Revolutionizing The Auto Hail Repair Industry with my app Dent Shop Manager.

Introduction:

If you would like me to build you an app, or help market your existing one get in touch here.

In my extensive experience within the auto hail repair industry, a prevailing trend among dent repair companies caught my attention. A significant portion of these businesses lacked an effective software solution for data organization. Some company owners astonishingly invest substantial sums in custom software (designed by industry outsiders who fail to understand the nuances of the business) only to discover that these solutions are impractical. Others take matters into their own hands, crafting systems using Excel or Google Sheets, but the result was often insufficient for comprehensive business management. Multiple disjointed systems are a common requirement, making the dream of going entirely automated and paperless paperless seem unattainable.

The absence of a robust organizational system within many dent repair companies not only hinders operational efficiency but also leads to significant financial setbacks. Companies without a structured system often face the risk of disorganization, causing confusion and errors in record-keeping. This lack of transparency not only frustrates employees but also has a detrimental impact on customer relations. Without a centralized platform, crucial information often slips through the cracks, leading to missed opportunities, dissatisfied clients, and, ultimately, financial losses.

Motivated by a desire to explore lucrative opportunities in the online sphere, I delved into extensive research on sustainable business models. Digital products and services emerged as a particularly promising avenue due to their scalability through the internet and automation. Recognizing the potential for impactful solutions within the auto hail repair industry, I embarked on a mission to create Dent Shop Manager. This app not only addresses a critical need in the market but also exemplifies the power of innovation and technology in transforming traditional industries for the better.

The No-Code Revolution:

Flutterflow was released in late 2021 and I was one of the first users. Since then they have implemented a lot of huge updates that completely revolutionized the way apps can be created.

The evolution of traditional app development has been marked by formidable challenges, ranging from prolonged learning curves to exorbitant costs. In the not-so-distant past, the creation of an app necessitated a significant investment of time and resources, often requiring months of intricate coding and substantial financial commitments ($50-100k+ to build an app). Learning to code was a formidable barrier, and assembling a skilled development team came with its own set of challenges. The traditional development landscape was marred by the complexity of development tools, making innovation and market entry an arduous journey.

The rise of no-code platforms harkens back to the early days of the internet when creating a website required delving into the intricacies of HTML and CSS. Developers had to manually code every aspect, limiting accessibility to those fluent in programming languages. Just as software companies later introduced graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that enabled users to drag and drop components, eliminating the need for extensive coding, the evolution of no-code platforms like FlutterFlow stands on the shoulders of these giants. FlutterFlow metaphorically inherits the spirit of simplification pioneered by GUIs, allowing users to transcend the complexities of coding and effortlessly bring their app ideas to life with a user-friendly interface. In essence, it represents a modern iteration of the user-friendly revolution that transformed website creation in the early days of the internet.

My experience with FlutterFlow was a game-changer. Within a week, following numerous tutorials and guides, I crafted a functional app for my auto hail repair business. This starkly contrasts with my past endeavors in coding, which took months to yield tangible results. Learning to code at a high level needed to launch an app typically demands years of dedication, making the rapid progress with a no-code tool like FlutterFlow truly remarkable.

After successfully using the initial app in my business for several months and gaining insights into its practicality, I decided to invest further resources. Over the course of the 2022 and 2023 I worked on an updated version, introducing new features, refining existing ones, and tailoring the app extensively for the specific needs of auto hail repair businesses.

Dent Shop Manager's Role in Auto Hail Repair

One of the primary challenges of the auto hail repair business lies in the realm of insurance claims administration.

Traditionally, business owners grapple with the manual sorting of manila job-file folders, a time-consuming process exacerbated when dealing with dozens or hundreds of vehicles concurrently in a shop. Sorting through folders to recall important information not only delays decision-making but, more critically, if an owner becomes occupied and lacks the time to make an insurance call, it can result in costly errors.

Each day a vehicle sits unapproved incurs potential overhead expenses, translating to hundreds of dollars in losses. Furthermore, the struggle to distinguish between confirmed and unconfirmed payments poses a significant risk. Releasing a vehicle back to a customer without a confirmed payment can result in substantial profit losses, often amounting to thousands of dollars. It's an easy thing to overlook when you're busy dealing with the demands of running a business. Dent Shop Manager app serves as a crucial solution by tracking payment statuses on each claim, ensuring owners have a clear overview and eliminating the potential for costly errors in the workflow.

It will save business owners thousands of dollars a year and should be a no-brainer to start using for only $20 a month.

