The business of vehicle repairs is complex and getting more so; it goes without saying that advances in technology make the actual repairs more complex, although at the same time offering new diagnostic aids that we previously could only dream of. But outside the technology of vehicles and repairs, the complexities of owning and managing a repair business are also accelerating.

The repair sector is primarily the domain of small and medium businesses, usually in private ownership, with the owner mostly working in the business and often on the tools.

Legislative requirements around employment law, health & safety, tax and financial reporting, resource consents and waste disposal are some of the issues that can cause angst. Growing client expectations in terms of customer service, whether that is grooming with service, free loan cars or hospitable waiting areas also add to the load of running a modern repair business.

Whilst the focue at Motor Equipment News will always be around the technical side of the business, we know that there is more to it, which is why we are looking to run more content around operating the business. In this regard we are fortunate to have a number of sister titles that have expertise in these areas including NZBusiness + Management. NZBusiness has a tag line of ‘The owner manager’s magazine’, Company Vehicle is another sister title has a strong background around running LCV’s (vans and utes), which are the vehicles of choice for automotive businesses.

Last issue we looked at health and safety, this issue we have an interesting column courtesy of NZBusiness from Jo Douglas of Douglas Erickson – employment lawyers, on tackling medical incapacity and absence from work.

Happy reading,

Cathy