Adam's Anecdotes

Effective Public Speaking and Communication

2011-10-16T23:09:00.001-04:00

One aspect that I enjoy and have been blessed with the ability to do very well is get up in front of a group of people and present on almost any matter or subject. While most people have said that public speaking is their #1 fear, I am fortunate to not share that fear. Over time, I've come up with a number of tips that have help me communicate effectively.

Proper public speaking and effective communication is one of the important facets and skills for any professionals to master, however it is one of the most feared acts in the professional world. Honing your communication and speaking skills is one of the many ways that you can separate yourself from the crowd, both in and out of the job interview. Proper public speaking and networking can show potential employers and centers of influence exactly who you are and what type of career you’re pursuing.

The following points of public speaking are points that I’ve thought about as I look back over the many speeches and presentations I’ve given. In my life and professional career I have often found myself in front of many groups of people, both large and small. These are just some important aspects to think of when you’re critiquing yourself on your public speaking and communication.

1) Know your material. There’s nothing worse than someone asking you a question or presenting information and not knowing exactly what you want to talk about.
2) Be organized. Make sure that your material is clear, concise, and orderly.
3) Project your words! If you have a quiet voice, talk louder than you think is normal. A projected voice conveys confidence and assurance.
4) Use silent pauses. These are more effective than the “ums” and “ahs.”
5) Practice! Practice! Practice! Videotape yourself, practice in front of pets, kids, or spouses.
6) End with a bang! Make sure that your last words leave the audience with questions but also satisfaction.
7) Get the audience involved. This is also referred to as permission-based conversation. Does that make sense?
8) Start with what you know best. The better you know the material and the more comfortable you are in the beginning, the easier it will be to get the ball rolling. The hardest part about public speaking is the beginning.
9) Understand your purpose (and your audience)! What are you there talking about? What do you want your audience to take away from your presentation/conversation?
10) Be confident! This reflects to #3. Confidence is very transparent; your audience will be able to notice very quickly if you’re lacking confidence. This can be accomplished by also focusing on #5.
11) Use (positive) body language. Facial expressions and casual walking are a plus. Excessive hand gestures, nervous pacing, and other motions distract from your message.
12) Eye contact. Make contact with individuals in the audience. It adds a personal touch to a presentation.

Scale Computing to Host Grand Opening in Indianapolis!!

2009-11-02T22:27:00.004-05:00

It's been quite some time since I've written anything. Quite honestly, I'm going to fall back on the excuse that I've been too busy and have had other things to do. I'm going to make one more attempt to get back into making some semi-consistent posts.

I want to draw your attention to a big event that is happening in Indianapolis this Friday. Scale Computing, a very up-and-coming and rising star in the area of IT in Indianapolis, is having their Grand Opening this Friday. My good friend Frank Leonard of Leonard-McDowell Consulting has asked that anyone that's interested in attending to go to the registration page to register. Please see below for more details that were sent to me by Frank. Please direct any questions to Frank. Thanks and make it a great day!!

-------

You are cordially invited.

Indiana Secretary of Commerce and Indianapolis Mayor to Help Celebrate Grand Opening of Scale Computing Corporate Office

Indiana Secretary of Commerce Mitch Roob will help Scale celebrate the grand opening of its new Indianapolis corporate office with a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a press conference and facility tour Friday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. EST. Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and Purdue Research Foundation COO Joseph Hornett will also be helping celebrate the grand opening by speaking about Scale Computing making its home in Indianapolis and what it means for the City and the Purdue Research Park system respectively.

Master of Ceremonies and vice president of marketing and business development for Scale, Peter Fuller, will host the event which will feature speeches from Mitch Roob, Greg Ballard, Joseph Hornett and Scale’s CEO and founder, Jeff Ready. Guests and members of the media are invited to the event, which will be held inside the Purdue Research Park facilities. Coffee and pastries will be offered at the event.

