5 Tips to Make the Money Coat Count: Your Spray Gun
You spend hours trying to achieve the perfect paint job only to face a re-do and an irate customer. But don’t go blaming your paint. The culprit is likely your spray gun not being properly adjusted or as clean as you think.
Capitalize on Cold Weather
A mild winter doesn’t have to bring a chilling end to your shop’s profits and steady workload. By adding seasonal profit centers and specialized winter service, you’ll boost your bottom line and customer relations.
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?
Those Are the Brakes: In House or Out of House?
Since no two brakes jobs are the same, some shops choose to send brake repairs out of house to avoid an extra possible headache. Others choose to tackle the repairs themselves. What’s right for you depends on how much control you want to have over what often becomes a complicated repair.
Suck It Up: Dust Extraction Systems
A dirty shop may discourage customers from giving you their business and techs from wanting to work at your business. One way to keep your shop cleaner is to use a dust extraction system – which sucks away sanding dust and helps create a working environment that doesn’t suck. Got that?
Taking the Pain Out of Glass
These days, automotive glass serves a bigger purpose than simply keeping bugs out of a driver’s teeth. Some passenger-side airbags depend on the windshield to act as an integral part of the system. With such a critical repair at hand, proper glass replacement is of the utmost importance — but isn’t nearly as complex as you might think.
Becoming the Sand Man
Sanding might not be the most exciting job in the shop, but don’t underestimate its importance. It’s a craft that demands skill and attention to detail. Are you and your techs paying it enough attention?
Where Have All The Graduates Gone
The number of quality entry-level techs graduating from vo-tech schools continues to slump. So what are you doing about it? As the saying goes, if you’re not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem.
Small, But Formidable: The Smaller Bodyshops
Growing your business doesn’t necessarily mean “growing” your business. Consider Dave Stephenson, who’s built a solid reputation and six-week backlog out of his one-man shop in a small Iowa town.
The Dirt on Dustless Sanding
Will the benefits of purchasing a vacuum system justify the cost? It depends. Do you want cleaner paint work, happier employees and a better working environment?