Every article we have written for auto repair shop owners

83 articles on the money, the team, the systems and the numbers behind a shop that pays you properly. Written from real coaching sessions with real auto repair shop owners. Start anywhere.

Money & Profit

Cash flow, debt, profit, and why a busy shop can still pay you nothing.

18 articles

Busy but Never Making Any Money? How Regan Crook Turned It AroundBusy mechanics workshop but never making any money? How Regan Crook stopped going backwards, paid down his ATO debt and turns over more with fewer techs.
Can't Pay Your BAS? How Stella and Selwyn's Workshop Fixed ItCan't pay your BAS? How Stella and Selwyn King's mechanics workshop put the tax aside first, fixed their labour rate and doubled revenue.
How Do I Fix Cash Flow in My Auto Repair Shop?How to fix cash flow in your auto repair shop: the warning signs, what to do first when money is tight, and how to stop it coming back.
How Do I Know If My Auto Repair Shop Is Actually Winning?Biggest year ever and it still doesn't feel like winning. The freedom number that gives your shop a finish line, and the four people you need to work it out.
How Do I Pay Off Debt in My Mechanic Business? Laura's AnswerLaura Moore paid off her business debt with Profit First and hit her highest profit result ever. What she changed, and the question that started it.
How Do I Pay Off My ATO Tax Debt? How Megan and Adam Cleared $80,000 in a YearHow do I pay off my ATO tax debt? Megan and Adam Walters cleared $80,000 in a year with one separate account and two transfers a week.
How Much Stock Should My Auto Repair Shop Carry?If parts arrive within the hour, the stock on your shelves is cash you cannot spend. How to work out what to send back, and the margin check to do at the same time.
I'm a Mechanic, Not a Businessman. How Jeff Stopped the SlideJeff Hazzledine sold his house to keep the shop going. What changed was knowing his markup, his labour rate and what an hour actually costs him to run.
Is My Best Customer Actually Costing Me Money?The customer you would never let go is often your lowest margin account. The four-box grid that separates your gold customers from your favourites.
Markup or Margin: How Should I Price Parts?Markup or margin? How to price parts in your mechanics workshop to hit a 48% to 52% parts margin without losing customers.
Our KPI Was the EFTPOS Report. How Daniel Barry Fixed ItBusy, billing plenty, going backwards. Daniel Barry raised his labour rate, set tax aside before the bill arrives, and now takes a week off with no calls.
Paying the Bills But Not Getting Ahead? Alison's Way OutAlison Richards was bobbing along with no real retirement in view. Her shop now has money in the bank, no debt, and every loan paid off.
We've Never Taken a Profit. How Dale and Tanika Changed ThatTheir first ever dividend was sixty dollars. Now Performance 4x4 takes quarterly profits. What changed, starting with a number they refused to look at.
What Is a Healthy Profit Margin for an Auto Repair Shop?A healthy profit margin for an auto repair shop is 18% to 22% net, on 58% to 62% gross profit. What that means and how to close the gap.
What Should My Operating Expenses Be?The Workshop Whisperer benchmark is 24 to 30% of your expenditure pie. What counts, what does not, and how to find a four or five figure sum every month.
Why Am I Busy but Not Making Any Money?Why am I busy but not making any money? How a full auto repair shop leaks profit through overbooking, unbilled hours and thin margins, and how to fix it.
Why Isn't My Auto Repair Shop Paying Me?Why isn't your auto repair shop paying you? Why owners get paid last, what to pay yourself, and how to start paying yourself first.
Working So Hard With Nothing in the Bank? Ruth and Brett's FixFlat out all week with nothing to show for it. How Ruth and Brett started charging for their time, picked their customers, and got the chaos out.

Pricing

Labour rate, quoting, discounting, and charging what the work is worth.

8 articles

Sales

Declined work, average repair order, and getting a yes without pressure.

7 articles

Customer Experience

The counter, the phone, the hard conversations with customers.

5 articles

Performance

The numbers that tell you whether the shop is actually winning.

14 articles

Productivity

Sold hours, efficiency, and where the day disappears to.

6 articles

Systems

Writing the shop down so it runs without you in it.

12 articles

Software

The tools underneath the shop, and choosing between them.

3 articles

Culture & Meaning

Your team, your leadership, and the life the business is meant to pay for.

10 articles

Want the shop to run without you in it?

Every article here came out of work we do with auto repair shop owners every week. If you would rather talk it through than read about it, start with Shop Talk. It is free.

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