Nor Nan asked:


has been a favorite pastime for women for ages and it is a very common activity. In the ancient times, when shopping was confined to visiting the village shops or the trade barter system, now it has enhanced to shopping sprees in air-conditioned malls. Shopping now not only includes simple shopping and bargaining for clothes, but is a very rich experience, which involves exploring the large amount of variety that is available in the market today. Shopping has today also expanded to an instant form of Internet shopping where goods are purchased online and the payments are made via credit cards. With online shopping, you can indulge in shopping right within the comfortable confines of your home. You just need to select the good that you want to purchase from an online catalog, include it in your shopping cart, and then make payment for it through your online account.

Online shopping has facilitated shopping for all those people who are unable to go to the shopping marts due to a shortage of time or due to their physical deprivation. Shopping has indeed evolved with the passage of time with the increase in disposable incomes and the customer’s purchasing powers. Today, Internet is brimmed with plethora of websites that can offer a vast realm of shopping commodities right from lingerie, computers, and cosmetics to the most inconsequential pest-repellant drugs. Shopping sites make you aware about the huge variety of commodities that are available in the market and save you from the hassles of searching for your kind of commodity in the market.

You no longer need to spend long shopping hours in market to find the product that suits your pocket and is also of the desirable quality. Shopping has become a far easier task now where one just needs to log on to any Internet shopping site, pick up his choice, and then order it. The delivery will be done via shipment right at the customer’s doorstep. You can also avail the facility of customizing the goods according to your needs and sizes. Online shopping also saves us from the long queues and the incumbent hassles at the over-the-counter scanning procedures. Online shopping is also a very viable option for all those women who have small children and cannot go to shopping because of their tiny tots.

Online shopping can also save you from the problems of parking and traffic jams that were really an obnoxious trouble for everyone who started relying on Internet shopping. Companies are also encouraging their customers to buy their products online by offering lucrative discounts. Although the trend of online shopping has now caught up, but women still tend to purchase the more luxurious and expensive goods like diamonds, gold and expensive clothes by visiting markets only. Online shopping is also not very successful in case of commodities where a customer personally needs to see, feel and touch the product. This is especially true in case of automobile shopping where a customer needs to drive a car before purchasing it.



PHIL

Groshan Fabiola asked:


Nowadays it is so much easier to go shopping. And we are talking about the new way of shopping, the kind that gets you out of the crowded supermarkets and malls and brings everything at the click of your mouse: virtual shopping. Also known as B2C (business-to-consumer electronic commerce), virtual shopping is a consumer’s ability to shop from behind the screen of his\her computer via a computer network, using the internet, surfing on the www (World Wide Web).

This kind of shopping is actually thriving at the moment, as a lot of personal computers are connected to the internet, and so many more choose to get in touch with the world by using the World Wide Web. And since you wander around clicking with a certain direction, or no direction at all, why not shop a little? This is where virtual shopping comes into place and makes you use a credit card from your computer instead of wasting precious time standing in line.

There is almost no product you may desire that cannot be found on the virtual shopping specialized web sites. From small sites with a few products, to the limitless buying possibilities of a virtual shopping mall, you can browse as long as your time allows you, or you credit card can perform. With a non-stop working program and special home delivery, the online shops that allow you to do this virtual shopping are the next generation.

The virtual shopping experience is all about advantages, and if you haven’t read between the lines so far, here is a more clear approach: shopping is faster and more convenient; prices and product offers can change as you browse; you can access the special call centers that are integrated with that certain website in case you need extra information; you can buy everything you want getting the best deal out of it, since you can compare the prices from different online shops without walking around all day; you benefit from the privacy of your home all around the clock.

And this is not everything that virtual shopping has in line for you. There is a certain way of buying on the Internet that can be as interesting as the classical virtual shopping: online auctions.

Online auctions are a way of shopping in which participants bid for a certain product, or service on an online auction website. There are two types of auctions that can be found on the internet: the English auction – where the starting price is low and builds up with the bids, and the Dutch auction – where identical items are placed in the same auction, and all the bidding winners pay the same price, as high as any of the products gets.

As well as the classical virtual shopping, online auctions have plenty of advantages for their bidders: you can place a bid at any time for a certain number of days; the bidders can be located anywhere on the face of the earth, avoiding the travel costs that incurred in an ordinary auction; gambling thrills can be easily obtained since participants bid against each other, hoping they will win; the numbers of sellers is as big as the number of bidders, or even bigger, since as long as there is a desire for a certain product there will be an offer for it.

And if you come to think about all the benefits that virtual shopping and online auctions can bring, I’m sure that you will be surfing already in search of a desired product when this article is about to end. Have fun going shopping…virtual shopping.

If you want to find a great virtual shopping site or some well organized dutch auctions we advise you to visit http://www.popwebcity.com



ERNIE

dreweli1980c@yeah.net asked:


With the advent of the Internet, everything from education, finding information, communicating, as well as shopping has become easier and more accessible. Remember those days when people used to wake up in the morning, get dressed and go out in chilly weather to buy a gift for their loved one? During the holiday season around Christmas or the time around Thanksgiving, people used to stand in long queues in the wee hours waiting for the shops to open so that they could avail those limited period offers.

