Posts
Gardening is the word of the day. It could be because of the economy, but mostly it is because people realize that their food supply is not what they would like it to be - pure, and wholesome. Gardening is consumers telling the large chemical companies - no thanks.
If you start with a blueprint for your garden, when it is time to take shovel to earth, you will be ready. Whatever your "plot" of garden might be, if you work with what you have you will have success. Take into account what your property's natural beauty and areas are. You want to combine two very important aspects of gardening - beauty for the soul and utility for the body. If you have areas of "explosive" color and activity, then you can balance it with some quiet areas of solitude and peace.
A garden journal is a time saver and a future saver. It can be anything as simple as a shoe box with a tablet. Save your seed packets so that what works can be duplicated with the actual name of the plant you enjoyed so much, as well as the company or store where you purchased it. Write the dates that you planted and see if maybe it was too early because frost might have nipped some of your seedlings. Your box of plans, ideas, possibilities and hopes is a natural treasure and a gold mine. You can expand from what you have done, or scale back because maybe time was an issue with some work extensive plants. This is your primer to edit, delete, and add to. It is invaluable and a money saver. If something just did not work well in your area, then you don't want to spend your money on similar plants that probably won't do as well either.
Have assortment in mind as you select seeds and plants. It saves you from boredom when summer's heat isn't kind when you have to weed and feed. Diversity also keeps your garden safer from pests and diseases. It is also a safeguard - one very important word of advice. If you enjoy hot peppers, do not plant them near your bell peppers. Bees don't really know the difference and your everyday bell peppers will be a trip into spice land. Believe me this is not something you want to surprise your dinner menu with.
If you live where winter comes with a vengence, don't forget to plant evergreens around your garden area. They will protect your plot from winter's wind and in the spring, your ground will be ready to go with a few touches. If winter has its way, and there is not enough snow cover, your little garden will look like a relative of the desert areas you see in movies.
Think "specialty" gardens that can be incorporated into your overall plans. If you have small children, then you might want a red wagon type garden of fast growing plants that a child can enjoy and find success with. Take any old red wagon with wheels and a handle for moving around. Drill some holes in the bottom for drainage and fill with good dirt. Plant cherry tomatoes, a few string beans, maybe a cucumber plant, and strawberries. These can delight your child from blossom to fruit and it will prove a true gardening experience. If your area is tight, then you can move your red wagon garden to more suitable spots or even bring it on a patio or other area.
Try a salad garden raised bed around your yard. In this specialty garden, plant a tomato plant or two, some varied lettuce seeds, as well as carrots and some herbs. Then when dinner time comes around, you can get instant salad mix and fresh is just the beginning of this meal time wonder.
In your "quiet" garden, try lavender, and some tea roses for scent and beauty. Pansies with their tiny faces are a joy to behold when you just want to sit and rest. There are plants just made to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. These will add quality to your "quiet" garden as you marvel at the beauty of nature and its wonder. Reading in this area is a summer time luxury.
Teen agers might enjoy a "pizza" garden. Here is where you grow your heirloom tomatoes with their vibrant flavor and diversity of color. Add oregano, thyme, and some parsley to add to your meat toppings. If your teens love onions, garlic, and even green peppers on their pizza, add a few of these plants. Even teenagers will enjoy "picking" up their pizza ingredients.
Whatever your family enjoys and finds fun eating, you can incorporate it into small garden plots. The first rule of gardening - enjoy it and diversify. While fruits and vegetables are the main course of any garden, don't forget the flowers and decorative leaves for that dinner table centerpiece. In the fall, if you planned ahead and had your Halloween Garden in place, you can imagine the enjoyment of not ghosts and goblins but jack-o-lanterns right there at your finger tips, not to mention assorted gourds and squashes. There are even glow in the dark white pumpkins that shimmer in the moonlight. Gardening is fun, profitable, and a happy event.
Enjoy. ©Arleen M. Kaptur April, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Customers Today Need Special Care
Business strategies have to literally "go with the flow." What worked yesterday in a great economy needs to be adjusted to work in today's. The first thing that will bring you the desired results is to analyze your client base. If your customers range in the senior, baby-boomer, or retired range, then these are people on fixed incomes. While their activities may be curtailed a bit because of high prices, unemployment is not a problem for them, and most likely their homes are almost paid for.
If your customers are young families or individuals in the pre retirement range, then job security, as well as closed factories and foreclosures will bring buying power to lower levels, as more important bills will take any extra cash they may have.
Understanding your most precious commodity - namely, your customers, is your number one priority during these times. Of course, they should always be maintained with the highest regard, but especially now. Whatever the product or service you are providing, whether in street establishments or on the internet, this is the time to re-think strategies.
Advertising is a big ticket item in any business. With newspaper readerships dropping, the internet is an upward moving media. There is, and always will be, direct mail as well. When you place something in a person's mailbox, this is more individualized and a more personal approach. Offering a "club" membership to your regular customers as well as to any new customers that might be joining you, is not only a great incentive to shop at your place of business, but this is a direct way to track customer activity and to make adjustments as well as improvements in what you offer. If you see a certain product or service being used by more than half of those in your exclusive "club", then that is the motivator and the starting point to increase sales and consider it a "draw-in." The products or services that are not moving need to be removed or revamped. This managing tool is a very vital means of knowing what your customers like about your business and what they would like to see changed. You could offer "club" membership with their very first order, or you could offer it with coupons or rebates on certain products, to join or not, if they so desire.
The current "wave" of interest as well as statistics pointing to the fact that it will continue on into the future is organic, pure, and as basic as possible. People want to feel soil between their fingers and know where their food comes from, they want crafting possibilities so that they can be creative and they appreciate innovative ways to keep the earth green. If any of your products fall into these categories then your attention to these areas will be well worth your effort. Also, it doesn't hurt to offer something for "every" age group. There could be "senior" discounts as well as "children" offers. You could even suggest ways to entertain at home, or to make the most of their shopping dollars. Samples work very well in this environment because people can actually try and see if they like what you are offering. This doesn't necessarily have to be food items, it can be gardening, or paper products, as well as car repair or house repair items.
The economy can be your motivation to get to really know your customer base and work with them and for them. It can bring your business to become a "friend of the family" and really mean it. Today's savvy customers can tell a phony deal a mile away and once they get the scent of dishonesty, then it is almost impossible to regain what you have lost.
In today's business world, you too must use your creativity and look to your employees to provide even more inspiration and ideas. From top manager to store room clerk, everyone has different interests and different contacts. Make the most of these diversities by offering incentives to employees who come up with great ideas or whose plan to have an open house to free movie tickets for a family size purchase, will bring you the best of all worlds. You will have customers who will sense that you do care about them as individuals and not as just seeing the cash register ring and you will have employees stretching their imaginations and output so that with your success, they too gain not only monetarily with job security but with respect and being treated as truly "part of the business." A perfect way to go down the highway of today's business world.
Something to think about ©Arleen M. Kaptur April, 2009
If your customers are young families or individuals in the pre retirement range, then job security, as well as closed factories and foreclosures will bring buying power to lower levels, as more important bills will take any extra cash they may have.
