This show is a great discussion with operators, association presidents, and suppliers from Australia. Cargroomers was kind enough to sponsor this weeks show and bring everybody together for this discussion. We talk about how this market is different, where they struggle and where they shine. What have they learned from the US market and what innovative things are they doing that we could learn from.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host)

Blair and Errol Woolcott (Cargroomers Australia) – Soap manufacturer based in Brisbane Australia who sells a water-saving line of chemicals in the US (slipstreamautomotive.com.au)

Chris Johns (Managing Director, Hoppys Hand Wash Cafe – Brisbane) – Chris is the winner of the 2008 ICA Leadership in Innovation Award.

Richard Holloway (Managing Director, Car Wash Headquarters) – Richard is also the current President of the Australian Car Wash Association.

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems, Hydraflex Inc.,

This Weeks Sponsor: Slip Stream Automotive – Australian car wash suppliers have had to find ways to reduce water usage and improve wash quality, learn more about this unique product line by visiting them on the web or calling them at ph 0416188858

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Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Susan Black-Beth (Chief Operating Officer, Super Wash), Fred Grauer (Owner Whistle Stop Carwash, VP Micrologics), George Spelius (Editor, Modern Car Care)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems, Hydraflex Inc.

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We have some very special guests for the big 50th show – we talk about long term planning (or reacting in some cases) and ways in which planning will help grow your business.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Robert Greene (Carwash Express), Kate Carr (Editor, Professional Carwashing & Detailing), Paul Fazio (CEO, Sonny’s Direct)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems, Hydraflex Inc.

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Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have a crystal ball that we looked in when we were hiring a new employee and could with a fair amount of accuracy know whether they will be a good hire? Learn about some really cool scientific hiring methods being put into practice today!

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Ken Cook (Operations Manager, Carwash Express), Perry Powell (Owner, Perry Powell Consulting)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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We take our panel this week of industry insiders and operators to talk about looking to the local competition with fresh eyes. How can we learn about being a better business and a better competitor? Great show this week – a MUST listen.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Curt Aton (Franklin Carwash), Kyle Doyle (CarwashTV.com and Blue Sky Media Group), Robert Greene (Carwash Express Inc.), Kate Carr (Editor, PC&D)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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Those of us that have been in the business know that summertime is traditionally the time to ramp up marketing and keep those bays wet. We have a great conversation with some very progressive operators about what they are doing to combat the summer slump.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Tom Hoffman, Jr. (Hoffman Carwashes), Bob Schrum (Flagstop Carwashes, SECWA Board), Robert Greene (Carwash Express Inc.), Kate Carr (Editor, PC&D)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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I had the chance to catch up with Kyle Doyle, a guy who is (in my opinion) is really helping change the face of this industry and has his heart in the right place. He’s been in the wash industry for most of his life and has recently struck out on his own starting new ventures and preaching the gospel of Car Wash Marketing. So of course I’d get along with this guy, we are drinking from the same batch of kool-aid.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Kyle Doyle (CarwashTV.com, Blue Sky Media Group)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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We have a nice wrap up show that was recorded the week following the event in Las Vegas. We have a nice mix of media, manufacturers, and operators on the panel. Tune into what the vibe was, what the attendance felt like, and what the ‘buzz’ was for new products or what types of products were getting positive attention.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Kate Carr (PC&D Magazine), Robert Greene (Carwash Express), Frank Lash (CarRobics Carwash), Fred Grauer (Whistlestop Carwash / Micrologics)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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We are talking with Eric Wulf and his staff to discuss the upcoming tradeshow! See you all there – if your at the show I will be in the WashCard Systems booth the whole time. Come by and visit.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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This weeks show is just fantastic – we are going to discuss and prognosticate (guess) what the Car Care World Expo is going to be like in 2010 based on pre-registration numbers that are very surprising! We also spend the second half of our show discussing how to dig your business out of a hole in the current economic climate, what can operators do to improve their business now that business isn’t so great?

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Robert Greene (Carwash Express), Mike Perry (Consultant), Tony Jones (Editor, Modern Car Care)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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In this weeks podcast we have two operators that are involved in the gated self service business model. Robert Greene of Carwash Express shares his 1-month results of the 8-bay self service location that he remodeled into a gated self service. Robert tells us whether or not he is a “hero or a zero”. We also have Marcus Kitrell, owner of Mark-1 Express who is been considering remodeling a location of his into a gated self service location.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Robert Greene (Carwash Express), Marcus Kitrell (Mark-1 Express)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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We are going to be talking about the great ideas we learned at the SCWA Expo from Late February. We have operators as our first time guests (and long time listeners).

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Tim Jones (Owner, Champion Carwash), Jay Brown (Owner, Shawnee Suds)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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This week we discuss what we learned and what you missed if you didn’t make it to the SECWA Savannah Roadshow hosted by Wash Ideas Weekly’s very own regular good’ol boy Robert Greene. Join Robert and several other operators and attendees to get the takeaways from this event.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Robert Greene (Owner of Carwash Express, Inc), Andrew Jaffa (Owner of CarBux Express), Kevin Wood (Owner of Snappy Express Auto Wash).

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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This week we talk with a video promotion company and a carwash operator that teamed up to sell carwashes and inform the public in an amazing and enjoyable way. They call it CarClean – check it out! You’ll be glad you did, I even learned a few new things!

