Business hurdles

Go see Atlas Shrugged.  Until you do, here's a quick little video about government and business:

A new business development strategy

If your water park business is failing in this economy, just pray for a miracle.  The rain stops and business increases 200%, right after Jesus shows up in an unfurled flag.

Of course an expert needs to authenticate these things, so a Catholic priest, who of course had nothing better to do, visited the water park on Thursday to inspect the flag. (click on link for picture)

Unfortunately, the Vatican takes its time on all matters of importance, and it will take decades to get a confirmation from them that it truly is Flag Jesus. Just look how long it took them to verify child abuse within their own confines.

While I'm waiting for the results, I think I'll enjoy my breakfast... 

Can it get any more taxing?

Three weeks to April 15 and the motherboard on my office computer dies on Friday. Saturday morning was spent purchasing a new computer and all day Sunday transferring data and software for full day of appointments on Monday.

In between, there was a trip to hospital emergency room for yet another (third) elderly parent in past six weeks.

Thank goodness the forecast includes no more dark clouds for the next few days.

An avalanche of paperwork

I will return as soon as I dig myself out. If I'm not back by Tuesday, send a dog with a cask of whiskey. Jack Black preferred.

A taxing month

I have prepared twice as many tax returns in the past six weeks than I had by this time last year. Everyone was desperate for their refunds and came in early.

The 500 count box of Kleenex on my desk has been used and replaced once this month. There were the usual clients with colds, but most of the tissues were used by people discussing job losses, debilitating health problems, and deaths of loved ones. I admit to using some myself during these heart-wrenching discussions.

I've answered countless phone calls from people wondering when they would get their 2009 stimulus check and disappointed them.

Making a difference

Rotary International has received an infusion of cash ($255 million) from the Gates Foundation to help completely wipe out incidents of polio throughout the world. Rotary has instituted a program pledging an additional $100 million from their members over the next three years. This program to eradicate polio has been a goal of Rotary International for a couple decades.

Our local Rotary Club, of which I am a member, was fortunate enough to have one of our members make a Rotary sponsored trip to Africa to help administer polio vaccines. As someone who experienced polio as a child, he has a personal interest in seeing that this disease never happens to another child. These trips to aid medical workers in other countries are paid for by the volunteers with occasional assistance from local Rotary clubs.

Rotary Club members are the perfect example that business people are not greedy and self-centered like the media makes them out to be.

Yes, it's a clothing store.

I'm always intrigued by successful businesses based in small communities or rural areas, especially ones that are innovative or quirky. Check out Billy Reid's website. Don't you want to just hurry out to one of his stores?

Hip clothes plus antiques, and attitude. I imagine they have no problem selling those vintage hankies for $35.00 each, even though we can find them for a dollar at local garage sales. It's all in the marketing.

Home Sweet Homes

My latest blog favorite comes from the category of "Why didn't I think of this?".

This blog features actual really bad pictures from internet real estate listings. You have to wonder about the people marketing these homes. When I sold real estate, I was in many properties that looked just like these disasters. That's when a Realtor has to get very creative with language.

Buyer's Remorse

Some people don't want to spend money for an attorney, surveyor, or title search when buying real estate. It's a save money by doing-it-yourself world , you know. Some people buy property and rarely check on it. If you're one of those people who think hiring professionals is a waste of money, read this.

A Not-so Taxing Season

I have wonderful clients, especially during tax season. For some reason, after I prepare their taxes, they come back bearing gifts - some too extravagant, some handcrafted, and some yummy for the tummy. But I appreciate each and every one.

This is a rose made of duct tape. How many duct tape roses have you given your accountant for a job well done? I feel honored that I am probably only one of a handful who can say that they received one.

I got a $25 gift certificate to a local eatery and $100 in gift certificates to a nice bar/restaurant in the neighboring college town.

A male client gave me his made-from-scratch chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. (Sorry no picture available, it disappeared too quickly).

Another client in the landscaping business gave me this dried hydrangea arrangement arrangement she made:

This stained glass heart was custom made by another male client who is now permanently disabled and is trying to start a new career making custom stained glass pieces:

I've also received two $5.00 cash tips.

Then Friday, a client showed up with this floral arrangement:

The mug was cute and the flowers were nice, but smack dab in the middle of the arrangement was this little Christmas sweater:

On the back, was this:

She wanted me to know that I have a huge fan base in the community that loved my newspaper column and who actually do understand my sense of humor.

I don't think I can ever retire. I just love my clients way too much to leave them.

Bargaining & Haggling

There were a few news stories this weekend about how shoppers should haggle with retailers to get better prices. As one who had a retail business (in addition to my regular job) for over 20 years, let me tell you exactly how things work.


You can normally haggle over big ticket items (appliances, electronics, musical instruments, etc.) in big or small stores. If the mark up from wholesale cost to retail is 100-125%, there's a great deal of room for negotiation if you're looking at a $1500-$5000 item. The merchant still has room to make some profit.


Small dollar items are another matter. There is nothing more frustrating than having a customer haggle 10-15% on an item $50 or less. I've had customers ask if I'd take 10% off a $10.00 item. Please go shop somewhere else if $1.00 makes that much difference to you. It isn't worth the retailer's time to deal with you.

Antique shops and shows are notorius for giving customers at least 10% off the purchase. The little known fact is that most antique dealers build that additional 10% into their prices knowing that customers expect them to come down 10%. The customer then is not actually getting a deal, they are simply paying the market price, but feeling better about it.

As a consumer, you can ask and haggle, but more than likely you're not getting a better deal. You're probably just getting the fair market price or you're getting a reduced price for an item that the store promoted or will be promoting at that price eventually. If you are truly bargain hunting, check the clearance aisles or start going to liquidation auctions.

Tattle Tale

I tattled today and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Several months ago, I entered a room shortly before a meeting and made myself comfortable in the nearest available chair. After introducing myself, the man conducting the meeting looked directly at me and made a blatant comment about a couple of my body parts - no not those - my eyes.

If this had occurred at a bar, I would have dismissed the comment with a thank you. This, however, came at a business meeting from a State employee who was there to provide information to us. We were speechless. The comment was ignored, but several of us did have a difficult time with his credibility after that. The others told me later they wished they had a photograph of the look on my face when he made the comment.

I am not a feminist, nor am I a prude. I have spent a great portion of my adult life working in male-dominated areas and have often been the sole woman in many business meetings. Never had I experienced a blatant pick-up line on any of those occasions. What happened to all the sexual harassment training from the 20Th century? This guy was a chip off Michael Scott from The Office. Michael Scott is very funny on TV, but not at a real live meeting with my tax dollars paying his salary.

Today his boss (a woman) met with our group on other matters. We had discussed whether or not we should bring up the incident. The consensus was yes, inappropriate behavior should be stopped or it will continue here and elsewhere.

So with reluctance and support of the group who were witnesses to the event, I tattled on the guy. Perhaps his wife will hear about his behavior and solve the problem for us.