Archive for May, 2009
It’s easy to see the impact that the economy has had on the automotive industry but the wide spread focus of the automotive fall out will reach many sectors including the off road world.
While the world continuously feels the impact of the weakening automotive industry in new ways it’s easy to see that the impact of such losses will have numerous impacts on business sectors outside of the automotive industry. With billions being spent in bail out capitol to help business like Chrysler manage through these hard times so they can retool and refocus their business on the evolving needs of their customer’s it’s clear that the negative impact will last for years, if not generations.
While the government seems content in handing money to these industries companies like Polaris, whom has maintained steady cash flow due to products like Polaris RZR accessories has begun to also see a decline in customers and overall sales. The business structure for off road equipment sales is exactly the same as the automotive industry. If you are interested in buying a Yamaha dirt bike you’ll walk into a show room where a sales person will greet you and walk you though your purchase. In most cases a loan officer and bank will be involved in the purchase of your equipment. While that’s being processed take a look around. You’ll most likely see a wealth of after market products. In-fact, the after market products for off road vehicles surpasses the automotive industry in triplicate. One you’ve purchased your off road vehicle there will surely be a service center that is there to assist you with those needed modifications or necessary repairs.
If all of this sounds familiar, it should, it’s the exact same process that’s taken when you purchase a brand new automobile. This means the impact of losing this business is as bad as losing a local Ford dealership. Large multi dealership complexes are being affected without the benefit of bail out money to help them survive through these challenging times. It’s true that these dealerships tend to be smaller in size then dealerships that sell off road vehicles but in economic times as these, luxury items such as new Polaris RZR accessories will be the first items left on the shelves. Most people cannot live without an automobile but when push comes to shove, they can live without their off-road weekends.
It’s up to us as off road enthusiasts to support our local dealers and favorite online dealers and we can do that by simply enjoying our weekends by going to our favorite trails or race tracks. We’ll surely break something and will need to repair it! In reality, spending money is the only way to keep costs down. As we move through this recession our favorite dealers will be forced to limit sales staff, product availability and raise prices to compete with the shrinking dollar. To combat this we need to support the businesses that have supported out habits over the last numerous years.
Author Kim Green and family love to go off roading and do so regularly. The family has had excellent experience with Polaris RZR accessories and will continue to buy and use them.
With the explosion of the Internet over the last 10 years there has bee a revolution in the manner of which we receive communication. From social conversations to world news, social media and live video streaming services have brought us into a new world.
The generation that used to place stamps on envelopes and place calls from a pay phone has given way to a generation that communicates largely by text messaging on highly advanced mobile phones. It’s a generation that uses the Internet to keep everyone in their social circle updated on a per minute basis on social communication websites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. No longer do we have to wait several days or weeks to send a communication by traditional mailing methods and then wait days for a reply to that message. Now every possible form of communication can be accomplished in seconds. From utilizing a wireless provider for texting services to using live video streaming services to broadcast to your co-workers the world of communication has never offered so many options.
In any revolution there are winners and losers. The losers in this new world of communication are those who are unwilling to adapt and who are seemingly stuck in the stone age of communication. These individuals are losing out on the ability to receive instant “as they happen” updates from thousands of news outlets. In November of 2007, Facebook users broke the story of the Mumbai, India attacks before any major news outlet knew about it. It is now possible to take eyewitness accounts of current events and transfer them to people in all corners of the world instantly! This is a clear indication that this revolutionized method of communication has grown out of its infancy and has enabled us to obtain information at a record pace.
Not only has the Internet revolution made it easier to receive updates from your friend’s busy lives as well as receiving world news in an instant. It’s also opening new gateways for the way we enjoy our leisure time. By this point we all know the trials and tribulations of peer-to-peer music sharing but in a whole, the revolution in communications has been a large success for the entertainment business. With services like iTunes, you can buy an individual song instead of spending money on an entire album. Not only does this save you money it helps the planet by reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Up and coming bands can afford to use live video streaming services to broadcast concerts from local venues to the computers of their MySpace Music fans across the world. This has opened up vast new landscapes for the starving artists in our world and has given them a new platform to succeed.
It’s hard to tell where the next big social media service will come from and it’s impossible to say what it will do to revolutionize the world of communication. Holograph images were recently used during pre-game broadcasting of the 08-09 Super Bowl and should be an indication of the future possibilities of communication. As we adjust and adapt to our new methods we will continue to expand, invent and conquer new more exciting methods to bring us closer to the world and the people around us.
Author K. green has had great success using live video streaming services for special events.
Let’s face it ladies: the job market isn’t what it used to be. Not only are jobs in short supply, but obtaining full time employment means jumping through more hoops then most of us care to endure.
While millions of women check the want ads for a few thousand jobs, chances are most of them aren’t thinking about stopping the madness and putting things back into their own hands by buying a franchising opportunity from an upstart women owned business that understands what it takes to bring women and their families into their stores.
If you are smart about it, spending the money to purchase a franchise can yield a great return on your investment. As you are aware by just skimming the newspaper, these tough economic times are causing established businesses, big and small, to shut down due to a clientele less willing to spend money than they were at this time last year. Because of this, one of the biggest keys to finding a franchising opportunity that is right for you is finding one that is, what business people like to call, “recession proof”. These are businesses that people need to use whether they have a lot of expendable income or not. While people are going to stop buying luxury items such as vacations, new cars and designer clothes, they are always going to need the basics, especially families who have children.
