A Very Hippo New Year

Sure, you read it right. Hippo, not Happy.

Here is why you should have a very happy Hippo New Year:

• The male hippo weighs an average of 3300-4000 pounds, with the heaviest recorded at 9900 pounds.
• The female only weighs 2900-3300 pounds.
• Hippos are from 11 to 17 feet long, with tiny feet and legs.
• Hippos almost always live in a river bed, in the mud or with 95% of their body under water.  So, you have big, old, weirdly shaped animal who lives in the mud, and can't do much except eat 150 pounds of grass a day and make babies.

So you think they are simply a dumb, muddy, fat but cute animal.  Boy, are you wrong about hippos.

• On land they run up to 19 mph, faster than we can.
• They swim underwater at 5 mph, coming up for air once only every 5 minutes.  We can swim 1/2 that speed, above water!
• The bulls are very protective of their wives and their children.

So if you see only 5% of something, you have to do research before you form an opinion.  If you see an empty building about to be renovated, find out if it is a project for you.  If a weird customer walks in, listen to the complete job they need done before you say you are not interested.  A geeky guy comes in looking for a job, and before you say, "Are you kidding?", he fixes that computer bug you have had for three months.

Let's start the new year with an open mind on every possible business action.  Don't say "No", before you do the homework.

Lastly, from my family to yours:  Have a healthy, hippo happy, safe and prosperous New Year.

And The Phone Didn't Ring Again

A couple of months back, after the Boston Red Sox lost their manager and general manager, I sent a note to the owners that I was available for either position.

The phone didn't ring.

OK, I lived through it, saddened, but still able to function.  On Sunday night opportunity reared its head again.  I was ready.  I could do it. Here's why:

Kim Jung Il, the exalted leader of North Korea died of a massive heart attack.  Now, most people around the world are OK with this.  But I saw opportunity.  I wrote a note to the People's Congress laying out my credentials to take over North Korea, and my plan to improve the whole country.

First, I told them about my time as a baseball coach, bringing different teams together.  We would battle on the fields, but afterwards, we would still be friends.  This proved my ability to be tough, yet still maintain a friendly leadership role.

Then I told them about my business career.  I managed a company of 250 workers, who spoke many languages, and was able to communicate with all of them.  I described going to Glass Trade Shows, which was kind of like going to a session of the UN.  You want to stand out in the crowd, drawing people to your side.

Then came my master plan.  I would take over North Korea, and manage it like a business.  My prediction is that we would be profitable in two years.  And then, we would do the plan's finale.  General Electric is, to me, the most successful company around.  They take good care of their people, give great medical insurance, and do a superb job of training leaders.

My plan then, was to let GE buy North Korea as a new business unit.  All of the citizens would immediately go on their medical insurance plan, and all would get sick time and two weeks vacation.  Their lives would be immeasurably improved.  GE is a multi-national corporation, so they would have an easy time integrating North Korea into the conglomerate.  The army there would slowly become workers on a world-wide solar and wind energy project.  The nuclear bombs North Korea owns would be used in power plants.

GE would get rich owning its own country, everyone would come out ahead, and as the ruling leader, I would get stock options.  It doesn't get better than this.

Alas, the phone didn't ring this morning, and a twenty-nine year old kid was handed the title "The Great Successor".  I bet he didn't get any stock options.

How To Get Extra, Profitable Sales Right Now!

You can add dollars to your sales total by selling everyday items around your glass shop as holiday gifts! It doesn't require a penny of investment, just some time and creativity.

First, clean up your showroom. Get rid of all the junk that has been sitting in the corners for a year or two. If you don't remember the job you ordered the samples for, get rid of them. Clean every piece of glass in your showroom. Make your showroom sparkle!

Now, here is what you can sell, and at tidy little profit. Professional grade glass cleaner. You have a couple of cases out back. Put up a simple display, add a sign and you are set. Double your cost of the cleaner...be sure to add your inbound freight.

Glass gloves, the perfect glove for the home mechanic. Many stores sell them as the perfect gardening glove. Glass cutters are also great for the home mechanic section of your display. Put out a couple boxes of razor blades, too. You have a dozen tape measures you just received from CRL. Put these out for sale. Safety glasses, too. You don't have to match the prices at the big box store. These sales are all impulse items and price is not relevant.

Do you have tubes of caulking in back? Now that is a silly question. Of course you do. Put them near your register, they will sell.  Do you have bottles of plastic cleaner?  Sell them.  How about sanding belts?  Sell them as the cloth belt that is better than the paper belts sold at the hardware store. 

Do you have mirror accessories--like mirrored switch plates?  Don't store them in back--put them right up front by the register!  Something as simple as desk buttons will sell for a dime each. 

Cut your cutoff 1/8" mirror into 2" x 2" squares, seam the edges, and sell pocket mirrors for a buck. These are great as stocking stuffers. Some people will place a sticker with their name on the backing. A little advertising doesn't hurt either.

Sell gift certificates for a windshield replacement, or a new mirror, or a table top! You get the cash flow now. It doesn't get better than this for a retailer.

It's easy.  A little creativity and you will make some unexpected sales this year.

Holiday Gifts For Your Employees

All right, who are you?

• Old Man Scrooge
• A Hard Working Joe
• Part of the 1/10th of 1

Old man Scrooge wouldn't own a computer.  If your are in the 1/10th, you won't be reading this blog. So, you are a hard working Joe. 

Looking at the calendar, it is time to decide on your holiday gift program for your employees.  Yes, it was a very tough year for most of us.  (In my consulting business, we have one full-time employee, my wife Elaine.  I told her that she was getting a new set of flannel PJ's.  Without the feet.  It was a tough year.)

Your employees know the year you have had.  Nonetheless, they do expect something.  You have given a cash gift for years, and just about everyone counts on the bonus for their holiday budgeting.

If you had a good year, then surely thanking your employees should be high on your list.   Giving a gift to smiling employee is better than giving to an ornery, back-charging customer.  The customer won't change their attitude, while giving to an employee is the perfect investment in your company.

But, and there is always a but, for the 85% of us who didn't have a good year, what do we do?  You need some kind of plan for your gift-giving.  The easy way out, give everyone a week's pay.  This way is simple and won't cause waves.  The more complicated, but in the long-run, much better way, is to set a budget, maybe equal to the one week payroll, and then give more to the people that worked their hearts out, and less to the folks that are out the door at 5:00 on the second.

This takes more work: good employee reviews, solid feedback sessions, and speaking with the grumpy people who get less than the full week.  You will be a hero to some folks, but Scrooge to others.  People will say you gave more to Stan because he supports the Mets, or seriously, some will make claims of prejudice on your part.  You have to decide if the reward and encouragement to the stars on your team are worth the effort. 

For my part, I feel it is worth the effort...provided you have the employee reviews in file.  Recognizing the hard workers is worth it.  They will continue to work hard.  But if everyone gets the same amount, what is the incentive to work hard?  Sure there is self-pride, but at this time of the year, cash is king.