Today, things are different. With the popularity of the Internet, shopping experiences have changed. In fact, you do not need to step out from your home at all, for your shopping. There are many companies worldwide that are opening virtual shops online. You can shop at any time during the day or night, wearing a three-piece suit from your office or in a pajama from the comfort of your own house. Online shopping has no constraints. There are dedicated shopping sites that allow the customers to buy a wide variety of products and services. There are many shopping blogs as well that provide useful information about shopping online. Online shopping is really a unique experience.

But before you start searching online for buying a product or a service, you need to know how to ensure a safe and secure transaction as well as get the best possible deal on the product or service. Here are some tips.

Tips For Online Shopping

<> As with shopping in malls and retail stores, you need to shop around for the best possible deal. You need to visit different websites that offer your desired product or service. Do not buy in hurry, you may find a better deal in terms of price and specifications on other shopping site.

<> It is better to do shopping from known websites. Buy from the site that is either known to you or is recommended to you by someone you trust. There are many companies that attract the customers with their flashy websites but they are not good at providing reliable services.

<> One of the biggest advantages of online shopping is that it allows you to shop for products from anywhere in the world. However, you need to be extra careful while buying things from abroad. Also find out about your rights and the procedures that need to be followed. It is better to check the full physical address with a phone call.

<> Do not just go by the price listed. You need to take into consideration the shipping charges, applicable taxes as well as packing costs. You can compare this total cost with the cost of the product at a neighborhood store.

<> In online shopping, it is very important to check that the transaction is fully secured. Generally all good shopping websites have the encryption facility. To check this you can look out for a padlock at the bottom of the screen while filling your details.

Shopping online provides enormous advantages such as convenience and saving of time and money. If you follow the above mentioned tips, you can effectively add another very important advantage to the list – safety. Follow these tips and have a happy and safe shopping time.



NED

Willard Michlin asked:


In my 15 years as a body shop broker, I have visited many hundreds of body shops across the state. Almost 100% of the owners complain, if they are being honest with me that they work too hard for two little money. We talk about them wanting to sell the business to some other poor sucker who will then also complain about not making enough money.

When we start talking about the reasons they include:

1) The market prices are too low to make a profit.

2) They do not have enough volume of business.

3) They need to get some DRP contracts; then they would be doing great,

4) They have no time to go out and look for business.

5) Rents are too high.

6) Labor is too high.

7) I cannot find good body men and painters.

When we talk about, why they want to get out of the business? They give me these explanations:

§ I am sick of the business.

§ I am loosing money.

§ I am burned out.

When we take all of this into account and get to the bottom of the problem of all the complaints we come down to the real problem:

The insurance companies have controlled the prices paid to body shops be intimidating the owners to take the business–on the insurance company’s terms, or there are 10 other shops that will.

This makes sense when we are referring to shops that have DRP contracts with the insurance companies but what about the shops that do not?

The problem they are having is:

Non DRP shops keep their prices low because they think their next door neighbor will take the business for less and that the insurance companies will be unhappy with them and never send them business or give them a DRP contract, in the future.

These situations results in: no one making money. Not the DRP shops or the non-DRP shops. Even when the insurance companies tried owning their own body shop they could not make a profit, at the prices they force the body shops to take.

I hope I have summed up the problem, distinctly enough.

The industry is in fear of the insurance companies, but in truth the insurance companies’ power rests with the body shop owners not the insurance companies. The power is not with the large DRP body shops as all small owners believe but it belongs with the non-DRP body shop owners who are not bound to any agreements with the insurance companies. It is the medium and small body shops with no DRP agreements that can change the industry for everyone.

GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!

Over 200 years ago, a third of our nation, said that they were tired of taxation without representation, and they went to war against the strongest nation in the world, England.

They risked their lives and their property for what they believed. To fight the strongest power in the auto industry you do not have to risk your lives and you will not even be risking your fortune. It only requires that you stand up and say, “Enough is enough,” If what I say excites you, please read on. I have a plan.

If not, please stop reading; put this article down. Tomorrow when you go to work pull out your most recent profit and loss statement, and read it very closely. Calculate what will happens to any profit that is shown, when your costs, including rent, go up another 10%, in the next year or two. Then make an estimate as to how rapidly the insurance companies are going to respond to your request that they let you raise your rates. Then go tell your wife and kids that they had all better get a job and support dear old dad.

“I AM MAD AS HELL, AND I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE!”

Any plan has to workable. By that I mean that if you expect everyone in the industry to work together in trust, against the common enemy, you’re dreaming: it will not work. There will always a Benedict Arnold, who will take the opportunity to steal the business away from his “friends” while they are working to raise the industry rates. This plan does not rely on trust, but it does take co-operation. No company puts the businesses they already have at risk, in order to forward the goal of the group to raise rates.

