News and Industry Insiders
OUr Blog
The ISCONY blog is dedicated to producing and sharing information that makes being a repair shop and collision facility owner, manager, technician or supplier in Central New York financially prosperous. Your association focuses on producing industry-related content that you need to make your business and your job easier. YOUR associations here for you to support you and your business.
Business Management
The Mediocre Employee
The Mediocre Employee by Ryan Clo, May 5, 2021 A few years ago I worked with a client who made the decision to hire a store manager. This person had decades of experience, although the majority was at a chain store with a much lower average repair order. The shop had...
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Assessing the Heartbeat of the Shop
Assessing the Heartbeat of the Shop John Shoemaker Touch time is the heartbeat of a shop. If you have a problem in your shop and you are not sure of the cause, take a look at your touch time. People look at touch time in several different ways. For me, I look at it...
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Could Your Business Survive Without You?
Could Your Business Survive Without You? About two years ago, I received a troubling email from a fellow shop owner. He wanted to know if I knew of a technician that may be looking for temporary work. The shop owner was scheduled for surgery and would need about six...
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Are You Honestly Scoring Your Business?
Are You Honestly Scoring Your Business? Greg Bunch April 19, 2021 Greetings to all my industry friends, those I know, and to the many more I hope to get to know! Some of you know that I was on the Ratchet+Wrench editorial advisory board for many years and have been...
read more
A Shop Owner’s Guide to Customer Care Calls
A Shop Owner’s Guide to Customer Care Calls Bob Cooper June 11, 2019 We all know the importance of customer follow-up calls, and although there is no one procedure that works for everyone, here are five considerations that the top shop owners in America have found to...
read more
Lyft Offering Mobile Repair
Lyft Offering Mobile Repair April 23, 2021 Lyft, the popular ride-sharing service, is launching mobile auto repair services in Houston. A Houston Chronicle report detailed the announcement, citing the plummeting revenues due to COVID-19 as a reason for the expansion....
read moreGuest Articles
The Mediocre Employee
The Mediocre Employee by Ryan Clo, May 5, 2021 A few years ago I worked with a client who made the decision to hire a store manager. This person had decades of experience, although the majority was at a chain store with a much lower average repair order. The shop had...
read more
Assessing the Heartbeat of the Shop
Assessing the Heartbeat of the Shop John Shoemaker Touch time is the heartbeat of a shop. If you have a problem in your shop and you are not sure of the cause, take a look at your touch time. People look at touch time in several different ways. For me, I look at it...
read more
Could Your Business Survive Without You?
Could Your Business Survive Without You? About two years ago, I received a troubling email from a fellow shop owner. He wanted to know if I knew of a technician that may be looking for temporary work. The shop owner was scheduled for surgery and would need about six...
read more
Are You Honestly Scoring Your Business?
Are You Honestly Scoring Your Business? Greg Bunch April 19, 2021 Greetings to all my industry friends, those I know, and to the many more I hope to get to know! Some of you know that I was on the Ratchet+Wrench editorial advisory board for many years and have been...
read more
A Shop Owner’s Guide to Customer Care Calls
A Shop Owner’s Guide to Customer Care Calls Bob Cooper June 11, 2019 We all know the importance of customer follow-up calls, and although there is no one procedure that works for everyone, here are five considerations that the top shop owners in America have found to...
read more
Lyft Offering Mobile Repair
Lyft Offering Mobile Repair April 23, 2021 Lyft, the popular ride-sharing service, is launching mobile auto repair services in Houston. A Houston Chronicle report detailed the announcement, citing the plummeting revenues due to COVID-19 as a reason for the expansion....
read moreLegal
Washington Passes Gas Vehicle Ban
Washington Passes Gas-Powered Vehicle Ban by Ratchet+Wrench April 16, 2021—The state of Washington has passed a law establishing a 2030 target for the phasing out the sale of gas-powered vehicles. The new law establishes the most aggressive state goal in the U.S. for...
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New March 2020 Mandates – NYC
ARE YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE HEALTH HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VARIOUS CHEMICALS AND THE PRECAUTIONS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN? HAVE YOU FILED YOUR “COMMUNITY RIGHT TO KNOW” FORM ON STORED SUBSTANCES IN N.Y.C.? THE DEADLINE IS MARCH 1ST. ARE YOU...
