Small Business Lending Fund vs Clean Energy Fund?

The Small Business Job Act created a $30bl fund to capitalize small business through community bank loans.  The DOE's loan guarantee program   is a fund to assist clean/green energy business's with  loan guarantees for certain renewable energy systems.   Both programs have merit.  Both could create much needed jobs and economic expansion.   Both programs were enacted by the Obama administration.   Then why was one created with tight restrictive rules and regulations and one with loose almost non apparent rules and regulations.

 The Small Business Lending Fund, set up last year with $30 billion to help banks jumpstart lending, disbursed a mere $4 billion and is to expire.  The DOE's program subsidise nearly $11bn in loans.  The Small Business Fund was a nightmare for community banks to get approval, while the DOE's fund was issuing funds easily and even to losers like Solyndra.  

This comparison begs the question why in our current economic mess would we restrict capital to small business and freely give it to green energy?  Small Business has and will all ways be the engine of the US economy.  What are your thoughts on why the programs were put in place in this manner? 

Privatize the Post Office.

As the White House puts together another bailout, this time for the US Postal Service, isn't time we open the discussion to privatize the post office?


With annual revenues of $70bl the Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe warned senators Tuesday USPS could post a $10 billion loss for this fiscal year.   USPS's losses are trending up, as defined by the 2010 Annual Report.  The USPS is plagued by union issues outlined by The New York Times and other issues outlined by The Washington Post.  In this article Senator Joe Lieberman voiced his support, suggesting, “We should be writing more passionate letters to those we love.”  and  Senator Claire McCaskill  suggested that USPS should mount a national advertising campaign promoting the value of printed mail.


With $70bl in annual revenues it's not about generating more revenues or re-branding a failing business, it's about cutting costs.  It is time we consider selling the postal service, possibly to companies who earn profits while delivering packages and mail. maybe FedEx or UPS.


What are your opinions on privatizing the postal service?  

Leadership in Balance

Leaders set the standard for there organizations.  Their emotion's especially those regarding results or production must stay in check, leading with a balance.  Balance is understanding your staff/employees/subordinate's reaction is strongly influenced by the manner you react.  Justin Menkes states, "One of the most critical tasks leaders have in today's stressful business environment is to channel their emotions and reactions in a way that does not hinder their people's progress."  


I am not saying be a robot, just control your emotions.  They are watching your reaction to the results and if that act is overly positive or negative, where or how you can react to better or worse results is defined, they will follow that lead.  Yes, lead with a positive optimistic attitude and reaction, remembering stability and consistency matter.  React as though the results can be better or could be worse.  Stay in balance.       

 

Direction for the Economy.

As Washington awaits the newest version of President Obama's economic plan, WE the People are feed up with strapping chains of indecision placed on our lives and business.
Just look at the data released in the past week:

1. Unemployment rate no change at 9.1%.
2. The National Association of Credit Management (NACM) index revealed the index of unfavorable factors fell to contractionary levels.
3. Restaurant operators reported softer same-store sales and traffic levels; Operators’ outlook for economic conditions fell sharply.
4. Institute for Supply Management™ Manufacturing Business Survey Committee stated that the overall sentiment is one of concern and caution over the domestic and international economic environment, which is affecting customers’ confidence and willingness to place orders.

All of this and other released information point to one glaring fact, no direction.  Ronald Reagan's "It's morning again in America." highlighted the good, it made us believe in our abilities of that day and in the future.  It gave us direction.  

What the politicians must understand is business has a pulse, business is people, and the people who own/operate the business need to believe in today and the future.  When Washington defines the direction We the People will produce prosperity.

Is Success Your Goal?

This morning reviewing, my social media channels, I noticed a post on Facebook by Harvey Mackay  regarding goals.  His statement triggered my thoughts to Earl Nightingale. 

The use of goals is the means of placing your mind and focus to the path of success.  Earl Nightingale stated   "People with goals succeed because they know where they're going."   Believe in yourself and goal.  Know deep in your mind, your subconscious, that you will achieve.  Concentrate, nourish and repeat the goal.  The intensity of your belief in the goal will drive you on the path to success.  

Along the path fear and obstacles will emerge, leverage these into opportunities.  Keep the focus on the goal, do not allow your mind to be tempted by fear or obstacles.  Your mind will move with the current dominant thought, stay focused on the goal and all ways be positive. 

Earl Nightingale's belief  - You get what you think about most of the time and you become what you think about most of the time.  Think about your goal, Think about success!

