An economic warning to the US dealer It is now spring of 2011 and we are experiencing a thaw from one of the harshest winters on record. The temperatures are rising and the days are getting longer. We are also beginning to see green sprouts after a l

“Sourcing mode” is a term that applies to those that are always shopping for a great price, and are always adding new suppliers that have the latest and greatest pricing for the supply or service they are responsible for buying. Sometimes your te

If you asked 10 people what loyalty means you would probably get 10 different answers. Certainly many couples have a different interpretation of the concept of loyalty, as do business partners. Insurance companies invoke the need to be loyal, maybe m

How many supplier contracts does your organization have? Where are your contracts located? When do those supplier contracts expire? Which of the contracts will automatically renew? These are questions you have probably asked at one time or another. I

It is amazing to me that the vast majority of dealerships continue to pay sales consultants on gross profits.  Straight commissions comp plans no longer make sense.  Don’t dealers who pay sales people on the gross realize that there is this littl

In most organizations today, staff levels have been reduced and the fewer remaining managers and employees are taking on more responsibilities and becoming stretched thin in the process. While most organizations have outsourced key staff functions fo

 Organizations will spend millions of dollars this year and next for the purchase of supplies and services to support their organization. These “indirect purchases” are typically delegated to staff within the organization to source, negotiate, i

Now is the perfect time to begin planning for expense reductions in 2011 if you haven’t already done so. From the supplier and expense side of your business, if you are like most dealers, you have the following facts to contend with: Active managem

Last week I saw an article in Business Insurance Magazine predicting increasing insurance premiums for 2011. While the article did not specifically mention auto dealership garage insurance, there is reason for concern. The article went on to blame th