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Casual Articles - Death of an Automobile Dealership
Organizations have to be especially savvy in making wise financial decisions. Budgets are typically contracting rather than expanding, and donor dollars are harder to come by these days. Special events can be especially tricky as you need to deliver high impact on a very limited budget. Anything that offers multi-purpose utility is far preferable than single-use materials and equipment.Actually, multi-purpose has become a way of life. Toothpaste cleans, whitens, and freshens breath; ottomans provide a comfy place to elevate your feet along with built in storage. The smart consumer looks for the most cost-efficient way to meet their needs and multi-purpose accomplishes that goal.When it comes to organizational event planning, portable floors are an excellent and affordable multi-purpose solution. Portable floors can be used for dancing, sporting events, trade shows, flea markets, weddings – the possibilities are endless!There is often no tighter budget than within a school district, where both space and money are often at a premium. In many schools there is usually one multi-purpose space. It may be the location of sporting events, dances, fundraisers, fairs, and other special events. Each event will have its own needs but the one commonality is the floor. In all cases, the floor must be safe, durable, reliable, and comfortable. Portable floors are able to meet all of those needs. The hardwood finish is a complement to any d?cor and is easy to maintain. A quick dust mop will get it ready for a volleyball game or a dance. The hardwood also makes it easy to decorate, since you do not have to worry about coordinating with the color of carpet!Portable floors are also a convenient, affordable solution for using different spaces for different events. The portable floor can be used in a hotel, aboard a cruise ship, in an event hall, on a lawn, or in a banquet room. Organizations appreciate the ease and consistency of always having the same floor. Multi-chapter organizations may even choose to maximize their budgets by sharing the floor with other regions or chapters.The right portable floor can also save money by protecting your organization from liability. Nothing ruins an event (or budget) faster than a nasty trip and fall caused by a floor. Carpet can often pull apart at a seam causing a shoe to get snagged which can lead to a fall. Portable floors can also expose you to injury risks.When choosing a portable floor, you want one that is seamless and will not separate or de-laminate. The best portable floors do not have sticky sides or uneven surfaces. Finally, you do not want a floor that has screws or nails that can stick up and cause injury.Portable floors offer a high impact, multi-purpose solution for any organization’s events. This is the kind of versatility that will help to maximize those budget dollars.This article was contributed by Master Portable Floors. Master Portable Floors is the floor of choice by professi
A spreadsheet of the outstanding contracts should be compiled, detailing, in addition to collateral description, remaining term and delinquency status, and credit grade, such as A, B, or C, or whatever system the finance company uses. The type of recourse, average monthly reserve charge-backs and the current reserve balance should also be included.
Shortly after informing the financing institutions of the dealer's intent to close the dealership, the lenders should again be approached, regarding the availability of any "walk-away" programs. Furthermore, in the event the dealership has been operating with reduced reserve retention, the amount required to bring the reserve(s) to standard, upon cessation of retail operations, should be determined. On occasion, this amount has proved to be significant.
Eventually, when confidentiality is no longer an issue, the dealer should discuss with the lender, the handling of future repossessions, extensions, renewals and other maintenance functions. If the prior dealer-lender relationship was good, the dealer will discover that an incredible amount of help available from a cooperative finance company.
Lastly, if the dealer discovers a large contingency, a certain degree of assistance may be negotiated with the buyer.
16. Accounts Receivable and Cash
Cash
While apparently obvious, dealership cash must be considered. Generally a new checking account should be opened at a financial institution that is not affiliated with the dealer's current business. Also, if possible, a locally owned bank should be used, versus a national bank. The dealer should consider reducing the number of signatories on the checking account(s) to two, one of which is the dealer and, effective the day of the close, the number of signatories should be reduced to the dealer principal only.
Factory Receivables
From the moment a decision to close the store is reached, factory receivables should receive concentrated attention. The very instant an awareness of the pending closing reaches the factory, the payments cease.
Try to resolve all problem receivables, such as warranty disputes, well before the closing. In any event, assistance from the factory, following the close of escrow will be essential to process warranty re-submissions and other problems. Employee Receivables
Employee receivables should also be thoroughly analyzed during this preliminary stage. An immediate policy, of no advances, should be established.
Without causing alarm, employee receivables should be scheduled and a course of repayment established. One of the better methods is to prepare a schedule of what each employee owes and, as the final pay periods approach, make certain the receivables are deducted from the employee's final checks. Unfortunately, some states do not allow the dealer to set-off debts against wages. Your state's policy/law should be reviewed with your attorney before proceeding to set-off any employee debt.
Customer and Vehicle Receivables
The selling dealer should make certain that vehicle receivables and customer accounts, other than service and parts, are pure. Necessary adjustments and write-offs should be made, with the purpose of arriving at a receivable figure which realistically depicts the amount of cash which can be expected.
If the dealership's service and parts policy has been well monitored, these accounts should pay in an orderly manner. In addition, the dealer should decide whether collections should be performed by dealer, and one or more employees, or whether the dealer can sell the accounts to a factoring house.
17. Leased Equipment
Not all leases can be cancelled. The dealer should determine which, if any, of the leases have personal guaran
Should you allow people to use your website and promotional freebies to promote traffic for themselves? Let’s get straight to the point. The answer is yes, unequivocally, yes. Why? Simple, the answer is traffic which can equal money. I don’t understand why anyone would want to keep a free brand all to themselves, especially if it is actually branded. By this I mean the product shows an undeniable reference to you, your site and other products you are promoting. If you don’t understand viral marketing then you probably won’t make it in any industry, Internet or not.The reasons to allow anything thing you have that is branded to be used and reused, free of charge is that it will not only bring traffic to those who use and reuse it but it will eventually bring more traffic to you when they realize the source of the branded product or service that they are using. Think about it, why use second hand when you can get it first hand for the same deal? Why deal with an intermediary when you can deal with the creator, or technician, him or herself?This is why I am pro and not con for allowing anyone to reprint my articles, redistribute any ebooks that I may create and any other branded product. It will bring you traffic!Viral Marketing is all about exponentially increasing your chances of exposure for you, your company, your product and your service. To not participate in some type of viral marketing campaign is tantamount to business suicide. Take for instance Google. Even though their search engine works well it doesn’t work any better than any other search engine theoretically. What made Google so huge was its unobtrusive viral marketing campaign that made it a house hold name. It allowed everyone easier access to ranking and search engine statistics by essentially being more accessible. Everywhere you look today you see google, because in the beginning they gave it away and it paid off in the end.I study viral marketing and the Internet in general but by no means am I an expert. I can only go by what I have personally witnessed and what I saw and continue to see is that google will allow you to download just about anything that is branded with their name in the name of promoting your business while simultaneously promoting theirs. Its a win win situation. Imagine if you had one product that you could get every website on the Internet to promote, the thought brings visions of grandeur, I knwo but not visions that are unobtainable. These dreams can be realized as also shown by Nike, Adidas, Pepsi, Yahoo, Paypal and The great Microsoft. The list goes on but mostly unnoticed. By its very nature viral marketing is free after any inception cost.On the downside, the proof of viral marketing can only be shown after the fact and there is plenty of proof around. On the plus side, people will pass it on for free, which means lower costs and the fact that most people perceived viral brands as cool and coming from a well put together product. Why else wo
THIS CHECKLIST IS NOT "ALL INCLUSIVE". YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH YOUR ATTORNEY AND ACCOUNTANT AND THIS LIST SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN ADDITIONAL AID FOR YOU TO USE TO BUILD UPON WHEN YOU CONFER WITH THEM.
