Your Business Your Life

Threats come in many forms when you're a collision shop owner. There's the threat of competition, the threat of a struggling economy, and the ever-present threat of natural disasters. But one of the most important threats to businesses is the possibility that the owners may one day need to transition out of their roles. Whether it's due to retirement, illness, or simply a desire to move on to new...

The collision industry is facing a tech shortage. There are more retirements than new technicians entering the field. So what must collision shops do to attract new talents, stay in business, and remain competitive? In today’s world, the shops that can get the best people, have the best culture, and retain and reward people working for them, so they become loyal, are the shops that will dominate t...

Sink or swim? These are the choices that most collision shop owners face as they deal with the changes that are happening in the industry today.  It’s either they learn how to swim with the tides to survive or they get frustrated, burned out, and decide to pack up and call it quits. It’s easier to leave the business when you’re not passionate about it. This is what happens to some family-owne...

Most people say there’s so much in the collision repair industry that’s broken. There’s the issue of insurance companies demanding to use after-market parts to reduce repair costs without considering how it would affect the consumer’s safety.  There are also concerns about the low enrollment rates at vo-tech schools causing a shortage of technicians coming in. Unfortunately, the collision rep...

Many business owners have no idea what the value of their business is.  And when the time comes to sell their business, they base its price on how much they need to fund the next phase of their lives and not on what it's worth. Having your business evaluated regularly is just one of the vital components of a successful exit strategy. Because to map out the path to exiting rich, you need to vi...

When collision shops get bigger, they tend to focus more on the quantity of repair jobs. This causes the service they provide customers to suffer. As profits become the priority, everything becomes transactional and sometimes customers aren’t treated as if their business matters.   These are some of the things that Jacob Tilzer noticed while he was working for the larger companies in the coll...

Automotive repair is a highly competitive industry.  And with car technology advancing at an exponential rate, shop owners must be able to keep up in order to maintain a profitable business.    And one way to keep up is to make body shops go digital.  Shop owners should look at their processes and find areas they can work on to improve not only the shop’s overall function but t...

For a lot of business owners, especially in the collision industry, “marketing” is a dirty word. It’s an added expense that most small shop owners consider a luxury.  Yet nowadays, having a marketing strategy has become a necessity and is considered one of the most important key components to running a successful business.    And as the industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace,...

Disputes between insurance companies and collision repair shops are not uncommon. From errors with estimates, repairing parts vs. replacing parts, to choosing the right type of replacement parts to be used. Unfortunately, a lot of shop owners think that they need to agree with whatever the insurance agents say because otherwise, they will lose business. But who is it that the body shops really wor...

For collision shop owners who spend years getting too involved in running their business, there often comes a time when they find themselves having no idea which direction to take moving forward. And they realize they don’t have a clear vision of what they want their business to become in the future. It doesn’t matter which industry we’re in, all businesses have common goals.  One of these go...

Many shop owners are great technicians yet most struggle with the “entrepreneurial” side of their business.  Terms such as “building a brand” or “brand awareness” often sound foreign to them. So what does “branding” mean? How important is it to build a brand and a community along with it? And how will it help your business grow and survive the changes that are happening in the industry? Join...

The auto repair industry is facing several disruptive trends nowadays.  With the rapid advances in automotive technology, the challenges it presents are poised to transform the industry for years to come. What must an auto repair shop owner do if they want to ensure that their business survives and thrive in the future? Join Matt DiFrancesco and Frank Terlep, CEO of Auto Techcelerators, LLC.,...

Business owners should be able to enjoy the full benefits of the business that they’ve built.  And that includes the life that they plan to live once they decide to sell shop or exit the business. Yet, strategizing how to sell a business can be an overwhelming task. And without fully understanding what their business is worth, most collision shop owners end up feeling lost.   That i...

They say most auto repair shops have been stuck in a rut for far too long. They’ve been fed the information that the insurance industry wants to feed them.  Sadly, this situation still goes on today.  And with all the misinformation that the collision industry has to deal with, some shop owners have resorted to less than ethical methods just to survive. Collision shop owners should start...

Hello everyone, welcome to Your Business, Your Life and I hope you’re off to an awesome start this 2022. January, being the first month of the new year, is a good time to re-evaluate and re-assess the things that are going on in our lives and in our businesses as well. And as we start putting plans in place to accomplish the things we want to achieve this year and the years to come, I thought this...

A lot of collision shop owners are excellent technicians.  However, most of them are less skilled as business owners.  And while there are a lot of resources when it comes to the technical side, there aren’t as many resources for the entrepreneurial side of the business. As the automotive repair industry changes rapidly, with the emergence of hybrid and electric, more sophisticated, mode...

Like most beginnings, the new year brings hope and opportunities to make things better.  That is why this is the perfect time people make resolutions and plans for the rest of the year. Yet sometimes, no matter how much effort we put into goal planning, it’s often the execution part that most people struggle with and ultimately fail at.  And what keeps us from making our plans happen usu...

If you were asked the question: Why did you build your own business in the first place? What would your answer be? A common response would be to enjoy the freedom and flexibility of being an entrepreneur. Yet, as the business grows, many business owners spend more time working and have less time for family, relaxation, and personal growth. In this episode, join Matt DiFrancesco and Pete Mohr, a Ce...

The pandemic has undeniably changed our lives on so many levels.  Aside from its devastating effects on global health and the economy, it has taken an enormous toll on people’s mental health as well. A lot of family business owners today deal with mental health issues.  Unfortunately, most of them choose to ignore it because they’re not really equipped to deal with it, or worse, some don...

In recent years, technological innovations in the automotive industry have revolutionized the way people drive.  Advanced systems like automatic braking and cruise control are now being integrated into modern vehicles with the goal of making driving easier, safer, and more convenient. However, ensuring that these systems work properly is no easy feat.  Few repair shops are actually equip...

It’s every business owner’s goal to achieve a life of prosperity. To some, being prosperous means not having to worry about the money to pay the bills.  For others, it’s having the time to enjoy life at their own leisure. Every person may have their own definition of the word.  But what does it mean to be truly prosperous? More than just financial wealth, prosperity should also be embodi...

One of the biggest challenges for family businesses, especially in the automotive repair industry, is that when they look to transition their business and move to a different part of their life, they don’t have a plan in place for it.  And in most cases, these are the businesses that end up failing. Some family business owners intend to hand over the business to the next generation.  How...

The changes that the automotive repair industry is going through have made it very challenging for a lot of shop owners and technicians. The idea of going up against the big MSO’s (multi-shop operators) is making these business owners consider giving up and selling their shop. However, these are limiting beliefs and small repair shop owners still have some edge over their formidable competitors. T...

More often than not, business owners get buried in the grind of things which can make it difficult to see what could go wrong. Unfortunately, they only realize what they’ve overlooked when the problems start to arise right in front of them. In this episode, join Matt DiFrancesco and Aric Johnson, President & CEO of AXIS Coaching and Consulting, Voice Talent at ProudMouth & Host of The Real...

Have you ever dreamed of packing up your family and heading across seas? Or maybe your work is already taking you there! Whatever the case, it is vital for you to understand what is going to happen with your finances when you make the move. In this episode, Matt DiFrancesco is joined with Jennifer Patterson, … Continue reading 34. Cross-Border Wealth Management With Jennifer Patterson →