Archive for August, 2008

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Alternative Automotive Jobs?

Wednesday, August 13th, 2008
Automotive Services
** MJ ** asked:


I graduated from automotive school, with a diploma to be an auto mechanic. I have no interest in actually doing the labor on the vehicles. What would be some alternative jobs, where i could put my “degree” to use and make decent money, without having to do service and/or labor?? Please be specific.. Thanks!!

Dustin

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Posted in Other - Cars & Transportation | 2 Comments »

Touchscreen Technology: a New Gateway to Products, Services

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008
Automotive Services
Samuel Martin asked:


From car infotainment systems to the most advanced communication devices, touchscreens are becoming increasingly popular, converting everyday tasks into fast and fun experiences. Whether they are stopping by the ATM or casting their vote in the latest election, touchscreen technology is enabling people to do so with speed and ease.

An intuitive and interactive quality makes touchscreens appealing to all ages and in a variety of industries. Without the learning or physical limitations of a mouse and keyboard, touch technology is open to everyone, even young children or people with disabilities. Toy manufacturers, for instance, are taking advantage of touch technology to provide entertaining, yet educational, toys for children that are too young to have developed the motor skills required for a regular computer.

At retail outlets, store merchandisers are using touch technology as a new marketing strategy to engage consumers, while delivering product information at the touch of a finger. For instance, FAO Schwarz has installed 17-inch Planar touchscreens as a consumer design center for the Hot Wheels Custom Car Factory in its New York store. Using the Planar touchscreen kiosk, shoppers can customize their own Hot Wheels car with special colors, designs, wheels and rims.

The restaurant industry also is seeing the benefits of touch-integrated POS systems to improve order-processing time. Easy-to-use touchscreen devices enable servers to enter food orders faster and more accurately, enhancing the overall dining experience. Tableside units provide customers with a variety of entertainment and information options, such as playing video games or surfing the Web.

Other industries embracing touchscreen technology include automotive (car rental information portals, GPS systems), industrial (ATMs, gas station service pumps) and health care (outpatient information kiosks).

Receptive consumers and falling prices have enabled touch to spread its reach across a wide range of markets. As a result, this technology is making strong inroads as a primary way for consumers to get products, services and information. - NU



Michele

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Posted in Communication | No Comments »

A Look At Automotive Franchise Opportunities

Sunday, August 10th, 2008
Automotive Services
Roger Morad asked:


If you’re interested in getting into automotive franchise opportunities, then you’ll want to read this article. Specifically in this article we’ll discuss franchise opportunities as they relate to the automotive industry, how to evaluate which one is right for you, and give you some points to consider. Follow the information in this article, and you’ll make sound business decisions.

There are several different automotive franchise opportunities — auto parts stores, oil changing services, specialized automotive insurance, and even repair businesses such as windshields or brakes. How do you know which one you should invest in?

First, there are several things you need to consider. Is your passion for automobiles higher than your passion for profit? You have to analyze how important money is compared to enjoying running your business. Also, if you’re very passionate about the franchise, that means you can work with a long-term strategy, instead of a short-term profit model. Things to consider — most automotive franchise opportunities involve a busy atmosphere, a lot of interaction with other people, and specialized knowledge.

Second, the range of initial investments for different automotive franchise opportunities is all over the board. Naturally, how much money you are willing to invest has great impact on what kind of franchise opportunities you can get into. For example, if you purchase a franchise as a GPS distributor, you can get into a franchise agreement for under $10,000.

While the franchise fee for being a GPS distributor may seem low, you should look at the overall picture. Will investing in a low cost franchise help you reach your financial goals, or will you be forced to buy more units, possibly even get back into the corporate world? If you cannot afford to buy a franchise that will allow you to enjoy life outside of working at your location, then you should consider waiting until you have the cash liquidity to do so. I’d rather see a franchisee wait an extra 5 years and open a full service automotive repair shop that profits the franchisee over 100k a year rather then him being out of business by buying into a low cost franchise that promised him the dreams.