Basic Preparation
1. Officers, Directors and Shareholders
Be certain to hold both directors and shareholders meetings and to obtain resolutions from each entity, authorizing the dealer to liquidate the dealership, or a substantial portion of the dealership's assets.
Determine whether or not the board and shareholders may authorize you a termination bonus and prepay your for your services in "winding down the business". Consult with your accountant and attorney to determine what would be a reasonable amount of compensation in the event a company creditor challenges the transaction.
Determine if it is reasonable for officers to buy themselves and their spouse vehicles. Pay "Net" "Net", as that would be the sales price if the vehicle were returned to the factory or sold to a purchaser of the business.
The officers should open a new bank account, at a different bank, and: (a) use a PO Box, or Private Mail Service as a mailing address; and (b) use a different check color in order to easily determine pre and post closing checks written.
Authorize payment to and pre-pay the company's attorney and accountant with a retainer. Their services will be needed to properly close the business and the company might not be able to pay them later.
Authorize pre-payment of whatever services or supplies the company will need to be serviced during the wind-down period. For example, property and personal insurance, real property taxes (if the property is not owned by a third party), rent, utilities and such.
2. The Facility and Insurance
A one-sheet summary of the lease should be attached to the original, in order to facilitate matters. The summary should include such items as: the dates of the base term; the base rent; the current rent; the dates of any option periods, together with notations regarding rent increases; the facility ownership; the lessee and lessor; a notation as to whether or not the factory has point, or site protection; the rent as an equivalent to the dollar value per new unit sold; and, a notation as to WHETHER OR NOT THE LEASE IS ASSIGNABLE and under what conditions.
Other considerations regarding the facility lease include violations of the ADA, hazardous materials (underground gas tanks, or underground oil disposal tanks) being located on the property.
Owned Facilities
With respect to receiving "factory termination assistance", some Sales and Service Agreements, General Motors for example, make a distinction between "owner occupied" and "leased" dealership facilities. Be sure to read your Sales and Service Agreement in order to understand and be able to capitalize on the distinctions.
Leased Facilities
If the selling dealer's rent factor prior to the sale of the dealership is within factory guidelines the factory should make the dealer's lease payments for the period specified in the Service and Sales Agreement. (See, however, the EPA section.)
Check with your insurance agent to determine the requirements for insuring an empty building.
Other Insurance
In addition to facility insurance the dealer will need a "tail" or rider on his or her garage keepers insurance. Most insurance today is "claims made" versus "occurrence".
In actual practice, most cases that are settled are settled within the insurance policy limits and the insurance company will have paid for both the defense and the settlement.
With respect to Medical Insurance, arrange for COBRA all employees of the company. Again, officers and directors may be able to include medical insurance payments as part of their wind-down compensation.
3. UCC, Mechanic’s Lien and Title Searches
Most dealers are not cognizant of all existing liens on dealership's assets.
In order to accurately estimate the selling dealer's anticipated net proceeds, all of these liens will have to be discovered, preferably, prior to negotiations.
Possession of title reports and UCC-1 reports will give the dealer adequate time to address the issues and to have readily available answers, if and when a prospective purchaser raises the issue.
4. Taxes Due and Anticipated
The dealership's comptroller or accountant, should prepare a sheet of all taxes currently owed by the dealership and all anticipated taxes. The list should identify the amount, to who owed and the reason. In certain states unpaid taxes have a "superlien" status and if unpaid the selling dealer's assets can and will be attached to recover unpaid taxes due by the selling dealership. This attachment can occur months after the dealership has closed.
As a general rule, anyone authorized to sign on the checking account can be held personally liable for at least ? of the payroll withholding tax, as well as 100% of all of the sales taxes due. In addition, in some instances dealers have been held personally liable for monies collected from customers that should have been treated as "trust" monies, such as: customer trade payoffs, customer credit and life insurance premiums, and customer warranty and service contract premiums.
5. Notes and Accounts Receivable From Others
The "Notes and Accounts Receivable - Other" account is usually a "catch-all" account on the dealership statement. For purposes of a dealership sale, this account should be purified (1) in order to apprise the dealer of any extra funds, which may be available for final sales and property taxes and (2) to make both the dealer and accountant aware of any "in-house" loans to officers, directors and employees, which may have to be repaid.
6. Prepaid Expenses
The prepaid expense account is another "catch-all" account that must be purified. When scheduling the prepaid expense account the comptroller should make a thorough search for all lease and contract deposits. In many instances, service equipment on lease, vehicles on lease, computers on lease, and other leases made to the dealership carry security deposits, or the last month's payment, or both.
7. Dealership Employees
Along with the normal employer-employee relations, there are two very important legal areas that may affect automobile dealers: (a) pension fund liability; and (b) state and federal laws regarding closings.
In some states the selling dealer could be personally liable for funding employee pension funds; while in others the dealer must give employees advance notice of any closing. Also, the United States Congress passed legislation regarding "closings". In the instances of "closings", both state and federal laws put a minimum on the number of persons employed, usually 50 or 100, before the law applies to the dealer's company. Check the Hart Scott Rodino Act (HSR) and the WARN Act.
With respect to wages, some jurisdictions have enacted statutes making certain shareholders personally liable for corporate debts owing to laborers and other employees. Welfare and pension funds also qualify as wages under New York's statute.
The comptroller, or accountant should prepare a list of these liabilities, to include any amounts due the employees, with respect to accrued vacations, withholding taxes, pension and profit sharing plans and wages, as of the date of close.
Insofar as the actual terminations are concerned, if the dealership is "union", the dealer should talk to the union's representative in order to be sure that all of the conditions of the union contract are met.
8. Long Term Debt
All long-term debt should be itemized and a method of repayment determined. Interest should be computed. When past due interest and past due payments are added to the loan balance, the loan pay-offs are generally higher than anticipated.
The comptroller should prepare a list of these debts, to include the amount owed including interest, to who owed, purpose of debt, maturity, terms and security given. In addition, after the list is completed, the comptroller should keep a running total, daily, through close of escrow.
9. Other Notes Payable
As with long-term debt, other notes payable should be listed by amount including interest to date of close, to whom owed, purpose of note, maturity, terms and security given; and arrangements should be made to retire the debt.
10. The Financial Statements
The retail automobile business is one of the few businesses requiring a complete closing of all books and records, promptly, at the end of each and every month. Factories and finance companies require reporting on factory originated, or approved forms.
In preparing the store for closing, a reconciliation statement may be used, explaining categories such as "other income & expense", warranty, finance and insurance income not shown on the statement, along with extraordinary items.
You will need a final financial statement for tax purposes.
11. Storage of Records
Dealerships amass a great deal of paperwork, the safe, accessible, storage of which will present a necessary problem to the selling dealer. No dealership record will be as important as it is on the day it cannot be found. Former dealers have related stories of attempting to retrieve documents from mini-storage facilities, in both rain and snow.
The appropriate time period should be determined, only after the dealer's accountant and attorney have considered and advised the dealer with respect to statute of limitations problems and other document retention regulations, peculiar to the political area in which dealership is located.
12. In-House Service Contracts
If the dealer has sold any "in-house service contracts", the selling dealer will not want former customers calling at his or her home for repairs, or complaints; therefore, a system of service, along the following lines, should be negotiated with a dealer located in close proximity to the closing store.
13. The Hard Assets
Parts and Accessories
Each factory has its own definition of "returnable" parts and returnable accessories. Most also include a discount for packing and shipping.
Just prior to closing, a computer printout ought to be obtained listing all parts and accessories, their purchase date and cost in invoice.
