Silver Linings
I no longer watch the news; I like to live my life with a positive outlook and the news always destroys that mindset! As a business owner we constantly have up and down days with good and bad news and issues that need sorting as soon as possible, it is difficult and then with the added doom and gloom of the media circus it can leave us wondering whether we will even have a business to run.
It is important to rise above the uncertainty and realise what a fruitful industry we are in, the car repair industry offers a huge number of avenues where business opportunities lie in waiting to be discovered and implemented.
Moving with the times
Have you ever heard the saying “it’s not like it was back in my day” to this I reply, “that’s a relief”! To dwell on what the car industry used to be is completely the wrong way to go and how older established businesses start to decay, there is no transition, limited growth, and the inability to pivot.
The car industry is going through some of the largest changes it has ever seen, the way people drive and interact with their cars is developing. The way people even interact with each other has seen a huge shift into digital media, never has a company been able to reach millions of people and showcase their talents in such a way as social media allows us to do, plus its predominantly free!
As an independent garage I am looking forward to what new skills and tech we can introduce to keep us one step ahead of the competition and keep us relevant in today’s fast paced market. Technology such as ADAS and electric/hybrid repairs can give a garage a huge advantage over the competition. Just the other day a local garage to us didn’t want to MOT an electric car as they had never been in one. Mechanics are dubious of new technology, but you don’t need to be, you need to embrace it and ride the futuristic wave, believe me it will be worth it and fun!
A word of advice
So, what I am really trying to say is keep positive, do not let the news or negative views on the future get you down. Recessions and depressions lead to some great opportunities, they always have done you just have to look at history. Owning a business is about being brave but is also about reading the customer’s needs, moving with the ever-changing technology and realising the car industry will always duck and dive in different directions, that’s why we love it so much and why we wouldn’t want to be in any other industry!