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Richard Camp (Creative Director of Shot Rocket) and Jeff Coplin (Owner of Matt and Jeff’s Carwash)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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[please forgive the audio issues - one of the guests had their sound from their speakers causing some strange noises from time to time]

We are back with Fred Grauer, Jerry Nix, and George Spelius to talk about the take aways from the WCA roadshow that was in Phoenix, AZ. Great discussion on remodels and the future of our industry.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Fred Grauer (Owner of Whistle Clean Carwash, and VP of Micrologic), Jerry Nix (Former President of the Western Carwash Association), and George Spelius (Editor, Modern Car Care)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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This week we talk with our friends from Modern Car Care and the Western Carwash Association about their upcoming road show event and discuss labor issues and our industries future in 2010.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Kate Carr (Editor of Professional Carwash & Detailing),  Holly Macriss (Executive Director of the Western Carwash Association), and George Spelius (Editor, Modern Car Care)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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This week we discuss the news with Kate Carr and chat with Kyle Doyle about his recent editorial in MCC “smart ways to attract new customers”. If you want to get caught up on some recent industry news stories and hear about some great marketing ideas, tune in.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Kate Carr (Editor of Professional Carwash & Detailing), and Robert Greeen (Owner, Carwash Express Inc)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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I’m afraid to say that business owners, especially carwash operators have seen the writing on the wall for some time now, it’s just been easier to look the other way. When times were ‘good’ it was hard to justify making potentially costly investments into the business with “things were already working”… Every business will change several times during their lifespan – the only difference is whether the decision to change was out of foresight or hindsight. The reason why big companies always seem to be reinventing themselves is because they have spent millions on research to identify that consumers change far more often than our businesses do. Did you know that big box retail and restaurants have “test markets” all over the country that try new business models, menu items, store layouts, and different promotional programs? They’ve done a LOT of the work for us and most small business owners have not realized this.

Here are some things we should learn from the big businesses that change with the times (aka. big box)

Customers time is valuable: Like we haven’t know this before right? But notice all of the stores with express check out lanes? Do you realize that you can buy just about anything without cash these days? Have you noticed that pharmacies are not even built without a drive-up window anymore?

Takeaway: Some businesses are finding creative ways to make the experience of a carwash quick and easy. They offer express lanes, express detail, cashless payment acceptance, extended hours of operation, express payment terminals, and many more.

Manufacturer and distributors partner with their customers: Walk into any Best Buy and you’ll quickly realize that it’s not just blue-shirt employees in the store. They have an Apple representative, a Verizon / AT&T / Sprint / T-Mobile representative, Sony Reps, etc. They are all their to support the staff with expert training and help the customers answer their specific questions about complex products. Even smaller stores receive monthly training from their manufacturer and distributor representatives on how to effectively market and understand the various product offerings.

Takeaway: You should be working with companies that can provide you with assistance, training, marketing advice, and consulting. Distributors and Manufacturers should be reaching out to their end users and finding out how they can help make them successful. Send them to trade shows, hold educational sessions, send somebody out for an onsite visit, help them put together a marketing plan.

Customers can pay any way they want: This will come across as a shameless plug but just realize that every fast food business, gas station, retail business, and oil change lube shop all accepts credit cards in addition to cash. Why is it that two-thirds of operators still are a cash-only business?

Takeaway: If your not taking credit cards everywhere on your location you’ve already missed the boat. Your playing catch-up with your competition and if the other car washes in your area are not yet taking credit card as a form of payment on all of your services your lucky. You have an opportunity to capitalize on this customer expectation and reap the benefits.

Other things ‘Big Box’ has done to survive;

Smart Hiring and Firing: This is the wakeup call that has businesses evaluating their staff and replacing underperforming staff with highly qualified individuals from the ranks of the unemployed. Do regular staff performance evaluations, document issues like time theft, showing up late, customer complaints, and have your ‘case’ built if you have an employee that you would like to replace. This keeps you safe from expensive unemployment claims.

Create financial transparency with the staff: Management never likes letting employees know how much money the business is really making. But it’s now proven that staff that knows the real financial stakes creates a greater sense of inclusivity. Employees work harder and feel that they are part of the solution, not just another problem. If employees know that your business is in trouble perhaps they will work harder to keep things afloat (and keep the jobs they all count on!).

Try new things: Big Box realizes that if what they are doing now isn’t working it’s time to shake things up and do something new. So for your wash business perhaps it’s time to investigate that unlimited wash program, that fleet marketing program, or courting the local fundraiser and charity groups. You never know what the ‘next big thing’ will be in your area until you’ve tried it.

What do you think our industry can learn about what Big Box Retail is doing? How can we apply it to our small businesses?

This week we discuss the news with Kate Carr and chat with Kyle Doyle about his recent editorial in MCC “smart ways to attract new customers”. If you want to get caught up on some recent industry news stories and hear about some great marketing ideas, tune in.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Kate Carr (Editor of Professional Carwash & Detailing), and Kyle Doyle (President, Blue Sky Image Group)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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The reason you keep listening is to get new ideas on how to improve your business right? Well, this episode certainly will not disappoint.

This week I’m talking with Mike Perry, a carwash marketing cheerleader coach and author of a lot of recent editorials specific to in-bay operations and marketing – we talk about his experiences and his thoughts on what operators should be doing and COULD be doing to improve their wash business.

Featuring Ryan Carlson (Your Host), Mike Perry (email)

Show Sponsors: Modern Car Care, WashCard Systems

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