Parts and Accessories need to be segregated into "returnable" and "non-returnable" categories. Returnable parts and accessories need to be inventoried and packaged according to the factory's specifications
Non-returnable items need to be marketed to other dealers or parts houses such as "Napa". Note: Some "non-returnable" parts may in fact be returnable to the supplier from who it was purchased, such as Delco, MotorCraft, Mopar, Napa, etc.
Do not mark on or damage original packages when inventorying or packing as some factories will not classify items in marked packages as "returnable".
Be sure to account for aftermarket items such as Gas, Oil & Grease, Nuts, Bolts, Supplies, Work in Process and Repair Order (Need to collect A/Rs), Signs, Tools, Miscellaneous Equipment & Supplies.
Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment
The hard assets fall into two categories: (a) Those repurchased by the factory, such as special tools, parts equipment, signs, some computer systems, etc.; and those not repurchased by the factory, such as desks, chairs, etc.
Repurchased and non-repurchased items should be segregated and an inventory / auction service contacted to bid the auction on the non-repurchased items. When considering the auction, terms such as advertising time, location, minimum bids, guaranteed minimums from the auctioneer, and so forth, must be considered.
Leasehold Improvements
The value of Leasehold Improvements is generally lost in the termination process.
Vehicles
While accomplishing a new vehicle inventory valuation is a relatively, routine matter, it is also time consuming; consequently, in order for a dealer to realize full value, or each vehicle, at time of transfer, a checklist must be compiled and maintained. There are certain additions to, and subtractions from, the invoice price that must be made.
The difference in cash to be paid by purchaser's flooring entity to the dealer's flooring institution can be considerable, especially with respect to domestic lines, where holdback monies routinely average between $400 and $600 per unit, or more.
A dealer needs to be aware of this figure, early on in order to provide for the contingency during negotiations.
Various states have laws more liberal than the factory's Sales and Service Agreements and the specific laws of the terminating dealer's jurisdiction should be review. For example, Maine requires that the factory repurchase terminating dealers' entire new vehicle inventory, regardless of model year. Some states require the factory repurchase only current model year vehicles and others current plus one year carry-over.
In MSO states, the dealer should control all vehicle keys and MSOs - if the lender does not already have them.
Prepare to liquidate used vehicles and any dealership vehicles such as parts trucks, courtesy vans, demonstrators and snow plows. It is generally easier to obtain a good price for them by not letting anyone "cherry pick". Several wholesales should bid them as a "group".
Make list of carryovers and if the factory will not repurchase them have the wholesalers bid them separately and also shop them with other dealers.
Dealer plates must be surrendered and accounted for when the dealer license is terminated.
13. Appraisals and Auctions
There are a number of competent, recognized appraisers, our firm could recommend. In order to maximize the dollar value of an appraisal or auction, the dealer should contact several firms, determine how they operate, what records will be required, the method for valuing. After obtaining such information, the dealer should know the precise form and schedules necessary in order to maximize the appraisal or sale of the fixed assets. In addition, by assigning an employee to thoroughly prepare the assets and schedules, the dealer will better understand the value of the assets at the premises.
Perhaps the greatest problems, with respect to appraisals and auctions, are: (1) neither party takes the time to understand the methods and reasoning used by the appraisal/auction company; and (2) the dealer almost never adequately prepares the assets and schedules. We invariably find that all of the dealership's assets do not appear on schedules, either because they have been fully depreciated, or because of an error.
14. Contracts for Services
Service maintenance contracts and personal service contracts should be reviewed for personal guarantees, term and assignability. An oversight could mean that personal liability, for performance, would remain with the selling dealer. Service maintenance contracts should be scheduled, with the detail indicating the amount of each payment, duration of agreement, service to be rendered, and any personal liability. Any contracts that can be cancelled should be calendared for cancellation.
15. Contingent Liability and Reserves
The dealer should know the amount of all outstanding retail paper, which has been unconditionally guaranteed by the dealership, or the dealer. The dealer should know which the dealership's reserve account will be subject to charge backs, for early payoffs and the amount, if any, of recourse against the dealer and the dealership.
A spreadsheet of the outstanding contracts should be compiled, detailing, in addition to collateral description, remaining term and delinquency status, and credit grade, such as A, B, or C, or whatever system the finance company uses. The type of recourse, average monthly reserve charge-backs and the current reserve balance should also be included.
Shortly after informing the financing institutions of the dealer's intent to close the dealership, the lenders should again be approached, regarding the availability of any "walk-away" programs. Furthermore, in the event the dealership has been operating with reduced reserve retention, the amount required to bring the reserve(s) to standard, upon cessation of retail operations, should be determined. On occasion, this amount has proved to be significant.
Eventually, when confidentiality is no longer an issue, the dealer should discuss with the lender, the handling of future repossessions, extensions, renewals and other maintenance functions. If the prior dealer-lender relationship was good, the dealer will discover that an incredible amount of help available from a cooperative finance company.
Lastly, if the dealer discovers a large contingency, a certain degree of assistance may be negotiated with the buyer.
16. Accounts Receivable and Cash
Cash
While apparently obvious, dealership cash must be considered. Generally a new checking account should be opened at a financial institution that is not affiliated with the dealer's current business. Also, if possible, a locally owned bank should be used, versus a national bank. The dealer should consider reducing the number of signatories on the checking account(s) to two, one of which is the dealer and, effective the day of the close, the number of signatories should be reduced to the dealer principal only.
Factory Receivables
From the moment a decision to close the store is reached, factory receivables should receive concentrated attention. The very instant an awareness of the pending closing reaches the factory, the payments cease.
Try to resolve all problem receivables, such as warranty disputes, well before the closing. In any event, assistance from the factory, following the close of escrow will be essential to process warranty re-submissions and other problems. Employee Receivables
Employee receivables should also be thoroughly analyzed during this preliminary stage. An immediate policy, of no advances, should be established.
Without causing alarm, employee receivables should be scheduled and a course of repayment established. One of the better methods is to prepare a schedule of what each employee owes and, as the final pay periods approach, make certain the receivables are deducted from the employee's final checks. Unfortunately, some states do not allow the dealer to set-off debts against wages. Your state's policy/law should be reviewed with your attorney before proceeding to set-off any employee debt.
Customer and Vehicle Receivables
The selling dealer should make certain that vehicle receivables and customer accounts, other than service and parts, are pure. Necessary adjustments and write-offs should be made, with the purpose of arriving at a receivable figure which realistically depicts the amount of cash which can be expected.
If the dealership's service and parts policy has been well monitored, these accounts should pay in an orderly manner. In addition, the dealer should decide whether collections should be performed by dealer, and one or more employees, or whether the dealer can sell the accounts to a factoring house.
17. Leased Equipment
Not all leases can be cancelled. The dealer should determine which, if any, of the leases have personal guarant
One needs to appropriately pack the goods with the right shipping boxes. There are lots to choose from, and you can either purchase this from the shipping company that will ship the goods for you, or you can purchase this from other stores. You can try checking out the Internet for such retailers, as there are now many who have online stores where you can order online – this would make your purchasing a lot easier.You can check www.uline.com for a list of their products. They have shipping boxes available as their easy-fold mailers, bulk cargo containers, heavy-duty boxes, corrugated boxes, computer boxes, and many more. They also have corrugated pads for your shipping needs as well, especially for goods, which need partitions, & buffers to give it more protection while in transit.Also, there is this website at www.packagingsupplies.com, and you can click on the ‘Boxes’ category to get a list of their shipping cartons. For example, they have these white corrugated mailers that is somewhat formal than the usual brownish colored boxes. These white ones, when used as shipping boxes or containers, will provide a more formal look and appeal, especially when one is shipping catalogs, photos, and literature. They have six styles under this product line.You may also want to check www.allboxes.com for their shipping boxes. They have different sizes available for you to choose from. There’s also www.papermart.com which also has bulk shipping cartons. They offer around 792 sizes, and they are capable of taking your orders and shipping it the following day.An interesting site, which may interest you, is www.custommadeboxes.com, which would allow you to have the shipping boxes customized in terms of design and size. Their service may be worth considering, as you might need a special size for that specific product of yours. You wouldn’t want to pack your products on a box that is either too tight or too loose. The website offers you a page to place your specifications and get a quote.One should choose the appropriate shipping boxes for use on one’s shipping needs. The type of material or box, the size, the design, and other specifications that you need should be given due consideration. There are a lot of suppliers or retailers out there with a wide line of shipping boxes. Choose one that could provide you with the appropriate shipping boxes that you need, with the best price and delivery performance.
