Want Better Shop Management Skills - Learn to Play Golf

Only the golfers who own/manage an automotive business will really appreciate this particular BLOG and the message it truly sends.

I just came back from my annual 10 day golf outing at Pinehurst/Southern Pines North Carolina. I love that region and the overall State itself but most of all I love their golf courses. The people throughout the region are warm and beautiful and the golf courses are challenging and visually spectacular. As for my personal golf rounds this year?...let's just say my friends, once again, had an incredible amount of patience with me and my attitude towards my own golf play ..........but....the weather was great!!

Playing a round Golf is so very similar to running an automotive shop business today.

Golf is an interesting and very disciplined sport as is owning and managing an Independent automotive maintenance and repair business. You truly have to learn the right self-disciplines that must become habits in order to succeed.

Consider the similarities:

Golf tells it like it is no matter how good you may look in appearance. Many golfers look like pros in appearance with the bag, the clubs, the clothing and the shoes, but read the score card to tell you the truth. Similarly many shops may appear to look good on the outside but take a look at their true net-income after tax and ensure a professional management wage and market place rent have been factored in.

Golf is very humbling. The true golf score measurement brings you back down to earth. When you are given strokes through the handicap system it only covers up your real score. Your handicap is the smoke and mirrors show of the sport. Similarly, it is irrelevant how much your ego is telling you how great you think you are with your shop business, if you are not achieving a 35% ROI over all in the business, you are "shot down" by the real world who really know your "handicap(s)". When shop management only measures its business in total sales and sales per invoice and does not include average billed hours per invoice coupled with total shop site efficiency, their lack of net income is like having a handicap. It is not telling you the truth....you think you are running a great business....BUT...you really are not the top player you may perceive.............yet!!!!

You need to get a new skill-set together and practice them if you have the discipline to do so.

Golf has no sympathy for lack of mental discipline and physical sloppiness. You end up with a boogie,double boogie or worse on more holes than desired. Excuses are always so plentiful in golf but also very cheap. When running a shop, average billed hours per invoice starts to tell the truth about what processes and methods you really adhere to. Does your shop achieve an average 2.5 billed hours per invoice for basic consumer vehicle maintenance? If not what is wrong with your business "processes"? In golf, a consistent correct swing and "format" is critical to a great shot and your overall score. In business the right and consistent internal processes (format) to achieve the desired and sustained results takes discipline and practice.

There is no doubt about it.......Golf separates the men from the boys. In business key measurements separates the true entrepreneurs from the "wannabees"

A great golf score is so very much like running a highly profitable shop business today because the self disciplines to achieve the desired results are very identical. Without a lot of self discipline backed up with on-going practice and an attitude to continuously learn in order to improve, one finds it extremely difficult to achieve the ultimate desired results.

Hey if it was easy, everyone would have a great golf score..........hey if it was easy every shop owner today would run a financially successful enterprise.........

Revisit your score card. Do the math. Are you measuring your business with a handicap system or are you a "scratch" entrepreneur?