Sometimes, franchises will be referred to as turn-key businesses.  An established system is already in place and all you need to do is turn the key and open the door, and you can start work. Most franchise owners know that that’s hardly true and kind of an insult to the process. There’s a lot involved in buying a franchise, and often, you’re looking for a location and then going through the process of getting a building constructed. Then you hire and train a quality staff. It isn’t as if somebody just hands you keys to a business. The exception to this is when you buy an existing franchise, particularly when it has been around for some time and been very successful.  Jason Shastri did exactly that late last year, when he bought the Mr. Transmission/Milex franchise in Stafford, Texas, which had been in business for about 30 years. “One of the things I liked about the store is that it had a good reputation with its customers.  It didn&rsquo ... read more

What Those Lights on Your Car Dashboard Mean Often, lights are a good thing. They can brighten a room and we often talk about the light at the end of the tunnel or shining light on a situation. But lights on your car’s dashboard often aren’t so comforting. They are helpful, of course, and it’s a good thing that car manufacturers have them there. But they’re definitely not to be ignored. When those lights turn on, it’s often a cry for help from your car, and a sign that something is amiss. We wanted to mention a few of the common lights that cars – especially newer ones – often have. Keep in mind that if all of your lights turn on, as you start your car, that’s normal. It’s when one of those lights stays on, that it can be problematic. Here are a few rules of the road. Think of those lights as traffic lights. The analogy almost works. If you see any icon light up on your car dashboard, and ... read more

As the cold weather continues to grip many areas of the country, we all wish we could speed up the winter. While that is not possible, we can slow down the affects that a brutal winter can have on your car’s battery.  If you live in a cold climate, winter is not your car battery’s friend. It is more like your car battery’s mortal enemy. Extremely cold temperatures can slow the chemical reactions that occur inside a lead acid battery, making it harder for it to function. It also doesn’t help that when your engine is extremely cold, the thing that helps it heat up faster and run better is your car battery. When the temperature drops, your odds increase of coming out to the car and starting the ignition, only to hear that dreaded sound of silence. If you want to keep your battery running properly and protect it from the bitter temperatures, you may want to try the following. First, look for the signs of a bad battery. Look for the subtle si ... read more

Opportunity is everywhere. You hear that sentiment a lot, but if there is a lesson to be learned in the story of Michael Rucker and LeRoy Holland, that’s it: opportunity is everywhere. You never know what doors might open, simply because of where you go and who you meet. Rucker and Holland are co-owners of the new Mr. Transmission/Milex franchise in Las Vegas, Nevada, which opened in December. We recently spoke with the new owners about the start of their business and this history of their partnership. The two first met six years ago when Rucker brought his car in for repair.  He was impressed by Holland’s approach to car care and he quickly became Rucker’s go-to mechanic whenever his car had problems.  They developed a friendship over the years, and Rucker kept Holland in mind when he explored purchasing a Mr. Transmission/Milex franchise. “One of the main reasons why I wanted to go into business with LeRoy is that I have never seen someone so hone ... read more

This winter has been dangerously cold at times, with the recent polar vortex and its subzero temperatures. So naturally, we at Moran Family of Brands have been thinking about how the elements affect your car. Over the course of a typical winter, the elements can take a toll on your car.  If we have any more bitterly cold days ahead of us, you’ll want to pay close attention for these potential problems with your car. Your battery is at risk of dying. If your car gets extremely cold, the battery could freeze. Now, the good news is that it must get extremely cold before that happens. Some experts suggest as cold as negative 76 degrees.  That said, even at 32 degrees, your battery can start having problems. Your best bet is to keep your battery connections clean and free of corrosion, and if you’re ever stuck in the house because there’s snow outside, or it’s extremely cold, you might want t ... read more

Most business owners want to grow a business. The question is – how to grow it? After all, there are a lot of ways to grow a business in the wrong way. You can expand your business to the point that you’re spending more on the infrastructure or inventory than you’re receiving in revenue. You can spread yourself too thin, where your business is doing too many different things and none of them very well. There’s a reason the term growing pains is often thrown around. Growing can involve a fair amount of agony. That’s why we’re big fans of co-branding, the concept of having a business that has two or three or more brands under one roof. In other words, if you run a Milex Complete Auto Care, a full-service auto repair shop, you might also be the owner of a Mr. Transmission, which does transmission and clutch repair. It’s a way of growing and avoiding growing ... read more

We often talk about how important it is to fix potential car problems rather than letting them fester and become major issues later. At Milex/Mr. Transmission we want to help educate our customers about the proper care for their vehicle.  Nobody likes having to spend $1,000 on car repairs when if they had just come in two months earlier after the car first started acting strange, that same bill might have been $100 or less. Unfortunately, if there is a minor problem with a car and you ignore it, it doesn’t fix itself or remain minor. It usually gets worse. It obviously isn’t feasible for anyone to get their car examined by a mechanic every day, and it isn’t necessary. You may or may not know much about cars, but if you know what to look and listen for, you can prevent a lot of potential problems. Mostly, all you need to do is look and listen for anything strange and unusual that your car seems to be doing. Here are thre ... read more

Don’t Warm Up Your Car Before Driving – and Other Things to Avoid in the Winter It is a common practice in winter and maybe you’ve done several times. There is snow covering your car and ice has settled over your windshield. And it is very cold. So, you trudge outside, start up your car and go back in your house and wait for the car to defrost. Contrary to popular opinion, that isn’t what you should be doing. In fact, there are several mistakes people make with their cars during the winter. Here are a few. Letting your car idle while it warms up. Several minutes isn’t going to kill your car, obviously, but letting it run while you finish breakfast inside is can be bad for your engine – unless your model is one that was built before 1995. Most cars built before 1995 had a carburetor, which combines air and fuel. With those cars, it was a good idea to let the car warm up for a while, as it helped your odds of the en ... read more

Winter is now here, which can be an enemy for cars across many parts of the country.  Cold temperatures, snow, sleet and ice can cause problems on how a car operates and drives on the road. Not having your car prepared for the winter can be potentially harmful to you, as well as others on the road.  So if your car isn’t winterized yet, it’s time to get your car prepared. Think about your battery. Freezing temperatures can reduce a battery’s power by up to 50 percent – and during the winter, when you have the heat on, the defroster going and maybe the windshield wipers, you’ll want your car to be operating as well as possible. You’ll also want to keep track of your battery’s age, so that you don’t wind up stuck somewhere in the cold.  Car batteries often last three to five years. Monitor your fluids. You probably know that keeping your antifreeze and coolant mix at the appropriate levels ... read more

The holiday season often presents a great opportunity for people and businesses to help others who are less fortunate.  We are often moved by the spirit of giving and try to make this special time of year for everyone. Mr. Transmission owners Lowell and Cindy Hester are a great example of this desire to help others in their community around the holidays.  They participated in their local Toys for Tots campaign, which is a program that distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to purchase Christmas gifts.  This year the Hesters filled the box with 50 toys and $250 in donations for deserving children in the Atlanta area.  “Just the thought of kids not having something for Christmas is heartbreaking,” said Cindy.  “It is rewarding to be able to reach out to others for their support and know you’re are doing something ... read more