Trailblazer Series – Marc’s Garage
The Story of Marc’s Garage
Arrann Diamond
Is it possible to 4X your profits in under 18 months? Simon did, and so can you.
Simon runs a small but growing garage, “Marc’s Garage”, in the heart of Lytham St Annes town centre.
He took the reins from his Dad in 2019 but felt he lacked the skills to develop the garage into the profitable business it is today.
Luckily, a chance meeting with another garage owner during a night out in Italy led to Simon discovering Auto IQ. He realised, “if you don’t know how to do something, you need to ask someone who does”. And that’s precisely what he did.
The next day Simon contacted Auto IQ and booked his discovery call to see if Accelerator and his garage would be a good fit. A few hours later, he was enrolled on the Auto IQ Accelerator Programme. And the rest is history.
The Story of Marc’s Garage
Since the doors opened in 1986, Marc’s Garage had seen more peaks and troughs than the stock exchange. You know the drill; some weeks you’re busy, some weeks you worry about covering the bills.
But it’s the nature of the game, right?
Well, it doesn’t have to be. And Simon knew this to be the case.
Simon worked tirelessly for over 20 years as a technician in his father’s garage before taking over the business. The garage was busy and provided a wage for several family members. But he always felt it wasn’t run like a business.
When talking about Marc’s Garage, he stated, “Everyone just turned up each day to fix cars, but it never really turned a profit. We just paid ourselves what was left at the end of the week”. This created anxiety and frustration and didn’t feel like the kind of platform from which to grow a profitable business.
He had dreams of eventually downing tools, moving away from the hands-on side of things. He wanted the business to grow but couldn’t achieve his dreams by working on the shop floor.
When his chance came, he took the car by the wheel and steered Marc’s Garage toward the best year the garage had ever witnessed since it’d been started in the 80’s.
This was down to hard work on Simon’s part and guidance from the Auto IQ Accelerator Programme.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Marc’s Garage, like many other garages, had survived for so long by repeating the same old processes that they couldn’t see how to change for the best. It needed a total overhaul combined with bucket loads of patience and focus to succeed. But, this time, Simon wasn’t alone.
The Challenges Marc’s Garage faced before Auto IQ Accelerator
There are many challenges garages like yours face daily; Marc’s Garage is no different.
Some of the biggest problems faced were:
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1
Staff were always busy, stress levels were high but the business didn’t feel like it was generating the level of profit it should.
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They had little to no strategic direction. Simon was too busy working in the business to be able to work on it. As a consequence the garage felt like a “motherless ship” and didn’t have a clear sense of direction.
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3
Front of house operated solely as receptionists, meeting and greeting customers, handing over keys, and printing out invoices. Customer needs were not being met and money was being left on the table.
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4
The operation hadn’t changed much in almost 40 years. Staff were set in their ways, even Simon.
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5
They wanted new, profitable customers but didn’t know how to go about attracting and keeping them.
Why Auto IQ Accelerator?
Marc’s Garage needed a leader. And Simon, whilst a great technician didn’t feel equipped with the right skills to run the business – he just didn’t know where to start. He said, “There was a huge gap in the skills I needed……not even a huge gap, just not there to begin with”.
However, a lack of leadership skills was just the tip of the iceberg.
He knew what the business needed but wasn’t entirely sure how to achieve it. But, Simon caught a break when Kev Pearce of Cedar Garage LTD (another Auto IQ Accelerator success story) recommended our services.
Simon loved what he heard about the Auto IQ Accelerator, particularly:
The bespoke nature of the programme (definitely not a training course!) and the fact that Auto IQ work with you, side-by-side, to achieve your objectives. From setting business strategy all the way through to implementation. Auto IQ find out what your business needs and tailor our approach solely for you.
How Marc’s Garage Used Auto IQ Accelerator
Leadership and business management skills aside, Marc’s Garage has greatly benefitted from the Auto IQ Accelerator Programme.
