Joe Marconi

Yes, with one clarification. I am comparing it to my average numbers for this time of the year. My usual sales in Feb, March and early April are not the same as late April and May when business usually is booming. But, I can't focus on what was...only on what is and what I can do to create new goals moving forward. I hope this makes sense.

While not giving my exact numbers, I can tell you that we are still down about 45%.

As the weeks pass, we are seeing different trends around the nation. Many shops have little to no impact from COVID-19, some are down 40 to 60% and some are nearly out of business. New York is rebouding slowly. Traffic is up and many businesses are gearing up to opening soon. Only time will tell the full impact of the crisis. For my business, I have made the economic adjustments, I will "wisely" use the PPP money and I look forward to the future success of my business. While there will be many lessons learned from this crisis; the most important lesson is to never forget that the shop owner's mind-set will dictate the shop's future. Stay positive, boost morale and be a strong leader.

Things "appear" to be getting better. Business is still down about 40%, but the phone is ringing more and traffic is increasing also. I don't want to get too optimistic, but I truly believe that we are heading in a positive direction. In addition, as the weather gets nicer, people will want to get and that means using their cars. In our area, we rely economically on NYC. The city will take time to recover, so we need to be careful and make the needed adjustments to our breakeven and other KPI's. Another positive note: Morale is up in the shop! Crisis times have a way of bringing people together.

New York just pushed the stay at home order to May 15th. Business is still down, along with all other businesses. Our sales are still off by better than 50%. Traffic is at an all time low. People are not going anyway. It' s my suspension that things in my area will not loosen up until late May. For now, we have made the economic adjustments and will build for the future. I am working on my recovery plan to come out of this stronger. What that looks like, I don't fully know yet . But remaining positive is number 1

I know that for many of us, these are tough times. But, as the saying goes, "This too shall pass." The reality is that no matter how bad things get, we will get through this. The question now should be, "What did we learn from this and how can we make ourselves and our businesses stronger." Out of every crisis there is triumph. You cannot have a rainbow without a storm. Learn from this crisis. Make decisions that have long-term affects. I know many of you are in crisis-mode, and rightly so. But the more you plan for the future, the better and stronger you will be. Get your numbers in order. Re-calculate your break-even, trim the fat off the expenses, get payroll in line with sales, negotiate your rent or mortgage and other loan terms, build a larger cash reserve. Don't sit on your hands. You are a shop owner....You wrote the book on Being Tough. Now, in the time of Crisis, prove it!

I like it. This type of community involvement goes a long way, and people will remember it for a long time.

Agree....There is still a rear quarter panel... what more do you want?

Wow. It kind of confirms what many of us have been thinking.

Wow. This confirms what a lot us have been thinking.

I think that many people are paying attention to local businesses now more than ever. But, they are not reacting. So many are hunkered down. And we understand that. I would encourage every shop to continue to send "Feel Good" promotions and message to your local community. Down play any hard sales, increase your exposure through all the media you use to tell everyone Your Story - "We are here to help. Auto-related or not. We are part of the community!" People will remember WHO you and your culture long after the crisis is over.

Ha! This is common in my neck of the woods!

We have not gotten our PPP money yet. It is frustrating that so many businesses are suffering. While I am believe that businesses need help due to the crisis, we need to look beyond this crisis and rebuild our businesses. We need to make the adjustments to payroll, trim expenses where we can, and undertand our new KPI's. If business remains soft for the near future, we need to undertand what we need to do to remain in business, while undertanding the long term affects of the economy. My advice is to restructure your business to meet the current state of sales. Utilize the financial help with the understanding that any long term success will be deterimined how you as the shop owner adjusts your business to your sales. Keep payroll and expenses in line, and prosper.

Thanks Frank! I appreciate the kind words. I will keep giving everyone updates on the cirisis from New York. If a guy from New York can make it through this, we all can! America Together!

New York Governor announced yesterday that the stay-home order will remain in effect until May 15th. With so many consumers not driving and so many businesses closed; sales will be a struggle for the next 4 weeks or more. Many Auto Shops across the country will be in the same boat. Ok, that's the bad news. The good news is that you are a shop owner, and no stranger to making tough decisions and finding solutions to the most complex problems. I know this is different, but truth is we are all learning together, and we will beat this. With that said, you will be called upon to remove the emotions from the situation and make the decisions that are best for your employees, family and for the business. You will need to look at your average sales and projected near-future sales and adjust your payroll accordingly. I hesitated for a few weeks, but then made the tough decision to cut staff to get my payroll in line with current sales. It had to be done. You will also need to look at each line on your Profit/Loss statement and see where you can shave any expenses. Even a few percentage points can end up saving a lot of money at the end of the month. Lastly, have daily meetings and let your remaining staff know what you are doing. Let them know that the number 1 goal is the health and welfare of everyone. Number 2: Ensure the business thrives, not just survives. You are tough....now go make those tough decisions!