There are many costs to running a successful dealership. To name a few: rent, labor, benefits, DMS systems, services and supplies to keep the operation running and finally…your suppliers. Yes, while suppliers play a key role in your success as a bu

Solid advice from a successful dealership manager As I sat down to write this month’s  article searching for a useful topic, I began pondering all the experiences I could write about  from visiting dealerships in just the last month, as I was

Some time ago I predicted that in 2012, the dealership insurance market would become “schizophrenic.” I could not have been more correct. Dealers who renewed their coverage in late 2011 or early 2012 will be in for an unpleasant surprise full of

If I want to purchase a book, my first stop these days is Amazon.com. If I want to buy a pair of shoes, I’ll scout Zappos.com. If I need a plane ticket, I’ll head to Orbitz.com or Kayak.com. These websites are my current go-to choices for online

The buy/sell market has picked up considerably from the low it hit in 2009. That said, we at Presidio are surprised at the current level of transaction activity. In stark contrast to the big uptick we saw in 2011, buy/sell activity declined considera

Over 4,500 dealerships closed their doors in the past 10 years. That means there are 4,500 fewer service departments, 9,000 fewer service advisors, 30,000 fewer technicians and 40,000 fewer service bays. (Time out: I know this sounds depressing at fi

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) entered into its first enforcement action consent decree with Capital One Bank ordering Capital One to pay in excess of $210 million which includes settlement of an Office of Comptroller of the Cu

Let’s look at a few facts about senior citizens. Most of them are retired, stable, honest, smart, available to work and bored. A lot of senior citizens in your community want to work because their good work ethic remains ingrained as part of their

“How am I doin’ boss?” “Ok, you still got a job, ain’t ya?” (chuckle, chuckle). Reality is…frankly, meaningful performance measurements are lacking in the entire pecking order of many dealership environments I encounter. However, there