Business Franchise Australia

6 Key Strategies For Gearing Up Your Automotive Franchise

Automotive franchises are a wonderful opportunity for car enthusiasts who want to get into their own business. There are so many automotive related franchise choices, such as car wash, service and repairs, tyres, batteries, tools, car rentals, and the list goes on.

 

While the lure of owning an automotive franchise might sound exciting, remember, it’s one thing to love your motor vehicle, but it’s another to be involved in a motor vehicle franchise focused on sales, profit, and people management.  In this article, you’ll learn the key strategies for operating a successful automotive franchise. Also note that the strategies and framework outlined apply to all franchise brands, not just those in the automotive industry.

 

Love What You Do

 

There are so many choices of automotive related franchises that it can be overwhelming when determining which one to select. While you may have budget constraints, aim to select a franchise brand that you will love, not one based on earning potential. As Steve Jobs said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” When you love what you do, you’ll bound out of bed each and every morning, excited to go to your franchise. Then, throughout the day, you’ll put your heart and soul into all your tasks, ultimately delighting your customers, ensuring their retention, and growing an outstanding automotive franchise.

 

Market Research

  • Once you’ve identified the type of automotive franchise brand you’d like to be a part of, it’s now time to conduct your due diligence. Discover the strengths and weaknesses of each franchise brand. Also understand the franchise brand’s growth plans, their values, and where available territories are. Analyse information such as upfront costs, ongoing fees, demographic data, consumer trends, and the competitive landscape. Ultimately, deciding on an automotive franchise brand with a strong reputation and comprehensive support systems is essential for maximising your success and minimising your risk.

 

Marketing and Promotion

Now that you’re off and racing with your automotive franchise, it’s vital to generate demand for your products and services. Your marketing and promotion strategy is the foundation for increasing sales and profits. When you have a strong marketing strategy, you can effectively reach your target audience and share your brand and message successfully.

While your franchisor will play a role in marketing, most franchise brands provide flexibility for franchisees to implement local area marketing (LAM) strategies. These LAM strategies could be traditional, digital, or a mixture of both. Traditional marketing is the ‘way we used to market’, like local advertising, flyers, sponsorships, loyalty discounts, vehicle signage, and so on. While digital marketing includes social media marketing (organic and paid), email marketing, Google Business Profile, pay per click (PPC), and search engine optimisation (SEO). Digital marketing is a cost effective medium to enhance brand visibility, attract potential customers, and demonstrate credibility. An effective LAM strategy will use a variety of mediums to create awareness and ongoing attention of your automotive franchise.

 

Streamline Operations

 

As demand for your products and services increases, pressure mounts on your franchise’s ability to supply these, hence, it’s imperative that you focus on the efficiency and effectiveness of your operations. The great news for automotive franchisees is that your franchisor should’ve already created a comprehensive operations manual, therefore your job is to stick to it. I’m fortunate that I meet a lot of successful franchisees, and the common theme is that they follow the franchise system and trust the process.

 

Leadership is a skill that successful franchisees possess. An operations manual is merely a series of documents, therefore it requires people to be able to bring these documents to life and that’s where leadership comes in. Leadership is the ability to influence others, and starts with clarity, proficiency, and environment. As franchisee your job is to provide clear instructions and expectations, ensure your team are trained properly, and create a supportive and collaborative environment for your team to maximise their potential.

 

Another opportunity to streamline operations is by mastering time and being productive not busy. Time is the most precious resource that all franchisees want more of therefore look for opportunities to automate tasks and processes where possible. Also, learn to effectively delegate tasks to maximise time and improve productivity.

 

Evaluate and Adapt

 

The franchise world is constantly changing, and while some change will flow down from your franchisor, there are still plenty of opportunities for automotive franchises to evaluate and adapt.

  • Tony Robbins, one of the world’s leading coaches, said, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” Put simply, to grow and improve you must evaluate all elements of your franchise, determine what’s working and what’s not, then make changes accordingly.
  • Adapt how you can apply what you know to how your franchise is operating. You are not only competing with the market but with the times as well. Being able to adapt to new processes, technology, consumer demand, and how we go to market will enable you to stay at the forefront of the automotive industry, guaranteeing franchise growth and longevity.

 

Leverage Support and Collaborate

    • One of the main benefits of franchising is that you are part of a collaborative network, focused on supporting you and ensuring your success. Make the time to engage and utilise the support programs and operational guidance the network and franchisors provide. Collaborate and actively participate to voice concerns, provide feedback, and influence strategic decisions for the collective success of the franchise network. Like anything in business, you will get out of things what you put into them, and if you choose not to tap into the wealth of resources available within your franchise network, then you’re missing out.
  • Summary  

Owning an automotive franchise can be an exciting and rewarding opportunity, but it’s vital that you don’t get caught up in the bright lights.  I’ve outlined 6 key strategies to ensure you operate a highly profitable franchise. The shifts in the automotive industry are dynamic and continuously changing, therefore, by implementing these strategies, you are setting yourself up for sustainable franchise success. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to start your engines.

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Tony Meredith Coaching focuses on helping business owners Grow Sales, Increase Profits, and Regain Time. Tony Meredith Coaching started in 2018 and works with hundreds of small-medium businesses across Australia, in the areas of Franchising, Retail, Services, Manufacturing, and Trades. Tony has over 25 years’ experience working for some of the world’s largest corporations in a variety of senior sales and leadership roles. Contact Tony and his team if you want to grow an outstanding franchise business.