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Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, and Overdryve Did your health insurance renewal just land with another double-digit increase? Paying $800 a month for a group plan your techs could buy themselves for $500? Why can’t you just hand them the difference? Stephanie from Five Creek Automotive asked Hunt that question. Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, opens his own books. His premiums are up about 10% again, and covering one middle-aged employee in Maryland runs roughly $900 a month. He explains why rates keep climbing, and why a healthy 26-year-old tech will skip a $10,000-a-year policy. He also explains why a plan you won’t help pay for can cost your team more than the exchange. His rule of thumb: if you can’t cover at least half of single coverage, don’t offer it. Then come the rules that trip owners up. You can’t reimburse employees for plans they buy themselves, which is why business plans often cost up to 25% more. A group plan through payroll turns a $1,000 premium into about $250 in tax savings and lets employees pay their share pre-tax. Hunt covers how to help a long-time tech without breaking anti-discrimination rules. He finishes with four options for when costs get out of hand: a raise in place of benefits, a high-deductible plan with an HSA, a PEO for larger shops, and a QSEHRA for smaller ones. Whether you’ve offered a group plan for years or are pricing your first, this episode shows what the IRS will actually let you do. What You'll Learn… 00:00 Intro 04:20 Why premiums keep climbing 07:13 Why young techs skip coverage 08:55 The 50% rule for group plans 09:44 Can you reimburse exchange plans? 13:13 Why business plans cost more 14:21 The tax math on group plans 16:02 Same job, same benefits 18:23 High deductible plan plus HSA 19:09 When a PEO pays off 19:58 QSEHRAs for small shops 21:00 Don’t switch on price alone Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 info.gopromotive.com/hunt Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Overdryve AI Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Demo the Marketing Intelligence Platform at https://getoverdryve.ai/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Download and Listen on Our Mobile App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/ Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, and Overdryve What is your shop actually worth, and who will pay it? Two of Hunt’s clients want to sell someday, but neither knows who the buyer will be. As Hunt explains, that answer decides whether you retire today or three years from now. Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, explains why your shop’s value is a range, not a number. At $400,000, a good shop might draw 20 buyers. At $800,000, there may be one, if you can find him. He ranks three buyer groups from the lowest price to the highest: family and key employees, private parties, and private equity. He also covers how sweat equity works, why a 10% discount is the most common, and why the worst deals he sees are with family, where parents sometimes hand their retirement shortfall to the kids. Then he gets practical. Ninety percent of his clients already know the person who ends up buying their shop. Hunt shares how to approach a likely buyer without looking desperate, why your tool truck and coaching group often know who’s buying, why an NDA “means nada,” and when a broker is worth the fee. For owners who want top dollar, he lays out what private equity looks for: size, bay count, location, the hub-and-spoke model, and, above all, a shop that truly runs without its owner. Whether you plan to sell in five years or hand the keys to your service advisor, this episode shows how your choice of buyer shapes your price and your timeline. What You'll Learn… 00:00 Intro 03:52 Does it really run without you? 05:15 $400K easy, $800K hard 06:48 Camry shop, Ferrari price 10:36 Three buyers, three prices 12:12 Family and key employees 13:38 Why family deals go wrong 14:33 The 10% sweat equity rule 19:22 Your buyer is already in your Rolodex 23:50 When to call a broker 25:51 What private equity wants 29:41 The hub and spoke model If you plan to sell someday, the time to figure out who’s buying is now. This episode is essential listening. Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Overdryve AI Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Demo the Marketing Intelligence Platform at https://getoverdryve.ai/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Download and Listen on Our Mobile App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/ Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, and Overdryve Thought interest rates had peaked? So did most of the country. So what happens when a customer needs a $10,000 repair, owns a home with hundreds of thousands in equity, and still can't pay? Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, returns to interest rates for the first time in over a year. He explains the Federal Reserve's quarter-point hike and why the relief expected in 2026 keeps slipping away. The Fed rate sits under every credit card, car note and mortgage your customers carry. Hunt shows why one good inflation report proves little when it's measured a new way, and how the K-shaped economy pays savers 4.5% while borrowers sink. He also says today's stock market looks like a shop that lives off three AI customers. Then he looks at what this means for your customers. The 30-year mortgage is near 7.5%, up from 6.5% a year ago. Customers holding 3% mortgages can't or won't borrow against their homes to cover a big repair. Commercial loans written near 3% in 2021 are resetting around 9%, and some landlords locked into 10-year leases are telling their banks to take the building. Hunt explains why shops that own their buildings are better protected, why rising costs justify raising your prices, and why savers have rarely had it better. Whether you're carrying a variable-rate loan, facing a commercial refinance, or watching customers turn down big repairs, this episode explains what's driving rates and how long they may stay high. What You'll Learn… 00:00 Intro 02:17 Why the Fed rate sets yours 05:07 0% vs. 30% on the same truck 06:43 The inflation report that changed the math 09:00 The K-shaped economy 10:13 A stock market riding on three companies 12:14 Why 2026 didn't go to plan 16:37 The quarter-point hike and what's next 19:26 What high rates mean for your customers 21:04 Home equity customers can't touch 23:31 Commercial loans: 3% to 9% 25:29 Why landlords are handing back the keys If you're ready to stop waiting for rates to fall and start planning your pricing, your debt and your cash around the rates we have now, this episode is essential listening. Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Demo the Marketing Intelligence Platform at https://getoverdryve.ai/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Download and Listen on Our Mobile App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/ Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, and Overdryve Did you buy a truck last December just to shrink your tax bill? Is the year-end bonus you pay yourself actually handing the IRS more money? In part two of his tax series, Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, moves from tax planning to the part every shop owner wants to hear about: paying less. He walks through six strategies and flags where owners get each one wrong. A $6,000 compressor saves you $1,500 but leaves you $4,500 poorer, while a $6,000 IRA contribution saves the same $1,500 and you keep every dollar. Hunt also explains why a small 401(k) can cost you thousands a year in fees, how an HSA works like a second retirement account, and why an S corp owner who bonuses profit onto payroll pays more tax. He closes with entity structure, where one election saved a client $25,000 in a year, and a simple rule for equipment: decide what you need first, and let taxes decide only when you buy it. Whether you've never opened a retirement account or you're wondering if your entity setup still fits a shop that has doubled in size, this episode gives you a clear list to take to your accountant before year-end. What You'll Learn… (00:00) Intro (03:39) Hunt's money-back guarantee (05:03) Why a $6,000 compressor is a weak deduction (06:23) Retirement: time beats dollars (07:32) When your 401(k) costs more than it saves (09:11) HSA vs. FSA explained (13:36) The S corp bonus mistake (15:42) The $70K to $80K salary sweet spot (16:59) Why gaming expense timing backfires (18:21) Entity structure: the real found money (20:18) Buying a truck to save taxes? Do the math (21:40) When taxes should change your purchase timing If you're ready to stop buying equipment just to dodge a tax bill and start paying yourself in a way that keeps more money out of the IRS's hands, this episode is essential listening. Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Demo the Marketing Intelligence Platform at https://getoverdryve.ai/

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve Do you actually know what you'll owe the IRS next spring, or are you just hoping it works out? And if your accountant has been extending your taxes for years, is that actually saving you anything? This week, Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, kicks off a two-part series on taxes by tackling the piece most shop owners skip entirely: tax planning. Hunt draws the line between tax preparation (backward-looking, mandatory, and reactive) and tax planning (forward-looking, optional, and the thing that actually keeps you from getting blindsided). He walks through the exact five-minute math he uses to annualize a shop's net income from partial-year numbers, why extending your return "to lower audit risk" is a myth, and the personal-return landmines, like ACA marketplace credits and phased-out child tax credits, that catch shop owners off guard even when the business side looks fine. Whether you've never run a tax estimate in your life or you just want to sanity-check what your accountant is telling you, this episode gives you the framework to stop being surprised every April. What You'll Learn… (02:29) Why this isn't the tax-saving episode you expected (05:00) Tax prep vs. tax planning: it's about timing, not paperwork (05:53) The financial-analysis cycle behind every good tax plan (07:14) Why most shops never build a real tax plan (09:08) Busting the "extending lowers my audit risk" myth (09:57) When it's time to fire your accountant over extensions (11:30) The annual tax planning calendar Hunt runs for clients (15:04) How to annualize your own net income in five minutes (17:09) Red flags: when your numbers swing too high or too low (18:27) The 25% rule for ballparking what you'll