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Every mile you drive toward running your shop like a well-oiled machine is a mile in the right direction.
Choosing and optimizing the right technology to run your shop can lead to growth that accelerates into massive returns on your investment.
Selecting the right auto tech software is, at its core, a business decision. You’re looking for the right tool for your shop: something that can manage workflow efficiently, free you up to spend your time on important shop decisions, and grow your bottom line.
How do you know if a system is designed to grow your business? At the very least, it must measure your business. If a shop management system cannot accurately measure shop performance, it can’t tell you whether or not using that system has improved your business.
Any solid shop management system should at least measure:
However, a great shop management system will show you much more, and present the information in a way that is easy to view, analyze, and understand.
With Tekmetric’s real-time Reports, you can track key performance indicators, including:
A system that improves life for you, your team, and your customers will already lead to new growth for your auto repair shop. Real-time reports open up even more overlooked opportunities for growing shop performance.
The decision to upgrade your auto tech software is a positive indicator that your shop is poised for growth in the near future. Your shop management system should be able to help you manage and encourage that growth without nickel-and-diming you every time you want to make an investment in your shop.
Adding team members to your system and training them to take on different roles and responsibilities should put more money in the bank, not take money out. Tekmetric’s pay-per-roof model is available across multiple price points with specific sets of available features, making growth easier for your shop.
You work hard to grow your profits. You should be able to keep as much of your payoff as possible.
No auto tech software can be judged independently of the company that built it and the staff that supports it. It’s not just the system you are buying; it’s the service and support of the team that comes with it. Some systems provide top-tier support; others offer virtually none.
Our Co-Founder Sunil Patel and leaders throughout our company instill a shop-first philosophy.
Tekmetric’s industry-leading customer success, onboarding, and training teams have carefully designed an onboarding process that is seamless enough that any shop owner—no matter what type of shop they operate, or how many shops they run—can make the switch and stay running without major hiccups. We make sure your data can be moved easily, and offer training to shorten the learning curve for you and your team.
Our development team drives toward the constant pursuit of innovation.
Tekmetric never stays static; our system dynamically evolves, keeping shops who use it at the forefront of the auto repair shop industry. We consistently communicate with our users, striving to achieve our max potential.
As you innovate as a shop owner and your team grows, we hope to fuel that growth and support you in your goals and ambitions.
Starting a tire shop is an exciting and profitable venture, but success isn’t just about getting customers through the door—you need the right tools and equipment to provide top-quality service. Whether you're performing tire repair, wheel balancing, or alignments, investing in high-quality automotive equipment ensures efficiency, safety, and customer satisfaction.
Many new shop owners make the mistake of cutting corners when purchasing tools, only to realize later that low-quality equipment leads to slower turnaround times, safety hazards, and costly mistakes.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly what’s needed to run a successful, efficient, and profitable tire shop.
Beyond hand tools, your tire shop needs specialized equipment to handle tire mounting, balancing, and alignment efficiently. Here are the nine must-have machines every professional shop needs:
A tire changer is the core machine of any tire shop, allowing fast and damage-free tire mounting and removal. A high-quality automatic tire changer saves time, protects expensive alloy wheels, and enables your shop to handle a higher volume of customers efficiently.
Tire changers come in a few variations to accommodate for different tire sizes and needs. When you are ready to make a purchase, consider the price, time to train your technicians, energy usage and return on investment. Here are some of the popular choices:
A wheel balancer ensures perfectly balanced tires, preventing vibrations and uneven tread wear. Investing in a wheel balancer for your auto repair shop helps you achieve precise results, improving customer satisfaction, and reducing comeback work. Wheel balancers come in a few variations:
Alignment machines are critical to any tire repair shop because misaligned wheels can cause uneven tire wear and poor handling. A high-tech alignment machine allows your shop to offer wheel alignment services, a high-profit service that improves customer retention. Alignment machines are expensive, ranging from $10,000 to $40,000 but can provide years of service that often justify the upfront cost.
Proper tire alignment leads to improved handling, fuel efficiency, tire life, and safety. All of these benefits help your customers get the most out of their new tires which leads to better customer loyalty.
Many of your shop’s tools, including impact wrenches and bead seaters, rely on compressed air. A large-capacity air compressor ensures consistent air supply, keeping your operations running smoothly.
Finding the right balance between having enough tires in stock and crowding your shop layout can be challenging. To maximize efficiency, keep track of which tires you sell the most of and reduce inventory of seasonal tires that you only need once a year.
Heavy-duty tire storage racks allow you to store new and used tires efficiently. If your customers can see your inventory, make sure it is organized and professional looking. Lastly, ask your technicians for feedback and how you can help them be more efficient by adjusting your layout or inventory.
A car lift makes tire rotations, inspections, and alignments easier and faster for your technicians. While they are expensive, they can be used for tire repairs as well as general automotive repairs. There are multiple types of lifts on the market so make sure to find the lift that works best for your shop. Consider price, size, lift speed, lift height, and load capacity.
Jack stands may be a cheaper alternative if you have a smaller budget to work with and don’t service a large volume of tires. However, they ares slower to use and may reduce effieiciencies in your shop workflow.
Some customers will just be looking for a quick patch or repair on their tire. Make sure you have patch and plug kits readily available so you can win easy business.
Your tire shop isn’t just about changing tires—you need to track inventory, invoices, and customer records. A modern workstation with tire shop management software (like Tekmetric) keeps operations organized, efficient, and profitable.
