Bottom Of The Barrel

Survivor Guilt

I'm sure it didn't really go down like that...

Labels: Business

posted by TheWino @ 10:41 AM 1 comments

The Job Market

Love the Mexican music!

Labels: Business

posted by TheWino @ 9:32 AM 0 comments

Last day down

On May 31st in 2006, I posted here about finishing my first day of employment with Kubotek USA so it is only fitting that I note the end of my employment. Today I was let go because of downsizing and reconfiguration of the business. It is sad to be asked to leave on very short notice for a job you enjoy and from people that you have worked with over the past 2.5+ years without much of an opportunity to say thank you and goodbye. But I do understand the needs of the business and something had to be done to get the sales and cash flow back on track, it's just too bad I had to be sacrificed in the process along with 3 co-workers. Typically a 4 person layoff doesn't sound too bad but if you think of it as 10% of the work force, it tends to give you pause.

Anyway, for those I didn't get the chance to personally see before my departure, let me say it now - Thank you for working with me and good luck with all of your future endeavors. My next job is too look for a job. Anyone hiring a Customer Service/Technical Support Manager here in Massachusetts?

Labels: Business

posted by TheWino @ 1:34 PM 2 comments

A new business model

While roaming around Myrtle beach this week, we stumbled onto a new development called The Market Common. The property is on what once was an air force base situated next to the Myrtle Beach Airport. The idea behind the Common is it be the new Myrtle Beach. Away from the long strip of hotels that line the ocean side along business route 17. The old MB is nothing but hotels, eateries and family amusement parks. The old downtown has no real beach feel since it can be seen from the road and with all those hotels feels very unfriendly and unwelcoming. In contrast, the Common is being developed as a residential community built around shopping, restaurants and on-site events. The site has been open for almost a year and are basically in phase one of development. Most for the retail space is open for business and in the coming months they hope it will be running at full capacity. The housing has all been built around a townhouse style of structures with 2 and 3 floor traditional townhouses and some non-traditional carriage-house townhouses. One of the unique features of the near retail town homes is what they call live and work structures which include 2 floors of living above the first floor retail space which the owner can use for there own business or rent to someone else. It is interesting to imagine what one would do if you had retail space on the first floor of your home. In the coming years they have planned additional housing including some free standing detached housing which could be tempting. If the housing continues to be built and purchased, this could be a very interesting area to watch in Myrtle Beach.

Labels: Business

posted by TheWino @ 4:12 PM 0 comments

I bet Wall Street could use a location like this right about now

Back in 1999, Limp Bizkit hit us with a song called Break Stuff which contained some very straightforward and less than profound lyrics:

Its just one of those days
When you don't wanna wake up
Everything is fucked
Everybody sux

Although in retrospect, Wall Street has probably felt just this way for the past few weeks. Anyway, if you were in that mood and wanted to just go out and break some stuff as a stress relief, then Sarah's Smash Shack is just what the doctor ordered. They have Break Rooms where you and up to 3 friends can get together an tear it up. The rooms also include a MP3 port, so bring along some angry white guy music. The Menu includes items like:

Smash Shack House - 15 plates for $45
The TV Dinner - 2 dinner trays for $15
The Six Shooter - 6 glasses for $10
The Sashimi - 3 small plates for $10

Next time I am in San Diego [which was discovered by the German's in 1904], I must stop in to Sarah's and Smash some plates to Limp Bizkit's Break Stuff. It just sounds like fun for the whole family [note must be 18 years old to play].

Labels: Business

posted by TheWino @ 8:38 AM 0 comments

Is Dada the new iTunes?

Dada.net is now offering DRM-free MP3's from both Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment's catalogs. The songs can be downloaded to any mobile phone, iPod or digital music player and over-the-air MP3 downloads to mobile devices will be available in the next few weeks. Currently their total catalog is no match for iTunes, their pricing just might be. Dada is approaching pricing from the subscription model, as in $10 a month. That monthly fee will give you access to a maximum of 15 tracks that you can download throughout the month. On a per song basis, that is only 66 cents, instead of the traditional 99 cents that you would pay at the industry giant iTunes. Or you could think of it as paying the same as you do at iTunes, but for every 10 songs purchased, you get 5 free. And since Dada is half owned by Sony Music Entertainment, in a sense they are paying themselves as much as 33 cents per song instead of 9 cents they currently get from Apple. If the music industry can find ways to work together like this, they could regain control over their industry instead being at the mercy of Apple, as they currently are.

