Shop Management Software - who is the best

When it comes to Shop Management Software, I might be a little biased, but I will try to approach this from the shop owners position and compare the top ones side by side.  Since I believe that our product, Shop Boss Pro is the best, I will include it along with Mitchell, MaxxTraxx.

First, the system requirements.  What kind of computer do you need to run these different systems.

Mitchell Manager Plus - Microsoft® Vista (32 bit), Windows XP, Windows 2000 SP2, Windows NT 4.0 SP6, Windows ME, Windows 98 SE Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 * Pentium processor or higher 128 MB of RAM (256 MB recommended) * 15" monitor with an SVGA of 1024 x 768 resolution with 256 colors * Inkjet or Laser Printer * High-speed connection (DSL, Cable, or T1))

Gulp!  Ok, thats alot to figure out.  How about...

MaxxTraxx - We recommend you have a computer running Microsoft XP or newer, a 2500 MHz processor (CPU), 3 GB memory (RAM), 80 GB hard drive, Super VGA or LCD flat screen monitor with minimum 1024 x 768 resolution, and a broadband (DSL or cable) Internet connection. MaxxTraxx Pro CE will run on a computer with 2 GB of memory, however, the performance will be noticeably slower.

Ok, that one is just as tough.  How about...
Shop Boss Pro - Any PC or Mac/Apple.  Even an IPad. 
Well, that makes it easier.  Shop Boss Pro works on anything with a browser.  It will work with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera and even Konqueror.  If you can view it on the internet and have at least a 7 inch screen, you can use Shop Boss Pro.

Ok, so what about features.  We'll skip the boring stuff (like customers, vehicles, etc because they all do that).  Let's look at productivity and helpful features like that.

Marketing
MaxxTraxx - reminders to send thank you cards.
Mitchell - unfortunately, their material says nothing about follow up
Shop Boss Pro - Automatically sends out emails at 5 days after service, 30 days after service  and 90 days after service.  You don't have to do a thing!  Plus, you can customize it any way you want.

Customer Confidence
Ok this is one is all Shop Boss.  With Shop Boss you can send out a text message or email with an update on the repairs.  The customer can click a link and view their repair order online!  Instantly!  Shop Boss will also let you attach photos to the repair order and the customer can view those online too!  Let's see the big boys tell you about that feature in their programs.

Ease of Use
While this is very subjective, I recommend you compare the ease of use with Shop Boss compared to any other program out there.  Most of the programs look like they were designed about 20 years ago.  And in some cases that's true.  Shop Boss is current, using the latest technology to deliver the smoothest operating Shop Management Software on the market.

Price
Sorry, but in this one, Shop Boss wins again.  Does any other program offer a free version for smaller shops?  Hmm.  What about paying less if you have a bad month?  Hmmmm.  Shop Boss does all of that.  You dont have to pay one flat price no matter how much you use it.  So how about real numbers.

Mitchell Manager Plus - $175.00 per month without Ondemand5 (for repair and estimating)
MaxxTraxx - $119.00 per month plus $9.00 for every computer you want to run it on.
Shop Boss Pro - Our pricing is based on your production.  Take a look below.

0-10 Repair Orders in a calendar month - $0.00.  That's right, its free.
11-30 Repair Order in a calendar month - $29.95.
31-55 Repair Orders in a calendar month - $69.95.
56 or more Repair Orders in a calendar month - $99.95

How can we offer a product that is easier to use and costs less?  Simple.  Our product runs on the internet, not on your computer.  So we dont have to send out thousands of CD's every time we want to update, we just do it.  And lets not forget backup.  MaxxTraxx offers monthly backup for your server for an additional $12-$46 dollars per month.  Pshaw.  Shop Boss Pro backs up your data everyday at no charge.  If they are going to offer a complete solution, they should start right here.

Well, I suppose I didn't stay very objective in this one, so don't take my word for it.  Try them out and see which one best suits you.  You can try ours out by clicking here - www.shopbosspro.com.  For the others, you'll have to wait for them to allow you to download and install and then hope it all works.

Good Luck and keep the wheels spinning!

Chris Boshaw is the owner of Boss Software, the makers of Shop Boss Pro, one of the first web-based Shop Management Systems. To do their part, Boss Software offers a low-cost version of their program for small shops and prices the software to help keep a shop in business.

Business Plan - Fact or Fiction

Why do I need a business plan?  This is probably one of the issues most auto repair shop owners never consider.  I mean really, we can fix cars and people need their cars fixed.  Why does it need to be more complicated than that?  Well, if you aren't looking for big success as a shop owner, it doesn't!  But if you want to grow your business and continue to be in business 5 or 10 years from now, a business plan can help you lay the track for getting there.

The main point of a business plan is to help clarify a few things.  It doesn't need to be pages and pages of info, just a page or two can help get our thinking right.  A business plan should...