Even with high-tech machinery, manual tools are essential for precise tire work. These tools allow your technicians to handle tire mounting, balancing, and repairs efficiently and safely. Here are the nine tools every tire shop needs:
These are critical for manually mounting and demounting tires. Even with a tire changer, stubborn tires (such as off-road or low-profile tires) often require extra force. Pry bars and tire irons allow your techs to work efficiently and prevent rim damage.
Lug nut installation and removal is a daily task in any tire shop. An air impact wrench speeds up this process, while a torque wrench ensures that lug nuts are tightened to manufacturer specifications, preventing over-tightening (which can damage wheel studs) or under-tightening (which can lead to wheel detachment).
A bead seater blasts a strong burst of air to seat the tire bead onto the wheel, ensuring a secure and leak-free fit. This tool is especially valuable for handling low-profile, oversized, and performance tires, reducing manual effort and increasing efficiency.
Valve stems regulate tire pressure, and a valve stem tool kit allows for quick replacements and repairs. Properly maintaining valve stems prevents slow leaks and customer complaints, improving the overall quality of service.
A tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) is an electronic system designed to monitor the air pressure inside pneumatic tires on various types of vehicles. Having the right tool can help you make sure a customers TPMS light doesn’t come on after they leave your shop. These tools can do light resets and reprogram tire positions when necessary.
Proper tire pressure improves fuel efficiency, tire lifespan, and vehicle safety. A high-quality tire pressure gauge ensures accurate readings, while an inflator allows quick and precise air adjustments, reducing customer wait times.
Not all punctured tires need to be replaced—some can be repaired! A tire repair kit with patches, plugs, and rubber cement lets you fix minor punctures, offering customers a cost-effective alternative to tire replacement while increasing your shop’s revenue.
Sometimes, lug nuts are too tight for an impact wrench due to rust or excessive torque. A breaker bar provides extra leverage, making it easier to remove stuck lug nuts without damaging wheel components.
Proper wheel balancing ensures a smooth ride and even tire wear. A wheel weight hammer allows your techs to install or remove clip-on weights, while adhesive weights are ideal for balancing modern alloy wheels.
Setting up a successful tire shop requires more than just skills—you need the right tools and equipment. If the startup cost is daunting, consider leveraging vendor/supplier relationships to help with the cost. Or, leverage a line of credit from Tekmetric Payments. By investing in high-quality tire changers, wheel balancers, and shop management software, you’ll improve efficiency, customer satisfaction, and long-term profitability. You can learn more about Tekmetric's tire shop software here.
Selecting the right business name for your auto repair shop can be a challenging task. Your business name will be the first impression your potential customers have of your shop and will determine how memorable your shop will be. Use the ideas below to brainstorm the perfect name for your auto repair business.
Once you have your list of potential shop names narrowed down, it is time to do a final round of research to make sure your name is legal, optimized and ready to launch. Check out our final 6 tips and tricks below.
Before you can launch your new automotive shop name, you should check for Trademarks by visiting the US Patent and Trademark Website. Simply search your pending business name to see if it is taken or if you can proceed.
Search engine optimization for auto repair shops is an important avenue for driving brand awareness and new customers. To maximize your new business name, aim to include common keywords like “automotive”, “repair”, and “shop”. Also, try to use local terms like “Houston” to help search engines know where your services are located. Lastly, check to see if any competitors are using a similar name and determine if your name will be unique enough.
GoDaddy can check if your new automotive repair shop name is available to use. You will also be able to see how much the domain name will cost and whether it would be cheaper to use a variation of your business name.
Keeping your new shop name simple will help you in the long run. Potential customers will find it easier to remember (and share via word of mouth) if you keep it short and simple. Plus, shorter business names are easier to fit on business cards, advertisements, and social media.
Looking down the road, your new business name should fit within your overall automotive marketing strategy. Are you planning to use a certain logo or color scheme? Make sure your name fits the theme you are aiming for and attracts your target audience. If you plan to use social media marketing, check to see if your business name is available as a social handle.
Your name is likely your first impression with your customers. Once you are ready to launch, give it one more review to make sure it conveys the right brand identity and message. Lastly, have a friend or colleague offer feedback on your business name and see how it resonates with them.
Tekmetric has developed a free AI-powered mechanic shop name generator tool to help you brainstorm new business name ideas. Our tool can also help you check for domain availability and provide logo design concepts.
Finding the right name for your business is a daunting task and we hope this guide has helped you brainstorm new business name ideas and narrow down your list. We recommend taking the extra time to make the right choice up front so you don’t have to rebrand down the road. As always, there is wisdom to asking for feedback from your community. Select your top 5 names and ask for help picking the best shop name for your business.
Building a startup takes time, effort, and a lot of determination. You and your team have invested in a great idea, and everyone works diligently to bring new team members, investors, and customers on board. However, the process doesn’t end once the product or service has taken off and gained popularity.
A startup can operate on a lean team, with people wearing multiple hats and taking on extra responsibilities. But as the company grows, it will be time to hire more employees and scale the company to meet demand.
How to scale the business is an enormous question that causes hesitation for many leaders. How do you expand your business offerings and your team without losing the heart and inspiration that helped the startup succeed in the first place?
In my own business, Tekmetric, which offers shop management software for auto repair businesses, I have relied on a few tactics that enabled me—and our whole team—to scale sustainably. Here are four of the most vital.
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