In the second part of his exclusive series of business building articles, Andy Savva explains why a good business plan must start with a ‘vision’.
If you have that elusive dream of becoming a great business – a local garage that’s respected by the community, its customers and staff – then accept now that you have to change the way you currently operate. You need to think about your business in a way that you‘ve never thought about before and you have to see it in the future, not in the present.
Andy Savva is a former multiple independent garage owner who boasts over 30 years’ experience in the automotive repair sector. Over the next few months he’ll be sharing his advice with workshop owners who want to improve their business’ bottom line, but simply don’t know how to go about it.
When I was preparing to open Brunswick Garage I knew then that I couldn’t be an ‘all makes’ service operator and still have the ability to provide the level of service that was required. To the same extent, I encourage you to take a step outside of your business, remove yourself as the owner and think as if you were the customer.
From looking outside your premises, is your sign and brand image clean, bright and inviting? Walk through your reception – is it welcoming to your customers? Are car owners able to wait in a tidy, bright and warm area while their vehicle is being repaired?
Now take a stroll through the workshop – is it dull, dirty and cluttered? Would you be happy to walk a customer of yours through the workshop to show them their vehicle or would you be too embarrassed?
One way of coming up with an improvement plan is to get ideas from your team; you’ll be far more successful with their help and creativity than you could ever be without them. This new way of thinking will also make your staff feel more valued.
One vision
As with any business building exercise, it’s vitally important to have a vision/mission statement in place as this helps to reflect your business and personal values, principles and goals. It also ultimately defines what your end destination is.
If you’d like to find out more about how Andy Savva’s consultancy services could be of benefit to your business email: andy@savvaautomotive.com.
Questions you should ask yourself include: Where do you want to be in a year or two? How about five or ten years? What will your business look like? What will it be like to work there? What will it be like to do business with your garage from the customer’s point of view? If you can close your eyes and see a picture of your business, you’ll already be a step ahead of your competitors.
Make sure that you mean what you create, and it doesn’t just become another lofty platitude. Be proud of it. Pull the trigger, start the process, and begin your journey to becoming a stronger, healthier and more profitable business.
