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Hello everyone,

 

As some of you are aware I'm currently running my shop as a side business. I still have my full time job, but I'm considering going full time with my shop to try and grow it. Well my shop currently is located on an old Hwy meaning it use to be the main hwy but now they've built a bigger hwy. Car count averages 160 per hr where I'm at and there are a lot of neighborhoods around here. My question is, there is a shop available on the main hwy with a lot more car count but the overhead will increase about 50%. Do you guys think I should stay here while I do the transition to full time and try to grow my shop with a cheaper over head or will the increase exposure make it worth it to move. I know it is a difficult questions I'm just trying to get your professional opinions.

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I wouldn't move until you have enough cash set aside to pay the increase for several months until your car count increases enough to afford the move. I was "forced" to move a few years ago long before I had the money or was ready to move and I am still struggling to get under the cost of that move.

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I agree. You haven't gone full time and I'm sure you are still on quite a learning curve... Have you hired anyone? You'll have to learn how to interview. And how to train them to call and make sells. And how much to schedule in one day... There is a lot to learn before just jumping in.

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I'm not an expert on marketing and traffic counts at all. However, while researching our location, I came to find that a Meineke repair franchise location requires a daily traffic count of 20k+ vehicles per day. A more location-dependent business, such as a Denny’s or an IHOP restaurant, requires a higher traffic count in the range of 30k+ vehicles per day.

 

I'm not saying this applies to your shop directly, but I did find it interesting that these franchises will not even consider locations off the beaten track.

 

Sources

2. http://www.meinekefranchise.com/site-submittal

3. http://dennysfranchising.com/siteguidelines.html

4. http://www.ihop.com/about-ihop/franchise-opportunities/international-franchising#05

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I left my shop on my property because a competitor turned me in for a code violation. I picked an expensive shop right on the highway for a 3 year lease. It was 3200sq ft. I out grew it and moved to 8200ft in 2.5 years. I was barely making it before I moved and then turned a profit the first month in the 3200ft building. Now I make even more money in a bigger shop. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith to get ahead. Be aggressive and commit to whatever you choose. Make it work like failure isn't an option.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         1 comment
      Have I got your attention? Great.
      Let me start by saying that I believe in giving praise when deserved and letting employees know when they dropped the ball. However, the truth is that no one enjoys being reprimanded or told they messed up.  
      The question is, what is the appropriate balance between the right amount of praise and the right amount of critical feedback? According to studies done by Harvard Business School, the ratio of praise to critical feedback should be about 6:1 – Six praises for every critical feedback. I am not sure if I agree with that.
      From personal experience, I would recommend a lot more praise. The exact ratio doesn’t matter. What’s important is that before you consider giving critical feedback, ensure you have given that employee a lot of recent praise. If not, whatever you are trying to get through to an employee, will fall on deaf ears.
      When you do have to give critical feedback, remember a few things:
      Focus on the issue or behavior; never attack the person, and remain calm in your actions and words Ask the employee for feedback, their side of the story Speak to the employee in private Address the issue soon after it happens; never wait Don’t rely on second-hand information; it’s always better if you have experienced the situation yourself that you want to correct Have an open discussion and find things that both of you can agree upon Have an action plan moving forward that the employee can take ownership of Use the experience as a learning tool Make sure you bring up positive attributes about them Remember, you don’t want the employee to be angry or upset with you; you want them to reflect on the situation and what can be improved. One last thing. Everyone makes mistakes. We need to be mindful of this.
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