Brian Bellante's auto repair shop doubled its business in one year and hit $1 million in sales in two years. He now has a total of 11 bays, after having opened the shop with just three.

However, things were not always so easy. Located in the highly competitive region of Antioch, California, Brian watched as six repair shops in his town went out of business. His shop was in a decline and long hours were required to keep things going. Brian knew he had to do something to save himself from being another casualty.

He credits his success to taking the plunge and trying something new to bring his business forward. Completely new to the concept and ways of marketing, signing up with Ron Ipch of CinRon Marketing helped him to learn the strategies needed to not only keep his shop open, but to have it thrive.

Overview
Brian has been involved with auto repair for much of his life. €I had a knack for it since I was a kid. I always liked taking things apart and figuring out how they worked,€ he explains. Having always liked cars, he inevitably opened Auto Diagnostic and Repair 13 years ago, as the sole owner.

Challenges
The biggest obstacle that Brian had to overcome was his own doubt and fear of marketing. €I was reluctant to put forth a lot of time and money into something without knowing what the results were going to be, he explains. €It was daunting not knowing if the effort was going to pay off or not.€

Brian also had to learn how to be a business owner, rather than just a technician in his own shop. Stepping away from technician duties would free his time and enable him to market and run the business in a more productive manner.

Goals

€Increase profit by targeting repeat business.
€Differentiate the shop from the competition.
€Increase cash flow to be able to expand the business.

Methods
Brian learned how to analyze the type of customers he wanted to attract and ways to keep his customers engaged. He explains, €Business depends on give and take and if customers feel valued and are given great service they will want to return. Our strategies helped our customers to feel valued and along with great service, they had plenty of reasons to return.€

He also implemented strategies that allowed him as a business owner, and his company, to become a part of the community. This helped to enhance his image and set him apart from the competition.

As a participant in Ron's Mastermind groups Brian was able to work with about 20 other like-minded shop owners. The group shared knowledge about successful actions they have taken and were able to put their minds together for brainstorming in a very non-competitive environment. €It has been extremely beneficial to participate in the groups,€ says Brian. €These shop owners are like me, in the trenches every day, doing what I'm doing. We share knowledge and ideas - it's great!€

Conclusion
"Marketing is essential - take the leap of faith and do it", says Brian. €If I had not worked with Ron I'd probably be stuck working in the business for somebody else rather than keeping my shop open and owning my own business.€