Rolling the retirement dice
Dealers who don’t plan ahead are gambling with their wealth Dealers by their nature are gamblers. All have risk as their middle name and go to sleep every night with millions of dollars of debt. Our business is not for …
Author: Chuck Seguin
Paper never refuses ink
Groundbreaking report on social media usage challenges some traditional outlooks. Are you ready to change your opinions? One snowy day, a long time ago, Trish’s grandmother was reading the newspaper. Her reading glasses were precariously balancing on the tip of …
Analysis: Should Canadian dealers be excited by NAIAS?
Monday January 9th marked the first media day in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show. Most brands have increased their exhibits from the past few years. The show is very upbeat, the brands have invested heavily in their …
A look back at the volatile year that was
Making predictions in this uncertain climate is a mug’s game, here’s a snapshot of what unraveled in 2011 Late in 2010, I was fortunate to participate in an event sponsored by Canadian auto dealer that looked at predictions for 2011. …
Numbers don’t lie
Dealers must adapt to changes in demographics North America is going through a rightsizing that is based on economic realities. In recent weeks, the U.S. government came woefully close to defaulting on its debt payments. They did not escape a …
Leaders make all the difference
There are great managers and great leaders. Which are you? Over my 25 years as an observer and advisor to the automotive retail industry, the partnership between automotive vehicle brand owners (VBO) and their independent dealers has amazed me. From …
Are your affairs in order?
There’s never a bad time to work on succession planning Over my many years of practice I have witnessed many different ways that dealers plan for the road ahead. One thing is true — when ahead becomes now, very few …
NADA: More questions than answers
But social networking was clearly the overriding attraction I have just returned from attending NADA 2011 in San Francisco, which was a better conference than those of the last two years. Surprisingly, a little of the wild, wild, west seems …
Monopoly, anyone?
In the dealer game, the money is real. A few months back I wrote about the possible outcomes arising from the Canadian dealer network rightsizing initiatives that had just been announced. As that downsizing now begins to unfold, activity is …
The times they are a changin’
But we won’t be left blowin’ in the wind It seems that you can’t pick up a newspaper, watch the news or check out your favourite all-news website these days without reading about the first of the baby boomers turning …
behind closed doors
Make meetings at NADA give dealers a look into their future With NADA taking place in San Francisco in early February, I have been doing some thinking about what might be the topics discussed in the various make meetings. Depending …
Feeding Frenzy
Looking to sell your dealership? Learn who your buyer is With the arrival of fall comes the excitement of new beginnings. Kids are back at school, summer vacations are a distant memory, and dealers all over the country begin to …