Understanding your most precious commodity - namely, your customers, is your number one priority during these times. Of course, they should always be maintained with the highest regard, but especially now. Whatever the product or service you are providing, whether in street establishments or on the internet, this is the time to re-think strategies.
Advertising is a big ticket item in any business. With newspaper readerships dropping, the internet is an upward moving media. There is, and always will be, direct mail as well. When you place something in a person's mailbox, this is more individualized and a more personal approach. Offering a "club" membership to your regular customers as well as to any new customers that might be joining you, is not only a great incentive to shop at your place of business, but this is a direct way to track customer activity and to make adjustments as well as improvements in what you offer. If you see a certain product or service being used by more than half of those in your exclusive "club", then that is the motivator and the starting point to increase sales and consider it a "draw-in." The products or services that are not moving need to be removed or revamped. This managing tool is a very vital means of knowing what your customers like about your business and what they would like to see changed. You could offer "club" membership with their very first order, or you could offer it with coupons or rebates on certain products, to join or not, if they so desire.
The current "wave" of interest as well as statistics pointing to the fact that it will continue on into the future is organic, pure, and as basic as possible. People want to feel soil between their fingers and know where their food comes from, they want crafting possibilities so that they can be creative and they appreciate innovative ways to keep the earth green. If any of your products fall into these categories then your attention to these areas will be well worth your effort. Also, it doesn't hurt to offer something for "every" age group. There could be "senior" discounts as well as "children" offers. You could even suggest ways to entertain at home, or to make the most of their shopping dollars. Samples work very well in this environment because people can actually try and see if they like what you are offering. This doesn't necessarily have to be food items, it can be gardening, or paper products, as well as car repair or house repair items.
The economy can be your motivation to get to really know your customer base and work with them and for them. It can bring your business to become a "friend of the family" and really mean it. Today's savvy customers can tell a phony deal a mile away and once they get the scent of dishonesty, then it is almost impossible to regain what you have lost.
In today's business world, you too must use your creativity and look to your employees to provide even more inspiration and ideas. From top manager to store room clerk, everyone has different interests and different contacts. Make the most of these diversities by offering incentives to employees who come up with great ideas or whose plan to have an open house to free movie tickets for a family size purchase, will bring you the best of all worlds. You will have customers who will sense that you do care about them as individuals and not as just seeing the cash register ring and you will have employees stretching their imaginations and output so that with your success, they too gain not only monetarily with job security but with respect and being treated as truly "part of the business." A perfect way to go down the highway of today's business world.
Something to think about ©Arleen M. Kaptur April, 2009
An Open Letter to the Catholic Church
Notre Dame has invited President Obama to make the commencement address for this year's graduating class. The Catholic Church has decided that this is not appropriate and has addressed the fact that Notre Dame should rescind this decision. Catholics are making their voices heard that they do not want the President to have this honor because of his decisions on abortion and on stem cell research. Cardinal Francis George has even called this situation extremelyembarrassing and has asked Catholics to call, e-mail, or write and let Notre Dame know that they are not living up to their responsibility as a Catholic institution.
This type of action I find very hard to accept. I always was told through Catholic school education that the Catholic churchnot only "accepted" everyone, but we were suppose to love our neighbors as ourselves. This sounds like this doctrine taught to Catholic students for years is no longer appropriate. Sorry to say, while I sometimes find it hard to accept certain people, by their right as all children of God, I do have to accept them because we are all one human body under one God. I may not agree with what they say or do, but I do accept them. I did as a child and I do as an adult. The problem here is that the Church has decided that Mr. Obama is not part and parcel of this doctrine. They do not accept him on his decisions so they feel it is necessary to make sure that the college-age students he is to address should not be subject to his"doctrines." There are a few facts that should be brought into the limelight.
Where was the Catholic Church when President Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction and sent thousands of our young people to die? I did not hear major protests to the effect that he was wrong and that college students should not listen to his speeches because he led a nation to war over lies. The Catholic Church stands against abortion, and that has its place, but what happens when that child is born? Are they no longer under the right to be protected and cared for? Has the Respect for Life mantra expired upon the first birthday of a child or sooner? Sending them off to war when it was under false and deliberately misleading statements sounds likethe care for these "born" children is a bit lost. Remarks made by Cardinal George were at a human dignity and infertility session. Human dignity is showing the followers of the Church that they need to respect each other, no matter their differences, and to allow others to do the same. In other words, President Obama is the President of the "United" States and any dissension and division such as this can only lead to heartache and more conflict which is not in tune with bringing peace and good will to all.
There are all the Iraqi children who were innocent and did not even know what war was. Because of the lies of one administration, they are not allowed to reach adulthood. They were killed without reason, and they were not "protested" against by the Catholic Bishops. Their souls were just as important and precious to God as any unborn child. The Church's voice is loud and clear about abortion, but a child of three or four was not lamented with cries to halt the terrible actions so that these innocent ones could live. President Obama is not FOR abortion. If he was, he would not have the family he has. He is for the rights of a woman to make a decision with the help of her clergy, and her loved ones. I have never heard Mr. Obama make the statements that if you are pregnant, then abortion is the only way to go.
Presidents of any country do not represent only one faction of their people. They need to be open to all, including all religions, ethnic backgrounds, and social levels. All religions claim to be the "one and only" and the "true" religion. Religious churches claim "separation of church and state" in order to maintain their monetary means and not have to pay taxes. They do this because it is believed that people have a choice as to what manner they wish to worship God and where they find the peace all humans seek. When actions such as wanting the President of the United States to be insulted and un-invited to speak, when others were allowed, even though their actions were not always stellar, is stepping out of the "separation" theory. This is not fair and it is not beneficial to all peoples who believe in God but maintain their free will and choice as to how to worship and how to find ways to live with all their fellow people with dignity and respect.
What about the terrible acts of some priests with regard to sex scandals? These children were not protected or cared for except now when their childhood memories are tarnished and no longer a pleasure to look back at. They are suppose to be soothed with money and told to forgive those who harmed them. Where was the Church when the young under their care were placed in positions that allowed priests to harm them in a way that cuts and stains for a lifetime? There are no protests and denunciations by these victimsto stay out of churches or to tell people to turn their backs on the Church. I realize that not all priests are akin to acts such as those that have cost the church literally millions of dollars. The fact is that new born babies grow up and adults need care as well. What about the suffering and deaths of those whose illnesses could have been aided or cured with stem cell research? These grown up embryos deserve love and acceptance as well. There were no letter campaigns from victims of sexual abuse by the clergy, neither were there demands for e-mails and phone calls when literally thousands of children were killed in a country that did not cause 09/11, but was targeted by the Bush administration.
While the almost grown college graduates at Notre Dame are very capable to know what President Obama has considered and decided, they are not going to go to a conference on stem-cell research. They are going to a graduation and the fact that President Obama is leading our country - then further divisions between people is not a very Catholic thing to do. He is not going there to sell abortions to the young women, and he is not there to make sure that they are for stem-cell research. He is going there to tell the younger generation that there is "hope" and that "love" for this country and the world will see us through for better times for all. Isn't that what commencement speeches are about? It seems that as a black father, he is an example to those who have not been exactly stepping up to their responsibilities. As a man who loves education, he is there to tell these graduates that they have made the right decisions in reaching for higher challenges and believing that they too can make a difference, guided by their standards, morals. and abilities. Even these college graduates realize that not all will agree with their standards or moral beliefs, but they still need to live in the one world that we have and to bring peace, not division will benefit all, and as they say, from womb to tomb, we are all in this together.