3. UCC, Mechanic’s Lien and Title Searches
Most dealers are not cognizant of all existing liens on dealership's assets.
In order to accurately estimate the selling dealer's anticipated net proceeds, all of these liens will have to be discovered, preferably, prior to negotiations.
Possession of title reports and UCC-1 reports will give the dealer adequate time to address the issues and to have readily available answers, if and when a prospective purchaser raises the issue.
4. Taxes Due and Anticipated
The dealership's comptroller or accountant, should prepare a sheet of all taxes currently owed by the dealership and all anticipated taxes. The list should identify the amount, to who owed and the reason. In certain states unpaid taxes have a "superlien" status and if unpaid the selling dealer's assets can and will be attached to recover unpaid taxes due by the selling dealership. This attachment can occur months after the dealership has closed.
As a general rule, anyone authorized to sign on the checking account can be held personally liable for at least ? of the payroll withholding tax, as well as 100% of all of the sales taxes due. In addition, in some instances dealers have been held personally liable for monies collected from customers that should have been treated as "trust" monies, such as: customer trade payoffs, customer credit and life insurance premiums, and customer warranty and service contract premiums.
5. Notes and Accounts Receivable From Others
The "Notes and Accounts Receivable - Other" account is usually a "catch-all" account on the dealership statement. For purposes of a dealership sale, this account should be purified (1) in order to apprise the dealer of any extra funds, which may be available for final sales and property taxes and (2) to make both the dealer and accountant aware of any "in-house" loans to officers, directors and employees, which may have to be repaid.
6. Prepaid Expenses
The prepaid expense account is another "catch-all" account that must be purified. When scheduling the prepaid expense account the comptroller should make a thorough search for all lease and contract deposits. In many instances, service equipment on lease, vehicles on lease, computers on lease, and other leases made to the dealership carry security deposits, or the last month's payment, or both.
7. Dealership Employees
Along with the normal employer-employee relations, there are two very important legal areas that may affect automobile dealers: (a) pension fund liability; and (b) state and federal laws regarding closings.
In some states the selling dealer could be personally liable for funding employee pension funds; while in others the dealer must give employees advance notice of any closing. Also, the United States Congress passed legislation regarding "closings". In the instances of "closings", both state and federal laws put a minimum on the number of persons employed, usually 50 or 100, before the law applies to the dealer's company. Check the Hart Scott Rodino Act (HSR) and the WARN Act.
With respect to wages, some jurisdictions have enacted statutes making certain shareholders personally liable for corporate debts owing to laborers and other employees. Welfare and pension funds also qualify as wages under New York's statute.
The comptroller, or accountant should prepare a list of these liabilities, to include any amounts due the employees, with respect to accrued vacations, withholding taxes, pension and profit sharing plans and wages, as of the date of close.
Insofar as the actual terminations are concerned, if the dealership is "union", the dealer should talk to the union's representative in order to be sure that all of the conditions of the union contract are met.
8. Long Term Debt
All long-term debt should be itemized and a method of repayment determined. Interest should be computed. When past due interest and past due payments are added to the loan balance, the loan pay-offs are generally higher than anticipated.
The comptroller should prepare a list of these debts, to include the amount owed including interest, to who owed, purpose of debt, maturity, terms and security given. In addition, after the list is completed, the comptroller should keep a running total, daily, through close of escrow.
9. Other Notes Payable
As with long-term debt, other notes payable should be listed by amount including interest to date of close, to whom owed, purpose of note, maturity, terms and security given; and arrangements should be made to retire the debt.
10. The Financial Statements
The retail automobile business is one of the few businesses requiring a complete closing of all books and records, promptly, at the end of each and every month. Factories and finance companies require reporting on factory originated, or approved forms.
In preparing the store for closing, a reconciliation statement may be used, explaining categories such as "other income & expense", warranty, finance and insurance income not shown on the statement, along with extraordinary items.
You will need a final financial statement for tax purposes.
11. Storage of Records
Dealerships amass a great deal of paperwork, the safe, accessible, storage of which will present a necessary problem to the selling dealer. No dealership record will be as important as it is on the day it cannot be found. Former dealers have related stories of attempting to retrieve documents from mini-storage facilities, in both rain and snow.
The appropriate time period should be determined, only after the dealer's accountant and attorney have considered and advised the dealer with respect to statute of limitations problems and other document retention regulations, peculiar to the political area in which dealership is located.
12. In-House Service Contracts
If the dealer has sold any "in-house service contracts", the selling dealer will not want former customers calling at his or her home for repairs, or complaints; therefore, a system of service, along the following lines, should be negotiated with a dealer located in close proximity to the closing store.
13. The Hard Assets
Parts and Accessories
Each factory has its own definition of "returnable" parts and returnable accessories. Most also include a discount for packing and shipping.
Just prior to closing, a computer printout ought to be obtained listing all parts and accessories, their purchase date and cost in invoice.
Parts and Accessories need to be segregated into "returnable" and "non-returnable" categories. Returnable parts and accessories need to be inventoried and packaged according to the factory's specifications
Non-returnable items need to be marketed to other dealers or parts houses such as "Napa". Note: Some "non-returnable" parts may in fact be returnable to the supplier from who it was purchased, such as Delco, MotorCraft, Mopar, Napa, etc.
Do not mark on or damage original packages when inventorying or packing as some factories will not classify items in marked packages as "returnable".
Be sure to account for aftermarket items such as Gas, Oil & Grease, Nuts, Bolts, Supplies, Work in Process and Repair Order (Need to collect A/Rs), Signs, Tools, Miscellaneous Equipment & Supplies.
Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment
The hard assets fall into two categories: (a) Those repurchased by the factory, such as special tools, parts equipment, signs, some computer systems, etc.; and those not repurchased by the factory, such as desks, chairs, etc.
Repurchased and non-repurchased items should be segregated and an inventory / auction service contacted to bid the auction on the non-repurchased items. When considering the auction, terms such as advertising time, location, minimum bids, guaranteed minimums from the auctioneer, and so forth, must be considered.
Leasehold Improvements
The value of Leasehold Improvements is generally lost in the termination process.
Vehicles
While accomplishing a new vehicle inventory valuation is a relatively, routine matter, it is also time consuming; consequently, in order for a dealer to realize full value, or each vehicle, at time of transfer, a checklist must be compiled and maintained. There are certain additions to, and subtractions from, the invoice price that must be made.
The difference in cash to be paid by purchaser's flooring entity to the dealer's flooring institution can be considerable, especially with respect to domestic lines, where holdback monies routinely average between $400 and $600 per unit, or more.
A dealer needs to be aware of this figure, early on in order to provide for the contingency during negotiations.
Various states have laws more liberal than the factory's Sales and Service Agreements and the specific laws of the terminating dealer's jurisdiction should be review. For example, Maine requires that the factory repurchase terminating dealers' entire new vehicle inventory, regardless of model year. Some states require the factory repurchase only current model year vehicles and others current plus one year carry-over.
