URG’s Theme for 2019 is “Expand the Possibilities”. Their premier conference is slated for April 11th – 13th in the inviting, sunny and warm state of Florida. Leave behind snow and cold weather for tourism of Orlando to hear the best speakers in our industry. I’m quite certain you’re familiar with speakers like, Ryan Falco … Read moreGreat Speakers set for URG
Palladium has been on a historical run the past two months to as high as $1553 toz. But why don’t we receive the published bid or spot price for metal that we are selling today? Two Reasons for A Metal Price Spread Bullion vs. Sponge When precious metal is refined from catalyst it is not … Read moreUnderstanding Metal Price Spreads
I got the call just over four years ago, and I almost said no. ARA Past President Chris Wright called and asked me to be the Northeast Regional Director for ARA. Chris was a pro at keeping me on the line until I said yes. He must have been ARA’s designated closer. After three years, … Read moreARA Making the Industry Better for all Auto Recyclers
I travel extensively and one of the things that I notice everyplace I travel to is the number of help wanted signs that I see on seemingly every business. The unemployment rate in the world is at an all-time low. This has created problems for the auto recycler as we have struggled to find good … Read moreOn the Fly Training
I recently started to train a team of salespeople, at a medium sized yard, in a major metropolitan area. During an initial analysis of untapped profit centers, I was surprised to find zero warranty sales from the previous 90 days. Most of us know the importance of taking advantage of these sales, here are some … Read moreMake Sure Your Sales Team is Capturing Warranty Sales
I am always amazed at the quality of computer skills those that are looking for work have, or don’t have. We use Excel a lot and test for it when hiring. Most applicants say their skills are rusty, but in reality can’t even create a simple 9-cell spreadsheet. What amazes me even more is that … Read moreYou Simply Must Have Modern Computer Skills
Most people have heard the old adage “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Around the globe, a similar question should be posed as to whether if governmental activity is occurring and no one hears about it, does it have an impact … Read moreAutomotive Recycling Owners’ Focus on Governmental Activities is Essential
You may ask yourself: “Times are tough. Why should I spend my hard-earned money on association dues?” I can tell you a lot of reasons, but today I’ll just give you my TOP FIVE: Lobbyists: How many of you can afford to send someone to your state legislature or Washington D.C. to lobby on your … Read moreTheresa’s Top Five Join ARA & Your State Recyclers Associations
Having a better life can be achieved through implementation of 3 helpful tips. The first tip is simple and only takes seconds to do. While on her way to work only a few weeks ago, Sheila pulled into one of two lanes at a fast-food chicken place close to home. She was in a huge … Read more3 Tips To Having A Better Life
There are still some Auto Recyclers who have ignored the Takata airbag recall thinking it would blow over. What we know is that Congress and NHTSA have put renewed pressure on the Automakers to improve their repair and recovery rates since there are still millions of Takata inflators in the marketplace. If you have been … Read moreNewsflash: Recalled Takata Airbag Crisis is Not Going Away Soon
There is a business phenonium know as “Growth Stall”. It is when your company sales go flat or in many cases income drops for two quarters as compared to the same time in the previous year. Most companies have experienced this. Some data says that 80% of companies experience this and that a large number … Read moreGrowing the Automotive Recycling Business
Looking back is always easier than looking forward. And last year was a good year for autocatalyst recycling. And for 2019 the outlook remains positive. The strong demand for autocatalyst, increased vehicle recycling, and a short supply continues to push the Palladium price higher. Lower demand from the … Read moreAutocatalyst Recycling Outlook for 2019
When our family first took over Bill’s Auto Parts, we always seemed to find ourselves doing work-arounds to get things done. I called it “Fire, Ready, Aim.” It was like a game of Chinese Checkers where we needed to take steps backward in order to move forward. The old school nature of the operation (founded … Read moreLet’s Talk Recalls: What is Your Process?
There are several significant saving opportunities present on nearly every FedEx® and UPS® invoice. They relate to guaranteed service quality and billing accuracy. Guaranteed Service Quality FedEx® and UPS® absolutely, positively guarantee that your package will arrive at its destination on time – or your money back! If it’s more than one-minute late, you are … Read moreHaving a grip on your shipping costs is a critically important part of your eCommerce success. If you ship with FedEx® or UPS®, you need an “A” game.
Last year while attending the ARA Convention and Exposition in Florida, I discovered that Marty Hollingshead was to be confirmed by the Board of Directors as the next Association Secretary. As an outstanding individual himself, Marty will be joining an outstanding team. While seated in the audience listening to the award winner announcements, my mind … Read moreAs Proud As I Can Be
A recent Profit Team Group meeting was hosted by Arizona Auto Parts in Phoenix. The meeting was attended by family patriarch and third generation auto recycler, Mike Pierson Senior. During the opening statements we were informed that it was the 100th anniversary of Arizona Auto Parts as they opened in 1919. Michael Pierson Junior is … Read moreArizona Auto Parts is 100
Why? Because it Will Cost You Less to Hire Today A strong economy, more and more jobs, manufacturing on the rise, high employment rate, low unemployment rate, higher wages, bonuses, health care and benefits, low interest rates, baby boomers retiring – what does that mean? A competitive and very tight hiring market. Currently, the US … Read moreHire and Hire Now!
