x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Business By The Numbers

Hunt Demarest, CPA has consistently provided his financial business acumen to help move the industry toward greater heights of success and profitability. Hunt was recently referred to as a "terrific advocate of the aftermarket." He is the author of the book, Your Perfect Shop: How to Start, Run & Sell a Profitable Shop. In this book, he compiled some of the best practices for auto repair shop owners, whether they are just starting or have been in the business for years. Hunt"s podcast will provide

business management

All Episodes

42:49

AI, Agents and the Death of Mundane Work: Tekmetric's...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/04/09

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and OverdryveWhat does the COO of the most widely adopted shop management software in the industry actually see when she looks at your data? In this episode, Hunt Demarest sits down with Lauren Langston, Chief Operating Officer of Tekmetric, for a candid, numbers-driven conversation about where the auto repair industry stands today — and where it's heading fast.Lauren brings a rare combination of investment banking, venture capital,

en

43:27

Stop Spray and Pray: The Marketing System Helping...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/04/02

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and OverdryveWhat if the reason your car count is down has nothing to do with your marketing — and everything to do with your people? And if you don't know who your ideal customer actually is before you spend a single dollar on advertising, are you really marketing, or just hoping?Hunt Demarest sits down with Mike DelaCruz, founder of Overdryve Marketing and a 15-year veteran of the automotive aftermarket. Mike's path through

en

25:31

Discover the Shocking Hidden Price Tag on Every...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/03/26

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileYou know comeback work costs money, but do you know how much?Most shop owners look at what they paid their technician and stop there. Hunt Demarest shows why that number is almost always the smallest part of the loss.In this episode, Hunt breaks down the real math on a client's comeback situation — where a perceived $500 problem was actually closer to $5,000. He explains why labor inventory evaporates every single day, how parts inventory works

en

32:18

Protecting Outcomes with Brian Rooney [E214]

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/03/19

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FilePROTECTING OUTCOMES: Why Thinking Like an Owner Changes Everything by Brian RooneyRooney's Auto and Tire CenterThanks to our partner PromotiveIt’s time to hire a superstar for your business; what a grind you have in front of you. Introducing Promotive, a full-service staffing solution for your shop. Promotive has over 40 years of recruiting and automotive experience. If you need qualified technicians and service advisors and want to offload the heavy

en

47:07

That Empty Bay Is Costing You $175,000 a Year: The...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/03/12

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileWhat if that empty bay in your shop is costing you $175,000 a year?What happens when your best technician walks in on Friday afternoon and says they're not coming back Monday?In this episode, Hunt Demarest welcomes back Chris Lawson from Technician Find — the first returning guest on Business by the Numbers. Chris tackles the question shop owners struggle with most: Can you really afford to invest in recruiting when money is tight? Drawing on real shop

en

23:19

Why Profit on a $40 Cabin Air Filter Can Beat a $600...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/03/05

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileWould you swap out wiper blades for $500? Probably yes. Would you replace an entire engine for $500? Absolutely not. But here’s the real question: what if the math behind why you said yes to one and no to the other is the same math that’s silently costing your shop thousands of dollars every month? IIn this episode, Hunt Demarest breaks down one of the most powerful and most overlooked metrics in the auto repair business: gross profit dollars per hour

en

26:21

How to Build a Commission Plan for Your Advisor or...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/02/26

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileYou already know how to pay your technicians, but what about everyone else? Your service advisors, your counter staff, your shop manager... how do you build a pay plan that actually motivates them to perform?In this follow-up to last week's technician pay plan episode, Hunt Demarest walks through the three most common commission structures for front-office and management staff: paying off total sales, paying off gross profit, and paying off net income

en

31:28

What Your Technician Pay Plan Is Really Telling You...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/02/19

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileWhat if the pay plan you've been debating isn't actually the problem?In this solo episode, Hunt Demarest tackles one of the most argued topics in the auto repair industry: how to pay your technicians. After seeing it debated online once too often, Hunt pulls from hundreds of real shop benchmarks to cut through the noise — and his answer might surprise you.Hunt breaks down the three main structures — flat rate, hourly/salary, and hybrid — explaining

en

53:11

From MBA to the Bays: Why the Next Generation Isn't...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/02/12

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileWhat if you left college with an engineering degree and an MBA, only to realize your best opportunity was back home in the family auto shop?In this episode, Hunt Demarest sits down with Brad Templin of Scott's U-Save, a fourth-generation automotive professional and second-generation owner running multiple locations across the Midwest. Brad shares the real story of what it's like to return to a family business after pursuing a corporate career, work

en

26:38

Everything You Need to Know About Life Insurance for...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/02/05

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileShould your shop carry life insurance on a key employee? What if one employee's unexpected death could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars?In this episode, Hunt Demarest tackles everything you need to know about life insurance for auto repair shop owners and their teams — covering key person insurance, term vs. whole life policies, tax implications, and how much coverage actually makes sense for your situation.Unlike most conversations about life

en

30:50

The Tax Mistakes That Get Auto Shops in Trouble (and...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/01/29

