paper work

You mention keeping A arm measurements in a file for the vehicle. do you have any strategies/systems of gorgonizing paper work/documentation for vehicles or more specifically the shop in general? A class on this would be amazing or if you have any outside sources that can help point me in the right direction. I own a very small custom shop in Idaho, USA. While I have a rudimentary system in place, I made it up and that most assuredly means its done wrong.

Some clarification may be in order?

Do you mean drawings or printouts - assuming you have a program to use, which may be beyond your resources at present, but you may be able to have another company do that for you?

Do you mean a filing system, so you can rapidly find the relevant drawings for the body/chassis types - eg, Ford Fox chassis (frames) and suspension components, or GM, MOPAR or other manufacturers and models you deal with as they come up? It may be helpful to have your OEM data as a master file, or files, and customer specific files with those copied to it, and any alterations noted with amended drawings? OH! On that, There is a way to legally access the manufacturerss official iles/drawings, but IIRC, they are generally very restricted, "your eyes only", etc, and probably too much of a hassle-fest for a small business to go through.

It sounds like you're someone who sort of transitioned a hobby into a business, good goind and well done, but are having some issues about the things you never learned about and are playing "catch-up"? There may be night, or correspendence, small business classes that will teach you about the various aspects of the business you should be aware of and how to integrate them correctly. there may also be some reputable " business mentors", or some such, who for a fee will come in and critique your business, looking for areas that can easily be improved and/or where you' re losing money.

A big part being cost control - exactly how money is earned and, more imports, how you're spending money - those bits and pieces (sundries), and inefficient work habits, can add up to a surprisingly big bite out of your bottom line. Simple things like using brighter low energy bulbs instead of incandescent - depending on costs, power charges, and how much you use them, they could pay for themselves the first year and save hundreds of $$$s a year after?