American auto upholstery shop owners (and employees) confused by the “Affordable Care Act” – otherwise known as Obamacare – should check out the online resource SEMA has compiled for automotive professionals. This is especially important for shops that provide health benefits to employees.
If you’re not planning any sales or promotions to take advantage of US customers’ tax refunds, maybe you should.
According to a study conducted by eBay Motors, one-third of consumers expecting cash back from the federal government plan on spending at least 35% of it on a new car or repair.
Providing fleet-service truck-seat repair has been the financial backbone of my auto upholstery shop since we first opened our doors, and it could be big business for you too – so long as you know what you’re doing.
Here are some tips to help you prepare for this lucrative and often overlooked sector of the auto upholstery industry.
For many auto trimmers, coming up with an interesting and attractive idea for a customer’s car seats is easy. It’s effectively communicating that idea without a visual aid that’s the challenge.
Fortunately, two very reputable aftermarket leather seat-cover suppliers provide free online tools that allow trimmers to quickly and easily design seats. You don’t even need to be extremely proficient with a computer to use them.
It’s no surprise that many auto upholstery shops have struggled to hire new talent. This is, after all, a highly specialized trade.
According to Harry Weimann – director of education at WyoTech Blairsville and owner of Weimann’s Interiors in Delmont, PA – hiring new employees may be even more of a challenge than we think.
In previous articles, we discussed how car clubs and shows can expand your auto upholstery business. But there’s another type of show that can also benefit your shop – trade shows.
The Professional Restylers Organization (PRO), a SEMA Council that promotes the interests of the restyling industry – including auto upholstery shops, has recently published a guidebook aimed at helping pros like us grow our businesses.
Hotrod & Restoration Magazine has published its annual report on the automotive restoration industry – including statistics on hourly rates, revenue and busy seasons for auto upholstery shops. Take a look at the data that they’ve compiled and let us know how your business measures up.
A new survey finds that nearly half (49 percent) of all small businesses have never updated their online listings. If your auto upholstery shop is one of them, you may be leaving money on the table.
Auto upholstery shops that only compete on the quality of their work and prices of their service may be inadvertently costing themselves business. A recent article published in Restyling Magazine suggests that most patrons who choose to take their vehicles elsewhere do so because of poor customer service.
