Closing the Books

Performing Year-End Procedures with AutoStar Software

Allen Dobbins | President & CEO • AutoStar Solutions, Inc.

By the time this issue finds its way into your hands, we will be closing the books on 2011, and moving into 2012. While it’s always sensible to plan for the future, the new year is also a great time to look back and reflect on the successes and failures of the past year. As I take a look back at 2011, I can’t help but feel a rush of gratitude for your support. I want to take this moment to thank our returning customers, as well as the newly converted.

I especially want to thank those of you that have recommended AutoStar to your associates this past year. Much of our success in 2011 has been built on your kind words and enthusiastic evaluations. Because of this, we have rolled out a new program called AutoStar Rewards to thank those of you that refer new business to us. As part of the program, we are offering $250 to anyone that refers a new client to us, or $500 to a charity of your choice. To find out more about this reward program, take a look at our website.

Integrations - Choosing Partners for Success

Allen Dobbins | President & CEO • AutoStar Solutions

At AutoStar, having third party integrations is critical to our overall solution. The tricky part is determining which companies’ products to integrate with and which ones to avoid! We are constantly bombarded by integration requests at industry events and trade shows. Rightly so, customers are looking to make their lives easier, and each one believes that his or her request for integration is the most important. However, on our side, it’s never that simple. As the President & CEO of AutoStar, I am tasked with making the final decisions regarding which third-party software integrations we ultimately decide to take on. Striking a balance between satisfying our customers’ needs for integration and balancing the costs of these integrations is difficult, to say the least.

Are You Doing Everything You Can to Protect Your Business?

One of the most important questions you can ask yourself as a business owner is “am I doing everything I can to protect my dealership from litigation?” We all know that our industry is one of the most regulated enterprises in business today, a fact that gains even more significance in light of the Dodd-Frank Act and the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In addition, there are also abundant federal regulations to consider, as well as substantial state laws, consumer confidentiality concerns, information security responsibilities, and general industry best practices that you need to keep in mind.

Marketing: Is It Really That Effective?

Allen Dobbins | President & CEO • AutoStar Solutions, Inc.

Published in A*QUA Issue005, Q2, 2011

This edition of A*QUA is dedicated to marketing. Like you, my sales department often wishes that I had the marketing capital of Nike, Coca Cola, or Rolex. These companies spend millions of dollars a year on branding to gain trust as well as a new following. They rely on marketing to increase shareholder value and grow their business. Indeed, just during the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Nike and Coke spent a combined $1.5 billion on marketing! Regardless of how much you spend annually on marketing, do you know how much your sales increased as a direct result of this expense?

Year-End Advice - 2010

Allen Dobbins | President & CEO • AutoStar Solutions, Inc.

Published in A*QUA Issue 004, Q4, 2010

As you read this version of A*QUA, you will notice that this entire issue is dedicated to year-end best practices. However, before we begin I want to personally thank all of you for your support over the past year and helping make this the best year in AutoStar’s history. Many of you have referred clients to us over the past 12 months, and I want to express our gratitude for your ongoing support of AutoStar. I feel that this is the highest compliment a business can receive. We have not taken this support lightly, and we will continue our reinvestment in AutoStar’s technology, support, and professional services as we look forward to 2011.