Business Central September 2020

44 | Volume 5 | Issue 3 Steve and Toni Bingley- enjoying bringing their ‘fix-it’ skills to the Waiararapa and Wellington. Photos: Ben.co Photography nz Kelly Deeks REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT » Carterton - TLC Services 118 Pembroke Street, CARTERTON office@cheersauto.co.nz www.cheersauto.co.nz Vehicle Servicing, Repairs, Diagnostics & much more... 0800 867 777 HIGH STREET NORTH, CARTERTON • Se r vicing • Repairs • Wheel Alignments and more CARS & TRUCKS C arterton’s TLC (tractor, lawnmower, chainsaw) Services is offering the Wairarapa and the Wellington region the skills of ‘Mr and Mrs Fix It’, Steve and Toni Bingley, who have spent their lives repairing and rebuilding engines. Steve and Toni have owned TLC Services for two years, having relocated to the Wairarapa in 2014. Toni joined the local business group, Go Carterton to help out with the organisation’s administration. It was while door knocking for Go Carterton that she saw TLC Services was for sale. “We’re the type of people that like to take chances, and since we’ve always been known as Mr and Mrs Fix It, we thought ‘why not?’,” says Toni. “With my mum’s help and encouragement it all fell into place, and we haven’t looked back.” The couple are fully versed, passionate, and self-taught about the repair and rebuild of small engines. Toni is currently working on completing the Master Services Technician Certification, which only 6500 people in the world hold. New apprenticeship and courses coming through as part of the Govern- ment’s Covid-19 response will include small engine repairs, and Steve and Toni look forward to being able to upskill with these. “So it was about proving ourselves at the start,” she says. “That was the challenge. And me being female! Some people would say ‘I’m not having a woman working on it!’.” But the couple certainly proved something and sales and new customers are on a steady increase. Toni says the local support has been unbeliev- able. “There is none of that tall poppy syndrome in Carterton. One of the things that has come out of Covid is to buy New Zealand made and support lo- cal businesses, but that was already here. Carterton has always been like that, people look out for each other.” Steve and Toni are now supported in their business by their new assistant Rebecca Kent and they’ve also taken on the services of Nickie Sheehan from Trio, a chartered accountant and a self-described chief encouragement officer who is helping the couple take their business to the next level. Nickie has provided some important advice around pricing and profitability. In the interests of continuing to look after their customers, Steve and Toni have started Gold Card discounts and a monthly draw where one lucky customer will receive a free service or repair. They are also a registered WINZ supplier for Outdoor Power Equipment. With the bookkeeping services of Erin Rayner from Blackbird Administration, Steve and Toni can leave the financial stuff to the professionals while they get on with saving those precious mechanical lives. ‘Mr and Mrs Fix It’ bring their skills to the region “One of the things that has come out of Covid is to buy New Zealand made and support local businesses, but that was already here.”