Since early 2011 one of the hottest debates in Collision Repair has been industry and OEM repair standards. 

Last summer I-CAR announced a plan during CIC to maintain a centralized database of OEM repair procedures only to announce last month they had changed their mind. It sent our industry back down into a debate on OEM vs. Industry procedures and who will be the guardians of right and wrong. 

As I listen to the debates and read the articles I…

The good news is you made it through 2012. The bad news is 2013 starts tomorrow. 

Today across the country countless individuals will make a list of resolutions covering their health, family and relationships. What about business resolutions? Our team…

The best part of the holidays is how it can bring a community together. In towns across the country collision repairers have traditionally played large roles in all the activities of the season. 

What we typically don’t do well is allowing the community to celebrate and engage with us at our business location. Sure we build great parade floats and collect toys, but as a repairer you have so many other options to assist your community and celebrate your…

You’ve heard the old saying “Fight Fire with Fire”, but the best practitioners of Public Relations will tell you that’s always your worst response. If you want to win the war, fight fire with marshmallows. 

You’ve worked hard to grow your business by putting in so much of yourself in every…

Review of a seminar designed for collision repairers who interact with insurers on a regular basis: http://bit.ly/Te0uQ1

It’s that time when we sit down with companies across the industry and help shape marketing and communication plans for the coming year.

Over the course of 2012 a growing number of “wolves” began approaching repairers and vendors within the Collision Repair industry with their latest can’t miss, solve all your problems, reap loads of leads and sales marketing pitch. As I sat in meeting after meeting over this last quarter and had these sales pitches repeated to me I was reminded of a…

So I’m sitting at home on a rainy day watching bad TV. As I’m flipping through the channels to avoid commercials (I hate commercials), I run across a show about people that lead different lives online.

It was amazing to watch as people that rarely left their homes carried out second lives online. There were virtual nightclubs, concerts, relationships and weddings! With just a click of a mouse my avatar could be smart, popular, rich and living the life of my dreams.

 …

Last week we spoke about getting a PPC ad campaign launched for your marketing efforts.  A very important aspect to that is bidding on good keywords.  Selecting the right keywords is essential if you wish to see any return on your investment. So many people waste thousands on PPC (Pay Per Click) marketing because they misunderstand the concept. The aim of PPC marketing is to drive as much TARGETED traffic to your landing page as possible. The keywords you pick should be based on deep…

We at Web-Est are always trying to help auto body shops learn more about marketing on the Internet. The Internet is such an important part of the way we do business, both in how we look for purchases, but also in terms of our operations. Its one of the reasons we decided to put our auto estimating program on the Internet. We're beginning to see auto body shops move in that direction. The Internet is also a powerful place to market an auto repair shop. There are a number of…

ST. GEORGE, Utah – May 2, 2012 –LogMyCalls, the smarter call tracking, recording and customer intelligence solution from ContactPoint, emerges from Beta today.

LogMyCalls beta period began in January. During Beta,…

Mike Anderson says, "Too often during the process of getting to understand a business I find that the shop owner is using less than 20 percent of the tools and information that the shop's management system can provide to help improve the business." http://bit.ly/Hx4AKF

Experts from I-CAR will explain how to properly perform spot welding techniques that simulate what is done at the factory. During the free April 26 webcast participants will learn how spot welding, in conjunction with adhesives (weld bonding), can help protect against corrosion. http://abrn.com/SpotWelding

If customers aren't made to feel welcome, they won't want to trust your company with their vehicle. http://bit.ly/H8Z95x

Don't sell your collision repair business short by not selling enough. http://bit.ly/GUnrlV

LogMyCalls, the market leading call tracking and monitoring software solution, and AskPatty.com, the world’s leading provider of automotive advice and information for women, are partnering to provide marketing tracking and call recording to AskPatty.com’s certified female…

Mike Anderson says repairers need insurance companies help to stop rekeying estimates into their management systems. http://bit.ly/GMva5Z

MIG welding, which involves weld placement and the subsequent cleaning, dressing and refinishing designed to make an undetectable repair, is among the most complex and critical tasks in structural repair. http://bit.ly/ysCpXM

One of the greatest challenges is the "policing" of the quality of aftermarket parts and any modifications required to make them fit. Unfortunately, that has historically been placed on the repairers' shoulders and is hidden from the consumer. That is not acceptable any longer. http://bit.ly/zawOK8

There are a host of compliance issues that collision shops need to be concerned about. Hazardous waste disposition, human resources and employee related issues, EPA and state environmental and air quality issues, OSHA and workplace safety compliance issues, and HIPAA and privacy laws are some key ones. http://bit.ly/zVTNED

The new issue of ABRN How2 is available and it offers an instructional video on block sanding, a video on NABC's Recycled Rides donation in Palm Springs, Calif., additional industry videos, blogs, Top Shop profile articles and more. http://bit.ly/x4Klio