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Why Reinvent the Wheel Just Improve It Upselling Collision Repair Customers
I would guess that most principles and managers within the automotive dealership business have heard of Carl Sewell. Carl Sewell has been setting the standard for auto dealer service for years. His bestselling customer-service classic, Customers For Life, has sold over 600,000 copies and the latest edition includes five new chapters. As one reviewer states, If you don’t learn from this book, it’s your fault. And I wholeheartedly agree. I don’t sell or service cars but I keep a copy of Customers For Life on my bookshelf at work at all times.
But this article is not intended as a book review. If you’ve read the book, you probably have an opinion on it. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. One chapter in the book is entitled Why Reinvent the Wheel Just Improve It. And this leads into the basis for my article … Upselling.
We’ve all heard the phrase, Would you like fries with that. It’s the standard bearer for teaching companies how to upsell like McDonald’s does. I imagine most dealerships do a pretty good job of upselling items such as extended warranties on new cars and wiper blades during routine service. But are there more ways a dealership and collision shop can upsell and increase profits
Quote:car care products, carl sewell, collision repair shopWhere Can I Get Start Up Money For a Business
Particularly in our current economy, finding the money to get started can be the most difficult part of starting a small business. Small business loans are more difficult to obtain than ever, many private investors are much more scrutinizing about how to lend their money, and many potential small business owners are especially tentative about investing their own money to start even a humble home based business. Fortunately, if you know where to look and if you have the right business proposal, it is still possible to start a home business or small business of your own, even without spending any of your money to get the business off the ground. Franchises offer one of the best ways to start a small business in this economy, due to their proven business plans and strong track record. Additionally, many lending institutions are far more likely to lend startup cash to franchise businesses, because a franchise business opportunity offers the most financial security of just about any type of small business startup. Here’s a look at some of the best ways to finance your franchise business, as well as some of the best candidates for a new startup business in a sluggish economy.
Home Based Franchises
Probably one of the most accessible types of franchises, home based businesses offer all of the benefits of a well-established franchise business, but retain all of the tax incentives and cost benefits of running a business from the comfort of your own home. When it comes to the cost associated with starting a home based business, the good news is that most home business franchises cost less than $10,000 and have a modular quality that allows the franchisee to start with one unit and then continue expanding as the market or the drive of the franchisee warrants. Financing options can be as easy as connecting with the franchisor, who will most likely offer at least partial financing, but will often work best by gathering a few investors together and each pitching in 10%-30%. If a home based franchise sounds like a good option for you, check out a business for sale with Dr. Vinyl. This home based franchise is the world leader in automotive cosmetic and aftermarket services. With more than 25 years of experience, this home based business specializes in restoration and repair of leather, hard plastics, fabric, windshields and, of course, vinyl. No experience is required and Dr. Vinyl will provide you with all the necessary training, ongoing support and a strong track record and business plan that will aid you immensely in finding appropriate financing.
Quote:franchise business opportunity, small business loans, small business startupRethinking The Oil Change Business Venture
I wish to comment on the Fast Lube Business and the annual survey done by Auto Laundry News, one of the few Industry Magazines for the car wash industry. In this 2001 survey, we see an increase on the number of locations out there. Yet the leader of the Industry is by far Jiffy Lube. We see variations on theme, but we can safely say that Jiffy Lube has adapted best to the American public and their desires when it comes to oil changes.
This survey showed the average customer would drive 5.7 miles to get an oil change. If 50% of the customers would drive 5.7 miles and 80% of the customers usually come from a three-mile radius to get a car wash, I see additional synergy. These car washes with oil lube centers are getting a further reach than the industry average. This is great news for those carwashes adding oil lube bays, but also it takes up space and if not marketed correctly it will not work. The survey was quick to show that oil change facilities do best in middle class areas, not high-end areas. They do poorly in low-income areas. This all makes sense. Free standing car washes were the most likely to have oil lube facilities on there properties. Interesting too is that minimum wage was not prevailing, normally the companies pay $8.00-10.00 per hour. Makes realistic sense and I believe good help starts in this country at $10.00 per hour in most metros and $8.00 hour in rural.
Only 23% of the fast lubes had a website. Only half had internet access in the locations. Average employees were 5 full time and 3 part timers. Luckily for the image of this industry 74% had specific uniforms. The average shop had 3 bays, not enough to do the volume if adequate blitz marketing and community based marketing were taking place. Average revenue was $32.00 per car. That is an awful lot of upselling since the average advertised price that I have noticed is around $19.99. Less than 30% were open on Sundays Bad mistake since there is no time to change oil and wait in line for most Americans. Average monthly gross was $2,400.00 per month per bay
Quote:blitz marketing, car wash industry, part timers