If the mandates of the Church are to be believed and followed, then everyone is a child of God - the unborn as well as those born and growing, and adults, as well as the elderly. Hatred and planting the seeds of anger and dissension is cetainly not a very charitable way to go. Mr. Obama is a child of God, President of the greatest nation on earth, and a leader who will be taking our nation in a direction of peace and prosperity if all the citizens stand behind him. We need to be united, we need to be reaching out to everyone and seeking solutions for problems. The Church looks for forgiveness for the terrible acts of some of its priests, then why can't they open their minds and hearts, discuss the issues they disagree about with the administration, but do their utmost to unite and not divide. They need to sow love not division and hate. They need to allow the young that will soon take over this world to "hear" what both sides (but there should not be sides only healthy debate), and then know that they are loved enough to be allowed to be part of the world. They cannot and should not be protected from a man who is leading their country, who is Commander in Chief of the United States Services, and who is trying to straighten out a mess left by someone who was not treated in any such manner, but who brought about the current conditions we now have. Charity always began with the Church, but suggesting that Communion be withheld from certain individuals because of their beliefs, that doors should be shut to those who disagree on issues, and to create an aura of discord to a country who needs healing, is a very bad message to send and to promote. Our nation is in pain, through the two wars, the economy, and to political fever that allows cheating in elections and administrations who not only did not respect the voting public, but made it a point to not allow them to know the behind-closed-doors events. This turned the world from respecting the U.S. to hating us, it allowed our people to choose sides and anger, hostility, violence in schools, and abuse to the elderly grow rampant. Now the Bishops want to bring more and even more volatile discord into a situation that just might have found a way to heal and to repair itself, and that is why this is so wrong.
The Catholic Church knows the horrors when people turn to hatred and exclusion to settle differences. Why don't the church leaders turn their hearts and minds to accepting the President elected by the people, discuss with the White House what their fears or objections are, and realize that not all people are Catholics, but that they do believe in God and attend many different churches. Each religion should be joining hands and bringing about harmony and not contempt. We were told by the last administration to hate Iraq, even though it was Bin Laden who did the deed. We were told about the terrible terrorists, but we made the world worse when we would not open our minds and realize that other countries don't want war and they want peace just as much as Americans do, but not through deception and greed.
The Bishops should protect their flocks from the weapons the world uses and be the example that Christ would have been. Also, the Catholic Church should have enough "faith" in the young adults who have gone through their school systems to know right from wrong and to follow Christ in loving and accepting everyone and settling differences with a hand shake and not a hate march. Maybe the younger generation should remind the older Church leaders of what they stood for and how the youngwant to believe and stand behind the doctrines, but are mature enough to do it with love. Mr. Obama deserves to address the youth of this country because he is there leader. He is not their priest or minister. He is the civil leader who has the job of bringing this nation together, and if the Catholic Church continues to tear at the ties that bind, then when the world sees the hardened hearts of those who judge a man by issues and not by what is in his heart, then the unborn, those born and those in all stages of life lose the most blessed gift of all - peace to live a life of harmony, respect, and allowing others to do the same.
Something to think about
©Arleen M. Kaptur April, 2009
This type of action I find very hard to accept. I always was told through Catholic school education that the Catholic churchnot only "accepted" everyone, but we were suppose to love our neighbors as ourselves. This sounds like this doctrine taught to Catholic students for years is no longer appropriate. Sorry to say, while I sometimes find it hard to accept certain people, by their right as all children of God, I do have to accept them because we are all one human body under one God. I may not agree with what they say or do, but I do accept them. I did as a child and I do as an adult. The problem here is that the Church has decided that Mr. Obama is not part and parcel of this doctrine. They do not accept him on his decisions so they feel it is necessary to make sure that the college-age students he is to address should not be subject to his"doctrines." There are a few facts that should be brought into the limelight.
Where was the Catholic Church when President Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction and sent thousands of our young people to die? I did not hear major protests to the effect that he was wrong and that college students should not listen to his speeches because he led a nation to war over lies. The Catholic Church stands against abortion, and that has its place, but what happens when that child is born? Are they no longer under the right to be protected and cared for? Has the Respect for Life mantra expired upon the first birthday of a child or sooner? Sending them off to war when it was under false and deliberately misleading statements sounds likethe care for these "born" children is a bit lost. Remarks made by Cardinal George were at a human dignity and infertility session. Human dignity is showing the followers of the Church that they need to respect each other, no matter their differences, and to allow others to do the same. In other words, President Obama is the President of the "United" States and any dissension and division such as this can only lead to heartache and more conflict which is not in tune with bringing peace and good will to all.
There are all the Iraqi children who were innocent and did not even know what war was. Because of the lies of one administration, they are not allowed to reach adulthood. They were killed without reason, and they were not "protested" against by the Catholic Bishops. Their souls were just as important and precious to God as any unborn child. The Church's voice is loud and clear about abortion, but a child of three or four was not lamented with cries to halt the terrible actions so that these innocent ones could live. President Obama is not FOR abortion. If he was, he would not have the family he has. He is for the rights of a woman to make a decision with the help of her clergy, and her loved ones. I have never heard Mr. Obama make the statements that if you are pregnant, then abortion is the only way to go.
Presidents of any country do not represent only one faction of their people. They need to be open to all, including all religions, ethnic backgrounds, and social levels. All religions claim to be the "one and only" and the "true" religion. Religious churches claim "separation of church and state" in order to maintain their monetary means and not have to pay taxes. They do this because it is believed that people have a choice as to what manner they wish to worship God and where they find the peace all humans seek. When actions such as wanting the President of the United States to be insulted and un-invited to speak, when others were allowed, even though their actions were not always stellar, is stepping out of the "separation" theory. This is not fair and it is not beneficial to all peoples who believe in God but maintain their free will and choice as to how to worship and how to find ways to live with all their fellow people with dignity and respect.
What about the terrible acts of some priests with regard to sex scandals? These children were not protected or cared for except now when their childhood memories are tarnished and no longer a pleasure to look back at. They are suppose to be soothed with money and told to forgive those who harmed them. Where was the Church when the young under their care were placed in positions that allowed priests to harm them in a way that cuts and stains for a lifetime? There are no protests and denunciations by these victimsto stay out of churches or to tell people to turn their backs on the Church. I realize that not all priests are akin to acts such as those that have cost the church literally millions of dollars. The fact is that new born babies grow up and adults need care as well. What about the suffering and deaths of those whose illnesses could have been aided or cured with stem cell research? These grown up embryos deserve love and acceptance as well. There were no letter campaigns from victims of sexual abuse by the clergy, neither were there demands for e-mails and phone calls when literally thousands of children were killed in a country that did not cause 09/11, but was targeted by the Bush administration.
