Ditch Your One-Dimensional Ways: Diversification
Only selling collision repair service these days? Diversification is the answer
to getting your profits back and making your business worth owning.
Make Way for Waterborne
The use of waterborne paint by body shops will soon be mandated in California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District. The technology is likely to reach everyone some day, so here’s what you need to know.
Proprietary Repairs
“Do you think that in the near future, other car manufacturers will follow Jaguar’s lead and require repair shops to be ‘certified’ to fix their vehicles?”
On the Spot
Due to the misconceptions and lack of knowledge regarding squeeze-type resistance spot welding and its equipment, we conducted a welding machine challenge — a test that would simulate working on a vehicle and help shop owners make
better decisions when purchasing a machine.
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
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
Going Head to Head
Collision repair consolidators seem focused on customer service as opposed to offering insurance companies even lower repair costs. They’re also concentrated on honing their operations to a razor sharp state of efficiency (which, incidentally, will lower repair costs).
Tricked-Out Trike Wins “What Can You HEMI” Contest
That (thing) trike got a HEMI? As a matter of fact, it does – thanks to Marcus Braun, Chrysler’s “What Can You HEMI?” grand-prize winner. Braun not only takes home a new car for his invention, but the satisfaction that his super-sized HEMI-powered tricycle – more fit for the freeway than the sidewalk – is
Assembly-Line Processing:Coming Soon to a Shop Near You
As repair dollars shrink and competition grows, we need to change the way we process vehicles to stay competitive and profitable.
DRPs: Our Business Skills
Stop the finger pointing. How well we do in this trade has a lot more to do with our business skills than with how “bad” insurers are. In fact, direct-repair programs have, dare I say it, made many shops more efficient and profitable. It was more than 40 years ago, but I still remember sitting