In MSO states, the dealer should control all vehicle keys and MSOs - if the lender does not already have them.
Prepare to liquidate used vehicles and any dealership vehicles such as parts trucks, courtesy vans, demonstrators and snow plows. It is generally easier to obtain a good price for them by not letting anyone "cherry pick". Several wholesales should bid them as a "group".
Make list of carryovers and if the factory will not repurchase them have the wholesalers bid them separately and also shop them with other dealers.
Dealer plates must be surrendered and accounted for when the dealer license is terminated.
13. Appraisals and Auctions
There are a number of competent, recognized appraisers, our firm could recommend. In order to maximize the dollar value of an appraisal or auction, the dealer should contact several firms, determine how they operate, what records will be required, the method for valuing. After obtaining such information, the dealer should know the precise form and schedules necessary in order to maximize the appraisal or sale of the fixed assets. In addition, by assigning an employee to thoroughly prepare the assets and schedules, the dealer will better understand the value of the assets at the premises.
Perhaps the greatest problems, with respect to appraisals and auctions, are: (1) neither party takes the time to understand the methods and reasoning used by the appraisal/auction company; and (2) the dealer almost never adequately prepares the assets and schedules. We invariably find that all of the dealership's assets do not appear on schedules, either because they have been fully depreciated, or because of an error.
14. Contracts for Services
Service maintenance contracts and personal service contracts should be reviewed for personal guarantees, term and assignability. An oversight could mean that personal liability, for performance, would remain with the selling dealer. Service maintenance contracts should be scheduled, with the detail indicating the amount of each payment, duration of agreement, service to be rendered, and any personal liability. Any contracts that can be cancelled should be calendared for cancellation.
15. Contingent Liability and Reserves
The dealer should know the amount of all outstanding retail paper, which has been unconditionally guaranteed by the dealership, or the dealer. The dealer should know which the dealership's reserve account will be subject to charge backs, for early payoffs and the amount, if any, of recourse against the dealer and the dealership.
A spreadsheet of the outstanding contracts should be compiled, detailing, in addition to collateral description, remaining term and delinquency status, and credit grade, such as A, B, or C, or whatever system the finance company uses. The type of recourse, average monthly reserve charge-backs and the current reserve balance should also be included.
Shortly after informing the financing institutions of the dealer's intent to close the dealership, the lenders should again be approached, regarding the availability of any "walk-away" programs. Furthermore, in the event the dealership has been operating with reduced reserve retention, the amount required to bring the reserve(s) to standard, upon cessation of retail operations, should be determined. On occasion, this amount has proved to be significant.
Eventually, when confidentiality is no longer an issue, the dealer should discuss with the lender, the handling of future repossessions, extensions, renewals and other maintenance functions. If the prior dealer-lender relationship was good, the dealer will discover that an incredible amount of help available from a cooperative finance company.
Lastly, if the dealer discovers a large contingency, a certain degree of assistance may be negotiated with the buyer.
16. Accounts Receivable and Cash
Cash
While apparently obvious, dealership cash must be considered. Generally a new checking account should be opened at a financial institution that is not affiliated with the dealer's current business. Also, if possible, a locally owned bank should be used, versus a national bank. The dealer should consider reducing the number of signatories on the checking account(s) to two, one of which is the dealer and, effective the day of the close, the number of signatories should be reduced to the dealer principal only.
Factory Receivables
From the moment a decision to close the store is reached, factory receivables should receive concentrated attention. The very instant an awareness of the pending closing reaches the factory, the payments cease.
Try to resolve all problem receivables, such as warranty disputes, well before the closing. In any event, assistance from the factory, following the close of escrow will be essential to process warranty re-submissions and other problems. Employee Receivables
Employee receivables should also be thoroughly analyzed during this preliminary stage. An immediate policy, of no advances, should be established.
Without causing alarm, employee receivables should be scheduled and a course of repayment established. One of the better methods is to prepare a schedule of what each employee owes and, as the final pay periods approach, make certain the receivables are deducted from the employee's final checks. Unfortunately, some states do not allow the dealer to set-off debts against wages. Your state's policy/law should be reviewed with your attorney before proceeding to set-off any employee debt.
Customer and Vehicle Receivables
The selling dealer should make certain that vehicle receivables and customer accounts, other than service and parts, are pure. Necessary adjustments and write-offs should be made, with the purpose of arriving at a receivable figure which realistically depicts the amount of cash which can be expected.
If the dealership's service and parts policy has been well monitored, these accounts should pay in an orderly manner. In addition, the dealer should decide whether collections should be performed by dealer, and one or more employees, or whether the dealer can sell the accounts to a factoring house.
17. Leased Equipment
Not all leases can be cancelled. The dealer should determine which, if any, of the leases have personal guaran
Have you ever recruited someone who looked good at interview only to find out when they started that they “Were not up to it” or, “They just didn’t seem to fit in”. Most of us have made these mistakes (if you haven’t, then you are probably new to management). Why?• We often rely too much on the interview as the main selection process, or• We place too much emphasis on professional credentials at the expense of ability to do the job and best values fit, or• We recruit too often “in our own likeness”.What’s the best way of finding out whether someone can do the job? Try them out. Not all of us have the resources to be able to “give someone a go”, unless we are recruiting for a position such as “air traffic controller”. As a regular flyer, I know that I would be worried if the recruitment process for air traffic controllers relied principally on the interview! Having worked with a number of air traffic controllers, I now rest easy knowing that a major part of the selection process is simulations of actual flight control. So, if you have the resources, go for simulation.Without simulations, we must still rely on the interview. Unfortunately, numerous studies suggest that the interview (by itself) is an ineffective selection method. Why? Let me pose the question – “How similar is an interview to the type of work the person is expected to do?” If interviewing is not a major part of the normal day to day activities of the position for which you are recruiting, then the selection interview is not replicating the work, but is merely a discussion on what the person has done or might be able to do. Take for example the following questions, often asked:• Tell me about your duties in your last position.• What did you like most about the job?• What did you like least about the job?• Why do you want this job?• Where do you want to be five years from now?• How do you feel about working for a demanding boss?• What is your management [or marketing etc] philosophy?• What would you do if you were working for a manager who refuses to set priorities for you?• Tell me what you would do in your first few weeks in this role.Before you reach for your pen to jot down a “new one” you liked, let me make a point. Not one of these questions works! None of them helps predict future behaviour in the job for which you are recruiting.So, how can you improve the interview? A technique known as “Behaviour Description (or Event) Interviewing (BDI) has been shown to improve interview effectiveness by as much as four times. Mind you, you should still use more than the interview, but more of that later.Read the following question asked of a candidate in relation to a job requirement of “managing poor performance” and see how it differs from the previous list of questions:• Tell me about the last time you faced the situation of an employee who wasn’t performing.o What was the situation? Long Term Debt
All long-term debt should be itemized and a method of repayment determined. Interest should be computed. When past due interest and past due payments are added to the loan balance, the loan pay-offs are generally higher than anticipated.
The comptroller should prepare a list of these debts, to include the amount owed including interest, to who owed, purpose of debt, maturity, terms and security given. In addition, after the list is completed, the comptroller should keep a running total, daily, through close of escrow.
9. Other Notes Payable
As with long-term debt, other notes payable should be listed by amount including interest to date of close, to whom owed, purpose of note, maturity, terms and security given; and arrangements should be made to retire the debt.
10. The Financial Statements
The retail automobile business is one of the few businesses requiring a complete closing of all books and records, promptly, at the end of each and every month. Factories and finance companies require reporting on factory originated, or approved forms.
