JustTheBest

Hi Ken! I don't call myself an expert - but been around auto service/repair for the better part of 30 years. I re-read your question a few times, but still not sure of what you're looking for or how I can help you. I don't think I need to walk you through a business plan outline - there's a ton of that on-line and you've probably done it before - but I think that your biggest focus is to retain that customer list. I know, I know, everyone want to talk about assets like equipment and all that - but if you really think about it - nothing matters without the customers. Now, you don't mention if this is a "going concern" type of shop - meaning its already got X number of techs and ongoing customers - or if it's operating under a banner or franchise. But with that said, being an "existing full-service shop" (your words) I would think there's customers. Just remember that those customers built a relationship with the existing owners - not YOU. So now, if you're a lender or partner - the only thing they're looking at (in reality) is how they're going to get their money back. Having borrowed millions for business investment, I know if you want their money - you have to show them how they're going to get it back. With that said, the ONLY source of revenue (cash) that business has it customers - and more you can show your plan to retain those customers - while building more - will be the key to getting funding. Make sense? Let me know if you have any specific questions. You're welcome to message me on this forum, reply here or whatever. Hope this helps! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" P.S.: Join me on YouTube at Car Count Hackers - Grow your Car Count, Income & Profits

Another great tip newport5! I was just at a Christmas event for one of my clients. It was catered in the back room of a restaurant. I was blown away by how well the entire staff handled everything. With that said, I made a point of talking to the owner before leaving. I explained that (as an owner) you always hear about things when they go wrong - so I wanted to let him know how fantastic his staff was! Sometimes you just have to give credit where it's due. But as I was talking... I noticed the chef sort of looking - trying to figure out what was going on. I was the stranger in the kitchen, right? And when I walked away... I stopped and asked him if he was the chef. Reluctantly, he said "yes". I give him a huge smile - thumbs up - and told him what a great job he did! If I could only show you the expression on his face - it spoke volumes. I'm guessing he never hears about "the good ones" either! Hope this help! Matthew!

You're 100% correct stvstbsvc! It's fun... nobody ever says "NO"... and it makes you look good. The only change you can try... is do it when it's NOT so expected. Like people are trained that giving a little bit at Christmas is... well... almost "expected". But what about the first nice day of spring? What about that killer hot day in July? Works even better then! Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" Join me on YouTube - grow your car count, income and profits!

Scott... what you said is sort of ironic. I just attended a party my client holds for his entire staff and family every year. (He' invites me every year). About 20 people sit down to full dinner and open bar. I get what you said about business - but in reality, we're living in one of the best times in the last decade. Money is pretty free flowing... compared to 07-08. But if you're in a pinch, turn the $20, $50 and $100 into $5's and $10's. I don't know anyone who walks away from a gift. I just think it's those little things that mean so much. Hope this helps! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" P.S. Get registered for my free training course before the "free" goes away!

Great tip! What most don't think about (or remember) is that the smallest little thing can mean so-o-o-o much! Another "twist" on this may be to use small gift cards - specially from local businesses. A great opportunity to reward the drivers - and build a bigger, better relationship with local small business owners... who just might "thank you" by spreading the word about YOUR shop. It's like a Triple-Win! Hope this helps! Matthew P.S. Just released this video about a shop owner who contacted me... and I told him exactly what to do - but it's NOT what you think - I promise!

This is a super simple tactic you can start today - and you don't have to be a "techy" either! Instead of typing it all out, I made this short video that explains it all. And by the way... put your wallet away, there's nothing for sale. Just information that can help YOU grow your car count, income and profits! Enjoy! Hope this helps! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" #carcounthackers P.S. Join the conversation and grow your car count, income and profits - FREE Videos on YouTube! P.P.S. - FREE TRAINING REGISTRATION STILL OPEN! How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days Without Wasting Hard Earned Dollars on Money Sucking Advertising!

I know it's hard to believe, but this one single simple tactic helps more shop owners gain trust and build solid relationships with customers. Instead of writing it all out and asking you to read it - I made this short video to explain it all! Enjoy! It's simple. You DON'T have to be "techy" and you can start right now! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" #carcounthackers P.S. Join the conversation and grow your car count, income and profits!

UPDATE! Sorry for the inconvenience... the REGISTRATION LINK was messed up. Got that fixed! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer"

Thanks for your feedback xrac! I appreciate that. I think you wrapped it up pretty well. That $80K barrier to entry (financed or not) is pretty hi for the average. Then the help issue - and heck, I wasn't even thinking about getting parts. I guess the suppliers still won't deliver to "the corner of 1st and Main!" Thanks for the input. Matthew

Thanks for your input Old and Tired! I think you're right about mobile being the solution for guy who want their own shop - but heck, the cost of operating a TRUCK... and I'm not talking about just the gas. There's the insurance... and even travel time too! Just to be sure... I'm not trying to say that Pep Boys is the answer - nor do I believe mobile is the answer, and what you're saying about the stores failing sort of proves that. Amazon selling auto repair? I thought they were selling unicorns next? Am I wrong? Thanks for your input! Matthew

Hello Everyone! Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving as much as I did. I wanted to bring this topic up because of PEP BOYS recent "expansion" into launching their "mobile" service. I was interested in your thoughts. Are mobile mechanics a threat to your shop in any way? What are your thoughts? Do they/can they provide the service that today's cars need? Or, on the other hand, do you operate as a mobile tech? What are the struggles you face. From what I am hearing, people "seem" to expect mobile to be cheaper. Only trying to start a discussion about this - and really because, from what I am seeing, there's a lot of buzz around the Pep Boys effort. Comments? Really interested to know your thoughts. Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" PS: Join me on YouTube and check out this totally FREE on-line course I'm offers- "How to Double your Car Count in 89 Days!"

