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Please and Thank You
by Lisa Danes - Friday March 23, 2012I recently read an article that said Americans are becoming less and less polite. According to the article, A 2011 poll found that 76% of Americans believe our society is becoming more rude. As we hear the words “please” and “thank you” less and less, it’s good to remember that while we can’t control the actions of others, we can make an effort to put our best foot forward. I’m sure many have had that rude customer who comes in and demands service. You go out of your way to meet their needs and don’t receive an ounce of gratitude. How does it make you feel? Cheated and disrespected? Yes, they are paying for the service, but gratitude goes a long way too. You can’t control how rude your customers are, but you can... -
Who Wins on Dealer Day?
by Lisa Danes - Wednesday February 15, 2012New details have been given regarding the changed format for the 2012 GIE+EXPO. The new format will offer an exclusive day for dealers, retailers and distributors to meet one-on-one with exhibitors to preview products and talk agreements and pricing. It is understood that this was done to attract more dealers to the show. In addition, exhibitors are being given incentives for hosting their dealer meetings at the convention center on the days leading up to the show. Meeting rooms will be available to exhibitors Monday through Wednesday, leading up to the show opening on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. I think for dealers this could be a great opportunity. Ideally, dealers could then get a chunk of their travel for the year all out of... -
The Tax Man
by Lisa Danes - Tuesday January 24, 2012Well it’s that time of year again. Time for taxes! Tax day for the tax year 2011, filing deadline and due date for federal income tax returns, is April 17 this year. I just received my W2 the other day. My lifestyle is simple enough that I can easily file my taxes on my own. Many business owners opt to take their records to the tax man. This website shares several great tips for business deductions . Keep them in mind when filing on your own or hiring it out. What do you do throughout the year to maintain your records and prepare for easy filing of your taxes? Happy deductions! -
Consumers More Confident, Should You Be?
by Gregg Wartgow - Wednesday January 11, 2012Consumer confidence trended up each of the last two months of 2011, making its way back to spring levels before people turned sour. Now, given some recent positive news regarding job creation, housing and consumer spending, small business owners have something to feel pretty good about as we march forward in 2012. We've been here before, though. Is it for real this time? I believe so. Many companies -- from the big, reorganized auto makers to landscape contractors and equipment dealers -- have spent the past few years sorting things out and figuring out how to put their best foot forward. Consumers have done the same. That's why confidence and spending are picking up. And that's why early indications are that more companies are seriously... -
Does Super Committee's Failure Fail the Green Industry?
by Gregg Wartgow - Tuesday November 22, 2011NEWS FLASH: The bipartisan Congressional Debt Committee has failed to reach a compromise. Can you believe it?! (sense sarcasm) Actually, this thing had about as much chance of succeeding as Gary Coleman would've had in a slam dunk contest. (Whatchoo talkin bout, Wartgow?!) OK, but what's done is done, or in this case not done. Where do we go from here, and what implications are there for the Green Industry? Automatic cuts to discretionary spending in 2013. Once the Defense budget is hammered, a lot of the savings will have to come from domestic programs such as agriculture and environmental protection. On the one hand, cuts to agriculture could negatively impact farmers who purchase ag and construction equipment from dealers. On...