Labels: Business, Music

posted by TheWino @ 10:21 AM 0 comments

Hard Rock Really Cares

Staying at the Hard Rock in San Diego during my trip to Comic-Con was really nice. The hotel was very Hard Rockish [posters, guitars, outfits, ect] and the staff was great. After my stay there, I was sent an email for an online survey. I completed the survey and gave the hotel and staff high remakes. The only thing I pointed out as less then satisfied with, which I prefaced with some level of understanding, was being asked to wait outside the elevator bank while a large group was waiting for an elevator. Now I was not able to see who was there, but I can say that there were as many as 6 people with 3 or 4 security folks, so it totally screams big-time personality. Anyway, I commented on the survey that being guests and adults, I thought this type of extra security was unnecessary. I didn't think much of this comment at the time, expect that was how I felt [especially giving the people we were going to meet over the next few days], but this morning I received an email for the hotel manager, which read in part:

"As Hotel Manager, I take total responsibility of what transpired and personally apologize. I am saddened that your stay was not flawless. We take tremendous pride in delivering Service Excellence to every guest, and in this case, it is apparent we failed.

I have communicated your concerns to the Director of Security, to ensure this issue does not re-occur in the future. I apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused with the added security during the Comic Con Convention. It is this type of honest feedback that allows us to examine our current training and procedures and make the necessary changes to not only meet, but also exceed our guests’ expectations."

It is refreshing to see a company listen to the customers and I think it is this kind of attention that will help the Hard Rock Hotel chain to grow in the US.

Labels: Business, Comic-Con

posted by TheWino @ 8:56 AM 1 comments

New iPhone "Deal"

Starting on July 11, the new 3G iPhone be available at your local AT&T outlet for the low, low, low price of $199 or $299 for the 8 gigabyte and 16 gigabyte models respectively. AT&T will also be offering the same phones but without the contract for $599 and $699 respectively.

These contract-free, meaning it sells without the usual two-year service agreement, phones will not natively be usable on another network, so what does the extra $400 bucks actually buy you? According to AT&T, they are selling these phones contract-free for people who are not comfortable with long term contracts. I'm thinking they are looking for new ways to make money on folks who want the technology but not their service. Basically a $400 mark-up for anyone who doesn't want to use AT&T and can't be bothered with signing a contract and then canceling it later [which today they have their early-termination fee is a maximum of $175]. Of course they could just be sticking it to the consumer who has bad credit but wants the slick new iPhone. If that's the case, how sad for the company to take advantage of those down on the luck and even sadder for the consumer who can't pay his grocery bill but has a shiny new iPhone.

For me, I'll stick to me cool new [and free] Juke and everyone else can have their silly iPhones [on AT&T].

Labels: Business

posted by TheWino @ 11:17 AM 2 comments

So much for music

Music "sharing" has been a widely documented phenomenon starting Northeastern's very own Shawn Fanning through today's BitTorrent file sharing world - especially at the collegiate level. The latest thing for our oh-so clever college kids is book sharing. A site called Textbook Torrents says if you have saved enough money by using this site (say, $200 worth of textbooks), please go out and buy a scanner. Scan as many of your other textbooks as you can, and put them up here for others to benefit from. There aren't very many scanned texts out there, so let's change that. Perhaps not the most legal idea, they maybe on to a new method from companies to distribute materials to a wide audience without needed large bandwidth.

Although they had made some strides, TT received a stop and desist notice from Pearson Education [78 torrents disabled], which may put a dent in there plan of textbook domination. I'll give them some school credit for a clever tag line... You Can't Torrent Beer. True, True.

Labels: Business, Internet

posted by TheWino @ 4:19 PM 1 comments

Maybe not such a good idea

My New Venture Management and Entrepreneurship professor loved to talk about the hyper growth of Starbucks and he would refer to the company often as an example of a company that was going against common business wisdom and succeeding. His greatest example was their continued store growth in urban settings, regardless of existing stores. Well perhaps the flawed plan has finally caught up to them.