In preparing the store for closing, a reconciliation statement may be used, explaining categories such as "other income & expense", warranty, finance and insurance income not shown on the statement, along with extraordinary items.
You will need a final financial statement for tax purposes.
11. Storage of Records
Dealerships amass a great deal of paperwork, the safe, accessible, storage of which will present a necessary problem to the selling dealer. No dealership record will be as important as it is on the day it cannot be found. Former dealers have related stories of attempting to retrieve documents from mini-storage facilities, in both rain and snow.
The appropriate time period should be determined, only after the dealer's accountant and attorney have considered and advised the dealer with respect to statute of limitations problems and other document retention regulations, peculiar to the political area in which dealership is located.
12. In-House Service Contracts
If the dealer has sold any "in-house service contracts", the selling dealer will not want former customers calling at his or her home for repairs, or complaints; therefore, a system of service, along the following lines, should be negotiated with a dealer located in close proximity to the closing store.
13. The Hard Assets
Parts and Accessories
Each factory has its own definition of "returnable" parts and returnable accessories. Most also include a discount for packing and shipping.
Just prior to closing, a computer printout ought to be obtained listing all parts and accessories, their purchase date and cost in invoice.
Parts and Accessories need to be segregated into "returnable" and "non-returnable" categories. Returnable parts and accessories need to be inventoried and packaged according to the factory's specifications
Non-returnable items need to be marketed to other dealers or parts houses such as "Napa". Note: Some "non-returnable" parts may in fact be returnable to the supplier from who it was purchased, such as Delco, MotorCraft, Mopar, Napa, etc.
Do not mark on or damage original packages when inventorying or packing as some factories will not classify items in marked packages as "returnable".
Be sure to account for aftermarket items such as Gas, Oil & Grease, Nuts, Bolts, Supplies, Work in Process and Repair Order (Need to collect A/Rs), Signs, Tools, Miscellaneous Equipment & Supplies.
Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment
The hard assets fall into two categories: (a) Those repurchased by the factory, such as special tools, parts equipment, signs, some computer systems, etc.; and those not repurchased by the factory, such as desks, chairs, etc.
Repurchased and non-repurchased items should be segregated and an inventory / auction service contacted to bid the auction on the non-repurchased items. When considering the auction, terms such as advertising time, location, minimum bids, guaranteed minimums from the auctioneer, and so forth, must be considered.
Leasehold Improvements
The value of Leasehold Improvements is generally lost in the termination process.
Vehicles
While accomplishing a new vehicle inventory valuation is a relatively, routine matter, it is also time consuming; consequently, in order for a dealer to realize full value, or each vehicle, at time of transfer, a checklist must be compiled and maintained. There are certain additions to, and subtractions from, the invoice price that must be made.
The difference in cash to be paid by purchaser's flooring entity to the dealer's flooring institution can be considerable, especially with respect to domestic lines, where holdback monies routinely average between $400 and $600 per unit, or more.
A dealer needs to be aware of this figure, early on in order to provide for the contingency during negotiations.
Various states have laws more liberal than the factory's Sales and Service Agreements and the specific laws of the terminating dealer's jurisdiction should be review. For example, Maine requires that the factory repurchase terminating dealers' entire new vehicle inventory, regardless of model year. Some states require the factory repurchase only current model year vehicles and others current plus one year carry-over.
In MSO states, the dealer should control all vehicle keys and MSOs - if the lender does not already have them.
Prepare to liquidate used vehicles and any dealership vehicles such as parts trucks, courtesy vans, demonstrators and snow plows. It is generally easier to obtain a good price for them by not letting anyone "cherry pick". Several wholesales should bid them as a "group".
Make list of carryovers and if the factory will not repurchase them have the wholesalers bid them separately and also shop them with other dealers.
Dealer plates must be surrendered and accounted for when the dealer license is terminated.
13. Appraisals and Auctions
There are a number of competent, recognized appraisers, our firm could recommend. In order to maximize the dollar value of an appraisal or auction, the dealer should contact several firms, determine how they operate, what records will be required, the method for valuing. After obtaining such information, the dealer should know the precise form and schedules necessary in order to maximize the appraisal or sale of the fixed assets. In addition, by assigning an employee to thoroughly prepare the assets and schedules, the dealer will better understand the value of the assets at the premises.
Perhaps the greatest problems, with respect to appraisals and auctions, are: (1) neither party takes the time to understand the methods and reasoning used by the appraisal/auction company; and (2) the dealer almost never adequately prepares the assets and schedules. We invariably find that all of the dealership's assets do not appear on schedules, either because they have been fully depreciated, or because of an error.
14. Contracts for Services
Service maintenance contracts and personal service contracts should be reviewed for personal guarantees, term and assignability. An oversight could mean that personal liability, for performance, would remain with the selling dealer. Service maintenance contracts should be scheduled, with the detail indicating the amount of each payment, duration of agreement, service to be rendered, and any personal liability. Any contracts that can be cancelled should be calendared for cancellation.
15. Contingent Liability and Reserves
The dealer should know the amount of all outstanding retail paper, which has been unconditionally guaranteed by the dealership, or the dealer. The dealer should know which the dealership's reserve account will be subject to charge backs, for early payoffs and the amount, if any, of recourse against the dealer and the dealership.
A spreadsheet of the outstanding contracts should be compiled, detailing, in addition to collateral description, remaining term and delinquency status, and credit grade, such as A, B, or C, or whatever system the finance company uses. The type of recourse, average monthly reserve charge-backs and the current reserve balance should also be included.
Shortly after informing the financing institutions of the dealer's intent to close the dealership, the lenders should again be approached, regarding the availability of any "walk-away" programs. Furthermore, in the event the dealership has been operating with reduced reserve retention, the amount required to bring the reserve(s) to standard, upon cessation of retail operations, should be determined. On occasion, this amount has proved to be significant.
Eventually, when confidentiality is no longer an issue, the dealer should discuss with the lender, the handling of future repossessions, extensions, renewals and other maintenance functions. If the prior dealer-lender relationship was good, the dealer will discover that an incredible amount of help available from a cooperative finance company.
Lastly, if the dealer discovers a large contingency, a certain degree of assistance may be negotiated with the buyer.
16. Accounts Receivable and Cash
Cash
While apparently obvious, dealership cash must be considered. Generally a new checking account should be opened at a financial institution that is not affiliated with the dealer's current business. Also, if possible, a locally owned bank should be used, versus a national bank. The dealer should consider reducing the number of signatories on the checking account(s) to two, one of which is the dealer and, effective the day of the close, the number of signatories should be reduced to the dealer principal only.
Factory Receivables
From the moment a decision to close the store is reached, factory receivables should receive concentrated attention. The very instant an awareness of the pending closing reaches the factory, the payments cease.
Try to resolve all problem receivables, such as warranty disputes, well before the closing. In any event, assistance from the factory, following the close of escrow will be essential to process warranty re-submissions and other problems. Employee Receivables
Employee receivables should also be thoroughly analyzed during this preliminary stage. An immediate policy, of no advances, should be established.
Without causing alarm, employee receivables should be scheduled and a course of repayment established. One of the better methods is to prepare a schedule of what each employee owes and, as the final pay periods approach, make certain the receivables are deducted from the employee's final checks. Unfortunately, some states do not allow the dealer to set-off debts against wages. Your state's policy/law should be reviewed with your attorney before proceeding to set-off any employee debt.
Customer and Vehicle Receivables
The selling dealer should make certain that vehicle receivables and customer accounts, other than service and parts, are pure. Necessary adjustments and write-offs should be made, with the purpose of arriving at a receivable figure which realistically depicts the amount of cash which can be expected.