Honesty by Technological Verification

Twenty eight years ago when I entered the hospitality industry lie detection was a required instrument to fish through your staff to find the unworthy employee, I.E., the truth.  Most times the detection would not fester out the individual who was being tested, rather that person would rat out a co worker.  


Now with the technological tools provided by the internet, social networks, plagiarism detection software and information exchange algorithms we are all subjected to instant information verification.  This expedition is not just a tool to check down the ladder
of the business hierarchy, it allows the verification up the ladder; where C-level to the 
board room's credentials, proposals and presentations can be instantly proven.  
Included in this has been President Obama's virtual polygraph exam.


Per Michael Schrage blog  -  "But the real revolution emerging is not the greater transparency of a LinkedIn here and the statistical significance of a "lie detection" algorithm there; it's their linkage, fusion and aggregation."
Interesting that as we have advanced, we still just seek the truth.   

Control Your Personal Brand by Haney Sweda

Yes, you have a personal brand.  Everything you do or do not do has an impact on your brand image.  Take control of our personal brand, if you do not, you risk the peril of others defining the who, what, why, where and how of your life.  


Remember you are the brand, be confident, positive and all ways present yourself professionally.  You never know who may be watching and listening.  That person you impressed at the grocery or the department store may be a potential client, job interview or your child's future teacher or principal.   The fact that you held the door for others to enter; or that you gave up a parking space; or how you introduce yourself; or your reaction to an adverse public situation, all of these define you as a brand.


With the internet and social networking, everything, regardless of location or setting, will impact you personally. Start by Google-ing your name and review the results, you may be pleased or shocked.  Anything posted to the internet or social networks about you is there forever, so be careful in what you post, say, do or what other people post say or do with your name or photos.  Stephanie Fierman's  class and the summary of the class at The CMO Site on personal brand guarding, detail specific actions to take to control and guard your on line brand. 

Be you, but remember you are the BRAND!

Reflecting on Steve Jobs' Words of Wisdom - Jeff Dyer and Hal Gregersen - Harvard Business Review

Reflecting on Steve Jobs' Words of Wisdom - Jeff Dyer and Hal Gregersen - Harvard Business Review

Great discussion on Jobs' philosophy, on life and what it takes to succeed.

How to make your nightclub party? by Haney Sweda

It's midnight and the club is hoping.  The dance floor is a dizzying fusion of sound, lights, smoke, snow and action.  Tonight, some 2000 people will spend $60,000 with your business.  The club owner/manager stands at one of the bars, with a smile, as he/she participates in the festivities.

How do you make this happen?  By being a professional, hard working individual.  To succeed in the highly competitive world of the nightclub industry you have to be a legitimate business person.  It's not a picnic; it is a Party! And the consumer is serious about their stress relieving expendable dollar.

The work that goes on previous to the actual party is much more intense and requires much more attention.  This is not an easy business, it takes someone who is willing to work tirelessly day and night to pull off a party of this magnitude.  Keeping in mind that most nightclubs, to succeed, must have at least 2 if not 3 of these events each and every week to be profitable.

In addition to the work ethic these other factors are vital to maximizing profitability:

1. Aggression, in the manner that when the iron is hot you have to strike.  There is no success for the weak at heart in this industry.  How many weak kneed nightclub owner/mangers do you know?  You must react and make your staff react to swing the clubs emotion up, down and even sideways at any given time.   
2. Intelligent marketing, the cost of marketing is normally your largest variable cost outside of your COGS, thus leveraging marketing to the max is vital.  Wasted marketing money, is not just marketing money it has a direct relation to other cost, like payroll and a huge impact on your brand.  An incorrect marketing strategy, will result in an empty or nearly empty building, causing labor cost cannibalization of the business.  And a severe blow to staff moral and the image or brand of your establishment.
3.  Make the unbelievable happen, the consumer wants to experience the unknown, the unimaginable, the wildest and craziest.  When the consumer decides to frequent your club they want to leave their problems at their house, at their job, or with their significant other, or whatever the case is - they have come to your place to forget and enjoy.  Make sure your staff understands this and the staff, must force this issue and accept responsibility to make each person party.  The staff must also understand that the consumer does not want to hear about their personal issues, they want someone to take them by the hand and make them have a good time.
4. Yesterday is done, Today is the NIGHT, the customer(s) who are attending tonight's event care nothing about how great last night, last week or last month was, they want tonight to be the best, the greatest.  Management must ensure that each and every event/night is just that, the greatest event for each customer that night.
5.  Professionalism, yes you and your staff must be Pro's at throwing a party.  Every aspect counts here from the cleanliness of the parking lot, to a pleasant door staff, to the cleanliness of the restrooms, to serving a consistently good drink at a fair price, to making sure the club is stocked with all products, goods and services throughout the night, to the music format, etc, etc.   Leave no stone unturned or risk your own peril. 

