Capital Solutions: Productive Alternatives to SpendingWritten by Alvin Apple
It's been a little over two months since terror attacks of 9/11, and it still feels a little surreal. Even with U.S. forces doing as well as they are in Afghanistan, there is still a sense of sadness and insecurity, and this has affected our economy. Business is slow, and I believe that as American businesspeople we have a duty to do everything we can to help shore up financial state of our country. With less business creating lower incomes, however, it seems like a difficult to impossible task. So how do we do it?The key here is to get away from idea of spending money as a necessity to boost economy. There are several things we can do to stay in business and to help others stay in business without spending capital we don't have. First, trade goods and services. The barter system has worked for centuries, and it can still work today. I'm sure that you know several business people who offer something you need, and who could probably use something you offer. Maybe you clean carpets and you have a friend who runs a copy center. How about offering to clean carpets of your friend's shop in exchange for a run of flyers advertising your business. Whatever you do, there must be someone you know who could use your service, and who just might offer a service you need.
| | Dave Thomas: Tribute to a Truly Great ManWritten by Alvin Apple
Yesterday we lost one of most important businessmen in world. Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's fast food chain, died of liver cancer at age of 69. He has left us with an amazing legacy of making it from nothing, of succeeding in face of terrible odds, of finding amazing success without possessing any of usually associated advantages. Dave Thomas was a completely self made man, and it is from him that I have taken my philosophy of doing business.Dave started out as a fry cook in a diner, and worked his way up to management. He bought a group of failing restaurants, completely turned them around and then sold them back to their original owner for a huge profit. He started and maintained one of most successful fast food businesses in world, and never once showed a disdain for getting his hands dirty. Dave was an everyman who showed us as Americans that anyone can do it. I have been running my own businesses now for about 20 years, and Dave's advice and ideas have always rung true to me. My very first business was a janitorial service, and I did all work myself, from vacuuming and washing windows, to scrubbing toilets and taking out trash. Too often these days, people who want to start up a home business simply buy a computer and a desk and sit back waiting for orders to come in. Dave believed that to make it in business you've got to hustle. When you're just getting started you've got to do everything you can dream up to promote yourself and your product or service. Quite often this means getting your hands dirty, and working yourself to bone.
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