Every shop has a pile of declined jobs sitting in their system. Brake flushes customers said “not today” to. Transmission services they wanted to “think about.” Tire replacements they’re putting off until next month — which turns into next quarter, which turns into never. That declined work represents real revenue. And most shops either ignore … Read more

Here’s a trap I see all the time: the shop is slammed, bays are full, the phone won’t stop ringing — and the owner still can’t figure out why there’s nothing left at the end of the month. Sound familiar? I wrote about this in my latest piece for Shop Owner Magazine, and I want … Read more

There’s a cost hiding in your shop that doesn’t show up on any invoice. You won’t find it in your parts spend or your payroll. But it’s real, and it’s eating into every job you do. It’s the time your team spends working on process instead of production. Death by a Thousand Clicks Trace a … Read more

John Polonchak had been using the same shop management system for 18 years. He knew it inside and out. He’d built his entire operation around it. And it was holding him back. “Sourcing parts and building estimates were taking far too long,” John explains. In a busy shop, those delays compound. Technicians wait. Customers wait. … Read more

The automotive industry is in serious transition. Technician shortages, rising costs, EVs, ADAS — for a lot of owners, selling the shop and cashing out has never looked more attractive. If that’s you, here’s the critical question: Are you treating your shop like an asset to build up, or a business in maintenance mode as … Read more

“Half my advertising budget is wasted. I just don’t know which half.” That quote is over a century old, and most shop owners are still living it. They spend money on ads, mailers, and digital campaigns—then cross their fingers and hope something sticks. There’s a better way. The Question Nobody Asks When a new customer … Read more

You already know which tech is your best producer. You already know which service writer closes the most sales. You already know which days are busiest. At least, you think you do. The Problem With “Knowing” Gut feelings are built on what you notice—and what you notice isn’t always what matters. You notice the big … Read more

Every service writer knows there aren’t enough hours in the day. Your boss keeps adding things to the checklist, parts are always across the country, and customers never call back when you need them to. But here’s the thing: most of that wasted time is preventable. The shops that run smoothly aren’t working harder—they’re eliminating … Read more

How many hours have service writers lost this week because of a missing wheel lock? How many frustrating hours wasted getting wrong parts because of incorrect VIN numbers? Little stuff like this really adds up. And the busier you get, the faster your systems break down. The Hidden Cost of “Good Enough” As a shop … Read more