Profile of a shop owner in trouble

The aftermarket is one of the most unique and most challenging divisions of the automotive industry. That being said, it still amazes me how many shop owners just want to keep things status quo and ignore the changes happening in front of them, then wonder why their business is not working for them anymore.

The following are attributes of a shop owner I have seen over my 40 years in this industry that characterize a business owner who is in trouble.

He/she fights change
They struggle to maintain the status quo in their business and are always defending the way they approach things as they keep on doing what they have always been doing. They oppose any new ideas or concepts with the attitude of criticizing them and just make the statement, “that won’t work” without any serious investigation into the details and facts. They always strive to live in the past and always talk about the past compared to today.

He/she becomes defensive
They guard against attack of any kind and do not want to be questioned or challenged. They just never move forward and certainly won’t take any kind of risk.

He/she are inflexible
They take a position on a topic and refuse to move from it. They just will not bend and are totally incapable of any compromise.

He/she have no team spirit
They want to do it all themselves and often make the statement, “If I want anything done right, I have to do it myself.” They want no suggestions, no constructive criticism and no help of any kind; in fact, they are so insecure that any help would be a threat to them.

He/she have personal problems
They drink to excess, have behind-closed-doors drug problems, family problems or other problems that they will say nothing about.

He/she is without imagination
They cannot or will not think creatively. They simply refuse to reach out and stretch their minds to new ideas, concepts or potential new broader horizons.

He/she is lazy
Their time has arrived. They take the attitude that “it is time the company carried me for all the years I have put into it.” They act and feel entitled.

He/she won’t take riskThey won’t suggest a new way of doing things that has been researched and proven, as any change is a risk in their mind to shake up the status quo and presents too many hazards that could blow up in their face.

He/she is disorganized
They jump all over the business each day putting out fires that because of their management style, they created. They are fragmented, going from job to job and many times working on two things at once, never completing either one. They always do unimportant work first because the other work to be done is too much of a challenge in their mind, therefore procrastination settles in.    

He/she flies into rages
They don’t have any emotional control and the rants and raves flare up unexpectedly, resulting in repeated berating and insulting of the staff. They themselves are very unproductive and blame everyone else in the shop for the negative situation the shop is in.

He/she has a poor understanding of people
They have a very poor ability to listen to other people. They don’t know how to be sympathetic to another person’s situation, which in turn rarely makes them helpful.

He/she passes the buck
They never accept responsibility for their own actions. They just don’t understand that behaviour never lies and refuse to be accountable. It’s always someone else’s fault.

Ok, wow — what would your advice to these people be? Mine is simple: If you won’t fix yourself, it is time to get out of this business; your days are over. Get out before it takes you down financially and personally.

In summary, another very good question to ask would be: “What will my legacy be?” I find that to be an excellent question because it summarizes your career as to what you did for your family, your staff, your clientele and the industry. Did your actions make a positive difference? If any of the above mentioned issues are you, then learn to address them now to change and improve yourself. We are so fortunate to be working in an incredible industry that is very challenging that keeps our energy alive, and the younger generation see this very clearly. Don’t be one of the people to hold them back because you have issues.