comments

Was a good meeting. Substative. Would like to further pursue the marketing ideas discussed, i.e., email database, targeted mailings, etc.

Chris Maxfield will be attending for me (I have a Dr's appointment). Thank you.

If for internet-based sales where the entire sales cycle is performed online (ie, through a merchant program or online store) a 'payment confirmation' voucher is expected by a customer. Automation for this is typcially provided through online web services.

Otherwise, a 'payment recieved' document is usually not done. This is an inefficient step. Your customer will have their record that they paid you. You have a record that you were paid. Nothing more is required regarding payment.

If unpaid, a seller would send send a past due notice or a statement. A customer receiving such a notice, if they thought they paid, will check to see if their payment cleared their bank and communicate with the seller as needed.

Good positive article. "Re-visit, refine and re-work your objectives" has good substance. It is going to take courage too. Thanks for your words.

Good article - good points!

While at networking events, anytime a person is standing alone, by all means, invite them into your circle of communication. Too often I have seen (and have been) a person momentarily standing alone at these events. Most likely such people have a viable contributions to make. But, if there is not an opening in your conversation, they will give up, move on, and eventually head out the door. Yes, it takes a little skill to interject to be known, and reciprocity as well.

These events can be prosperous, fun, or stale, depending on the level of interaction between attendees. Have fun, open up - sooner or later the referrals will happen.

By the way, I too have often been a lemming.

Lemmings, lemmings, we're all lemmings! But a few stay behind pondering what really just happened then begin to pick up the pieces.

This credit crisis is pretty bad, but I've been 'round long enough (no - not back as far as the Great Depression) to see a few panic's: The Black Friday of the 80's, the Dot Com Bust (I lost 60% of my holdings - lesson to self, don't invest in mostly one industry), 911 etc., and every time these happened, we rebounded.

Only a couple of days after the Black Friday, stocks recovered and soared on for a long time. When I first saw rising fuel prices three years ago I bought an energy stock fund and doubled my money within a year getting most of my money back (I sold it) for the money I spent on gas that year. I continued to buy into the market after 911 and definitely benefited.

A friend invested in gold when it was on the rise in the 70's and sold near the high. He tried to talk business owners into selling their businesses and buying gold. Problem was, he was so enthusiastic about gold, he bought it back again, then it crashed. He lost his house.

Another friend bought a stock that was hyped up and told me "I quadrupled my money". I asked him then if he sold it, he said, "no" so I responded "you've not quadrupled your money, I think that only happens when you sell." It was shortly worthless. I asked him later what happened with his stock and he responded, "I don't want to talk about it". A lemming.

A few are contrarians, and I think I lean that way a bit evidenced by my purchase of energy shares. But, I am mainly conservative. Recently I converted some of my equity into cash (as luck would have it), but I'm leaving the rest where it is because selling it now would be acting like a lemming.

My family has found ways to enjoy vacations without spending thousands. It is easy to here in the great Pacific Northwest - weather permitting. We have a mentallity that when we wake up on Saturday, we're on vacation.

When food was scarce during WWII, people grew 'Victory Gardens' which were small vegitable gardens on their lots. They grew their own food! Guys, we're tougher than we think.

It is time we hunker down, control our expenses, but we must continue to market our products. We also must continue to breath, live, work, network, and play - and vote!

My best . .

Wow! What a great bunch we had last night . . I enjoyed meeting each and every one of you. Thank you for attending our first "ASI After Hours" event. Please keep in touch!

J. R. Hudson, President, Account Services, Inc. "Accounting Services for Growing Businesses"

Hi John, looking forward to continuing our mutual referrals relationship. Regards!