Auto Body Repair is a technique that restores a damaged vehicle to its original condition. The Auto Body Repair entails repairing and properly matching the paint on vehicle bodies, repairing vehicle frames, and understanding mechanical, electrical and electronic systems.

Some of the processes used in Auto Body Repair are shop safety, automotive body construction, tools, welding, sheet metal repair, frame straightening, repair materials, adjusting body panels, painting and refinishing, and estimating the cost.

Auto body repair also deals in welding light-gauge motor vehicle body panels and under-frame structures. The mechanic might have to learn to repair minor and major accidents and corrosion damage, and measure, realign and repair upper body and under-frame structures.

The variety and type of auto body repair materials and tools varies with the type and size of the damage. Bondo creams and hardeners might necessitate reinforcement with fiberglass for larger holes and dents in the body.

There are many options available on the Internet for students interested in taking up auto body repair as a full-time career. Mostly, the course includes auto body fundamentals, industry overviews, and safety procedures. Students would have to perform hands-on repairs in the areas of non-structural and structural repairs, MIG welding, plastics and adhesives, refinishing, and other related areas.

It is advisable that a customer conducts a wide search on the Internet and on the phone to find more details about auto body repair before calling in the mechanics. As the process is expensive, one should call these highly skilled mechanics only when necessary.

With Valentines Day and birthdays never too far away, men know that she will want a present, and it will have to be good. More and more men are starting to buy lingerie - Good Choice. However, you need to get it right AND avoid embarrassing yourself, but how? You don’t want to be seen picking ladies underwear off the rack in a high street store. You can’t bring yourself to go into a specialist shop because you are too embarrassed to admit you don’t know her size, and do you really feel comfortable telling the assistant that your lady has boobs the size of grapefruit or apples or melons?

The least risk option is to buy off the internet: no embarrassment; a good selection to choose from and you can always return the underwear if you do get it wrong. Check their returns policy though as some websites will not accept back items of an intimate nature - ie: briefs. Men’s Lingerie Buying Guides have been used to great effect by many male purchasers from all over the world. Here are my own top hints and tips to help men in their choice of lingerie for their partner:

1. Remember that she is the one wearing the lingerie! Many women prefer pretty, lacy, elegant lingerie to the naughty stuff you would prefer to see her in!

2. Cheap and cheerful usually means scratchy and uncomfortable and often found filed under B for Bin very soon after…

3. Go through her drawer and pick out some underwear that she wore recently and that fitted her well. Check the size labels and buy those sizes (eg; 32F, or 38G etc). BIG HINT: make sure you put her underwear drawer back as you found it!

4. For briefs and night wear, check her dress sizes.

5. Choose colours that compliment her eyes and hair colour and her skin tone - if unsure, you can’t go wrong with black

6. Think about what the garments are for - if it is just for bedroom wear, choose items that you know may be a bit daring, but that you know you will both like.

7. If you really want to impress, choose quality, luxury garments - some websites will even gift wrap them for you.

8. If the garments are for every day wear, think about what sort of clothes she will be wearing it with.

- Is she naturally shy? Choose something in a skin tone. A white bra will show up more under a white blouse than one that is skin coloured. A little bit of lace or embroidery will make it more special.

- Or does she like to wear lacy, coloured underwear that can be clearly seen? Go for the more luxurious looking items - quality and fit count here, so make sure you buy her something that will look good if it is going to be ‘worn to be seen’.

- Does she like her straps to be on show? Look for underwear that has decorative lace or embroidery both on the cups and the straps.

9. Don’t choose something too over the top if you are buying for her for the first time. Choose something simple and classy and learn about her likes and dislikes for future purchases.

10. If you are still unsure, why not buy a Lingerie gift voucher? This saves your embarrassment (and your relationship) and this way you can both get to choose…

So, it is possible to buy lingerie without the red cheeks!

Vicki Louise, founder of VickiLouise.com, offers a stunning range of luxurious, designer lingerie and nightwear especially for ladies with a fuller bust. Gift vouchers and a luxury gift wrapping service are also available.