THE BATTLE PLAN

The big body shop owners are the leaders of the association and industry. They are the generals in this war. They can participate in some of the encounters but must depend on the independents for the direct attacks. The big boys must organize and instruct the troops.

This can be started anywhere. It can be done in one area at a time or preferably it will be done in multiple areas, at the same time. Here is the plan:

1. All the local body shop owners are invited to an association meeting or a meeting at one of the bigger body shops. All attendees are asked to participate and to encourage others to do the same.

2. Everyone raises his or her posted rate to something above $50.00. We do not want everyone to raise the rates to the same price; this is collusion and price fixing. Each shop can pick their price. It should not make sense to be below $50.00 per hour

3. The posted rate is only charged for non-DRP work, which helps the little shops a lot and the big boys on some jobs. It doesn’t change any prices for clients under DRP contracts but it sure makes a difference on any other work that comes in the door.

4. When the insurance companies do their survey of posted rates, in an area, they will find them at above the $50.00 benchmark.

5. When a non-DRP shop has a client with insurance, he can demand and force the insurance company to pay the posted rate for that area. The adjusters can kick and scream but they legally must pay the average posted rate for that area. That is why it is critical to get everyone, large and small, to change their posted rate.

6. The little body shops can continue to charge what ever they want below the posted rate, but they must at least raise the posted rate. This is the only action required of every body shop. Just change their posted rate. No other agreements are required.

7. Over a period of time, everyone will start demanding the posted rates from the insurance companies. This will happen while the DRP contracts are still sitting at lower rates. The next thing that will happen without any agreement from body shop members is that some will drop their DRP contracts so as to be able to collect the posted rate. The remaining will start complaining to the insurance companies and threaten to quit.

8. At some point the insurance companies will raise the DRP rate, and everyone will be better off.

9. The following year, the association members can discuss the need to raise the posted rate again. Of course each person must make their own decision as to how much they want to raise the posted rate to. Collusion is a crime.

Well I have laid out the whole plan. It will work. The insurance companies will bring in the German Hessians troops* under some other name, as they did in the revolutionary war, but if we remember the battle cry we will win. “I am mad as hell, and I am not going to take it any more!”

HessiansAmerican Revolutionary War, Landgrave Frederick II of Hesse-Kassel (a principality in northern Hesse) and other German leaders hired out thousands of conscripted subjects as auxiliaries to Great Britain to fight against the American revolutionaries. About 30,000 of these mercenaries were hired, and they came to be called Hessians, because 16,992 of the total 30,067 men came from Hesse-Kassel. Some were direct subjects of King George III; he ruled them as the Elector of Hanover. Other soldiers were sent by Count William of Hesse-Hanau; Duke Charles I of Brunswick-Lüneburg; Prince Frederick of Waldeck; Margrave Karl Alexander of Ansbach; and Prince Frederick Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst.”



BENNIE

Nor Nan asked:


Shopping is a procedure in which goods and services offered by the retailers are examined with the intent to buy or shop. An activity of purchasing some goods after proper selection is termed as shopping. Basically, it is considered as a leisure activity. In this recreational activity, one visits a range of stores while shopping in search of a desired or a suitable produce to buy. Whereas the activity in which shoppers engage themselves in browsing different products through glass and windows of various shops just for entertainment and enjoyment is window shopping. In this activity, the shoppers only imagine to buy these items without purchasing them in reality, probably to pass their time.

For others, shopping is truly a vexation and an inconvenient task. Shoppers going through extensive hours while waiting in long queues to buy one popular product as specifically observed with initial holiday shoppers and early adopters. Sometimes, shoppers feel ripped-off due to the inability to get one what they have paid for and end up in asking for money back. Sometimes buyers also get trapped in scam. Recently, shopping activity has been identified as an addiction, commonly consigned as shopping addiction, compulsive shopping, formally Oniomania or Shopaholic, these shoppers possess a spontaneous uncontrollable requirement to go for shopping so as to attain high or rush.

Normally, various people called merchants, salesman or vendors who sell wide variety of products in commercial zone, a zone commonly found in every town or city, sell out the products. These days the shopping phenomena is characterized by various shopping malls, flea markets, bazaars or town squares which has large collection of diverse shops at every shopping center or shopping hub.

For the ease of shoppers, every shop sells the particular or selected set of commodities or services to the consumers. The products can be leveled from cheap to extremely expensive. Various retail stores specialize in selling of products related to only one theme including candy shops, bookstores, apparel stores, footwear stores, hardware stores, gift shops, liquor stores, pet stores, hobby stores or supermarkets. The shops either owned by a company or may be a franchising company, which has franchising contracts with the owners of the shops, for instance chain restaurants.

Other kinds of stores are big-box stores, convenience stores, dollar stores, hypermarkets, or department stores that sold off a broad range of products regardless of having any similarity to each other. With the advent of modern technology like telephone, television and Internet, the shopping has become much easier and is often referred as home shopping. Electronic commerce in combination with the business-to-consumer commerce schemes has made the system of home shopping possible for everyone in which a buyer can make purchases via online shopping, mail order and shopping channels, etc. Sometimes ice-cream trucks and peddlers pass through your neighborhood also offer goods and services to you. There are some shopping seasons especially on the eve of Christmas, during which each and every person likes to go shopping for various needs and purposes.



