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Joe Marconi

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Everything posted by Joe Marconi

  1. Joe Marconi
    Well, if you can make it at all, even for one day, it would be an honor to meet you.
  2. Joe Marconi
    Yes, my wife thinks it will hit me the day after the closing.
  3. Joe Marconi
    I cannot reveal all the details yet, but I am in contract to sell my last location. The deal is set to take place by the end of the year. I will use this forum to outline my journey the last 41 years in business and the steps I took to exit out of the business. My objective is to share my experience so that others can learn from my ups and downs and also to learn about the importance of an exit plan, no matter how old or young you are. I will give details on how I prepared my business for sale, how I negotiated with different companies, and different people, and how you can get the most for your business when the time comes. Plus many behind the curtain details on how to sell a business- the good, the bad and the ugly. Please feel free to contact me with questions. So stay tuned for more details, week by week! Oh, by the way, I am not going anywhere. I will still be active in the industry, invloved with Auto Shop Owner, continue to work with Bob Cooper and all the great people at Elite as a business coach and trainer, writing articles for Ratchet and Wrench, remain invloved with the Service Stations Dealers of Greater New York and more.
  4. Joe Marconi
    I am thrilled to announce that I will be the presenter at Elite's Fly With The Eagles course Oct 12 to 15. This is the first live event since before COVID. This will be held in Indianapolis. We are expecting a big turn out, so please check this out ASAP. Details below. The Eagles course is Elite's premiere event for Shop Owners and Managers- course covers: Leadership, Time Management, Goal Setting Financial Reports and Cost Controls Recruting Employee Management Marketing Click on the link below for more information. You can reply to this post too with questions. https://eliteworldwide.com/event/fly-with-the-eagles/
  5. Joe Marconi
    Back in my day, you didn't get a lot of praise from your boss. And, you never really looked for it either. You did your job, and the only way you knew you were doing a good job is if the boss didn't reprimand you. It was different back when I started, 1974. Times have changed and the way we manage people has changed too. If you want to motivate people, make sure you praise them when they do a great job. Be sincere and be honest with your praise. People crave positive feedback from their leaders. By giving praise often, your employees will feel good about themselves. Their self-esteem will get a boost and they will be more likely to repeat that great job again. Now, this is not to say you should ignore when things go wrong. But make sure you give at least 5 to 8 "at-a-boys" to every one reprimand. Trust me, fill someone's emotional bank with sufficient "at-a-boys", and they will be more willing to listen to you when they drop the ball.
  6. Joe Marconi
    I agree. 125...129...same
  7. Joe Marconi
    Nice! Proud of you. Trust me, all will be ok. Shops around the country are realizing that labor rates need to increase in order to stay in business, pay our bills, pay our employees and build for the future. Good for you Frank!
  8. Joe Marconi
    I am seeing more and more labor rates hitting the $180 mark and higher for the same reasons you state. Good news. Let's hope all the shops around the country act on this. We really need to collectively raise labor rates.
  9. Joe Marconi
    Ha! I am 66 and there too. I will let everyone know soon my next chapter in my life. After 41 years in business and 47 years in the auto industry, it's time to turn the page.
  10. Joe Marconi
    With so many baby boomer shop owners retiring, there is great opportunity for shop owners looking to add new locations. In addition, there are many shop owners that have not survived the COVID crises. Is anyone looking to open new locations? If so, it would be interesting to hear your strategy and the reasons why. Oh, if you are wondering If I am thinking about expanding. The answer is no. I had three locations, down to one now, and I am close to announcing exciting news very soon. So Stay Tuned.
  11. Joe Marconi
    2021 started off real slow, with Jan and Feb being the worst months. March to August were very good, with sales hitting our goals. September is a little slower than we like it to be, but I feel we are trending in the right direction, with customer coming back to us that we have not seen in over a year. No complaints. Could it be better, of course. But all good and moving forward!
  12. Joe Marconi
    You guys are lucky. I pay 10 cents a gallon to dispose of the used oil.
  13. Joe Marconi
    I was asked recently if it's possible to be a true absentee owner. Here are my thoughts. First, it really depends on the staff, your position in your business and how the business is structured. There are shops that are run totally by a manager and the owner is not involved in the day to day. There are shop owners with multiple locations. There is no way to be at all locations at the same time. Build the business by having a strong team. Find leaders in your business. Give others control and allow others to grow. You, the owner, do not have to be in on every single situation, and you should take time away from the business. But remember, you are the owner and the primary leader. You set the tone. Those are my thoughts...yours?