Finally, if you’re going to get into any franchise in the automotive industry, you must analyze the franchise agreement before accepting it. The best thing to do here is to get a franchise lawyer, to make sure your rights are protected and the agreement is reasonable. In the agreement, you’ll learn what franchising fee you’re required to pay, what products you are allowed to sell, where you can locate your store, sometimes even down to the hours required to be open and operated.

In conclusion, picking the right automotive franchise opportunity comes down to what you want out of the business, where your expertise lies in, and how much money you have to invest and what kind of agreements you can strike. A little research goes a long ways — do the needful to enjoy a good franchise investment.



Rachel

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Posted in Business | No Comments »

Gc Services

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
Automotive Services
Chane Steiner asked:


GC Services is a data processing service provider that doubles as one of the nation’s most effective collection agencies for delinquent accounts receivable. They claim to be the largest private collection agency in North America. Reportedly, they maximize revenue from delinquent accounts receivable for the following types of organizations:

• money-center banks;

• credit card companies;

• telecommunications giants;

• local, state and federal governmental organizations;

• and more.

GC Services also boasts being the nation’s leader in:

• debt collection;

• collection technology;

• collection letters;

• skiptracing;

• fraud monitoring;

• diligence processes and reporting.

GC Services addresses delinquent accounts of various types including, but not limited to:

• child support;

• court ops;

• automotive;

• credit cards;

• health care;

• student loans;

• retail;

• direct marketing;

• taxation;

• telecom;

• utilities.

Contact Information for GC Services:

The physical address listed for GC Services is 6330 Gulfton Rd in Houston, Texas. The zip code is 77081. Telephone contact can be made at (713) 777 4441. It is notable that GC Services is one of the few collection agencies that make their direct contact information available via their website. Of course, that is most probably due to the fact that they are a dual-service entity.

The organization utilizes its well-founded and developed technologies in data entry, conversion and capturing to enhance its accounts receivable collection endeavors. Taking a high-tech approach to both service types acts to enhance their dual performance measures.

Official Website:

GCServ.com

Award-winning Business:

GC Services righteously brags about their unprecedented achievement of receiving the Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation’s Agency of the Year Award for four years running. They have also received top honors in TMC’s Annual Ranking of Outbound Teleservices Agencies for 10 years straight. Further, the company has picked up 9 consecutive Gold MVP (Marketing Via Telephone) Quality Awards.

GC Services seems to have a great business going. Their clientele loves them. The only people that might have something negative to say are those that they pursue for delinquent accounts. It’s difficult to say nice things about a collection agency, but GC Services, at least apparently, runs a tight ship. If there are unethical collection practices going on there, they will be most probably be uncovered and vanquished with speedy intent.

Of course, there are several Internet-based complaints and a few law suits that have been lodged against GC Services. That is about par for the course when one takes into consideration that the company has been in business since 1957. Overall, if you are going to have a collection agency contacting you, it might be a good thing that it is GC Services.



Diane

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Posted in Credit | No Comments »

Production Programs Granted to Cts Automotive Products

Monday, August 4th, 2008
Automotive Services
Glady Reign asked:


CTS Corporation, a leading developer and producer of electronic components and sensors announced that their Automotive Products department has received a host of production programs. The said production program is for CTS’s Seat Belt Tension Sensor which is a radical technology used in the safety belt assemblies that are employed by cars and light trucks in the North American market. The importance of the said sensor is vital for the protection of the occupants of a particular vehicle in the event of a crash. Production of the said device will start in the spring of this year. The produced device will be for use on cars to be released for the 2008 year model.

The company which will produce the sensor provides EMS or electronics manufacturing services to original equipment manufacturers in the automotive industry. These OEMs are also the same producers of high quality components like the Volvo strut assembly. The parts needed for the production of seat belt assemblies will amount to more than $13 million in sales. This amount will be the total output of CTS Automotive Products during the lifespan of the production programs. The company will produce all of the Seat Belt Tension Sensor in their assembly plant located in Elkhart, Indiana. Aside from this facility, the company also has production centers in Toronto, Canada; Glasgow, Scotland; Ostrava, Czech Republic; Matamoros, Mexico; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and Dongguan, China.