owe (19:53) Kids, credits, and the ACA surprise that blindsides shop owners Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Maverick Shop Owners You're working on growing a more profitable shop - that's critical. That's exactly what the 24-video Blueprint course by Maverick Shop Owners addresses - customers, sales, profit, people, systems, and freedom. Get free access for our listeners only at https://maverickshopowners.com/blueprint Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Visit https://overdryvemarketing.com/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Download the ARPN APP for your smartphone and listen to all our network shows: arpn.app Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve Would you take the job you're offering your own technicians? Could a candidate's spouse be the real decision maker in your next hire, and do you know what she needs to hear? Hunt Demarest sits down with Sam Freeman and Lisa Coyle from Promotive, the recruiting firm that places technicians, service advisors, and shop managers across the country, to talk about why so many good candidates never make it past the first ninety days, and why so many good shops can't fill a seat no matter how much they raise pay. Lisa and Sam walk through the data points that predict a bad hire before it happens, why flat rate is becoming a harder sell with both technicians and consumers, and why one in three shops is losing candidates over a benefits package that just isn't competitive. They also dig into the stat driving a lot of the industry's anxiety right now: seventy percent of people who take their first automotive job leave the trade within twelve months and never come back. Whether you're struggling to fill a single bay or running a shop with a full crew, this episode is a reality check on what candidates are actually evaluating when they walk through your door, and what you can control when the market itself is working against you. What You'll Learn... 00:10 Meet Sam and Lisa from Promotive 02:40 The 58% red flag before day one 04:02 The three-benefit tipping point 07:16 The case for hybrid pay over flat rate 11:16 What top techs ask before they say yes 16:53 Why 70% quit the trade and never look back 22:29 Everybody wants an A-tech, nobody wants to build one 26:23 The licensing trap costing shops candidates 32:46 Building the bench before you need it 40:33 Inside Promotive's portal, pricing, and guarantee 47:31 Your team is your best billboard Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Maverick Shop Owners You're working on growing a more profitable shop - that's critical. That's exactly what the 24-video Blueprint course by Maverick Shop Owners addresses - customers, sales, profit, people, systems, and freedom. Get free access for our listeners only at https://maverickshopowners.com/blueprint Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Visit https://overdryvemarketing.com/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Download the ARPN APP for your smartphone and listen to all our network shows: arpn.app Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve Do you actually know your break-even point, or just a number that feels close enough? And if you hit it, would you even know why? This week's episode started with a phone call. Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, was walking a client through his numbers through July when he realized something: most shop owners can eyeball their break-even point, but almost none of them understand what's actually driving it. Hunt breaks down the fastest way to find your break-even using your own monthly financials, why a sales target is really just a stand-in for what you actually need (gross profit), and how to turn that number into real targets for cars, hours, and average repair order that your team can actually use. He also tackles the messy middle ground of cost of goods sold versus overhead, and why the math works out the same either way as long as you're consistent. Whether you've never once run this calculation for your shop or you set your break-even years ago and haven't touched it since, this episode is a practical field guide to knowing the one number that tells you if your shop is actually working. What You'll Learn… (00:00) Intro (00:44) Housekeeping: the book, the sponsors, and how to ask Hunt anything (02:48) The client call that inspired this episode (03:14) The fastest way to find your break-even: your own monthly numbers (04:43) The reality check: making sure it's a true break-even month (05:53) Sales targets vs. what your team actually needs to hear (07:33) Cost of goods sold vs. overhead: the literal breakdown (11:21) Building your gross profit target from three financial categories (16:25) The margin math: why 50% gross profit beats 30%, every time (17:45) The revolving cycle: why this number needs regular updates Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Maverick Shop Owners You're working on growing a more profitable shop - that's critical. That's exactly what the 24-video Blueprint course by Maverick Shop Owners addresses - customers, sales, profit, people, systems, and freedom. Get free access for our listeners only at https://maverickshopowners.com/blueprint Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Visit https://overdryvemarketing.com/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Download the ARPN APP for your smartphone and listen to all our network shows: arpn.app Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve Are you accidentally paying taxes on money you're never actually going to collect? Could the way you're deleting a bad ticket in your shop management software be costing you more than the deadbeat customer ever did? This week's episode started as a text message. Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, answers a question from fellow podcaster Chris Cotton of AutoFix Shop Coaching and The Weekly Blitz: how should shops actually handle bad debt? Hunt breaks it down from the ground up, what bad debt is, how cash versus accrual accounting changes the math, and why deleting or discounting a ticket instead of writing it off properly can quietly inflate your tax bill and hide real problems in your production numbers. He walks through the exact steps for building a "bad debt" payment type into your shop management software, how to automate the accounting through Back Office and Accounting Link (or handle it manually with a journal entry), and where chargebacks, bartering, and shop vehicles fit into the picture. Whether you've never had a customer stiff you or you're staring down an invoice right now that you know you'll never collect, this episode is a practical field guide to keeping your books, and your tax bill, accurate. What You'll Learn… (00:00) Intro: Chris Cotton's bad debt question kicks off the episode (00:46) Housekeeping: the book, the sponsors, and how to ask Hunt anything (03:11) The four part question: where it goes, how it's recorded, and chargebacks (05:28) What actually is bad debt: cash basis versus accrual, explained (07:58) The tax trap: why ignoring bad debt means overpaying the IRS (08:50) PSA: your AR is only as accurate as your shop management software (12:21) The correct way to book a loss: sales, cost, and the bad debt line (13:51) Why deleting the ticket hides your real production story (16:54) The nuts and bolts: creating a bad debt payment type (19:03) Automate it: Back Office, Accounting Link, and manual journal entries (21:03) Chargebacks, bartering, and shop vehicles: same rules or different? (23:10) Closing thoughts and how to reach Hunt Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Maverick Shop Owners You're working on growing a more profitable shop - that's critical. That's exactly what the 24-video Blueprint course by Maverick Shop Owners addresses - customers, sales, profit, people, systems, and freedom. Get free access for our listeners only at https://maverickshopowners.com/blueprint Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Visit https://overdryvemarketing.com/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Download the ARPN APP for your smartphone and listen to all our network shows: arpn.app Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve Are you chasing being rich, or are you actually building wealth? Could the shop owner making $150,000 a year retire with more freedom than the one clearing $800,000? Hunt Demarest has seen both, and the answer might surprise you. In this solo episode, Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, steps away from the usual business valuation talk to tackle something he says matters even more to a shop owner's future: personal finances. Drawing from a four hour class he taught at the STX Conference, Hunt breaks down why so many disciplined, profitable shop owners still end up with disorganized personal finances, and why that gap, not their business's sales or profit, is the real predictor of a happy retirement. He walks through the difference between being rich and being wealthy, tells two real client stories with opposite outcomes, and unpacks the habits, from unchecked debt to keeping up with the Joneses, that quietly derail decades of hard work. Whether you're chasing a bigger number on your P&L or wondering why your bank account never seems to reflect it, this episode is a mirror check on the financial decisions that actually determine your future. What You'll Learn… (00:00) Intro: STX Conference recap and a preview of this week's topic (03:04) Why chasing business value misses the real retirement risk (06:11) Rich versus wealthy: the distinction most shop owners get wrong (08:01) The client who went broke rich, and the one who quietly built wealth (09:29) How consistent saving beat a six figure income, a paid off real estate story (15:07) Why the market has zero interest in educating you about your money (16:47) The rat race: keeping up with the Joneses, personally and in the shop (17:40) The one number most owners can name for their business but not their life (21:08) Debt is easier than ever: the $2 million sale that couldn't cover the bills (23:11) Mortgaging your future: what really keeps shop owners working past retirement age (23:43) Closing thoughts and how to reach Hunt Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Maverick Shop Owners You're working on growing a more profitable shop - that's critical. That's exactly what the 24-video Blueprint course by Maverick Shop Owners addresses - customers, sales, profit, people, systems, and freedom. Get free access for our listeners only at https://maverickshopowners.com/blueprint Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Visit https://overdryvemarketing.com/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Download the ARPN APP for your smartphone and listen to all our