MICKEY

Elaine Currie asked:


Mystery shopping (sometimes called secret shopping) is an excellent way to make extra money. It is very easy to do, you need no previous experience, no special knowledge and no expensive equipment. Mystery shopping can be performed by anyone who is able to go shopping. The mystery shopping companies employ men and women of all ages and descriptions as secret shoppers in order to obtain feedback from a wide range of different people on a wide range of services. Some mystery shopping assignments have to be undertaken by people who are accompanied by children in order to report back on specific facilities in places such as theme parks or family restaurants. (If you don’t have children of your own in the right age group, don’t worry: you are allowed to borrow them from relatives or friends.) If you enjoy shopping, mystery shopping will be a fun way for you to make extra money.

Mystery shopping consists of getting paid to go into a business (eg a shop or restaurant), without the employees knowing that you are anything other than an ordinary shopper, and reporting back to the mystery shopping company. A focus group is when you get paid to sit down with other people who are also getting paid and discuss new products or services, many focus groups are actually held online, so you don’t even have to leave home for carry out the assignment.

The reason mystery shopping companies and survey companies exist is to provide companies with impartial feedback on their employees, products and services. That way they can see where there might be problems and make the necessary changes to improve things.

Mystery shopping companies will pay you to shop, eat at restaurants, have a drink at a bar, visit the cinema, take a trip and take part in focus groups. If you are sent out to do mystery shopping, you might be required to visit a particular shop and just make enquiries about an article to test the staff’s customer service level but, if you are instructed to make a purchase, you are allowed to keep the articles and will be reimbursed for the cost. If you are sent to do mystery shopping at a restaurant or bar, you will be given a budget figure to spend on your food and drink and that money will be reimbursed to you by the mystery shopping company on top of your fee for the assignment. You might be asked to sample new products and these items will be sent to you free of charge. As part of your mystery shopping, you might find yourself receiving free samples to test of anything from detergent to chocolate. (This can also happen if you join survey companies.)

Mystery shopping jobs are obviously easier to find if you live in or near a fair sized town where there are a large number of shops, restaurants etc but, if you live in a rural area, you can still earn money taking part in online focus groups which can be found through online paid survey companies.

After you do a mystery shopping assignment you answer some questions on a form provided by the mystery shopping company and file your report with them. These reports are usually set up as a series of questions with a box for you to add any relevant details the company might request. The reports can usually be completed very quickly and it is best to complete your report straight after you finish your mystery shopping so that you don’t forget any detail. Some mystery shopping companies require you to report to them by phone immediately after you have completed the mystery shopping assignment but, generally, the companies expect you to submit a written report by post or email.

The way to approach mystery shopping is to remember that basically you are like a reporter. You must never add your feelings or recommendations to a mystery shopping report. Your job is to just answer the questions, report the facts and describe what actually happened during your mystery shopping expedition.

If you accept a mystery shopping assignment but then are unable to complete it, make sure you immediately notify the mystery shopping company so that they can make alternative arrangements to avoid letting down their client.

When you start doing mystery shopping, make sure you accept all suitable assignments including last minute jobs and any less than glamorous assignments you might be offered. The top class assignments will be offered to reliable mystery shoppers so you will need to prove yourself and build up a good reputation by making a good job of the lower quality assignments and getting your report in on time. At the start, you might find yourself being asked to do mystery shopping a the local fast food outlet or department store. Once you build up a reputation as a reliable mystery shopper, you can look forward to assignments where you are paid to visit expensive restaurants and designer shops. You might even be lucky enough to get a free trip and hotel accommodation as a mystery shopper.

Always keep in mind that, although mystery shopping is a fun and easy way for your to make extra money, it is a business and you need to behave in a businesslike manner when carrying out your mystery shopping assignments and reporting the results to the mystery shopping company. Your mystery shopping reports will be helping to shape the future of the businesses you visit and you have the chance to make a positive impact on decisions relating to improvements to services and facilities which will be of benefit to you.



DAMIAN

Kamyar Shah asked:


Secret shopping sounds mysterious and fun and well, shopping is great no matter what. Secret shopping in its basic form is shopping someone or someplace without the person or business knowing it. Shopping secretly seems to draw on this fantasy of part detective, part spy, and part shopaholic. In the best scenario you receive your “mission” and then go to the location and pretend to be a real customer all while noticing all the things going on around you. Some secret shopping companies will have the shopper actually purchase something so that the whole shopping encounter seems more realistic. If you search the words, “secret shopping” on the Internet you will get over 4 million hits on websites that have something to do with secret shopping.

There are all types of secret shopping businesses out there. There are businesses, corporations and large chains that have their own department or group of people that travel around and try to shop the stores. Sometimes this is part of the internal security team that helps reduce shrinkage or loss prevention specialists. Then there are the companies and stores that will choose to hire a secret shopping company who specializes in secret shopping that specific industry.