What if the year says your bonuses/gifts have to cut down.  Tell your people ASAP; don't wait for the day you hand out the checks.  Families will need to adjust their budgets.  If you do cut gifts, don't under any circumstances, get a new car for yourself, redecorate your office, or buy new equipment in December, under he guise of spending money before the tax-year ends.  You will never see worse morale if gifts are cut and other spending goes on.

Thoughts on Holiday Gifts

Tis the holiday season.  I figured this out watching TV last night.  In a one-hour show, there were 19 different ads for holiday gifts.  Subtle, oh-so subtle.  I imagine it is even greater on kids' shows on Saturday morning.

The question is what to do in your business environment with vendors and customers.  (We'll talk about 'with employees' next week.)  Of course, you want to say thanks to your key customers, and a nice gift is always appreciated.  But can you do better than the cookie tray or bottle of cheer?  I'll bet a nickel that none of your customers buy from you because of holiday gifts...it is because you offer quality service at a price that fits their budget.  An extra $25 or $50 gift in December will not keep them as a customer. 

I want to share two special companies' programs with you.  First is a company here in NH, a financial advisor that I work with.  They send a letter to all of their customers asking them to make a donation to any recognized charity, anywhere in the country.  The customers mail the check to the advisor, and then they match it and forward to the charity.  There is a maximum amount of $120 per family.  So, my donation is doubled, the charities come out ahead and everyone feels great about it.  I don't want another bottle of booze and my particular charity benefits.  I really like this program and while it is not the main reason to work with the company, it does let me know they care about people and charity as much as they do about earning fees.

The other company is Galaxy Glass in New Jersey.  It is owned by Eugene Negrin, who is a fellow blogger here on the USGNN.  While I worked at Floral Glass, Eugene would always send me a cookie tin filled with delicious rugalech, a traditional eastern European cookie.  I always thanked him for thinking of me and when I left work, Eugene tracked me down here and started sending the tins to my home.  I always looked forward to them, because you don't get this kind of cookie in New Hampshire.  This year, I received a note telling me that Eugene was discontinuing the cookie program as he felt that it was more important to donate to charity this year than to give out the cookies.  The charities win, Eugene feels good, I don't get the calories, and the world takes one small step towards being a better place.  This is truly a better example of holiday spirit than a box of cookies.

You do have to give a guy on the loading dock his bottle.  When you think of something for the owners and managers of your vendors and customers, let them know you are honoring them with a donation to a local food bank or a national charity.  I know that will be more appreciated than the calories.

You should have a firm policy in your company about accepting gifts.  We allowed employees to receive gifts from  vendors or customers, up to specified value; $25 was the level when I left.  They had to let managment know they received a gift, and we would write a corporate thank you note.  Did everyone tell us?  Of course not, but most did.  We encouraged vendors to notify the office when they gave gifts to our employees.  We also encouraged employees to share their gifts with others in their departments.   We discouraged vendors from sending gifts to employees' homes.  Although, I do remember a very beautiful cut glass bowl that was sent to my home by LOF.  I told Chuck Kaplanek, the owner, about the gift, and he received one at home also.  My wife still uses the bowl, and I remember LOF when I see it.  This is a rare occurance.  Most gifts get forgotton about ten minutes after the sales rep leaves them in the office!

Thanks for reading today...there will be more on gifts for the holiday season next week.

Is Leadership In The Glass Industry Different Than In Government?

In a word, NO.

This is not a political blog, after all, our reason for being together is the glass industry.  To me, leadership is making the right decisions, even if they are unpopular, and then teaching why it was the right decision to the people you are responsible for.  Not everyone will agree with you, but they will respect you for your honesty and reasoning.  You can't keep changing your position on subject A or B.  But if variables change, like the economy, you may have to thoughtfully change.

Let's say your glass shop has never had a layoff.  Now, this year, you have to go there to save the entire company.  You do have to make this unpopular decision, and that is when you become a leader.

You have to decide what benefits will be paid for, and how much the company will contribute.  Your obligation is to the whole company; if you balance the needs here, you will be a leader.  There is a current phrase, 'stake holders', that defines who you are responsible to.  You run a glass shop; your stake holders are:

• The ownership of the company, whether one or two partners, or thousands of shareholders
• Your employees, every single one of them
• Your customers
• Your community, defined anywhere from local to regional to national
• Yourself, so that you can sleep at night with the decisions you've made

If you balance all these groups' needs, you are a great leader.  You will make decisions that ownership may not agree with, but you can convince them that long-term stability is better than short-term profits.  Research all of the facts about a decision that is needed.  Test drive it by asking key people what their opinions are.  Look at similar companies and what they have done and use that as a template, maybe copying or doing the opposite!  

Don't flip-flop, going different directions every year.  Don't put off a decision and hope the need for it goes away.  Don't knowingly make the wrong decision, just to be popular.  So you say, why not, I own this place, I can make any decision I want!  Because you will begin to see turnover in your employees as soon as the market begins to grow.  Your best people will go where they will be respected for the work they do and the honesty of the leadership. 

Your customers will look around for a different vendor if your service policies change or your prices are not predictable.  You can raise prices, but do it above-board...not with silly hidden fees or changes in how your bill for travel. 

And for how you serve your community, just do the right thing, even if it may temporarily hurt you.  Just look at Penn State to understand what sweeping bad news under the rug will do to your reputation.

If you can place your head on the pillow and sleep well, and have served your stakeholders, you, Sir or Ma'am, are a leader.

Fee, Fie, Foe, Fum...and I Hate Mr. Fee The Most

Fie, Foe and Fum are not bad.  But it is their brother Fee that has me the most upset.  Why can't businesses quote a price that actually relates to what we are paying.  Just this morning my wife bought two things on line, some tickets to a play and she sent a fruit basket to a family as the father of a friend passed away.

On each purchase, brother Fee tacked on over 20% to the purchase price.  Paying shipping is OK, but Internet handling fees, and rush service charges are slowly pushing us back to local bricks and mortar stores.  I buy a lot of books, and my wife pointed out to me, just a few minutes ago, a local book shop is having a great sale.  I will visit this store in person.  And when I visit in person, I always end up spending more than I would have on the Internet.  Browsing among many items is always more fun in person.

Back to the wicked brother, Mr. Fee.  Airline fares, train tickets and every other form of travel, other than walking or riding your bicycle has a fee attached.  My cell phone bill is 21% fees!  There is now a cell company advertising a flat rate, including all fees.  When my current contract expires, that's where I will be heading.  We all have fees in our businesses, but we call this overhead.  I don't know any glass shops that add fees for the taxes they have to pay, or because they go into rural areas.  Your service call may be higher, the farther away from your office, but you don't charge that to everyone as a fee.  Would you get any business if you did?

Does this effect us in the glass business?  You Betcha!  Energy surcharges, delivery surcharges, waiting time, recycling fees and so on.  When you quote your customers a price, make it all inclusive.  If your competitors add on after-sale charges, then be sure to advertise that you don't.  Keep it simple and your customers will be happier, which means you will be happier, too.