Another pivotal aspect of auto hail repair business complexity revolves around payroll management. Keeping accurate track of insurance checks, invoices, and manually calculating employee payments can consume hours each week for business owners. The app serves as an invaluable tool by automating these intricate calculations, transforming what was once a time-intensive task into a seamless process that takes mere seconds.

This automation not only ensures precision but also eliminates potential issues stemming from delays or errors in accounting and payroll processing.  Dent Shop Manager app becomes a catalyst for enhanced employee satisfaction, as the streamlined payroll system leaves no room for excuses, making payroll management a swift and efficient part of the business operation.

Doing something that's never been done before

Dent Shop Manager's innovative approach goes beyond the efficient management of individual businesses; it has the potential to revolutionize the entire auto hail repair industry.

By creating an app that seamlessly connects users with their insurance claims, a groundbreaking opportunity emerges for auto hail repair companies to outsource a critical part of the claims process. This unique proposition facilitates effortless collaboration with numerous businesses, when faced with time constraints, offering them the flexibility to delegate insurance administration calls to an outsourced team.

This groundbreaking idea addresses a significant gap in the industry, providing a solution that previously did not exist. Dent Shop Manager is not merely a tool for individual business owners; it is a scalable service for outsourcing specific tasks. This approach allows for unprecedented scalability and income potential, akin to those who profited during the gold rush "selling shovels" to the prospectors.

Considering that there are over 10,000 dent repair companies operating in the United States, achieving a user base of 100 should be an attainable milestone. In fact, a more ambitious and reasonable goal would be to scale to 1000 users. Given that there can be as many as a million or more auto hail damage insurance claims a year, and there are companies handle hundreds of claims a month, there is a massive potential for growth.

The income potential of Dent Shop Manager

Since all features outside of the outsourced claims admin totally automated, as a solo entrepreneur with full ownership of Dent Shop Manager, one would only have to scale to around 500 paying users to make an annual six figure income doing no work at all.

$20/user/month * 100 users = $2,000/month

$20/user/month * 200 users = $4,000/month

$20/user/month * 300 users = $6,000/month

$20/user/month * 400 users = $8,000/month

$20/user/month * 500 users = $10,000/month

But the real potential for revenue comes with capturing the insurance claim administration work for the users signed up to Dent Shop Manager.

$100 is a "no-brainer" price to pay to have an $8-10 thousand dollar insurance restoration job expedited and save the business owner 1-2 hours of precious time.

As mentioned earlier, business owners often do not have time to make the phone calls they need to confirm payments or move claims forward in the approval process when they are stuck dealing with customer service issues. It is likely that users would pay more than $100 per claim to have the administration outsourced.  A team of VAs who would then make all the insurance phone calls for less than $20 per claim, yielding substantial profit to whoever controls the system.

100 users outsourcing 1 claim/month:

$100/claim * 1 claim/user/month * 100 users = $10,000/month

200 users outsourcing 5 claims/month:

$100/claim * 5 claims/user/month * 200 users = $100,000/month

300 users outsourcing 10 claims/month:

$100/claim * 10 claims/user/month * 300 users = $300,000/month

400 users outsourcing 20 claims/month:

$100/claim * 20 claims/user/month * 400 users = $800,000/month

500 users outsourcing 30 claims/month:

$100/claim * 30 claims/user/month * 500 users = $1,500,000/month

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Dent Shop Manager's features and how it streamlines organizational tasks.

Dent Shop Manager introduces a comprehensive set of features meticulously designed to streamline organizational tasks within the auto hail repair industry. This robust toolkit enhances efficiency, accuracy, and overall business management.

Here are some key features:‍

User-Friendly Interface:

Dent Shop Manager boasts a user-friendly interface, making it accessible to anyone even those with little or no experience in the auto hail repair industry. This ensures that business owners can harness the power of the app without extensive training, promoting widespread adoption. It takes less than 2 minutes to sign up and start using the app.

Financial Dashboard:

A centralized dashboard provides a real-time overview of all insurance claims, categorizing them based on their status in the seven-stage approval process. This intuitive display eliminates the need for manual sorting and significantly reduces decision-making time.

Insurance Payment Status Confirmation and Tracking:

Dent Shop Manager includes system for tracking payment statuses on each claim. Users can see exactly how much they have in incoming pending payments. Once payments are recieved the user will mark the check as received and Dent Shop Manager will subtract that amount from pending. This feature is critical in preventing costly errors, such as releasing a vehicle without a confirmed payment, or  accidentally over or under paying employees. By providing a clear overview of payment statuses, the app mitigates potential financial risks.

