Businesses are buckling down and tightening their checkbooks in an effort to control expenses to avoid or reduce the effects of a potential recession.
But in the auto repair industry, there are unique opportunities that come with uncertainty in the market – and that’s more business opportunities.
As people across the country reduce their spending, they are more likely to repair vehicles than to replace them, offering auto repair shops the opportunity to actually increase business. With the right strategies, you may find that it’s entirely possible for your shop to not only survive an economic recession – but thrive and grow.
What Growth During a Recession Looks Like
The concept of growth in a recession can look different for individual businesses. Some shop owners might consider maintaining consistent business to be a success.
This is a conservative, but fully acceptable approach – keeping consistent business can keep your shop open when many others might close.
Other shop owners, however, might be asking themselves, “How can I increase my bottom line during a recession?”
This perspective may sound like a pipe dream, but it’s highly realistic if you know the best strategies to implement for your shop
Expanding business when facing economic and unexpected challenges might seem impossible; however, the COVID-19 pandemic proved that great success in the auto repair industry can be achieved in uncertain times.
Throughout the pandemic, people chose to repair and maintain their existing vehicles, rather than purchase new ones. This actually increased the need for repairs, and people were saying yes to maintenance they might have turned down before, simply because they realized the necessity of keeping their cars in good shape.
As an added bonus, shops began to add a no-touch element, providing a great opportunity to enhance the customer experience.
While the pandemic was an uncertain time for everyone, it actually brought great advantages for auto repair as it allowed the shops that adapted to create a customer experience that customers continue to enjoy today.
In preparing for the economic uncertainty in the coming year, the lessons learned through the pandemic have become highly valuable, and they can be narrowed down to two keys to success: understanding your customers and creating a consistent process.
Understanding Your Customer
No matter what state the economy is in, the driving force behind all business comes down to the customer – the people who keep you in business.
Therefore, as you prepare for a potential economic challenge, you must pay particular attention to your customers’ needs – and any changes – to properly adapt your business to meet those needs.
Pay attention to what your customers appreciate about your shop or the extra services that make them come back to you for service rather than someone else. Think about why a customer agrees to the work you do.
Customers don’t buy brakes because they want to, and they don’t get excited about a new water pump or alternator.
However, they do understand that purchasing these car parts can get them a safe, reliable vehicle – an end goal that you can support.
As the shop owner, this means meeting the customer on their terms and showing them you understand their needs and wants.
A key factor that applies to this is establishing trust. Customers want to understand the repairs they are agreeing to.
You can offer them a greater understanding with tools like digital vehicle inspections (DVIs), photos and videos of the vehicle and text updates with clear communication of the repair process.
When you prove that your business is one customers can trust to complete the repairs safely and effectively at a fair price, they are more likely to agree to the repairs, and then return for more business.
Establishing a consistent process
In addition to understanding your customer, you must also offer a consistent experience, so they know they will receive the same great service and repairs every time they walk into your shop.
Consistency in your operations can make the difference between surviving and thriving during a recession.
One of the best ways shops can establish and maintain a consistent process is through the use of the right tools – particularly a cloud-based shop management system.
This type of software gives you the opportunity to track your shop’s data.
This allows you to remain aware of finances and business trends and make adjustments as needed, as well as automate processes, such as scheduling or maintaining a parts matrix.
This increases the efficiency of your shop, so even without adding new bays or staff, you can take on more work because you’re managing each repair order effectively.
On top of that, you can improve your customer communications with the ability to communicate via text to share images from DVIs and get their work orders approved, all without requiring another in-person visit.
A consistent process maintained through an effective shop management system makes it easier on everyone: you – for better data tracking and management of your shop behind the scenes – and your customers – for a more efficient, transparent customer experience.
How to Achieve Growth in a Challenging Economy
Overall, growth in a recession is an attainable goal if you are in tune with both your shop and your customers.
As you gear up for the year ahead, make sure you have a clear understanding of your customers and their needs, as well as how you can meet them.
Additionally, take the time to standardize your processes to keep them consistent. Utilize the right tools to help automate what you can, increase efficiency, and track data to monitor your shop’s progress and adapt as needed.
With these adjustments, you will put your shop in a position better prepared for growth and success, no matter how the economy is performing.
