“How can we assume we’ll have business in the future when we don’t have it now?”
“Word of mouth. Customers tell their friends. Bed-and-breakfasts tell their guests that we’re trustworthy and conveniently located in town. They can save money coming here instead of the dealerships.”
Jake stared hopelessly at his screen. “I hope you’re right.”
“I know I am.” The truth was something a little less confident, but when Jake worried, I needed to be the positive one.
We fell silent for a few seconds, each lost in our own thoughts. There had to be a way to increase revenue quicker. “Most women don’t trust small garages. Is there a way to draw them in?”
Jake leaned back in his chair, a smile spreading over his face. “Now that’s an idea. Our clients tend to be younger men.”
“We could increase our clientele and reach. You know how women talk. If we can get the word out that they’re welcome here, and we won’t screw them over—”
Jake laced his fingers behind his head. “I think you’re on to something, but how do we do it? It takes time to build trust like that. Hailey complains that the dealer tries to upsell her all the time, and she just ends up more confused.”
I leaned a shoulder on the doorjamb. “Why doesn’t she come to you?”
“She’s got that certified used car, so maintenance is free at the dealership for a couple of years, but then they try to convince her to do all this other stuff.”
Jake and I vowed not to be like that when we opened our own business. We wanted to be honest and straightforward, even if it cost us business in the beginning. “What about offering classes to anyone who wants to be more knowledgeable about the basics like changing their oil and a tire?”
He nodded thoughtfully.
“We could advertise around town and on social media. Anyone who attends gets a discounted service.”
Jake leaned his elbows on the table. “Do we charge for the classes?”
“Let’s make them free. An incentive to try us out. Give us a chance.”
He nodded. “I like it.”
“Hopefully, we’ll get word-of-mouth referrals, too. If Hailey feels this way, it’s probably worse for women who don’t have a friend or family member who’s a mechanic.”
“We’d be reaching out and more involved in the community. Max is always talking about the importance of that.”
Max owned a bar and restaurant in town. The shop owners were a close-knit group of friends who met once a month to discuss business. They called themselves Shops on Main if I remembered correctly.
“You’ll work on the advertising?”
Satisfied we had a solid plan to increase visibility and potential profits, I said, “I’m on it. I’m heading out now. Corey’s supposed to be dropped off soon. You need anything?”
“No. I’m going to finish the projections for the year. Then I’ll be right behind you.”
“Don’t stay too late. We can’t be fresh if we’re working late every night.”
Jake smiled. “That’s why I wanted to go into business with you. You’re the voice of reason.”
It felt good that Jake relied on me. I wasn’t just a mechanic working for someone else. This was our creation, and we did everything together. “We work well together.”
He was the realist, and I was the dreamer. My parents hated that about me, but it was serving me well now. Jake had a hard time seeing what the future could be past the reality of numbers on a spreadsheet. I had enough hope for both of us.
“Have a good night,” Jake said.
“You too.” I grabbed my helmet and headed out to the lot. I pulled out into traffic, enjoying the warm evening. There were a lot of tourists out walking, eating, and shopping, so my ride across town was slow.
But it felt great to be home, and to be going home to my son.
ChapterThree