Learn to play olympic sports bet now!

Relate man’s dominating interests and you’re assured to bare a craze known as a Web sportsbook. Seriously: what could be more inventive? Picture a gathering of people cheering over a favored sports heroes, and continuously stakes are bound to be set alongside the rumpus. Avid to catch more of the pleasure, onlookers will on a regular basis attempt to conjecture who is the likeliest to prevail in the upcoming tournament. At the end of the day, this eventually evolves into a congenial and friendly tournament known as Web sportsbook.

In order to bet, you will want to check out a Web sportsbook, i.e. a place which proffers Web sportsbook. In the U.S., there’s currently four states to do sports betting officially, but if legality is no concern, you can do it everywhere providing you can pinpoint a bookie and you happen to be legally an adult. The games you can choose to risk your money on are pro apart from college football and college basketball, professional baseball and hockey, apart from betting on both horse and dog racing. Customers will have the option of placing wagers on the general results of a competition or game, in what round the opponent will be vanquished, and even if a coin toss in a competition or game will come out heads or tails.

We can opt for plenty of varying genres of antes: parlays, i.e. combined antes on various track-and-field events, straight bets, where you merely determine the side you’re guessing will make it or be beaten, over/under wagers, teasers, which are similar to to parlays but you may add or subtract points from the distribution to enhance your wagers, and others, the straight being the most common in sports betting.

Well, why not have a crack at it and amuse yourself in tandem? But be on the guard so that you won’t get overwhelmed and squander your entire income on a crotchet… Otherwise you’re sure to find yourself regretting it till the end of your life…

Think of all of your business ideas as tiny seeds that have the potential to germinate and grow into huge fruit bearing orchards! However, the proper steps must be taken; you can’t scatter the seeds haphazardly on pavement and expect they will germinate. Growing a business is no different; it needs a fertile environment conducive to growth in order to germinate and thrive. Seedlings needs protection from the wind and rain when young, and can withstand hurricane force winds when mature. A business is no different. The strongest businesses are started as a small idea in the mind of an entrepreneur. The idea is then cultivated, nurtured, planted and cared for. It just didn’t start out as a large orchard!

So don’t think your idea is too small, or too insignificant. Don’t think that only the wealthy start companies. This is simply not the case. You are in effect throwing you ideas onto pavement with that type of thinking!

Take the time to imagine the possibilities. Dream. Then ask yourself a few questions. “What is stopping me from realizing this dream?” Be honest. Write down all of the things that you see as obstacles.

The next question to ask your self is, “Can I be successful without these things?” If the answer is no, then the final, and most obvious question is “How can I get these things?” What are all of the possibilities available to me?

Think outside the box, right down ever idea that comes into your head even if it doesn’t seem to be practical at the time. Let the thought flow freely. This simple little exercise can get you on the road to success faster than you can imagine.

You have just identified exactly what is stopping you from realizing your dreams. Clearly identifying the problem is half the solution! The answers as to how you will obtain what is stopping you are not always obvious immediately. The key here is to stay focused on the goal of getting what you need. Keep this in front of you every waking minute of every day. You will be surprised at how solutions to that problem will start manifesting. It works every time. Options are there, you just have to be smart enough and dedicated enough and creative enough to find them.

Many, if not most people, have ideas that they didn’t cultivate because they didn’t look hard enough for the solutions to what was stopping them? Instead, they started destroying the dream telling themselves things like, “It probably wouldn’t have worked anyway.” “It takes money to make money, and I don’t have money.” Only you know the exact excuses you have used to destroy your ideas and dreams. If you don’t have money, then go find someone that does have money and partner with them! There is always someone out there with the very thing that you need for your idea to germinate!

If you don’t take action, someone else will. Many of us have watched someone else with a very similar idea create a successful business. They took action. They didn’t tell themselves that it couldn’t be done. They just did it. They had the vision, patience, confidence and perseverance to plant that little seed of an idea in fertile ground.

