5%, 10%, 15% or even more of the income in many automotive shops wanders off every year. How much money evaporates in your shop? How well do you manage your money? Do you look for the best deal, negotiate and ask for discounts? Do you regularly compare your expenses with other shops? Do you have a budget? We'll explore these issues and many more!

Tom Ham 6 credits, 12 credits; 3-hour course, 6-hour course Specialty:

Participants of this course will learn specific procedures, systems and checklists designed to make the management of a repair shop more efficient. Covered areas include: scheduling, service recommendations, service history, staff assignments, customer write-up, RO procedures, arming the tech, in-shop communication, service advisor procedures, canned jobs, estimating, inventory handling, parts acquisition, quality control, customer follow-up, shop care, inspections, shop expenses and budgeting, and how to take a vacation without the shop falling apart.

Tom Ham 6 credits, 12 credits, 16 credits; 3-hour course, 6-hour course, 8-hour course Specialty:

Whether we like it or not, business means numbers. We all watch certain ones. But, are we watching the right ones? Are we even aware of all of the right ones that we should watch? How closely should we watch them? How do we track them? Which ones are really important and which ones are not? Students are welcome to bring their laptops and numbers with them for reference and discussion. Plan to cover some things you may have  never even considered.

Tom Ham 6 credits, 12 credits; 3-hour course, 6-hour course Specialty:

It's much more than just buying some ads. Included are dozens of ideas and samples, most at low cost, that you can employ to increase your sales. Topics include: drive by impressions, customer area, shop area, direct mail, write up, ROs, tracking what works, pricing, shops in your area, recommendations, referrals, oil changes, specials, new customers, existing customers, signage, after hours, people contact, inspections, displays, menus and much more! Of course, Bob the Beaver and his buddies will be there to assist.

Tom Ham 6 credits, 12 credits; 3-hour course, 6-hour course Specialty:

Nothing strikes more terror in the heart of many shop owners than suggesting that they target a certain specialty and down play the others. But, could it be that you would be better off targeting certain makes or types of repair? Or, should you cast the widest net that you can? Would specialization increase or decrease your bottom line? What are the advantages and disadvantages of specialization? Will specialization grow or decrease in the future? Can any shop specialize? How would you select a specialty? Plan on a lively class as we explore this controversial topic!

Tom Ham 6 credits, 12 credits; 3-hour course, 6-hour course Specialty:

What are the two critical keys for a great service advisor? What type of person is best suited to be a service advisor? Review of: service advisor tools and systems, selling, estimating, customer contact. We'll take a look at these service advisor issues and many others. And, we'll be joined by Gordy the Golden Retriever and his buddies for their unique insights.

Tom Ham 6 credits, 12 credits; 3-hour course, 6-hour course Specialty: