Despite being one of the busiest shops in town, though, Larry's Automotive was feeling the effects of the recession and the ensuing credit crunch. Weatherhead remarked, "The economy has definitely hurt our business. We're down considerably. Through RapidAdvance, we were able to help ourselves out and get some operating capital when it was really needed. We have cut back on employees a bit. We are down to the bare minimum. We've also cut back on advertising. I guess you could say we have cut back on non-essential expenses. One thing I won't do, though, is raise my prices in a bad economy. That’s just counter-productive."

He added that the biggest advantage in going with RapidAdvance was how quick he and the Mrs. could get their cash infusion. "Also, we don't physically have to write out the check to make the payment. It pretty much takes care of itself. It's a good thing when you are in a bind and you need a chunk of money when the banks aren't lending. Usually, you'll have your money in a week or so. RapidAdvance was definitely there for us when we needed them."

Weatherhead has been a mechanic for 25 years. The town in which he operates has about 23,000 people and is also home to the campus of Central Michigan University, which brings in another 20,000 or so people seasonally. "So in the summer," he noted, "you really need a good handle on your local business to get by. Once college starts, though, it spurs the whole town and all the businesses get helped out. You might say we're out in the country. It’s a moderate-sized town kind of in the middle of nowhere. There is also a casino in town that draws some out-of-towners."

Looking ahead, the Weatherheads remain concerned about their business despite some recent positive reports on the economy. "Being in the automotive repair industry," Larry commented, "the Cash for Clunkers program sure didn't help us. It took over 700,000 vehicles off the road that independent repair shops would normally work on. For the next three to five years, the cars that were bought are going to be under dealer warranty. So, that is going to be a lingering effect for us and the other independent repair shops. It was very narrow-minded thinking. They wanted to help this set of people and didn’t take into account the ramifications of who it was going to hurt. So, I guess it's good there is a company out there like RapidAdvance on our side if we need them."