Joe Marconi

Larry go to my reply post, there is a feature in the right hard corner of the page, click on it and it opens up a preference to increase your font size. Let me know. Larry go to my reply post, there is a feature in the right hard corner of the page, click on it and it opens up a preference to increase your font size. Let me know.

Larry, on the top right hand side of the web page there is a button, click that and it opens up more preferences. SEE BELOW. Choose Larger Font Sizes for Posts. Let me know how you make out. Joe

Larry, love your rant and you make great points. I also think that the aftermarket is a great position today, and even with gas prices and inflation, most repair shops are in a good place and need to work really hard to anchor their customer base. This will pay dividends in the future. As far as our administration is concerned....well, I want to keep my blood pressure under control, so I will refrain for now!

Larry, we are the same age, so I completely understand. I am not sure why that feature isn't working. It should. Let me find out and get back to you. Thank you for the feedback! Joe

JimO, this is an amazing situation, and one that I mentioned in this thread, but didn't actually knew it was real: People are using electric cords to charge their EV? The reality is car makers and other major corporations are investing billions in EVs and Battery Plants, I am just not sure how and when we are going to figure out the infrastructure issue. And, I was brought up in the Gas Station business. People want to fuel up fast and easy! What great information, and what a discussion!

It will be real interesting to see what happens to these EV's as they age. We already know that services and repairs can be appreciably more.

Sometimes you have to listen to your spouse. My wife was right on point with so many things, it was scary. And she was never in business, and couldn't tell you the difference between a brake pad and a spark plug. It is also amazing how OUR perception of price and the fear that the customer will not pay, is a lot different from reality.

Ok....I'm in. A Tesla may just me in my future!

I think your story is so relevant today, with so many aging repair shop owners working on their exit strategy. And I know our members appreciate your advise. For me, I first hired a broker. That did not work out at all. Promises were made, with an exclusive contract. And while I did get offers, they were all too low, but more than that, they were not the people I wanted to sell to. I decided to put the worked out that I was selling to a few key people I knew in the industry. That worked. A few interested parties came forward and I found a buyer who actually ended up buying my two locations. This person, I feel, shares the same values that I do, a lot younger, and will continue on with the legacy.

Interesting topic. When I first started in business, which seems like a million years ago, I said YES to everything, but soon found out that trying to be everything to everyone has its drawbacks. I think to key to saying yes or no is knowing what your strenghts are, and going too far away from one's strenghts can be costly. In my later years in business, when I clearly defined my brand and the work we did, I said No a lot. But, that was after decades of building the brand, the customer base and defining not only what we did, but our profile customer too.

Great example of adapting, and not dying.

We Need Your Feedback! While I have ideas and enhancements that I would like to see with AutoShopOwner. I would like to hear from you. Are there any features you want to see included on the ASO website? What resources would be of interest to you? How can ASO help you grow your auto repair shop? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Joe Marconi

The increase in fuel prices has affected every person and every business in some way. How is it affecting your repair shop? Or is it? And, if it is, what strategies are you implementing to help with maintaining sales and helping customers cope with paying more at the pump?

I don't think we are going to stop the EV from becoming "somewhat" mainstream. But there are a few things that many people don't fully understand. For one, while the EV has no emissions rolling down the road, BUT how it got to be an EV is a process that does take a toll on the environment. We talk about fossil fuels and renewables; Well strip mining entire mountains for the elements needed to manufacture the batteries is NOT following a clean, renewable energy-source protocol. Another factor is the infrastructure. I was born and raised in the Bronx, NYC. The apartment buildings in the City many have hundreds of families, all who own a car, maybe two cars. How are they going to charge their cars? Throw an electric cord out the window from from 12th floor and hook up their car. I know a lot of this will be figured out, but it will take time. I don't know where the industry is ultimately going, the more we know and stay engaged, the better we will be,

I think that we are going to see more of this, especially with the lack of rebuilders, and the fact that many of these engines have problems.

I remember many years back when the auto repair industry was split up into different repair/service categories: There were Oil change shops, Brake shops, Alignment & steering shops, Electrical shops, Speed shops, tires only stores, exhaust shops, tune up shops, Carburetor shops, Radiator repair shops, Transmission shops, and probably a few more that I forgot. All of the above segmented repairs shops prospered at one time because there was so much mechanical repair and service work. Things have changed. Better? Worse? Or does it even matter these days?

Scary.