The New Year is upon us. Do you have a plan in place to make 2019 a better year than 2018? Could you set some new sales and even better profit records in the coming year? Some of the things that you should have done by now include your annual SWOT assessment. What is a … Read moreDo You Have a Plan?
In the automotive sector, prospective revenue streams can be achieved by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that embrace greater value-retention practices for parts utilization beyond traditional service lifecycles. The basic tenants of value-retention found in circular economy principles seek to recover all products, components and materials at their highest utility and value. New revenue opportunities for … Read moreAutomotive Sector can Harness New Revenue Through Parts Lifecycle Value-Retention
As we head into the new year, it’s a great time to make sure that your recycled auto parts sales team is consistently executing on sales fundamentals. After training and coaching hundreds of sales teams, I know it’s just as easy for a veteran salesperson to slip away from basic techniques as it is for … Read moreMake Sure Your Sales Team is Executing on Fundamentals in 2019!
Here it is again, another New Year. For that, we need new learning skills and a larger appetite for learning. All of us know something about the great, business person, Sam Walton. Here are some facts that I know about Sam Walton. Sam was very inquisitive and eager to learn. In fact, there was nothing … Read moreTell Me About Sam Walton
The “Let’s Talk” Series is designed to help recyclers understand defective Takata Airbag Recalls and make good business decisions. We are constantly working on tools to help Recyclers be compliant with Recall-related laws, while also maximizing Bounty revenue. We are unleashing a simple to use App to help recyclers streamline their airbag process. What would … Read moreLet’s Talk Recalls: Introduction of Yard App for Airbag Recovery
Let me know if this scenario sounds familiar: You have a plan for the day that you know needs to get done, and you may even have your day mapped out to the hour. But then you get a phone call with more work that needs addressed, your co-worker comes to you with a problem … Read moreWhat can Stress do for You?
With all of the questions I have been getting recently about eBay, I thought we should look at some of the tips and tricks that I use with my customers to increase their eBay sales. Even if you don’t sell on eBay, these tips will help with your inventory process! 1. Use keywords. eBay does … Read moreTheresa’s Top 5 Tips for Ebay
I get a few calls a month from “I want to be an entrepreneur, and this is my business idea.” My investor friends tell me that the world is full of great ideas, and the world is awash with money to fund them. There are very few people that can connect the ideas and the … Read moreOn Your Mark, Get Set, Don’t Go!
The first article in this series listed more than 25 tactics to increase your business success, all of them based on my experience. I started with nothing and didn’t get to college, so I know you can achieve maximum success, regardless of your education. E-mail me to get the first article (or any of the … Read moreIt’s a Noisy World – Why Should Anyone Notice You?
It’s hard to look forward to 2019 without a quick review of 2018. Thanks to Auto Recyclers across North America, tens of thousands of defective Takata airbags have been removed from the Auto Recycling Industry in 2018. As an industry, we have stepped up our game to remove defective Takata airbags from resale inventory thereby … Read moreLet’s Talk Recalls: 2019 – Year of the Bounty Hunter
Congratulations to the Executive Committee of the ARA Annual Convention. That convention was one of the best I’ve witnessed. The association elected Jonathan Morrow as President of ARA at this convention. Jonathan and family owns M&M Auto Parts located in Virginia. Jonathan completed his master’s degree in business administration from Liberty University. Jonathan succeeds David … Read moreCongratulations!
I’m sure everyone has those experiences in their lives- trying something for the very first time. Whether it’s a new food, a unique experience, we have a reaction to all of it. For me, that first experience was two-fold…traveling to Florida and attending the 75th Annual ARA Convention and Exposition. This being my first trip … Read moreA First Time for Everything
In Counts Business Consulting we have spent a great deal of time thinking about and researching the issue of employees. Much of that has been on how to best measure, train and improve performance. The last couple of years we have increasingly been focused on hiring and retaining employees. We have a vacancy – Why? … Read moreGain and Retain Employees
A long 35-year career in the precious metals industry has taught me many invaluable lessons. I’ve learned that you cannot over-react to the many market changes we have seen during my long time in the business. I’ve come to know that all precious metals bearing material has value that is re-claimable. I have found out … Read moreComing to Terms! Are Competitive Terms the Real Terms?
If you visit most any auto recycler you will find that they all have a few things in common. They all have vehicles waiting to be dismantled, vehicles that have already been dismantled and parts that have been removed and placed in some type of warehouse or storage facility. The collection of these three is … Read moreHow Much Inventory do I Have to Sell?
