Back in Business - Tobias' Auto

May 26, 2011

 

Andy Tobias is owner and operator of Tobias’ Automotive Specialists, Inc. His shop is located at 4205 W Summit Walk Ct in Anthem, on the west side of I-17, just south of Anthem Way.

 

Andy is no newcomer. Not to the Valley, nor to the North Valley and certainly not to Anthem.

 

In addition to his auto repair shop in Anthem, Andy and his wife, Louise, own a location in Cave Creek. In fact, Cave Creek is where it all started in 1989.

 

“We started in Cave Creek 22 years ago, and we were working on everything,” said Andy. “We worked on cars, tractors, boats, trailers and you name it. We took it all in our shop.”

 

Of course, the mix of cars is different in Anthem where Andy opened his second location in 2001. The couple operated both locations until they were presented with an offer to buy the Anthem location in 2007. It was an they just couldn’t refuse.

 

“Had the offer not come about, we probably wouldn’t have changed anything,” said Andy. “But the idea of slowing our lives down was very appealing.”

 

For three years they operated just the Cave Creek location and worked a lot less. They also took advantage of the time to travel and enjoy themselves.

 

Of course, in the tumultuous business climate, the new business owner was not able to keep the doors open. He was forced to close his doors in July 2010.

 

As the owner of the property and the building, Andy cleaned everything up and entertained some rental offers. But Andy and Louise had enjoyed their time off, were reenergized and decided to open the business under their name again. They reopened Nov. 1, 2010, nine years to the day from the time they opened the first time around.

 

“We were greeted with open arms — literally,” said Andy. “I had a gentleman customer who came around the counter and gave me a hug, telling me, ‘I’m so glad you’re back.’”

 

Andy emphasized how well received their business was, how great the customers have been and how happy they are to be working in Anthem again. They’ve continued their membership in the Anthem North Gateway Chamber of Commerce and appreciate the resources that are available to them through the Chamber.

 

“As a member of the Chamber, I’m more connected to other business owners, know what’s new and what’s happening and have a trusted circle of business peers,” said Andy. “I’ve definitely consulted in the past with my fellow Chamber members, looking for ideas, and we’ve worked together to solve community business problems. And I learn so much more when I’m involved in the Chamber.”

 

Both Andy and Louise are pretty busy with the business these days. Louise handles the accounting and bookkeeping for the business, and after only eight months back in Anthem, Andy is still very involved in the day-to-day operations for both locations.

 

“I love that we have a great reputation,” said Andy. “And I love that I have been able to count on my employees to establish and continue that.”

 

Besides being a shop that will work on any kind of car that has an issue, Andy’s approach to running his business is, “employees come first.”

 

“If you treat your employees right, they will take care of your customers. They’ll give better service and do a better job,” said Andy. “Plus, they’ll stay longer knowing they work in a place where they have support and a connection.” 

 

When asked what he was most proud of, Andy was quick to answer that he and his wife have a strong connection to the community. Louise is involved in St. Vincent de Paul and Andy is a long-time member of Kiwanis. You can hear the passion and empathy in his voice when he talks about helping people down on their luck by doing something he loves: fixing cars.

 

So what has been Andy’s most valuable business lesson?

 

“It was joining a group of my peers. I resisted joining the group for a long time because I viewed them as my competition,” said Andy. “But once I joined, I learned a lot of best practices and took my business to the next level really, really quick. You can’t beat a reliable network of business owners.”

 

Tobias’ Automotive location in Cave Creek is a certified green business. It’s one of a few automotive repair shops to gain this distinction in the state and in the nation.

 

To become a certified green business, an operator has to provide proof of policies and procedures that follow eco-friendly practices.

 

“It’s not an easy distinction to get because it’s not only about what you do in your shop,” said Andy. “You also have to make sure you select vendors and other partners in your business that follow eco-friendly practices. The responsibility doesn’t end once something leaves the shop.”

 

Andy’s inspiration for making the move toward going green came from his son who works in the solar industry. After solar electrifying their home, Andy and Louise pay an average of $19 per month in electricity. Doing the same for the business was an obvious next step.

 

According to Andy, it’s made his business better, forcing him and his employees to be purposeful in their procedures and work with higher quality vendors.

 

The process to get the Anthem location green certified is underway.

 

......................................................................................................

What is a Brand?

March 23, 2011     Submitted by Xfactor Designs - Websites and Graphics

 

A brand is a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to a company, product or service, including an explicit logo, fonts, color schemes, symbols, jingles, ideas, and even personality. For example, you are able to recognize a Coca-Cola product without reading the label because you have learned their logo; they consistently use it in all their marketing. The same thing is true with the Alka-Seltzer jingle – “Alka-Seltzer to the rescue.”

Branding Steps
When I started in the professional design industry in 2000, one of the first questions I was asked "is how do you develop a brand?" The first step is to decide on a company name and a slogan or tagline and then, hire a professional designer to create your logo and color palette.

Once the logo and colors are chosen your designer can present concepts for business cards, letterhead, and envelopes (also known as corporate id). Not all businesses need letterhead and printed envelopes, but you will definitely need a business card. The first rule of thumb with a business card is don't go cheap! I understand that start-up budgets are tight, but your business card says a lot about you and your company. If you have a business card that is printed on perforated home-printer paper, your potential clients will know. Many times I’ve received solicitations and if anyone hands me a homemade card it goes immediately into the recycle bin. Like many others, I want to make sure I'm doing business with a "real" company. If they cut corners with one of the most cost-effective pieces of business marketing, then I wonder what else they will cut corners with - maybe the service I need done around my house.

After the corporate id is completed, I suggest starting on the website. The website gives your web designer a large canvas to grow the business brand. The colors and logo used in the beginning stages now get to come to life with stock photos or custom photos, fonts, content and icons. Creating a website that helps promote your business identity is key because you want people to understand what you do and if you are the right company for them. I believe, every small business should have a website, even if it doesn't contain that much information. A website helps validate your business, gives prospects an opportunity to check you out a little more and a vehicle for you to deliver up-to-date information. You don't want to lose the sale; your business needs a website.

Postcards, brochures, print advertisements, die-cuts (a fancy specialty cut brochure), and flyers are next. These printed business pieces are very important in advertising your product or service; the general look and feel should match your business cards and website. The ads should use similar photos, fonts, icons and the color palette to help tie-in your overall brand. You want people to recognize the visuals in your ad before they read the text; you want them to remember they've seen that ad somewhere else. I believe the more times buyers are exposed to a brand; the more likely they are to remember it when they need your product or service.

There are so many items that go into creating a business identity and it can be overwhelming, but with proper guidance from a seasoned designer the process can be much smoother.

 

......................................................................................................