Stores need to be connected to make money in the Winter!

Stores need to be connected to make money in the Winter!

I heard from one of my clients today who was selling parts on facebook while trapped under 4 feet of snow. I could imagine what life was like before the internet much less facebook where a client could actually be productive in his shop, out in a small town, where he could drop ship parts from our warehouse thanks to this incredible technology which will one day hopefully lead to cylons and to operators not actually having to do anything. Before I get off-track let's get something straight I firmly believe every single dealership should have MSN, Facebook, and a website up on their screen all day long.

I have stores without fax machines out in Nebraska and Arkansas so I understand that some people aren't technically savy. I don't mind talking about them because they won't read this. Still every single store needs to have a website before they open. That's a fact of 2010 and for 2011 I say facebook is it.

If you have employees that can't control themselves fire them. That's the number one excuse I hear from older guys who say "I don't have computers because my employees get distracted they look at smut and porn." Honestly, if you have an employee looking at naked Thundercats all day fire him, eventually you will get the person that can actually control themselves and be productive. I like to think a scooter isn't dangerous nor anything else made by man, it's people with poor self control. It's like putting me inside a Cookie factory, I would all control. So if your employee isn't cut out to answer tech questions on facebook hire someone else.

Facebook business pages are easy to use, flexible and interactive -- all great reasons to justify setting one up for your store. All the money in the world spent on paper ads can't replace one on one communication with consumers or one or one communication with your suppliers. So get on MSN, Facebook, and online today.

Next up set up the links to buy your parts from your suppliers. I've been doing parts ten years and I'm kind of tired of the faxes already.

I'm hoping we'll just have holograms pretty soon.