Perplexed by Paint
Turns out this topic is much like the famous Bill Clinton quote: “It depends on what the meaning of is, is.” Paint brand popularity and exact market share are touchy subjects among the refinish paint companies. No one wants to be quoted in print as having less market share than the next guy, and there’s
The Efficiency Myth
Everything you’ve ever learned about efficiency is wrong. Individual efficiencies don’t
matter one bit. It’s the overall process — the process efficiency — that we need to
focus on.
A ‘How-To’ Guide for Increasing Labor Rates, BodyShop Business, February 2006
Rather than belabor the exhaustive list of reasons labor rates need to rise, let’s focus on what type of market conditions act to create higher – or more frequently increasing – prevailing rates in individual markets. By Tigger (from his view in the Thousland Acre Wood) No one in the collision repair industry would argue
Better, Cheaper, Faster …
Vehicle owners and insurers want all three. You can fight these shifts in the market, attempt litigation, kick, scream and even call your congressman. But at the end of the day, you either give customers what they want — or someone else will.
The Collision Repair ‘Steel Cage Match’
Well, it’s officially two-and-a-half months now since taking over as publisher of this magnificent magazine. Eager to learn as much as I can about this industry, I’ve spent the bulk of that time traveling the country, meeting suppliers, distributors, jobbers and shop owners. By the time you read this issue, I’ll be in Las Vegas
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.
Chasing the Dream: Transition from Technician to Shop Owner
Making a successful transition from technician to shop owner is possible – provided you realize that you’ll need a completely new set of skills to manage a shop.
Build a Better Mousetrap, and the World Will Beat a Path to Your Door
7 strategies for quality-driven shops to maintain profitability in a marketplace fixated on “fast” and “cheap.”
UV Coatings: Curing at Light-Speed
Increase productivity and boost your bottom line. UV curable coatings reach full cure in two to three minutes – and that’s with no mixing, virtually no VOCs and no heat.
Inside an Old-Timer’s Toolbox
In the early days when a bodyman faced a repair problem, he couldn’t just buy what he needed. He had to conceive a tool that would repair the problem- and then forge it himself.