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.