Both the personal and business benefit of having a trusted friendship with another business owner is invaluable. For your shop, it provides an impartial view into your business from the outside, but from someone who understands what it is to own a repair shop. Knowing you can lean on a fellow shop owner when big decisions need to be made – or just the everyday decisions – is something successful shop owners like John and Lynn Eanes of Galveston Automotive Professionals of Galveston, Texas, and Steve and Angie Taylor, of Taylor Tire & Automotive of Kaufman, Texas, know firsthand.
“I don’t get as upset about the highs and lows of business as I used to, but when I do have them, my first call is always to Steve,” said Lynn Eanes, owner of Galveston Automotive Professionals. “Not only does he make me laugh, but he also always reminds me that this is just a temporary thing and I have the knowledge and the drive to get through it. Steve helps me to circle back around and gets me recentered, and that’s invaluable.”
Steve Taylor said the Eaneses’ experience complements the gaps in his business’ strategy.
“They come from more of a corporate background; I come from an independent background,” Taylor said. “John worked for dealerships; I never have. And that’s really beneficial from a business workflow standpoint. Besides our friendship, from a business standpoint, it’s very complementary.”
Strengths of others
Everyone has their own areas that they’re just better at completing. Maybe it’s finances, marketing or production. And the inverse is true...perhaps you’re not as comfortable updating policies or recruiting. That dynamic is a great reason to cultivate friendships with other shop owners.
Knowing you can pick up the phone and talk to both a friend and shop owner at the same time is a huge advantage.
“Recently, I was dealing with an employee who was moving on," Steve Taylor said. I reached out to Lynn for guidance for the HR standpoint and knowing how to communicate for the best results. Talking to Lynn was really helpful on what to say…and how to say it."
Everyone needs a cheerleader
While you certainly may already have a partner in your corner, it’s great to have a good friend in your corner. And if that friend is also a business owner, it is all the better.
Who doesn’t like to hear they are making the right decision... that how they’re handling an issue is the right way to go? That’s not to say you also don’t need constructive criticism, but a “pat on the back” or a “way to go” shout-out is also nice to hear. And hearing that from a friend can be encouraging and a real motivation to keep going.
“John and I are together a lot, but there are times when I need someone else’s perspective,” Lynn Eanes said. “Steve will just listen, no matter if I’m fussing about work or maybe even John! It’s an awesome relationship to have.”
Another plus to these industry friendships is that, while you may have a spouse, partner, or even a parent who has always been your sounding board, you may not always be able to be completely open with them, for whatever reason. But a buddy... a compadre... a friend may be easier to talk to and accept the truth from. That’s just the way it is sometimes.
Lessons others have learned
Every business owner has gone through his or her own ups-and-downs. With each up and with each down, a great shop owner learns something. Those practical lessons learned should be shared with friends... friends who also own a shop. There is nothing more powerful than talking and sharing with another owner. And if they’re a friend, also, it doubles the impact of the lesson you have learned.
“We try to be supportive of each other,” Lynn Eanes said. “We want success for each other. If I can take one idea from them that I can implement at Galveston Auto to make it easier…that’s the whole point of networking. It’s not me convincing them to do it my way; it’s me saying, ‘This is how I did it.’ Maybe there’s something in that idea that translates to your shop.”
It’s all about your goals
Knowing where you’re going, both personally and professionally, is a key area that can be reinforced by a good friend in the business. Managing the business day-to-day is certainly needed. But having a game plan makes the difference between a good shop and a great shop.
From: driveshops.com/the-importance-of-being-friends-with-fellow-shop-owners