Starbucks Corp. will close 600 US coffee shops and eliminate up to 12,000 jobs, the most in its history, as chief executive Howard Schultz slows the chain's expansion after it doubled in size in four years. Seventy percent of the stores to be shut are less than three years old, the company said. So much for all those new stores and hopefully those 12,000 barista's will find new work at other locations.

Labels: Business

posted by TheWino @ 3:49 PM 1 comments

Amazon sees the future

Amazon opened it's own DRM free music store approximately 10 months ago and they continue to follow the ideals of the open market. Their latest move is to offer "special" deals on albums which can be found on their Deal Of The Day page. This page will update often and currently offers select albums by artist like Madonna, Jack Johnson, Prince, Alice In Chains, New Kids On The Block, Seal, Nine Inch Nails, Metro Station, Julianne Hough, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, and Kelly Rowland - selling between $7.99 and $5.99. Additionally they have the special of the day, which today is We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things by Jason Mraz offered at the low, low, price of $3.99.

If that wasn't enough, the page also includes 8 free singles, most of which I am not familiar with but could be worth the listen. Amazon continues to find new ways to be a market leader, even if they are not Apple's iTunes.

Labels: Business, Music

posted by TheWino @ 12:49 PM 2 comments

Verizon Customer Service, Part 2

Dear Verizon,

I tried again to upgrade my phone this weekend but unfortunately I was again turned away by your retain outlets. This time the problem is not that my name and number has purchase ability but rather I am the second phone number on our family plan. So the sales representative told me that I could not utilize the $50 credit the account has for a phone upgrade but I could pay $20 transfer fee and purchase a new phone if I wanted to. Hmm let me think about that... Nope, thanks.

Yup, that's an 0-for-2 trip to the Verizon retain store.

So after returning home, I called their 800 service line and I was told that upgrading my phone using our account credit is not a problem and she promptly ordered me a new red juke phone which should arrive mid-week. The service rep actually commented that I have no need to go to their physical location unless I need to look and touch a new phone, otherwise everything can be done online or over the phone. Thanks for the tip, so now I will never need to return to one of those -oh-so-unhelpful locations as long as I remain a Verizon customer. Maybe we will start seeing less and less retail stores if this trend of anti-service continues.

Which at this point, is fine with me.

Verizon Customer 123456789
[because we are all just numbers to Corporate America]

Labels: Business, Going out of business, Internet

posted by TheWino @ 10:53 AM 1 comments

Why don't they put the customer in service?

Dear Verizon,

I stopped into one of your branches today to upgrade my phone to a newer model via your $50-new-phone-every-two-years promotion and to sign up for 2 more years of service. After driving over on a very hot day and walking across the mall to your store, your sales representative informed me that since my wife's name in the account manager, I was not able to use the promotion, get a phone or a new service plan unless she was there to sign the paperwork. As I began to leave he also mentioned she could just call and add me as a full account user as well.

Note: I don't think it's good business to turn away customers who show up to hand you money, just my 2 cents.

So much for actually trying help your customer in getting this very simple issue resolved, he let me walk out without the customer service number or offering to help in anyway. After walking halfway down the mall, I turned around and went back to get the magic service number, which he had on a card at his desk. I guess the first time around it was too much effort to reach up and hand it to me. At that point he also mentioned in passing that my name had to be added as some particular type - which I didn't catch because I was done with him.

After driving back to my office it turns out a 2 minute phone call from my wife to customer service got me added properly. I guess he couldn't had tried to facilitate that action while I was looking at new phones. From now on, I think companies like this should no longer be allowed to use the word customer in Customer Service.

If it wasn't for having the best reception in the northeast, I would no longer be a Verizon customer today. So thank you very little Verizon mall guy for providing the wort service of the day.

Verizon Customer 123456789
[because we are all just numbers to Corporate America]

Labels: Business

posted by TheWino @ 1:55 PM 0 comments

Another northeast credit card issue

Hannaford Brothers Company announced yesterday that they have been the victim of a breach of its computer system potentially exposed 4.2 million credit and debit card numbers and has led to about 1,800 fraud cases to date. Currently the company is working with the Secret Service on this investigation. This comes on the heels of last year's theft of up to 100 million customer card numbers from Framingham retailer TJX Companies. Also last year, four men from Southern California received prison sentences after pleading guilty to US charges they stole payment information at checkout counters at Stop & Shop Supermarket Companies stores in Rhode Island.

