March and April are a difficult time for many business owners; it is the time of year I call, “the dip.” As winter ends, many people yearn for the renewed spirit of Springtime, yet it still feels distant. The dip is a period when many people – and especially business owners – give up [...]
As much as 2020 was a pain in the butt for small businesses everywhere, it was also full of valuable lessons for those who paid attention. A handful of collision repairers in North America refused to fall prey to the challenges faced last year. Some business leaders charged ahead, growing and improving their businesses, [...]
With 2021 finally on the horizon, we all have an opportunity to return to, what I hope is, a “new normal.” For far too many business owners, the old normal was actually, kind of, well… mediocre. Why settle for a mediocre 2021 when there is so much opportunity and abundance available to those businesses [...]
You’re probably wondering, ‘Dave, what does ham have to do with an auto body shop much less mindset and culture?’ Let me tell you a story. The Story of Grandma’s Ham A young wife wanted to make a special dinner for her husband on their first anniversary and chose a favorite family recipe: ham. [...]
It’s time to get real – not that I am not always ‘real’ with my readers, but I need shop leaders to embrace the importance of this message! Collision customers don’t need an estimate; they need their vehicles repaired properly and without a lot of fuss. The only remaining question is the best way [...]
It’s that amazing time of the year again! You know, family, feasts, giving, being grateful for our blessings in life… the whole holiday thing, right? For those of you running a business, it can also be a very difficult time of year. If you feel a little, or a lot, overwhelmed during the holidays, [...]
“You would not believe how good it felt to throw that insurance adjuster out into the street!” In complete disbelief, I continued listening to this shop owner describe his recent proclaimed victory. “If they won’t let me put new OEM parts on this lady’s Pontiac, they can take it to one of their damn [...]
There are many commonalities between the homeless living on Skid Row, the mediocre, and the successful. Each may have received a low or high-degree of education. Each may have been born into a humble or affluent family. And the universal commonality: each has been knocked down many times in life. The homeless man has [...]
I grew up in a family of artists. Not always the kind of people that come to mind when thinking of the dog-eat-dog business world. As a young man my own artistic expression found its way into the automotive repair business, as an automotive painter. I loved painting cars, especially the custom stuff. It [...]
Merriam-Webster defines success as "the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame." I believe this definition is incomplete. At least the way I see it. I think most of us want these things, at some level or another, but I also believe words like happiness, fulfillment and contribution would also make nice [...]
