When a business owner is considering productive equipment, the conversation can become too focused on two numbers: “The equipment costs approximately $75,000, and the payment is approximately $1,700 per month.” Those figures matter. However, they do not tell the whole...

A competitive financing program can be a powerful sales tool. When a customer has strong credit, established operations and a transaction that fits the program, an attractive rate may help the vendor close the sale with confidence. It can make the equipment more...

The customer wants the equipment. The quote is out. The specifications are settled. The vendor has already done the difficult part by earning the business. Then financing threatens to undo the sale. For an automotive service, tire or collision-repair equipment vendor,...

The purchase order is on my desk. The sales problem is solved. Then I look at the material list. Substrate. Ink. Laminate. Vinyl. Frames. Posts. Electrical components. Hardware. Freight. Installation crews. Payroll. The order is profitable, but the cash required to...

The first hard freeze arrives. The phone starts ringing. Customers want tires before holiday travel, and the service bays are already full. You are standing in the middle of the shop, looking at a warehouse stacked with inventory and a line of vehicles waiting for...