Is the northeast this wide open for hackers or is it all just a coincidence? I'm not sure but one thing is for certain, when these guys [or girls] are caught, they are doing some serious time in the big house. Go get 'em boys...

Labels: Business

posted by TheWino @ 10:49 AM 0 comments

New money worth more

Would you carry two different types of currency to save 10% on all of your purchases at local stores? This money would not be accepted at chain or national stores and it's all done in cash, would you still want to use it?

That is what the residents in Berkshire County, the western most county in Massachusetts, have been banking on. BerkShares, as they all called, are private notes issued by Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc., have an exchange rate of 1 BerkShare to 90 U.S. cents. The paper scrip is available in denominations of one, five, 10, 20 and 50. In the first 10 month, there is currently 844,000 BerkShares in circulation, worth $759,600 at the fixed exchange rate. BerkShares are accepted in about 280 cafes, coffee shops, grocery stores and other businesses.

I think the idea of shopping locally is great, especially for very rural areas like the Berkshires, and giving a discount for those who shop there is an excellent give-and-take between local merchant and residents. BHB is looking at the next logical step which is a debit or credit card based on the BerkShare system which would be much more convenient for the shopper and maybe even the retailer. I can hear the slogan now, BerkShare Debit Card, the buck starts here.

Labels: Business

posted by TheWino @ 8:21 AM 1 comments

Awweee, Poor Baby

The 1924 Anti Scalping law of Massachusetts maybe out of date, no-longer applicable and completely behind the times but that doesn't mean it should be enforced. This law was created to help control the up-selling of tickets to events which now include sporting events, concerts, the theater and other events. Local agencies [StubHub, Admit One Ticket Agency, Ace Ticket Worldwide] are coming under fire from several lawsuits stating that they are breaking our laws with each transaction. The current law states a ticket can be resold for face value plus $2 and "reasonable" expenses not including the cost of obtaining the ticket. It is this loose language that the agencies have been hiding behind for years but that maybe coming to an end.

Just for fun, I checked StubHub for tickets to upcoming Red Sox games and found the following seats:

Bleacher Seats Face Value: $23
StubHub Bleacher Seats for 4/20 Yankees Game: $110
StubHub Bleacher Seats for 5/18 Braves Game: $41

Both tickets are for a Friday night game however one seems to be much more expensive than the other, why is that you suppose? Maybe they are not applying the same business expenses [again not including the cost of obtaining the ticket, which should be $23] to the very popular Yankees game that they are to the less than popular, yet still sold out, Braves game. maybe the courts should look into that too?

The next step in this case should prove to be very interesting. A Quincy District Court judge last week indicated he plans to force a Weymouth ticket reseller, Admit One Ticket Agency LLC, to identify one of its key ticket suppliers. This seems reasonable to me. They think the laws are unfair well let's let the law be judged fairly with all of the pertinent information - namely where do these agencies get all those tickets they are selling?

Admit One Ticket Agency LLC, which operates online as RedSoxTix.com, said giving up the name of its supplier would be devastating to its business. Why? It is because what they do is illegal? Or is it because the source of these tickets is not individuals who simply can't attend but corporations that are holding back tickets and selling them through an agent to push the price higher by restricting the supply? Or maybe we would find that these tickets are being given to corporations as sponsors and then they are being resold ont he open market without the original purchaser knowing? Or maybe these tickets are flowing from individuals to the agencies but it is all in cash to the profit from buying and selling tickets is not being reported to the IRS?

What ever the "reason" these agencies don't want to publicly discuss how it all works seems like a bigger reason that we should. That and I too get pissed off that $23 Red Sox Yankee tickets cost $110 if I want to go.

