Ratchet+Wrench Radio

Joel Milne, CEO of RepairSmith, joins the show. RepairSmith is a full-service mobile repair business that is rapidly expanding along the west coast. Milne shares insights on how the company is growing, where it hopes to be in the next few years, and some really great information on the little intricacies of running a mobile repair business and how it all works logistically.

How do your customers feel about your shop? What is their emotional connection to your business and its role in their lives? And ultimately—what does that mean for your bottom line? Desert Car Care's Frank Leutz explains how shop owners can maximize their emotional impact by aligning the physical and digital customer shop experience in a post-COVID culture. 

For Levon Arnold, owner of Long Arm Mechanics in Garden City, Idaho, community outreach is more than a goal. It's been built into his shop's day to day procedures through its own 501C3 program.  Tune in to learn how Arnold went about launching the program, some of the challenges faced along the way, and how the program has been incorporated into the shop's every day workflow. 

A tired, outdated operation can have a bigger impact on your shop's bottom line than you may realize.  Shop Fix Academy founder Aaron Stokes breaks down the remodel process and how shop owners can gauge if it's time for a few simple upgrades or a full refresh, as well as a few inexpensive tricks for simple maintenance that can make an impact. 

Howie Berman, executive director for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, joins Ratchet+Wrench Radio to discuss the increasing importance of catering to a multilingual customer base. 

You don't have to be a YouTube influencer to make the most of your video content.  From automated captions and thumbnail images to comment management and video descriptions that tell a story, Frank Leutz, owner of Desert Car Care in Chandler, Ariz., shares a few key tips for making the most of your video content that can help new users discover your shop. 

Bolt On Director of Education John Burkhauser discusses driving and appointment trends of the second COVID summer and what shop owners can expect (and how to prepare) for an influx of used vehicles.

What exactly is geofencing? How does it work and why is it such a powerful marketing tool? Megan Williams, co-founder of 3P Marketing Solutions, a digital marketing company, breaks down the details of this powerful marketing tool and explains how shop owners can add the resource to their marketing efforts. 

Working interviews can help you find your best new hire, but there are some caveats to keep in mind in order to make the most of the process. Greg Bunch, owner of Aspen Auto Clinic, founder of the Transformers Institute, and winner of this year's Best Workplaces, shares a few key tips his team has learned through the years when it comes to holding working interviews. 

Plenty of shop owners in a hurry to expand their operations, but advantages of running a small operation are often overlooked.  This week, as the owner of his own small shop, Aaron Stokes highlights the hidden perks of running a small shop and how "thinking small" can help boost efficiency for shops of all sizes. 

In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Greg Skolnik, industry coach and owner of Motor Works auto repair in Rockville, Md., speaks to the importance of setting up a retirement account for employees. Skolnik dives into the competitive advantage it offers the company and why he sees it as an essential business practice moving forward. 

In this special promotion from BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY, John Burkhauser surveys the contemporary training landscape and provides insight as to why you should train everyone on your staff (even if they leave).  John ‘JB’ Burkhauser is an Auto Repair Specialist with over 35 years of experience, from A-Level and ASE Certified Master Technician, Shop Foreman, Advisor and Shop Manager, to Automotive Trade S...

In a world that can be filled with rejection, how can you break past the internal gatekeepers that can block your path to potentially powerful business partnerships? From email introductions to cold call policies and the power of spearheading your own media production, Frank Leutz, owner of Desert Car Care in Chandler, Ariz., has a few strong ideas. 

From the latest round of PPP to employee retention credits, Eric Joern, a James Hamlin & Co. accountant with a focus on the automotive industry talks through the latest legislative updates shop owners should keep top of mind as they prepare their 2020 tax filing.

Some months are bound to be busier than others, but a slow period doesn't have to be a total loss.  Rather than ride out a historically slow time of the year, Shop Fix Academy founder Aaron Stokes explains why now is the time to grow the business by fine-tuning your operations in preparation for busier days ahead. 

Jeff Baker, owner of Local Wrench in Belfair, Wash., shares how his local auto repair shop has extended a helping hand during the COVID-19 pandemic. From hosting field trips for the local youth to running fun social media contests, Baker has kept his community top of mind. Baker shares his story and how he hopes it can influence others to do the same. 

From the Biden administration's plans for a zero-emissions federal fleet to General Motors' move to sell only zero-emission vehicles by 2035, the future is looking electric. But what could a future filled with EVs mean for the general repair industry? In the latest episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Frank Leutz, owner of Desert Car Care in Chandler, Ariz., discusses what the transition could include...

Nearly a year after COVID-19 first began making headlines, the virus continues to impact the way most small businesses operate. With more customer interaction happening online than ever before, the pandemic has also left its mark on the way customers write and search through online reviews.  But what exactly has shifted in the digital review landscape and why? Brett Steele, director of auto servic...

After a year filled with ups and downs, it may be hard to find the energy to kickstart those goals and plans for the new year ahead.  For Aaron Stokes, founder of Shop Fix Academy, finding fresh motivation is all about surrounding yourself with the people, resources and environments that inspire you.  Stokes talks tips in spotting the factors that may be draining your motivation, tapping networks...

This week's episode is part two of our conversation with Dynamic Automotive CEO Dwayne Myers. If you missed part one, don't worry, we recap the highlights, but you can also listen to it at ratchetandwrench.com/podcasts. This episode picks up after the financial crisis of 2007 and Dynamic's issues with their new larger bank. Learn how partners Dwayne, Lee and Jose picked up the pieces, fought back...

Year-end planning. It may not be fun but it is a critical process to master when it comes to a shop's ultimate success. From setting net pay to renegotiating your shop's lease to understanding the ROI of your shop's marketing efforts, monthly podcast guest Frank Leutz, owner of Desert Car Care in Chandler, Ariz., breaks down how to manage the weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual planning steps sh...

If you've met Dwayne Myers or his partners at Dynamic Automotive, Lee and Jose, you know they're salt-of-the-earth people. Gracious, kind, funny, not to mention the owners of a killer operation. But that hasn't precluded them from tough times. In fact, in 2007 and 2008, they went through a period that nearly destroyed them. It was a period so destructure it moved past burnout into nearly a midlife...

According to Greg Bunch, running five stores is easier than running one. It's a phrase he wholeheartedly believes and also lives, but that doesn't mean it's been easy to reach that point. Growth can be painful, financially, of course, but also emotionally. Throughout his time owning Aspen Auto Clinic, Greg has experienced it all, and through his work with Transformer's Institute, he's helped count...

It's not easy to get back on the horse, as the saying goes. The same applies to business ownership. After years of ups and downs, how do you find not only the motivation, but also the enthusiasm, to keep moving forward? That's what we talked to Autobahn Automotive owner and Ratchet+Wrench online columnist Dave McClung about recently. He shares how he lost enthusiasm for the shop, and how he found...

One of the most difficult aspects of dealing with burnout is that it's not always easy to spot—sometimes until it's too late. Urb's Garage owner Ryan Hillebrand has experienced his fair share of burnout throughout the ups and downs of managing his Kentucky shop. However, in recent years, he's made a concerted effort to learn the warning signs and come up with easy, repeatable processes to stave of...