The Marginal Gains Approach to Running a Garage: A Conversation with Phil Brookes

This episode is sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol Service, please visit: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html

This week it's not a story episode, it's a business one. Alex and Leo sit down with business coach Phil Brookes, who has spent his career in the tyre and garage trade, from the workshop floor to training and running parts of a national group, and now coaching independent garages. We get into the stuff most owners never get taught: pricing with confidence, knowing your real numbers, front of house, recruitment and the small marginal gains that quietly add thousands to the bottom line.

If you run a garage and you have ever felt busy but not as profitable as you should be, this one is full of practical insight.

Timestamps: 00:00 - intro and why business training is undervalued 01:20 - phil's journey into the trade 07:38 - growing and selling a national tyre group 13:37 - why tyre pricing is so sensitive 17:25 - pricing with confidence and the three prices 18:50 - front of house and the restaurant lesson 26:39 - why training fails without follow-up 29:11 - marginal gains and the 1% rule 33:00 - the wheel alignment opportunity 38:27 - how much profit is really in a tyre 47:56 - leading, retention and recruitment 51:09 - knowing your numbers and the benchmarks that matter 57:29 - marketing and the garage that isn't busy enough 1:04:23 - hiq, wholesale and the real tyre margins 1:06:47 - how to get in touch with Phil

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