If you want your dream to become a reality, then you need to take that idea and nurture it. Fertilize, water, and stand watch as your infant seedling shoves it fragile antenna-like spears through the ground. Protect the young plant from frost, weeds, insects and hail, until it reaches maturity and you too will be well on your way to harvesting the wonderful fruits of your labor!

Renee Rich is a success entrepreneur and freelance writer offering guidance and suggestions for small to mid-sized businesses concerned with business continuity, time management, strategic internet marketing, business & money. Her many articles on these topics as well as researched links to websites providing related product and services can be found at: http://www.business-continuity-4u.com

She gives information and tips to help grow your business, save money, manage your time, and make informed buying decisions. Learn more about business success and making money at: http://www.business-continuity-4u.com/business_&_money.htm

Are you not really sure which fruity lube to use? Some questions might be reviewed in this great lubricant article.

Sex Lubricants are not just for sex. Slicking up for one on one fun is one of the most common uses for sexual lubricants, fruity oils and sex lotions. Using water based lube during single fun is safe, good and practical. One will want your sexy toys to go in and thrust as notably as possible. Get scared with Huge Dildos from Sex Bomb, make sure you use lots of lube.

If you?re looking for a fruity lubricant which is safe to use with all sexual toys stick to a water-based fruity lube, there are many yummy varieties out there like kiwi. And there are some that bubble.

Veteran users might already know what sex lube is most enjoyable for them. But if you are buying a water based lube for the 1st time we would love to recommend the following. It?s best to begin off with a water-based sexual lubricant. Water-based sex lubricants do not stain and sex lubricants are totally safe to apply on all sexy toys. If you yourself wish to use a fruity lubricant for oral play Sex Bomb recommend you get one of the sumptuous fruit flavoured ones. Anal lovers tend to go for heavier fruity lubricant because these sex lubricants are slightly longer lasting. Remember, the more lube you apply the more mind-blowing sex you yourself can have.

If you are planning to have a full wedding that includes bridesmaids, and groomsmen etc. it could run you a great deal of money to cover your gown as well as the other women and men’s clothing as well. Bridesmaid’s dresses get more and more costly with every extra woman in the wedding party. When you are deciding how much money you can afford to spend on the wedding clothes, you have to consider the fittings and the flowers or accessories as well.

If you can, you might do better to allow for casual wear for the bridesmaids so that they can wear less expensive dresses or skirts. This is particularly good if you are planning an outdoor or beach wedding. The less formal the ceremony, the less money that you are required to spend. Perhaps that is why outdoor ceremonies are getting more and more popular these days.

You can also save money on the ladies dresses by purchasing them off season from a bridal store. You can always shop for out of season or discontinued dresses as a means of getting great discounts on gorgeous dresses. If you really want to, you can ask that your bridesmaids forget about the wedding shower gifts in favor of buying their dresses. That is a common compromise that is made these days. If the cost of the dresses is really going to be a matter of stress for you, just reduce the bridesmaids to just having a maid/matron of honor and a best man only for the groom.

Many couples opt to forego the extras all together and simply do not have anyone standing up with them at all. After all, there is no law that states that you have to have a maid of honor or best man present during the ceremony. When it comes to the tuxedos for the male participants and the groom, you can often find good deals when renting if you just shop around. It helps is you limit the number of participants if you must in order to reduce costs or if the men involved have their own tuxedos already. Either way, research and comparison shopping really is the best chance.

You can also choose to rent the ladies gowns as well as the tuxedos. Not everyone wants to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress that they will wear once. Or spend that much money on many dresses that you will never be worn more than once. Many bridal shops will let you rent a dress rather than buy one. The only difference with rented dresses is that you have to take it as is. They are not custom fitted to you. Other than that, you can save hundreds of dollars doing this.