I preached a philosophy of Prepare, Organize and Promote (POP) combined with passion, conviction and a sincere caring for the benefit of the consumer.  POP ensured that all aspects of our business were handled to the benefit of the customer.  Because if you are not taking care of your customers someone else will!

Equestrian Ink--Writers of Equestrian Fiction: What Makes a Solid-Minded Horse?

Equestrian Ink--Writers of Equestrian Fiction: What Makes a Solid-Minded Horse?

Equestrian Ink--Writers of Equestrian Fiction: What Makes a Solid-Minded Horse?

Equestrian Ink--Writers of Equestrian Fiction: What Makes a Solid-Minded Horse?

The Lost 1984 Video: Steve Jobs Introduces The Mac

The Lost 1984 Video: Steve Jobs Introduces The Mac

How to add a new income stream to your business and avoid time wasters too

How to add a new income stream to your business and avoid time wasters too

Content marketing, its not science or a heal all, its simply good business. by Haney Sweda

 Define - Content marketing is an umbrella term encompassing all marketing formats that involve the creation or sharing of content for the purpose of engaging current and potential consumer bases. Content marketing subscribes to the notion that delivering high-quality, relevant and valuable information to prospects and customers drives profitable consumer action. Content marketing has benefits in terms of retaining reader attention and improving brand loyalty

Historically we delivered the marketing message via some sort of advertising, TV, radio, print, which can get pricey or via a free media press, with no real control over the broadcast message.  This type of message was "pushing" the information to the consumer.  Once the message is broadcast the business, hopes and prays that the message worked and that the consumer whether B2C or B2B will respond,  then we measure the results, determine adjustments and do it over and over again changing the message per our measurement results.

Content marketing, takes information,  that all businesses have in inventory, leverages that information to the consumers advantage.  By providing the information the business "pulls" the consumer in, gains trust and a level of expertise, thus the business develops a relationship to that consumer.  A relationship that will bear fruit laterally and in the long-term.

Funny, but I get asked over and over again, when consulting with clients, “Where will we get the content?”. Its as if the business owners have lost site of their own business, like content marketing has caused them some kind of amnesia. The majority of the content exits within the business. Yes, it may need to be packaged or rewritten for content marketing delivery.  But the content or message is not magic, its the content or messages you have been telling your good loyal customers, your staff and your friends.  It is content that all good and savvy business people know and teach about their business.  

I spent years owning/operating in the food and beverage industry. I can recall countless times speaking to my staff(s) and customers, regarding their happiness or contentment with our place. If I were still in that industry, there is a significant portion of the content that I would use to market my business.  

Content marketing allows the small, medium or large business to spread the word the word that for a long time was shared only in staff meetings or with the bestest best customer or with your friends.  Content marketing spreads the word about your good business practices. 

The Golden Ticket to Personal Financial Responsibility by Haney Sweda

Today, with our economy in disarray, it is vital to arm yourself with the tools for financial responsibility.  The dynamic process of monitoring and evaluating your financial position can be achieved through five easy steps;

1.          Assess – know your current position.  How much do you have; how much do you owe?  A balance sheet – lists all your assets (home, car(s), belongings, bank accounts, stocks, other real estate, etc.); list all your debts (mortgage, auto loan(s), credit cards, other loans, etc.).  How much do profit or lose? An income statement – lists all your income (salary, interest, dividends, other, etc.); list all your expenses (payments mortgage and car loans, groceries, utilities, insurance, clothing, entertainment, households, etc.).
2.          Set goals – Know where you are going? Both short and long term.  Examples – Short term; increase savings account by a required amount each week/month; reduce monthly expenses.  Long term; buy a house; trade your car; have a certain amount saved by a specific age or for your child’s college.
3.         Create the plan – Get from current position to your goal!  The plan should detail the route from the assessment to your short and long term goals.  How are you going to afford the new house/car; the amount you will save on a weekly/monthly basis; the additional income from a second job or new job; the sale of items you own, etc..  This plan is your budget.
4.         Stick to your plan – Discipline, consistency and perseverance.  Once you complete steps 1-3, the hard work starts, you will encounter situations that tempt you; deals on financing a house or car that may seem attractive, but require you to adjust your goals; sales on “wants” – a new LCD TV or other electronics; and many other obstacles, if you did not plan on it have the discipline, consistency and perseverance to follow your plan/budget. (Note, emergency’s happen, that require a plan budget adjustment, emergency’s are medical, death, or  maybe a major purchase not expected new HVAC or car repair, these you will have to adjust your plan/budget)
5.     .    Monitor /reevaluate – As you execute your plan to achieve your goals, watch look and listen.  Things change, the key is to have a plan and incorporate these changes, therefore no surprise. 

