Then, right after I opened Joe's email, Tom Shay sent me an email talking about how buying within your locally owned stores and businesses can help your own business and I knew I had to post some interesting facts about not just buying local, but buying at your local Mom & Pop stores and businesses!

Here are some interesting facts:

• Spend a dollar with a local business and sixty cents will stay in the community. That same dollar spent with a chain store means only twenty cents stays in the community; spent with the box store and only six cents stays locally.
• Another report says a dollar spent at a locally owned store is usually spent 6 to 15 times before it leaves the community. From $1, you create $5 to $14 in value within that community. Spend $1 at a national chain store, and 80% leaves town immediately.
• One more bit of information: For every square foot occupied by a local firm, the impact on the local economy is $179. Yet that same square foot occupied by a chain firm results in a local impact of only $105; a difference of $74 per square foot!
• This study examined financial data from 15 locally owned businesses in New Orleans and compared their impact on the local economy to that of an average SuperTarget store. The study found that only 16% of the money spent at a SuperTarget stays in the local economy. In contrast, the local retailers returned more than 32% of their revenue to the local economy. The primary difference was that the local stores purchase many goods and services from other local businesses, while Target does not. The study concludes that even modest shifts in spending patterns can make a big difference to the local economy. If residents and visitors were to shift 10% of their spending from chains to local businesses, it would generate an additional $235 million a year in local economic activity, creating many new opportunities and jobs. Likewise, a 10% shift in the opposite direction - less spending at local stores and more at chains - would lead to an economic contraction of the same magnitude. Another noteworthy finding of the study is that locally owned businesses require far less land to produce an equivalent amount of economic activity. The study found that a four-block stretch of Magazine Street, a traditional business district, provides 179,000 square feet of retail space, hosts about 100 individual businesses, and generates $105 million in sales, with $34 million remaining in the local economy. In contrast, a 179,000-square-foot SuperTarget generates $50 million in annual sales, with just $8 million remaining in the local economy, and requires an additional 300,000 square feet of space for its parking lot.
  

So do you desire your detailing business to be supported locally? Of course you do but you need to make a real effort to strongly support your fellow small business owners!

By the way...when was the last time you witnessed a Yanaha tattoo on someone's arm...Harley understands what makes people tick...you need to do the same within your detailing business.

By the way...when was the last time you witnessed a Yanaha tattoo on someone's arm...Harley understands what makes people tick...you need to do the same within your detailing business.

Here are some real facts to think about!

48% of sales people never follow up with a prospect

25% of sales people make a second contact and stop

12% of sales people only make three contacts and stop

ONLY 10% of sales people make more than three contacts

2% of sales are made on the first contact

3% of sales are made on the second contact

5% of sales are made on the third contact

10% of sales are made on the fourth contact

80% OF SALES ARE MADE ON THE FITH TO TWELFTH CONTACT!!

Keeping in front of your customer base is not an option..IT IS A MUST!

I use, love and swear by Constant Contact!  They've helped my organization in so many ways. I want to be sure you know about them and best of all...use the link below to make some money. Sign up and they will pay you $30 bucks baby!!!!

You can try Constant Contact's quick, easy, and affordable email marketing and online survey products FREE for 60 days. You don't even need to give them a credit card. Just click on the button below to get started.

When you become a Constant Contact customer, you and I will each receive a $30 creditto our Constant Contact account! It's their way of thanking customers.

One major tool we have is our newsletter and right now...clicking on the link below will give you a free 90 day trial (shoot...you don't even need a credit card) and if you decide to keeping using Constant Contact...you will get a $30 buck credit...that is 3-4 months for free...just click on this link now!

The number of cars and light trucks scrapped in the past 15 months substantially outnumbers new vehicle registrations in the U.S. during the same period, according to recent analysis by R. L. Polk & Co.

More than 14.8 million cars and light trucks were retired from the fleet between July 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009, compared to new registrations of slightly more than 13.6 million, resulting in an overall scrap rate of 6.1 percent (Table 1). This includes thousands of units scrapped during last year's CARS program, known as 'Cash for Clunkers,' and follows a trend seen by Polk over the past five years.

Polk also reports an increase in the average age of light vehicles on the road, up 21 percent in the past 14 years. The average age for all light vehicles during the 15-month period is 10.2 years (Table 2). Additionally, increases in the average age are supported by the fact that consumers are keeping their cars and trucks longer. As of September 2009, the average length of ownership for a new or used vehicle among U.S. consumers was 49.9 months, up from 45 months a year ago the same time.

These trends are supported by a number of factors, including the economy, limited financing and leasing options available in the market, extended warranties offered by OEMs, and improved vehicle durability and quality of vehicles. They also provide opportunity for various business segments of the industry, according to Polk.

"As vehicles age and consumers continue to hold onto them longer, there are significant opportunities for repair services and parts demand for the aftermarket as vehicles are falling out of warranty as they age," said Mark Seng, vice president, sales and client services, aftermarket and commercial vehicle, at Polk. "The increased complexity of vehicle repairs also presents a business opportunity for service professionals as traditional do-it-yourself consumers are less likely to attempt complicated technical work on their vehicles."

