The Tale of One Shop Continues…
….with Paul and Teresa Slate
What’s the Bright Idea?
Shop owners share their thoughts on how to make their businesses – and yours – more successful
Starting Over
Russ Manley and his father, Ron, have run Manley and Son Auto Body and Paint in Forsyth, Mo., for 34 years. In the early years, custom work was the bread and butter for the shop, but because of poor work conditions, paint jobs that went wrong were as prevalent as the ones that went right.
Paint-Shop Smarts
To increase production in the paint shop, you can do one of two things: Buy more equipment – the object here being to do more work in the same time period by mechanizing
the task. Or, you can produce more by better utilizing your present facility and equipment – the old “work smarter not harder”
school of thought.
Need Money? Renovations
When running a successful business, a shop owner will – at some point – utter the word “renovations”. In his next breath, he’ll shake his head and utter the words “need money”.
Keep It Separate: Business and Personal Income
It’s been said that it’s best not to mix business with pleasure – and this is especially true when it comes to Uncle Sam. According to the Internal Revenue Service, business and personal income should always remain apart.
Like a Rock: Southwest Collision of Alsip, Ill.
Ask anyone in the collision-repair business in suburban Chicago about the work and reputation of Southwest Collision of Alsip, Ill., and the adjectives they’ll use can be
summarized in two words – rock solid.
Simply Success: Richard Cossette
Name: Lehman’s Garage, Inc. Location: Minneapolis, Minn. Owner: Richard Cossette Established: 1917 Square Footage: 66,000 (four shops) Number of Employees: 85 (four shops) Repair Volume: 907 cars per month (four shops) Average Repair Cost: $1,400 Success. It means different things to different people, but one belief is often associated with it – it’s difficult to
Safety Tips for Lifts
Automotive lifts are critical to the operation and profitability of your business, and the safe use of lifts is critical to preventing employee injuries and damage to customers’ vehicles. By operating lifts correctly, you can ensure that your shop is profitable, productive and safe.
Waterlogged: Submerged Vehicles
Repair of water-damaged vehicles is done daily across the United States, which makes it quite possible that your shop may someday be – if it hasn’t already been – involved in
estimating, and possibly the salvage and restoration, of a vehicle that’s been submerged in water.