On The Ramp - The Independent Automotive Garage Owners Podcast.

If you are a garage owner thinking about starting, specialising or scaling, this episode offers a clear look at what actually drives results.
In this episode we cover how this specialist garage was:
- Built With Clarity From Day One
- Built Without Guesswork- Built With Purpose, Not Pressure
- Built Through Focus, Not Expansion
- Doing the Right Things Early

This episode is kindly sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. Find out more about Castrol using the link below:

https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:42 - Early career and dealership experience
04:15 - The decision to leave the dealership
07:10 - Career perspective and Australia
10:05 - Starting The Mini Repair Shop
14:20 - Building the brand before the building
18:35 - Launching during COVID
23:10 - Finding customers in the early days
28:45 - Why specialising in MINI works
34:20 - The role of social media
40:05 - Partnerships and early growth
46:30 - Expansion vs focus
52:10 - Key lessons for garage owners
57:00 - Final thoughts

Most garage businesses start broad.General repairs.
General customers. General positioning.
But over time, staying general can make growth harder, not easier.In this episode, we explore the journey from a traditional town-centre garage to a specialist Land Rover business and the structural decisions that built long-term resilience along the way.
We cover:
- Transitioning from petrol station to full garage operation
- The risk of moving from a high street location to a commercial unit
- Why mastering internal workflow comes before expansion- How specialisation strengthens pricing confidence and authority
- The importance of perception in building value
- This is not about chasing trends. It is about deliberate evolution.
- If you are thinking about resilience, repositioning, or future
-proofing your garage, this episode is for you.
This episode is supported by Castrol and The Race Group.
To learn more about Castrol and how they support independent garages,
visit:https://www.castrol.com
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
2:10 - The Origins of the Business
6:15 - From Petrol Station to Garage
12:40 - The Risk of Leaving the High Street
18:20 - Moving to a Commercial Unit
24:30 - Building Systems Before Expansion
30:15 - Controlling Parts and Workflow
36:40 - The Shift Toward Specialisation
44:10 - Becoming a Land Rover Specialist
52:30 - Perception and Premium Positioning
1:01:20 - Lessons in Building Resilience
1:08:45 - Final Thoughts

Running a garage does not come with a manual.
In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Petty, co owner of JP Petty Motors, to talk honestly about what it is really like to learn the motor trade while already carrying the responsibility of running a business.
Sarah did not come from a technical background. She learned on the job, asked questions, made mistakes and slowly built confidence in an industry that does not always make space for uncertainty. We talk about running a family garage, the pressure that follows you home, making difficult pricing decisions, learning when to ask for help, and stepping out of the shadows to become a visible leader.
This conversation will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like they were figuring it out as they went along.
Timestamps
2:00 – Coming into the garage with no technical background
5:10 – Learning on the job and early challenges
8:00 – Moving into a service advisor role
11:00 – Balancing family life and the business
14:00 – Covid and the pressure on the garage
17:30 – The moment everything had to change
20:00 – Learning to ask questions and not guess
23:00 – Knowing what you do not know
26:00 – Stepping out of the shadows
29:30 – Confidence and leadership in the garage
32:30 – Putting yourself out there in the industry
35:00 – Discovering the wider automotive community
38:30 – Information overload and staying grounded
41:30 – Running a family business together
45:00 – Supporting staff and building trust
48:30 – Growth pricing and difficult decisions
52:00 – Vehicle health checks and changing processes
56:00 – Capacity pressure and future thinking
1:00:00 – Final reflections on learning as you go
This episode is supported by Castrol and The Race Group.Visit Castrol here: ⁠https://www.castrol.com⁠

In this episode of On The Ramp, Jamie shares an honest account of his journey through the motor trade.From starting out in a small local garage and working through dealerships and independents, to running his own business for nearly a decade, this conversation looks at what life is really like behind the scenes.
Jamie talks openly about going mobile with very little planning, the pressure of keeping work coming in, and the reality of long hours with little reward.
The episode explores common challenges many garage owners face, including undercharging, fear of employing staff, working without a long term plan, and the isolation that can come with running a one man business.
The discussion also covers the difficult decision to close a garage, the emotional impact of locking the doors for the last time, and the relief that can come from stepping away.
From there, the conversation moves into growth, learning diagnostics properly, working alongside stronger operators, and finding a healthier balance between work, life, and ambition.
This episode will resonate with anyone in the automotive industry who has run a garage, is thinking about starting one, or is questioning what success in this trade really looks like beyond just being busy.

This episode is proudly sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group.
To learn more about Castrol Service, visit:

https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/services/castrol-service.html

Timestamps:
01:00 - Getting into the motor trade
05:30 - Apprenticeships and early mistakes
06:45 - Leaving the dealer and chasing money
07:50 - Going mobile and starting alone
09:10 - Running a business with no plan
11:00 - Winter work and survival mode
11:40 - First workshop and early growth
14:00 - Working month to month
15:45 - The biggest mistake looking back
19:00 - Long hours and family pressure
25:00 - Realising something had to change
29:30 - Deciding to close the business
36:30 - Learning again and rediscovering the trade
56:30 - Finding balance and enjoying the work

Modern diagnostics demand far more than plugging in a tool and changing parts. In this episode of On The Ramp, we talk about what working on today’s vehicles really requires from independent garages.
The conversation covers process, responsibility and decision making in a world of complex systems, EVs and ADAS. We discuss why fault codes are only the starting point, why structure and method matter, and what happens when diagnostics is rushed or handled without the right understanding.
This episode is for garage owners and senior technicians who want to work safely, professionally and sustainably as vehicles continue to evolve.
Timestamps:
02:12 – Steve’s background and how diagnostics has changed
06:38 – Why fault codes are only the starting point
11:04 – Moving from parts fitting to proper diagnostic process
18:27 – Teaching technicians how to think, not just test
26:06 – Why process matters more than tools
31:42 – Charging properly for diagnostics and assessment time
38:18 – Intermittent faults and managing customer expectations
44:02 – EVs, ADAS and the responsibility garages now carry
49:28 – Safety risks and why calibration matters
56:08 – Dealer vs independent diagnostics explained
01:02:35 – The future of diagnostics and access to vehicle data
01:08:12 – Burnout, pressure and working smarter
01:15:48 – Raising standards without losing your sanity
01:22:26 – Final thoughts on professionalism in the trade

This episode is proudly sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group.

Find out more below:

Castrol: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html
The Race Group: https://www.facebook.com/TheRaceGroup/?locale=en_GB