Wearing your mother or grandmother’s wedding dress is also an option; especially if your are choosing a period theme where the dress was used. For example, if you are wearing your grandmother’s dress and the dress was worn in the 40’s, you can make the 40’s your wedding theme.
If the dress is your mother’s from the 60’s or 70’s, you can do the same thing. It will save you money and provides you with a fun theme. You can also opt to make your own dress from scratch. Many women are choosing to go with home made pieces because they can get truly original in the make of the dress and the style.

It can be made in any fashion that you like and of any material also. Making your own dress is a good way to save money and it is also guaranteed to make sure that no one else has the same style as you. When you make it yourself, you are guaranteed a custom fit without paying a custom price.

Finally, you can save bundles on your whole wedding party clothing, including the wedding dress by dressing according to your theme. For example, if you choose a Hawaiian theme, you can wear island clothes. As part of your theme, you can dress in costumes to make the festivities more fun and as an added bonus; you can make the guests and wedding party dress in costume too.

You can also get a good deal by buying your wedding items at vintage or used stores. Many people bring back their wedding clothing after they have used so that they can recoup some of their money later. This is a great way to save money for you and the rest of your wedding party. Used clothing items can also be found in bridal shops or tuxedo warehouses because the average person doesn’t wear these items more than once and because of this they will return it to the store that they got it from later.

When you are not afraid of vintage clothing, you can find some truly beautiful designer clothing for great prices. Some of the stores that offer used items will not force you to buy them, but they may request that you pay a bit of an extra fee for dry cleaning etc. Either way, you will still be saving yourself a great deal of money that you would spend if you bought your items outright.

Mia LaCron is the founder of Cut-Wedding-Costs.info - http://www.cut-wedding-costs.info - devoted to helping individuals live out the wedding of their dreams on a realistic budget they can afford.

Currency trading is a platform where individuals speculate on the exchange rate between two currencies. Traders buy and sell currencies hoping to realize a profit. In order to succeed in currency trading you will need a source of accurate and timely information. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with a whole new language.

When you start currency trading you’ll learn what a market trend is and how it will affect your trading. Trends move up, down and sideways. There are also trend classifications within market trends. These classifications are intermediate, short-term and long-term trend. You’ll learn how to look at and understand basic trend lines, which is the most valuable trading. You’ll learn about channel lines and support levels.

When you enter currency trading you’ll be able to make sales online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, unlike the Stock Market. Many online brokers offer commission free trading and you’ll want to make sure that you have instant execution of your market orders.

A new addition to many currency trading online business sites is the ability to set up a free demo account. This is a good way to get practice about trading and learn about live quotes, charts and streaming news before you start investing with real money.

When you set up your demo account it’s a good time to test the software that the company offers. If you don’t like the software program, contact the company and see how similar it is to the software program you would get if you signed a contract with them. If you don’t like the software program try another broker. Also, decide if you want web based or client based software. Web based software is housed on your brokers website, you won’t have to install any software onto your computer. A web based software program will allow you to log in from any computer that has an internet connection. Client based software is loaded onto your computer, and can only be accessed from that computer, potentially limiting your usage.

Another thing you’ll want to check before choosing an online broker is how quickly they respond to your need for help. Seeing how quickly they respond to your questions could be key in how they respond to customer needs. If you don’t get a speedy and accurate reply you may not want to trust them with your business.

You’ll need to have high speed internet connection in order to succeed in currency trading online. The currency trading market is a fast moving one and dial up internet access will not work well for this. Another consideration could be the location of the servers used by your broker. If your broker’s servers are located quite a distance from you, say in another country, this could potentially slow down your transmissions.

Take you time and investigate online brokers. Talk with friends and family about their dealings with online brokers. Take time and do a thorough evaluation of your options before you trust anyone with your money.