Using this logic, take a close look at businesses that sell discount clothes and shoe such as Apricot Lane or Ross, or fast, healthy food or sandwich shops like Togo’s or Subway ,or a good, inexpensive place that will cut children’s hair that is marketed towards children. One of these children’s haircutting franchises you might want to look into is Snip-Its, a female-owned, Massachusetts- based company that was started in 1993 and now offers 50 salons in 22 states with more to open. Chances are if you are able to give parents a quick, stress free experience that keeps their child happy, you’ll get repeat customers.
It’s also good to keep your eyes out for a business that knows how to market to families. This includes slogans or mascots that are easy to remember for parents and children alike. Think of the “Golden Arches” or “Ronald McDonald”, or even “Chuck-E-Cheeses” cartoon mouse and their slogan “Where a Kid Can Be a Kid”.
These are just a few things to think about if you decide it’s time for you to take the reins and look into buying into a franchising opportunity. You can find lists of franchising opportunities, including female owned businesses, online. Buying a franchised business can be a big risk, but also an exciting and fun opportunity if you’re smart about it.
Author Kimberly Green ran a home business for several years and has implemented a few excellent ideas for a successful women owned business as well
It can be next to impossible to grab new market share in an economic down turn. You constantly struggle with customer churn while you look for ways to entice new customers to your products or services. However, a recession is where the strong thrive!
It can seem like the world is against you! You work hard, sometimes 15 hours a day to make your small business survive to only feel like your customer’s hate you, banks don’t trust you and the economy is out to get you. If you’re one of the countless small business owners you need to refocus your energy on a few key factors that make owning a business during a recession as successful venture.
There are several key factors that must be looked at when positioning your self to gain market share. Keep in mind that many of the customer’s that you are looking to gain will not be loyal to the company that currently services them and in most cases they will be willing to go to anyone who can provide them with a few key things like, better price and customer service. However, one of the most overlook keys to success in a recession is advertising. It’s usually the firs thing in a budget that goes but it should be the last! The Internet is the biggest advertising boom of this century and SEO companies can help your company be found on the Internet. However, don’t be afraid to attend trade shows where the CCPPC (cash cost per possible client) is minimal. Even springing for a custom exhibit builder can do wonders for product placement and design. If your potential customer’s don’t know you’re out there the game is already over!
Second only to letting people know you are actually in business is the customer service you offer. If you are in business to sell a service or a product you are absolutely not the only company selling the same service or product. In reality, you are likely charging within a 10% margin of your closest competitor and neither of you are willing or can afford to change that so the most important and the most key factor is your customer service. Depending on your employee base it may be best for you to go outside your doors for quality control and find a reputable third party for your quality. However, personal hands on (straight from your leadership) approach will always be successful.
Most people think this next item should be first but it’s really the least important. The product or service that you offer. Quality is important. If you competitor can offer a better product at a lesser cost you are done so likely you’ve caught onto that concept and have already ensured you are offering the best product you can. Honestly, the type of product is unimportant. A man once called a rock a pet and made a million dollars that spanned several recessions. It’s possible to sell anything that remotely has a market. Although large-scale success in the market you are in is dependent on the size of the market you’ll be successful if you keep focused on being found, customer service and making sure you are competitive with your product.
K. Green’s business uses a custom exhibit builder when participating at trade shows.
Buying baby furniture can be overwhelming. There are so many styles and options. But one thing that is most important is that the furniture needs to be safe for your baby. Cribs are involved in more infant deaths each year than any other nursery product. Know what to look for when buying a crib.
First check the corner posts on the crib. The best option is corner posts that are flush with the headboard and footboard. At most, they should extent 1/16” above the top. They should not be long enough for clothing worn to get hooked on.
Check that the mattress support hangers can be completely secured to the frame by either bolts or closed hooks. Regularly check the crib’s hardware to make sure none of it has loosened something that can happen with a child bouncing on the mattress.
If you’ll be using bumper pads, check them out carefully to have the following features: tie or snap in place, fit all the way around the crib, have straps/ties in each corner, in the middle of the sides along the open rails and should also have ties at the top and bottom edges. (Be sure to remove the bumper pads when your child can stand in the crib. Otherwise they might use the pad as something to step on if they want to climb out of the crib.)
Once you get the crib and mattress home, discard all plastic. Never use any part of the plastic, including the bag covering the mattress, as the plastic could cause suffocation.
Because of the potential of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), use a firm, flat mattress in the crib and lay your baby on their back. Instead of using a blanket that can get wrapped around the baby, use a one-piece sleeper with legs and arms.
When arranging the baby furniture in the nursery, keep the crib away from any window. Any windows that have blinds or draperies also have cords that could cause strangulation. And the screen of an open window is not strong enough to prevent a child from falling out.
If you put your baby to bed with a pacifier or teether, never tie it around their neck. When you are ready to put your baby down to sleep, there should be nothing around their neck and that includes bibs and necklaces.
Make sure the side rail is fully locked when raised. Put the mattress in its lowest position once your child can stand in the crib by itself. Remove any and everything that they could possibly stand on to try and climb out including any stuffed animals or toys.
Climbing out anyway? Then keep the side rail down. It’s a lot less further to fall than if the side rail is up.
And finally, keep in mind that any baby toy/mobile/gym that stretches across the crib is wonderful for your infant but can become a strangulation hazard once your baby gets older and more active.
Kimberly Green is a mom and has researched, in depth, baby safety when buying baby furniture
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