Exciting news for us to share with you all today. 

Bob Clements, president of Bob Clements International Inc. (BCI), the Missouri-based dealer-development specialists, is going to speak at the Service Dealer Conference in November.

I am personally delighted about this confirmation, as I've been keen for Bob to get over and speak at the Conference ever since I first saw him present to a huge room of American dealers, several years ago at the GIE-EXPO in Louisville, Kentucky.

He was such an engaging speaker, who clearly inspired the dealers in attendance. They would all have left that room buzzing with ideas to try out in their own dealerships.

I am so pleased we are finally able to align schedules and it's possible for Bob to make it across the Atlantic to speak to our readers, because I know they will gain so much from listening to him.

As announced a couple of weeks ago, the Conference's theme this year is Turning A Profit and Bob will be approaching that subject from a variety of perspectives. A quick look at his company's blog page will reveal the depth of knowledge he and his team (including Service Dealer magazine regular columnist, Sara Hey) hold - all specifically relevant to running a dealership.

One can imagine how it can seem like a lonely pursuit on occasion, running an independent business. If you haven't got that large, corporate structure to rely upon, where do you turn to for advice and support? Of course suppliers and manufacturers can offer this to a degree, but that advice by its nature can't exactly be unbiased.

Trade associations are there for you as well of course - and their help can be invaluable and mustn't be underestimated.

However, when an opportunity presents itself to benefit from the wisdom of someone, outside of the business, who knows their subject, and knows what other company's like yours have gone through, well that seems like an opportunity which shouldn't be passed up.

Whilst doing some research on the idea of business advice I came across a fascinating paper from the Enterprise Research Centre, entitled (Seeking, Acting on and Appreciating) the Value of Business Advice. A lengthy piece written by Kevin Mole of Warwick University, it offered some interesting conclusions on the broad benefits which can be gained from seeking business advice.

Firstly it talks of the economic benefits which can be achieved, although it does concede that these "may take time to bear fruit" and that there will be companies for whom this may happen more readily than others.

What struck me as perhaps more universal was the paper's second conclusion of "the confidence building and psychological benefits" of listening to advice.

Kevin Mole writes, "There are more benefits than simply economic from advice. Social and psychological benefits from the ability to access advice can protect the business from shocks and help the managers to develop both themselves as leaders and their businesses."

This to me would be one of the main reasons why a dealer might choose to attend something like the Service Dealer Conference, or talk to their trade association, or seek advice from a business specialist. This idea of developing themselves and therefore as a consequence, their business, is perhaps less tangible than an immediate economic benefit - but surely one which in the longer term will pay off handsomely?

As they say, every day should be a school day!