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileAre you unknowingly doing things that make the IRS take a closer look at your shop?What if one “small” filing mistake dramatically increases your audit risk this tax season?In this episode, Hunt Demarest walks through the most common tax mistakes that raise red flags with the IRS — and why many well-intentioned shop owners accidentally put themselves in the audit spotlight every year.Drawing on real audit cases from auto repair shops, Hunt explains how

en

29:12

The New Tax Rules That Could Save (or Cost) Your Shop...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/01/22

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileAre you sure you’re capturing every tax deduction your shop — and your employees — are entitled to this year?What if missing one small detail hands more money to the IRS than necessary?In this episode, Hunt Demarest kicks off the new tax season by breaking down the most important tax rule changes shop owners need to understand for 2026, and just as importantly, who actually qualifies for them.From overtime deductions and tip taxation to the

en

28:45

Why Your Sales Goal Might Be Leading You Toward...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/01/15

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileAre you setting sales goals that actually make you more money — or just more tired?What if your biggest growth goal is quietly setting your shop up for failure?In this episode, Hunt Demarest breaks down one of the most common (and dangerous) mistakes shop owners make when planning for growth: setting sales targets without understanding the real constraints behind them.Building on the ideas introduced in Episode 200, Hunt walks through how to set

en

32:48

End of 2025 Update: Interest Rates, Overtime & ERTC...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/01/08

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileThanks to our partner PromotiveIt’s time to hire a superstar for your business; what a grind you have in front of you. Introducing Promotive, a full-service staffing solution for your shop. Promotive has over 40 years of recruiting and automotive experience. If you need qualified technicians and service advisors and want to offload the heavy lifting, visit https://gopromotive.com/Thanks to our Partner WickedFileTurn chaos into clarity with WickedFile,

en

27:31

Health Insurance Shakeup for 2026: ACA Subsidies,...

Business By The Numbers ·

2026/01/01

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileHealth insurance premiums keep climbing — but 2026 could bring the biggest shakeup in years.In this episode of Business by the Numbers, Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, breaks down what’s happening in the small-business health insurance landscape after recent ACA subsidy changes — and why a new Republican-backed House bill could change how shop owners buy coverage and support their teams.Hunt explains the economics behind rising

en

30:42

Does Training Actually Pay Off? What Shop Owners Get...

Business By The Numbers ·

2025/12/25

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileTraining might be the most misunderstood investment in the auto-repair industry — and one of the most expensive when done wrong.In this week’s episode of Business by the Numbers, Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, sits down with David Boyes, President of Today’s Class, to unpack why so many training programs fail, how to actually measure technician growth, and what modern training looks like in the era of mobile learning, data

en

30:23

End-of-Year Tax Traps: The Deductions, Deadlines &...

Business By The Numbers ·

2025/12/18

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileAre you leaving money on the table before the tax year closes?In this end-of-year episode of Business by the Numbers, Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis & Associates, walks through the essential tax moves shop owners must make before December 31st and the costly assumptions that lead many to overpay the IRS.From retirement contributions and HSA hacks to equipment purchases, inventory write-downs, and why your accounts receivable might be lying to

en

35:54

The Road to 200: How to Double Your Sales, Profit,...

Business By The Numbers ·

2025/12/11

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileWhat would it take to double your shop’s success? I.e., 200% of your current sales, gross profit, and net profit?In this special 200th episode of Business by the Numbers, Hunt Demarest, CPA at Paar Melis & Associates, breaks down the math, mindset, and milestones behind scaling your shop’s numbers without burning out your team or outgrowing your facility too soon.From practical examples to real-world projections, Hunt shows you how to build a

en

16:22

Stop Paying Taxes You Don’t Owe: The Tax-Free Way to...

Business By The Numbers ·

2025/12/04

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileAre you rewarding your team, or paying extra taxes to do it? Could a few words on your payroll save you thousands a year?In this episode, Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar, Melis & Associates, explains why the difference between an allowance and a reimbursement could save both you and your employees thousands of dollars a year.From cars and cell phones to tool truck payments, Hunt breaks down how changing just a few words on your payroll setup can turn

en

20:01

Stop Letting the Dealer Decide Your Finances —...

Business By The Numbers ·

2025/11/27

Thanks to our partners Promotive and Wicked FileShould you lease or buy your next vehicle or piece of shop equipment?In this episode, Hunt Demarest, CPA with Paar Melis and Associates, walks through the real-world math behind leases and loans, from tax deductions to depreciation traps, so you can make decisions based on dollars and sense, not dealer pressure.Using simple examples (from a $25K Corolla loaner car to a five-year alignment machine lease), Hunt explains why some “deals” only look good on

en

143 results

Similar Podcasts

TaxTalent.com The Golden Rule Podcast

Adam Golden

TaxTalent.com Podcast

Tony Santiago

Handelsblatt Crime - spannende Streitfälle der deutschen Wirtschaft

Ina Karabasz, Solveig Gode, Sönke Iwersen

Deffner und Zschäpitz – Der Wirtschafts-Talk von WELT

WELT

Black Box - La scatola nera della finanza

Guido Brera e Gian Luca Comandini -...