How can you get the most for your converters with a process you can trust? At United Catalyst Corporation, we believe in the benefits of assay-based selling. Since no two converters are the same, and each converter must go through the same refining process, it makes sense to us that recyclers sell converters based on … Read more5 Criteria for Choosing a Converter Recycling Company to Work With
The first article in this series listed more than 25 tactics to increase your business success, all of them based on my experience. I started with nothing and didn’t get to college, so I know you can achieve maximum success, regardless of your education. E-mail me to get the first article (or any of the … Read moreUnderstanding your Profit and Loss Statement
It has come to our attention that there is a misunderstanding regarding defective Takata airbags. The issue revolves around a perception that the OE Buyback program run by RAS is essentially the only program a recycler needs to be aware of and act on. Our focus in this article is to clarify the role and … Read moreLet’s Talk Recalls: Defective Takata Airbags – Buyback vs. Non-Buyback
I write a lot about training and trade shows. I received a lot of great feedback after one of my articles. Here’s one email that stuck out to me (I’m sharing with permission): “Whenever I get back from a trade show or conference, I usually have a specific list of things to focus on. But … Read moreIs Business Bad Everywhere?
For those of us who travel to conferences and trade shows with recyclers, it is one of the busiest times of the year. It is also the time when we get to do the most educational training sessions. Personally, if I could, I would travel all year educating recyclers on developing a profitable converter recycling … Read moreSelling Basics and Advanced Principles
It was a great turnout for Nordstrom’s 2.0 open house that was held September 7th and 8th at their home office location in Garretson, South Dakota. A large crowd of 500 people came out on Friday and an even bigger crowd of 900 toured their new facility on Saturday. Many inquisitive folks came to see … Read moreNordstroms 2.0 – Open House
Often times we like to think of superior sales people transactionally. Dominant closers and persuasive at the close of sales. While this is certainly true on a call by call basis, there is something equally, if not more important, to the long-term growth and development of any salesperson in this industry. What separates the truly … Read moreExceptional Customer Service
Sales management is a really big thing. The need for a sales manager depends on the organization and size but that does not change the need for sales management. I was recently asked to help a Pinnacle site with this subject and wanted to share with you what we came up with. While this is … Read moreGetting the Most From Your Reports
We have written extensively about the importance of Auto Recyclers recognizing their corporate responsibility regarding recalls. As small business owners, we often feel like we are immune to the outside world due to our size with thoughts like “We’ll skirt this” or “If we ignore it, it will go away.” That couldn’t be further from … Read moreLet’s Talk Recalls: Corporate Responsibility and You
FORT WRIGHT, Kentucky, July 25, 2018 – Car-Part.com is happy to announce that Checkmate is the #1 management system on Car-Part.com, with more recyclers in its recycled parts marketplace running Checkmate than any other management system. Checkmate is designed to maximize recyclers’ sales on CarPart.com (the #1 recycled parts marketplace). The Checkmate inventory management system … Read moreCheckmate Top Management System for Car-Part.com Recyclers
I made a choice to make a big change in my life recently and that change has allowed me to see things from a different perspective at times. An example of this different perspective is staffing a sales department. I want to go ahead and put a disclaimer out there that I am guilty of … Read moreStaffing our Sales Department
I was doing some research for a class that I was teaching last month at a trade show. I came across some new statistics for Facebook. The last time I gave a class on the subject of social media, the numbers were much lower than they are now, so I thought I would share some … Read moreTheresa’s Top Five Fun Facts About Facebook
The first article in this series listed more than 25 tactics to increase your business success, all of them based on my experience. I started with nothing and didn’t get to college, so I know you can achieve maximum success, regardless of your education. E-mail me to get the first article (or any of the … Read moreThe Pie Conspiracy
Last month, three friends of mine received three different awards. It’s my privilege to give each of them accolades and to reveal why they’re deserving of their awards. First person is none other than Jeff Schoeder, CEO of Car-Part.com. Jeff received the NACE Automechanika at the Expo held in Atlanta, Georgia this past August. The … Read more3 Awards to 3 Friends
We all want the W at the end of the game. When it comes to a hiring “Win” it starts with a few other W’s first – Who, What, When, Where, & Why. The “Who” comes last in this situation, but the prep work needed is key to making sure it is a success. … Read moreHow to Win When Hiring
LUXEMBURG, Wis.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Builtrite Holdings, LLC announced the appointment of Adam Lindley to serve as President of its subsidiary, SAS Forks, located in Luxemburg, WI. Adam previously served for fourteen years as Manager, Sales and Marketing at SAS Forks, and is the first non– family member to lead the company since it was formed in 1972. … Read moreAdam Lindley Appointed New President at SAS Forks
The first article in this series listed more than 25 tactics to increase your business success, all of them based on my experience. I started with nothing and didn’t get to college, so I know you can achieve maximum success, regardless of your education. E-mail me to get the first article (or any of the … Read moreTools for Success: Master Blocking and Tackling
There have been a lot of changes recently with ARA, our National Association. ARA and its leadership are focused on how to better serve its members, and the biggest need as I see it is in training and education. ARA is reinventing itself, and more importantly, each and every Recycler in this industry must participate, … Read moreThe ARA (Peer to Peer) Mentoring Program