Labels: Business

posted by TheWino @ 9:56 AM 2 comments

Raid on the factory

Yesterday, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers with aid from local and state police rounded up 350 workers who could not prove they were in the country legally at the Michael Bianco, Inc. company which manufacturers leather and military goods. Additionally, the ICE took the factory owner and three of his managers into custody and they were charged with conspiring to encourage or induce illegal immigrants to live in the United States and conspiring to hire illegal immigrants. They face a maximum sentences of 6 months in prison and fines of $3,000 for each illegal immigrant they knowingly hired which could be as much as 175 years in prison and a fine 1 million dollars each. Also a New Bedford man who worked in a music store across the street from the factory, has been charged with providing fake identification documents to some of the factory workers. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This raid raises the question, do you target the immigrants of their employers to get this issue under control. Some would argue that these workers come to this country looking for a better way of life and to provide for their families and that they perform jobs that the typical American would not, say hand sewing all day. Others would argue that it's the employers who are required by federal law to verify each employee and file the proper paperwork and pay the appropriate taxes with the government. No one would argue that even though the immigrants are getting work and it maybe a better life here, that the companies owners are the ones stuffing their pockets with the profits from these mostly underpaid and overworked workers.

It's ironic that this company would manufacture safety vests and backpacks for the US military, employ illegal immigrant workers and then be busted by a federal agency. This should be a wake up call for any business owner out there and since ICE agents arrested 716 company officials on charges of violating immigration laws in 2006, compared with 25 in 2002, if you employ them, the ICE might be stopping by soon for a visit. Don't be surprised when they take you and your management team off to a military base for a few days of questioning.

Labels: Business

posted by TheWino @ 10:15 AM 0 comments

What cars are being bought?

Ford posted a $12.7 billion loss in 2006 [$5.8 billion in the last three months of 2006 alone, mainly as a result of downsizing costs and the continuing fall in sales of its sport utility vehicles and light trucks] so who is selling vehicles these days? 2006 saw a total sales dropped of 2.6 percent however the mix of cars and trucks has changed. Full-size pickups continue to be the most popular vehicles with U.S. buyers even though their sales are down 6.7 percent compared to sales in 2005. Here is the top 10 Best-Selling Vehicles of 2006:

1. Ford F-Series - 796,039
2. Chevrolet Silverado - 636,069
3. Toyota Camry - 448,445
4. Dodge Ram - 364,177
5. Honda Accord - 354,441
6. Honda Civic - 316,638
7. Chevrolet Impala - 289,868
8. Toyota Corolla - 272,327
9. Nissan Altima - 232,457
10. Chevrolet Cobalt - 211,449

There is no change to the vehicles in the top 6 but only Toyota Camry and Honda Civic sold more units in 2006 than in 2005, 3.3 and 2.6% growth respectively. The other 4 [which only the Accord is a car] lost a total of 9.5% of their market share since 2005. Looks like the high gas prices are really hitting the Full-Size Truck and SUV market right where it hurts.

Lost from last years top 10 are the Chevrolet Malibu and TrailBlazer however don't feel too bad for GM, the Impala was the biggest gainer in the top 10 posting a 17.5% growth since 2005 and moving from number 8 to number 7. Maybe this is the return of the Impala to the top of the automotive market, just like it was back in the 1960's setting an all-time sails record of over 1 million units sold in 1965 which to date has not yet been reached again.

Labels: Business, Cars

posted by TheWino @ 11:05 AM 3 comments

Sexpresso

If sex sells, why not coffee? Cowgirls Espresso, Moka Girls, The Sweet Spot Cafe, Bikini Espresso, and Natte Latte represent a new wave of drive-thru coffee shops opening up in the pacific northwest serving hot beverages and a little eye candy for dessert.

Certainly to compete with the likes of Starbucks [who complete with themselves in several areas of Seattle] and Seattle's Best, you are going to have to offer a premium product, deep discounts or a gimmick to bring in the customers. How does School Girl Thursdays or Peach Paasion Fruit Scone or Erotic Pleasure sound? I'm not sure if their coffee is any good but it does look like they'll be getting a lot of repeat customers looking for their morning fix.

How about Barista Boston? Not sure how that would work on a morning like today [about 20 degrees to start the day] but it could just be the next big franchise of the new millennium. Look out Dunkin, the Barista is coming for you.

Labels: Business, Coffee

posted by TheWino @ 2:54 PM 1 comments