If the dealership's service and parts policy has been well monitored, these accounts should pay in an orderly manner. In addition, the dealer should decide whether collections should be performed by dealer, and one or more employees, or whether the dealer can sell the accounts to a factoring house.
17. Leased Equipment
Not all leases can be cancelled. The dealer should determine which, if any, of the leases have personal guaran
Envelopes are used to dispatch various contents ranging from letters, cards, forms, magazines, reimbursements, papers, books, coins, CD's, and other things. Thus there is a need for envelopes in various sizes to suit diverse needs.The Insert in the envelope should be a bit smaller than the envelope size for easy insertion and removal.Envelope sizes are available in some industry standard specifications. They are broadly defined as A-style, booklet, and catalog, baronial and square. In all these categories, there are different sizes available. For example A-style has A-1, A-2, A-4, A-6, A-7, A-8, A-long and A-10 sizes. And A-4 type has further sub-sizes, like DL, Monarch, Policy, #7, #9, #12 etc. A-style envelopes are generally used for business and correspondence. The booklet style is considered appropriate for annual reports, brochures, marketing material etc. The catalog type is a durable envelope because of its central seam. Even heavyweight stuff could be sent in these envelopes. The square shape is unique but is considered non-standard size. Baronial types have the traditional pointed flap and are usually for formal announcements and invitations. A table of all these sizes is given below for reference. Besides these, even custom size envelopes can be ordered to envelope suppliers for bulk needs.The dimensions, weight and measurements for postal requirements should be known beforehand. If sending an envelope of non-standard size, additional postage may be needed. It is better to know international size standards when mailing envelopes to other countries. Since some countries may not support all the sizes.
Leasehold Improvements
The value of Leasehold Improvements is generally lost in the termination process.
Vehicles
While accomplishing a new vehicle inventory valuation is a relatively, routine matter, it is also time consuming; consequently, in order for a dealer to realize full value, or each vehicle, at time of transfer, a checklist must be compiled and maintained. There are certain additions to, and subtractions from, the invoice price that must be made.
The difference in cash to be paid by purchaser's flooring entity to the dealer's flooring institution can be considerable, especially with respect to domestic lines, where holdback monies routinely average between $400 and $600 per unit, or more.
A dealer needs to be aware of this figure, early on in order to provide for the contingency during negotiations.
Various states have laws more liberal than the factory's Sales and Service Agreements and the specific laws of the terminating dealer's jurisdiction should be review. For example, Maine requires that the factory repurchase terminating dealers' entire new vehicle inventory, regardless of model year. Some states require the factory repurchase only current model year vehicles and others current plus one year carry-over.
In MSO states, the dealer should control all vehicle keys and MSOs - if the lender does not already have them.
Prepare to liquidate used vehicles and any dealership vehicles such as parts trucks, courtesy vans, demonstrators and snow plows. It is generally easier to obtain a good price for them by not letting anyone "cherry pick". Several wholesales should bid them as a "group".
Make list of carryovers and if the factory will not repurchase them have the wholesalers bid them separately and also shop them with other dealers.
Dealer plates must be surrendered and accounted for when the dealer license is terminated.
13. Appraisals and Auctions
There are a number of competent, recognized appraisers, our firm could recommend. In order to maximize the dollar value of an appraisal or auction, the dealer should contact several firms, determine how they operate, what records will be required, the method for valuing. After obtaining such information, the dealer should know the precise form and schedules necessary in order to maximize the appraisal or sale of the fixed assets. In addition, by assigning an employee to thoroughly prepare the assets and schedules, the dealer will better understand the value of the assets at the premises.
Perhaps the greatest problems, with respect to appraisals and auctions, are: (1) neither party takes the time to understand the methods and reasoning used by the appraisal/auction company; and (2) the dealer almost never adequately prepares the assets and schedules. We invariably find that all of the dealership's assets do not appear on schedules, either because they have been fully depreciated, or because of an error.
14. Contracts for Services
Service maintenance contracts and personal service contracts should be reviewed for personal guarantees, term and assignability. An oversight could mean that personal liability, for performance, would remain with the selling dealer. Service maintenance contracts should be scheduled, with the detail indicating the amount of each payment, duration of agreement, service to be rendered, and any personal liability. Any contracts that can be cancelled should be calendared for cancellation.
15. Contingent Liability and Reserves
The dealer should know the amount of all outstanding retail paper, which has been unconditionally guaranteed by the dealership, or the dealer. The dealer should know which the dealership's reserve account will be subject to charge backs, for early payoffs and the amount, if any, of recourse against the dealer and the dealership.
A spreadsheet of the outstanding contracts should be compiled, detailing, in addition to collateral description, remaining term and delinquency status, and credit grade, such as A, B, or C, or whatever system the finance company uses. The type of recourse, average monthly reserve charge-backs and the current reserve balance should also be included.
Shortly after informing the financing institutions of the dealer's intent to close the dealership, the lenders should again be approached, regarding the availability of any "walk-away" programs. Furthermore, in the event the dealership has been operating with reduced reserve retention, the amount required to bring the reserve(s) to standard, upon cessation of retail operations, should be determined. On occasion, this amount has proved to be significant.
Eventually, when confidentiality is no longer an issue, the dealer should discuss with the lender, the handling of future repossessions, extensions, renewals and other maintenance functions. If the prior dealer-lender relationship was good, the dealer will discover that an incredible amount of help available from a cooperative finance company.
Lastly, if the dealer discovers a large contingency, a certain degree of assistance may be negotiated with the buyer.
16. Accounts Receivable and Cash
Cash
While apparently obvious, dealership cash must be considered. Generally a new checking account should be opened at a financial institution that is not affiliated with the dealer's current business. Also, if possible, a locally owned bank should be used, versus a national bank. The dealer should consider reducing the number of signatories on the checking account(s) to two, one of which is the dealer and, effective the day of the close, the number of signatories should be reduced to the dealer principal only.
Factory Receivables
From the moment a decision to close the store is reached, factory receivables should receive concentrated attention. The very instant an awareness of the pending closing reaches the factory, the payments cease.
Try to resolve all problem receivables, such as warranty disputes, well before the closing. In any event, assistance from the factory, following the close of escrow will be essential to process warranty re-submissions and other problems. Employee Receivables
Employee receivables should also be thoroughly analyzed during this preliminary stage. An immediate policy, of no advances, should be established.
Without causing alarm, employee receivables should be scheduled and a course of repayment established. One of the better methods is to prepare a schedule of what each employee owes and, as the final pay periods approach, make certain the receivables are deducted from the employee's final checks. Unfortunately, some states do not allow the dealer to set-off debts against wages. Your state's policy/law should be reviewed with your attorney before proceeding to set-off any employee debt.
Customer and Vehicle Receivables
The selling dealer should make certain that vehicle receivables and customer accounts, other than service and parts, are pure. Necessary adjustments and write-offs should be made, with the purpose of arriving at a receivable figure which realistically depicts the amount of cash which can be expected.
If the dealership's service and parts policy has been well monitored, these accounts should pay in an orderly manner. In addition, the dealer should decide whether collections should be performed by dealer, and one or more employees, or whether the dealer can sell the accounts to a factoring house.
