Thank you Options

[scotty b]

I'm not naming names, but I just wanted to openly thank the people here who have entrusted me with their cars.


3 months ago I was up against an ugly, unstable wall. I watched 5 shops in my area shut down, one of the 2 shops I was doing work for slowed to the point I had no reason to continue going there, and he is now down to only himself ( from 3 ). The other shop, the italian cars, I went back with as my only work. He eventually slowed to the point he couldn't pay me, and still owes me quite a bit of money. I was at a point of no-return and felt my only option was to open my own shop, in what is being called the worst economy in 20+ years. I had ONE car, Mike's, and a couple of local quick jobs ( suspension pans and a quick, cheap paint job) to start out with. I put my ass on the line big time, borrowed a fair sum on a credit card since no bank would give me a loan, spent the first month moving, building an office and a bathroom, and trying to scratch up some money to stay afloat. 2 months later I actually have 4 jobs to count on, and a couple others in the wait. I know there is a still a long way to go before I will feel totally confident that this was the right move, but were it not for those of you who stepped up so far, I would not have made it this far.

So anyway,

thank you to the ones I have now

thank you to the next few

and thank you to any in the future (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)



Back to my normal ass-hattery now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[TJB/914]

Scotty b,

Congratulations, you will be successful, because you do quality work. Word of mouth spread around by 914-world will fill your shop.

How about posting your shop name, address, & phone # so everyone can put you on file. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif)

Going into business reminds me of myself. I started my business in 1987 when the company I worked for went bankrupt & I was out of a job in 1-week. My wife was a homemaker & I had (2) kids starting college. Failure was not an option!!!
Today, when I look back it was the begining of my current career as a Mfg. Sales Rep. in the Power & Utility industry.

Tom

[number6]

Word of mouth spread around by 914-world will fill your shop.

That's the sort of scenario that would scare the bejeebers out of most bodyshop owners! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I wish you all the best, Scotty. There's definitely a void in the niche you're filling. I wish there was someone like you in my area.

Rick is a wise man with his words of advice - I wish someone had shared the same wisdom with me when I first travelled down the entrepreneurial road!

Keep your overhead low. Treat your customers well. Treat your employees even better. Pay yourself. Have a real contingency plan...and a contingency plan to the contingency plan. Sell benefits, not features. Read <Purple Cow> (because traditional marketing no longer works!). Focus your time and energy on your areas of brilliance, where you get energy, produce extraordinary results, and make money. Hire someone complementary to you to be your office manager/personal assistant, to take care of all the things you should not be doing (though keep an eye on the finances!). Never pick up the phone when you are not in the right mood. And if you must turn away a customer, try to point him in the right direction. And remember: Every obstacle is an opportunity in disguise! This mindset will help you see solutions when challenges present themselves - and they will! These are the core lessons that have served me well over the years - perhaps they can serve you, too.

Here's wishing you all the best!

-duc

[rick 918-S]

Word of mouth spread around by 914-world will fill your shop.

That's the sort of scenario that would scare the bejeebers out of most bodyshop owners! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I wish you all the best, Scotty. There's definitely a void in the niche you're filling. I wish there was someone like you in my area.

Rick is a wise man with his words of advice - I wish someone had shared the same wisdom with me when I first travelled down the entrepreneurial road!

Keep your overhead low. Treat your customers well. Treat your employees even better. Pay yourself. Have a real contingency plan...and a contingency plan to the contingency plan. Sell benefits, not features. Read <Purple Cow> (because traditional marketing no longer works!). Focus your time and energy on your areas of brilliance, where you get energy, produce extraordinary results, and make money. Hire someone complementary to you to be your office manager/personal assistant, to take care of all the things you should not be doing (though keep an eye on the finances!). Never pick up the phone when you are not in the right mood. And if you must turn away a customer, try to point him in the right direction. And remember: Every obstacle is an opportunity in disguise! This mindset will help you see solutions when challenges present themselves - and they will! These are the core lessons that have served me well over the years - perhaps they can serve you, too.

Here's wishing you all the best!

-duc

I agree with alot of this. A couple cautions and a couple personal stories. I had 6 full time guys working for me plus an office manager.

Never let any office help near your check book. This cost me dearly.

Start a P.O. system, Number every job, never deviate from this. I lost thousands of dollars to a very slick con man I had working in my office. He was working on opening his own shop. He ordered parts and shop supplies and walked them out the back door for about a year before Sandy caught the discrepency.

The guy would order parts and make purchases and hide the bills when the mail came until they were like 90 over. Sandy would call me asking what the purchase was 90+ days ago... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif) After an ass chewing session she would pay the bill.

I gave him a second chance and he brought his dads car in the shop over the weekend, fixed a key scratch down both sides I'm sure he did himself, and collected the check and cashed it. I normally wouldn't care but the check was made out to my shop. I would get nailed for the taxes!

I when fired him I went to his house and collected about 1500.00 in shop supplies. The guy had balls enough to try to collect un-employment insurance... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif) ya right.

Every guy I had had serious baggage. Be a nice guy but never cross the employee/employer relationship. It sounds harsh but employees are tools. Only rent the use of a tool when you can't possible handle any more work yourself.

Resist hiring guys and paying them cash. you will open up a can of whoopass on your self you will never forget.

Remember you just crossed a threshold here from being the best of the best in bodymen to a new business owner. Time to re-invent yourself.

Good luck.