Blog follow-up---I recently wrote about my applying for a job at the Boston Red Sox, and I figured that it was a done deal.  As a show of support, I now understand quite a few of my regular readers wrote to the Red Sox, asking them to hire me.  There was a common thread, too.  They all wanted me to get away from the glass industry.  It was sweet of them to try to help me.

A Few More Ways To Communicate With Your Employees

Last week we discussed a short, weekly meeting with your co-workers.  Today we will expand on this idea--  how else do we communicate with the people we work with?  A sticky note stuck to their computer screen? Sharing gossip at the cutting table?  Purposely telling the office loudmouth, knowing your comment will be spreading like wildfire?  Worse yet, maybe you don't communicate and just expect your crews to learn what's new by reading your mind?

Some people are not just good communicators, or good listeners.  As a leader, though, communications are an important skill.  If you are uncomfortable with a group setting, this is a skill you can learn by practicing what you want to say to your family at home.  Write out your thoughts, making sure you do say what is important.  Say your thoughts into a tape recorder and play it back.  You will hear the areas you need to work on.

So, you have held your Monday morning, ten-minute meeting, now what.  On Thursday, send a brief email to each person on your team with any updated thoughts.  For your team members without email, just print out the note and give it to them with their paycheck!  This should be short, maybe a hundred words, just enough to tell them something that will help their job.  Maybe, just a funny story to place a smile on their faces.

Once a month, you should send out a company-wide report.  Again, short and succinct, sharing sales targets and results.  Many companies don't share actual dollar numbers, but you can discuss the number of installations without a complaint or the number of new customers.  Make this metric something that everyone on your team has a hand in achieving. 

Next on the communication checklist is a quarterly gabfest.  About a half-hour, where you discuss numbers and results.  It is not always rosy news either.  You can discuss problems in your company, or the industry in general.  Schedule about twenty minutes of company news and leave ten minutes for questions.  This should be the whole shift or the company, based on size.  Cross-pollination of ideas can only help you!

Next item, a semi-annual company event.  Maybe a summer picnic and then a winter holiday party.  A hay ride in the fall, or anything that fits your locale.  This is more fun than business.  Encourage people to let their hair down and just enjoy being with their coworkers.

The last planning events for communication are the employee's annual review for the quality of their work and to plan for the future.  This should be done on the anniversary of their employment.  This is the most important hour you will spend with each person you supervise.  I'll discuss this more in a couple of weeks.

Lastly, the review for the employee's financial changes.  This should occur about ninety days after your fiscal year ends and you have a realistic understanding of your success and how much you can afford to give in raises, if any.

Don't put off or skip any of these.  You will be better off as a manager and your employees and the company will benefit.

You Should Over Communicate With Your Employees

"You have two ears and one mouth, so you should listen twice as much as you talk." An old and still very true saying. But communicating is different than talking. In your role as a business manager or leader, communicating with people you work with is essential.

Sure, you see them every day, handing out work assignments and doing paperwork. You even ask how their kid's Little League games are going. But this isn't communicating about the business and their role in its success. Each Monday morning you should have a ten minute meeting with the people you are responsible for. Not formal, not a classroom type presentation; schedule around the coffee pot or out at the cutting table. Start out with three minutes having one person talk about something they did well; a project that came in time and on budget; an installation that went well, or a manufacturing goal that was exceeded. Then take a minute to translate that into how this success can be achieved in another department or by another person.

The next three minutes become a quick description of a new item the company is handling, a product update, a technical point or any company news that your staff should know.  It may even be that Molly had her baby and everyone is healthy.

Close up with a couple of minutes of questions from your team.  If the questions require a long answer, write the answers out and distribute them at the end of the day.  Some questions can't be answered, and it is OK to say that, or that you will answer that question privately.

A ten-minuter like this, weekly, will keep people informed and motivated.  They won't feel like they are left out, which causes poor performance in any company.

The group should be no more than eight people.  If you supervise more, split into two groups, do one in the morning, and one in the afternoon, before the end of the day.  You will find employees look forward to this and after a couple of weeks will come prepared with their success stories and their questions!  When this happens, they will feel a greater sense of being on the company team.

Next week we will discuss other communications tools for employees and managers.

And This Was Supposed To Be My Final Blog

My plan was to say good-bye to the glass industry with this blog.  You see, I knew I had a lock on a new job which would have taken all my time.  The Boston Red Sox were hiring a new General Manager, and I was just the absolutely most perfect candidate they could have had.

I coached little league for 12 years, so I know how to deal with children who play baseball.  Right now that is what the Red Sox team is made of.  While my main team is the New York Mets, my American League team is the Red Sox.  After all, I live in New Hampshire, the heart of Red Sox Nation.  I even have a Red Sox hat.  I have been to a dozen games at Fenway in the last couple of years, so I know my way around the stadium.  This proves I am a loyal fan. 

It would have been tough leaving my beloved glass industry.  It has been very, very good to me over the years.  I thought, maybe, I could continue with the blog, but I realized my blogging time would now go to Sports Illustrated rather than USGlass.  I had even called some of my consulting clients and told them that I would probably be leaving.  They all understood and wished me well.

My resume went to John Henry, the Principal owner of the Red Sox.  His secretary called me to set up an appointment, and she whispered that I was the first call she made.

We had lunch yesterday, it seemed to go well.  The only sticking point was the salary.  I basically agreed to pay Mr. Henry whatever he asked.  The job-of-a-lifetime shouldn't be missed because of a few dollars. 

Then it happened.  The news this morning was that Mr. Henry hired a gentleman from in-house.  He had many years experience...blah...blah...blah.  I was crushed.

So, this won't be my final blog.  The glass industry is stuck with me.  The moral of the story is that you always need a back-up plan, no matter how sure you are of the future.

'See you' next week.

Solyndra Wasn't The Greatest Investment...Does That Mean We Stop Investing?

Sure, we got beat up pretty good on this one.  All of us.  $500 Million is more than most of us make in a month, unless we had a really good month.   Is this something to joke about?  No.  But we can't cry about it either.  Mistakes were made, but we have to go forward with investing in the future of America, our people, and yes, our glass industry.

The politicians are going to drag this one through the mud.  Blame him.  Blame her.  Blame the whole east coast.  Blame the New York Mets.  Yes, we should learn something from this--how to better screen investments and how to create more effecient controls.  But we shouldn't give up investing.

You are in the glass business, and most of us feel that we can't grow until the economy picks up.  After all, what's the use of a new truck if there is no place to send it doing work?  Right.  So the answer is to find new places to do work!

The numbers tell us the construction industry is down anywhere from 10% to 30%.  That is scary.  But that means there is 70% to 90% still out there.  Go chase it and you will need that new truck.  This is not just taking business away from your competitor down the street.  It is opening new markets for your glass shop.

Do you do board up?  Do you sell to the local school district?  Convince a large contractor to stop doing their own glazing and sub it to you.  You would even hire their glazier!  Are you calling on every interior designer?  Are you calling on aquarium shops pitching that you can build custom aquariums?  (It is just 1/2 glass and silicone!)  Do you have any boat yards in your area?  This is the time that they get dry docked and repaired.   Do you call on sign companies?  They don't use a lot of glass, but I bet you'll take a small order and be happy.

