Change and Grattitude!

Six and a half years ago amidst the dot-com explosion, Auto Dealer Monthly Magazine was actually born as a Web site. AutoeDealer.com was launched as a dealer-to-dealer Web site offering an innovative way to share insight, ideas, directories and success stories.

With the release of the third version of our Web site, AutoeDealer became AutoDealerDaily.com which provided additional resources, educational materials, webinars, and even chat sessions with industry experts.

In late November 2003, the decision was made to take our digital information to print, which led to the birth of this magazine. Knowing it was going to be published monthly, we felt it was appropriate to name it Auto Dealer Monthly. Just three years later, after becoming one of the most widely read magazines by auto dealers and their staffs (as audited by the BPA), we turned our focus back to the Web site. With the release of the sixth version of our Web site, AutoDealerDaily.com has now become AutoDealerMonthly.com, to match our print name.

The latest version is more than just a new name. We have become the first industry trade journal to publish a digital version of the magazine which not only will allow readers to read the actual magazine online, but also use online tools such as search functions to locate all items of a particular interest in each issue. Users can even e-mail a link to the digital version to other team members allowing them to share important information.

Since there is additional coverage in this issue discussing the site enhancements, there is no need for me to go into further detail. Suffice it to say I am proud of what we have accomplished. The technology improvements will allow us to unveil even more innovations in the coming months.

All this didn’t just happen by itself, and with the season turning to Thanksgiving, it is only appropriate for me to thank all of those responsible. First, our Editor and Director of Operations, Harlene Doane, has done an unbelievable job in leading the redesign. I am quite sure that years ago while she was studying for her accounting degree she never imagined she would be interpreting and writing code in a variety of computer languages, nor teaching our animated e-bot Elizabeth how to answer the questions of dealers visiting our site. My sincere thanks can never be conveyed strongly enough.

Additionally we have involved our entire team, including our writers, sales, and administrative personnel in the copying, editing and transferring the data from the old domain to the new one. Literally, countless of hours have been spent in the process, and their often tedious work is most appreciated.

The most important thanks go to you, our subscribers and our advertising partners. Without subscribers we have no purpose. We appreciate the e-mails, calls and letters that we receive immensely, regardless of if it is praise or suggested improvements – for without them it would be difficult to continue to tailoring our Web site and magazine to suit your needs.

Certainly our advertising partners are equally important as without them, we have nothing. With our controlled circulation supported solely by advertising, we can’t say thank you enough to those companies and individuals that have grown with us – some for over six years.

As we approach the Thanksgiving season and while I have taken this opportunity to thank everyone that has been so important to our success and growth, I urge you to do the same with your own teams. For many dealers, this has been a challenging year. Regardless of whether you have enjoyed a banner or a lean year, don’t forget to acknowledge and thank the members of your team that go above and beyond their call of duty. Sure, they come to work to earn their paychecks, but often a sincere word of thanks can make all the difference in the world. At the same time, be sure to thank your customers – after all, they are the ones writing your paychecks.