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Join the Community — It's FreeThis community is growing fast and we'd love to get to know everyone. Drop a comment below with: (1) Your name and location, (2) How long you've been in Auto Repair & Service, (3) One thing you're working on right now. Looking forward to connecting with all of you and building something great together.
Started sending handwritten thank-you cards to every new customer with a $20 gift card for their next visit. Costs us about $25 per card total. Our repeat customer rate went from 35% to 58% in 6 months. The ROI is insane when you calculate lifetime customer value. Simple but nobody does it.
I've heard everything from 5% to 15% of revenue for marketing. We're currently at about 3% and I know we need to increase it, but I want to make sure I'm spending it in the right places. What's your marketing budget and where does it go?
Our general liability and workers comp premiums went up 25% at renewal. We're paying almost $18K/year now for a Auto Repair & Service business with 8 employees. Feels excessive. Has anyone had luck shopping around or found a good broker who specializes in our industry?
I'm currently using spreadsheets for everything and it's becoming unmanageable as we grow. Looking for recommendations on CRM, scheduling, invoicing, and operations management tools that work well for Auto Repair & Service. Budget is around $200-500/month.
After 5 years of slow growth, we made three changes that took us from $500K to $1M in 18 months: (1) Raised prices 20% and positioned as premium, (2) Implemented a referral program that pays $50 per new customer, (3) Added a recurring service plan that now makes up 40% of our revenue. The recurring revenue was the biggest game changer — predictable cash flow changed everything.
Between supply costs going up 20-30% and labor costs increasing, our margins are getting squeezed hard. We're a Auto Repair & Service business doing about $800K/year and I'm trying to figure out how to maintain profitability without losing customers. What's working for you all?
Got hit with a 1-star review on Google last week that's completely unfair. The customer is exaggerating and it's already affecting our calls. We had a 4.8 rating and now it dropped to 4.6. How do you all handle this? Respond publicly? Try to get it removed?
Spent last quarter doing a deep dive into our expenses and found we were bleeding money in places I never expected. Renegotiated our lease (saved $800/month), switched to a cheaper payment processor (saved $200/month), eliminated 3 software subscriptions we barely used ($350/month), and restructured our scheduling to reduce overtime. Total savings: about $4K/month on a business doing $60K/month.
Just finished "The E-Myth Revisited" and it completely changed how I think about my Auto Repair & Service business. Also highly recommend "Profit First" for managing cash flow, "Traction" for building systems, and "Never Lose a Customer Again" for retention strategies. These four books have had more impact on my business than any course or seminar I've attended.
I've been in the Auto Repair & Service space for about 3 years now and feel like I'm hitting a wall with growth. Revenue is stuck around $40-50K/month and I can't seem to break through. Would love to hear what challenges others are dealing with and how you're tackling them.
We've been trying to hire for 3 months and it's brutal. Posted on Indeed, ZipRecruiter, even offered referral bonuses. Getting applications but the quality is terrible. What's working for you all in terms of finding good people for Auto Repair & Service?
Been in Auto Repair & Service for over a decade and the industry has changed more in the last 2 years than the previous 8. Between AI, changing consumer behavior, and new regulations, I'm curious where everyone thinks things are headed. Are you optimistic or concerned about the next few years?
Created a spreadsheet template that tracks all the key metrics for a Auto Repair & Service business — revenue per service type, customer acquisition cost, employee productivity, monthly P&L, and cash flow projections. Been using it for 2 years and it's helped me make much better decisions. Happy to share the framework with anyone who wants it.
I'm thinking about selling my Auto Repair & Service business in the next 12-18 months. We're doing about $1.2M in revenue with 15-18% net margins. I have no idea where to start — broker vs. private sale, what multiple to expect, how to prep the business. Any advice from people who've been through it?
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