Enough...I have a proven list of 88 types of companies that use glass.  If you want a copy, drop me an email at paulbaseball@msn.com and I will send it to you. 

There is still a lot of business out there, and many reasons to invest.  Go get it.

Have You Hugged A Window Washer Today?

My Brother-In-Law, Les, owns a window washing company in Vermont.  He works hard, leaving his house around 5:30 most mornings getting to restaurants and retail stores before their customers start milling around.  During the summer it's OK, but in the winter, he mixes anti-freeze in the water on his truck and works in below zero weather.

So, why is this important to someone in the glass business?

Because Les knows when a window is fogged and he knows when a store front leaks air or water.  Les talks with his customers every day, and they talk about their windows and entrances.  And when people finally ask him about upgrading their store front, he knows who to recommend.  Does he recommend you?

Translate this to the thousands of commercial window washers with at least a couple in the trading area of every one reading this, and you have a convergence of businesses that can help each other.  Window washers see your customers more often than you!  They can be your best friend in getting leads!  Add to this the residential windows that are cleaned, and you have a great source of leads. 

On the other hand, you should recommend a good window washer after you do an install. You just put in a new storefront.  If the customer doesn't keep it clean, they will blame you in year when the glass is stained.  Give the name of a reliable window washer in your area and you will have less call back problems!

It is a perfectly equal relationship.  You will help each other on just about every job that either one of you works on.  A good window washer won't use razor blades on coated glass.  They know how to deal with our products.

So, if you run into Les, give him a hug.  You'll recognize him, he has a squeegee stuck in his belt.

Healthy Pays Off For Everyone

Like most of you reading this blog, I am a small business owner.  I purchase health insurance for two full-time people, both over 60, both in general good health and no recurring illnesses.  That's the good news...I am healthy.  The bad news I pay over $27,000 per year, plus a $4,000 deductible.  And, I think this is a good rate.  I switched companies this year and saved almost $6,000!

I have a good plan, with lots of coverages, including pharmacy and dental.  But, the best thing my new carrier gave me was a wonderful chart on the benefits of keeping employees healthy.  This is right from the carrier, based on solid, current data.

"Studies have shown that as employees become healthier, they also become more productive, and companies with highly effective health and productivity programs have cost increases that are:

• 5 times lower for sick leave
• 4.5 time lower for long-term disability
• 4 times lower for short-term disability
• 3.5 times lower for general health coverage

"In addition,these companies yield 20% more revenue per employee, demonstrate a 16% higher market value and deliver 57% higher shareholder returns."(*)

You will still get increases year over year, but your increases will be a lot less if your employees stay healthy.  Sounds so basic, you use less insurance, your costs are lower.  But the key here is to keep employees healthy.  Here are some tips:

• Encourage all employees to get flu shots.
• Most insurance policies pay for an annual physical without the deductible... check your policy and explain how important it is to go, even if you feel fine today.
• Quit smoking, help your employees quit.
• Encourage healthy life styles---have fruit around the office for snacks, not candy
• If you have room, put a treadmill in the office somewhere and encourage people to use it during the day.  Don't make people work through lunch; in good weather encourage walking teams.
• When you go out for lunch, avoid fast food.  It only takes five minutes longer to eat a salad than a couple of hot dogs.
• Don't encourage drinking of alcohol. 
• Eat your vegetables.  (Sounds like your Mother, doesn't it?)
• Quit smoking (It's worth repeating)
• Get mammograms and colonoscopies when you are scheduled.  Don't put this off.
• Pay for a gym membership for all employees who have been with you for a year, provided they go at least twice a week.  You can get this info from the gym.
• And the toughest one of all, loose weight.  Take it from one who knows.

Healthy employees result in lower turnover, which reduces your costs significantly, and improves productivity.  You and the employee both win.  I know you have heard this before, but maybe, this time you will do something about it.

(*)  This data is from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.

Sometimes It Is Just Too Easy

My blog is published on Tuesdays at US Glass News Network.  I start thinking about it on Saturday, and usually have it roughed out by Sunday.  Occasionally, my mind goes blank, (cut out the wise cracks), and Tuesday morning I am frantically looking for a topic.

But this week is just too easy.  There was a story on MSNBC about a Barbecue restaurant that wouldn't buy a phone directory listing from a local publisher.  In apparent retaliation, the salesman for the publisher made up a category called 'Carcass Removal', and listed the restaurant.  Here's the story: 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44459855/ns/business-small_business/


This story was picked up by Jay Leno and used in his monologue, asking would you go to a Barbecue Rib restaurant listed in the carcass removal section of the phone book?

The restaurant owner found out about it when people called asking to take away dead animals from their farms.  Read the story, you will feel that the suit by the Restaurant against the phone book company sure sounds valid.

The moral of the story?  Check your local phone book for the headings:

• We break your glass
• Shower doors that leak
• Safety glass that isn't
• Windows broken
• Guaranteed heat-loss insulating glass
• Used glass--cleaned up somewhat
• Glass wholesalers--we sell glass with a hole in it
• Bullet proof windshields for your motorcycle
• Partially tempered glass
• Picture frames with smudges on the inside

Got any more?  Drop me a note at paulbaseball@msn.com.

Have You Ever Whelmed A Customer?

Most people have, and when they do, they only do it once.

By the way, what is a 'whelmed' anyway?  When you deal with a customer, you can overwhelm them with good service and quality.  They will return to you again and again.  Or you can underwhelm them, with poor value and weak service.  You won't have to remember their name for their next visit to your showroom.  A simple, single whelm is when you do neither under or overwhelm your customer.  When you are just a ghost in their memory where you didn't stand out either good or bad.   The customer, when they need glass again, will always try someone different, because they are looking to be overwhelmed.  No question about it.

The simple key to success in our glass business, or any business, is repeat customers.  And you earn them by consistently doing your over whelming thing.  Be on time, leave the job site cleaner than you found it, clean the glass, be polite and neat in their home, stay quiet in their retail store or office.  These are overwhelming things to do.

Underwhelm your customers by showing up late, not calling early enough when you have to reschedule or doing the minimum amount of work you can.

Think about it...do you want to do just this one job for this customer, or do you want the next job and a couple of referrals as well?

A glazier once whelmed his client
He was lazier and defiant
His work was so bad
His clients were mad
And never became compliant

Where Were You On 9/11

There have only been three news-significant points in my life.  You know, it's when you remember exactly what you were doing when you heard the news.  For me, it was the assasination of John F. Kennedy, the moment Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon, and when the second plane hit the World Trade Center.

There is no joke at the end of this blog or moral to this story.  It is just what happened to me and my best friend, Chuck Kaplanek, who owned our company, Floral Glass.

We were in Houston, Texas, on Monday, September 10th, visiting a major fabricator, looking at a software system they had installed.  We were flying to Newark, NJ, Tuesday morning, visiting our plant in E. Rutherford, NJ where we would meet Chuck's son, Corey, who also worked in the business, and would drive us back to our homes on Long Island that evening.