17. Leased Equipment
Not all leases can be cancelled. The dealer should determine which, if any, of the leases have personal guaran
Most small business owners don't realize that bringing a new client in the doors can cost up to twenty times what it does to keep an existing client coming back. Small businesses spend freely on yellow pages, radio, television, mailers, and other advertising. While these ways of promoting ones business can be successful in bringing new clients in, they in no way help a business keep clients. Once that new customer comes through the door and makes a purchase the business needs to find a way to keep that person coming back. If they don't they will have to repeat their advertising cycle and continue spending thousands to get another client in the door.So, how do you keep that client coming back? Simply put: you need to give them an incentive. Reward them for being a loyal client. If you are in a business with a lot of competition or you are competing against big box stores or national chains you need to be able to compete on more than price. It is a fact, rewarding your clients for shopping at your store will keep them coming back instead of going to your competition.How does a rewards or loyalty program work? When the client makes a purchase offer them a rewards card. (The most widely used are plastic credit card quality loyalty cards with a magnetic stripe on the back) These cards are run through a credit card terminal and accrue points every time the client shops with you. When the client spends a certain amount of money they automatically get a specified cash value added to their card. They can then use the value on the card towards their next purchase.The reward amount that you offer to a client depends on your business. You need to reward your clients as often as you can with whatever amount of cash you deem reasonable. For example: a coffee shop with a $5 average sale may want to reward a client with $5 when they hit $50 in purchases. On the other hand a client with a high aveage sale, a clothing boutique for example, may want to give a reward of $25 for every $250 spent.You can also customize reward levels based on a clients annual purchases. A busy restaurant may offer clients a $100 gift card if they spend $2500 during the year. Some businesses have such loyal customers that they offer plasma televisions and cars if the client spends enough money during the year! Be as creative as you want, and remember, your rewards have to give your clients a reason to keep coming back!Now that you are rewarding your clients - how do you keep track of everything? We always suggest that you register your rewards cards on your gift card providers website. If nothing else get your clients name and address. You can have a report generated that will show the number of cards you have outstanding, who owns the card, how often they shop with you, and how much money they have spent during the month and the year. These are very powerful reports. They will show you who your best clients are and how often they shop with you. Now use this information
A spreadsheet of the outstanding contracts should be compiled, detailing, in addition to collateral description, remaining term and delinquency status, and credit grade, such as A, B, or C, or whatever system the finance company uses. The type of recourse, average monthly reserve charge-backs and the current reserve balance should also be included.
Shortly after informing the financing institutions of the dealer's intent to close the dealership, the lenders should again be approached, regarding the availability of any "walk-away" programs. Furthermore, in the event the dealership has been operating with reduced reserve retention, the amount required to bring the reserve(s) to standard, upon cessation of retail operations, should be determined. On occasion, this amount has proved to be significant.
Eventually, when confidentiality is no longer an issue, the dealer should discuss with the lender, the handling of future repossessions, extensions, renewals and other maintenance functions. If the prior dealer-lender relationship was good, the dealer will discover that an incredible amount of help available from a cooperative finance company.
Lastly, if the dealer discovers a large contingency, a certain degree of assistance may be negotiated with the buyer.
16. Accounts Receivable and Cash
Cash
While apparently obvious, dealership cash must be considered. Generally a new checking account should be opened at a financial institution that is not affiliated with the dealer's current business. Also, if possible, a locally owned bank should be used, versus a national bank. The dealer should consider reducing the number of signatories on the checking account(s) to two, one of which is the dealer and, effective the day of the close, the number of signatories should be reduced to the dealer principal only.
Factory Receivables
From the moment a decision to close the store is reached, factory receivables should receive concentrated attention. The very instant an awareness of the pending closing reaches the factory, the payments cease.
Try to resolve all problem receivables, such as warranty disputes, well before the closing. In any event, assistance from the factory, following the close of escrow will be essential to process warranty re-submissions and other problems. Employee Receivables
Employee receivables should also be thoroughly analyzed during this preliminary stage. An immediate policy, of no advances, should be established.
Without causing alarm, employee receivables should be scheduled and a course of repayment established. One of the better methods is to prepare a schedule of what each employee owes and, as the final pay periods approach, make certain the receivables are deducted from the employee's final checks. Unfortunately, some states do not allow the dealer to set-off debts against wages. Your state's policy/law should be reviewed with your attorney before proceeding to set-off any employee debt.
Customer and Vehicle Receivables
The selling dealer should make certain that vehicle receivables and customer accounts, other than service and parts, are pure. Necessary adjustments and write-offs should be made, with the purpose of arriving at a receivable figure which realistically depicts the amount of cash which can be expected.
If the dealership's service and parts policy has been well monitored, these accounts should pay in an orderly manner. In addition, the dealer should decide whether collections should be performed by dealer, and one or more employees, or whether the dealer can sell the accounts to a factoring house.
17. Leased Equipment
Not all leases can be cancelled. The dealer should determine which, if any, of the leases have personal guarantees, and with respect to such leases, make a concerted effort to negotiate a settlement with the lessor. That assumes that the corporation is insolvent. If the corporation is solvent, than settlements need to be negotiated with respect to corporate leases.
18. EPA Inspection
If the real property is owned by the closing dealer, it is important for the dealer to determine where and what the problems are likely to be. If underground gas or oil storage tanks have ever been located on the dealership real property, the dealer should, if not already available, contact a private inspection agency and obtain a certificate of clearance, or compliance, with respect to it.
Be aware, no agreements between the parties can modify, or redistribute their respective liabilities, with respect to state and federal laws.
19. Expenses of Transaction
There are certain extraordinary expenses, such as real estate appraisal fees, consultant fees, attorney and accounting fees, which are incidental to the preparing a dealership for closing. These expenses will be paid both from the dealership general account and directly from the closing dealer's personal account. The dealer should alert the bookkeeper to maintain a separate journal, in which to record these expenses, in order that the accountants may readily determine the costs of sale and categories of expenditures, for income tax purposes, both personal and business.
Closing Date
Absent exigent circumstances, the dealer should estimate the amount of time necessary to prepare the store for closing, usually approximately thirty days. If possible, the closing should be on a payday.
The Comptroller’s Responsibilities
The Dealer's comptroller should prepare, or be responsible for the preparation of, the following items and documents, for transfer:
The Books & Records;
All Purchase Orders and Deposits;
The Franchise Termination Letter and the Factory's, or Distributor's Acceptance of the Buyer's Resignation;
The Accounts Receivable List;
Prepaid Expenses;
Preparing a Leased Equipment Inventory;
Securing Old Credit card plates and Machines;
The Parts and Accessories Return, Vehicle Return, and Rent Assistance Demand Letters;
The Transfer and/or cancellation of various: Telephone Numbers; Post Office Boxes;
The insurance arrangements: life, garage keeper's tail, real and personal property, health, etc.
The Dealer’s Responsibilities
The Dealer should prepare, or be responsible for reviewing and supervising all of the items in the checklist and for the preparation of the following items:
Decide on the employees that are required to stay in order to complete the closing of the store.
Check for sold orders decide whether to deliver, cancel, or refer to another dealer.
Cancel company credit cards, including any phone credit cards and any mobile phones - except your own.
Secure telephone service. Set a Voice Mail message regarding a dealership referral.
DETERMINE THE FACTORY'S OBLIGATIONS WITH RESPECT TO ITS RIGHTS TO LEASE AND PURCHASE. BE SURE TO MAKE CLAIMS AND REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD SPECIFIED IN THE SALES AND SERVICE AGREEMENT.
If necessary, talk to a Realtor and list the facility on the market (lease or sale).
Find out where credit card monies are deposited and move the account if it is in the same bank where the company's general account resides.
Close out, or transfer to another dealer all active service ROs. If possible, negotiate a referral fee.
Create a press release for store closing.
Cancel all new vehicle orders that are not scheduled, do not order any new cars.
Close out all service ROs so that work is completed by date of close. Do not accept any work that can't be completed by store shutdown date.
As always, when closing a dealership, you should always consult with a qualified attorney and accountant.
For additional information on this and other automobile dealership subject matters, go to: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Pico
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