While the almost grown college graduates at Notre Dame are very capable to know what President Obama has considered and decided, they are not going to go to a conference on stem-cell research. They are going to a graduation and the fact that President Obama is leading our country - then further divisions between people is not a very Catholic thing to do. He is not going there to sell abortions to the young women, and he is not there to make sure that they are for stem-cell research. He is going there to tell the younger generation that there is "hope" and that "love" for this country and the world will see us through for better times for all. Isn't that what commencement speeches are about? It seems that as a black father, he is an example to those who have not been exactly stepping up to their responsibilities. As a man who loves education, he is there to tell these graduates that they have made the right decisions in reaching for higher challenges and believing that they too can make a difference, guided by their standards, morals. and abilities. Even these college graduates realize that not all will agree with their standards or moral beliefs, but they still need to live in the one world that we have and to bring peace, not division will benefit all, and as they say, from womb to tomb, we are all in this together.
If the mandates of the Church are to be believed and followed, then everyone is a child of God - the unborn as well as those born and growing, and adults, as well as the elderly. Hatred and planting the seeds of anger and dissension is cetainly not a very charitable way to go. Mr. Obama is a child of God, President of the greatest nation on earth, and a leader who will be taking our nation in a direction of peace and prosperity if all the citizens stand behind him. We need to be united, we need to be reaching out to everyone and seeking solutions for problems. The Church looks for forgiveness for the terrible acts of some of its priests, then why can't they open their minds and hearts, discuss the issues they disagree about with the administration, but do their utmost to unite and not divide. They need to sow love not division and hate. They need to allow the young that will soon take over this world to "hear" what both sides (but there should not be sides only healthy debate), and then know that they are loved enough to be allowed to be part of the world. They cannot and should not be protected from a man who is leading their country, who is Commander in Chief of the United States Services, and who is trying to straighten out a mess left by someone who was not treated in any such manner, but who brought about the current conditions we now have. Charity always began with the Church, but suggesting that Communion be withheld from certain individuals because of their beliefs, that doors should be shut to those who disagree on issues, and to create an aura of discord to a country who needs healing, is a very bad message to send and to promote. Our nation is in pain, through the two wars, the economy, and to political fever that allows cheating in elections and administrations who not only did not respect the voting public, but made it a point to not allow them to know the behind-closed-doors events. This turned the world from respecting the U.S. to hating us, it allowed our people to choose sides and anger, hostility, violence in schools, and abuse to the elderly grow rampant. Now the Bishops want to bring more and even more volatile discord into a situation that just might have found a way to heal and to repair itself, and that is why this is so wrong.
The Catholic Church knows the horrors when people turn to hatred and exclusion to settle differences. Why don't the church leaders turn their hearts and minds to accepting the President elected by the people, discuss with the White House what their fears or objections are, and realize that not all people are Catholics, but that they do believe in God and attend many different churches. Each religion should be joining hands and bringing about harmony and not contempt. We were told by the last administration to hate Iraq, even though it was Bin Laden who did the deed. We were told about the terrible terrorists, but we made the world worse when we would not open our minds and realize that other countries don't want war and they want peace just as much as Americans do, but not through deception and greed.
The Bishops should protect their flocks from the weapons the world uses and be the example that Christ would have been. Also, the Catholic Church should have enough "faith" in the young adults who have gone through their school systems to know right from wrong and to follow Christ in loving and accepting everyone and settling differences with a hand shake and not a hate march. Maybe the younger generation should remind the older Church leaders of what they stood for and how the youngwant to believe and stand behind the doctrines, but are mature enough to do it with love. Mr. Obama deserves to address the youth of this country because he is there leader. He is not their priest or minister. He is the civil leader who has the job of bringing this nation together, and if the Catholic Church continues to tear at the ties that bind, then when the world sees the hardened hearts of those who judge a man by issues and not by what is in his heart, then the unborn, those born and those in all stages of life lose the most blessed gift of all - peace to live a life of harmony, respect, and allowing others to do the same.
Something to think about
©Arleen M. Kaptur April, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Prime Time Education - Is a Hard Pill to Swallow
You are what you eat - this saying has been around for a very long time. There is now a newer, more modern sage saying that everyone should take notice of - especially parents.Your children are what you let them see. A bit different, yes, but very up to date when it comes to what our children are allowed or just happen upon as they play video games, switch channels on the TV, or surf on the computer.
There have been some court cases of parents suing companies because their children committed vicious crimes after seeing a TV program or playing a computer game that allowed them to "shoot 'em up". The difference was that the "players" got up after the game, but in real life, the victims don't get up. School violence is a travesty and everyone asks, "Where did these children come up with these violent thoughts?"
There is violence in something as simple as comic books, with super heroes doing the unthinkable. The toys that mimic the super heroes can do anything that the imagination can give them the authority to do. Movies, TV, computer video games, and even TV shows that allow children to see violent crimes, such as rape, murder, incest, and torture. They may not stay on the channel for very long, but it is the image that finds a place in their mind and decides to stay there.
Corporations that put out this type of action advertisements say that this is not their fault, and that their product just could not have the influence that the parents say it has. Case in point - why do corporations spend literally millions of dollars a minute to put a commercial on at the Super Bowl games. The answer - because they know that a picture is worth a thousand words and an image will leave a lasting impression. It is business sense to place your ads where so many people will see them. So, in essence, that image will stay in a consumer's back thoughts and when they see that image elsewhere or see a particular product, they will buy it because they remember the commercial - which might have been months past.
Human behavior has been charted by corporate America for a very long time. They have it down pat as to what sells products and what does not. While they mean no particular harm, as they state, they do target their images to areas and parts of the population that will trigger more business, bigger bottom lines. Liquor ads for low priced liquors appear all over low income areas of the country. Tobacco ads offer "gifts" for saving coupons which in turn means that you have to buy more to get something. Teenagers are pressured with "war game" videos and can even carry them with hand-held computers just in case they get bored with real life. These games are carried over into movies, various products with the insignia or image, and even into our drugstores. Take these vitamins and you too can be a "super hero."
Prime time TV is an unmanaged field of adult content but aired when families should be together and children of all ages are sitting right there on the couch next to mom and dad. Erectile dysfunction ads are prevalent and the idea that a pill will make you more of a man is there at every break in the program. The drug companies have pill ads that allow your children to see that from a simple stomach ache to a cold and sinus infection, the pills are right there to relieve whatever ails you. How about peer pressure, fear of not being popular, or even freezing up on test day? Children are growing much taller and stronger these days, but their minds are still the minds of a child. The maturity factor grows with experience and day to day living. As a child their perception of reality and what they see does get a bit mixed up. What they don't hear are the side effects to these drug ads which now include such daunting effects as cancer, heart attack, stroke, and even death. This is lost in the vision of the perfect man, woman, and couple.