network shows: arpn.app Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve Why do two auto repair shops with virtually identical profits sell for wildly different amounts, one at a nine-time multiple and another at three? And if you're not planning to sell anytime soon, does any of this even apply to you? Recording a preview of the class he's teaching live at the STX World Pac Conference in DC, Hunt Demarest breaks down the factors that quietly decide what your shop is actually worth when a buyer sits down at the table. Hunt walks through why timing your exit three to five years out changes everything, why one client's prized fleet contract almost killed his sale, and why buyers pay for a business that runs without you, not a high-paying job with your name on it. Along the way, he covers the optics of clean financials, how far you can push ad backs before a bank or a buyer walks away, and why new equipment won't add a dollar to your sale price, even though old equipment will cost you one. Whether you're planning to sell next year or you never plan to sell at all, this episode lays out the groundwork every shop owner needs long before a buyer ever walks through the door. What You'll Learn… 01:18) Why Hunt is previewing his STX class on maximizing shop value (03:40) The World Pac Conference and why this class exists (05:54) Why identical shops sell for wildly different multiples (06:20) Timing: the 3 to 5 year rule before you sell (08:09) Your shop is your retirement plan, whether you planned it that way or not (10:31) Customer concentration: the fleet account red flag buyers watch for (12:52) The ambulance contract that nearly killed a client's sale (15:21) Continuity: buyers pay for a business, not a job (17:17) Clean financials: why optics matter as much as the bottom line (19:16) Ad backs: how much "creative" bookkeeping a buyer or a bank will accept (21:36) Equipment: the double-edged sword of new gear Resources Mentioned Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Get Hunt's Book: Beyond the Bays, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0iQ3UuOL Got questions or feedback, connect with Hunt Demarest at: Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.paarmelis.com Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Maverick Shop Owners You're working on growing a more profitable shop - that's critical. That's exactly what the 24-video Blueprint course by Maverick Shop Owners addresses - customers, sales, profit, people, systems, and freedom. Get free access for our listeners only at https://maverickshopowners.com/blueprint Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Visit https://overdryvemarketing.com/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Download the ARPN APP for your smartphone and listen to all our network shows: arpn.app Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Storytelling and Open Discussion Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve Why are less than 10% of shops operating within even 40% of what they're actually capable of? And if throwing more money at your technicians won't fix your productivity problem, what will? Hunt Demarest sits down with Chris Cotton of AutoFix Shop Coaching, fellow multi-shop owner and host of The Weekly Blitz, to translate this year's Auto Shop Benchmark Report into real, actionable advice. Chris breaks down the three real barriers to productivity, the technician, the environment, and leadership, and walks through the shop floor fixes that took one client from $180,000 a month to $350,000, and another from under $200,000 to nearly $400,000. Along the way, Hunt and Chris dig into why fewer than 20% of technicians today are actually money motivated, why flat rate isn't the productivity silver bullet most owners assume it is, and why the fastest way to fix a struggling shop is almost never to yell at the guys in the back. Whether you're staring at a productivity number you don't understand or you already suspect your shop is leaving money on the table, this episode is a practical field guide to turning benchmark data into a better bottom line. Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. What You'll Learn… 03:49 Track it, measure it, fix it, why coaching outperforms data alone 06:44 The three real barriers to productivity: tech, environment, leadership 08:24 The diesel shop step-counter experiment 12:28 The Rochester shop that went from $180K to $350K a month 17:04 The $90 consultation fee that stopped diag from bleeding money 21:57 Why fewer than 10% of shops hit 40% of their real capacity 26:43 Why 50% of top shops are hourly, not flat rate, and pay isn't everything 30:22 The flexibility that keeps a top tech loyal without a raise 33:45 Car counts, layoffs, and the hard call every owner eventually faces 36:38 How to get a free 30-minute shop consultation with Chris Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Maverick Shop Owners You're working on growing a more profitable shop - that's critical. That's exactly what the 24-video Blueprint course by Maverick Shop Owners addresses - customers, sales, profit, people, systems, and freedom. Get free access for our listeners only at https://maverickshopowners.com/blueprint Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Visit https://overdryvemarketing.com/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve Is your new LLC actually protecting you, or just quietly draining your