Business 12 www.aftermarketonline.net MAY 2025 Now could be time to carve out a new niche Jay Wheatley AAE MIMI, business coach and mentor at Absolutely Automotive, says specialising, and not just working with any car, might be the best move you make When I first took my ‘allmakes garage’ down the path of German car specialisation, it wasn’t because I wanted to create an exclusive, high-end service — it was because I wanted to fix cars properly. Like many independent garages, we’d come across complex faults that required dealer-level tools, software, and knowledge. Too often, we had to send those jobs elsewhere. A turning point for me was a decision to invest in the diagnostic tool of the moment. At the time, commonly known as the ‘Blue Box’, it came from Autologic. Back then, it was akin to witchcraft — we could code and programme things even the dealer couldn’t. It was a huge investment for a small independent garage, much more than the prices of today. The purchase and subsequent subscription were per brand, meaning that unless I fully committed to specialising, it wouldn’t make financial sense. Given that my local area had a high proportion of German cars, I knew I could complete repairs that others couldn’t. That allowed me to exceed the dealer offering, making the decision to specialise a natural one. Fast forward to now and the tooling landscape is much different. The Blue Box has been consigned to the history books and the business had to move on, considering other equipment options. However, the reasons for specialising — and the need for the right equipment and data — remain the same. This shift changed everything for me. But the decision to specialise isn’t as simple as picking a brand and hanging up a new sign. Whether you’re considering focusing on a single manufacturer, a multi-brand group, or even a service specialism like EV, the transition requires careful thought. Why specialise? Specialisation can make you an attractive alternative to a main dealer. Customers who are used to dealer servicing rarely switch to a general independent garage as their first step. They look for a specialist with a good reputation. If you position yourself as the go-to expert for a particular brand or service, you can almost take price out of the equation. Instead of being compared against other independents, you’re compared to the dealership, where you can often offer a more personal service at a lower cost. This all sounds great, so what’s the catch? Well, one thorny issue is a challenge for garage owners, rather than staff. This is commitment. Many owners struggle with saying no to work outside of their specialism. They often take on those jobs, even though their staff have been told not to. But why is this a problem? Well, if a VW specialist has a car park full of Renaults and Nissans, what message does that send to potential VW customers? People notice these things — word-ofmouth marketing is powerful, and nothing reinforces your reputation like a forecourt full of the vehicles you claim to specialise in. Finding the right fit Not every garage owner wants to — or should — specialise in a single brand. There are several ways to carve out a niche: O Single-brand specialists – Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche specialists are common, but success partly depends on having enough of those vehicles in your area; O Multi-brand specialists – some garages focus on a manufacturer group, like VW Group (VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda), or a broader category, such as ‘German car specialists.’ I see no reason not to mix it up a bit — BMW and Land Rover, for example. If you’re clear about what you do, it can work; O Service-based specialists – EV and hybrid servicing, performance tuning, Jay Wheatley Photo: Justine Lynn / Pexels
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