What can a parent do when their children are at risk, and society as a whole is less because of the marketing strategies of corporate America? There are companies that are taking their responsibilities to heart and trying to curb when their ads appear and where, but once again, it is the few bad eggs that allow prime time and fun time to be turned into violence. Did you ever try to get a nagging "theme" song out of your mind, or even recognize a picture on a billboard before you even knew the title? Well, children's minds work basically the same way. There is that image of perfection, popularity, and "kicking ass" that sways their mind set into being what they can't be at the moment. They want to be on top and they want to prove something to everybody that they have prowness and abilities. They do have abilities and as the future becomes today, they will grow into whatever they want to do with their lives. But right now, right here, that pill, that cigarette, bottle of liquor, and worse, that violence calls to the heavens that they can have it all right now, no questions asked. But the questions have to be asked, and the changes must be made. The solution - taking the time to note the products and the companies that make them - remember these companies are always looking at their bottom line - products sold and profits raked in. If you have to hurt them where it really hurts in order to get them to stop destroying the futures of so many young, then don't buy what they are promoting, and don't allow these products in your home, no matter how much your children cry, demand, and bring up the fact that "everyone has one." While that may be true, your main concern is to start changing things right on your home front so that parents in the next house can use your children as the example of how " you don't need that to be good in school, good with friends, and going down the right path to a wonderful future.
Parenting is a hard job because there are no instruction booklets that are given out at birth. It is a hit and miss sort of job description, but everyone strives for more hits then misses. Children do turn out fine and parents can be proud of milestones all along the path, but it does take strong standards, hard decisions, and knowing what is out there and can do harm. It is education for the parents and it is not taught in school, but in the very real world. The world does not have your child's best interests at heart because it is too busy making sure that money flows and profits rise. It is therefore the job of parents to take the reins and make sure that when they pull the "strings", they rope in decency, good values, and best of all, the pride that their children will have that their parents took some risks, maybe made some mistakes, but it was always done with love. Something to think about ©Arleen M. Kaptur April, 2009
There have been some court cases of parents suing companies because their children committed vicious crimes after seeing a TV program or playing a computer game that allowed them to "shoot 'em up". The difference was that the "players" got up after the game, but in real life, the victims don't get up. School violence is a travesty and everyone asks, "Where did these children come up with these violent thoughts?"
There is violence in something as simple as comic books, with super heroes doing the unthinkable. The toys that mimic the super heroes can do anything that the imagination can give them the authority to do. Movies, TV, computer video games, and even TV shows that allow children to see violent crimes, such as rape, murder, incest, and torture. They may not stay on the channel for very long, but it is the image that finds a place in their mind and decides to stay there.
Corporations that put out this type of action advertisements say that this is not their fault, and that their product just could not have the influence that the parents say it has. Case in point - why do corporations spend literally millions of dollars a minute to put a commercial on at the Super Bowl games. The answer - because they know that a picture is worth a thousand words and an image will leave a lasting impression. It is business sense to place your ads where so many people will see them. So, in essence, that image will stay in a consumer's back thoughts and when they see that image elsewhere or see a particular product, they will buy it because they remember the commercial - which might have been months past.
Human behavior has been charted by corporate America for a very long time. They have it down pat as to what sells products and what does not. While they mean no particular harm, as they state, they do target their images to areas and parts of the population that will trigger more business, bigger bottom lines. Liquor ads for low priced liquors appear all over low income areas of the country. Tobacco ads offer "gifts" for saving coupons which in turn means that you have to buy more to get something. Teenagers are pressured with "war game" videos and can even carry them with hand-held computers just in case they get bored with real life. These games are carried over into movies, various products with the insignia or image, and even into our drugstores. Take these vitamins and you too can be a "super hero."
Prime time TV is an unmanaged field of adult content but aired when families should be together and children of all ages are sitting right there on the couch next to mom and dad. Erectile dysfunction ads are prevalent and the idea that a pill will make you more of a man is there at every break in the program. The drug companies have pill ads that allow your children to see that from a simple stomach ache to a cold and sinus infection, the pills are right there to relieve whatever ails you. How about peer pressure, fear of not being popular, or even freezing up on test day? Children are growing much taller and stronger these days, but their minds are still the minds of a child. The maturity factor grows with experience and day to day living. As a child their perception of reality and what they see does get a bit mixed up. What they don't hear are the side effects to these drug ads which now include such daunting effects as cancer, heart attack, stroke, and even death. This is lost in the vision of the perfect man, woman, and couple.
What can a parent do when their children are at risk, and society as a whole is less because of the marketing strategies of corporate America? There are companies that are taking their responsibilities to heart and trying to curb when their ads appear and where, but once again, it is the few bad eggs that allow prime time and fun time to be turned into violence. Did you ever try to get a nagging "theme" song out of your mind, or even recognize a picture on a billboard before you even knew the title? Well, children's minds work basically the same way. There is that image of perfection, popularity, and "kicking ass" that sways their mind set into being what they can't be at the moment. They want to be on top and they want to prove something to everybody that they have prowness and abilities. They do have abilities and as the future becomes today, they will grow into whatever they want to do with their lives. But right now, right here, that pill, that cigarette, bottle of liquor, and worse, that violence calls to the heavens that they can have it all right now, no questions asked. But the questions have to be asked, and the changes must be made. The solution - taking the time to note the products and the companies that make them - remember these companies are always looking at their bottom line - products sold and profits raked in. If you have to hurt them where it really hurts in order to get them to stop destroying the futures of so many young, then don't buy what they are promoting, and don't allow these products in your home, no matter how much your children cry, demand, and bring up the fact that "everyone has one." While that may be true, your main concern is to start changing things right on your home front so that parents in the next house can use your children as the example of how " you don't need that to be good in school, good with friends, and going down the right path to a wonderful future.
Parenting is a hard job because there are no instruction booklets that are given out at birth. It is a hit and miss sort of job description, but everyone strives for more hits then misses. Children do turn out fine and parents can be proud of milestones all along the path, but it does take strong standards, hard decisions, and knowing what is out there and can do harm. It is education for the parents and it is not taught in school, but in the very real world. The world does not have your child's best interests at heart because it is too busy making sure that money flows and profits rise. It is therefore the job of parents to take the reins and make sure that when they pull the "strings", they rope in decency, good values, and best of all, the pride that their children will have that their parents took some risks, maybe made some mistakes, but it was always done with love. Something to think about ©Arleen M. Kaptur April, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
STOP - You're Killing Yourself
This day and age is really a study in contrasts. It seems that we value sports figures more than we value educators. We do nothing when politicians lie to us, but we demand justice when a line in a contract between friends is not with "Ts" crossed or the "i'"s dotted. If someone on the road interferes with your travel speed, some turn to road rage, but when a company sells you enough pills to make sure that you are incapable of functioning without these chemicals, you call it "taking care of yourself."
Take any TV commerical by a drug company and the "side effects" are enough to make you ill. While the pill may cure what ails you at the moment, the side effects lately have been coming on stronger than the drugs. They can cause cancer, heart failure and even death. You will not die from what you took the pill for, but the pill itself just might put you to eternal rest.
Our system of checks and balances is also a bit lopsided. We call it murder or suicide if a person dies quickly, such as at their own hand or that of a stranger. But if a perpetrator lets you suffer for a very long time, and you die, then it is not murder, but a natural death. Tobacco companies continue to sell products that eventually will give you cancer or a painful death. They tone their ads to teen-agers because the longer you smoke, you will suffer more in the end but the outcome will still be the same. Your family will not have you as part of the home front - but it wasn't murder. It was your fault as the tobacco attorneys would tell you, because you picked up that smoke and inhaled that blue haze. The truth being that they produced a product that they knew was not a "healthy" product, but they are free to go and harm another person.
