Featured Shop of the Month

Affordable Automotive
Michael Button, Owner
Chico, CA

I originally had started out with plans to be a history teacher so I never thought that I would be where I am today—the owner of a Shop.

In High School I had taken a shop class and had a knack for fixing cars. I did brake jobs and oil changes for the teachers at the school. From there I went to College on a football scholarship, where I was going to get my teaching credentials. The scholarship ended up not working out. I found myself working at a quick lube and at a crossroad in my life.

My father asked me what I was going to do, and by this time I was enjoying working on cars and had found that I wanted to do this for myself. I told him I want to own my own repair shop.

So one day he walks in and hands me an ad for a tire shop up for sale. We scraped the money together and bought the shop. I started out doing basic repairs and tires, then added general repair and smog checks. Things started okay, but then seemed to level out.

I met my soon to be wife and needed to make a change or get a new job. I wasn't making the money to support a family, just enough to pay the bills and rent at the shop. Around this time I received a flyer from Mike Lee. I read it front to back several times over, and by the 3rd time I decided that this was something I needed to do. I had a friend with a cabin in Lake Tahoe, so I took the wife and made a weekend of it since after all she had paid for it with her credit card.

This is where things started to turn around. With what I learned with Management Success I was starting to turn my shop into a business from just a hobby. Each new thing I implemented in the business kept it growing year after year. I was starting to feel like a real business owner, not just a tech with his own garage.

I now have 2 service writers, 4 techs and 7 bays. I was able to pay off the shop a few years ago and purchase a home, along with a few toys of course. I have a lot more time to spend with my wife and 3 kids. We go down to Disneyland twice a year and the shop runs business as usual while I am away. I was especially proud to be able to treat my parents and family to a 10-day trip to Maui.

When I first started out struggling, I had to take any job that came in the door - some were not profitable and I had to deal with any and all customers. Now I can choose the jobs and the customers that I want to work with, and this has allowed me to cater to the customers that are looking for fair and high quality work with excellent customer service.

I am younger than some shop owners and have older owners approach me and ask, “How did you do it?” I tell them that I am always working on the business, watching the numbers and am able to focus on the PR and Marketing of the shop to keep it growing.

I really enjoy my employees and make sure to take care of them. I take them out and we have a little fun all together. They enjoy working here. I have even had employees come back and say, “I don't know why I ever left.” I am glad that I can provide them a good job and they can make a good wage in a friendly and fun atmosphere.

My wife and I are people that like to give back, and we now have the ability to work with local charities and participate in community activities. I am real proud to say that my shop is very well respected in the community. My wife was able to get her Masters degree and work with children, her passion. All these things were not possible without Management Success! They showed me how to be an owner, and run my business.

Sincerely,

Mike Button, Owner
Affordable Automotive

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