Garage Owners Network (UK)

Differentiating your business can be challenging, especially online. Yet, one of the most powerful but often overlooked tools is the quality of your customer service. This episode explores why exceptional customer service is not just a support function but a core element of effective marketing. We’ll dive into the top three reasons why prioritising customer service can transform your business by creating loyalty, setting you apart from the competition, and building your reputation Atomic Action Make sure you Stand Out and are not just Shouting Out

Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast is often attributed to Peter Drucker, it captures the idea that a strong organisational culture can significantly impact a company's success more than its specific strategies. Peter Drucker is a renowned management consultant, educator, and author. However, there's some debate about the exact origin of the phrase. While it's commonly associated with Drucker, there's no definitive evidence that he said or wrote it. It's possible that the phrase emerged from the business world and became attributed to Drucker over time. So let's amend it to ‘Culture eats Process’ and examine the power of culture as a driving force behind the behaviour, & performance of a business in this training Topic Atomic Action Live your values, don't laminate them

People First, Profits follow, that's employees not customers. While it’s unlikely any of us will make The Sunday Times' Best Companies to Work For list, we can all make our businesses a better place to work. Prioritising the workforce's well-being, development, and satisfaction is not just a moral imperative but also a strategic one. This can lead to significant benefits for businesses, impacting everything from retention & productivity to brand reputation. Atomic Action Improve one thing this week that improves your staff's wellbeing, development or satisfaction.

Determining how much you need to retire involves a combination of factors, including your expected lifestyle, expenses, inflation, life expectancy, assets and investments. This 9-step guide will help you come up with the answers, but always get professional advice, the sooner the better.

The quote by Tony Robbins, "People overestimate what can be achieved in a year and underestimate what can be achieved in a week," highlights a common cognitive bias in goal-setting and time management. This training topic delves into the intricacies of effective planning, goal-setting, and the psychology of achievement. Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, they arise from the way our brains process information. Understanding how these biases affect us, can help in planning more effectively and achieving better outcomes. Discover how to combat biases & avoid procrastination by: By diving deeper into why, we find it difficult to estimate how long something will take. Introduce proven methods to improve goal-setting and time management. Including, how weekly meetings can improve the chances of achieving your goals. Atomic Action Understanding and adjusting our perception of what can be achieved in different time frames can lead to more significant accomplishments. Experiment with your goal-setting strategies and appreciate the power of incremental progress.

According to a recent study, Instagram is the #1 social media platform for building relationships with brands. If you’re not using Instagram for business purposes, these potential new customers may never find your business. Does Instagram even feature in your Marketing strategy? Should Instagram feature in your Marketing strategy? What works best on Insta? Or can you just post the same content across all your social media channels? Join me to discover how to get more Impact with Instagram.

This training Topic explains why garage owners should build business systems. While systemization is widely recognised for its benefits in terms of scalability, efficiency, and consistency, it can also face several objections, especially in the context of garages. I think that understanding these objections is crucial for addressing them effectively. Join me to find out why YOU should be building Systems

This training topic breaks down what strategy really is.Based on Alex Hormozi’s definition that “strategy is the prioritisation of resources when there are unlimited options,” this episode will help you stop spinning your wheels and start making progress.You’ll learn the difference between strategy, operations, and tactics, plus how much time to spend working on your business, not just in it.If your team’s flat out, but the profits aren’t growing, this one’s for you.

The decision to focus on increasing turnover (revenue) or profits depends on the specific goals and stage of the business. Both are important metrics, but the emphasis may shift based on various factors. This Training Topic examines these factors and allows you to draw your own conclusions. Understanding the difference between turnover and profit, the roles they have in shaping your business decisions is an important first step. Atomic Action At what stage is your business currently operating? What should you be focusing on?

Unlocking Profit Potential: Transforming Your Business with Upselling Ideas Remember the iconic line, 'Do you want fries with that?' That simple upsell not only turned a side order into a complete meal but also paved the way for the game-changing concept of 'Do you want to go large?' Imagine if your garage could achieve similar upselling success! Bolstering your total income by a remarkable 15-40%, strategic bolt-on sales that add genuine value can be a game-changer for your business. I invite you to join me, where we'll delve into the world of upselling tailored specifically for garages. Discover how the Goldilocks Effect can influence buying decisions, how too much choice is worse than no choice, and how a traffic cop can improve customer satisfaction. Atomic Action Offer your customers more value! Select one area that you can upsell and monitor the results.