If a soldier from our country dies, he is defending his country and it's honor. He is a hero. A soldier from another country is an "attacker" even though we traveled into his land to "defend" what we believe is ours. The citizens of the other country are wrong and our soldier will always be a hero. A play on words, because both deaths are wrong - in the eyes of their families and in the eyes of those who love and care about them. Words are used to justify and place blame.
We slowly place ourselves in harm's way in a multitude of different ways each and every day. We inhale cancer causing chemicals, we poison our systems with additives and supplements in our food supply that have not been adequately checked for future damage in a human body, and we breathe unclean air every day from cars, factories, and other places. Even second hand smoke from smokers is a risk to any person, but we are not calling this murder. We tolerate all these dangers because society does not give it a name that matches what it does. If you picked up a gun and placed it to your head, you would be arrested. If you take a chemically laden box of treats that have enough artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, and assorted laboratory send-offs, you are fine - you are living the American dream.
The point to all this is that we have to take a stand to preserve our own lives and that of everyone else. There is no outrage for the daily assault on health for our children or for adults. We say nothing and the corporate giants continue to produce new and better ways to do us in. Our food is not pure, neither is the air we breathe or the water we drink. The plastic bottles that we carry with our water will cause cancer. The make-up you use may give you skin cancer and so forth, but still people are not offended enough to stand up and demand that changes be made, that profit margins do not include every third person dying from the side effects of new and better drugs - new maybe but better and for whom?
From tobacco giants to automakers, standards must be placed so that unsafe and harmful products are not sold on the open market, and they are not allowed into the hands of our children. That bottle of pills that you take for a cold can be used to get a teenager high. Even that detergent to get clothes cleaner than clean pollutes ground water and lakes.
The solution to this tragedy - is very simple. People, every man, woman, and child, must say "NO" to corporate greed and insensitivity to the lives of those who buy the products they entice us with through fancy commercials and ads in newspapers and magazines. They bombard the air waves so that children demand products that parents know are not quite tested for safety. We throw our hands up in the air when a foreign made product is said to cause harm, but we allow the companies within our borders to infiltrate the sacred boundaries of home and hearth through the very items that we need to live. Our food needs to be safer, our water needs to be cleaner, and our air should be fit to breathe.
Bottom line - if we don't car about ourselves right now and right here, then how can we preach to our children that they should not smoke, take medications that might do more harm than good, and to take a deep breath when they step outside. Something is very wrong here - and the main "wrong" is that we are not doing something. Words - if only we could as a society call a "wrong" exactly what it is - or it will continue to kill us.
Something to think about
©Arleen M. Kaptur March, 2009
Take any TV commerical by a drug company and the "side effects" are enough to make you ill. While the pill may cure what ails you at the moment, the side effects lately have been coming on stronger than the drugs. They can cause cancer, heart failure and even death. You will not die from what you took the pill for, but the pill itself just might put you to eternal rest.
Our system of checks and balances is also a bit lopsided. We call it murder or suicide if a person dies quickly, such as at their own hand or that of a stranger. But if a perpetrator lets you suffer for a very long time, and you die, then it is not murder, but a natural death. Tobacco companies continue to sell products that eventually will give you cancer or a painful death. They tone their ads to teen-agers because the longer you smoke, you will suffer more in the end but the outcome will still be the same. Your family will not have you as part of the home front - but it wasn't murder. It was your fault as the tobacco attorneys would tell you, because you picked up that smoke and inhaled that blue haze. The truth being that they produced a product that they knew was not a "healthy" product, but they are free to go and harm another person.
If a soldier from our country dies, he is defending his country and it's honor. He is a hero. A soldier from another country is an "attacker" even though we traveled into his land to "defend" what we believe is ours. The citizens of the other country are wrong and our soldier will always be a hero. A play on words, because both deaths are wrong - in the eyes of their families and in the eyes of those who love and care about them. Words are used to justify and place blame.
We slowly place ourselves in harm's way in a multitude of different ways each and every day. We inhale cancer causing chemicals, we poison our systems with additives and supplements in our food supply that have not been adequately checked for future damage in a human body, and we breathe unclean air every day from cars, factories, and other places. Even second hand smoke from smokers is a risk to any person, but we are not calling this murder. We tolerate all these dangers because society does not give it a name that matches what it does. If you picked up a gun and placed it to your head, you would be arrested. If you take a chemically laden box of treats that have enough artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, and assorted laboratory send-offs, you are fine - you are living the American dream.
The point to all this is that we have to take a stand to preserve our own lives and that of everyone else. There is no outrage for the daily assault on health for our children or for adults. We say nothing and the corporate giants continue to produce new and better ways to do us in. Our food is not pure, neither is the air we breathe or the water we drink. The plastic bottles that we carry with our water will cause cancer. The make-up you use may give you skin cancer and so forth, but still people are not offended enough to stand up and demand that changes be made, that profit margins do not include every third person dying from the side effects of new and better drugs - new maybe but better and for whom?
From tobacco giants to automakers, standards must be placed so that unsafe and harmful products are not sold on the open market, and they are not allowed into the hands of our children. That bottle of pills that you take for a cold can be used to get a teenager high. Even that detergent to get clothes cleaner than clean pollutes ground water and lakes.
The solution to this tragedy - is very simple. People, every man, woman, and child, must say "NO" to corporate greed and insensitivity to the lives of those who buy the products they entice us with through fancy commercials and ads in newspapers and magazines. They bombard the air waves so that children demand products that parents know are not quite tested for safety. We throw our hands up in the air when a foreign made product is said to cause harm, but we allow the companies within our borders to infiltrate the sacred boundaries of home and hearth through the very items that we need to live. Our food needs to be safer, our water needs to be cleaner, and our air should be fit to breathe.
Bottom line - if we don't car about ourselves right now and right here, then how can we preach to our children that they should not smoke, take medications that might do more harm than good, and to take a deep breath when they step outside. Something is very wrong here - and the main "wrong" is that we are not doing something. Words - if only we could as a society call a "wrong" exactly what it is - or it will continue to kill us.
Something to think about
©Arleen M. Kaptur March, 2009
Special Occasions Demand Special Gifts
Celebrations are an enjoyable part of life. These special days highlight milestones in a person's life and accomplishment. Whether it is a birthday party, anniversary, or national holiday, taking the time to be part of a "celebration" is a privilege.
