Most shop owners recognize the need for quality and how customer satisfaction means repeat business, referrals and reviews. During my years of training installers, I developed two critical processes to have the best quality that are not installation related. This means that even the new installer or new shop can come out of the gate […]
Work-life balance is something that I struggle with to this day. I know the cliché phrase, “Do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life.” Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anyone to pay me to lay on a beach and sip a margarita, so here we are. No Sleep I have […]
I have met many shop owners in the industry, and we have frequently talked about compensating employees. In this article, I want to break down the compensation plans I have seen over the years. Keep in mind that the plans and positions vary, and there is no one perfect solution. I recommend that owners/managers consider […]
I am amazed at the growth our industry has seen through the recent pandemic that has affected and rewritten life as we know it. Despite economic strains, shops have continued to stay busy and grow more than ever. But as our economy comes into some challenging inflationary moments and supply chain issues plague the automotive […]
I was a year into running my paint protection film business when my father stopped by to chat after finishing work. I was installing a partial hood, and while we talked, I proceeded to rip the film off and re-do it three times. He didn’t say anything but clearly could see my frustration. As I […]
Let’s talk about some of the mistakes I commonly see new shop owners make. The five I’ll cover are errors I made—and learned from—the hard way. If you avoid these, you’re off to the races. 1. Spending Money on Things With Little to no Return on Investment (ROI) In 2003, I was hyper-focused on […]
Congratulations, you started a business! This is exciting for many, yet daunting as you now control your own destiny. The initial months or years of operation are spent wearing many hats. An owner-operator is a salesperson, installer, porter, janitor, and accountant. It’s fulfilling and empowering, but it can also leave many owners burnt out from […]
I am excited to be a contributor and share insights I have garnered over my many years in our industry. Seeing as we’re kicking off 2022 with New Year’s Resolutions, I thought a good start would be talking about road maps. When visiting and consulting with shops across the country, I liked to sit down […]
Chris West entered the industry in 2003 while working as a civil engineer in Alaska. He ultimately left his engineering career to dedicate himself full-time to his new shop—Clear Car Armor. After adding tint, detailing, vinyl wraps and performance add-ons, the name was changed to CCA Motorsport. Starting in 2017, Chris began traveling to provide consulting, training and bespoke installs across the country and internationally. In 2021, he sold CCA Motorsport and took a full-time position with XPEL as the director of automotive films.