bank account? Before you file paperwork for that second location, that self rental, or that "clever" loaner car company, there are three questions you need to answer first. In this solo episode, Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, breaks down the real decision making framework behind one of the most common questions he gets from shop owners: should I create a new entity for that? Hunt walks through four real world scenarios, opening a second location, renting your building to yourself, running a loaner car fleet, and building out a management company for multi location groups, and exposes exactly where shop owners get legal protection wrong, waste money on unnecessary tax complexity, or set themselves up for a self dealing problem they didn't see coming. Whether you're eyeing a second bay across town or you're already juggling five locations and a maze of S corps, this episode is the entity structuring gut check every shop owner needs before signing anything. What You'll Learn... 00:00 Intro 00:16 Should you create a new entity? The real question behind it 02:51 The 3-question test — legal liability, tax implications, and overall cost 04:50 Scenario 1 — Opening a new location 05:09 Ownership structure — the deciding factor that changes everything 06:48 Same entity vs. separate entity — the litigation reality 09:14 What a second entity really costs (and when it's worth it) 10:18 Hunt's rule of thumb — shared customers vs. separate markets 13:46 Scenario 2 — Should your building be in its own LLC? 16:17 Scenario 2.5 — The loaner car fleet trap 18:08 Avoiding self-dealing with your rental car LLC 18:37 Scenario 3 — Management companies for multi-location shops 20:51 C-corp management companies and the benefits strategy behind them Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Maverick Shop Owners You're working on growing a more profitable shop - that's critical. That's exactly what the 24-video Blueprint course by Maverick Shop Owners addresses - customers, sales, profit, people, systems, and freedom. Get free access for our listeners only at https://maverickshopowners.com/blueprint Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Visit https://overdryvemarketing.com/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of Hunt's Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Download Our Free Mobile Podcast App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/ Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Storytelling and Open Discussion Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Quantum Physics and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve You need money. Maybe it's to cover payroll this week, maybe it's to buy the alignment rack you've been eyeing for a year. Either way, Hunt Demarest, CPA, says the loan you should get depends entirely on two questions banks are already asking about you: do you have cash flow, and do you have collateral? In this solo follow-up to his cash reserves series, Hunt breaks down every borrowing option available to auto repair shop owners and ranks them from cheapest to most dangerous. He walks through real client scenarios — equity in your building, financing new equipment, strong profits with nothing to put up as collateral — and explains exactly what to say (and not say) when you sit down with a bank. He closes with a hard look at credit card advance loans: why they're marketed as easy money, why the interest rate isn't actually what traps shop owners, and why the repayment period is the real killer. Whether you're planning a purchase a year out or you need cash this month, this episode gives you the vocabulary and the game plan to borrow smarter. What You'll Learn... 00:00 Intro: wrapping up the cash conversation with how to actually get the money 03:46 Secured vs. unsecured debt, and why one always beats the other on rate 06:10 The two things every bank is really looking for: cash flow and collateral 07:12 Scenario: You're out of cash, but your building has equity 07:57 Refinance or borrow against it? How to decide, and why today's rates change the math 13:26 Scenario: You're out of cash and need new equipment: financing vs. leasing 15:40 Scenario: Strong profits, no collateral, the situation most bootstrapped shops face 17:25 How to frame your ask so the bank says yes (the tire business pitch) 18:46 Last resort: credit card advance loans explained, and how they actually get repaid 20:48 Why the interest rate isn't what kills you: it's the repayment period 23:34 Wrap-up: share the show and send in your questions Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Maverick Shop Owners You're working on growing a more profitable shop - that's critical. That's exactly what the 24-video Blueprint course by Maverick Shop Owners addresses - customers, sales, profit, people, systems, and freedom. Get free access for our listeners only at https://maverickshopowners.com/blueprint Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Visit https://overdryvemarketing.com/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve Your bank account just hit zero. What do you do in the next 24 hours? And if you're planning six months ahead instead, is a bank loan really your cheapest option? Following up on last week's episode on cash reserve mistakes, Hunt Demarest, CPA, goes solo again to tackle the other side of that coin: how to actually get cash back into your shop, whether