Add new services to prepare for difficult times

Jan. 1, 2020
The business road ahead will be rocky for those who haven't prepared creatively and intelligently for it.
Silvey ABRN CCC Information Services collision repair Who's driving your business? Is it you, your employees, your competitors, your customers, your suppliers, your banker? Is everyone onboard going to the same place you're going or are they just along for the ride?

Well, it's your car and your road trip. You pay the bills and your employees. You are responsible for paying back the bank loan. You're behind the wheel, so you just may have to tell your passengers to quiet down and stop asking, "Are we there yet?"

The road ahead will be a bit rockier for those who haven't prepared for the trip. In the latest CCC Crash Course report, Susanna Gotsch, lead analyst at CCC Information Services, reminds us that you will need to approach your business more intelligently and more creatively to keep your business on course. One way to do this, she says, is to add other businesses to your existing business. Among these are mechanical services, paintless dent repair, glass replacement, custom painting, detailing and rental cars. What you choose, of course, depends on many factors, such as the type of competitors you have, your area's demographics and the relationships you have with insurers, to name a few.

Provided that you have the proper amount of funding, your other main concern is building your brand. To me, that means that you first have to distinguish yourself from the pack. You can do this by offering a unique service, which of course, needs to be marketable. Or you can be better or cheaper or all of the above. Once you have selected what you want your brand to be, then you have to provide the right message to the right people. For example, Gotsch says there's no sense in running consumer-oriented ads on cable TV if you're trying to build your brand around fleet work.

Let me add a suggestion of my own for a business you may want to consider. With the DIY market surging, you might want to give some thought to opening up some DIY bays where consumers can bring their cars and work on them. There are many levels to run this business – from just providing a temperature controlled, well-lighted work area – to offering products and expert advice from a certified technician. And if you already offer mechanical repair, those DIYers who get in over their heads might turn to your shop for the more difficult repairs.

If some of the doomsday predictions materialize about where the collision repair business is heading in the next few years, the mechanical repair business is not only a logical extension for many shops but may be necessary. If we learned anything from what happened to the dealers that were closed down arbitrarily by automakers, it is to plan for contingencies.

If you don't want to take a risk of starting a new business per se, then you should at least utilize some of the industry programs that already exist. One of the most notable ones, I think, is April Car Care Month. To some, Car Care Month may be an empty slogan, while others see great benefit in embracing it.

To take full advantage of Car Care Month, you should think in terms of either creating or participating in a Car Care Fair. Together, along with some of your suppliers, insurers, other non-competitive automotive businesses and community groups, you can build customer traffic like you've never seen before. As much as you might want to think your business is irresistible, it is just a building that people pass by every day. A Car Care Fair on your property is a traffic stopper.

One of the most effective features at a Car Care Fair is the vehicle inspection lane, which is open to all motorists for the purpose of providing them a free bumper-to-bumper vehicle inspection. You and your sponsoring partners can provide motorists with a report on the condition of their vehicles after checking everything from tire pressure to leaky hoses to dent/scratch repair.

It's up to them what they do with the report. However, it's likely it will generate business for you and your partners at some point. At the very least, you'll build goodwill and provide an essential community service.

With these things in mind, put the top down, let the wind blow through your hair and enjoy the true driving experience.

Sponsored Recommendations

Best Body Shop and the 360-Degree-Concept

Spanesi ‘360-Degree-Concept’ Enables Kansas Body Shop to Complete High-Quality Repairs

How Fender Bender Operator of the Year, Morrow Collision Center, Achieves Their Spot-On Measurements

Learn how Fender Bender Operator of the Year, Morrison Collision Center, equipped their new collision facility with “sleek and modern” equipment and tools from Spanesi Americas...

ADAS Applications: What They Are & What They Do

Learn how ADAS utilizes sensors such as radar, sonar, lidar and cameras to perceive the world around the vehicle, and either provide critical information to the driver or take...

Coach Works implements the Spanesi Touch system

Coach Works Uses Spanesi Equipment to Ensure a Safe and Proper Repair for Customers