The ROI Wake-Up Call: Why Most Auto Shops Are Measuring It All Wrong [E182]

Business By The Numbers

Thanks to our partner Promotive

Still judging your advertising budget by a percent of sales? Thinking of buying an alignment rack or even an entire shop? What about paying down that 2.75% mortgage? Hunt is here to challenge your assumptions and break down how ROI—Return on Investment—should guide every major decision you make.

In this week’s episode, Hunt pulls back the curtain on the real math behind smart business moves and how most shop owners are getting it wrong by focusing on emotion over numbers. Whether it’s marketing spend, new equipment, or business expansion, he explains how to look at your return like an investor—not just a technician with a calculator.

What You’ll Learn:

Understanding ROI Beyond the Buzzword

(01:16) Why ROI is more than just an acronym—it’s your business’s compass

(03:42) What advertising, buying equipment, and paying debt all have in common

(06:05) Why emotion-based decisions are costing you real money

Advertising ROI: The Most Misunderstood Metric

(06:55) The #1 mistake shops make when evaluating ad spend

(08:15) Why 3–6% of sales is a misleading metric

(10:37) Why gross profit—not sales—is the number that matters

(13:02) What a 100% ROI looks like—and why you might be underspending

Buying Equipment: A Smarter Way to Evaluate Big Purchases

(16:16) The alignment rack ROI breakdown every shop owner should run

(17:56) How many alignments you need to break even (and why it’s not enough)

(20:23) When optimism becomes a liability in ROI math

(22:11) What to do when the ROI is at 0%

Buying or Selling a Shop: The ROI Lens That Reveals Everything

(23:26) Why auto repair shops are sold based on profit—not top-line sales

(24:02) Two shops, same price—one makes 3X more: which would you buy?

(26:13) How bad ROI ruins family buyouts (and what to do instead)

Paying Off Debt: When It’s Smart—and When It’s Not

(29:41) Why paying off your credit card could earn you 24% overnight

(31:49) The 2.75% mortgage myth—when being debt-free costs you more

(34:07) Why cash beats being debt-free (almost) every time

(35:26) The lease payoff trap no one warns you about

Thanks to our partner Promotive

It’s time to hire a superstar for your business; what a grind you have in front of you. Introducing Promotive, a full-service staffing solution for your shop. Promotive has over 40 years of recruiting and automotive experience. If you need qualified technicians and service advisors and want to offload the heavy lifting, visit www.gopromotive.com.

Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair

Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com

Email Hunt: [email protected]

Text Paar Melis @ 301-307-5413

Download a Copy of My Books Here:

• Wrenches to Write-Offs
• Your Perfect Shop

The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/