Payroll Management:

The app automates payroll processes, tracking insurance checks, invoices, and employee payments. This not only saves hours of manual calculation each week but also ensures accurate and timely compensation for employees, contributing to improved workforce satisfaction. Users can go into each employee record and see all the payments made, and even search by customer name. At the end of the year users can see the total of all the payments made and send it to their accountant in a few seconds. It's also really easy for users to give their employees a list of all the cars they have in the shop and how much they are owed on each car.

Task Prioritization and Workflow Optimization:

Dent Shop Manager intelligently organizes tasks, presenting them in a systematic order to expedite the claims process. This feature ensures that business owners can prioritize and complete essential tasks promptly, minimizing errors and maximizing efficiency. It takes only a couple of seconds to navigate to a customers data and recall important information. Now business owners can access their information from the comfort of their home, or out in the field, whenever they aren't at the shop in front of the folders.

Outsourcing Capability:

The app pioneers a groundbreaking concept in the industry, allowing users to seamlessly outsource insurance administration calls to a dedicated team. This feature offers business owners a unique solution to handle tasks efficiently during busy periods, introducing a new level of scalability and revenue potential through in-app purchases.

Training videos for sales, administration, and operations:

Users can access a paid area with training videos.

Essential legal PDFs

Users can access a paid feature with auto-generated PDFs that will allow them to easily direct insurance payments to themselves or hire subcontractors. Without these essential agreements, companies struggle to define the relationships with their employees and responsibilities of employees, which often leads to disputes. These PDFs make it really easy for new people to start their own companies. There are over 30,000 dent repair technicians working in the United States at any given time, and alot of them want to start their own businesses, this app gives them all the tools to do it.

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If you would like me to build you an app, or help market your existing one get in touch here.

Innovative marketing strategies to scale

To effectively acquire users for Dent Shop Manager, a multifaceted approach combining digital marketing strategies, industry collaborations, and targeted outreach is essential. One powerful marketing method involves leveraging web scraping tools like Scrapebox to harvest the URLs and contact information of all the dent repair companies across the internet.

Scrapebox is a piece of software that will query search engines for hundreds or thousands of keywords and then harvest all of the URLs displayed by the search engine. From there, I can load the URLs into GSA contact bot to automate contacting them all through their contact-us form. Or I can use scrapebox to crawl each website and harvest phone numbers and emails. Once I have a database with emails, I can run an email or sms outreach campaign, or I can load the database into Facebook and run targeted ads at facebook users associated with the contact information. This strategy previously worked very well when trying to reach out to hail repair company owners for other reasons.

The first step is to build a keyword list that will get fed into scrapebox.

I started by leveraging the free public NOAA weather database to identify all of the hail affected cities from the past 5 years across the United States.

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I would download the .CSV file from NOAA of the top 500 hail affected cities for each year, upload it to google sheets, and then copy all of the city names.

Then I merged all the city names with "Auto Hail Repair Companies".

This gives me a list of all the keywords I would feed into Scrapebox to start the URL harvesting process.

A separate campaign for roofers

In addition to PDR companies, I built a separate list for roofing companies using the same hail affect city data. The roofing companies are going to be part of a separate ad campaign.

Many roofers want to start providing auto hail repair as a service since a lot of roofing customers also have damaged vehicles. It's an easy way for the roofer who has already gained the trust of their customer, to add thousands of extra dollars per customer to their revenue. However, roofers lack the systems in order to start administrating auto hail claims which are a little bit different. Dent shop manager makes it effortless to start signing customers up and collecting insurance payments. The PDF features make it easy for a roofing company to hire a dent repair technician and delegate tasks.

Social Media and Website

Of course without content on social media and a good website to give potential users information, all of the above would be worthless.

Before running any outreach campaign I need to make sure that the online sales automations are in place. When a potential user decides they might be interested and looks into the app, I want them to see loads of information about how it helps them.

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I also created reels and informational posts on facebook highlighting key features of the app. From facebook users are directed to the website that makes it easy for them to learn how to use the app and start using it right away without any interaction needed from me.

Not having to speak with customers is a huge part of being able to scale without problems. If signing up a user requires an onboarding appointment, I either have to run that appointment myself or hire someone to do it. That means training someone and having limited control over what they do, and having to pay someone else and cut into my profits.

If I open the floodgates by running an ad campaign, and suddenly 20 people are asking me questions about how things work, now I have to address their concerns or possibly lose them as customers if I can't answer them quick enough. That's why it's important to have the sales and signup mechanism fully automated. Users can find all the answers to questions, tutorial videos, and just sign up and start using the app on their own without any human interaction.

If you would like me to build you an app, or help market your existing one get in touch here.