Some of the things that in person secret shops might uncover are:

How many customers in the store when entering?

Did anyone greet you when entering the store or how long did it take for someone to greet you after walking in the door?

Was the store neat and clean?

Did anyone offer to help you find an item or offer to help you?

Was the associate dressed appropriately?

Was the bathroom clean?

Was the associate using their time wisely?

Did an associate offer to get you a shopping bag, shopping cart, or basket or to start a dressing room for you?

Did the associate let you know of any specials or promotions going on in the store

Was it easy to navigate through the store?

How long did you have to wait to check out?

Was the cashier friendly?

Were your items rang in correctly?

Did the associate offer to open a store credit account?

Did the cashier thank you for coming in?

These are just a few questions that a secret shopper might have to fill out when doing a report on how the shop went. Of course depending on the company, different key areas would be listed and other items of interest that would be specific to that company. Besides a person going into a store and shopping them, some companies are having their shoppers wired for sound and or video. While a person can go to a place and shop and come up with their opinions, sound and video are hard to ignore. Often sound and video are used in extreme circumstances where sound and video would implicate a person or business of a wrongdoing.

There is a show on television right now that shows all kinds of hidden video of stealing, people acting stupid, intoxicated, fighting, driving recklessly, and more. It just goes to show you what people will watch on television. But is proves a powerful tool for incrimination or reprimanding employees.

What kind of business would use a secret shopping service? Lots of businesses use a secret shopping service whether it is an internal monitoring or hired out by a company that specializes in secret shopping. Corporate businesses would use a secret shopping service to make sure that the individual franchise or store is keeping up with the company’s rules and regulations. While some franchises are individually owned they still have to sign a contract with the home office that they will uphold the standards, appearances, and make sure that all the stores are virtually the same. Smaller businesses might use a secret shopping service for a number of things like monitoring, training, compliance, or incentive based information. Monitoring is just that, a basic service that gives the manager or owner a simple description of the secret shop. On going training is essential to any business so companies can use secret shopping to help with continued training. Compliance goes a little further with specific areas of sales, customer service, safety, and rules being covered. Incentive based secret shopping is when the person or business being shopped and that said person or business doing a great job would get a reward. The reward could be monetary, time off, bonus, lunch, or other items that the owner or manager will choose.

Some companies choose to do telephone secret shopping instead of or in addition to the in person secret shop. Telephone secret shopping uses the same principles as above except the whole interaction is done over the telephone. Modern software and telephone equipment have made this type of secret shopping easier and more secretive. But with technology comes the backlash of trying to be secretive, the arch nemesis of the telephone secret shopping world, caller id. There are ways around caller id and they will not be shared in this essay, but if you need to bypass a caller id there are systems that can do it, just check out the Internet. So the basic telephone secret shops goes like this:

Store-”Hi, thanks for calling XYZ business, this is Bob, how can I help you today?”

Shopper- “Hello Bob, I was wondering if you could give me some information about your….”

Store- “Sure, I can help you with that. You see here at XYZ business we have…”

You can see where this is going.

The telephone secret shop is typically recorded to an audio system or to the Internet where the call can be retrieved at a later date. Different software systems allow the secret shopping calls to be listened to online in real time or saved and sent via email when the audio format is in MP3. This software also allows its user to edit the call. Trimming the call in the beginning before the rings start and after both parties have hung up allow the call to remain in a manageable length. Some companies record the call and then send it to their clients on a CD. The CD allows the manager or owner to listen and share the call with the employee.

Are you looking for a secret shopping job? There are many established secret shopping companies out there that are looking for shoppers, but how do you know which ones to trust. First of all, like the old saying goes, “if it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is” so don’t fall for all the Internet hype about secret shopping. Could you in reality find a reputable secret shopping company and make some money, yes, if you do your homework. This is such a serious issue that the Federal Trade Commission has advice on how to avoid being scammed by fake secret shopping companies. Here is some advice on how to avoid bogus secret shopping companies:

Do your homework; check out the company BEFORE you give them any personal information

Beware of catchy banners and click me sites that offer to hire secret shoppers off of the Internet. This is a “sounds too good to be true” situation.

Check with the Better Business Bureau about background information on the company before you jump in with both feet.

Many fake secret shopping sites want you to complete “offers” before you are assigned any jobs. These offers are actually ways for that site to gather information about you like your name and email. Offers like; try these magazines or a free trial offer for who knows what, and all you have to give them is your information and sometimes a credit card number. These sites are known to sell or use your email to spam sites that will then riddle your inbox with tons of junk email.

If you know someone who is a secret shopper ask them how they got into the business and I bet they will have some advice of their own to share.

It’s not as easy as it seems, there is often some travel involved and reports have to be written in detail, called in, typed or emailed for you to be able to get paid per job.

