Don’t be an island!
There are some things I miss due to COVID-19. One of those biggest things is group interaction. Throughout a normal year, I go to at least three Twenty Group meetings with fellow shop owners and attend roughly 10 automotive aftermarket repair conferences. I MISS these events, especially the face-to-face interaction with my peers. A lot of times, I get burnt out on traveling, but as the old saying goes, you don’t know what you got till it’s gone. The good news is that I’ve been in contact with a fairly large network of shop owners during this whole mess, which has been beneficial. It’s helpful to know how they’re doing, what they’re doing, and measure myself against them and their businesses. It’s encouraging to know there are others out there like me going through the same thing. For those of you who DON’T have a network, don’t be an island.
Here is my advice:
- Join a Twenty Group or peer group. You can find Twenty Groups starting at a few hundred dollars per month. You can also find LOCAL groups for less, or just take a fellow shop owner in your area out to lunch every few months. If you are concerned about them being your competitor, then find an owner 20 miles away or whatever distance makes you comfortable.
- Make it a point to attend at least ONE conference a year. Most of the auto conferences are FREE or run a few hundred dollars. And, oftentimes, you can drive when they’re located close to your region.
Make it a point to get to know those in your industry that operate the same type of business as you. Don’t be an island. After a while, talking to Wilson has to get old!
Chris Cloutier
Architect/President at Autoflow
The Desire for Continuous Improvement
As an auto repair shop owner of Golden Rule Auto Care, Chris Cloutier realized the need for a better way to communicate with his customers as he observed how communication gaps created bottleneck situations and wasted valuable rack time.