Dealers will have an opportunity to develop programs geared toward service loyalty marketing as they seek to hold onto a growing base of customers, according to Polk. "The trends we're seeing suggest great motivation for dealers seeking to maintain a longer-term relationship with their customers," said Lonnie Miller, vice president, marketing and industry analysis, at Polk. "Service-oriented loyalty programs can significantly contribute to improving business and overall loyalty among customers," he continued.

Polk expects conditions facing the U.S. automotive industry today to remain through 2010 and expects trends for scrappage and vehicle ownership to continue for at least another year. This assessment is largely based on current industry dynamics, coupled with Polk's annual forecast of a moderate increase in light vehicle sales to 11.5 million units this year. It also assumes a general upward trend for vehicle scrappage rates as high volumes of older vehicles continue to retire from the U.S. fleet.

Polk has provided authoritative information and analysis from its review of dynamics among the U.S. vehicle population for more than 60 years.

Editor's Notes: Polk's analysis reviewed a 15-month period (7/1/08 - 9/30/09) of U.S. market activity to account for coverage of when the last update was published and to capture activity during Q3 of 2009, which included the "Cash for Clunkers" program.

Changes in this year's analysis from "median" to "average" vehicle age were made in order to better reflect sensitive changes in the composition of the U.S. vehicle market.

TABLE 1

U.S. Scrappage Rates

TABLE 2

U.S. Average Vehicle Age (1995 - 2009)

Source: R. L. Polk & Co. and Fastlane Research



Here is a story about a car wash involved in such a case- Follow This Link

But...All of the above can not do much for you if you are failing to plan, take action and be educated within the art and war of the detailing business. Passion drove me to detailing...education and keeping ahead on business, tactical/technical detailing, marketing, sales and a host of other topics has kept me at the top. Average does not work within business...period.

If you are a business professional, do not kid yourself...you are at war within your business and competing not only with competitors from within your industry but also an army of daily needs and desires your current and prospective customers have for other products and services.

Consumers are being tugged to other products and services and you as a detailer need to address that fact.  

Creating a niche within industries has never been more important then now! Following the "rest of the heard" within the detailing industry is the worst thing you could do. Be a leader within your local market, do things differently then any other shop within your area. Stand apart from the normal shop and make sure you STAND OUT!

Maybe that niche is high end cars?

Detailing A Bentley Is Not For Everyone...Do You Have The Skills...This Student Does Now!

Maybe that niche is high end Aircraft?

In 2003, I started my relationship with the Air Force One Fleet

Maybe that niche is Delearship Detailing?

Knowing the art of detailing is HUGE but even more important once you take your passion from hobby to business is being a solid businessman or woman. Passion drove you to detailing right? Now sound business practices and your devotion to education can make you a prime example of detailing done right within the detailing industry! Continue to read, reasearch and network and don't forget teh importence of finding the proper mentors to assist you within your business and lifestyle goals. Starting a detailing business is not hard. Making a profit is much harder. Matching that profitable business with the lifetlye you desire will be the biggest challenge so be ready by being educated and well versed within all angles in the detailing industry.

Knowing Paint Perfection Is Just One Part Within Your Success 

As always...

Happy Detailing All,

Renny



As busy professionals, we get the dreaded tunnel vision at times that we are detailers. Some might say...OK Renny...But we are detailers...right?

Dale Performing Some Prep on A SUV He Is About To Tackle

Well yes we are but in addition, we are much more...we are writers, web designers, web masters, book keepers and sales and marketing managers...as business owners, we must change our hat often! One simple step that most busy professionals fail to do is to reset their Copyright date on their website.

Above you can see a snapshot from our site where we have the first year this current site was started and then the current year (2010) also within the line. This tells your prospective clients you are active, current and up to date! This is also a good time to make certain sales literature and support information such as brochures and such are updated also.

Jason Working Hard On BMW Paint

So while our main jobs may be detailer...being a professional detailing expert goes far deeper and being up to date is to easy of a job to not perform! 

Michael Works His Magic On A Truck

I hope this little piece of advise helps you have a brighter 2010! It's the smallest of details that sometimes matter...

Happy Detailing All,

Renny

This time of year many of us our thinking of the year ahead and the goals we would like to reach in the coming year. A very wise man shared with me some time ago a good practice to get into and I am pleased to share this with you.

Make A List

Start planning 2010 by looking at 2009 and making a list of your accomplishments for 2009 to assist you at making 2010 even better! Here is a list of possible items to ask yourself.

1. What new skills did I develop to make my business better in 2009?

2. What was the best investment of time I made in 2009?

3. What was the best investment in money that I made in 2009?

4. What improvements did I make within my detailing skills in 2009?

5. What did I learn about myself in 2009?

6. What did I learn about my business in 2009?

7. What did I do to improve my health in 2009?

8. What was my proudest accomplishment in 2009?

9. What personal relationships did I strengthen in 2009?

10. What would I have done differently in 2009 if I could change it now?

The above takes very little time and I encourage you to make this investment within yourself and take the time to reflect on 2009 so that it can help you in 2010!

All the best to you all,

Renny