Recently named to Forbes Magazine’s America’s Most Promising Companies List for 2009, Scale Computing is relocating its headquarters and beginning building its operations in Indianapolis with the help of a $2 million grant from Indiana's 21st Century Research and Technology Fund. With plans to manufacture its storage units in Indiana as well as expand from its current 15 employees to about 50 by the end of 2010, Scale is looking to have about $1 million in revenue this year. The state of Indiana and the city of Indianapolis will obviously benefit from Scale’s relocation, as Scale is operating in an estimated $8 billion storage market.

What: Scale Computing ribbon cutting ceremony and press conference

When: November 6, 2009, 10 a.m. — 11 a.m. EST

Who:

Peter Fuller, co-founder and VP of Marketing, Scale Computing (Master of Ceremonies)
Jeff Ready, CEO and founder, Scale Computing
Mitch Roob, Indiana Secretary of Commerce
Greg Ballard, Indianapolis Mayor
Joseph Hornett, COO, Purdue Research Foundation
Where:
Scale Computing corporate office, Purdue Research Park at AmeriPlex-Indianapolis
5225 Exploration Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46241

Please RSVP by filling out this Reservation Form at our website.

Sincerely,
The Scale Computing Team
www.scalecomputing.com
1-877-SCALE-59

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.): What Happened to Checks and Balances?!?!?!

2009-06-16T22:34:00.004-04:00

I admit: I've been lazy. I know blogs should be updated more than once every month. For that, my apologies. In fact, I've had a couple of people ask me to update it again because they enjoy reading the posts. I didn't know I was that good (it didn't go to my head at all). So, without further a-do...

In my line of work, there are just some things that you try not to bring up when you're talking with clients or perspective clients. Those two industry-standard topics are polictics and religion. While I'm not going to talk about the latter, I feel the need to vent about something that I just read that really sparked the political activist in me. However, with neither time or money on my side to run for office, I'll do the next best thing: let out some linguistic lashes, spread the word, and hope for the best. Emphasize the word hope.

In a recent article, the Washington Post reported that a new spending bill to fund our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has been passed in the House by a narrow vote of 226-202. Out of those 226 votes, guess how many were Democratic votes? If you guessed 221, you either read the same article, are psychic, or know how incredibly unbalanced and unchecked our current government is functioning.

221. Out of 226. While my degree was in Human Biology, I did have a math class. Or two. That means that only 5 Republicans voted for this bill. So, to my simple, non-policically informed mind, this just doesn't seem to fit.

What happened? How did we get to a point of not doing what's right or what our constituents want? To the intern who works for a member on Congress reading this, a constituent is the person who is responsible for placing that person in office. Consequently, this enables you to have a what-looks-like a respectable intership for the summer and allows you to wear that J.C. Penny business suit that you got at 60% off the day after Thanksgiving. However, instead of being actively involved in the priorities and agendas of the Congressman(woman), you've been delegated the responsibility of perusing the online portals looking for bad press about your esteemed Congressman (woman).

The value of a constituent was taught to you somewhere between your 8th grade American Government and Politics class and your current internship. It's my only hope that when the office intern of Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) Googles her boss in the days to come that Google does its job and crawls this post because I want them to see this. I want them to see the fact that the reason that Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) changed her vote from "no" to "yes" was not because it was what she believed was the right decision. It wasn't because it was what her constituents wanted. It wasn't because there were parts of the bill she agreed with. Remember, she originally voted the bill down (she went against President Obama). No, it was because "I want to support my president." Everyone in her district should see this as well. This tells me that their voices don't matter.

"I want to support my president." That's it. What started as a government of checks and balances and doing what we the people wanted has transformed into a popularity contest where members of Congress make decisions to win the smile, blessing, and gratitude of our high leader and Commander in Chief.

The unfortunate (and scary) thing is that I don't see an easy way to change this way of thinking. With that said, I would encourage you to write your representative or senator. I did. 'Took me 10mins. In the time it takes an oven to preheat and bake a pizza you have the opportunity to make your voice be heard. Please make the effort.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) I just had it put it in there one more time. 'Just giving Google a Mulligan in case it missed it the first time.

Swine Flu?!?! Are We Still Doing This??

2009-05-03T19:44:00.008-04:00

I've about had it with the media. I can't stand it. Everywhere you turn it seems like the world is coming to the end and the sky is falling. Well, for some Dallas Cowboy personnel and players, it actually was...I'm glad everyone that was involved in that incident is OK.

But regardless of what happened with the Cowboys, it seems as if the media still isn't happy. Forget the fact that they just had the highest ratings and most viewers they've ever had over the last 14 months. Forget the fact that ad sales were higher than normal (even amidst the recession). Evidently, Rupert Murdoch still isn't happy (along with the other media owners and pundits out there). We've now crept into the dark, lonely depths of pandemic scares to sell TV spots and air time.

I can't help but think SARS when I watch the news or read an article in the paper now. We all remember SARS, don't we? Do we? SARS...hmmm. I know it was in Asia...I think. Something to do with breathing?? Birds? No, wait...that was Avian Bird Flu...another one of the last "pandemics" the sweep the globe...

When is it going to stop? When are we going to stop being the scared, ignorant, sheep-behaving public that we are and put things into perspective. Mexico just announced that they have 19 confirmed dead from the Swine Flu (also known as H1N1) and that there are about 787 confirmed cases worldwide. WORLDWIDE!! That's out of a population of about 6.77 billion people. For those of you that can't do quick math in your head, that's about 0.0000001% of the world population that's been INFECTED. As far as the number dead, that's 0.00000000028% of the population, or about the size of an average grade-school classroom.

Really? In Grey's Anatomy language...seriously?? (I'm embarrassed that I know that, but my fiancee is a big fan). I guess all of this news overlooks the fact that between 20,000-30,000 people will die worldwide from other strains of flu this year. Or the fact that 2,300 people have died TODAY from cardiovascular-related diseases (CVD) IN THE U.S. ALONE! And, these are based off of the most recent numbers from 2005, according the American Heart Association. That's about 96 an hour, or, put in a different perspective, that means that in the roughly 25mins it took me to write this, the same number of people that have died from the Swine Flu worldwide have died from CVD. I can see the headlines tomorrow: "Bacon taken off the market because of links to CVD-World Health Organization makes breakthrough correlation."

C'mon, people. Put it all into perspective. Til next time...

Funny (motivational) Humor

2009-04-28T14:16:00.002-04:00

Ok so we all have those days when we just need that extra push...that extra kick in the you-know-what to get us going and accomplish the day's tasks. I am a big believe in making lists and the motivation that comes from crossing something off that list. However, I am also a believer in mental conditioning and exercise as a way to sharpen our skills. The famous Zig Ziglar said it best when he put mental conditioning like this: "Most people don't believe in mental training and conditioning; it wears off. Well, so does a shower. But you continue to shower day after day." That's not a direct, verbatim quote, but it went something along those lines. It's very true, though. We have to continue to motivate our minds and condition ourselves to be who we want ourselves to be in the future. Whether we're a student, business owner, or other professional, mental conditioning is something that we need to continue to work on daily.

I have always enjoyed the motivational posters. You know the ones...there's a picture of an eagle soaring high in the sky and it says something about leadership, or perseverance, or being at the top...something along those lines. However, a colleague of mine directed me towards a website that had me laughing. For those of us that are looking for the darker side (and a good laugh) from motivational posters, pictures, and quotations...check out this website.

Enjoy the day, be successful, and til next time...remember, failure is not an option.

Using the 80/20 Rule in Your Business

2009-04-04T12:07:00.004-04:00

I'm assuming that most people in business have heard of Pareto's Principle. This principle is better and more commonly known as the "80/20 rule." Pareto was an Italian economist that noticed, when studying his country, that 80% of the wealth was owned by 20% of the population. He then went on to notice that this rough estimate was true in many other things. For example, a common sales theme that we've heard is to spend 80% of the time listening and 20% of the time talking. Another example is that 80% of problems are caused by 20% of the causes. I'd like to just reflect on how I've applied this amazing principle in my practice.

When it comes the success or demise of a business, it's amazing how little really needs to change to get from one extreme to the other. I know of colleagues in my office that, if they don't change their ways, will not be around next year. It's not because they don't know their information. It's not because they don't know how to talk to someone, or explain a statement or a plan, or how to access other resources. The main reason that they won't be around is because they're not doing the 20% of the activity that's required to generate 80% (or more) of their business!

I noticed this as I took a personal inventory of my past week's activities. For all of us out there that time block our calendars because we have ADD/ADHD 24/7 (let's go ride our bikes!), I strongly recommend that you block in some time on your calendars to work ON your business, not IN your business. This time for me is on Friday afternoons from 3-4pm. This has been an invaluable asset to the growth of my practice. I must give credit where credit is due: this habit was instilled in me by my first district manager. You can follow him on Twitter here.

Back to my point. I realized that after I realized what my calendar looks like next week (14 appointments; 8 of them are with potentially new clients) I took an inventory of how I arrived at accomplishing my weekly goal of 10 appointments. This week, I exceeded my goal! I realized that over 80% of the appointments in fact came from me doing one thing: being active and being the right kind of active! So many times we consider ourselves active for the day and go home with a sense of accomplishment. But, did we really accomplish anything? Were we just "busy" to be busy or did that busy lead to the opportunity of new business? I urge those of us (present company included) to take a mental note of the activities we do on a daily basis and quantify how many of those are real productive. Make sure you schedule that time to "stop hugging the tree and take a look at the forest" from a self-reflective point of view.

Til next time...
"The best compliment you can give is a referral."

Indy Tweetup Scheduled

2009-03-31T16:14:00.005-04:00

Ok this one is going to be very short and sweet but I wanted to get word out in yet one more way about the big game that's coming up: Cubs v Brewers on April 10th at Scotty's on 96th Street. Here's the link...hopefully we'll have a good turnout! Go Crew!

Looking for Great Networking Opps-Check Out Confluence!

2009-03-29T15:32:00.005-04:00

It's no secret that the best and fastest way to build long-lasting relationships is through active and persistent networking. However, just as important as networking is, it's also important that you network with the right people and the right networking organization. If you are one that focuses your business products and/or services on medium to large sized businesses in the Indianapolis area, then you must check out Confluence (if you haven't already).

I have been involved with this great organization from day one (well, from the first event). It soon occurred to me that I had not come across an organization like this one before. There were two key selling points for me when it came time to evaluate this new venture: it incorporated an educational program as part of the event and it was also specifically focused on the types of companies I was/am looking to connect with. In addition the board members at the time were extremely friendly in welcoming us to the organization. In fact, it was through Erik Deckers that I got the introduction to James Kuester of Kuster Dental Designs. Through that introduction, James and I have been working ever since on creating a networking group specifically focused on providers to the dental community. That organization is called IDERA and is going strong ever since! Thanks Erik!

I guess the reason I tell you that brief story is because those are the types of people that are involved with this organization. As a board member of Confluence, I can tell you that there's no one else I would rather be surrounded by than the other board members of Confluence; they truly are an inspirational and dedicated group of individuals.

With that said, I encourage you to become a member of Confluence. If you have yet to experience the power and uniqueness of Confluence then I strongly suggest you attend one of our events coming up in the month of April. If you are truly a first timer, then just go to the homepage and print out a free guest pass. Or, if you have more questions, feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to answer any and all questions.

Here's the list of the events coming up:
April 9th, 8-10AM Confluence “Communication Clinic” Speaker: Aaron Prickel of Lushin, Location: Lushin and Associates (5655 CastleCreek Parkway N. Drive) $99 Confluence Members, $129 Guests register at www.indyconfluence.com, More info: Brett Healey 317-223-7143

April 14th 3-5PM Confluence Downtown Networking & Education “Business Marketing in Today’s Economy and a Close Look at How Businesses May Creatively Support and Attract Stimulus-Based Projects” Panel Presenters: Dr. James Polito & Dr. Marie Truesdell of Marian College, Erik Johnson of Borshoff, and REX A. COLLINS of Sommerset CPA,. Location: 45o Restaurant 765 Mass Ave & College. Members come free, Guests $20 door/online: www.indyconfluence.com. More info: Brett Healey 317-223-7143. Expect Networking, Education, Sushi & Cash Bar.

