There are a few things — strategies — that Beth Barron believes have been essential to both her success, and the success of Chabill’s Tire & Auto Service. At the top of that list is being a member of a 20 group.
“I love 20 groups because it allows me to measure myself against the best of the best in the industry. In my opinion, the people in 20 groups want to be better operators. They want to have new ideas and learn from each other. I know I don’t have all the answers,” she said. “I’ve had some of the best mentors in this industry — some are retired now — from my older 20 groups.”
For those unfamiliar, 20 groups are so named because they’re a group of 20 businesses who are all operating in the same industry, but they don’t compete in the same markets. Groups are led by a facilitator and members share their financials every month so they can see how their businesses measure up against others. During their in-person meetings, members share both problems and solutions.
Barron is a member of the 20 group managed by Randy O’Connor and Dealer to Dealer Development Group. She joined her first 20 group more than a decade ago, but settled into her current group about 10 years ago. She considers it “a vital piece of what we do.
“I don’t understand why everyone is not in a 20 group,” she said.
Members sign non-disclosure agreements and then openly share their financials. “So you really know where you stand and if you’re reaching the numbers you should be reaching. And, you have the ability to talk to the people who are reaching those numbers and try to figure out what they’re doing different.”
Another hallmark of Barron’s 20 group is that each member takes a turn in hosting the group. So when you’re the host, that also means the group visits one of your stores. Members break up into smaller teams, grade the store and issue a report card. It’s a lengthy, half-day process.
“We hold ourselves to a very high standard when it comes to what a 20 group store should look like, and how it should operate,” she said. Grading stores on that standard has helped Barron transform the floor plan of Chabill’s Tire & Auto Service locations.
She’s learning marketing lessons along the way, and beefing up formal policies and procedures, but her greatest takeaway is “how important the people of our business are, and how to improve the relationships that we have with the people that work for us.” That has led to changes in everything from commission programs to social events for employees so the entire Chabill’s workforce is connected by a common bond no matter if employees work in the stores, warehouses or corporate office.
Really, the people-related benefits are two-fold.
Group members swap texts and phone calls regularly.
“There are five or six members in there that when things get bad, they’re the ones that I go to,” she said. When numbers are off and tire units are down unexpectedly, she’ll reach out and see what others are seeing. If she finds out that others in her group aren’t seeing the same trends, she knows she has a real problem on her hands.
“The relationships are the biggest piece. I can go to them with any problem or question and I know that I’ll get an answer and I’ll get a direction that works for us,” she said.