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Termination? Here is a Checklist:
Terminating an employee can be very emotional for many reasons. When you are upset, especially when it is in regard to your business, forms and checklists can help keep you focused on the important elements/tasks. If you have any questions or need help replacing your...
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How to Avoid a Tax Audit
Thinking about writing off that "business expense"? You may want to think again. Learn which tax breaks to use, and which ones to use with caution. by Bilal Kaiser updated February 02, 2021 · April 15th is right around the corner and we all know what that means: tax...
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O.S.H.A is Coming – Part 2
OUR BOTTOM LINE MESSAGE O.S.H.A. IS COMING TO YOUR SHOP Part 2 So you are now aware that OSHA is knocking on shop doors, and looking to charge your shop to train and desiring to sell you on how to build a safety program for you and your employees, and there is nothing...
read moreSteps to Protect Automotive Service Workers from Exposure to Coronavirus
Click the links below to see the full text and download a copy OSHA4070 - Autoworkers OSHA4071 - Auto workers...
read moreTechnology
Tackling Electrical Challenges
Tackling Electrical Challenges Brandon Steckler Feb 28, 2021 Maximizing our electrical proficiency through practice will lead to maximizing accuracy and efficiency. As automotive technicians in today's world, we are faced with hundreds (if not thousands) of...
read more
Nationwide Interest in Owning EV
Consumer Reports Nationwide interest in potentially owning an EV Benjamin Preston December 18, 2020 Survey Shows Strong Interest in Electric Cars The results from Consumer Reports’ latest nationally representative survey on electric cars—conducted in July and August...
read moreMass Adoption Of Electric Vehicle Is Coming…
Mass Adoption Of Electric Vehicle Is Coming… But What About Charging Infrastructure? In 2019, the global number of EVs including light commercial vehicles on the road reached 7.5 million. And that number is projected to grow to over 100 million vehicles by 2030...
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MACNY June 2020 News Letter
Inside This Issue: Cover Story: Reopening Our Economy Safely is Now Underway Page 3 | Workforce Development: A Workforce Repurposes Page 4 | Leadership Development: My Summer Reading Recommendations Page 5 | Government Relations: Looking Forward with a Look Back at...
read moreSurvey: Youngest Drivers Leading the Charge Toward EVs
Young drivers are leading the charge when it comes to adoption of electric vehicles, according to a new survey on the growth of EV use in the Northeast and California markets. While only 16% of the total of survey respondents said they owned an electric vehicle, that...
read moreEnhancing Advanced Vehicles to Safely Handle Tricky Road Situations
Hybrid and electric cars are becoming more popular because they save energy and offer a quiet drive. But a federal regulation goes into effect next fall will require them to play sounds at certain speeds for pedestrian safety, reports The New York Times. Because...
read moreDirector's Corner
The Mediocre Employee
The Mediocre Employee by Ryan Clo, May 5, 2021 A few years ago I worked with a client who made the decision to hire a store manager. This person had decades of experience, although the majority was at a chain store with a much lower average repair order. The shop had...
read more
Assessing the Heartbeat of the Shop
Assessing the Heartbeat of the Shop John Shoemaker Touch time is the heartbeat of a shop. If you have a problem in your shop and you are not sure of the cause, take a look at your touch time. People look at touch time in several different ways. For me, I look at it...
read more
Could Your Business Survive Without You?
Could Your Business Survive Without You? About two years ago, I received a troubling email from a fellow shop owner. He wanted to know if I knew of a technician that may be looking for temporary work. The shop owner was scheduled for surgery and would need about six...
read moreLeadership Tactics
What's YOUR Leadership Tactics To better assist shop owners with their leadership styles, Ratchet+Wrench has compiled a short list of essential leadership material from some of its favorite sources. Here's a look at a few must-read articles from the past week. The...
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The Progressive Guide to Understanding and Relating to Women
The Progressive Guide to Understanding and Relating to Women Audra Fordin March 12, 2018 Here’s how to connect with female drivers. After spending 50-plus years working six days a week 6a.m. to 6 p.m. in the auto repair shop (20-plus years with me on Sanford Avenue in...
