Master Your Auto Repair Shop’s Financial Future

Why does QuickBooks show $40,000 in parts when your shop software shows $30,000? Would you notice if someone took $20 a day? And if AI companies are offering shop owners up to $2 million for their internal data, what’s sitting in yours?

Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, walks through the free AI tools his firm uses with clients. He starts with the guardrails: begin with free versions, never give an AI agent the power to move money, and protect sensitive data. Then come the results. A parts mismatch his team budgeted two to three hours for took three minutes and turned out to be a $6,000 transmission billed in October. A client missing $1,400 out of roughly $400,000 in sales got an answer in 20 seconds, when the AI matched the amount to an unpaid internal ticket. A year ago, that search took six to eight hours.

Hunt then turns to the data shops already own: parts that cause comebacks, declined work, and how often customers visit. If they usually come twice a year and your rolling 12 months show 1.5, that gap says something about the months ahead. At 2.5 visits, you may be running hot and need about 20% more new customers to hold sales flat. He also explains why paid platforms like WickedFile and Shop Hero Dashboard still earn their cost.

Whether you’ve never opened a chatbot or use one daily, this episode gives you three practical ways to put your numbers to work this week.

*What You'll Learn…*
00:00 Intro
03:00 Free AI tools: where to start
06:17 Security rules for AI agents
08:38 Why your parts costs don’t match
11:50 A 3-minute fix for a $6,000 gap
15:30 The $20-a-day theft you’d never catch
18:18 Finding a missing $1,400 in 20 seconds
20:28 Why AI firms want your shop data
22:07 Which parts to stop selling
23:54 Do you know your customer attrition?
24:47 Visit frequency as a sales forecast
27:24 Your free data analyst

If you’re ready to find out why your parts cost doesn’t match, catch a missing deposit before it becomes a habit, and see what your customer data says about next quarter, this episode is essential listening.

*Resources Mentioned*
Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0
Get Hunt's Book: Beyond the Bays, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0iQ3UuOL

*Got questions or feedback, connect with Hunt Demarest at:*
Email: podcast@paarmelis.com
Website: https://www.paarmelis.com

*More Info on BBTN Sponsors:*
Promotive — To find and hire great techs, visit: https://info.gopromotive.com/hunt
WickedFile — Find missing profit in your paperwork, visit: https://www.wickedfile.com
Overdryve — Get AI powered marketing solutions, visit: https://www.overdryvemarketing.com

*Download the Automotive Repair Podcast Network App:* https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Did your health insurance renewal just land with another double-digit increase? Paying $800 a month for a group plan your techs could buy themselves for $500? Why can’t you just hand them the difference? Stephanie from Five Creek Automotive asked Hunt that question.

Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, opens his own books. His premiums are up about 10% again, and covering one middle-aged employee in Maryland runs roughly $900 a month. He explains why rates keep climbing, and why a healthy 26-year-old tech will skip a $10,000-a-year policy. He also explains why a plan you won’t help pay for can cost your team more than the exchange. His rule of thumb: if you can’t cover at least half of single coverage, don’t offer it.

Then come the rules that trip owners up. You can’t reimburse employees for plans they buy themselves, which is why business plans often cost up to 25% more. A group plan through payroll turns a $1,000 premium into about $250 in tax savings and lets employees pay their share pre-tax. Hunt covers how to help a long-time tech without breaking anti-discrimination rules. He finishes with four options for when costs get out of hand: a raise in place of benefits, a high-deductible plan with an HSA, a PEO for larger shops, and a QSEHRA for smaller ones.

Whether you’ve offered a group plan for years or are pricing your first, this episode shows what the IRS will actually let you do.

