The Big Four: Why Your Overhead Isn't the Problem — Until It Is [E223]

About this episode

Hunt Demarest discusses the four key overhead categories that can impact business profitability and how to manage them effectively.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve Is your advertising budget working for you, or quietly draining you? Are you paying a credit card processing premium you didn't even know existed? When did insurance stop being a routine expense and start becoming one of your biggest threats? And is that rent number on your P&L actually telling you the truth? In this solo episode, Hunt Demarest, CPA at Paar Melis & Associates, breaks down the four overhead categories that show up most often in his firm's annual benchmark report — and the ones where shop owners are most likely throwing money away without realizing it. From the 3% advertising rule to why the cheapest insurance policy might be the most expensive decision you ever make, Hunt walks through real numbers, real client stories, and a framework for getting your overhead under control without kneejerk cost-cutting that tanks your business. Whether you're a two-bay shop trying to understand your first P&L or a multi-location owner wondering why your margins keep shrinking despite steady revenue — this episode is essential listening. What You'll Learn... (02:45) The overhead mindset…

People in this episode

Host: Hunt Demarest

Topics covered

• overhead management
• advertising budget
• credit card processing
• insurance costs
• P&L analysis
• cost-cutting strategies

Keywords

• overhead
• advertising
• insurance
• credit card processing
• P&L
• cost management
• business profitability

Sponsors

Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, Overdryve

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Paar Melis & Associates

More episodes of Business By The Numbers

• Auto Shop Benchmarks: Biggest Changes, Key KPI's and Trends [E226] · June 11, 2026 · 45 min
• 529, Roth, or Trump Account? What Shop Owners Actually Need to Know [E225] · June 4, 2026 · 26 min
• The Parts Reconciliation Gap Costing Auto Repair Shops Six Figures [E224] · May 28, 2026 · 36 min
• The Hiring Playbook Auto Shops Are Missing: PTO, Tool Allowances, and the 3-Day Interview Rule [E222] · May 14, 2026 · 54 min
• How Cutting Costs Doesn't Always Mean Keeping More Profit [E221] · May 7, 2026 · 29 min
• Parts Matrix Problems: How Inflation Is Quietly Eroding Your Gross Profit [E220] · April 30, 2026 · 27 min