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Why Do You Need Health Insurance?
Why Do You Need Health Insurance? Today, health care costs are high, and getting higher. Who will pay your bills if you have a serious accident or a major illness? You buy health insurance for the same reason you buy other kinds of insurance, to protect yourself...
read moreCustomer Services & Sales
Are You Honestly Scoring Your Business?
Are You Honestly Scoring Your Business? Greg Bunch April 19, 2021 Greetings to all my industry friends, those I know, and to the many more I hope to get to know! Some of you know that I was on the Ratchet+Wrench editorial advisory board for many years and have been...
read more
A Shop Owner’s Guide to Customer Care Calls
A Shop Owner’s Guide to Customer Care Calls Bob Cooper June 11, 2019 We all know the importance of customer follow-up calls, and although there is no one procedure that works for everyone, here are five considerations that the top shop owners in America have found to...
read more
Creative Marketing to Attract New Customers
Creative Marketing to Attract New Customers April 5, 2021 Abby Patterson The way Tim Lanier looks at social media and marketing may be different than most. Instead of seeing it as a means to advertise sales and boost profits, the owner of Killian Automotive uses it to...
read moreWashington Passes Gas Vehicle Ban
Washington Passes Gas-Powered Vehicle Ban by Ratchet+Wrench April 16, 2021—The state of Washington has passed a law establishing a 2030 target for the phasing out the sale of gas-powered vehicles. The new law establishes the most aggressive state goal in the U.S. for...
read more
LOOK BEYOND A TATTOO WHEN HIRING
LOOK BEYOND A TATTOO WHEN HIRING Skin Deep: An Unblemished Look at Tattoos and Hiring So maybe you don’t have a tattoo…and maybe you don’t have purple hair, but it’s important to look beyond that and get to know the person sitting across from you. Possibly the person...
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THE #1 ACTION A SUCCESSFUL SHOP DOES EVERYDAY!
WHAT’S THE #1 ACTION A SUCCESSFUL SHOP DOES EVERYDAY? MARKETING!!! What’s the #1 action a successful shop, not just continued with but expanded on, during COVID-19? MARKETING!!! In all its various forms and applications, Marketing proved to be the mechanism of not...
read moreNew York State
Tackling Electrical Challenges
Tackling Electrical Challenges Brandon Steckler Feb 28, 2021 Maximizing our electrical proficiency through practice will lead to maximizing accuracy and efficiency. As automotive technicians in today's world, we are faced with hundreds (if not thousands) of...
read more
Nationwide Interest in Owning EV
Consumer Reports Nationwide interest in potentially owning an EV Benjamin Preston December 18, 2020 Survey Shows Strong Interest in Electric Cars The results from Consumer Reports’ latest nationally representative survey on electric cars—conducted in July and August...
read moreMass Adoption Of Electric Vehicle Is Coming…
Mass Adoption Of Electric Vehicle Is Coming… But What About Charging Infrastructure? In 2019, the global number of EVs including light commercial vehicles on the road reached 7.5 million. And that number is projected to grow to over 100 million vehicles by 2030...
read more
New March 2020 Mandates – NYC
ARE YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE HEALTH HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VARIOUS CHEMICALS AND THE PRECAUTIONS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN? HAVE YOU FILED YOUR “COMMUNITY RIGHT TO KNOW” FORM ON STORED SUBSTANCES IN N.Y.C.? THE DEADLINE IS MARCH 1ST. ARE YOU...
read more
O.S.H.A. is Coming – Part 1
OUR BOTTOM LINE MESSAGE O.S.H.A. IS COMING TO YOUR SHOP It’s truly not a secret that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are here to serve your shop, your employees, and your customers from physical or mental harm or injury. Unfortunately, with...
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O.S.H.A is Coming – Part 2
OUR BOTTOM LINE MESSAGE O.S.H.A. IS COMING TO YOUR SHOP Part 2 So you are now aware that OSHA is knocking on shop doors, and looking to charge your shop to train and desiring to sell you on how to build a safety program for you and your employees, and there is nothing...
read more