Restyle 101: The Specialty Equipment Market
From trailer hitches to running boards to custom leather interiors, the aftermarket accessories market seems almost endless. And with a little education about this multi-billion-dollar market, you could be sharing in the profits.
Profitable by Popular Demand
Shops upselling their owners on accessories.
Weld It Right: Know the Best Gas Mixture for MIG?
Welding is probably the least understood repair procedure in the collision industry, yet it’s the most critical. Do your techs know the best gas mixture for MIG welding high-strength steel or the proper gun angle for making a lap joint? Are you sure?
I’m Just a Bill: How a Bill Becomes a Law
Remember the Saturday morning “School House Rock” clip about how a bill becomes a law? Consider this article the adult version, in which you’ll learn how the legislative process works and how the government’s actions affect your shop.
Restyle Your Business: Offering Restyle Products
In 1999, retail sales of specialty equipment products totaled $23.24 billion. You can funnel some of that cash into your own pocket by offering restyle products – from fender flares to floor mats to grille guards – in addition to the collision work you do now.
Personnel Profile
That was then … An unthinkable thing happened on Jan. 14, 1914: Henry Ford had the audacity to raise Ford Motor Company’s minimum wage to $5 a day – and then, as if that weren’t enough, he allocated $10 million of the $25 million in company profits for his workers. This will ruin the industry,
Concepts on the Future: Cars for Display
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) always has its attendees wondering a couple things. First, if the show is “international,” doesn’t that already make it North American? And what’s with those strange-looking futuristic cars? Will they be on the showroom floor at dealerships anytime soon?
You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Stocking
The 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser.
Shop Owner Profile
Where would we be without all the shop owners in the world? After all, even the most productive, profitable and professional shop must have a leader — someone to guide the business and lock up after everyone else goes home.
Streamlining the Industry
Collision repair has been a fragmented and inefficient industry for years — but consolidators are hoping to change all that.