Our hosts in Houston were extremely cordial.  Our original plan was to stay in Houston that evening, have dinner with the salesman, and then leave Tuesday morning.  Since we weren't completely sold on the system, we finished early, went to the airport, and got a flight to Atlanta with a connection to Newark, landing around 1:15 in the morning.  We took a cab to the hotel near our plant in East Rutherford.  Chuck and I both commented that the driver was crazy.  He was from the Middle East, and spoke little English, but what he did speak was his anger with everything American.  We don't know what caused his outbursts, but the half-hour drive scared both of us.  This petty fact means nothing if not for the events the next morning.

We had set up for Cory to pick us up at 10:00 am, allowing us to catch some sleep.

At 9:00 am the phone rang.  It was Cory on the line, saying turn on the TV and look out the window if I was on the New York City side of the hotel.  I was.  I looked out just as the fireball on the second tower erupted.  I still didn't know what was going on, but knew that it was something horrible.

I got dressed quickly and met Chuck in the lobby.  We both knew what was happening by then and were both upset.  The plant is only a half-mile from the hotel and we got there around 9:50.  Ten minutes later, someone from the plant screamed out, "look at the city!"  By the time we turned we saw a huge dust cloud and plenty of smoke coming from the towers.  We didn't know it was now singular.

The plant shut down and we all watched a small TV in the lunch room.  I wandered outside to see the city just as the second tower fell.  I saw the big antenna slide down out of sight.  I knew thousands of people just died.  I couldn't speak. 

We called the plant together.   All of us held hands, owner, and glass cutters alike, and many said a prayer. 

Chuck and I got home about 10:00 that night, thanks to Cory driving north about two hours to find a bridge over the Hudson River that was open.  Watching the news all day was frightening.  Chuck and I should have been in the air that morning at 8:00 am.  I still think of that.

Over the next couple of days the stories came in.  There was a student in Elaine's class who lost an Uncle, a firefighter.  We knew other families that had lost members.  We knew many of the first responders who went into the area for the rescue and recovery.

I will never forget that day.  I will never forget we should have been in the air that morning.  I will never forget 9/11.

What's Next?

We had an earthquake.

We had a hurricane.

What could possibly be next?  Here are some options on the next one-in-a-million events that may hit us on the East Coast:

• Congress could agree on something significant.
• The glass industry will rebound because Donald Trump declares Buy American on all projects.
• One solitary Republican will say something nice about President Obama.
• All tempered glass will be delivered on time on September 1, 2011.
• One lonely Democrat will say something nice about Michele Bachmann.
• In the month of September, 2011, no glass fabricators will go out of business, be merged, or change their name.
• The Mets will play above .500 ball for September
• You won't receive a single IG unit with a sticker inside during September

So, just when you think something can't happen, it may.  Be ready for anything in your business.  Remember when you said you didn't want to do board-up work anymore?  

Never say never.  What goes around comes around.  The sun will be shining tomorrow. And it is time for me to go do something productive. 

The Solution That Will Work For Every Glass Shop

So, this past week was not a good one in terms of the US economy.  We are all thinking, "What's next?"  I hereby offer every glass shop the answer to increasing sales and making millions.  Honest.  This Will Work!  Don't you trust me?

I am sitting at my desk working on a project for a consulting customer, and need to print a 28 page document.  Hit the print button, 19 pages come out, and the printer stops.  Look at the display panel, it says insert a black cartridge to continue printing.  I do that, and the wondrous little Hewlitt Packard (HP) printer continues to spit out paper.  And the light bulb clicks on over my head.

The printer cost me $199, four years ago and has worked flawlessly.  On the back of the scratch pad, I figure I have spent over $1100 on ink and $300 on paper in the four years.  HP is a firm of geniuses.  Sell the printer cheap, make a fortune on the ink.

So here is what every glass shop should do.  Drop the price on every piece of glass you sell.  Flat glass or auto.  Just about give it away.  But, tell the customer that they must clean this glass with your brand of glass cleaner and paper towel.  Otherwise, the glass won't work properly, if at all.

You are now out of the glass business, you are in the cleaning supplies business for glass.  You'll have to build a drive-through window just to sell glass cleaner and paper towels.  You will be shipping cleaner and towels everywhere.  Price won't matter.  Charge what you want for the paper towels, because your customers will have to buy from you or their glass won't work!

HP's sales last year were about $133 Billion.  It may take you a couple of years to get to that level of sales of cleaner and towels, so start quickly.  You trust me, don't you?

What Would You Do With $228.9 Million?

This is more than pocket change.  Its even enough to cover the increasing cost of gasoline for at least a couple of years.  This was the amount won in the Powerball lottery last week.  By one person.  I called him the other day, and offered myself up for adoption, telling him I was eight years old and homeless, with a big dog named Molly protecting me.  When I sent him my picture I hoped he wouldn't notice my gray hair and beard.  He offered to adopt Molly.

So, you own a glass shop and considering the times, you make a living.  A fair living, but certainly not fantastic.  What would you do with $228.9 million?

Would you keep working?  Would you give up your business?  Would you invest in the business?  Your chances of the millions are remote.  But what would you do?

Do you plan for the future years of your life.  If you don't, shame on you.  I have seen so many people keep on working because they don't know how to slow down.  Then they work themselves to death.  Start planning your exit from the business world by the time you are forty.  It may be ten years out, or twenty, it doesn't matter.  Run your business with this in mind.  Look at potential hires as possibilities to run your business, or maybe buy it down the road.

Do you run your business by making all the decisions?  Or do you train your staff to make decisions in your absence?  Once you leave the business, will it be able to stay afloat without your input?  Now you are probably not going to win the lottery, but you may break a leg and be away from work for a month.  Will your business be viable without you watching every thing?  If not, start giving responsibilities to others.  Get rid of all of your repetitive duties, except signing checks, letting people learn from you now, before that leg is in a cast.

Get some hobbies now.  Start picking up an occasional book that you would like to read.  Give yourself some emotional releases from work.  You will feel better about work and yourself if you allow yourself a little relaxation.  Set certain times of certain days that your phone is turned off.  If the problems at business do not involve someone being injured, or something that will cause legal issues, the call can wait an hour while you are at your child's little league game or visiting an old friend.

Think of all the taxes you would have to pay if you won the big lottery.  And all the people like me bothering you.  You are better off without $228.9 million. Sure.

Is Memory The First Thing To Go?

I can still find my keys.  When we moved to New Hampshire, it only took me a month to remember our new phone number--and I still know it!  I remember most of the players' names on the NY Mets, but lately, I need to look up the batting averages of the old timers.  I run into people who say "hi" to me, and I don't have the faintest clue who they are. 

I am sure that when I got my AARP card there was a secret powder dusted on it that effected memory.  My card must have had an extra dose.

Last week I wrote a column about adding color to glass.  I remember it--honest.  After doing some research the column came out OK.  But then I got the email.  It scared me.  The email was from a man who said he knew me, and why hadn't I mentioned his very colorful product in my column?  At first I thought it was spam, someone trying to link my blog site to their site selling rainbows in a jar.  But then, after a minute, it hit.  I did know this gentleman.  He mentioned we had met at the Northeast Glass Show in March, only five months ago.  And I had totally forgotten.  And he had a great product!