Gifts are usually part of any party and they are paramount when it comes to children being the guests of honor. Many people feel that it is the amount that a gift costs that leaves the best impression. While that may be true to some, it has taken a back seat to another manner of showing how much you care and what a person means to you. This new "wave" in today's economy, is simple - it is creativity and inspiration. If you are handy and can paint, sew, knit, or make things out of wood, then you have a store right there at your fingertips. If, you feel that this just isn't you, maybe you just haven't tried it out for size. Personalizing a gift is by far the more meaningful memento of any occasion. Store bought gifts are appreciated, but they soon find their way onto shelves and into boxes. It is that "special something" in a hand-made gift that stands out and is a source of joy and remembrance for a very long time. Hand-made is and always will be heart-made, but if you are a bit unsure of how to begin, then begin with what you can do. Going to tag sales or yard sales is a great way to "shop" for truly wonderful gifts. Keep in mind the interests and even the favorite colors of the person you are shopping for. When you see an object that "is just so" that person, let your creative mind take over and make it a one of a kind find. Embellishing is a fantastic way to begin "making special gifts." You can glue a picture, use sparkles, ribbons, lace, and even fish lures to create a special occasion treasure. With regard to those fishing lures, if you find an "outdoorsy" box or container, placing fishing lures or other sporting items in this special box, then decorating it to "personalize" it is all it takes to become part of this new way of celebrating. Ideas are everywhere and you can visit scrapbooking or crafting stores for supplies such as glitter, paints, and even emblems, monograms, and even insignias. Enhance your special find to fit the person it is going to, and have fun with it as well. Enrich it so that you make a point of just how special this person is and how great it is to be part of their lives.
Cards have always been "greetings" for special occasions and holidays. It seems that e-cards can be fun, but they are not the type of cards you want to store in a "treasure" box and check out once in a while when life just gets in the way, the way it has a tendency to do. Hand-made cards are not suppose to be difficult and only for the artistically inclined. They are choosing a picture or drawing that "means" something, or is symbolic of the occasion, and adding "your" greetings, your special "words" and feelings. When you use e-cards or store bought cards, some total stranger is making the "wish." If you, no matter your expertise at writing, adds a "memory" such as a special event, or meeting to individualize your card, this just adds more feeling to your "card." Photographs are sure-fire choices and even a favorite poem from a book you both might enjoy or even from a favorite movie or trip. It does not have to be "classical literature." It only has to come from the heart.
Gift wraps and ribbons - now here is a great way to add to the beauty of your gift. Wrapping a gift in a newspaper with the special day's headlines (only if they are uplifting), or even with a place mat from a favorite restaurant is first-rate. Ribbons can be plain that you have "added on" to with stickers, or sparkly add ons. They can be twine, lace trim, braid, yarn, or even a chain made from pine needles (great for that sportsman). The point is you match all the "extras" to the person and their interests, likes, and enjoyments.
People are unique and special - each one different. Gifts should follow suit. A gift from a store shelf will go to a lot of different people, but it is the same item to a myriad of personalities. Therefore, the gift is not highlighting the distinctive qualities of the celebrating person. It is a one size fits all instead of one of a kind delight.
Now is the perfect time to rethink gift-giving. It is the best opportunity to shop with meaning instead of wallet power, and to change your store bought gifts into true special day or holiday memories. It doesn't have to take a lot of time or effort, it just has to take quality time in looking for an item, and the effort of making it one of a kind.
Something to think about
©Arleen M. Kaptur March, 2009
Gifts are usually part of any party and they are paramount when it comes to children being the guests of honor. Many people feel that it is the amount that a gift costs that leaves the best impression. While that may be true to some, it has taken a back seat to another manner of showing how much you care and what a person means to you. This new "wave" in today's economy, is simple - it is creativity and inspiration. If you are handy and can paint, sew, knit, or make things out of wood, then you have a store right there at your fingertips. If, you feel that this just isn't you, maybe you just haven't tried it out for size. Personalizing a gift is by far the more meaningful memento of any occasion. Store bought gifts are appreciated, but they soon find their way onto shelves and into boxes. It is that "special something" in a hand-made gift that stands out and is a source of joy and remembrance for a very long time. Hand-made is and always will be heart-made, but if you are a bit unsure of how to begin, then begin with what you can do. Going to tag sales or yard sales is a great way to "shop" for truly wonderful gifts. Keep in mind the interests and even the favorite colors of the person you are shopping for. When you see an object that "is just so" that person, let your creative mind take over and make it a one of a kind find. Embellishing is a fantastic way to begin "making special gifts." You can glue a picture, use sparkles, ribbons, lace, and even fish lures to create a special occasion treasure. With regard to those fishing lures, if you find an "outdoorsy" box or container, placing fishing lures or other sporting items in this special box, then decorating it to "personalize" it is all it takes to become part of this new way of celebrating. Ideas are everywhere and you can visit scrapbooking or crafting stores for supplies such as glitter, paints, and even emblems, monograms, and even insignias. Enhance your special find to fit the person it is going to, and have fun with it as well. Enrich it so that you make a point of just how special this person is and how great it is to be part of their lives.
Cards have always been "greetings" for special occasions and holidays. It seems that e-cards can be fun, but they are not the type of cards you want to store in a "treasure" box and check out once in a while when life just gets in the way, the way it has a tendency to do. Hand-made cards are not suppose to be difficult and only for the artistically inclined. They are choosing a picture or drawing that "means" something, or is symbolic of the occasion, and adding "your" greetings, your special "words" and feelings. When you use e-cards or store bought cards, some total stranger is making the "wish." If you, no matter your expertise at writing, adds a "memory" such as a special event, or meeting to individualize your card, this just adds more feeling to your "card." Photographs are sure-fire choices and even a favorite poem from a book you both might enjoy or even from a favorite movie or trip. It does not have to be "classical literature." It only has to come from the heart.
Gift wraps and ribbons - now here is a great way to add to the beauty of your gift. Wrapping a gift in a newspaper with the special day's headlines (only if they are uplifting), or even with a place mat from a favorite restaurant is first-rate. Ribbons can be plain that you have "added on" to with stickers, or sparkly add ons. They can be twine, lace trim, braid, yarn, or even a chain made from pine needles (great for that sportsman). The point is you match all the "extras" to the person and their interests, likes, and enjoyments.
People are unique and special - each one different. Gifts should follow suit. A gift from a store shelf will go to a lot of different people, but it is the same item to a myriad of personalities. Therefore, the gift is not highlighting the distinctive qualities of the celebrating person. It is a one size fits all instead of one of a kind delight.
Now is the perfect time to rethink gift-giving. It is the best opportunity to shop with meaning instead of wallet power, and to change your store bought gifts into true special day or holiday memories. It doesn't have to take a lot of time or effort, it just has to take quality time in looking for an item, and the effort of making it one of a kind.
Something to think about
©Arleen M. Kaptur March, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Today's Economy is a Business Boom
Money is tight, businesses all over the world are closing their doors and unemployment has hit workers harder now then since the Great Depression. How can this environment be a boom to business? Very simply - if you are the owner, or manager of any business - you can make it work.
There is a quotation by Warren Buffett - It takes 20 years to build a reputation, but only 5 minutes to ruin it. Nothing could be more truthful than this one statement. If your business is based on quality and not quantity, your workers are your source of pride and not only bottom line, and you yourself have a direct hands-on passion for what you do - then recession, depression, or anything in between will be to your advantage.
Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's Hamburgers was another great example of what true business success is all about. His foundation for his restaurants was a combination of hard work, patience, and above all honesty in all dealings. If you, as the owner or manager, have a strong, passionate commitment to what you produce, the people you serve or sell to, and how you will stand behind every product you put out, then you have success guilded in bright letters for your business. As a business person, you know that the there will always be ways to get out of deals and guarantees, but this does and has lead to doors being chained and business dreams being added to the heap that is quickly piling up and known as America's small business enterprises. However, if you change your way of thinking and instead of knowing all the ways to get out of promises, if you never stop finding ways to save deals, commitments, and guarantees, then your front door to the buying public will be open and the fresh air of new business will flow.