This article courtesy of www.currency-guide.com

JAMES BYRON DEAN
LIFE IMITATES ART
GENERATION NEXT
ANIMAL FARM
FOUR EYES
THESE GO TO ELEVEN
THE ACTOR WAY
FRANK, BILLIE AND JIMMY
ACTING THE PART
DEAD MAN’S CURVE
APOCALYPSE NOW
GIANT

“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” - James Dean

JAMES BYRON DEAN

James Dean was born on February 8th, 1931 in Marion, Indiana. His hobbies were writing, painting, bullfighting (when did that happen?), photography, sculpting, car racing, horse racing and playing the bongos. His favorite drink was coffee and his favorite ice cream flavor was coffee and raspberry.

LIFE IMITATES ART

“To grasp the full significance of life is the actor’s duty; to interpret it his problem; and to express it his dedication. Being an actor is the loneliest thing in the world. You are all alone with your concentration and imagination, and that’s all you have. Being a good actor isn’t easy. Being a man is even harder. I want to be both before I’m done.”

GENERATION NEXT

James Dean’s first professional acting gig was a Pepsi commercial. Since then, Michael Jackson, Cindy Crawford, Michael J. Fox, Shaquille O’Neal, Jeff Gordon, Ray Charles, Billy Crystal, Britney Spears, Beyonce, Shakira, The Osbournes, Faith Hill, Sammy Sosa, Joe Montana, Ken Griffey Jr., Gloria Estafan, Tina Turner and many others have endorsed the blue canned beverage.

BRAD’S CHOICE

Before Pepsi was called Pepsi, it was called “Brad’s Drink” way back in 1898. Well, another Brad, Brad Pitt is now vying for the chance to remake James Dean’s first film, “East of Eden” with Pitt in the starring role. Dean’s performance in “East of Eden” won him an Oscar nomination, making him one of only five actors to receive a nomination from their first screen performances. He was also the only actor in history to receive more than one Oscar nomination posthumously.

ANIMAL FARM

“Studying cows, pigs and chickens can help an actor develop his character. There are a lot of things I learned from animals. One was that they couldn’t hiss or boo me. I also became close to nature, and am now able to appreciate the beauty with which this world is endowed.”

FOUR EYES

Dean was required to wear glasses while driving as he was nearsighted. The king of cool, had to wear glasses, if only he had been around long enough to do a public service announcement for that, then being a “four-eyes” would have meant a completely different thing these days.

THESE GO TO ELEVEN

No matter what kind of music James Dean listened to, he liked it LOUD! But what did he listen to? After all it was the early 50’s and Elvis had yet to become the King, the Beatles had yet to become the Fab Four…What did James Dean rock out to, before there was Rock? He liked African Tribal music, Afro-Cuban songs and dance (Dean liked to play the bongos), Classical music - especially Bartok and Stravinsky, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday.

THE ACTOR WAY

“When an actor plays a scene exactly the way a director orders, it isn’t acting. It’s following instructions. Anyone with the physical qualifications can do that. So the director’s task is just that ‘ direct, to point the way. Then the actor takes over. And he must be allowed the space, the freedom to express himself in the role. Without that space, an actor is no more than an unthinking robot with a chest-full of push-buttons.”

FRANK, BILLIE AND JIMMY

It has been said that James Dean’s favorite song was Billie Holiday’s “When Your Lover Has Gone” and his favorite album was Frank Sinatra’s “Songs for Young Lovers”.

ACTING THE PART

“An actor must interpret life, and in order to do so must be willing to accept all the experiences life has to offer. In fact, he must seek out more of life than life puts at his feet. In the short span of his lifetime, an actor must learn all there is to know, experience all there is to experience, or approach that state as closely as possible. He must be superhuman in his efforts to store away in the core of his subconscious everything that he might be called upon to use in the expression of his art.”

DEAD MAN’S CURVE

Dean only made three Hollywood pictures, propelling him into super stardom. As his final film, Giant, was wrapping up in Marfa, Texas, Dean was driving his Porsche Spyder to an auto race in Salinas, California. His car collided with another can outside Cholame, California. James Dean, an American legend, died on September 30th, 1955. The Failure Analysis Associates later re-created all the details of the accident at the same approximate time on September 30th, and concluded that James Dean was traveling 55 to 56 m.p.h. when the fateful accident occurred, thereby proving he had not been speeding, despite the fact that he had received a speeding ticket only two hours before the crash.