I asked my wife Elaine, if I was more forgetful, and she said, "No more than usual".  I shivered at that response.

Then I remembered the incident last week.  I couldn't find my car in a parking lot. I bought a new car a couple of weeks ago, and was looking for my old Chevy, which was traded in. 

Back to business. Here is the letter I received:

Paul,

Personally I am worried about you. How's your memory?

You stopped by the Custom Glass Machinery booth at the Glass Expo Northeast and we spoke at length about Dip-Tech digital ceramic frit printing. I even gave you a place to sit and rest while we did so. Now you blog about color, but alas no mention of digital frit printing which can be found at 8 fabricators in North America.

"No respect no respect" as Rodney Dangerfield used to say. Gee, hopefully this provocation has jarred your memory banks back into action. Take care my dear colleague.

Sincerely,

Matthew Tangeman
Agent for Dip-tech 

The only thing that makes me feel better is that Matthew forgot to put his company's web site in his note.  And I remember him as a young guy, too.  Take a look at: dip-tech.com.  They have a very interesting process. 

Add Some Color To Your Glass Business

Business stinks.  The economy is in the toilet.  The only people that walk into your showroom are the sales forces from the metal and glass fabrication folks.  So, what's a boy to do?  Add some color to your life!  Could it be the blue and orange of my NY Mets? Nah.  Could it be the red and white of a candy cane?  That's silly.  Why of course...the answer is for you to add some color to your laminated and float glass sales!

There is some plain vanilla work out there.  But plain vanilla doesn't create big bucks.  You can only sell on price, and that is a sure way to loose money.

Add some color to your work.  A customer who wants to renovate a kitchen or a bathroom, and may be shopping prices, will be super-excited when you show them a red back splash or a sandblasted shower door.  You have to sell color.  Orders won't come to you because the first person to suggest it, usually gets the order.  After all, the customer has gone to three shops, and finally sees something that is special.  They'll reward the glass shop that has the creative stones to be different!

Spiff up your showroom with color.  Call you lami supplier and get samples of Solutia's Vanceva line.  This product can make any color in the rainbow, translucent or opaque, and it has all of the great qualities of lami.  Here is the link:   http://www.saflex.com/en/Vanceva.aspx.  Ask your supplier about Dupont's graphical lami for that special one-up custom piece that you can make a killing on.
Here is that link:  http://www2.dupont.com/SafetyGlass/en_US/products/sentryglas-expressions.html.  A lot of distributors are stocking back painted glass from Gardner Glass' Dreamwalls collection.  This is an easy to use, full color sheet with many applications.  Their link is:  http://dreamwallscolorglass.com/.  ICD creates paints for spandrel and annealed applications that can be used to inexpensively create one-up specail colors on glass.  Their brand name is Opaci-Coat and the link is: http://www.icdcoatings.com/.  Walker Glass has done a great job with their Textures line of acid-etch products.  In our industry, color strongly includes shades of acid etching, and patterns.  Their link is: http://www.walker-glass.com/.

You have to work to sell color.  Every sales quote should have an alternate to improve the design of the job, and color is the key.  Great design will draw customers into your customer's storefront.  Color will improve any kitchen or bathroom.  Now, start selling color.  It makes glass unique in the building trades.  Let every architect and GC know that you think outside the box and can help them to help their customers.  You will make a few bucks more.  And that is what we are here for.

(Full Disclosure--I own a very small amount of shares in Solutia)

Rupert Murdoch Taught Me An Important Lesson Last Week

He sure did.  And I was surprised that I could learn from Mr. Murdoch.  After all, I am a small businessman, ran a company with 250 employees, do a little consulting and writing now, and was nowhere in his multi-billion dollar league.  So, I want to share with you what Mr. Murdoch taught me.

First, a little background.  There are two results of learning by observing others.  One way is that you observe someone doing something well; you take the same steps in your company, and lo and behold, your company is now doing something well.  The other is to observe someone purposely stepping into a deep mud puddle, and saying to yourself, I should not follow in his footsteps.

To me, Mr. Murdoch stepped into the mud puddle relating to the telephone hacking scandal in Great Britain. 

A British Member of Parliament asked, "Was he ultimately responsible for this criminal enterprise at his British Operation?"  "No", he replied, "I hold responsible the people that I trusted to run it and the people they trusted."

Now, Mr. Murdoch is the Chairman of the Board and CEO of News Corp, which owned the newspapers involved.  His family owns controlling interest in this multi-billion dollar company.  Last time I went to school, I learned that the person in charge is responsible for everything.  President Harry S. Truman said it best with a sign on his desk, "The Buck Stops Here".  You make the big bucks, you sign everyone else's paycheck, you are responsible.

The surest route to ruining any organization is to not accept responsibility and to blame those under you.  No employees will take risks after that.  No one will respect you after that.  No one will be eager to gain a promotion after that.  No one will want to work for you after that.

A leader cannot side-step around taking responsibility.  That is one of the very definitions of leadership.  When you run your glass shop, or any business for that matter, you can be disappointed in an employee who makes a mistake; you can teach them, or ultimately you can fire them.  But that does not take the place of accepting responsibility for every action that takes place in your organization.

Not that I ever would have wanted a job in Mr. Murdoch's vast empire, but after his comments, I won't even bother sending my resume.

How Granite State Glass Is Fighting The Recession

I have a friend, Malcolm, who is an architect in Keene, NH, the closest city to where I live.  He invited me to a 'lunch and learn' session at a local general contractor where the subject was Doors and Windows.  He thought it would be of interest to me.  He was right.  I came away with knowledge, but what I gained most will help every glass shop and contractor in the country.

The program was taught by two representatives of JELD-WEN windows, and they really knew their stuff.  They kept the program clear of advertising and self promotion, teaching about different kinds of windows and doors.  There were twelve estimators from the GC at lunch, and they knew who was doing the teaching.  In fact, they were more impressed with JELD-WEN for being neutral and not taking advantage of the situation.

But the real winner, from a business point-of-view was Granite State Glass, the leading glazing contractor in New Hampshire, with eight locations in New Hampshire and one in Vermont.  They were the ones that set up the program and recruited JELD-WEN to do the teaching.  Two senior members of Granite State's marketing team were there, but in the background.  They introduced the speakers from the window company, and at the end, thanked everyone for coming.  They also offered each person there a binder with ad sheets on some of their specialty products.  It was just a perfect undersell.

Granite State didn't wait for some business to come knocking on their door.  They created an image of knowledge and competency in the estimating crew of the largest GC in our region.  Talk about hitting a home run!

You can do the same.  Every major vendor you deal with will be glad to send in an educational team for a presentation like this.  Whether it comes from the aluminum sector, a glass fabricator or floater, or fenestration suppliers, there is a tremendous amount of knowledge out there that your customers would be eager to learn.  This didn't cost Granite State a ton of money.  They had a box lunch for a dozen people, and their invested time.