April 29th 3-5PM Confluence North Networking & Education “How to Develop and Execute a Corporate Blogging Plan” Panel Presenters: Chris Baggott & Douglas Karr of Compendium, Kyle Lacy of Brandswag, Erik Deckers of ProBlog Service, Rodger Johnson of Your PR Guy, and Rhoda Israelov of SayitforYou.com. Location: Blu Martini 96th & Grey. Members come free, Guests $20 door/online: www.indyconfluence.com. More info: Brett Healey 317-223-7143. Expect Networking, Education, Sushi & Cash Bar.

I look forward to seeing every one of you at the next event. The question isn't "Why should I join?" but rather "Why haven't I joined yet!"

Til next time...

Using Social Networks to Jump-Start a Job Search

2009-03-28T20:48:00.004-04:00

On Friday morning I had the great pleasure and privilege of presenting to the Bloomington chapter of the Business and Professional Exchange (a.k.a. BPE). I am a very active member in this wonderful organization and I would strongly suggest anyone that is in career/job transition to take advantage of this group and its mission.

Too often, at these meetings, I hear the common phrase "I just don't get LinkedIn" or "How can Smaller Indiana help me in my job search?" I'm baffled when I hear these remarks, because I know how much these sites have help me build lasting relationships with other business owners in the Indy area. With that being said, the group asked me if I would be able to put on a little demo about how to use some of these social networks to bring another dimension to their job search.

Before I get into this, I must throw out the disclaimer that there are many, many other people out there that are so much more qualified to have given that presentation. I was, however, grateful to offer what knowledge and stories I do have about different social networks.

The format of the meeting was very interactive; there was a lot of Q&A's. However, if there was one thing that surprised me, it was the number of "ah-ha's" and raised eyebrows that I saw. I came to realize that the vast majority of the members that were present really didn't understand how the sites worked or really how to use them to begin new relationships. Many of them weren't aware on how to ask for introductions.

I kept emphasizing that in order for these sights to be productive, they must remain proactive and relentless on their search. These sights are not just places to create a profile and then never visit them again. We talked about ways to use these sights to get introductions to the decision makers of companies and ask for that infamous informational interview. Again, it came down to "Who do you know..."

If you are in the job search and career transition and are not already using the power of social media to broaden your search, I strongly suggest you join the ranks. I have talked to numerous HR managers and talent scouts that have specifically said that they only use LinkedIn to find new talent. It's becoming more and more clear that the Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com's are the new age of the classified job postin in the daily paper: more and more employers just aren't using them! Employers in today's age are looking for the talent of people that understand the way communicating in the business world is changing. The quality of a dynamic and fast-learning employee is key in most employer's eyes; adapting and using social media is just one way to project that to your future employer.

Til next time...

Simple Math Regarding Wealth

2009-03-14T23:34:00.002-04:00

I received a nice message from a high school classmate of mine on Facebook today. I hadn't talked with her in many years, and it was very good to hear from her! As I was reading and checking up on her profile, I came across a quote that she had in her profile. She is an RN in the ICU at her local hospital, and I thought the quote was very, very fitting giving the actions that we've seen by our administrations in the recent weeks and months. Here is that quote:

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." -Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931-2005

Regardless of your political "side," you can't help but agree that the last line in that comment is true. It goes back to simple math...you can't create more of something by dividing the same thing. That follows basic math and even the 1st Law of Physics: Matter (in this case wealth) cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be transferred (transformed).

Overall a great quote and message. However, don't let that deter you from going out and succeeding and prospering. "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other." -Abraham Lincoln

Have a great weekend! I'm going to be in Kansas City all of next week but I will be Tweeting and checking in from time to time. Remember, it's up to each of us to not partake in the recession...make your own destiny!

