Family First

Ask adults who their dream dinner guest is, and the answer is typically a celebrity or other well-known person. However, ask a child who they’d most like to have dinner with, and the answer is inevitably Mom and Dad—family. If you think about it, the kids are the ones with the right priorities. When people get to the end of the road, missing out on time with family and friends are two of the top regrets. If it feels like you live at the shop, it could be time to adjust your priorities. With the right tools, such as shop management software, you can put diesel shop families first without sacrificing your livelihood.

Revising Priorities to Put Diesel Shop Families First

People start their own businesses to have more control over their time while providing for their families. It’s a dog-eat-dog world, though, and all too often business takes center stage while family gets pushed to the side. Unfortunately, kids grow up before you know it, and you’re left wondering where the time went.

It’s not impossible to put diesel shop families first, however. It’s an important step to take. Something as simple as having that family dinner with the kids is one of the best things you can do for them. It benefits everyone emotionally, intellectually, and physically. Move regular meals with the family to the top of your priority list. Even just scheduling in three or four dinners will put you on your way to a better work/life balance.

Diesel shop families should take precedence in more than mealtime, though. Make time during the week to attend soccer games, help with homework, or watch a movie together. You could even reduce your hours at the shop on weekends. The goal of successful work/life balance is to create a framework where you can make good money with your shop, make a difference, and have time to spend with family and friends.

Shop Management Software Improves Work/Life Balance

When putting family first, two of the top things that improve work/life balance are efficiency and flexibility. Running a heavy duty repair shop, you might think those things are out of reach. The fact is, shop management software makes both possible.

The best software streamlines the day-to-day tasks that typically bog you down. All it takes is the click of a button to accomplish things like creating estimates, invoices, and parts orders. Programs like these bring techs and customers into the loop, enabling them to check fleet history, request repairs, and see real-time stats. That all contributes to a hearty bottom line. It also frees you up from interruptions during the day so you can accomplish more and get home in time for dinner. Plus, top shop management software is Cloud-enabled. That means you can access it on any mobile device from anywhere—even the sidelines at a soccer game.

To sum it up, implementing shop management software improves shop efficiency and increases profits, giving you the valuable foundation you want to provide for your family. It puts diesel shop families first, right where they should be.