Do the Math: The Importance of Basic Math Skills
My wife is a third grade school teacher. She specializes in math and science. I could go on and on about the ills of our country’s education system, as I watch my wife do battle on the front lines day-by-day. But, when it comes to education, everyone has an opinion and most have no idea
Technical Feature, Ignorance Is More Expensive
Sure, training costs money and trained techs sometimes leave, but the fact remains: Most of the welds I inspect would fail a destructive test, making them dangerous to the consumer — and to your shop
Profits: Not A 4-Letter Word: State Farm’s New Pilot Direct-Repair Program Impacting Shops
State Farm’s new pilot direct-repair program is impacting shops large, medium and small. And the bigger the shop, the bigger the hurt. Canada’s Boyd Group Income Fund — operator of Boyd Autobody & Glass and Gerber Auto Collision & Glass in the United States — recently announced that they expect to be impacted $431,555 to
Profits: Not A 4-Letter Word -You Can Only Learn Lean By Doing.
Speed Is the Key When attempting to create a continuous flow between all the steps in your process, the areas where work doesn’t flow at the pace the customer is pulling will become obvious, forcing you to correct them immediately. by John Sweigart It has always been — and continues to be — difficult explaining
DRPs, Here We Come? Handling All the Paperwork
Handling all the paperwork that comes with being on direct-repair programs doesn’t scare us. Let me tell you why. Part 3 of a year-long series.
Bullied No More: Learn How to Counter Intimidating Negotiation Techniques
“My way or the highway” negotiation techniques have intimidated the repair industry long enough. Learn how to counter them.
Leading You Through the Storm
It’s no secret our industry is undergoing a phenomenal phase of change. Here at BodyShop Business, we too are changing right along with you. Some changes are obvious, such as new managing editor Jason Stahl joining our staff for this issue. But most others are less obvious, and I’d like to bring a few to
What’s the Goal of any Business? To Make Money
I’ll add a couple of caveats to that.
Learn How to Treat Customers by Being One
How were the holidays for you? Did you enjoy some well-deserved time off? Eat too much? Drink too much “cheer”? Get overly annoyed with your relatives and in-laws and beat the *&%$ out of your Uncle Ed because he … oh, wait. I digress. Perhaps you visited a mall or two, or 20? Or, maybe
Lowering Your Overhead
Earning money is one thing. Keeping it is another. You’d be surprised what shops can do to reduce overhead besides raising door rates
Life in The Fast Lane: Shop Manager Devised Method to Take Back What Was Rightfully His
Fed up with losing work to faster competitors, this shop manager devised a new method to take back what was rightfully his.
Strategies to Stretch Profit Margins
Your options for increasing profit margins are limited when a vendor supplies you with the part, material or service. Instead, focus on improving the one profit margin you do have direct control over: labor.