Cliff Notes on IDERA Dental Meeting

2009-03-13T12:10:00.004-04:00

This morning we had our monthly IDERA meeting at Abuelos on W 86th Street. I was tweeting about the meeting prior to the start of our speaker; however once he started talking, I was sitting in the front part of the room and found it rude to be on my iPhone tweeting about what he was talking about. (I started, but then realized my mistake and stopped).

I wanted to summarize what Dr. Steve Green talked to us about and also what IDERA is and what we're hoping to accomplish through this organization. I'm not going to talk about his background much, but he was a very successful basketball player under coach Bob Knight at IU. To read a summary of his career(s), click here.

Dr. Green's main focus on dentists, from a business point of view, is that they don't know they need "us." By "us," I mean each of us in our respective fields. Basically, "they don't know what they don't know." We've all heard that before, haven't we? Dr. Green mentioned "combine this lack of knowledge with a bunch of type A's and you have an uphill battle."

Dr. Green also referenced the DISC profile and said that most dentists are an "S." "S=D for dentist," he said. They're resistant to change, even though the change is probably going to help them in the long run. After all, that's why we're wanted them to use our product or services, right? We feel that our P/S will be better and serve them better than what they're currently using.

Another quick comment he made that I chuckled about was his reference to his team, not staff. "Staff, by the way, is an infection. Not something I want in my practice," quipped Dr. Green. "Growing up with a basketball mentality, the people I have working in my practice are all on my team."

He mentioned that finding good team players has been the key to his successful practice. One question he asks anyone that is interviewing for a position in his practice is "What sport, if any, did you play in high school?" I believe he mentioned that he has an all-state volleyball, softball, and swimmer on his team.

From a customer service standpoint, Dr. Green also commented about how himself and everyone else as business owners should be asking good questions. "Dentistry is now about asking the question 'What do you want?' rather than 'This is what you need,'" said Dr. Green. This, in the end, allows the patient to dictate the treatment pattern and ultimately provides you with a happy patient. "And," as he pointed out, "we want patients that are happy telling their friends about me." So, ask this question to people that you are prospecting: What do you want?

I also wanted to spend a little time talking about IDERA. You can find more information about IDERA on the website, but basically myself along with a number of other dedicated business-people started a networking organization that functions solely around the dental profession. It is made up of service and product providers who understand the needs/wants of the dental market and have dedicated a part or all of their business around the dental market. If you have any questions about IDERA or how to get involved, please contact me

Best wishes and continued successes...til next time.

Watch Out for This Latest Disease!!

2009-03-02T23:17:00.004-05:00

It's no secret that the last couple of days have been very gloomy (and I'm not talking about the weather). The DOW has dropped to levels not seen since April of 1997, with every component of the DOW ending with a loss today. This MarketWatch article gives you all the numbers, but quite honestly...I don't care.

I don't care that the S&P is down, almost below the dreaded 700 level, either.

I don't care that Asian markets are responding negatively to this news have have thus opened lower today already.

I don't care that consumer confidence is at a low and the VIX (a volatility index measured by the Chicago Board of Options Exchange) is at an all-time high.

I don't care about credit ratings, derivatives, companies slashing dividends, manufacturing declines, excessive housing supply, increased savings rates (a good thing), new home sales, retail sales, or any of the other major economic trends that are present.

Why, you ask?

Because I've given up worrying for lent.

For that matter, I've given up worrying for good. Period. Done.

Actually, I'm not much of a worrier to begin with. However, during the course of the last couple months, I'll be the first to admit that I've got sucked in to the bad-news-sells monstrosity that we've seen on TV. For every market reporter that you see standing on the floor of the NYSE with a worried look of concern, they are smiling on the inside because of one thing: job security. Because they know, more than most, that ratings are much higher now during daytime television because of the onslaught of people that have come down with a new illness.

Have you heard of it? You might be infected with it. Symptoms are increased blood pressure when watching MSNBC, consistent clickings of the "recall button" on your remote, checking your investment account balances daily, TiVo-ing Cavuto, and installing any market app you can find on your phone (for all you fellow iPhone users out there). Please be advised that this list is not all-inclusive.