you need it today or you're planning ahead. He draws a hard line between "I need money right now" and "I need money eventually," and walks through the immediate, band-aid moves every shop owner should make the moment they run dry — leveraging credit cards, cutting the right expenses (and not the wrong ones), and diagnosing the real reason the cash dried up in the first place. From there, Hunt ranks every borrowing option available to shop owners, from real estate equity all the way down to credit card advance loans, and explains why "debt-free" can quietly become one of the most dangerous positions a shop can be in. Whether you're staring down an empty operating account this week or mapping out a remodel a year from now, this episode is a practical roadmap for getting and keeping the cash your shop actually needs. What You'll Learn... 00:00 Intro: last week's reserve mistakes come home to roost 03:29 Need cash now or need cash later? The question that changes everything 03:57 Already out of cash? Why it's too late for the "normal" fixes 05:51 Leveraging credit cards as your fastest lever 08:00 Cutting expenses without cutting your own throat 09:27 The real fix: understanding why you ran out of cash 15:05 How much should you borrow? More than you think 16:02 How long should you take to pay it back? Longer than you think 18:11 Real estate equity, the cheapest money you'll ever borrow 20:03 Business lines of credit and what banks actually want to see 21:33 FinCEN loans explained: Amex, PayPal, and Kabbage 23:16 Credit card advance loans, the last resort and its true cost Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Maverick Shop Owners You're working on growing a more profitable shop - that's critical. That's exactly what the 24-video Blueprint course by Maverick Shop Owners addresses - customers, sales, profit, people, systems, and freedom. Get free access for our listeners only at https://maverickshopowners.com/blueprint Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Visit https://overdryvemarketing.com/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve How much cash did your shop actually make last month — and how much of it is still sitting in the bank? If you paid off every dollar of debt tomorrow, would you have anything left to cover a bad month? In this episode, Hunt Demarest, CPA, goes solo to tackle a topic he says trips up shop owners more than almost anything else: cash and reserves. He breaks down the simple rule of thumb for how much you should be keeping in the bank, then walks through four specific mistakes he sees shop owners make — from draining the business dry to (on the flip side) hoarding so much cash it becomes a legal liability, to the sneaky problem of debt payoff plans that leave owners debt-free and cash-poor at the same time. Hunt also shares the exact system he recommends clients use to set their own distributions so reserves never dip below where they need to be. Whether you're sitting on six figures in the checking account or wondering why you're always scrambling before payroll, this episode is a practical gut-check on the number that actually keeps a shop alive: cash. What You'll Learn... 02:41 Cash vs. profit — the two flows of money every owner confuses 03:30 The reserve rule of thumb — 3 to 6 months of overhead 05:03 Why your ideal reserve depends on your shop's cash flow pattern 06:55 Mistake #1 — Draining your business of its own cash 09:51 The fix — how to set your monthly distribution the right way 14:24 Mistake #2 — The "champagne problem" of keeping too much cash 16:14 The profit-hold account trick — protecting cash without spending it 17:01 Mistake #3 — Parking reserves where they earn zero interest 19:12 Mistake #4 — Paying off debt too aggressively 21:06 Cash and debt beats debt-free and broke — Hunt's rule If you're ready to stop guessing how much cash your shop should be holding, start building a reserve strategy that actually fits your business, and finally understand why "debt-free" isn't always the win it sounds like — this episode is essential listening. Thanks to our partner, Promotive 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 https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our partner, WickedFile Turn chaos into clarity with WickedFile, the AI for auto repair shops. Transform invoices into insights, protect cash flow, and stop losing parts, cores, or credits to maximize your bottom line. visit https://info.wickedfile.com/ Thanks to our partner, Maverick Shop Owners You're working on growing a more profitable shop - that's critical. That's exactly what the 24-video Blueprint course by Maverick Shop Owners addresses - customers, sales, profit, people, systems, and freedom. Get free access for our listeners only at https://maverickshopowners.com/blueprint Thanks to our partner, Overdryve Overdryve is your AI-powered marketing operating system. It predicts slow weeks before they happen, automatically launches revenue-driving campaigns, tracks ROI down to the dollar, and optimizes performance in real time. Visit https://overdryvemarketing.com/ Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com Email Hunt: [email protected] Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0 Download a Copy of My Books Here: Beyond the Bays: A Financial Playbook for Auto Repair Shop OwnersWrenches to Write-OffsYour Perfect Shop The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.