Shops in Crisis? The Tech Shortage
You’ve heard about it. You’ve read about it. Perhaps you’ve experienced it. It’s ‘The Tech Shortage,’ the most critical personnel issue facing businesses involved in automotive repair, including tire dealers. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. Or is it? Facts are facts. Perception is quite another thing. In this two-part series, we will define the
Great Googly Moogly: What Are the Hot Tire Search Trends? Just Google It.
Steve Rushin, a columnist for Sports Illustrated, recently explored the wonders of Google’s new Trends service. Rushin put Trends to the test with a series of sports-related terms. He found, for example, that residents of Dublin, Ireland, Google “golf tips” and “Guinness” more than folks anywhere else in the world. Ever wonder what city Googles
Measure By Measure: Learn Six New Ways to Grow and Maintain Tire Profits
As many of you know, my specialty is helping those in the automotive industry – including tire dealers – increase service sales and profits. Whether you’re selling tires, transmissions or exhausts, the main challenge is this: Don’t hurt your core business! Many successful tire-shop owners have made one point clear to me: “Chubby,” they say,
Partner in Growth: Focus on Cost Reduction, Service to Squeeze Profits Out of Ag Tire Market
The last two years set records in the agricultural history book. Unprecedented farm income growth, high commodity prices and unrelenting production demands in 2004 and 2005 resulted in strong equipment sales. And, those strong farm implement sales boosted the ag tire replacement market. But, the pendulum, now, is swinging the other way. According to the
Risk and Readiness: Lessen Your Liability By Knowing the Limits of Big Tires and Wheels
Just when we thought tire sizes had reached their low-profile limit, just when we thought tire widths were shrinking engine-bay requirements, we started learning how little we actually know. SUVs and light trucks became the “spotlight” ride of the 1990s and 21st Century. In 1996, Ford introduced the Expedition, and later, the Lincoln Navigator, and
Plus Sizing Perils: TPMS Adds More Complexity to Aftermarket Tire/Wheel Installation
Over the next couple of months, I’ll be tackling the issue of how tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) affect the aftermarket and discussing strategies that can help tire dealers protect themselves and their customers. First off, what does NHTSA say about TPMS and aftermarket tire and wheel installation? Here is the excerpt from the latest
Growth Opportunities Still Require Vigilance
Lately, there has been a lot of information about the influx of new equipment to the trucking industry. The combination of more stringent 2007 federal emissions requirements and a generally healthy freight volume have produced robust new vehicle orders for both power units and trailers. Certainly, some of these truck orders reflect a pre-buy to