Advice For Technician Turned Shop Owner (New or Seasoned)

I’m being real when I tell you that the transformation needed to go from tech to owner is challenging for most. The main reason is the skill sets needed for each role. Both roles are important in a business.

The Challenge

The role of technician is a doer (production). They assess the job they’re given and provide recommended repairs. They focus on getting the job efficiently. They’re responsible for productivity.

The role of owner is a planner (strategic). They need to access the business and plan for growth. They focus on the activities today that will help the business long-term. They’re responsible for the business being sustainable.

The challenge often is learning to focus more on planning when they’re used to focusing on doing the work. Most technician-owners will find themselves stepping in to save the day. There is a deep sense of comfort and satisfaction that comes from “I can still do it.”  Let’s be real stepping out of your comfort zone isn’t easy.

Getting Stuck

Owners can find themselves ten years in and are still operating as a new owner. Doing It All or being the Go-to Person can hold your business back. It’s hard to have a business that is profitable, sustainable, and enjoyable when you’re burning yourself out. You may even notice that relationships suffer because of the work routines and habits you’ve created over time. Work is your life instead of part of it.

Owner Tips

• Your Leadership Will Be Tested – How resilient are you? It’s easy to lead when you’re having a wonderful day. But what happens when you are facing challenges? Developing and honing your leadership skills is key to success. A business will grow only to the level of leadership of the owner. Leading yourself is quite different from leading a team.
• Take a Stand – Understand your core values and be an example of them every day. They will guide you to make the best decisions quicker. Share your core value with your team. Make sure you hire people that align with them. You’ll know when your core values aren’t showing up.
• Ask For Help – Too many owners believe they can figure out how to run a business themselves, at the expense of their families. Understand the five areas of business. Sales, Marketing, People, Operations and Financials. This is a new way of thinking for technicians turned shop owners.
• Have an I’m Curious Mindset – Don’t judge too quickly. Ask questions, dig deeper. People wo may be having a difficult day could end up being a great vendor, supplier, team member or customer. Care enough to learn more. Be willing to learn the 5 Stages of Business and what is important for growth at your stage.
• Give and Share – As you and your business grow remember who helped get you there. You can’t do it alone. Share your success with your team. There are endless ways to give back to your customers and community. Local sponsorships, volunteering, and/or presentations.

More Alike than Different

What both the technician and owner roles have in common is the need to access. Access challenges and get to the root cause to solve problems. For the technician who can take that skill and apply it to the business instead of vehicles, the future is bright.

Achievers like to keep up with the industry. Technicians turned shop owners will realize the value of management training, mentoring, and coaching. The best investment you will make is in yourself. No one can take what you learn and apply away from you.

Remember how you were as a tech on your first day of your first job. You didn’t know it all and you made mistakes. We all do. But you learned from them and became an amazing tech. Allow yourself to do the same as an owner. Be willing to learn.

Be honest with yourself, your team, and your family. Growing pains are real but they are worth it. Having a profitable, sustainable, and enjoyable business allows your shop to become a top shop, to best serve your customers, customers, suppliers, vendors, team, and family. A profitable, sustainable, and enjoyable shop becomes a resource. It can afford top talent, benefits, training and making an impact in your customers and community. Reach out if you have questions. Read more shop owner topics here.

Maryann Croce, a certified partner of Todd Herman’s 90 Day Year™, is a coach/speaker and creator of ‘3-Day Weekends’ System. Her company Small Biz Vantage specialized in performance and leadership for automotive and skilled trade business owners. She has been an auto shop owner since 1999. 

You can reach Maryann at (203) 913-7741 or maryann@SmallBizVantage.com Maryann speaks on strategies to achieve work-life fulfillment SmallBizVantage.com