Think about your own day-to-day experience in and around your shop. What’s slowing you down, and what do you wish could be easier?
Maybe it’s showing customers inspection findings, maybe it's just keeping track of all your repair orders as you wait for parts or approval to start work. Or maybe it’s bringing in new business.
No matter what you think could be improved, chances are there might be a better tool for the job of helping you manage your shop.
At Tektonic 2026, one of the most memorable moments of the conference came when Tekmetric turned the spotlight on the shops doing the best work.
The inaugural Shop Excellence Awards, powered by performance insights from the Tekmetric platform, celebrated repair shops that are not only delivering standout business results, but also redefining what exceptional customer service, shop culture, and operational excellence look like across the automotive repair industry.
"Tonight is probably going to be my favorite part of all of Tektonic," Tekmetric CEO and Founder Sunil Patel said during the ceremony. "None of this is about us. It's about the shops in this room, the people actually doing the work. Running shops, leading teams, taking care of customers every single day."
Using 12 months of platform performance data from Tektonic event registrants, Tekmetric recognized shops that rose to the top across key measures of customer trust, service consistency, team culture, transparency, and operational growth.
"The shops that win today aren't just fixing cars … they're building businesses, leading teams, and delivering experiences customers remember," Tekmetric President & COO Lauren Langston said.
Top Car Count Award: Dick's Point S Tire & Auto Repair
The Top Car Count Award recognizes a shop that has earned extraordinary trust from its community at scale.
This year's winner, Dick's Point S Tire & Auto Repair in Battle Ground, Wash., served more than 25,000 vehicles during the last 12 months.
That level of throughput only happens when customers return again and again, and when shop teams consistently deliver an experience drivers trust.
"Serving nearly 26,500 vehicles in a single year means thousands of drivers who found a shop they could count on, returned when they needed help, and left satisfied," Langston said.
Sustained Growth Award: Branch Automotive and AutoPro Maryville
Growth is one thing. Sustaining it is something else entirely.
The Sustained Growth Award recognizes shops that have continuously raised the bar for what they deliver to every customer who walks through the door. Growth in average repair order reflects shops that are doing better inspections, making clearer recommendations, and earning customer confidence in the work their vehicles actually need. These two shops demonstrated the most consistent upward trajectory throughout 2025.
This year's winners were Branch Automotive in Highlands Ranch, Colo., and AutoPro Maryville in Maryville, Tenn.
Branch Automotive posted nine straight month-over-month increases in ARO. AutoPro Maryville also delivered nine month-over-month increases, growing by an impressive 51%.
Together, the two shops exemplify what sustainable growth looks like: stronger inspections, clearer recommendations, and the kind of customer trust that leads to consistently higher-value work.
DVI Powerhouse Award: Craftsman Auto Care – Fairfax
Matt Curry, president and CEO of Craftsman Auto Care, stands with Tekmetric CEO and Founder Sunil Patel and Tekmetric President & COO Lauren Langston at the Shop Excellence Awards during Tektonic 2026, presented by Tekmetric.
Transparency remains one of the most powerful drivers of trust in modern auto repair, and no shop demonstrated that better than Craftsman Auto Care – Fairfax.
“Winning means everything. It means my team winning–being able to pay the best in the business, being able to offer the best benefits, having amazing employees and amazing customers who just fall in love with us,” said Matt Curry, president and CEO of Craftsman Auto Care.
With almost 10,000 five-star reviews, with an average rating of 4.9 stars, Curry said that's a huge trust signal with all of their customers. Craftsman Auto Care uploaded hundreds of thousands of digital inspection images during a year, the highest total Tekmetric’s dataset.
"That's 300,000 moments where a customer could clearly see what their vehicle needed," Langston said. "Removing guesswork, building confidence, and helping drivers make informed decisions about their car."
The result is a service experience rooted in clarity, education, and trust.
Booked Solid Award: A Master Mechanic and Demore's Automotive
The Booked Solid Award honors shops that have built reliable, predictable demand through reputation and service, the kind customers actively seek out, return to, and refer others to.
This year's first winner, A Master Mechanic in Sparks, Nev., recorded the largest booked appointments in the Tekmetric network dataset.
