Ice House Entrepreneur Spotlight: Troy Ross, CR Tire & Automotive

By NetWork Kansas

CR Tire 1

1) Describe your business and how it began since participating in the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program.

CR’s Tire & Automotive started on July 2nd, 2018 (formerly called CR’s Tire & Muffler). This was a bit of a different approach from a start-up, as I bought out an existing business and made it my own. The business had been established in the community for over 20 years. The framework was there, it just needed some updating and tweaking to be more relevant. Our shop offers many automotive and tire services that include: Oil changes, alignments, brakes, tire sales/services, minor repairs, and more! The original owner, C.R. Worthing, did a great job of establishing a reputable and trustworthy shop in Wamego. We strive to continue having a high level of customer service to all of our existing and new customers.

2) What were your key takeaways from participating?

I always had the mindset of becoming a business owner/entrepreneur. The Ice House program helped solidify my decision to take the final “leap”, making business ownership a reality. Conversations with other peers in the group, many of whom were already business owners, created many meaningful takeaways. It helped me realize that we were all alike, just in different areas.

I also enjoyed the videos and guest speakers. It really made you believe that you could do anything you set your mind to. There were many successful people we were able to observe and learn from. They were normal people just like us, but they had made the jump and weren’t afraid to fail.

CR Tire 2

3) What are your plans to grow your business in the future? 

I feel that we’ve already grown the “CR’s” brand. Much of this was done by a simple tweak to the original business name. Changing “muffler” over to “automotive” helped customers realize that we offered more services than they had thought. All of these services were offered before, but the original name didn’t convey that message.

We hope to continue to grow our customer base. Tools like social media with a mix of older advertising will be used in order to do so. Expanding on the services we offer and staying current with automotive trends will be crucial to our shops success. I’m not ruling out the possibility of opening up a secondary location down the road.

4) How do you think the entrepreneurial mindset will help you to move forward?

Being an entrepreneur, you have to be optimistic. I don’t feel that pessimistic mindsets are healthy or are built for success. If you’ve ever been around successful people, most carry themselves in a different way and are always thinking outside of the box. This way of thinking is what I try to use on a daily basis to push myself, and my business, to be better.

 

 

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