So if you are looking for a secret shopping company or a secret shopping job, the bottom line is check the company out before doing business with them. Ask for business references (and call them, just giving a sheet a references won’t do you any good if you don’t call them), check with the better business bureau and ask around. The time you spend doing your homework before you hire or look for a secret shopping job will pay off in the end. There are some great secret shopping companies out there that offer secret shopping services and your business will prosper from the knowledge and training that a reputable secret shopping business can provide for you.



HENRY

Jayesh Bagde asked:


The biggest mobile phone companies in the world today are Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Siemens, and LG.

Nowadays, there are huge numbers of mobile phones around the world that offer high feature mobile phones. There are also other mobile phone shops such as online phone shops that sell phones via internet access. The leading mobile phones in the market are Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sonny Ericsson, Siemens, and LG. Some shops do not sell their phones directly. Normally, phones are sold bundled with their network package.

Listed below are the largest mobile phone shops in the USA

Orange Mobile Phone Shop: The Orange Mobile Phone Shop has an internet shopping that offers various choices of mobile phone products and quick service to all buyers or customers. Orange mobile phone shop completely deals from top mobile phone manufactures such as Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, and Nokia. This mobile phone store or shop also offers network service of leading phone networks. Customers can choose their payment whether they want it monthly or pay-as-you-go plan.

Cason Shop Company: This Cason shop offers video games, laptops, personal computers and other gadgets aside from mobile phones. The Cason shop company sells their products at a cheaper rate so that they get a lot of clients. This mobile phone and gadget shop is located at #7077 South, Clinton Street, Englewood, Colorado USA.

Mobile phone shop and internet café: This shop has a large basement and a large ground floor that acts as an internet café and mobile shop. The shop services and sells mobile phones, mobile phone accessories, personal computers, and laptops. This shop is equipped with spy cameras in order to secure the buyers of a safe transaction. It is located at Lillie road, USA.

Electronic Shop: This Electronic shop offers brand new products such as mobile phones, laptops, television sets, video games, as well as personal computers. All their products have a 1-year warranty. It is situated at # 1402 Lakeside Drive Suite Oakland California.

Simeye Mobile Phone Shop: The Simeye mobile phone shop provides their customers advanced state of the art mobile phones, phone accessories, and phone headsets. Their shops are located in the United States and other countries such as United Kingdom, New York, North America, and California.

Coupon codes Mobile Phone Shop: It is an online network shop that offers good quality mobile phones that are branded and user-friendly. Some mobile phones that are sold here come from large phone manufacturers such as Nokia, Vodafone, Motorola, Alcatel, Siemens, and Sony Ericsson. A lot of buyers visit this place for they sell their gadgets at an affordable rate.

T-Mobile Phone Shop: The T-Mobile Phone shops provide mobile phone internet package with every phone they buy. T-Mobile offers a professional e-mail T-mobile phone at a very low monthly price. The advantage of T-mobile phone over other phones is that the messages will be automatically delivered to the headset.

Dial-a-phone mobile phone shop: This shop provides low monthly billings for your mobile phone. Dial-a-phone shop offers the best camera phones, smallest phones, sleekest phone models and of course, the latest phones available in the market. It also has superb latest headsets. The mobile phone brands that this shop normally sells are Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and LG.

No.1 online Mobile phone shop: This mobile phone shop is more of like an online shop that deals directly in mobile supplies such as headsets, accessories, housings, batteries and much more. They also give discounts to customers. Online mobile phone shops sell their product at a very low price.

Techoni Mobile Phone Shop: This shop offers the latest cell phones at very affordable prices. It has become one of the leading phone manufacturers around the world. It manufactures phones in different countries such as USA, Australia as well as other states in the USA like Las Vegas, Alaska and Indiana. This mobile phone shop has a delivery service and also has stock of all leading brands of mobile phones such as Nokia, Samsung, and Panasonic, along with LG, siemens, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, as well as PDA.



RICH

Willard Michlin asked:


Have you ever asked yourself the question? “Is this a good time to sell my business?” That is a question every business owner asks himself, every time he has a bad day. I once received e-mail from the editor of the Auto Body News, asking me that key question. “What is happening in the market today? Is this a good time to sell? ” My quick answer was “These are very interesting times.”

Of course that answer doesn’t tell you anything that you can get your teeth into. So! Let me clarify my answer. Since I have been selling body shops for 10 years, I have seen many changes in the body shop industry. One thing that hasn’t changed is that there have always been an abundance of both sellers and buyers. The buyers have always been, and still are picky about what they were looking for.

The perfect shop in the eyes to the buyers is (A) one that has a customer base and a revenue stream that is reliable and isn’t dependent on the owner being there to retain each individual customer, and. (B) doing a volume of at least $100,000 per month, but really much more. Large volume sellers think that if they have a DRP (Direct Repair Program,) they have what body shop buyers’ want. A DRP is where the insurance companies set up a relationship with the body shop to do all insured’s body shop business, much like an HMO in the health insurance field.