Line up your vendor(s) of choice...people who have a story to tell about new energyy-savings products, decorative products or safety for building occupants.  These are all hot topics right now.  If your vendors are certified by the AIA to offer Continuing Education Units, which will be important to the GC's and the architects, this will help.

The work you have to do is to prepare your own marketing materials.  Now you don't have to create new stuff.  Use the brochures from your key suppliers, and place them in a three ring notebook with a sticker from your company on the cover.

Don't skimp on the lunch.  The difference between a $6 lunch and a $10 lunch is a good will bonanza.

Granite State, as far as I saw, didn't get any work that day.  But the impression they left of professionalism and knowledge about glazing and glazing products will get them work in the future.  You can do this too.

An Easy Way To Gain New Customers...And Cheap Too!

Radio Advertising?  No.
Television Advertising?  No.
Hiring A Clown To Stand Outside Your Front Door?  No.
Full Page Ad In The Yellow Pages?  No.
A Web Site That Really Pops?  No.
Newspaper Ads That Blanket Your Market?  No.
Creating A Referral Program From Current Customers?  Yes!  Yes!!  Yes!!!

My wife, Elaine, forwards me articles that she comes across that might make great blogs.  This time she hit a home run, sending me an article about customer referrals originally published in the Harvard Business Review.  The article details a large bank in Germany that started a customer referral program.  It turns out that the new customers brought in during this program were more loyal to the bank, keeping their accounts longer, were more profitable to the bank, as they were less expensive to obtain and used more bank products, and they did more business with the bank than other new customers.

This study followed 10,000 new customers at the bank over a couple of years.  There are no glass shops that I know of that generate this many customers.  But the lessons learned are the same.  Do a good job for someone, they tell others, and you will gain new business that will be profitable.  A customer who wants you to do work in their home or business won't give you a small job to try you out.  After all, their friend did that for them.  A referred customer will trust you from the start and will want to work with you to the fullest extent possible.

You get the picture.  Let's look at some ways that a glass shop can gain these types of customers. 

• Your first step, do a great job for your current customers.  Do such a good job that these folks want to brag about you.  This doesn't mean a low price; it means leaving the site cleaner than you found it; it means being on-time, polite, and non-intrusive in your customer's home or business.  It means doing the job contracted for, or improving on the design once you opened a wall or framing.
• As you near the end of the job, ask the customer if they are pleased so far.  Get their input before you finish the job and solve any issues that come up before you close up.  At the end of the job, ask the customer if they are extremely satisfied, and if not, what would it take to get to this point.  Then do what they ask for.  (This does assume that all financial terms have been met up to this point.  If not, you will have to go the route of being cautious.)
• Since they are now completely satisfied with your work, ask them to refer their friends to you.  It sounds simple, but the basic question should be asked, planting the seed in your customer's mind.

Let's take it up one level.  Create a program that any customer that comes to you because of a referral and spends more than $500, gets a 5% discount on their work, and the referring customer gets a certificate good for $50 off on any further work with you.  Sounds corny, but it does work.

Your current customers will be giving their friends 5% off on something, which makes them feel good, and they may earn discounts on your future work, which makes them feel good.  At the same time, you feel good because of the increase in business.  Trust me, this works.  It is used by many companies in many industries throughout business. 

It takes some ongoing work, a letter every six months to old customers reminding of your program; making sure that new customers are queried as to how they came into your store, and if by a referral, getting the reward letter out right away to the previous customer. 

The best advertising in the world, bar none, is when a satisfied customer tells a potential customer.  You can take this one to the bank.

This Blog Has Nothing To Do With The Glass Industry, But You Should Read It Anyway

Today the glass industry is not important.  I have a story to tell, one so important that it must be published.  This is a story about my next door neighbor.  For this story, let's call him Bill, but  everything else about this story is absolutely true.  Read on.

Even though Elaine and I live in a fairly rural area of New Hampshire, we do have a next door neighbor.  Bill lives about 1000 feet down the road.  His wife and daughter live at home and their grown son lives about an hour away.  Bill is a tall, thin, and normal person about 50 years old.  About two years ago he developed symptoms that Doctors had a hard time understanding.  There was about a year of extensive testing and head scratching.  It turned out Bill's heart was failing.

In October of last year, Bill and his wife went to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.  He was there for two months and was told his only option for life was a heart transplant.  Talk about life-changing.  He came home under a plan that the Mayo would call him at any time, and he would jump on a chartered jet for the operation in Minnesota. 

The travel logistics were slightly confusing, to say the least.  So Bill and his wife went to the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, about an hour and a half away from here, for a second opinion.  After a couple of weeks there for testing, their opinion was the same.  His only choice would be a heart transplant.  His condition deteriorated even more, and Mass General felt he should not go back home as any infection or problem could have disastrous results.  In the second week of January, Bill was admitted to the Coronary intensive care of the hospital, to await his surgery.

Mass General usually does about 25 heart transplants a year.  But not this year.  Bill lived in the hospital for almost six months, waiting.  He had a couple of 'possible' hearts, but they turned out not to be compatible.  From January through June, the Hospital only did a handful of transplants.  It seems that less donor hearts were available because of some amazing statistics:

• More cars have air bags as new cars replace old ones, fortunately killing less people.
• Also, the whole country is driving less because of the price of gas.  Most heart donors come from automobile accidents.

Bill's wife took the train to Boston four or five days a week, keeping his spirits up.  Elaine and I went in often as well, bringing in food and having mini-parties in his room.  Bill started having second thoughts, but his Doctors explained that if he did go home, even for a day, it could have very bad repercussions.

Bill wanted to get home for so many events.  He was crushed that he could not attend his daughter's high school graduation.  So, we took the graduation to him.  She graduated on Saturday morning three weeks ago.  Saturday afternoon, we all drove into Mass General.  His daughter came in her cap and gown and we had a real party that was set up and organized by the caring hospital staff.  Bill was so happy.

Then, as we left, it was back to the normal days in the cardiac unit.  Except, on the very next day, at 3:00 in the afternoon on Sunday, a heart was brought into the hospital.  It matched.  In the blink of an eye, the surgery started.  It took over fifteen hours to complete the surgery by dozens of surgeons, nurses and staff.  It was a success from the first new heartbeat.

Last Thursday, Elaine and I drove into Boston and brought Bill home.  When he saw his home for the first time in almost six months, he was ecstatic.

Think about it.  Two and a half weeks after this incredible surgery, he was home feeling better than ever.  He will be monitored for life, and have to be careful with certain health situations, but this is a minor inconvenience considering the alternative.

Miracles defy explanation.  This is not a miracle, but is the result of hundreds of dedicated doctors, nurses, aids, lab techs and so many more.  This is because of a family of a deceased person who helped another life continue.  This is because Bill's family always smiled and cheered him on, month after month. 

This is because of health insurance that covered expenses and employers who granted time off.  This is because of years of research and testing by medical labs.  And yes, there is a little bit of miracle thrown in.
 