If you or anyone you know is demonstrating any of the above symptoms, they may have developed a new illness not seen in many, many years: tickeritis. (Tickeritis comes from the root word "ticker," with the reference being to a stock ticker. The suffix "-itis" typically means an inflammation of a body part or a disease).

If you or anyone you know is suffering from tickeritis, do not try and help them; they are too far gone. Instead, for the safety of everyone involved, it is best if you see a qualified financial professional to address the issues that are enveloping the victim. These professionals are skilled at calming down investors and helping them through these troubled and crazy times when it feels like there's nowhere else to turn.

I myself have never been diagnosed with tickeritis, though I have caught myself with a touch of it from time to time. Luckily, I know the antidote, and, because I'm the generous guy I am, I will share that antidote with you today: TURN OFF THE TELEVISION!

Remember, YOU are the key to climbing out of this recession. For you small biz owners out there, history has shown us that you will lead us out of this climate. I take pride in that fact. Use that to your advantage. Wake up every day thinking that this day will be better than the last. And, of course, whether you are a business owner or not, make it your mission to get your financial house in order.

Til next time...

Review for Royal South in Bloomington...STAY AWAY!!

2008-12-15T21:04:00.003-05:00

I'm going to take a moment and get totally off track of what I usually write about and vent (figuratively) about a recent bad experience my fiancee and I had when we purchased a used car.

Because of circumstances that don't need to be drawn out on this post, Andrea and I decided to ante up and purchase a new "used" car from Royal South or Royal Toyota/Volvo (not sure exact name, but I wanted Google to find it when it crawls this page) in Bloomington, IN. The sad thing about this experience is that we were referred to this dealer by a trusted source (no names here), so we went into the experience feeling pretty comfortable. The transaction went fairly smooth, so not a lot of fuss over that.

However, the real problems started after only having put 50 miles on the car. The car we bought was a 2005 Saturn Ion 2 with about 52,000 miles. Now, survey says that a 2005 car with only that many miles on it should be pretty reliable, right? Oh, how wrong we could be...

Starts out that the front strut mounts (I think, don't remember what they said) and some bushings needed to be replaced. I found this out because every bump that we would go over, a loud clunk would be heard coming from the front axle. We take it in to get repaired, and they tell us that it takes "awhile" for Saturn to ship us the part (and they're not sure if it's covered under warrenty). Needless to say, because of factors that I'm not sure about, we had to take the car "as is" back to WI for Thanksgiving break. When we brought it back in, they discovered that there was more repair needed than anticipated, and we would have to come back after they ordered more parts (which we are still waiting on to this day). Now, don't ask me why they didn't notice this "extra repair" the first time around. Oh, and by the way, it's a 45min round trip from our apt to the dealership. Because Andrea and I have soooo much free time....

Long story short, we feel like we got a lemon. We're going on 36 days from the start of our issues, and it is only getting worse. Oh yea, in addition to the front strut issues, there is a deflection thing that hangs down on the front of the car which consistently comes loose and scraps the ground on every little bump, the heating/cooling fan has a click to it when it's on low, the coolant light comes on every time we start the car (no idea how we're losing coolant already), and it took them 30 days to get us the title to our car (when temporary plates are only good for 31 days...thanks for the breather room).

Overall, if I could recommend something other than financial direction on this blog, I would suggest you go to Royal South in Bloomington, IN as about as often as you would stick your hand in a garbage disposal...although it's the same experience either way.

