Paint Shop Math
Owners and managers at every level in every business need to track and chart some numbers. Which numbers would work for charting paint and material (P&M) costs?
Tips for Selling Your Auto Body Shop
Will an MSO just show up at your door someday soon with a hefty check and a hearty handshake and want to buy your life’s work for big bucks? For most single-location, independent body shops, that’s an unlikely scenario.
Body Shops and Aluminum, How Did We Get Here?
The significant increase in aluminum-bodied vehicles these days is driven in part by the same gasoline mileage issue we faced in 1973. The federal government has decreed that by the year 2025, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) is to be 54.5 miles per gallon for all car manufacturers.
Protect Yourself Properly
If your lungs take in enough solvent-laden air along with your oxygen, they’ll pass the solvent into your blood stream. As the blood reaches your brain and your brain doesn’t find enough oxygen because the solvent is in there, you’ll become dizzy or lightheaded.
The Latest New Thing
No doubt you’re sure that young folks don’t know nuthin’ about collision repair. Just remember that the latest new thing they’re showing you might save you time, be healthier and offer a better, faster repair.
Interacting With Customers
A in-depth look at interacting with customers and insuring you have a customer-friendly business.
Lighting, Air, Booth Filters and Signs
Buy and install more lights, re-pipe the shop with copper or aluminum air lines, buy the most expensive spraybooth filters and replace them frequently, and create attractive signs that tell the world why your shop is the best.
Enamel, Amaretto and Ill-Advised Repair Tactics
The collision business still attracts a unique blend of personalities…and I’m pleased to continue meeting them after 45 years.
What Steps Can I Take to Resurrect a Dealership Body Shop?
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? In raising a dealership body shop from the dead, what should I do first, fix the shop or market the business? The dealer does not want to spend any money until we make some money, and we can’t make any until we spend some. Where do we start?