I Bought A New Car...Big Deal...But I Learned A Few Things That Will Help A Glass Shop

My 2004 Chevy flunked the state inspection the other day, and it kicked me over the edge to buy a new car.  In my area of New Hampshire you don't have the option of going from dealer-to-dealer looking for deals.  There is one Chevy dealer and one Ford dealer, along with all of the imports.  I was only going to buy American, so I had two choices.

The Chevy dealer has a very small showroom, only four cars fit in.  Two of the cars were antiques, not for sale.  Just there to draw traffic in.  Even though they were cool to look at, the car I wanted to buy was nowhere near.  It was a nice day so we walked out on the lot.  If it had been raining, or in the winter, I would have left without seeing a car.  The lesson for you:  Show off what you sell.  Don't put things in your glass showroom or waiting room that have no meaning to what you sell.  It is nice to show tradition in a small way, some pictures of your family, but your main impetus has to be showing products you currently work with and make money from.  The person is in your waiting room or showroom; they don't have to be convinced to come in the door!

The salesman did a good job of working with me, and I may buy his car.  I met the owner of the dealership and he was proud of his antiques, but didn't discuss the car I was about to buy.  A business no-no.

My next stop was the Ford dealer.  The had a much larger showroom, and the car I wanted was right there.  I sat in it 15 seconds after entering the showroom.  This had an impact.  But wait...there is more.

While the salesman walked away from me to research a question on  paying by credit card ( I wanted the airline miles), the radio station that was being played overly loud in the showroom had TWO commercials for other car dealers.  I listened to the competition in their showroom.  If buying in imported car was on my target list, there it was...a very good deal on the style of car I wanted. 

SiriusXM radio, on an all music package is only $9.99 a month , no commercials, and has 65 music channels, serving every taste in music.  Come on now...isn't that better than hearing a competitor's ad in your own store.  Also, when you play the local station, there is usually a political point of view.  If you play a conservative radio station, you will upset half of the population...and of course you will upset the other half if you play a station with a liberal bias.  Your showroom is not the place to promote an agenda other than selling your product!

Don't place magazines in your showroom that feature religion, guns, or politics.  There are enough construction, home improvement, architectural and decorating magazines around that every thing in your showroom should encourage customers to ask you questions about glass.  Every one of your vendors should give you catalog sheets or brochures that will help you develop business.

Make sure your customer bathrooms are spotless.  A dirty bathroom will guarantee that customer will not return to your shop in the future.  Are you the great-nephew of Elvis Presley?  If you are not, his picture should not be in your showroom.  The best things for your walls are actual job pictures of your work and testimonial letters from your customers.

If you have a coffee pot for customers, make sure it is clean and refreshed often.  If you have a vending machine for coffee or snacks, keep it clean and well stocked.  Don't depend on a traveling route salesman to come in and clean it.  The machine represents you and the pride you have in your establishment and your work.

You have a captive audience for a few minutes; use it to your advantage in the glass business.

US Airlines Collect $3.4 Billion In Baggage Fees

In 2010, US Airlines collected $3.4 billion in those annoying baggage fees, up 24% from 2009.  This is what an industry does when they can't raise prices, but costs go up.  Doesn't this sound a lot like the energy surcharge?  If you are a glass shop anywhere in the world, you have competition; you just can't start charging a new fee that your customers will pay because they have no choice.  You have competition, so what can you do?

The airport serving where I live has two carriers, Southwest and US Air.  I try to fly Southwest on trips simply because of the baggage fee.  But, there are no Southwest-type options for us in the glass business.  Each glass shop has too many competitors to be the one that stands out.  The advertising budget to let the community know what you are offering would certainly be greater than the increased business you could bring in.

Just about everyone charges a minimum for a service call; you may be able to raise that a little.  What you can do is charge more where it costs you more.  If a customer needs a service call where you will have to pay overtime, such as 6:00 in the morning, or 7:00 at night, you can charge a premium for labor.  Not for your time in doing a quote, however.  Your time is just part of overhead in giving estimates or following up on a job.

Make sure you charge for tolls you pay going to the job.  Mention this in your quote.  If you are going to a secure site, like an airport, and need to spend an hour in line waiting for security clearance, be sure to include this cost in your estimate as a separate line item. 

On your estimate and invoice, clearly state your terms, and be sure to add a phrase detailing an additional 1.5% charge for bills over 60 days past due, no matter what the agreed payment schedule is.  If customers don't keep the schedule, you should charge this premium.

If the customer asks you to remove extra construction debris, then it is alright to charge for your labor and the extra cost of your dumpster or dumping fees.  Sure you want to be a nice guy and do something extra for your customer, but don't do something that directly costs you money. 

Don't be afraid to charge for a second visit to a customer when they weren't ready for you on your first scheduled visit.  You load your truck, and schedule the day; if they didn't have the courtesy to tell you in advance to hold off, then they should pay you.

Make sure you know what your fabricator is going to charge you for oversize glass, special edge work or shape cutting, rush service or anything out of the ordinary, and be sure to quote this up-front.  You should also add your mark-up to these additional fees.

On all of your quotes, be sure to add a time escalator.  If the customer calls you back in six months and says they are ready for the job, it may be very tough to honor the old quote. 

In my opinion the best extra you can give a customer is doing exactly what they ask for in the original quote.  Do the job neatly and leave the job site with your product perfectly clean.  Have them sign off that the glass is fine before you leave.  If you do great work, at your quoted pricing, you will get referrals, which are the best source of work for any glass shop.

What Anthony Weiner Can Teach Every Businessman In America

Anthony Weiner is a US Congressman from Queens, New York City.  He has been in the news lately for first denying that he sent some lewd twitters and messages to women.  He originally claimed that someone 'hacked' into his personal accounts and sent the photos.  A couple of days later he reversed himself, said he did indeed send the messages, and apologized to his pregnant wife, his constituency and to the Congress of the United States. 

He then went on to say that this was not a serious enough problem to require him to resign from Congress.  That statement is more obscene than the stupid pictures he sent.

When people look up to someone who does something so patently stupid and immature, causing them to become so disappointed that they lose faith in the system---whether it is Congress or your business---employees will lose their desire to work for you.

You are the leader of your business.  In our case you are probably in the glass business.  You have the responsibility to lead professionally.  If you make a mistake like mismeasuring a job, that is part of our lives.  But if you make a moral mistake, and your company learns of it, you will no longer have your employees' respect or enthusiasm to help you run a profitable business.

As an owner or manager you have no choice.  You must take responsibility for your actions.  No choice.  I just heard a follow-up story on CNN where they stated 53% of Weiner's congressional district thought it was OK for him to stay in his job, while 35% thought he should resign.  What would happen in your company if 35% of your employees thought you were unfit to lead.  They would begin looking for other employers; they certainly would lose their dedication to your business.

You went into business to create your own future and to make a good living. Don't let something stupid get in the way.  Watch for this in your senior managers, watch for this throughout your organization.  Make sure you have a confidential communication system for all employees to contact you in the event they feel there has been sexual or any other type of harrassment.

Don't let something stupid ruin your life or business.