*What You'll Learn…*
00:00 Intro
04:20 Why premiums keep climbing
07:13 Why young techs skip coverage
08:55 The 50% rule for group plans
09:44 Can you reimburse exchange plans?
13:13 Why business plans cost more
14:21 The tax math on group plans
16:02 Same job, same benefits
18:23 High deductible plan plus HSA
19:09 When a PEO pays off
19:58 QSEHRAs for small shops
21:00 Don’t switch on price alone

*Resources Mentioned*
Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0
Get Hunt's Book: Beyond the Bays, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0iQ3UuOL


*Got questions or feedback, connect with Hunt Demarest at:*
Email: podcast@paarmelis.com
Website: https://www.paarmelis.com


*More Info on BBTN Sponsors:*
Promotive — To find and hire great techs, visit: https://info.gopromotive.com/hunt
WickedFile — Find missing profit in your paperwork, visit: https://www.wickedfile.com
Overdryve — Get AI powered marketing solutions, visit: https://www.overdryvemarketing.com

*Download the Automotive Repair Podcast Network App:* https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

What is your shop actually worth, and who will pay it? Two of Hunt’s clients want to sell someday, but neither knows who the buyer will be. As Hunt explains, that answer decides whether you retire today or three years from now.

Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, explains why your shop’s value is a range, not a number. At $400,000, a good shop might draw 20 buyers. At $800,000, there may be one, if you can find him. He ranks three buyer groups from the lowest price to the highest: family and key employees, private parties, and private equity. He also covers how sweat equity works, why a 10% discount is the most common, and why the worst deals he sees are with family, where parents sometimes hand their retirement shortfall to the kids.

Then he gets practical. Ninety percent of his clients already know the person who ends up buying their shop. Hunt shares how to approach a likely buyer without looking desperate, why your tool truck and coaching group often know who’s buying, why an NDA “means nada,” and when a broker is worth the fee. For owners who want top dollar, he lays out what private equity looks for: size, bay count, location, the hub-and-spoke model and, above all, a shop that truly runs without its owner.
Whether you plan to sell in five years or hand the keys to your service advisor, this episode shows how your choice of buyer shapes your price and your timeline.

*What You'll Learn…*
00:00 Intro
03:52 Does it really run without you?
05:15 $400K easy, $800K hard
06:48 Camry shop, Ferrari price
10:36 Three buyers, three prices
12:12 Family and key employees
13:38 Why family deals go wrong
14:33 The 10% sweat equity rule
19:22 Your buyer is already in your Rolodex
23:50 When to call a broker
25:51 What private equity wants
29:41 The hub and spoke model

If you plan to sell someday, the time to figure out who’s buying is now. This episode is essential listening.

*Resources Mentioned*
Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0
Get Hunt's Book: Beyond the Bays, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0iQ3UuOL


Got questions or feedback, connect with Hunt Demarest at:
Email: podcast@paarmelis.com
Website: https://www.paarmelis.com


*More Info on BBTN Sponsors:*
Promotive — To find and hire great techs, visit: https://info.gopromotive.com/hunt
WickedFile — Find missing profit in your paperwork, visit: https://www.wickedfile.com
Overdryve — Get AI powered marketing solutions, visit: https://www.overdryvemarketing.com

*Download the Automotive Repair Podcast Network App:* https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Thought interest rates had peaked? So did most of the country. So what happens when a customer needs a $10,000 repair, owns a home with hundreds of thousands in equity, and still can't pay?

Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, returns to interest rates for the first time in over a year. He explains the Federal Reserve's quarter-point hike and why the relief expected in 2026 keeps slipping away. The Fed rate sits under every credit card, car note and mortgage your customers carry. Hunt shows why one good inflation report proves little when it's measured a new way, and how the K-shaped economy pays savers 4.5% while borrowers sink. He also says today's stock market looks like a shop that lives off three AI customers.

Then he looks at what this means for your customers. The 30-year mortgage is near 7.5%, up from 6.5% a year ago. Customers holding 3% mortgages can't or won't borrow against their homes to cover a big repair. Commercial loans written near 3% in 2021 are resetting around 9%, and some landlords locked into 10-year leases are telling their banks to take the building. Hunt explains why shops that own their buildings are better protected, why rising costs justify raising your prices, and why savers have rarely had it better.

Whether you're carrying a variable-rate loan, facing a commercial refinance, or watching customers turn down big repairs, this episode explains what's driving rates and how long they may stay high.

