Mastering the Multiverse: Unlocking Extraordinary Futures Beyond Multi-ShopOwnership

By Michael Herzberg Smith

September 2025

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Are you considering Multi-Shop Ownership (MSO)? That question is on the minds of

more shop owners today than ever before.

The era of becoming a multi-shop company is no longer the summit, it’s just the first

step toward an array of extraordinary futures that were unimaginable in our industry a

decade ago. The future isn’t only about owning two, three, or even ten locations – it’s

about rethinking what’s possible when you leverage your experience, your team and

your success across a broader playing field.

This article is an invitation to explore some of what it takes to move beyond the

traditional single-shop ownership model and into the multiverse of possibilities.

The “More of the Same” Mirage

At first glance, expansion seems simple: buy a second location, duplicate what works,

cut-and-paste your systems, hire more staff, and run the new shop just like the first. But

if you think expansion is just “more of the same,” you’re already behind.

Successfully launching or acquiring a second location demands far more than

transactional knowledge. It requires a conceptual and strategic rethink of how you lead,

how you structure, and how you multiply your success. If you carry the mindset of “one

shop times two” – as most new multi-shop owners do – you’ll find yourself

overwhelmed, stretched thin and possibly burning out faster than you imagined.

Instead, the real challenge is to learn to think, act and lead differently.

The Leap from One to Two

The first expansion from one to two shops is the most challenging – and done well, it

will be permanently transformative.

Why? Because at one location, an owner-operator can personally control everything.

You can keep track of every technician, every customer quirk, and every detail. At two

shops, you cannot. Your evolution must be from “owner-operator” to “owner-leader” (or

even better yet, to “owner-investor.”)

This shift forces you to release your grip on total control and develop stronger (or new)

muscles:

Delegation rooted in trust – You must develop and rely on leaders who will

carry the company’s vision and values forward without you hovering.

Systems that scale – Processes that worked informally at one location must

become formal, repeatable and teachable.

Financial literacy – Cash flow across two locations doesn’t behave like cash

flow at one. You must think like an investor, not just an operator.

This leap is where most new multi-shop owners stall.

But for those who embrace and master the shift, something remarkable happens… they

discover freedom. The business stops being about their personal daily grind, and

becomes more about their ability to lead others toward collective success.

The Move to Three and Beyond

Once you’ve mastered two shops adding a third is much easier, and it’s strategically

brilliant. Why? Because now you can:

Balance leadership – With three shops, you can begin creating layers of

leadership. A lead service advisor or a senior technician can grow into new roles,

like area manager.

Share resources – Equipment, talent, marketing campaigns and training

investments stretch further.

Stabilize risk – If one shop has a slow month, the others can help balance the

books.

Think of it as crossing a bridge. One shop is a pathway. Two shops are a shaky plank

bridge you must test with every step. But three shops form the foundation of a system –

one that can be strengthened, scaled and repeated.

Breaking Old-School Ceilings

Many shop owners unknowingly live under glass ceilings; limits created by old-school

ideas. The myth that “expansion means lower quality” or “nobody cares as much as the

owner does” holds back countless auto service companies.

The truth? With the right context, these limits can be shattered. Quality doesn’t collapse when you multiply, it thrives when you build systems

that honor it. Care for customers doesn’t disappear when the owner isn’t present, it

expands when you build a team culture that makes every person a trusted

ambassador. Growth doesn’t mean losing your soul, it means amplifying it; multiplying it.

The “ceiling” isn’t real, that’s just an illusion.

Beyond POS, SOPs and Bookkeeping

Most owner-operators believe the fundamentals of multi-shop success are just about

the processes, procedures and tools: a solid POS system, detailed SOPs and clean

bookkeeping. Job descriptions, performance metrics and accountability. Don’t

misunderstand… all of those matter. But they are not the core of multi-shop success.

The deeper fundamentals are:

Identity clarity – Who are you as an owner? What does your company stand

for? Growth magnifies everything, both your strengths and your weaknesses.

Leadership depth – Do you have leaders in training, ready to step into bigger

shoes? Without them, every new shop multiplies your stress.

Cultural strength – Can your culture thrive without you in the room? If not, you’ll

never scale sustainably.

These aren’t add-ons. They are the bedrock of multi-shop mastery.

Championship Leaders and Teams

Here’s the competitive advantage almost nobody talks about: the art of crafting

championship leaders and teams. In sports, championship teams win not just because of talent, but because of culture, leadership and preparation. The same is true in business. Your ability to develop leaders is your single greatest multiplier of long-term success.

Championship leaders are those who carry the vision as their own, build trust and relationships that bind teams together, make smart decisions when pressure mounts, inspire loyalty, not through fear, but through shared purpose

Championship teams are those that hold each other accountable without waiting for the boss, treat customers like valued partners, not transactions, adapt quickly to challenges without falling apart, take pride in winning together

If you master the craft of building these leaders and teams, no competitor can touch

you. Technology can be copied. Marketing campaigns can be mimicked. But culture,

trust and leadership? Those are yours alone.

The Window of Opportunity

Our industry is entering a once-in-a-lifetime window. Retiring baby boomers are creating

opportunities for acquisition and expansion like never before. Thousands of well-

established shops are for sale – not because they’re broken, but because their owners

are ready to retire.

For visionary operators, this is the moment to act. The question isn’t “Can you grow?”

The question is “Will you prepare yourself to grow wisely?”

Preparing for the Multiverse

So how do you prepare? Start here:

1. Clarify (possibly rethink) your identity – Growth will demand that you step into

a new role. Are you ready?

2. Invest in leadership – Start developing your service advisors, foremen, and

managers into leaders today.

3. Create a high-performance culture – Write down your purpose, your character,

and your non-negotiables. Make them teachable, and steward their practice.

4. Strengthen your financial mindset – Learn to read your P&L and balance

sheet like an investor, not an operator.

5. Create a growth roadmap – Don’t stumble into expansion. Build a plan, even

though it will evolve real-time along the way.

When you prepare this way, your second shop won’t crush you. Your third will feel like

momentum. And beyond that? You’ll find yourself standing in a multiverse of

extraordinary futures.

Conclusion: The First Step

Becoming a Multi-Shop Operator is not the finish line. It’s the beginning. It’s the first step

into a landscape where your imagination, leadership and courage create limitless

opportunities.

The future belongs to those who can transcend the old ceilings, master the

fundamentals, and build championship leaders and teams.

So, are you ready? The multiverse awaits.

Let’s talk.

All the best,

About the Author

Michael Herzberg-Smith brings more than 45 years of experience from the Fortune 500

consulting and investment worlds. Michael met his first automotive service owner 10

years ago, helping him and his friends to become one of the current largest

consolidators in our industry. Michael now devotes 100% of his professional life to

helping leading automotive service owner-operators to scope unlimited-scale futures,

and prepare them for success.

Michael is a Partner at the Institute for Automotive Business Excellence. He is the

Institute’s Chief Strategy Officer, and leads the Legacy Builders Program comprised of

Leadership Development, High-Performance, Value-Building, and M&A/Growth

components. Michael and The Institute would like to help you achieve the same kind of success.