Auto repair shop management doesn’t have to be a mystery. Long time automotive business coach Gary Gunn shares his decades of automotive industry experience running multiple shops with you! When you take Gary’s and head coach Brian Gillis’ advice to heart, you will put your business systems in place and see results in no time!
Defining Auto Repair Shop Management – How Is It Different From Leadership?
Gary opens the clip, polling the group on the difference between auto repair shop management and leadership.
Pam believes that managing is staying on top of details and keeping staff on top of their tasks. Fred believes Leaders hand down goals and processes to Managers. Then the Managers use the SOPs to guide the people.
Joe defines the Leadership role as one who sets the pace and tone for the shop’s business. Management then manipulates the Technicians and Service Advisors to execute the Leader’s vision. Joe clarifies that the staff roles are similar to that of military ranks. As the owner and leader, he recognizes the strengths of each employee in their positions.
Jerry continues by agreeing with all the previous points. He then adds that Auto Repair Shop Management means overseeing the systems and processes, so Mechanics and Service Writers can do their thing.
Gary also reminds us that people do not want to be managed. They can’t! That method of management always reduces people to robots. Effective managers should manage the systems, so the SOPs themselves can manage the people.
Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session
Does your independent automotive shop lack a clear vision? Maybe your business plan has stalled out. You need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!
Auto Repair Shop Money Management might be an uncomfortable topic, but we need to cover it! Gary Gunn quizzes our YNR panel of automotive shop owners on how they can better manage their finances.
Defining Money – Repair Shop Money Management
Gary starts off with an unusual question for our panel of shop owners. “How do you define money?” It may seem silly to ask a question like this. However, when we get to the root of what money really is, we can take a deeper dive into repair shop money management.
When Pam replies, she defines money as an item we exchange in lieu of barter. We have assigned a value to it, so it drives commodities in our markets.
Fred measures money in time. Customers pay us for our employees’ time when they perform automotive repair services. We then pay those employees for their time. Finally, we pay ourselves for the time we put in guiding our team and steering the ship.
Joe adds that the government assigns money a value based on the gold that backs it. We can then exchange that valuable paper for a good or service. Jerry then uses the analogy of money as a fuel for an engine. That engine exists to move our business or personal life forward. Money management is how we fine tune that engine.
Gary’s Response
Gary makes the point that we can run out of the “gas” that is money and end up stuck on the proverbial freeway. Sometimes our business’s cash on hand can ebb and flow. However, our repair shop money management skills will determine will determine if we reach our long term destination.
Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session
Do lack direction on repair shop money management? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out, and you need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!