  14. Joe Marconi
    JP, I agree with you. The EV still has brake systems, steering, suspension, tire balance, tire rotations and wheel alignments. In addition, EVs have a heating and A/C system, sound system and all the other electronic features of its gas cousin. The biggest change is how the EV powers itself. The industry will change, but it always has.
  15. Joe Marconi
    I agree. In my area, about an hour north of NYC, the better shops are $125.00 to $185.00 - Dealers are more, some Euro dealers are around $200 and more. By the way, good for you to provide that pay scale program.
  16. Joe Marconi
    There is a lot of talk these days about the Electric Cars, and no doubt they will become more and more accepted during the next few years. All car makers are investing big bucks into EV's and battery technology. While we are a ways away from EVs becoming mainstream, what are your plans to prepare for this? How do think the EV will change our business model? Thoughts? /
  17. Joe Marconi
    This Sept 11 marks 20 year when four planes were hijacked, the Twin Towers were destroyed and 3000 people lost their lives in the terrorist attack. The day after, Sept 12, Americans came to together as one. Let us all once-again reunite as Americans. Let us never forget what happened on September 11, 2001.
  18. Joe Marconi
    Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a big proponent of understanding your numbers, and the need for bottom line profit. However, we can sometimes get side-tracked by focusing too much on the numbers and not enough on people. I have seen time and time again with struggling shops that have their numbers dialed in properly but can't achieve their goals, and the reason all too often is their culture. Focus on people. Find out what's important to them. Your employees have dreams and goals. Find out what they are. Align their goals with company goals. When an employee sees that by achieving company goals, they can achieve their own goals, then you have the right culture and a powerful team.
  19. Joe Marconi
    Let's face it, we all know you can't find techs, and it's time that we do something about it. We all need to implement an apprentice program at our shops and hire entry level techs. And we need to start tomorrow. I know many of you are saying that you don't need a tech right now. Well, trust me. You will. And I don't want to hear you can't afford to do this either. No one is going to help us, and the best techs have jobs. If everyone in the industry commits to hiring an apprentice, we will solve the this shortage in a few years. There are many apprenticeship programs available, like the NAPA program, and more. Oh....worried that you train someone and they leave. Let me ask you, How Did You Start Out?
  20. Joe Marconi
    I really do believe that no matter how well you are doing in business and no matter what age you are, you need a plan to exit out of the business. And equally important these days is a team of advisors, starting with a business coach, accoutant, attorney, financial advisor, insurance agent and banker
  21. Joe Marconi
    I am thrilled to announce that I will be the presenter at Elite's Fly With The Eagles course Oct 12 to 15. This is the first live event since before COVID. This will be held in Indianapolis. We are expecting a big turn out, so please check this out ASAP. Details below. The Eagles course is Elite's premiere event for Shop Owners and Managers- course covers: Leadership, Time Management, Goal Setting Financial Reports and Cost Controls Recruting Employee Management Marketing Click on the link below for more information. You can reply to this post too with questions. https://eliteworldwide.com/event/fly-with-the-eagles/
  22. Joe Marconi
    Wow! I am thrilled. I am seeing this more and more around the country. As many of you know, I am also an Elite Coach, so I speak to a lot of other coaches and shop owners. The best shops in the country have raised the labor rates, and have not looked back. Let's face it, expenses are going up around us. Plus, we need to Attract and Retain employees. PLUS, you the shop owner needs to earn the money your deserve too.
  23. Joe Marconi
    I would not recommend a free tire rotation, unless that is the shop's marketing strategy. I like to sell the rotation with a balance, and of course the multipoint is included. And I do agree that we need something to educate the customer and get them back into the shops, due to so many people extending their oil services.
  24. Joe Marconi
    Good point. Before anyone implements any pay plan with bonuses or commissions, check with a labor law attorney. Even flat rate in some states is not legal. Good advise.
  25. Joe Marconi
    This tip actually comes from a fellow Elite Business Coach; The Tire Rotation is the New Oil Change Service! I agree! With extended oil changes and people waiting until the oil change maintenance light to tell them when they need an oil change, rather than your Windshield Oil Sticker, shops need a way to get people back into the bays. Also, let's face it, the average consumer DOES NOT change their oil as often as they should. One of the best ways to get your customer to return to you is to schedule a tire rotation every six months. Wrap the tire rotation around a vehicle multipoint inspection and you now have a new powerful sales strategy and customer retention plan.

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