Commitment is the very difference that can make or break a small shop, or a large mega-corporation. Everyone has read about the greed of some CEO's, and the fact that while they basked in the security of finances, their workers' pensions and benefits melted away. However, there have been owners and directors who turned the tables on "bad" business and instead made the headlines for sharing corporate profits with workers when things were tough and gave workers not only the monetary benefits but the moral and ego benefits needed to produce the best products and give the best service. You yourself know that being motivated and assured that what you are doing is the best you can do, taking one step further is the sign of success. If you can get this message across to your workers, you have to believe in it yourself and practice it until it is perfect. What is perfection? It is knowing that after you reach this high step, there can always be a step higher. It is never being satisfied with what is perfect, but letting those that work under you to know that you are grateful for this level of success, but together, and this is the key word, together it can be better and better.
In today's economy, doesn't it make sense to reach out to families that are struggling and give them their money's worth in what they purchase from you, as well as the trust that it takes so very long to build up to. If you continue with your quest to make every customer a return customer - then you have the answer to what ails American businesses today. The key that unlocks the chest of success in your business is that you - together with your workers - not your workers alone while you sit back and bask in their output - will keep that cash register ringing when other businesses and their registers sit silently in the dark. If you can turn first time buyers into returning customers, then that is a feather in your cap. If you can turn returning customers into passing the word about your way of doing business, then you have a gold mine. In this gold mine though, you have to pick up that pick and shovel and work just as hard as you are asking your workers to work. You have to pick up that phone and speak the truth to your customers instead of asking your workers to dance around the truth, but never tell it like it really is. If you have trust, and you let it go because of greed, or wanting to cut corners, then you might as well go and buy that chain and padlock from the hardware store that you trust and that you give repeat business to. Irony - you bet - but the type of irony that keeps you motivated and with your heart in the right place.
No body begrudges a business owner a profit, but if that profit is gotten on the backs of people who shell out hard earned money that is becoming harder to come by, then your profit will blow in the wind and disappear with every economic downturn. However, if you assure your customers that you stand behind that widget you sell, the car repair you just completed, and that they are welcome to ask questions and get answers, then clouds disappear and the sun does come out. If your customers can reach you, and not only your workers, then your place at the top of the business heap is ready and waiting for you. If you can't be bothered to talk to a simple customerbecause you are too busy or too important and you leave it up to only your workers, then the heap you find yourself on will not be to your liking.
It is not rocket science to know that your thoughts and endeavors should be in providing buyers with value and trust. Especially in today's hard times, you will be remembered, and the word spread around will not be anywhere close to what is being said about AIG or other "can never fail" businesses that now find themselves with tin cups and asking for bail-outs. Even the car dealers made offers that were good for the bottom line, but did you ever try to get a bad engine replaced even though there was a warranty and that if certain motors were known for certain problems, did any of the Big Three ever offer to make the difference between a sale and a commitment.
Something to think about
©Arleen M. Kaptur March, 2009
There is a quotation by Warren Buffett - It takes 20 years to build a reputation, but only 5 minutes to ruin it. Nothing could be more truthful than this one statement. If your business is based on quality and not quantity, your workers are your source of pride and not only bottom line, and you yourself have a direct hands-on passion for what you do - then recession, depression, or anything in between will be to your advantage.
Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's Hamburgers was another great example of what true business success is all about. His foundation for his restaurants was a combination of hard work, patience, and above all honesty in all dealings. If you, as the owner or manager, have a strong, passionate commitment to what you produce, the people you serve or sell to, and how you will stand behind every product you put out, then you have success guilded in bright letters for your business. As a business person, you know that the there will always be ways to get out of deals and guarantees, but this does and has lead to doors being chained and business dreams being added to the heap that is quickly piling up and known as America's small business enterprises. However, if you change your way of thinking and instead of knowing all the ways to get out of promises, if you never stop finding ways to save deals, commitments, and guarantees, then your front door to the buying public will be open and the fresh air of new business will flow.
Commitment is the very difference that can make or break a small shop, or a large mega-corporation. Everyone has read about the greed of some CEO's, and the fact that while they basked in the security of finances, their workers' pensions and benefits melted away. However, there have been owners and directors who turned the tables on "bad" business and instead made the headlines for sharing corporate profits with workers when things were tough and gave workers not only the monetary benefits but the moral and ego benefits needed to produce the best products and give the best service. You yourself know that being motivated and assured that what you are doing is the best you can do, taking one step further is the sign of success. If you can get this message across to your workers, you have to believe in it yourself and practice it until it is perfect. What is perfection? It is knowing that after you reach this high step, there can always be a step higher. It is never being satisfied with what is perfect, but letting those that work under you to know that you are grateful for this level of success, but together, and this is the key word, together it can be better and better.
In today's economy, doesn't it make sense to reach out to families that are struggling and give them their money's worth in what they purchase from you, as well as the trust that it takes so very long to build up to. If you continue with your quest to make every customer a return customer - then you have the answer to what ails American businesses today. The key that unlocks the chest of success in your business is that you - together with your workers - not your workers alone while you sit back and bask in their output - will keep that cash register ringing when other businesses and their registers sit silently in the dark. If you can turn first time buyers into returning customers, then that is a feather in your cap. If you can turn returning customers into passing the word about your way of doing business, then you have a gold mine. In this gold mine though, you have to pick up that pick and shovel and work just as hard as you are asking your workers to work. You have to pick up that phone and speak the truth to your customers instead of asking your workers to dance around the truth, but never tell it like it really is. If you have trust, and you let it go because of greed, or wanting to cut corners, then you might as well go and buy that chain and padlock from the hardware store that you trust and that you give repeat business to. Irony - you bet - but the type of irony that keeps you motivated and with your heart in the right place.
No body begrudges a business owner a profit, but if that profit is gotten on the backs of people who shell out hard earned money that is becoming harder to come by, then your profit will blow in the wind and disappear with every economic downturn. However, if you assure your customers that you stand behind that widget you sell, the car repair you just completed, and that they are welcome to ask questions and get answers, then clouds disappear and the sun does come out. If your customers can reach you, and not only your workers, then your place at the top of the business heap is ready and waiting for you. If you can't be bothered to talk to a simple customerbecause you are too busy or too important and you leave it up to only your workers, then the heap you find yourself on will not be to your liking.
It is not rocket science to know that your thoughts and endeavors should be in providing buyers with value and trust. Especially in today's hard times, you will be remembered, and the word spread around will not be anywhere close to what is being said about AIG or other "can never fail" businesses that now find themselves with tin cups and asking for bail-outs. Even the car dealers made offers that were good for the bottom line, but did you ever try to get a bad engine replaced even though there was a warranty and that if certain motors were known for certain problems, did any of the Big Three ever offer to make the difference between a sale and a commitment.
Something to think about
©Arleen M. Kaptur March, 2009
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