Stimulus Package a Sweet Tart for America

2008-02-10T20:04:00.000-05:00

I'm sure almost everyone has heard by now about the economic "stimulus package" that the government has approved and I know there are a lot of people that have mixed emotions about it. To give a quick recap of what has happened in the last couple of weeks, the United States government has decided to step in (and in my opinion, rightfully so) and try and "right" the economic conditions that have blanketed our country in the last 8 months or so. The basic structure of this stimulus package is a $170 billion package that will issue one-time rebates to at least 117 million low- and middle-income households, 20 million senior citizens living off of Social Security, and 250,000 disabled veterans. In order to be eligible for a full rebate, single tax filers must have 2007 adjusted gross income (AGI) below $75,000 and joint filers must have AGI below $150,000. **A quick definition-AGI is not your annual gross salary. Adjusted growth income is equal to your gross income minus deductions. So, in short, your AGI is less than your gross income but more than your net. AGI is the last number on the first page of your 1040 tax return form, the form that is most used by individuals.**

So, back to the stimulus package. In order to be eligible for the stimulus package, you must be a single filer with a AGI of under $75,000 or a joint filer with a combine AGI of under $150,000. For the single filer, this will heed a check from the government up to $600. If you are a joint filer under the $150k cap, expect to receive a check for up to $1,200 per couple. In addition, parents will also receive $300 rebates per dependent child and there is no cap on the number of children eligible.

In addition, tax filers who do not owe income taxes but have at least $3,000 in annual income - which can include Social Security and disability payments - will get $300 rebates per person or $600 per couple. In other words, if you don't work and aren't paying in, but receive social security benefits or disablility payments that equal greater than $3,000 you can expect to receive a check for $300. If you'd like more information on the package, I have a Google search bar at the bottom of the blog...there's mounds of information on it on the web. The main theme that I want to discuss is the purpose and whether or not this is going to work.

In my own opinion, I feel like this package is only going to give us a "shot in the arm" boost to our economy. Even if the majority of the people were to go out and spend this money (which numerous polls have said they're not), how much does $600 really get you nowadays? A couple iPods? A down-payment on an LCD HDTV? One piece of a new living room set (if that)? My point is that this package isn't going to do much in the sense of sparking our economy as much as most people believe it will. The analogy I like to use is that it's going to be nothing more than a placebo "sugar shot" in the arm of the U.S. economy. Congress has said that these checks could be drafted by mid-May and end up in consumer's mailboxes by end of May to early June 2008. My prediction is that we will see a sharp spike in consumer spending right away and then, at best, fall back slightly and plateau off for the rest of 2008. It's the same analogy to how you feed a sick person. You don't give them wave of anti-biotics right away and expect a one-time dose to kill off whatever parasite is causing us to be ill. Instead, you plan a course of attack and treat the ailment over a period of time. There is a period where you are receiving treatment but still feel sub-par. However, you know that what you are doing is the best thing. That is exactly what the government is not doing with this package. I know that it's not supposed to "cure" the economic hardships we're in right now, but I don't really even think that it is going to help as much as legislators think it will. I think what this money should be going towards is small businesses and corporations allowing them to develop new technologies that will in the end offer new jobs. It's not going to show results for about 18 months or so, but it will be a longer term solution than what is currently planned. I do know that part of the package includes funding for business; I just feel like more of it should be designated towards that area of concern.

The last concern I have regarding this package is the additional debt that will be incurred. Currently, the U.S. has about $9.2 trillion of outstanding public debt. This debt is paid off in part by our income taxes that we pay in every year. Unfortunately, the U.S. government does not have the means to borrow another $170 billion for this package. So this is what the government is going to have to do (this isn't exactly what's going to happen, but somewhere along these lines): In order to fund this debt, the U.S. will issue new goverment bonds to other countries. Countries with great economic expansion and the surplus of monies to buy bonds like these (such as China) will be only too happy to buy these bonds from the United States. In turn, the government issues these rebates to the American people. We receive our checks, go to Wal-Mart, and buy a couple of DVD's, some Hannah Montana toys for our kids, and some outdoor gear for the summer season. Now, ask yourself where about 90% of those products are made........China! Don't you see, it's a win-win for China. Now, I don't have anything against the economic expansion of China; it's great for the global economy and helps us out in the long run. But still, I can't help but be frustrated that they get the double pay-day in this situation.

To sum up, I'd also like to say that most people have admitted that they won't really be spending this money when they receive it. The majority of people have said that they are going to do one of two things with the money: save it or pay off credit card debt. I myself will most likely be putting most, if not all of it towards student loan payments. So how am I really helping the economy?