APOCALYPSE NOW

“Jim Dean and Elvis were the spokesmen for an entire generation. When I was in acting school in New York, years ago, there was a saying that if Marlon Brando changed the way people acted, then James Dean changed the way people lived. He was the greatest actor who ever lived. He was simply a genius.” - Martin Sheen

GIANT

“Every time I go to Europe, I remember that James Dean never saw Europe, but yet I see his face everywhere. There James Dean, Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe windows of the Champs Elysees, discos in the south of Spain, restaurants in Sweden, t-shirts in Moscow. My life was confused and disoriented for years by his passing. My sense of destiny destroyed the great films he would have directed, the great performances he would have given, the great humanitarian he would have become, and yet, he is the greatest actor and star I have ever known.” - Dennis Hopper

To read more articles by Chad, visit the American Pop Culture Encyclopedia at: www.americanpopcultureencyclopedia.com. If you would like to read this article, or others like it, on American Pop Culture Encyclopedia, visit: www.americanpopcultureencyclopedia.com/james%20dean.htm

Increasingly, the need for a written, highly structured document and data management policy is becoming vital to any private company. While the recently enacted Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission require such a written policy for public companies, there are ample reasons for private companies to also adopt a written document and data management policy.

Various statutes now require most companies, whether public, non-profit or private, to securely maintain written records in regard to certain aspects of their personnel information and business operations. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), for example, companies may be sued if a security breach or other mishap results in the unauthorized disclosure of medical records. The controversial Patriot Act requires disclosure to the federal government of certain customer data and can subject the disclosing company to a lawsuit if the customer was not sufficiently advised of the possibility of such disclosure. A proposed amendment to the federal Rules of Civil Procedure would require lawyers representing parties in litigation to discuss document management systems of their clients prior to any legal proceedings. Another proposed amendment to the federal Rules of Civil Procedure would provide a safe harbor for companies that lose information but have otherwise acted in good faith, precluding any sanctions for such information loss. Certain state laws, such as the California Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003, require website disclosure of privacy policies in regard to personally identifiable information (such as name, address, credit card number, social security number, email address, etc.), which should include a statement about the security procedures in place to protect such information.

Prudence also dictates that written records be maintained in the event of employee claims or litigation involving the company. Companies should also be vigilant in documenting incidents involving any inappropriate or improper behavior by an employee. Emails and instant messages are now often crucial in determining court cases. Employee emails are generally considered to be the property of the employer, and the company’s HR policy and employee manual must clearly state so. Accordingly, employers should ensure that copies of all employee emails and instant messages are retained in the event of any employee-related litigation. For the same reason, in addition to maintaining copies of executed contracts and written correspondence, companies should retain copies of all emails and electronic document interchange (EDI) transactions with vendors and customers in the event of any litigation with such third parties. Companies should develop disaster recovery plans and test the recovery of all important data and information. Electronic imaging of physical documents should become standard.

In order to ensure that such procedures are in place and followed, company management must create an infrastructure that will be responsible for the implementation and monitoring of such procedures. This must come from the top down in the organization. The Board of Directors or a committee of the Board should review internal controls and written processes designed to ensure the retention and security of all company records and information and avoid misuse or unauthorized disclosure of such records and information. The Board or such committee should consult closely with members of the company’s information technology (IT) or finance department and others responsible for company files and records in order to ensure compliance with a clearly defined operations policy for the storage, maintenance, protection and destruction of company records and information. There are numerous sources of guidance for company management and IT or finance departments in this regard. These include the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO), an independent auditing industry group that has received implicit endorsement from the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the Sedona Principles is a set of best practices for e-discovery and the Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT) detailing the IT or finance department’s role in information and security controls is recommended reading for private companies, even though it is directed at public companies in the post-SOX era.