*What You'll Learn…*
00:00 Intro
02:17 Why the Fed rate sets yours
05:07 0% vs. 30% on the same truck
06:43 The inflation report that changed the math
09:00 The K-shaped economy
10:13 A stock market riding on three companies
12:14 Why 2026 didn't go to plan
16:37 The quarter-point hike and what's next
19:26 What high rates mean for your customers
21:04 Home equity customers can't touch
23:31 Commercial loans: 3% to 9%
25:29 Why landlords are handing back the keys

If you're ready to stop waiting for rates to fall and start planning your pricing, your debt and your cash around the rates we have now, this episode is essential listening.

*Resources Mentioned*
Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0
Get Hunt's Book: Beyond the Bays, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0iQ3UuOL


*Got questions or feedback, connect with Hunt Demarest at:*
Email: podcast@paarmelis.com
Website: https://www.paarmelis.com


*More Info on BBTN Sponsors:*
Promotive — To find and hire great techs, visit: https://info.gopromotive.com/hunt
WickedFile — Find missing profit in your paperwork, visit: https://www.wickedfile.com
Overdryve — Get AI powered marketing solutions, visit: https://www.overdryvemarketing.com

*Download the Automotive Repair Podcast Network App:* https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Did you buy a truck last December just to shrink your tax bill? Is the year-end bonus you pay yourself actually handing the IRS more money?

In part two of his tax series, Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, moves from tax planning to the part every shop owner wants to hear about: paying less. He walks through six strategies and flags where owners get each one wrong. A $6,000 compressor saves you $1,500 but leaves you $4,500 poorer, while a $6,000 IRA contribution saves the same $1,500 and you keep every dollar. Hunt also explains why a small 401(k) can cost you thousands a year in fees, how an HSA works like a second retirement account, and why an S corp owner who bonuses profit onto payroll pays more tax. He closes with entity structure, where one election saved a client $25,000 in a year, and a simple rule for equipment: decide what you need first, and let taxes decide only when you buy it.

Whether you've never opened a retirement account or you're wondering if your entity setup still fits a shop that has doubled in size, this episode gives you a clear list to take to your accountant before year end.

*What You'll Learn…*
(00:00) Intro
(03:39) Hunt's money-back guarantee
(05:03) Why a $6,000 compressor is a weak deduction
(06:23) Retirement: time beats dollars
(07:32) When your 401(k) costs more than it saves
(09:11) HSA vs. FSA explained
(13:36) The S corp bonus mistake
(15:42) The $70K to $80K salary sweet spot
(16:59) Why gaming expense timing backfires
(18:21) Entity structure: the real found money
(20:18) Buying a truck to save taxes? Do the math
(21:40) When taxes should change your purchase timing

If you're ready to stop buying equipment just to dodge a tax bill and start paying yourself in a way that keeps more money out of the IRS's hands, this episode is essential listening.

*Resources Mentioned*
Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0
Get Hunt's Book: Beyond the Bays, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0iQ3UuOL


*Got questions or feedback, connect with Hunt Demarest at:*
Email: podcast@paarmelis.com
Website: https://www.paarmelis.com


*More Info on BBTN Sponsors:*
Promotive — To find and hire great techs, visit: https://info.gopromotive.com/hunt
WickedFile — Find missing profit in your paperwork, visit: https://www.wickedfile.com
Overdryve — Get AI powered marketing solutions, visit: https://www.overdryvemarketing.com

*Download the Automotive Repair Podcast Network App:* https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Do you actually know what you'll owe the IRS next spring, or are you just hoping it works out? And if your accountant has been extending your taxes for years, is that actually saving you anything?

This week, Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, kicks off a two-part series on taxes by tackling the piece most shop owners skip entirely: tax planning. Hunt draws the line between tax preparation (backward-looking, mandatory, and reactive) and tax planning (forward-looking, optional, and the thing that actually keeps you from getting blindsided). He walks through the exact five-minute math he uses to annualize a shop's net income from partial-year numbers, why extending your return "to lower audit risk" is a myth, and the personal-return landmines, like ACA marketplace credits and phased-out child tax credits, that catch shop owners off guard even when the business side looks fine.

