people and engage with vocational schools. Advisory Board Representation (00:17:10) Importance of representation on advisory boards for independent dealers and community colleges. Community Involvement and Giving Back (00:18:13) Support for charitable foundations, including Make-A-Wish and suicide prevention organizations. NAPA Gold Certification (00:21:28) Benefits and significance of achieving NAPA Gold certification for automotive businesses. Engagement in Training (00:23:18) Strategies for encouraging staff to participate in training and the value of owner involvement. Perpetual Learning and Magic Makers (00:27:16) The importance of perpetual learning, the concept of "magic makers," and the impact on the organization. Employee Retention and Team Building (00:29:55) Strategies for retaining employees, team building, and celebrating milestones within the organization. Work-Life Balance and Store Visits (00:32:02) Balancing work and personal life, commitment to family, and the importance of store visits for management. Intuition and Common Sense (00:33:14) The importance of intuition and common sense in business decisions and management. Succession Planning (00:34:12) Discussing internal succession planning and opportunities for employees to grow within the company. Industry Challenges and Opportunities (00:34:53) Cyclical nature of the industry, market correction, and fighting for market share. Market Trends and Customer Conversion (00:36:12) Impact of market trends, potential for customer conversion, and the impact of economic factors. Financing Repair (00:38:00) The increasing use of financing options for vehicle repairs and its impact on the industry. Work-Life Balance and Reflection (00:38:54) The importance of work-life balance and reflecting on career choices and experiences. Overcoming Struggles and Mistakes (00:40:49) The journey to success, overcoming struggles, and learning from mistakes.
      Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Auto Care Learn more about NAPA Auto Care and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting https://www.napaonline.com/en/auto-care Connect with the Podcast: -Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ -Join Our Private Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734687266778976 -Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/carmcapriotto -Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/ -Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/ -Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RResultsBiz -Visit the Website: https://remarkableresults.biz/ -Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider -All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books -Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom -Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm -The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com -Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections    
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • Changing The Industry
      Shop Marketing Pros Live at L&N Auto
      By Changing The Industry
      Shop Marketing Pros Live at L&N Auto
    • Changing The Industry
      The Basics of Owning An Auto Repair Shop - Part 6
      By Changing The Industry
      The Basics of Owning An Auto Repair Shop - Part 6


  •
    nptrb

    Spring Clean Your Finances: 5 Steps Every Business Should Take

    By nptrb, in Automotive Industry,

    1 comment 364 views
    nptrb

    Understanding S-Corp Distributions and Draws | Are They Taxable?

    By nptrb, in Automotive Industry,

    0 comments 603 views
    nptrb

    Tax Season Preparation: A Comprehensive Guide

    By nptrb, in Automotive Industry,

    1 comment 496 views

  • Our Sponsors



Main Sections

More Sections

Discussion Forums

×
×
  • Create New...