CrossCheck Blog

The Wall Street Journal, CFO Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune are all starting to wonder the same thing:

Specialty retail owners and managers who want an outstanding fall season might focus on this simple but ruthless truth: you're romantically involved with your customers, and getting a sale is like getting a date.

When Wired hacked a Jeep back in July it left no question that today's autos are vulnerable to malicious attacks:

If you ask successful auto dealership owners and managers how they succeed, most will magnanimously say that their greatest asset is their employees.

Negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership have concluded and the U.S., Japan, Australia, Vietnam and eight other Pacific Rim nations -- not including China -- have agreed to lower trade barriers. President Obama has a long battle ahead to get Congress to ratify it, and that may not be easy, especially since both of the next election's extremes -- Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders -- think it's a horrible idea.

Sales coaches in every industry tell us the best way to start a relationship is with an exceptional experience. So successful funeral home directors try to find a way to make that happen long before their services are required. It's a tough slog because even today there's still negative press about your industry, but it can get a little easier at this time of year. Halloween and funeral homes were made for each other - just so long as you're hyper-sensitive to the families you've already served.

What are you selling besides home furnishings? The answer could have a significant impact upon your holiday sales.

The international payments giant TSYS just published its most recent Consumer Payment Choice Study, and found that of all the features consumers want from their payment methods, their highest priority is security.

Let the uninformed call it "Fall." Building supply lot owners and managers know it's really "Football Season." So it's worth considering how our next Super Bowl might change the game for the building materials industry.

Auto aftermarket owners and managers who focus on personal service, deep knowledge, and instant delivery have seen profits rise and market share expand, according to the Motor Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). And it's not just the big corporations winning. AutoZone, Advance and O'Reilly control only 40% of the auto aftermarket. As a group their recent stock performance put them in the top ten in a field of 197 industries, and analysts expect them to continue enjoying 10% or better earnings growth through 2017.