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Posted

Hi guys. I am new to this website. My name is Issa Dawud and i am 16 years old. My dad has a small 4 bay shop in blue island illinois. I want to take over the business when im older and i want to learn as much as i can from your experiences. Thank You!

Posted
Hi guys. I am new to this website. My name is Issa Dawud and i am 16 years old. My dad has a small 4 bay shop in blue island illinois. I want to take over the business when im older and i want to learn as much as i can from your experiences. Thank You!

 

Issa,

Do you work with your dad now? You can learn a lot by listening to others experiences as well as your dad I am sure. Good luck

 

Tony Gobble

www.gobblesauto.com

[email protected]

Posted (edited)

Yes i actually do work with my dad. i am on winter break right now and ive been there everyday monday thru saturday from 8 to 6pm. i also go whenever im off of school, so i am there every saturday. i have learned a lot from him but he doesnt want me to become a tech. but i love doing it. he wants me to go into the medical field but i am not interested in that. do any of you guys recommend this job for me or do you all agree with my dad.

 

thank you

Edited by automaster
Posted

Hi Joe, so do you thing there is money in the automotive field. Is it a good field to get into because i have looked up all types of jobs to see what fits me but none of them seemed right. i always loved cars and loved to work with my hands, so this job fits me perfectly. what kind of education should i get. i want to go to UTI(Universal Technical Institute), but my dad said that they only will teach me the entry level stuff and i already know all the basics and much more. i can diagnose cars with the matco scanners, i can clear codes on cars, i can do brake jobs and a lot more, so i think i should stick with the automotive field. please reply to this so i can hear you opinion. Thank You!

Posted (edited)

Thank You for your thoughts Joe. You're really helping me out. Everytime i visit this website, i get more interested in cars and the Automotive business. Is your shop nice and comfortable to work in, because my dad's shop is old and it has the pits in the ground instead of lifts, so its very hard to work in. so i think that has something to do whith why he doesn't want me to become a technician. Its only a four bay shop with very little storage room. We're actually looking for a bigger shop but business by us isnt the greatest. its always up and down. this week was very busy for us but last week was slow. Do you have any tips on how to boost up our business. The shop us very small so its hard to stay organized. Do you think that has anything to do with how business is. what are some ways you advertise for your shop? Thank You, Issa

Edited by automaster
Posted (edited)

I havent yet shared any of this whith my father but before i found this website i always told him to start advertising a little better. he just made pens and calendars for his customers but im trying to get him to mail cupons to customers. We do have one lift in the shop for brake jobs, and one bottle jack in the pits to lift the cars up. He doesnt want me to become a tech because there isnt really an education to get, but i know there is good money in it. My father isnt really a business man. he is not on top of things. Sometimes i have to remind him to call a customer to pick up their car, or i have to order parts for him. Sometimes we have cars at the shop that are sitting in the parking lot for 2 days before we get started on them. thats not good for the business but we only have one mechanic other than my dad, but my dad needs to concentrate on running the business and answering phones. I keep telling him to hire another mechanic but he says that he cant because when business is slow, he wont be able to pay the mechanics. I havent really shared any of this with my dad but i think i should. it would really help the business out. Thank You--Issa

Edited by automaster
Posted

Hi Joe, I was just wondering the average salary of your lead tech., and how do you pay your mechanic, also how many mechanics do you have because you have a big shop don't you? How was the expansion? I hope everything went smoothly.

Posted

Hi Joe, i have a question: Do you think there is a good future for the automotive business. I really want to do it but i also want to make good money. Do you think i can make over 150k per year if i open a shop 10 years from now? or will the economy bring down the auto industry? Thank You

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Hey Joe. I was wondering what you actually do at work. Are you a mechanic, or a service writer? What is it exactly that you do? My dad is everything. he fixes cars, but we only have one other tech. He also talks to the customers. he is a service writer and when im there on saturdays and days off of school, i am also a service writer. i also greet the customers when they walk in. So what do you do, and how many techs. do you have?

Thank You!

Posted
I have my business set up in a way that all positions are taken care of. My role is to oversee the operation, work on growing the business and to coach the people around me.

 

There was a time when I did everything. From service writing to working on cars, all the office work, road testing, etc. But I was killing myself. We are much more profitable now that I concentrate on running the business, instead of working in it.

 

We have 4 techs, a service advisor, office manager, shop foreman and a clean up crew.

 

 

In my opionion, if you desire to become a tech and eventually run the business, that is what you should focus on. It sounds to me like you are passionate about this profession.

 

I agree that you are right on track about running the business more so that working in it. Keep getting as much information as you can about managing and marketing your dad's automotive shop. This website a great resource for answers to all your questions...THANK GUYS!

 

There are several automotive management and automotive marketing companies that will be helpful in running and marketing your business. I hope it's ok to name of few, I'm not trying to sell any of them but just listing the resources that I know of. There is ATI, Management Success, Cinron, Dan Cricks, Autoprofitspro. These are just a few that I have heard about, but again, this website is especially helpful because your questions are answered by people that are in the same field. And, it's great input and advice on what has/is working for them and what hasn't.

 

Good luck!

  • 1 month later...

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         0 comments
      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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