Things that keep shop owners up at night is another topic we should discuss. Your ability to have a solid marketing plan that conveyed trust and transparency through video is amazing. Video is a great way to build that strong bond with customers.

Wow! How times have changed!

The more we learn about Sears, the more we understand how out of touch this company was.

Below is an article I wrote found in the recent Ratchet and Wrench Magazine. Read it, I am sure all shop owners will relate. www.ratchetandwrench.com/articles/12124-marconi-shop-owners-what-keeps-you-up-at-night Marconi: Shop Owners, What Keeps You Up at Night? Joe Marconi January 28, 2022 It’s 6:15pm, Friday night. As you lock the door to your shop, you reflect on the week and happy that it has come to an end. The events of the past few days consume your mind: Employee issues, expenses going up, and every other detail about running your business. You get into your car, turn on the radio, take a breath to relax, put the car in drive, and you begin your ride home. All is good. Or is it? While you may have locked the door to your shop, you haven’t locked out all the emotions and issues that are still stirring around in your brain. A few hours later, it’s time for bed, you’re tire and your body needs sleep, but that becomes an issue too. The hours pass and now it’s the middle of the night and you find yourself staring at the ceiling. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Only a shop owner knows how it feels to be a shop owner. The challenges and struggles of running a business are ongoing, even after years of working on the business to get every detail dialed in just the way you want it. This can lead to a condition that plagues many shop owners; the dreaded 2:00am unplanned wakeup call. There are many reasons why shop owners have a tough time sleeping. Worry about their business, the feelings of being responsible for so many people’s lives, the second-guessing yourself if you made all the right decisions, and perhaps the most harmful of all are the “What-ifs.” What if Larry, my manager, leaves? What if my lead technician decides to quit? What if we don’t hit our sales goal? All these what-ifs increases brain activity, and while you are desperately in need of sleep, your conscience mind is in high gear, wondering and worrying, sometimes until the sun comes up. I know it’s aggravating, and while I don’t wish it on you, not being able to sleep at times means you care. As business owners, you are committed and responsible for not only the success of your business, but for the success of others around you. The worry and fear that things make go sideways at any time can haunt you. So, your brain continues to review and relive all conditions and situations that have occurred and wonder about the things you think may occur. Your body gets stuck in fight or flight mode, a natural human response to perceived or real threats. This condition overcomes you and prevents you from getting a good night's sleep. What do we do about this condition? First, we need to recognize it as part of who we are and then identify the reasons why we can’t shut off our brains. It usually boils down to issues and problems we feel we are not in control of. For example, you feel something isn’t right with your staff. You feel there’s a morale issue. Then the thought of losing employees enters your mind, and that scares the hell out of you. The best way to approach this fear, and any fear, is to confront the issue head on and do something about it. Make it a top priority to sit down with your employees. Find out if your fears are true, and if so, deal with them head on. Getting employees engaged and improving morale will and calm down your fears of people leaving you. However, you should also consider a recruiting plan, to build a pipeline of potential future employees. The point here is to be proactive with any issue that’s bothering you and not sit on your hands hoping and praying that things don’t go downhill. There will always be challenges in business. Have faith that you can overcome those challenges. Build a company with a strong culture and with great people around you. Also, learn to rely on your employees to take some of the load off of your back. I know you feel that it’s your shop and that the buck stops with you, but trust me, your employees want to help, and they can help. One last word, make sure you have clearly defined goals. Goals give you purpose, a clear direction, and provides a sense of accomplishment for you and your team when they are reached. This will go a long way in keeping you in a positive mindset, which will help with getting a good night’s sleep. Tonight, when you mind begins to shift to business issues, remind yourself that this is a normal reaction. However, it’s also important to be thankful for all the good in your life. It’s far better to focus on positive thoughts about family, friends, and accomplishments. Remember, your business should never consume your life, your business should enrich your life. Now get some sleep!

I do hear that a lot, about morale and team building.

Great comment! Call tracking can literally be a goldmine. Thanks for the post!

More shop owners are crunching the numbers and realizing that in order to thrive, it will come with the right labor rate, and labor dollars. I too have seen shop owners more concerned with labor margins, than part margins. This is a step in the right direction, in my opinion, especially when so many jobs today require little to no parts, such as complex electrical problems and computer-related issues. I also agree that with increased labor rates, shops can pay their techs better, and in fact, all employees.

Continuous training is one of the keys to success in any profession. Everyone needs to grow, whether they are business owners or employees. It's too bad that you had a few bad experiences with training, but I guess there is good and bad in everything.