Regardless of the type of independence, the thought of it is exhilarating, inspiring, and dangerous all at the same time.
Take William Wallace, from the movie Braveheart, as an example. During a motivational speech in front of thousands of soldiers, Mel Gibson playing William Wallace said:
"Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!"
Whether you have seen Braveheart or not, freedom and independence are worth striving for, especially in the current oil market. For decades oil distribution was local. However, the internet and national account programs have changed the game. They have brought ease of ordering and transparency to aftermarket auto shops.
The best shop owners have caught on, and instead of being beholden to one brand or one distributor, they seek oil independence. This allows them the following:
- Get the best possible prices
- Get quality products
- Get oil at the speed their shop needs
We coach shop owners to only seek oil independence if they care about their future.
"Only seek oil independence if you care about your shop's future."
If you are ready to have more oil independence in your shop, here are three things to think about:
1. Own Your Equipment
Oil equipment can be expensive and complicated. Most oil distributors recognize this, so they leverage the equipment to get long-term contracts with shops. While this is convenient and inexpensive initially, it can be costly over time. Just take the last two years as an example. The cost of motor oil has skyrocketed over 100%. This means that every time a price increase goes into effect, shop owners with distributor equipment experience them. Conversely, if a shop owns their equipment, they can quickly look for the best pricing to stock their bulk tanks with quality oil.
The bulk tank options are endless, but gravity-fed 120-gallon triple stack tanks are the most popular option for independent shop owners on Motor Supply Co.
2. Buy Online for Transparent Pricing
Buying auto products online is now the norm in our personal lives. It's quickly moving its way into how shop owners purchase quality products for their shop. So instead of a distributor rep ordering your oil for owners and passing along the price increase after oil is already in tanks, the future is to order oil online with pricing visible from the get-go.
Motor Supply Co locks in prices for six months so shop owners can count on prices so they don't surprise their customers with constant increases.
3. Do Your Homework
These days, people will tell you anything to keep your business, regardless of whether it is true. So now is the time to do your homework around all options at your disposal.
A great way to do this is to leverage customer reviews and feedback from other shop owners to find the best solutions for your shop.
Motor Supply Co offers a digital savings calculator to help shop owners evaluate potential savings.
Closing
Regardless of how oil-independent you are today, channel your inner William Wallace and work towards being more unrestrained in the future.