Whether you've never run a tax estimate in your life or you just want to sanity-check what your accountant is telling you, this episode gives you the framework to stop being surprised every April.

*What You'll Learn…*
(00:00) Intro
(02:29) Why this isn't the tax-saving episode you expected
(05:00) Tax prep vs. tax planning: it's about timing, not paperwork
(05:53) The financial-analysis cycle behind every good tax plan
(07:14) Why most shops never build a real tax plan
(09:08) Busting the "extending lowers my audit risk" myth
(09:57) When it's time to fire your accountant over extensions
(11:30) The annual tax planning calendar Hunt runs for clients
(15:04) How to annualize your own net income in five minutes
(17:09) Red flags: when your numbers swing too high or too low
(18:27) The 25% rule for ballparking what you'll owe
(19:53) Kids, credits, and the ACA surprise that blindsides shop owners

*Resources Mentioned*
Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0
Get Hunt's Book: Beyond the Bays, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0iQ3UuOL


*Got questions or feedback, connect with Hunt Demarest at:*
Email: podcast@paarmelis.com
Website: https://www.paarmelis.com


*More Info on BBTN Sponsors:*
Promotive — To find and hire great techs, visit: https://info.gopromotive.com/hunt
WickedFile — Find missing profit in your paperwork, visit: https://www.wickedfile.com
Overdryve — Get AI powered marketing solutions, visit: https://www.overdryvemarketing.com

*Download the Automotive Repair Podcast Network App:* https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Would you take the job you're offering your own technicians? Could a candidate's spouse be the real decision maker in your next hire, and do you know what she needs to hear?

Hunt Demarest sits down with Sam Freeman and Lisa Coyle from Promotive, the recruiting firm that places technicians, service advisors, and shop managers across the country, to talk about why so many good candidates never make it past the first ninety days, and why so many good shops can't fill a seat no matter how much they raise pay. Lisa and Sam walk through the data points that predict a bad hire before it happens, why flat rate is becoming a harder sell with both technicians and consumers, and why one in three shops is losing candidates over a benefits package that just isn't competitive. They also dig into the stat driving a lot of the industry's anxiety right now: seventy percent of people who take their first automotive job leave the trade within twelve months and never come back.

Whether you're struggling to fill a single bay or running a shop with a full crew, this episode is a reality check on what candidates are actually evaluating when they walk through your door, and what you can control when the market itself is working against you.

*What You'll Learn...*
00:10 Meet Sam and Lisa from Promotive
02:40 The 58% red flag before day one
04:02 The three-benefit tipping point
07:16 The case for hybrid pay over flat rate
11:16 What top techs ask before they say yes
16:53 Why 70% quit the trade and never look back
22:29 Everybody wants an A-tech, nobody wants to build one
26:23 The licensing trap costing shops candidates
32:46 Building the bench before you need it
40:33 Inside Promotive's portal, pricing, and guarantee
47:31 Your team is your best billboard

*Resources Mentioned*
Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0
Get Hunt's Book: Beyond the Bays, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0iQ3UuOL


*Got questions or feedback, connect with Hunt Demarest at:*
Email: podcast@paarmelis.com
Website: https://www.paarmelis.com


*More Info on BBTN Sponsors:*
Promotive — To find and hire great techs, visit: https://info.gopromotive.com/hunt
WickedFile — Find missing profit in your paperwork, visit: https://www.wickedfile.com
Overdryve — Get AI powered marketing solutions, visit: https://www.overdryvemarketing.com
Maverick — Grow your shop with auto shop coaching, visit: https://www.maverickshopowners.com

*Download the Automotive Repair Podcast Network App:* https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Do you actually know your break-even point, or just a number that feels close enough? And if you hit it, would you even know why?

This week's episode started with a phone call. Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, was walking a client through his numbers through July when he realized something: most shop owners can eyeball their break-even point, but almost none of them understand what's actually driving it. Hunt breaks down the fastest way to find your break-even using your own monthly financials, why a sales target is really just a stand-in for what you actually need (gross profit), and how to turn that number into real targets for cars, hours, and average repair order that your team can actually use. He also tackles the messy middle ground of cost of goods sold versus overhead, and why the math works out the same either way as long as you're consistent.

