Bonus Episode - Emily Oliver On Keeping It in the Family While Facing Challenges and Growth at a Small Auto Shop

Don't get to the end of this year wishing you had taken action to change your business and your life. Click here to schedule a free discovery call for your business: https://geni.us/IFORABE Don't miss an upcoming event with The Institute: https://geni.us/InstituteEvents2026 Shop-Ware gives you the tools to provide your shop with everything needed to become optimally profitable. Click here to schedule a free demo: https://geni.us/Shop-Ware-Free-Month Transform your shop's marketing with the best in the automotive industry, Shop Marketing Pros! Get a free audit of your shop's current marketing by clicking here: https://geni.us/ShopMarketingPros Shop owners, are you ready to simplify your business operations? Meet **360 Payments**, your one-stop solution for effortless payment processing. Imagine this—no more juggling receipts, staplers, or endless paperwork. With **360 Payments**, you get everything integrated into a single, sleek digital platform. Simplify payments. Streamline operations. **Check out** 360payments.com **today!** In this episode, Emily Oliver joins the podcast to share her journey of taking over a small family auto repair shop in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Emily talks about the challenges of modernizing operations, from adopting new software like Shop-Ware to implementing more thorough documentation and communication processes with customers. The conversation also highlights the complexities of hourly billing in auto repair, the challenges of managing family roles in business, and the importance of continuous learning and adaptation as the shop grows. 00:00 Family auto shop's history 08:56 Simple billing system explained 10:55 Tracking time in auto repair bays 19:04 Standardizing Inspection Processes 23:10 Issues with technician pricing 30:07 Convincing family about car maintenance 36:33 Communicating with customers 39:47 Dealing with other mechanics' issues 46:27 Early challenges and learning curve 54:21 Managing finances and staying focused 56:10 Discussing parts pricing strategy 01:01:21 Gaining insights from peer feedback