Yup! That "F" word comes up again! You're welcome to pre-register for my totally FREE Training Course - "How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days... Without Wasting Hard Earned Dollars on Money Sucking Advertising." What You'll Discover: -How to actually get customers to refer you! -Compete with any shop - Big Box Repairs Shops; National Chains; New Car Dealers - Doesn't Matter -Learn an almost sneaky tactic to get customers to leave positive reviews - every time - all the time! - and a lot more! This course WILL NOT BE FREE FOREVER - So now you have an opportunity to PRE-REGISTER and start 2019 with a "BANG!" Click NOW and WATCH THIS SHORT VIDEO - I'll Explain Everything! Hope this helps! Can't wait to see you on the course! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" PS: Uh... did I tell you it's FREE!? Just want to be sure - don't want anyone to think I'm pulling one of those "shameless plugs!"

I agree 100% with all the comments. As a business owner, you CLEARLY see that it's... well, for the lack of a better word... "a racket". Problem is - what do your customers say? It's a difficult decision, but still expensive. Hope this helps! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" PS: Hey, just opened registration to my new FREE training course - How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days

I agree with xrac. Yes, there's that "iconic" part of Yellow Pages but when you think about it, the PHONE is the remote control to everyone's life. The last time (about a couple of years ago) that I had a client book any YP listings, the push continued to get them listed in their on-line app, etc. Sorry, don't recall all the details - and I can find out if you want - but it was more of a push to sell you everything else. Sorry - that's the truth. Hope this helps! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" PS: Hey, just opened registration to my new FREE training course - How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days

Hi sparkerauto! If you're using Microsoft Office, you may already have MS Publisher. You'll have access to a bunch of templates and things in the program - plus access to other online resources. Can I ask... what type of coupon are you creating?? By that, I mean... is it going to be a stand alone coupon (full page) or "postcard size"? The big problem is that there's 100's of ways to create them. With respect to pictures/logo, etc., that can get a little more complicated. Again, depending on what you're trying to do. The real good programs like Photoshop, Corel etc. have a rather long learning curve. We use them all - but we do a lot of that type of stuff. Hope this helps! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" Grow your car count, income and profit at Car Count Hackers on YouTube!

I agree that it's not for every shop. But what does a shop owner do when they're not doing ANYTHING to attract new customers. They can't just close their eyes and hope. Above that, there's ways to squeeze the lemon a little better. I've had clients who have done these... but the win comes from 1) Not creating a ONE TIME offer; 2) Creating a good offer - not just dropping your pants on price; 3) Follow up I've got a video with some ideas. Hope this helps! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" Join the conversation at Car Count Hackers!

Just finished a this new 3 part video series that details how my Car Count Hackers were able to virtually double the price of their oil change service without raising their shop rate, changing parts pricing or adding any other costs. I detail everything in this simple video series Hope this helps and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it! Oh... just in case you're wondering, you can hold on to your wallet because there's nothing to buy! Really! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" P.S.: Join me on You Tube at Car Count Hackers - Grow Your Car Count, Income and Profits... starting today! Hey, just opened registration to my new FREE training course - How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days

Nice job! You're 100% right about supporting your community. But you can get more "mileage" out of it when you get photos and use the best one in your waiting area. Don't assume every person who comes to visit you knows about your community support. Want to take it one step further? Add a short video and post it on your facebook page. Shoot a simple iPhone video... let customers and potential customer get to know YOU. People do business with people - not companies! Overall, nice work! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" Join the Conversation at Car Count Hackers on YouTube

How can it be true that an independent auto repair shop almost doubles the price of their oil change service without raising their shop rates, parts pricing or adding any more costs? I know, sounds crazy, but we've done it. I am releasing the information shortly - but this short video explains it all. There isn't anything to buy - no sneaky sales pitch - nothing. It's just about how we used a new tactic to present our oil change prices. All the details are being released next week - so you'll want to subscribe (that's FREE TOO!) so you won't miss a thing! Hope this helps! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" Join the Conversation on YouTube at Car Count Hackers!