There is no Golden Ticket to financial responsibility; there is common sense and hard decisions.  It can be made easier with the use of personal accounting software; most banks that offer on line banking will supply you with free personal accounting software like Quicken.   

Cautious Investing. by Haney Sweda

The economy had been growing robustly.. It was a technological boom as innovations of the new industries dominated the economy. Companies that had pioneered these advances, saw their value soar. Financial corporation’s also did well as Wall Street bankers floated companies. Investors were infatuated with the returns available in the stock market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at a level that all analysts’ said was low as compared to corporate profits. Then it became clear that the economy was contracting and the stock market went through a series of volatile declines. These declines fed investor anxiety and events soon came to a head. Then in a matter of 2 days the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell approximately 25% and would lose 40% in a matter of two weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average would not regain the high levels for 25 years.

This is a general description of financial affairs, but it is not of the occurrences of the past two weeks, it is of the affairs leading into October 24th, 1929 BLACK THURSDAY.
Will history repeat?

Steve Jobs and the sound of silence — Tech News and Analysis

Steve Jobs and the sound of silence — Tech News and Analysis

How To Increase Sales with Derek Halpern

Ann Handley Interview: Why You Need to Be Publishing Content - Vocus Blog

Ann Handley Interview: Why You Need to Be Publishing Content - Vocus Blog

TheWineBlog: CHAMPAGNE EXPERT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ONLINE

TheWineBlog: CHAMPAGNE EXPERT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ONLINE: CHAMPAGNE EXPERT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ONLINE Submit Questions for CIVC Communications Director by Wednesday, August 31 Want to know mo...

Selling on benefits? Then read this!

Selling on benefits? Then read this!

Matthew Hussey -- The Psychology of Entrepreneurship [Full]

Soaking & Poking: Italian Wine Tourism Fieldnotes « The Wine Economist

Soaking & Poking: Italian Wine Tourism Fieldnotes « The Wine Economist

Innovation Excellence | Innovation with Guerrilla Tactics

Innovation Excellence | Innovation with Guerrilla Tactics

Do You Have the “It” Factor? | Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

Do You Have the “It” Factor? | Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

Real Product for Restaurants, Bars and Nightclubs? by Haney Sweda

The menu may include appetizers, salad, sandwiches, seafood, chicken, pork, steak, beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, desert, etc.,  reality is these are the indirect products, for restaurants, bars and nightclubs.  Memories! that is the real product.

The customer's choice to utilize your establishment to record a date, birthday party, team function, prom night, family event, etc., results in a memory.  It is the responsibility of the establishment to ensure that each customer has a memorable experience.  Selling memories is a difficult proposition and each member of the staff must realize that a memory is subjective.

The moment the customer arrives in the parking lot the experience begins; Is the parking lot well landscaped, lit, clean; Is the front entrance attended with smiles and greetings; Are the restrooms clean, not just picked up but thoroughly clean;  Is the establishment organized, prepared and operating efficiently?  The small items matter! And the consumer notices them.  The consumer wakes up the next day and they have two things to recall the experience at your establishment a receipt and a Memory!

Power of Optimism by Haney Sweda

As a husband, father, friend, business owner, employer, coach, motivator; the power of optimism is the key to achievement.  I am reminded of a quote by Helen Keller - "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement." 




The confidence you can instill in others through optimism is contagious.  Hope regarding the future; success is forthcoming; this will be sopped up like gravy on a biscuit.  Even in the worst of situations find one thing, item or thought to be optimistic.  That one optimistic thread will fester and bloom into good.  That good will grow and prosper.  


Your family, friends, employees, co-workers, team  will be invigorated by your optimism which will lead to achievement.  Achievement that can only be brought about with an optimistic outlook.