Whether you've never once run this calculation for your shop or you set your break-even years ago and haven't touched it since, this episode is a practical field guide to knowing the one number that tells you if your shop is actually working.

*What You'll Learn…*
(00:00) Intro
(00:44) Housekeeping: the book, the sponsors, and how to ask Hunt anything
(02:48) The client call that inspired this episode
(03:14) The fastest way to find your break-even: your own monthly numbers
(04:43) The reality check: making sure it's a true break-even month
(05:53) Sales targets vs. what your team actually needs to hear
(07:33) Cost of goods sold vs. overhead: the literal breakdown
(11:21) Building your gross profit target from three financial categories
(16:25) The margin math: why 50% gross profit beats 30%, every time
(17:45) The revolving cycle: why this number needs regular updates

*Resources Mentioned*
Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0
Get Hunt's Book: Beyond the Bays, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0iQ3UuOL


*Got questions or feedback, connect with Hunt Demarest at:*
Email: podcast@paarmelis.com
Website: https://www.paarmelis.com


*More Info on BBTN Sponsors:*
Promotive — To find and hire great techs, visit: https://info.gopromotive.com/hunt
WickedFile — Find missing profit in your paperwork, visit: https://www.wickedfile.com
Overdryve — Get AI powered marketing solutions, visit: https://www.overdryvemarketing.com
Maverick — Grow your shop with auto shop coaching, visit: https://www.maverickshopowners.com

*Download the Automotive Repair Podcast Network App:* https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Are you accidentally paying taxes on money you're never actually going to collect? Could the way you're deleting a bad ticket in your shop management software be costing you more than the deadbeat customer ever did?

This week's episode started as a text message. Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, answers a question from fellow podcaster Chris Cotton of AutoFix Shop Coaching and The Weekly Blitz: how should shops actually handle bad debt? Hunt breaks it down from the ground up, what bad debt is, how cash versus accrual accounting changes the math, and why deleting or discounting a ticket instead of writing it off properly can quietly inflate your tax bill and hide real problems in your production numbers. He walks through the exact steps for building a "bad debt" payment type into your shop management software, how to automate the accounting through Back Office and Accounting Link (or handle it manually with a journal entry), and where chargebacks, bartering, and shop vehicles fit into the picture.

Whether you've never had a customer stiff you or you're staring down an invoice right now that you know you'll never collect, this episode is a practical field guide to keeping your books, and your tax bill, accurate.

*What You'll Learn…*
(00:00) Intro: Chris Cotton's bad debt question kicks off the episode
(00:46) Housekeeping: the book, the sponsors, and how to ask Hunt anything
(03:11) The four part question: where it goes, how it's recorded, and chargebacks
(05:28) What actually is bad debt: cash basis versus accrual, explained
(07:58) The tax trap: why ignoring bad debt means overpaying the IRS
(08:50) PSA: your AR is only as accurate as your shop management software
(12:21) The correct way to book a loss: sales, cost, and the bad debt line
(13:51) Why deleting the ticket hides your real production story
(16:54) The nuts and bolts: creating a bad debt payment type
(19:03) Automate it: Back Office, Accounting Link, and manual journal entries
(21:03) Chargebacks, bartering, and shop vehicles: same rules or different?
(23:10) Closing thoughts and how to reach Hunt

*Resources Mentioned*
Get the FREE 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04j-grh0
Get Hunt's Book: Beyond the Bays, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0iQ3UuOL


*Got questions or feedback, connect with Hunt Demarest at:*
Email: podcast@paarmelis.com
Website: https://www.paarmelis.com


*More Info on BBTN Sponsors:*
Promotive — To find and hire great techs, visit: https://info.gopromotive.com/hunt
WickedFile — Find missing profit in your paperwork, visit: https://www.wickedfile.com
Overdryve — Get AI powered marketing solutions, visit: https://www.overdryvemarketing.com
Maverick — Grow your shop with auto shop coaching, visit: https://www.maverickshopowners.com

*Download the Automotive Repair Podcast Network App:* https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/