The 3rd in the Know Your Numbers Know Your Business series, Cashflow forecasts are a method of predicting how much money will move in and out of your business over a set period. Learning how to craft robust cash flow forecasts enhances your financial intelligence. Intelligence, in its broadest sense, refers to the ability to learn, understand, and apply knowledge and skills, make reasoned judgments, and adapt to new situations. Intelligence is also the collection, analysis, and use of information to understand and predict the capabilities, intentions, and activities of businesses and the business environment. Join me o to improve your financial intelligence. Atomic Action Build a basic model of your business

This Training Topic asks you to prioritise the Next Step for your business. It is all too easy to work on the wrong thing, or the next thing when you would be better working on the NEXT logical thing. But how do you know what that is? Every business has a hierarchy of needs and fixing the lowest level needs of your business must always be the priority. Atomic Action Identify the lowest Level Need of your business. Come up with a Plan to address those needs, and measure the results. Repeat Every 90 Days.

This Training Topic explains the What, Why and most importantly How of LinkedIn for Business. With over 774 million users, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. However, it is often overlooked when it comes to social media marketing. It's different to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and you need to tailor your content accordingly. Join me to find out more about LinkedIn Marketing Atomic Action Set up your LinkedIn Business Page If you already have a LinkedIn Business page, come up with a 12-month content plan.

This Training Topic asks about your business's Training Plan. My two favourite quotes when discussing training with garages are as follows: Richard Branson “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough, so they don't want to" and Henry Ford "The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay" Great sound bites, but what are the implications for a garage business? Listen to this podcast to find out more about training plans, self-development, team development and retention. Atomic Action Set out a Training Plan for 2024 that addresses the most urgent needs of the business. If you already have a Business Training Plan consider the development of the individual members of your staff.

The 2nd in the Know Your Numbers Know Your Business series. The balance sheet is a crucial document, but not one that is commonly understood by garage owners. This training Topic teaches you how to read a balance sheet. Describes the Balance Sheet equation and the common terms used. Explains what it is used for, and what it does and doesn't indicate. The balance sheet can be used by investors, creditors and analysts as it provides insights into a company's financial health, liquidity and overall stability.

Every business owner takes on three distinct personalities when they think about or work within their business. It's common for business owners to bounce between each of these roles. But do you know what proportion of your time is spent in each role? Or how much time you should be spending in each role? Join me to gain a bit more insight into your business split personalities Atomic Action Discover which of the three business personalities dominates your time. Measure the time you spend on Income, Impact and Investing activities.

This podcast explains the What, Why and most importantly How of LinkedIn for Business. With over 774 million users, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. However, it is often overlooked when it comes to social media marketing. It is different to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and you need to tailor your content accordingly. Join me to find out more about LinkedIn Marketing Atomic Action Set up your LinkedIn business Page If you already have a LinkedIn Business page, come up with a 12-month content plan.

What can Garages learn from a global fast-food giant?The McDonald's success story offers some compelling lessons for garage owners, a commitment to consistency, customer-centricity, employee training, branding, innovation, and technology adoption to name but a few.Join me today to find out more.Atomic Action What 1 lesson can you learn from McDonald's and implement in your garage?

Labour Mix Labour mix is the ratio of a garage's income thats divided between two components: parts and hours of labour sold. This training topic asks what is the ideal parts labour ratio, investigates other ratios that a garage business may want to measure, and highlights hidden labour charges that might not otherwise be accounted for Atomic Action Calculate your Labour Mix, then consider if this is the ideal ratio for your business.

The Know Your Numbers SeriesThe first in a series of financial statements covered in this seriesThe Profit and Loss StatementThe P&L statement is a financial tool that summarises a business's income and expenses, allowing owners to gauge its financial health and make smart financial decisions.Garage businesses should regularly analyse their P&L statement to monitor short-term trends, identify cost control issues, set pricing strategies, and make informed financial decisions.Even those with limited financial knowledge garage should know their numbers.Atomic Action Find out how many ‘cash flow crunches’ you have had in the past 12 months, and use this as a starting point to discuss how to make Improvements with your accountant /bookkeeper.