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Posted

I am new here so bare with me...I am an owner/ operator however I got hurt bad 3 weeks ago so now I can not work on cars for maybe a year now. I have an out of tech school tech for a year now and he is great but now I have to do something different....has anyone went from wrenching to pen pushing?

Posted

I am new here so bare with me...I am an owner/ operator however I got hurt bad 3 weeks ago so now I can not work on cars for maybe a year now. I have an out of tech school tech for a year now and he is great but now I have to do something different....has anyone went from wrenching to pen pushing?

 

How badly hurt are you? The reason I ask is, are you in good enough health to go to work each day? This may be a blessing in disguise. This may be the perfect opportunity to build your business by finding ways to maintain sales and build your business. Ultimately, shop owners need to understand that in order to grow, they need to rely on others around them. If the business is too dependent on you, it makes a situation like yours, devastating. How big is your shop, and how many people do you employ?

 

I am not an active mechanic in my business anymore. I once was. When I made the move to train and trust others, my business took on a different meaning for me. I was able to see things from the sidelines, instead of out on the field. I am more profitable with the pen, then I am with a wrench. Working on my business has become my focus. Entrusting great people around you is the key.

 

I hope this makes sense to you. Keep up the dialogue here, I know I speak for all ASO members when I say, let’s see if we can help you through this.

Posted

How badly hurt are you? The reason I ask is, are you in good enough health to go to work each day? This may be a blessing in disguise. This may be the perfect opportunity to build your business by finding ways to maintain sales and build your business. Ultimately, shop owners need to understand that in order to grow, they need to rely on others around them. If the business is too dependent on you, it makes a situation like yours, devastating. How big is your shop, and how many people do you employ?

 

I am not an active mechanic in my business anymore. I once was. When I made the move to train and trust others, my business took on a different meaning for me. I was able to see things from the sidelines, instead of out on the field. I am more profitable with the pen, then I am with a wrench. Working on my business has become my focus. Entrusting great people around you is the key.

 

I hope this makes sense to you. Keep up the dialogue here, I know I speak for all ASO members when I say, let’s see if we can help you through this.

I am outta work for a mimium of 6 weeks I cut 4 tendons a artery and a nerve in my left forearm. No more wrenching for a while maybe a year. once the swelling goes away in my hand and I can move my wrist I feel I can go in and write estimates and stuff. I employ one first year tech. He graduated a local technicial college for auto repair and I have employed him for a year now. Our geographics is a country setting not a city or even a small city setting. So how did you move from the field to the sideline? Night school? Joining ASA? I have been on one side of the wrench for soooo long getting to the sideline seems so far away.

Posted

A lot of us here are good technicians. Now who here thinks that one may wake up one day, buy a tool set and start fixing cars and be good at it? Sounds crazy right? So it was the same on that day that many of us decided to take the leap into our own business. I would advise anyone who is a technician to wait, take it slow and start reading as many business related books as possible to get an idea of what will be required of starting a business and it being successful. The same I would say to you John13, take this opportunity and as Joe said make it a blessing - take these next weeks while your not able to work and buy some books or audio books (audio is my preference). A good place to start is the E-Myth by Michael Gerber. And yes surround yourself with the right people! Keep us posted and hope you recover quickly.

  • Like 1
Posted

A lot of us here are good technicians. Now who here thinks that one may wake up one day, buy a tool set and start fixing cars and be good at it? Sounds crazy right? So it was the same on that day that many of us decided to take the leap into our own business. I would advise anyone who is a technician to wait, take it slow and start reading as many business related books as possible to get an idea of what will be required of starting a business and it being successful. The same I would say to you John13, take this opportunity and as Joe said make it a blessing - take these next weeks while your not able to work and buy some books or audio books (audio is my preference). A good place to start is the E-Myth by Michael Gerber. And yes surround yourself with the right people! Keep us posted and hope you recover quickly.

 

True words of wisdom! Thanks Gary, well said and great advice for all!

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

A lot of us here are good technicians. Now who here thinks that one may wake up one day, buy a tool set and start fixing cars and be good at it? Sounds crazy right? So it was the same on that day that many of us decided to take the leap into our own business. I would advise anyone who is a technician to wait, take it slow and start reading as many business related books as possible to get an idea of what will be required of starting a business and it being successful. The same I would say to you John13, take this opportunity and as Joe said make it a blessing - take these next weeks while your not able to work and buy some books or audio books (audio is my preference). A good place to start is the E-Myth by Michael Gerber. And yes surround yourself with the right people! Keep us posted and hope you recover quickly.

 

Great post Gary! Well said.

Posted

A lot of us here are good technicians. Now who here thinks that one may wake up one day, buy a tool set and start fixing cars and be good at it? Sounds crazy right? So it was the same on that day that many of us decided to take the leap into our own business. I would advise anyone who is a technician to wait, take it slow and start reading as many business related books as possible to get an idea of what will be required of starting a business and it being successful. The same I would say to you John13, take this opportunity and as Joe said make it a blessing - take these next weeks while your not able to work and buy some books or audio books (audio is my preference). A good place to start is the E-Myth by Michael Gerber. And yes surround yourself with the right people! Keep us posted and hope you recover quickly.

 

Gary, where were your words of wisdom when I opened my shop? Better late than never, I totally agree with ya... the more you know the better off you are, whether that's repairing cars or running a successful business. You said it!!

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest 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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