Hi Pete K! About your site at http://www.prospeedautoworks.com/. I always start with a screen shot off my phone... I have to tell you that it's not very good. You can't read it on your phone because it's not mobile optimized. That's the BIGGEST ISSUE. Remember, Google claims that 84% of your customers are going to find you on MOBILE FIRST! This could also be a HUGE SEO Issue. When Google "went mobile" and put all the focus on that, they didn't stop including your site in search... but it's probably been pushed way down (like page 10!!) because of this issue. Remember, Google is about THEIR USER EXPERIENCE. Sending a mobile user to your site wouldn't be very good - so they don't do that. That's probably a huge part of your SEO issues. Also, nowhere in your title do you include a GEO LOCATION. When I checked, your title was: PRO-SPEED - Hot Rods, Muscle Cars, Classic Cars, Resto-mods, Customs, Performance First problem, nobody searches by your COMPANY NAME. They don't know you yet. Secondly, (like I said) no GEO location. Consider something like... Hot Rods, Muscle Cars, Classic Cars, Resto-mods, Customs, Performance Chantilly, Virginia, 20151 Then be sure to add SCHEMA DATA. In short, Schema is a language that all search (Google, Bing, Yahoo) agreed upon to help search bots understand WHAT YOUR SITE is all about. You can read all about Schema here (https://schema.org/), but in short, it's giving the search engines a clearer understanding of what your site is all about. Above that, there's a bunch of little things like using <h1>, <h2> tags, alt tags and even your meta description. Your current meta description is: PRO-SPEED Autoworks, LLC performs auto and truck restoration, custom modifications, performance upgrades, rust repair, metal repair, fabrication, paint and body work, performance tuning, engine upgrades, suspension upgrades. We secialize in hot rods, classic cars and resto-mods. PRO-SPEED AutoWorks is located in Chantilly, VA - US Says a lot- and probably too much. I also noticed that when I search your company, Google serves up your video (slide show) first. But there's now sound. Even a simple "voice over" with a little royalty free music would be better. I know video can be a little overwhelming - but you've already got what it takes to do it! YOUR PHONE! I made a short video about using customer reviews on your facebook page - talking about shooting video - but it applies to ANY VIDEO that you can do with a phone. On top of that, you have a huge opportunity to add short videos to your YouTube channel as a way to attract more customers. Simple before and after video would be a great place to start. Just explain the problem and show the solution. I know this is getting a little long... but I hope it helps! If you need any other tips or help, just let me know. You can message me on this forum! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" Join the conversation on YouTube at Car Count Hackers

Hi autobodyguys! I took a look at your site on my phone - Yes, images are important, but what about a number for a tow truck? You may want to consider making that image a little smaller (in height) so more "buttons" appear. The buttons also seem a little large. It's important to remember what people are looking for when they visit. In other words, look at it from the point of the customer. People want to see your number and location (yes, you've got that) but would people need a tow truck? Just asking. A clickable link to call a tow may help. Also, a quick link to your reviews. Remember, you've got to "sell" your company right off the rip! Hope that helps! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" Join me at Car Count Hackers on YouTube

Sorry you feel that way.

Victor! Great article! As far as I'm concerned you hit the nail on the head! A couple of things you said I think are really important. You talked about how the customer "feels" and what most don't realize is that a customer will often forget what you tell them - but will NEVER forget how you made them FEEL! I've been trying to drive this point home (the issue of Trust) because of a recent AAA Report claiming that 2 out of 3 US Drivers DON'T TRUST THEIR AUTO REPAIR SHOP! The good news - a whopping 22% of drivers are totally satisfied! Ha! The other issue you mentioned (and I agree with - but I think you'll take a little heat on") is your last statement about "persuasion". Yup! There's strategies you can use to persuade - NOT MANIPULATE - but just persuade. I'm willing to bet there's 100's - if not 1'000's of guys and gals that will dump on that idea saying that it's being "sneaky". But I'm sure you know that the fact is that, we're all wired the same. In a lot of cases, we all react the same in similar circumstances - and if you can control the situation, you can persuade people. Great article! Thanks for sharing. Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" Get More Car Count, Income & Profits @ Car Count Hackers on YouTube

Thought I would "chime-in" on this. I'm not vain enough to believe that the comments are just about my posts - however I have been posting regularly. I've taken a different direction in my business. Not taking on new clients at this time (thank you to each of my current clients) and decided to start a YouTube channel -CarCountHackers - to share the tips, tricks and strategies I use with my private clients. It's also an outlet to share questions I get from email subscribers and repair shop owners who contact me for help. If I've offended anyone - I'm sorry for the inconvenience. But just for the record - the videos are NOT about "Watch This - Buy That". In fact, the channel doesn't sell anything. Just free information about what I've been doing with shop owners over the last 20+ years - and you can get it all free - or not. It's up to you. Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" Get More Car Count, Income & Profits at Car Count Hackers on YouTube

flacvabeach, you said it all when you said "Even the best athletes have coaches to keep them focused and to sharpen their game". Get the training that's right for you! You won't be disappointed - well, unless you don't follow instruction. I'm not trying to be funny or pushy or anything like that - but being the best tech doesn't guarantee success in the business. If you ONLY concentrate on being the best tech, then it's a hobby. Good luck! Matthew Lee "The Car Count Fixer" Get More Car Count, Income and Profits - Join me on YouTube at Car Count Hackers!