1. Define our market - if we specialize in BMW and Mercedes, then we need to know where they are and how to reach them.  It's not enough to say "Everybody has a car and everyone needs repairs".  This is true, but it's also true that they probably already have a shop that they take their car too.  So how do we get them to come to us?
2. Define our mission.  If your mission is to earn an honest living, then your mission statement could be something like "To provide honest car service at a fair price to my local community".  If you want to take over the city in auto repair, you statement could be "To become the largest auto repair shop in the area".  A mission statement simply defines what our shop is driving toward. 
3. Define how we get there.  What will be our path and what will be the tools to continue on that path.  If we start a journey in our car, but have no map, no destination and no money for gas, that could be a really adventurous trip, but not a very long one.  If your shop is in it for the long haul, a plan will help you get there.

Good luck and keep the wheels spinning!
Chris Boshaw is the Owner of Shop Boss Pro, a web-based auto repair software package for non-dealer repair shops. If your ready for the easiest to use shop management system, check it out at www.shopbosspro.com.

Staying Profitable in a down Economy

Staying profitable in an Auto Repair Shop in any economy can be challenging, but in a down economy, we have some extra work to do.  Many businesses fail because they fail to take advantage of current market conditions that can serve them well, whether business is booming or a bit on the slow side.  So what market conditions can Auto Repair Shop's take advantage of today?

One of the main principles we need to grasp to answer that question is this.  People still have the same basic needs when the economy is slow as they do when business is good.  Food, clothing, shelter and in today's busy world, transportation.  When things are good, we tend to buy new things to replace our old, slightly used stuff.  But when times are tough, we look for ways to save money without giving up our way of life.  So we look for ways to save with things like coupons, carpooling and fixing the things we have instead of replacing them with the latest and greatest.  Now that we have locked that little piece of information away, how can we use it?  Well, here are a few statistics that might suprise you.

The average length of vehicle ownership in 2002 was 38 months.  By the end of 2011, that average length of vehicle ownership was over 57 months.  We as a society are now keeping our cars and trucks for a year and a half longer than we did just 10 years ago.  Now I know I am preaching to the choir, but any car over 3-4 years old needs more maintenance and repair than a 1 year old vehicle. 
So, what can we do with this information?

First, let's be sure we offer competitive pricing compared to other shops (especially dealers) on scheduled maintenance, brakes, tires and oil changes.  These are items that every vehicle needs and they are substantially less than the price of a new car or a new engine.  They also provide excellent opportunities to earn customer trust and loyalty. 

Secondly, contact a local newspaper or radio station and offer a free service valued at say $200.00 to a needy person or family in the area.  For example, you could offer 1 free brake job per month to help those in need or perhaps a military family.  Now, before you start counting the cost, consider the revenue.  You will get free advertising on radio and newspaper with something that is community centered and promoted by the station.  Have them come out once a month to interview the customer you are helping and tell them why you are doing it.  A brake job on the average car won't cost a shop more than say $50.00, and you can't buy the kind of press and community goodwill.

Lastly, to make it during the slow times, you need to be lean and clean.  By this I mean that your shop needs to run at peak efficiency.  Not a drop of oil wasted, not an extra tool bought that you don't truly need and keep your monthly costs under control.  Consider everything from your shop management software to your dinner's out, to personal salary.  Look hard at everything and make sure you aren't spending a dime that you don't need to.

There is a quote I try to live by from fairly famous trainer, speaker and entrepreneur, Zig Ziglar.  It goes like this: "You will only get what you want in life when you help enough other people get what they want".

Good luck and keep the wheels spinning!
Chris Boshaw is the owner of Boss Software, the makers of Shop Boss Pro, one of the first web-based Shop Management Systems.  To do their part, Boss Software offers a low-cost version of their program for small shops and prices the software to help keep a shop in business.

Follow up - the best advertising there is

As small business owners, we have a tendency to chase after the next big idea to get people in our shop (Yellow Pages, Newspaper, Mailers, etc).  After all, the more people that come in, the better the chance of success, right.  Not necessarily!  After all, it's hard to be financially successful doing $25 oil changes.  So where do we find a good source of customers that trust us and are willing to spend money with us?

The answer is so simple, it's easy to overlook.  Our current customers are our best source of new business!  Especially households that have 2 or 3 vehicles.  The customers that have already trusted us to replace their brakes will also trust us to replace a muffler, or a water pump or a horn assembly.  It just makes sense.

The obvious difficulty in getting these customers back is how to reach them.  Sending out letters can be costly, though this is an effective method.  It's also time consuming.  We could pick up the phone and call them, but that can be one of the most difficult ways of getting in touch.  Imagine you pick up the phone to call John or Mary and let them know you apppreciate their business and would like to see them come back and 5 customers walk in the door.  Tricky to make good follow up calls during business hours.  So what's the alternative.  MAKE IT AUTOMATED!

With good shop management software, you can schedule automatic email follow up to all of your customers.  Include a special offer of 5% off on their next visit and they will love to hear from you.  Everybody likes to save money.  Also, don't follow up just once and then forget it.  Customers should hear from you every 90 days or so to remind them of regular maintenance.

Following up your existing customers is the best source of business.  If every customer that came into your shop once came back again two or three times a year imagine how busines would grow.

Good luck and keep the wheels spinning!

Chris Boshaw is the Owner of Shop Boss Pro, a web-based auto repair software package for non-dealer repair shops.  If your ready for the easiest to use shop management system, check it out at www.shopbosspro.com.