Headbanging Over the Internet
I don’t particularly care for Metallica. But I’ve always been impressed with the band’s co-founder and drummer Lars Ulrich. It’s hard to picture a devout headbanger as being bright, but Lars has proven himself as one of the most intelligent and erudite people in music today. Metallica has been a loud opponent of Napster, a
The Gripping Tale of Winter Tires
It’s not a big segment of the U.S. market – only about 4% – but winter tires are a significant sales opportunity for tire dealers who live in traditionally snowy parts of the country. Depending on the prevailing weather conditions, heavy and consistent snowfalls can hit most of the continental U.S. – from Nevada north
The Road Less Traveled: The winter tire
It’s clearly not a tire for every dealer. And it’s obviously not a tire you’re going to keep in stock most of the year.It’s a specialty tire, a true niche product. A hybrid created to deliver safe, reliable traction on snow, ice, slush and sleet, and handle extreme cold weather without a whimper – all
Uptime, Downtime and Profitability
Uptime, Downtime and Profitability Since the primary focus of this month’s issue is profitability, and the subject matter of this column is commercial tires, let’s take a close look at some of the trends in the commercial vehicle industry and brainstorm a bit to see how these might positively impact your business.One of the most
Business Operations: Minding Your Business Can Be Simple Way to Profit
Profit Handbook Business Operations: Minding Your Business Can Be Simple Way to Profit Independent tire dealers are truly entrepreneurs. Some have the past experience or education necessary to navigate the travails of being an independent businessperson in today’s world. Others rely on pure guts, guile and plenty of hard work, accepting that they will make
Programs Offer Options
Profit Handbook Programs Offer Options There’s a quiet confidence about Dave Crawford. He can get animated, mind you, especially when it comes to discussing "the program." When you ask him why a tire dealer wouldn’t want to join American Car Care Centers (ACCC), the group’s marketing director answers bluntly, "I don’t think they understand the
Turn Scrap Into Gold
Turn Scrap Into Gold For today’s tire dealer, take-offs and scrap tires can be a unique profit center – and produce bottom line money on multiple levels.And one national company is working to help dealers not only make more money, but make a positive environmental statement, as well.If the two sound divergent, they aren’t. In
Industry Report
Making the GradeMichelin to Start Grading and Rating Its Truck Tire Dealers
Basketball? No…It’s Tire Retailing
Around the middle of the second half, I realized what I was watching. Sure, on the face of it Michigan State was systematically dismantling Florida in the NCAA finals. But what we were really watching was a perfect metaphor for the state of tire retailing.Fresh-faced, flashy underclassmen versus patient, methodical upperclassmen. Youth vs. experience. Slick
Taking the Long View: Today’s Dealers See the Long Term Benefits of Private Brands
nal exposure that would make them more well-known among consumers. And today, they enjoy much the same level of technology as the majors, but dealers often face an uphill battle convincing consumers of their quality and performance. Most importantly for dealers, however, is that unlike the major brands, private brand lines deliver the territory exclusivity