Results of scrapebox:

Scrapebox harvested approximately 92,000 links from Bing and Yahoo relating to auto hail repair companies in the localizations I had set up. This is way more than I expected. I will have to do some work to filter out the results that I don't want to contact since not all of these URLs are dent repair companies directly. There are a lot of BBB and Yelp, and other websites that have listings of PDR companies. Still, I will be able to harvest companies contact information from those. Once I finalize the marketing automations Ill load this URL list into GSA Website Contact Bot and ask if anyone is interested in a free trial of my app.

Loading the URLS above into Scrapebox and running phone number harvester resulted in over 15,000 unique phone numbers

The email harvester on scrapebox yielded significantly less emails than expected, at only around 5000. Some of the emails look like they are from news sites. This is expected because when you search google, yahoo, bing, etc for hail damage, these events are typically covered by local news stations and show up in the search results. So they get harvested along with all of the local businesses. Other emails look like insurance agents, bbb website administrators, and there are foreign websites from Australia (they get hail too).

It may take a some hours of manual filtering to go through this list and trim it down to only PDR company emails.

From here I can run email campaigns, SMS AI tools, or upload the database to facebook and run ads. I could also start paying to sales reps to reach out to all the companies in the list if the automated methods don't get me where I need to be.

Scrapebox consolidated URLs and advanced harverster

I had an idea that since there are 90k+ URLs and a lot of them are non-hail damage business related (news sites, etc) I could go back and use scrapebox to filter out all the URLs not containing the words "Dent", "Hail", "Repair", "Damage". Then I would merge all of those URLs in a single list and eliminate duplicates, then run the Harvester tools again and compare the results. Will the email and phone list be more precise?

After eliminating all URLs that didn't contain "Dent" I was left with 3195 links. This is way less than I thought, but still thousands of companies that would probably love to start using my app once they hear about how awesome it is!

But there are at least 2500+ PDR company URLs here, so if I can even get 10% of them to eventually sign up I'll be in good shape.

Im going to run the scrape again to see

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Running facebook ads

No one has ever done this before so it's hard to say what the cost per user acquired will be. To start off, I will invest $2000 in the initial facebook ad campaign and then reevaluate my strategy.

Spying on other auto repair industry Apps and service Meta ad strategy:

Using facebook ad library I can go to Mobile Tech Rx and see all of the ads they are running and how long they have been running for. Mobile Tech RX is a great app that has scaled to thousands of users in recent years. They run ads on multiple platforms. It looks like on Facebook (Meta) they are running 82 ads. What they're probably doing is testing a bunch of different versions to see what performs the best. Their ads are simple, and they have been working well. I can't tell anything about their targeting strategy from the data that Meta provides, but seeing they are running ads means that it must be profitable.

They must be acquiring users for less than they are spending on ads or they wouldn't be running campaigns like this.

Classy Estimating is another PDR industry service that has started growing in the last year or so. They sell B2B services to PDR business owners helping them outsource their estimating process. This is different than the purpose of Dent Shop Manager, and also very useful. It looks like classy estimating is only running 2 ads. They are both a video testimonial. Simple yet effective. They're not doing anything special or complicated here. Surprisingly, other companies like Dent Ops who scaled to over 300 users in their first year,  do exactly the same thing but aren't even running ads.

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Creating ads for Dent Shop Manager

The first thing I will have is an add set up to get likes and follows on my page.

Paying for likes and follows is a good strategy because not all owners will immediately sign up the first time they see my ads.

If I pay per click to send them to my website, they visit one time and then forget about it, I'll have wasted that money. But if they like and follow my page, they will see my content I post later and I don't have to pay more to put it in front of them. The idea is that eventually these people will convert into customers. These ads should build a general awareness and put the Dent Shop Manager name in peoples minds.

It's been said that people don't buy from you until the 10th+ interaction they have with your content. So I need to first make sure I have at least 10 good videos on my facebook page before launching my main ads. That way when people go to my page, they won't just bounce off. Hopefully they will engage with the content and visit the website, or search app store and download my app after hearing about it.

I'm going to run 3 additional ads to promote website clicks. These will be impression ads that are also targeted at the same harvested email and phone database.

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This way, everyone in the contact list will be bombarded with Dent Shop Manager every time they get on facebook.

The first ad will be a video carousel with short clips explaining the top 5 features of Dent Shop Manager.

The second will be a simple image with contrasting colors

The third will be a longer "commercial" video that shows different use cases.

Dent shop manager is live now on Appstore and Google Play, but I'm currently working on rolling out a huge update. I will begin the marketing campaign after the new update and post results here.

Put facebook ad results here (campaign in progress will update)

If you would like me to build you an app, or help market your existing one get in touch here.