This year's second winner, Demore's Automotive in Palmer, Mass., earned its recognition by proving that smart marketing and exceptional service are a powerful combination. As a Tekmetric Digital Ads beta participant, the shop turned digital visibility into real volume, reaching the right drivers at the right moment and converting first visits into long-term customer relationships. The result is full bays, steady demand, and a shop that delivers every time someone walks through the door.
Together, these two shops show that full schedules don't happen by accident. They're the result of consistent service, earned trust, and, increasingly, the strategic use of digital tools to reach customers before the competition does.
Financing Excellence Award: The Garagisti Katy
For many drivers, the biggest obstacle to safe, reliable transportation is not understanding the repair, it is figuring out how to pay for it.
The Financing Excellence Award recognizes the shop that best removed that barrier.
This year's winner, The Garagisti Katy in Katy, Texas, was the leading user of Buy Now, Pay Later financing across the Tekmetric network.
“I feel great, not only for myself, but for the team and everything that they do: the customer interactions, the sales, helping close the sale. It means a lot,” said Eddie Marlow, manager of The Garagisti Katy. “I have a great team, a great owner, and this award means a lot to all of us.”
By making financing a seamless part of the customer journey, the shop helped more drivers move forward with necessary repairs without added financial stress.
"This shop has made that moment easier," Patel said, referencing the often difficult conversations shops have when customers need repairs but hesitate because of cost.
Best Shop to Work For: The Kar Shop and Ice Cold Air
Ashley Butler, owner and franchisor of Ice Cold Air, stands with her team, wife, Tekmetric CEO and Founder Sunil Patel, and Tekmetric President & COO Lauren Langston at the Shop Excellence Awards during Tektonic 2026, presented by Tekmetric.
The final award of the evening focused on the people behind every customer experience.
The Best Shop to Work For Award recognized two shops this year, each demonstrating, in their own way, that the customer experience will never exceed the employee experience.
The first winner, The Kar Shop in Rogers, Ark., was recognized for building a culture where technicians and staff feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow. During the ceremony, Tekmetric leaders shared one story that stood out: the shop changed its operating hours so employees could spend more time with their families while continuing to invest in training and long-term career development.
“It's really kind of impressive that our guys think so much of us. In your day to day, you don't really think about things like that,” said Keith Kingston, one of The Kar Shop’s owners. “You're there to make sure the customers get taken care of, that everything flows well, that you have all your parts; there are so many small details you have to worry about. You don't always stop to think about how everybody feels. So to know that they said good things about us, it's really kind of humbling.”
The second winner, Ice Cold Air, earned its recognition through intentional hiring, steady processes, and genuine leadership, building a workplace where people feel supported, valued, and proud to belong.
“And what just happened right there with my team and my wife? That energy is going to go back home with us,” Ashley Butler, owner and franchisor of Ice Cold Air, said immediately after winning the award. “It's going to go throughout the entire organization. And next year, we're coming back with a minimum of two people from each shop, that means 28 people. We're going to bring techs, we're going to bring managers, we're going to bring franchisees, so they can come build that energy and experience Tekmetric firsthand.”
With more than 100 employees, Ice Cold Air’s impact reaches far beyond the shop floor. The Tampa, Fla., team believes in doing things the right way: investing in their people, giving back to their community, and building something that lasts.
"It shows up in their culture, their retention, and in every customer interaction," Langston said.
Raising the Standard for the Industry
The Shop Excellence Awards were ultimately about more than recognition. They highlighted the operational habits, customer-first decisions, and team investments that move the entire industry forward.
At Tekmetric, that is exactly what Tektonic is built to celebrate: the shops leading by example and showing what great looks like.
"To all of our winners, and honestly, to every shop in this room, we know what it takes to do this well," Patel said in closing. "The standard you're setting is what moves this entire industry forward."
Starting a business can be a big risk. But if you map out a plan and execute it right, the outcome is well worth it. Having a solid automotive repair workshop business plan in place is especially important if you ever plan on owning multiple shops.
When you realized that you wanted to be a shop owner, it’s likely you considered the good you can do for both yourself and other people. Helping customers get their vehicles back on the road, and helping service advisors and mechanics grow in their careers is an exceptionally rewarding aspect of owning and operating a repair shop.
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