experience and skill of C.A.R.S.’ two Airbrush Artists were profiled along with a tribute to their American customers. “Our website is crucial to our expansion,” Paul Sr. outlines. “Not only does it offer our clients information at their fin- gertips, it allows them get involved. We’ve tied-in our social media feeds so that the website maintains a fresh feel. This attracts new customers as they see feedback from current clients and results from current projects.” “The ink was still wet on our business plan; we had just recently registered the company and picked up our first business cards just days before.” The aesthetic side of the business is not even where Paul Sr. gets the greatest pleasure. He loves resting his approach and pricing on the family-found foundation he and his wife built. “Our current rate per hour is $90, which is extremely competitive for our industry. More importantly, our average daily billing per employee is 6.5 hours. We recognize that if we charge our customer for every second of the work day – even if it’s taking a quick bathroom break – that we cut into our own budgets, making it harder to meet demands,” he insists. “The current U.S. exchange rate seems to be hurting a lot of businesses, but we’re finding the opposite is true. Our strategy is simple: First, we identify and source the parts our customers need and have them order them directly. This eliminates the shipping cost to the shop, which the consumer typically absorbs and includes costly mark-ups. This means that everyone involved is a little less bruised from shopping cross-border. For our American Clientele, it’s a win-win. They benefit from the exchange rate, saving nearly 25% of labour costs – and besides, most U.S. customers usually send their pre-purchased parts along with their vehicles.” If it seems like Paul Sr. and his team anticipate your needs, you are right. They think like you. They want your car, your truck, your motorcycle, your boat – or your vintage juke box – bringing you that feeling of exhilaration and freedom it did on day one. They get it. “I’m not in it for the money; I’m in this because it’s my passion. What makes it even better is that my employees become like family, so morale is easy to maintain – they always want to do better and better. Customers also become like friends and family because they know our service is reliable and fair. When you send people away happy, they send another 10 our way. Good words travel fast. I’ve always held that we H.I.T. our competition with: Honesty, Integrity and Transparency.” Paul Sr.’s American clients are well aware that his competi- tive edge knows no borders.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS • AUGUST 2016
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