Spotting Trends
Fallout from the recession persists, and so does the general industry trend we've been tracking since last fall: ARM companies are dealing with more accounts that are less collectible. According to our latest industry confidence survey, firms are responding by changing their collection strategy, streamlining operations, and cutting staff.
Streamlining and cutbacks may not be enough for some ARM companies however, and another trend we see is the increase in distressed agency sales. The sale of a distressed agency can be a good opportunity for both buyers and sellers, but it's important to understand what to expect in this type of transaction. Read on for Michael Lamm's "Anatomy of a Distressed Company Sale" for details.
Creditors, too, are looking at their delinquent accounts with greater scrutiny and making changes to their strategy. In this issue, Paul Legrady explains how changes in the way creditors are approaching their agency networks could significantly impact many ARM companies.
Finally, with more agencies turning to technology solutions to increase efficiencies, more vendors (over 55 percent of the vendors in our survey) are expanding their product or service offerings, and using the Internet to promote them. In this issue of Insight, Stephanie Eidelman, Publisher of insideARM.com shares quick tips to make sure you're getting the most out of an online campaign.
As always, we are available to confidentially discuss the trends you're seeing and how these trends are impacting your business. Feel free to contact any member of our team — we look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Mike Ginsberg
President & CEO, Kaulkin Ginsberg
P.S. Coming up, I'll be presenting at these shows, please let me know if you'd like to meet in person:
