Sarah "bogi" Lateiner Turns Auto Repair Shop Around

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Sarah "Bogi" Lateiner has prepped her business for success

. She has a solid staff and gross sales of $850,000, which she is hoping to increase to $1.5 million next year. Additionally, Bogi is moving from a location that is 1200 square feet to one that is 7800, which will allow her to maintain five bays, three of which are double-deep, and increasing her staff to four technicians.

This a remarkable difference from her previous status, where her gross take was $400,000, she employed two technicians that were only adequate and she and her mother ran the customer service portion of the business.

I wasnt really a business owner when I opened my shop, explains Bogi. We were busy all the time but we werent making a lot of money.

Deciding to focus on the marketing and business side of her shop, Bogi worked with Ron Ipach, owner of CinRon Marketing, to learn how to apply tried and true strategies. I am actually a business owner now; Im able to plan for success and I have a completely different outlook for my business, says Bogi.
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Without the marketing knowledge I would still be running around like a chicken with my head cut off. But by embracing the techniques that I learned, I am able to do more, be more creative, offer a better service and play a bigger part in the community these are the things that have benefited me the most.

Overview

A certified mechanic for 12 years, Bogi opened her auto repair shop, 180 Degrees Automotive, in Phoenix, Arizona, five and a half years ago after becoming disgruntled working for a dealership. With only 1.8% of auto repair shops being owned by women, Bogi wanted to educate people about their cars, especially women.

Bogi is also starring in a television show about three female mechanics for the Velocity Channel, which is part of the Discovery Network. Were educating women while were repairing vehicles; its sort of a do-it-yourself concept, explains Bogi.

Challenges

Bogis biggest challenge was overcoming her aversion to marketing. I was completely against marketing. I wanted to stay unique and I thought marketing would interfere with that. Also, I misunderstood the difference between marketing and advertising, and because of that wrote off all marketing. I thought recreating the wheel was a better way to go, which it was not.

Goals

Have the ability to hire higher quality technicians and office staff.

Increase profit and decrease expenses.

Streamline systems for a more productive workflow.

Remain unique, yet productive and profitable.

Methods

For Bogi, the most effective strategy was to do what has worked for other successful auto repair shops. She explains, I really grew the business leaps and bounds. Networking with other auto repair shop owners and learning from their experience was extremely beneficial. They were once in the same position as me, but they did it, they turned their shops around to be extremely profitable. I realized that what I was trying to do was possible.

Conclusion

The best thing I did for my shop was letting go the idea that we were so different. I mean we are special and unique, but business is business and customers are customers. I was able to find my own unique voice within systems and structures. Ron helped me to see myself bigger, says Bogi.

She continues, I would advise others to get over your reluctance to marketing. Everything that you do is marketing; how you present yourself, how you act in the community everything! If you resist it, it will likely work against you, but if you accept it then it will greatly work to your benefit.

by: Beth James

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