Diary of and Identity Theft Victim- Two ...

January, 2009 Imagine receiving a visit from a local sheriff with a handful of your mail that he retrieved from a ditch. Consider how it would feel to get a welcome call from an account representative at a store in a city 1,000 miles away verifying that you have opened a charge account. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that 9 million Americans have their identities stolen every...

It’s not About Luck – It’s the Pla...

  April 2005 I believe trouble comes in bunches. There’s no such thing as luck, good or bad. We all have storms in our life. Some weather the storms better than others. By working hard and being honest, you’ll find that when a storm comes your way, you will always have the money, friends and resources to see you through. Don’t count on luck to help you, and don’t bemoan it as...

The Success Habit...

July 2007 How many times do we see business owners looking out the window or at their watch while impatiently waiting for the time to justify their exit? Why come in late or leave early if your ambition is to excel? Those who are always looking for excuses not to work are never going to enjoy the fruits of success. The reason is simple. They develop the habit of excusing themselves...

Facing A Competitor Who Wants To Be The ...

September, 2008 In the mid-eighties, I thought things were moving along pretty well for my business. One of my competitors was a former employee. He was a low-price provider. He bought cheap cars from individuals and sold parts for very low prices. I bought cars at auctions where I had to pay more for them in most cases. This competitor seemed to be doing a lot of volume, but I...

Define what you want from a vendor – I...

Does it seem at times that you have trouble defining a new service or product on which you want a vendor to give you a bid? (Examples are an advertising campaign, new delivery truck, new phones or phone service, or maybe pallets for the shop.) In addition, after you receive the product or service, ever think that it’s not exactly what you wanted or ordered? Imagine the vendors’...

What Does It Take To Start A New Auto Re...

Recycling story January 2003 I get lots of calls and emails from folks who are entertaining the idea of starting a new auto salvage business. I’ve had this story on my to-do list for some time but saved it until now so I could see how some of the new yards that opened in 2001 and 2002 fared. The jury is in, and it’s interesting. Opening a new yard isn’t nearly as hard as one might...

Lessons from The Apprentice – Comp...

I read an article recently about one of the candidates in The Apprentice, Amy Henry, from Arlington, TX. She was interviewed about what she learned from the experience on the show and her thoughts concerning entrepreneurs and success. One comment I was intrigued by was her observation that competence in the workplace isn’t enough to assure success. I can’t agree more. We all have...

Looking for a Job? Are You Really Seriou...

March 2005 I am constantly amazed at the skills people exhibit when looking for a job. Now, I understand that it’s not something you do every week and maybe I should be more sympathetic, since I haven’t done it but once in my life when I got a job as a bag boy in high school.. I get at least two requests per month from friends who are looking, or know someone that is, that...

Business Is Great!...

I know there is lots of grumbling about the terrorist activity, the fall of the stock market, and the overall shape of the economy, and I am sure this has caused more fallout in some areas than others. All that said, BUSINESS IS GREAT! I hear it time and again. I have 11 tenants in the auto salvage business (disclaimer, yes, most are relatives), and all of them are doing great. Many had...

Taming Your Inbox: 7 Tips to More Effici...

E-mail can be a remarkable tool that boosts productivity or it can be a huge time waster. Mostly how well email works depends upon how skilled you are at effectively managing it. I would like to share some of the tips and tricks that have helped me manage the hundreds of e-mails that I get every day. Handle it once if possible: When looking over e-mail, I have a goal of getting it...