Australasia‘s largest automotive cooperative, Capricorn, is assisting its members to navigate through the challenging period brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic by launching an online resource that provides wide-ranging content for all stages of business.

CapHub is a content portal providing easy access to valuable expert business tips and advice, automotive workshop hacks, and important industry data to help develop and improve your business.

This new Capricorn online business resource includes a variety of regularly updated automotive aftermarket business-relevant articles and information within the business section, while the customer section has been designed to assist businesses to attract, retain and engage with their valued clients. An industry section provides instant access to a range of reports and event information to keep businesses connected to key support information and activities.

Some examples of the business support now available from CapHub include seven tips to improve cashflow, how creating a great culture can transform your business, and tough decisions – short-term pain for long-term gain. Using social media to enhance your customer service, what signals you may be giving to customers about your workshop, and customer experience being your optimum marketing tools are all current CapHub topics covered for the customers section. These are joined by industry highlight features such as ensuring that your workshop is future-proofed and protecting your business from cybercrime.

CapHub also includes a highly researched snapshot of the auto repair industry from the perspective of members. The Capricorn state of the nation report 2020 is the culmination of Capricorn‘s most substantial research project ever undertaken. The landmark report combines feedback from more than 1500 automotive workshop owners and operators located across Australia and New Zealand, to provide a range of insights on the industry, by the industry, for workshops.

The Capricorn state of the nation report 2020 enables Capricorn members to compare their business‘ efficiencies and concerns with their colleagues through easy to understand data analysis. It covers a total of 46 pages, including proportionately equal Capricorn member feedback from all Australian states and New Zealand. 

Sixty-nine percent of members own and operate mechanical workshops, 10% are panel repairers, 5% auto electricians, 5% mobile mechanics, 3% tyre and suspension specialists, and the remaining fitting into other automotive categories. This ensured that the information gained from this report came from a vast range of Capricorn businesses of all types and sizes, providing a snapshot of the automotive aftermarket industry.

“This is a relevant report on the industry, by the industry. This is not assumed data; it is real information from real Capricorn members across Australia and New Zealand. I encourage members to benchmark their own business performance compared with their automotive aftermarket industry colleagues. It is not a report to leave on a shelf. It‘s a resource that will guide us all towards a more successful future,” says Capricorn Group CEO David Fraser.

The Capricorn state of the nation report 2020 features easy to read sections relating to the total member survey data gained. These sections include confidence, challenges, perceptions of success, efficiency, our customers, know your value, parts pricing, technology, the future, apprentices, staff rates, experience and training, succession and future planning, and a set of general recommendations.

“If there is one major factor that stands out from the findings of this report, it is the optimism of Capricorn members for the future. This is a future that we will be directly alongside our members for – because as the success of our cooperative has shown across nearly five decades, we are always stronger together,” Fraser added.

Capricorn members and non-members are welcome to access the new CapHub content portal and Capricorn state of the nation report 2020 from the Capricorn website at www.capricorn.coop/caphub.