The radical Seat Belt Tension Sensor is currently being employed on 39 different platforms. This number is expected to rise in the light of the production programs awarded to the company. The sensor is vital to the safety of the passenger in cases of accidents since it conveys signal to a vehicle’s Occupant Classification System. This onboard system classifies the front passenger side occupants, and from this data, the onboard computer can determine how to deploy the airbag. Correct determination of the seat’s occupants is important since different persons also have varying needs in the deployment of airbags. For example, a grownup can withstand airbag pressure greater than what a young person can handle.

This sensor also prevents the deployment of side and front airbags for the passenger seat when the said seat is empty. The sensor will also prevent airbag deployment when it detects a weight which is below a preset limit. These are not the only advantages of this sensor, in the production process; the sensor can be easily integrated to the seat belt assembly. Not only that, the sensor is made to be of high quality and is reliable. This reliability is important since any person knows that every safety features must work every time it is needed.

CTS is clearly happy with the way things are turning out for them. Tyler Buchanan, Senior Vice President for CTS Corporation said that “CTS is delighted to be awarded these programs”. He also added that “with these awards, CTS continues to demonstrate the value of this product to the marketplace for occupant safety”. The current trend which shows concern for vehicle safety when buying a car gives the company a chance to showcase what they can do in terms of developing and producing safety oriented features. The company’s customer responsiveness and expertise in large volume automotive packaging will come in play in the production of the Seat Belt Tension Sensors.

The continued interest of the motoring public for safe cars will surely make these production programs just the start of a new wave of production grants. Programs such as these are vital to meet the increasing demands for safety features.



Kathleen

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Posted in Automotive | No Comments »

What’s a typical Advertising budget vs Revenue model?

Friday, August 1st, 2008
Automotive Services
Davey asked:


Is there an Advertising budget as a function of total Revenue model? IE: Should the advertising budget be 5% of revenue? I imagine this model would be different for different businesses. I’m concerned specifically with the automotive service industry. Thanks.

Charlie

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Posted in Corporations | 1 Comment »

Franchising - An Opportunity For Ex-Service People

Friday, August 1st, 2008
Automotive Services
Matthew Franchise Anderson asked:


Having worked in the armed forces for years it can be difficult to know what to do regarding work once you have left. It is easy for some who have the necessary skills and contacts to go immediately into employment but for others there is a large gap between leaving and finding the right job.

A lot of people in the ex services are looking towards franchising as a good option, they have the money to invest (retirement gratuity funds or savings), the self motivation and dedication to work which has been instilled in them from years of discipline and hard graft.

The advantages of choosing the franchising option are immediately obvious in that you are buying into an already successful business where the returns are noticeable, you are your own boss but at the same time have an upper management to keep you in the right direction and the return on investment is one which can set you and your family up for life.

It may be that you want to use your existing skills as a base for the type of franchise you are buying into and as there are a multitude of options out there, whether it is retail, automotive or trades & industry, there will always be an option tailored just for you.

Even if you want to branch out into a completely different area than you are used to, there are many franchise opportunities out there that offer extensive training and ongoing support. It is in the franchisors best interest to have you make a success of your new business.

Before diving in head first, it is always best to research the opportunities available to you, there are many franchised businesses out there and not all succeed. If possible always ask the franchisor for a list of franchisees whom you may contact. Try to get some negative feedback from the franchisee, whilst of course the franchisor is very likely to have given you a list of the most successfully run franchises you should still be able to learn a few of the pitfalls which they encountered when they first started.

Write a list of pros and cons - starting with an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. We all have different positive and negative skills and personality traits and it’s helpful to recognise exactly what they are.Are you at your most motivated in the mornings or do you function more effectively later in the day? Similarly, are you happy by yourself with little contact with others or do prefer to feel you’re part of team?

When talking with the franchisor, remember they are not your employer and this is not an interview, do not be bullied by them because they need you as much as you need them. If you feel at all pressured by them into buying their franchise then maybe it is a sign that you should look elsewhere. For every coffee franchise there are several other similar options available. It is your savings you are investing so take the time to find the best opportunity available for you.



Jack

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Posted in Business | No Comments »

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