This may be what buyers want, but the DRP contracts are not automatically transferable, and a buyer will be very unhappy if the DRP leaves, the buyer, after they have paid a lot money for this “reliable revenue stream.” Smaller volume sellers, on the other-hand, not having corporate accounts, dealerships or other contracts still have hope for getting lots of money for their shops. The average shop I run across is only doing about $300,000-$500,000 annual gross income. So what we have is a situation where a lot of buyers are looking to buy a shop, but there are not a lot of shops available, which fit what they are, interested in-$1,500,000 annual gross income or more.

This year, one change has occurred. There are fewer shops available than at any time in my career. Not fewer of the large volume shops for sale, that is fairly stable, but fewer of the small mom and pop repair shops that have not been in heavy demand. The reason, I believe this has happened is because of the booming economy. Low volume shops are doing better than they have in years. They are making money, and do not feel as much pressure to close down. They still would like to get out, but when they find out that their 5,000 sq. foot shop which is making them a $100,000 net profit, is only worth $100,000 on the open market they decide to keep on working.

As always, the shops doing $1 Million to $3 Million per year gross income is still in demand. The price alone still is the main factor, in determining if these shops will sell. A good example of this is what is happening in lower Orange County. There are currently a couple of shops in Lower Orange County that are for sale, by the owners. They appear to be very profitable but the asking price is too high and the buyers all know it. Even the fact that these are the only shops available for sale in this prime area has not changed the fact that buyers just refuse to over pay.

Last year I was marketing a high volume shop, in Ventura County. The buyers refused to pay the asking price, even though the volume was there. Why? The profit wasn’t. In this situation, the buyers would not pay for the volume and stability of income unless the net profits were there. They didn’t assume that they would make a profit where the current owner was not. It appears that the buyers of today are very careful. I believe they do not trust their own ability to get new business and therefore are too careful.

To clear up any confusion about what kind of buyers we are talking about, lets break the buyers up into categories. The first category is the consolidators. There are two large ones in Southern California but they are not the whole market. I have talked to out of state consolidators that have inquired about moving in to the So California market. Consolidators want shops that fit their model. That model sometimes changes but basically they will buy a shop if it fits their model.

If it doesn’t, they will not touch it. The price by itself doesn’t turn their interest on or off. We do not have enough space to discuss what this group will buy, in this article. It is enough to say, “ If your shop fits their criteria they would have contacted you and expressed interest. If they haven’t contacted you, they are not interested.” Period! They know their market place and who is in it.

By the way, if I owned a shop that a consolidator wanted, I would never sell to them. Being a professional negotiator for 20 years, I find the requested seller financing terms totally unacceptable. When I have discovered what the terms of the sale are, after the fact, amazed me. I had buyers for the same money, or more, without the seller being at risk, but no one asked me.

The second category is the multiple location shop owners. Usually with one or more DRP contracts shop that wants to expand into more areas. They are very interested in the sq. footage of the shop, and its ability to handle over $2 Million Gross Income per year. This buyer only looks in limited areas. The areas being where they have been offered a DRP contract. When they are looking, they need it now, while the window of opportunity is open to them. If they can’t find it quick, they will not need it at all. Recently I had a multiple shop buyer who had made an offer and was negotiating on a shop in West Los Angeles. By the time we finished the negotiations, the DRP contract was gone and consequentially, so was the buyer.

The third category is the buyers who have worked in the industry before, but do not currently own a shop. Also in this group are the buyers who have family in the industry; money is no problem. This buyer believes “ If it doesn’t have a DRP, forget it. If it has a DRP and isn’t making much money, also forget it”. If it has a DRP, and it is making money, they are interested but only at what they consider is a fair price (In their eyes). This group I have successfully changed their mind as to how they analyze what a good shop looks like and on occasion they have bought shops with “a steady reliable income”, instead of trying to find a shop with only a DRP insurance contract.

The fourth category is the person that just wants a shop. They will do what they have to, to afford a shop-that will work for them. This group is the working body man or auto repair shop mechanic. Because of their limited funds, this buyer will only pay what he or she feels the equipment is worth. They will pay nothing for goodwill because they believe that the seller’s customers are not stable and will leave when the ownership changes. Are they wrong?

In Conclusion: There are a lot of buyers out there. My database has over 250 current names of body shop buyers. There is currently a shortage of shops for sale but mostly in the properly priced category. Most days I feel like a marriage broker with a lot of plain brides and a few beauties. The dowry for the beauties is more than most good-looking boys will pay. The balance of the girls may not be pretty, but some of them can sure cook. Anyone want to get married? “Have I got a girl for you”



ARNULFO

Willard Michlin asked:


So you think you want to buy a body shop? A body shop can be a great investment if you have the skills necessary to make it work, and are willing to do the business actions necessary to bring in the business and keep the business profitable. I would like to help you work out if you really want to buy a body shop and, if you do, what kind of shop would be best for you.

Do you have the skills to buy a body Shop?

Most successful body shop owners come from inside the industry. They are occasionally body and/or paint men who worked in the production area as a teenager or as a young adult. This education is extremely valuable and, if you are buying a shop doing less than $1,000,000 in sales per year, is an absolute necessity.