Here are just a few of the things Simon highlighted:
- The wide range of coaching available – Everything from business coaching, strategy, pricing, processes, marketing, sales, and even technical training is covered.
- Auto IQ have helped to remove stress from the business – whether they are coaching you as business owner or supporting you with training, website, marketing or call answering.
- High-quality coaches – The main coach, John, is the best in the business. Knowledgeable, entertaining and straight-talking. He is supported by a team of Digital, Marketing, Data and HR experts so you always get the best coaching, support and advice.
- Developing a sound strategy – Everything is carefully planned, calculated and executed with precision. Auto IQ help you look forward, whether it’s developing a plan for next week, month, or year.
- The excellent track record with reputable garages – Auto IQ has success stories all over the UK. The chances are you might know some of them.
- The Auto IQ team have decades of experience owning and managing automotive garages. They know all the ups and downs and the daily problems you face. But best of all, how to solve them.
- Supercharging your marketing – Do you have enough customers? Are they the right fit for your business? Auto IQ help you answer these questions and develop the right strategy to find more of your perfect customers. What’s more they will manage the implementation of this for you so you don’t need to.
- Stand out from the crowd – It’s easy to be overlooked for one of your competitors. Auto IQ help you stand out, setting yourself apart from other garages, so your prospective customers choose you every time.
- 1-2-1 consultations – The regular meetings keep you on track and accountable, guaranteeing your business’s growth.
Simon and his team have now been working with Auto IQ for nearly 2 years and have received the best technical training, and the front of house staff went from basic duties to pulling in new sales left, right, and centre. – What car garage doesn’t want staff capable of that?
Sales and marketing are key for your business to survive. But before Auto IQ Accelerator, Marc’s Garage didn’t know where to turn. Now though, they’re pros at it.
Another critical point where Simon believes Auto IQ helped his business grow is cutting out unprofitable business. Marc’s Garage now has more time to focus on highly profitable work and ditch the low priced, time-consuming work.
Being selective means fewer cars coming in, less stress on staff, and more profit in the bank. Who’d have thought less was more.
The Results
In early 2019 before Simon joined the Auto IQ Accelerator, Marc’s Garage was operating at a loss of -£30,000pa.
Could you imagine operating under this level of stress? It’s no way to live.
But, 18 months later, the business recorded the best year to date increasing net profit by over 6-digits, which is staggering.
Upon speaking to Simon, you can see the delight in his face when he says, “When I joined Auto IQ, the magic started to happen”.
Not only did the business become hugely profitable, but he’s finally been able to move into a beautiful new home with his wife. Talk about reaping your rewards.
And now things are running like a well oiled engine in his Lytham St Annes Garage, Simon’s planning for the next stage of growth… so watch this space. Marc’s Garage truly is flying high.
However, Marc’s Garage’s success isn’t out of the blue. All of these achievements were carefully planned.
With new targets in-sight and a killer strategy, Simon knows precisely what to focus on to hit each target with laser-like precision.
This is what Auto IQ’s Accelerator can do for you. By analysing your business from every angle, we figure out what you need to plan ahead.
Whether it’s the next week, month, or year, there’s a clear cut strategy for them all. Auto IQ will help you to develop your garage’s strategy as well as help implement it.
Simon stated, “We look forward now. It would be a daunting task to take on your own, but doing it in the confines of Auto IQ makes it that bit easier”.
It’s no wonder Marc’s Garage is operating on another level now.
To top it all off, customers couldn’t be happier. Many of them commented on the efficiency of the business “it’s different dealing with the business now”, being one of the most common.
Marc’s Garage is all but one of the many success stories the Auto IQ Accelerator has generated over the last few years.
Just think, you too could be on your way to 4x your profit while reducing your stress levels.
But don’t just take my word for it; here’s what Simon had to say.
Hit the red button now or give us a call on 01604 328500
