High-performing industries don’t fear failure — they study it.

In this Training Topic, we apply Black Box Thinking to the independent garage sector, revealing why common metrics like NPS and online reviews often tell only part of the story.

You’ll learn why:

The customers who don’t complain matter most

Silence is often a stronger signal than criticism

Real progress comes from studying failure without blame

This is a must-listen for garage owners who want fewer comebacks, stronger systems, and decisions based on reality — not reassurance.

For decades, independent garages have built their businesses on two profit centres: the work and the shop.

Labour and parts.

But this mindset traps garages in low-value thinking, price comparison, and discount-driven decisions that undermine profitability.

In this training topic, we break the myth wide open.

You’ll discover how labour and parts become commodities in today’s market — and why neither of them represents what customers actually buy. Instead, we shift perspective to the only lens that matters: the customer’s.

Using the Money Model Method, we demonstrate how garages can move beyond selling tasks and components to start selling outcomes.

If you want to stop competing on price, raise your labour rate confidently, deliver the correct service every time, and transform your workshop from a “work & shop” mindset to an outcome-driven business model — this topic is essential listening.

You know you’re going to sell—what you haven’t asked is who will actually buy it.

The headline dream is staff ownership, but with only ~1 in 8 workers self-employed nationwide, that's statistically unlikely.

The next fantasy is private equity—but PE backs platforms and roll-ups, not single-site micro-garages.

Meanwhile, your sales agent claims the “asking price” is hot… yet real offers never materialise once diligence begins.

In this training topic, we cut through the brochure-speak and reveal who the most probable buyer is.

In this Training Topic, we show how seasonal marketing turns chaos into cadence.

Using predictable patterns (weather, school terms, registration/MOT waves), you’ll build a proactive plan — not last-minute ads.

You’ll learn how to build a seasonal marketing plan to fill quiet weeks, prioritise best customers when you’re busy, and position your garage as the local expert — right when drivers need you.

Lean and Six Sigma promise smoother systems and higher profits — but do they actually work in a workshop where every job is different?

Everyone loves the idea of running lean — fewer wasted hours, faster flow, cleaner bays.

But in the real world of independent garages, does Lean and Six Sigma make you too thin?

In this week’s Training Topic, Andy unpacks what Lean really means for small garage teams. You’ll hear:

Three ways Lean transforms chaos into calm — smoother flow, faster turnaround, and fewer comebacks.

Three ways it goes wrong — over-measuring, over-tidying, and under-thinking.

And how the real “secret sauce” is not just efficiency, but the perfect blend of doing better and serving more.

Because efficiency has its limits — but the number of customers you can delight doesn’t.

Combine the two, and you’ll create a workshop that’s not just busy… it’s brilliant.

This Training Topic from 2022 explains how to carry out a SWOT analysis.

SWOT analysis can be used on:

• Your Own Business
• A competitor
• Staff
• Equipment

It provides a framework for fair, honest evaluations.

This short replay topic from 2022 asks the question

What if I put my prices up?

It aims to answer the following:

1. Three reasons to raise prices
2. The real reason for not raising prices
3. Consequences of not raising prices

This short Training Topic explains the First 3 stages of business.

Infancy-Adolescence-Maturity

Knowing which stage you are currently at helps the owner work on the things that are most important at that level.

The DANGER zone is between infancy and adolescence; this is where most businesses are stuck in a loop of doom.