You would be hard-pressed to find a more generous, civic-minded group of businesspeople than independent tire dealers. MTD's editors constantly hear stories about the good things dealers do for others.

"You can make a profit year after year and still go bankrupt, yet you can show losses year after year and still stay in business."

Another year, another Rubber Manufacturers Association tire inflation survey, and yes, another round of disappointing results: What can we, as an industry, do to help motorists see the value of checking inflation levels on a regular basis?

Articles, TV reports, etc., about electric cars seem to be everywhere these days. There's the Toyota Prius (OK, I suppose the Prius counts as half of an electric car) and the Chevy Volt, and more entries are on the way. Are you seeing any electric cars at your dealership?

Does your dealership offer "extras" -- value-added "bonuses" like free WiFi in your showroom or perhaps a shuttle that ferries customers to their places of business while you're working on their cars?

We've written about tire dealers installing energy efficient lights, windows and other things designed to reduce their shops' power consumption and impact on the environment. Would you believe there's now an eco-friendly, in-ground vehicle lift?

When will the recession end? How does it compare to past recessions? Is the worst over? If any of these questions have crossed your mind, you should pick up the April 2010 issue of American History magazine.

Walk through any book store; business management books are a dime a dozen. If you read ANY business management book this year, make it "Pride in Performance: Keep It Going" by the late Les Schwab.

So I'm approaching London's Parliament Square last week, one block away from Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, in the drizzling rain, when I step off a curb -- and then leap quickly back onto it to avoid being smashed by one of the city's famed black cabs.

Scott Robinson doesn't claim to be clairvoyant, but looking ahead to 2010, he's fairly sure about one thing: pent-up demand for car repair work will break loose, big time.