Some owners learned the business as an estimator, working for a body shop or as an insurance adjuster out in the field for an insurance company. Another group of buyers have had no body shop experience but they grew up around cars and love them. This buyer should only buy a shop where he has a family member with experience, in the business that will be working with him or where the seller agrees to stay for 1 year and teach the buyer every part of the business.

Towing company owners sometimes want to expand into a body shop. This type of buyer has a lot of understanding about the business but needs a shop where experienced staff is staying with the company. The last group is composed of business people who figure they can run any kind of business. This type of buyer can make if he has at least one family member with experience and the buyer is a very good sales person.

Are you willing to do the business actions necessary to do the business?

In this section I would like to discuss which actions are absolutely necessary to be successful in running a body shop and if not done will guarantee failure.

The single most important action that must be taken by any new body shop owner is to bring in new business. This is twofold. 1. Everyone wants more volume and you bought the shop based on your belief you can do more volume than the last owner. 2. You must replace the volume that will be lost by the transfer to you the new owner.

You get this new volume from several sources:

1. One of them is not DRP Contracts. DO NOT BUY A SHOP BASED ON THE BELIEF THAT YOU WILL GET DRP CONTRACTS IN THE SHOP UNLESS YOU HAVE AN AGREEMENT BEFORE THE PURCHASE TO GIVE YOU SUCH BUSINESS.

2. Rental car companies. This business is relatively easy to get but you do not want to rely on this business over the long term. It is not profitable enough to cover all your fixed costs, even though it will contribute to covering the rent.

3. New Car Dealerships. This is full retail price business but the dealership will expect you to buy their business by giving them a few thousands of dollars a month or some other compensation. Remember if you can steal the business from someone else, then someone else can steal the business from you.

4. Used car dealers and auction cars. This is a good source of business with most of the money being made on buying and selling cars. This tends to be stable business if you like this kind of work.

5. Referral business. These are national body shop groups that make national deals and for 10-15% of the income will send you car work. This is a very expensive way to get business and in the end is not profitable.

6. Corporation Accounts/Fleet Accounts. This is one of the two best ways to get business. Some companies do self-insurance. Others have insurance. Regardless, a salesman can get them to send you all their business by offering good service or other remuneration (Compensation.) Corporation accounts are quite often at full price or some reasonable discount. Some people offer to drop the deductible or give some other kind of a discount.

7. Off the street. This is the best business is the whole world if you can get them in the door and keep them in the door. This is where location plays an important part in getting the business. Visiting all the businesses in the neighborhood and offering discounts to their employees or other employee benefit for coming to you can get this business. This type of business is what a good salesperson dreams of. Most established businesses tell me they did this originally but stopped going out and selling when they got busy. Funny isn’t it? The action that made you busy cannot be done any more because you are too busy. This is how you build a shop’s volume without DRP contracts. This is a profitable business for the man who doesn’t mind selling and making friends with people.

Do I really want to buy a body shop?

If you are an adjustor and feel that your employer insurance company will give you a DRP contract in a specific area, you might have a high motivation to buy a shop in that area, even if its current volume is low. If you are expecting the existing clients to stay with you, after the sale, you have to do some research on this. If the clients are from corporate accounts, car rental companies, or just off the street, you are probably correct. If the clients come from personal relationships of the seller then forget it. People of like nationality have a greater chance of turning over personal relationships.

If you are buying a shop with DRP contracts currently, do not assume that you can keep them. In fact, you must assume you will loose them the day escrow closes. Do not buy a shop that has DRP contracts unless you already have a relationship with those same insurance companies at another shop you currently own. If you are reading my article, I can safely assume you are not a multiple shop owner currently. There are a few ways to buy a DRP shop and not loose the contracts but I cannot publish this information, in as much as the insurance companies will prevent my approach from working in the future.

If you do not want to do the marketing, then do not buy a body shop. PERIOD!

What kind of shop would works best for you?

Of course you want to decide based on the estimated volume that you expect to do, what size shop you need. If you expect the volume to remain the same then you figure the rent and profit based on that number. If you know you can bring in corporate accounts, dealerships and other business then you can use a bigger shop. If you expect to only have new business that you yourself bring in then a smaller shop may work perfectly.

If you get too big a shop the rent will kill you. If you get too small you will limit your possible volume unless you put in a second shift and keep an eye on that 2nd shift. There are larger capacity shops doing small volume that can be bought very cheap or reasonably.

There are smaller, very inexpensive shops available to use as a first time shop. Then after you learn the business and prove you can bring in volume, you can buy a bigger shop and sell off the smaller one. The best guarantee of success is to start small and grow bigger.

What you do not want is to buy a large shop that you cannot fill, thereby working for the landlord.

Conclusion

Keeping all of the above in mind and to not take on more than you can chew. Buy a shop that fits your personality and ability and then move up to the bigger shop when you have proven to yourself that you have done it and can do it again. If I can be of any assistance, I am here to help.



CARMEN