Company management must also ensure that the IT or finance department has the necessary resources to properly maintain and safeguard electronic records. Extensive storage capabilities and related software are required for document management, data backup, and email and instant message archiving, as such records must be maintained for an extended period of time. Under SOX, for example, records are required to be stored for seven years and must be non-erasable and non-rewritable. Hundreds of outsource storage companies have emerged to assist companies with their e-document management and data storage needs. It is vital that such software and services include fast and reliable document and data search capabilities as well.

Paper records should be organized logically to facilitate their retrieval at a later date. Ideally, the contents of the files should be logged electronically using database software specifically designed for this purpose (the XML standard has gone a long way in standardizing how to identify data). Companies should also ensure that off-site records can be remotely searched.

Access to company records should be closely controlled and restricted to a limited number of individuals. Just as electronic records have audit trails of who has access and when the data was accessed, paper records should not be open and available for anyone to simply walk in and review them, or alter them.

Finally, a document destruction policy should be included as part of the written document and data management policy. Time periods for purges of electronic data and paper records should be established and followed explicitly. As a general rule, it is not recommended that data or records be destroyed until at least seven years has elapsed since the initial archive or storage of such data or records. However, the appropriate time limit depends on many factors, including the nature of the data or records, relevant statutes of limitation and governmental requirements. Company management should therefore consult with legal counsel and a document management professional before establishing a document destruction policy.

Kent Clayton is a partner and co-chair of the Business Practice Group at Berger Kahn, a full service business law firm with offices in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay area. Michael Siersema is Managing Partner and CEO of Phoenix2000 Group LLC, a technology leadership and advisory services company with offices in Huntington Beach, California, West Lake Village, California and Washington, D.C.

The Car Wash Guys is a franchise system, which had never been done before in the Industry of Car Washing, as it was a mobile car wash. It started out in California with independent contractors and quickly grew to 53 units in 39 cities within a 4-year period and then the company decided to franchise the concept.

No such variation in this business structure or variation of franchising had ever been tried. The company had so many new and innovative ideas, that it was really hard to define in current business terms exactly what we are doing. For instance the Car Wash Guys corporate HQ was actually on wheels.

http://www.carwashguys.com/blitz.html

The Car Wash Guys franchise system was also run with no employees to cut down on cost and allow them to deliver a higher level of service using the new digital age. It was not until the end of the first three years that the corporate HQ of The Car Wash Guys even had one salaried employee, as every one else was either a consultant or independent contractor.

Another interesting fact about The Car Wash Guys was the founder, did not draw a salary; all interesting in that this was not your typical franchise model. It is hard to say, if any other company besides the Car Wash Guys has ever used such methods or franchise variation model. They model proved to be successful in allowing the company to rapidly expand in the market place. It was believed by the Car Wash Guys that the virtual aspects allowed them to move fast, change directions and attack market sectors faster that their competitors. So who runs the company? Well, the team, franchisees, vendors, consultants, regional team managers (future master franchises), two employees and founder. Here is his resume;

http://www.carwashguys.com/history/founder.html

The Car Wash Guys was later broken into many parts to allow them to wash things other than cars, but still allow them to use the operational costs of the franchise system to run many other co-brands simultaneously with little outlay of administrative costs. The best way to improve the fierceness of their franchisee team members is to lower their costs, stated the founder. In other words eliminate the Franchisor and run it virtual. When they divided their system into many parts the costs associated are divided against all those parts and the fixed costs to run a franchise system are nearly eliminated. Thus they were able to do more for less. With computers they networked the team together, sharing data, customers, vendor support, consultants, etc.

The Car Wash Guys had many market sectors, they competed in. A Young , dynamic and aggressive company, the kind of company you do not see come along that often in the franchising realm. The customers loved them and the competition hates them. And the government did not know what to do with them, as they appeared to be between definitions of law and regulation. Amazing what new things entrepreneurial companies think of isn’t it. Think on this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/