Can your business operate without you? As I began investigating how shop owners felt about this topic, I discovered that not everyone thinks the same. The answers I received ranged from “Yes” to “No” to “Wouldn’t that be nice!” One…
In a perfect world, as owners, we all dream of running a successful business. We strive to work hard, hire great employees, provide the best benefits possible, have great customers, make a profit, give back to the community, enjoy family…
It’s critical today, in measuring shop finances, to break down the revenue and examine the type of revenue coming through the door. But most shops just measure parts and labor, and then look at their bank balance to see what…
A shop owner from Chicago writes: How do you balance what is written in your employee manual vs. the needs of your customers and your employees? My employee manual states that no employee can take more than five days of…
ASA-member shop owners always…
Early on in my youth, I began wondering why things didn’t work as intended: my bike’s chain derailleur, our lawn mower, mom and dad’s Rambler wagon. Decades…
Recent congresses have not been known for bipartisan initiatives. Unique to this analysis has been this fall’s autonomous vehicle (AV) legislation. The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a package of 14 separate bills, titled the SELF DRIVE Act…
Every industry needs to prepare for its next generation of employees, which, ideally, continually flows in. The collision repair industry currently faces an aging population in several ways.
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Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were filled with family, friends and fun. Last year was a time of change for the Automotive Service Association (ASA), and those changes continue. We welcomed Dana, Ben and Ashley (see page 4)…
There are many “horror stories” that take place in the automotive industry. I mean, those that are fanned by media sensationalism. Just take your pick and run with a topic: “Woman accuses shop of stripping oil pan drain plug and…
The advancement of vehicle technology will make a dramatic difference in measuring a typical service shop business, and the aftermarket must relearn its measurements. In previous articles, I’ve written that a typical shop owner will require six to eight days…
A first-time customer, who was referred by another customer, came in with a Nissan Pathfinder that had a driver’s window that wouldn’t work. After removing the door panel and testing the switch, wiring and motor, it was determined that the…
Summers, working in his father’s shop, created many happy memories for Bryan Welsh, owner of Artistic Collision…
In 2011, I wrote about the Nissan Leaf and compared it to the Chevy Volt. Since then, ACDC bought one of each, so we know them well. But a…
In the mid-1970s when I graduated from high school, young people who wanted to go into a profession went to college. Those who wanted to go into a trade didn’t need college. They just needed to get a job and…
Congressional leaders and the administration are…
Repairing vehicles today requires research and specific information, no matter how much experience a repair technician has or how many tools a shop owns.
