For all my startup friends

This series is so on target!

http://bit.ly/P4BybT

http://bit.ly/Mpxctq

http://bit.ly/OCTSW2

Calling Your Clients

 Let's get real here for a moment and acknowledge that the holidays are upon us.  That crazy time of year when everything seems to annoyingly show up on the 'to-do' list.

A very wise businessman once shared with me that if a fire destroyed his warehouse, it wouldn't matter.  If a fire destroyed his delivery trucks, it wouldn't matter.  BUT if a fire destroyed his client files, his business would be destroyed - finito - ended - finished!

There is only ONE top priority for all businesses to act on this fall season: CLIENT CARE

1) BACK UP CLIENT FILES - if you use a web CRM system of any kind, back it up.
2) BACK UP all client files that are resident on your computers! One client lost a list of 1600 names and with it future business. 
3) BEGIN - calling an established client who did business with you this year - Start with those that signed up with you in January and work your way through the year.
4) SAY THANK YOU to each and every one! 
5) ASK QUESTIONS on how you can help them achieve their business goals for 2012.  You may not be the one to satisfy the request, but if you refer them out, you would be surprised on how well they remember you.
6) BE HAPPY you have clients you can call to say thank you. Let them know how terrific it is to work with them!

Our businesses are built on the loyalty of our clients.  Loyalty is built via relationships that are active and have a feel good factor to them.  So pick up the PHONE and reach out and touch your clients.  They will appreciate it.

Any further questions - contact me and I will be happy to answer your question.
Laurelle Johnson
Strategies for Growth

Clients want the "What's in it for ME" factor

Do you know your  'what's-in-it-for-my-clients factor'?  If not, get to know it intimately, inside and out, upside down and sideways and be able to recite it in your sleep.

Fact:  The longer a company is in business the more they get away from knowing, understanding and explaining the 'what's-in-it-for-my-clients' factor.

SFG asks our clients a key question during the intake process:  What do you offer your clients?  This allows us to look at what executives or business owners think they offer their clients. More importantly we learn how they present themselves to their existing and potential clients. And generally they don't articulate it well.

No surprise to us when the UGLY client category has more names than the GOOD category.

Solution Suggestion:  Ask yourself what you can reasonably deliver to your potential and current clients that align with your current resources and personnel. Then stick to that concept.  Stay focused and repetitive and state it clearly to your clients in terms that has meaning for them.

Example:  SFG helps you identify the Good, the Bad and the Ugly clients of your business.  We work with you to convert the Bad to Good, fire the Ugly and create a good client program that keeps the cash flow positive.

So - What in it for YOUR clients?

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

'Breaking up' with a toxic client is hard to do.  You have resolved to get them off your 'books,' they are not worth the emotional stress, time or money, but you just can't seem to cut the cord.  

"How do I actually do it?" is the question most often asked by my Client Retention Program clients.  There are no pat answer, but there are effective ways to politely break off the relationship.

Prepare for the conversation by scripting the main points you want to make, be seconded on the phone or in person with someone who is on your side and stick to the facts.

In preparation:

1) Review the contract:  Were the terms and conditions met by both parties?  If there is a discrepancy on your side, can you fix it quickly to meet the terms of the contract? Prepare your conversation by stating how you met the terms of the contract.

Ex: Deadline request was met on such and such date as stated in statement of work.

2) Know your facts:  During difficult conversations with difficult clients, nothing speaks louder than facts.  What are the relevant facts that can be discussed to bring the relationship to positive closure?

Ex: Client was non-responsive to phone calls or emails.  State directly the dates of those phone calls and emails to show the lapse in response from their point of contact or other personnel. 

3) What business result do you want by terminating the relationship? Determining the outcome that is aligned with your business objectives helps keep you on a steady course.  Ugly clients often throw you off to give them a form of control, especially if they begin to realize their culpability.

Ex: Objective is to recoup lost revenues, but client refuses to pay anything as they don't see how your services helped them.

What gives you strength during these conversations is being 'seconded' by someone on your side.  A semi-neutral person who understands your business, is briefed on the facts and can interject reason in the discussion should it get heated.

Off on vacation!

We all know the value of vacation time  We dream about where we are going, we make plans, book hotels, and meet up with family and friends.

The Europeans know the value of vacations as they have a government-mandated, paid 5 weeks time off a year.

It means time to slow down, let the body relax and mind think on stuff other than our daily lives. When it comes to an end, we pick up, with more energy, our lives as we know it.

One of my coaching clients just returned from a month's vacation and sounds completely different. She has a lightness to her voice from having regained her sense of self and has a new perspective on how to move forward in her life and business. Plus her great sense of humor has returned full force.
 
So before I return from vacation, rested and renewed, I wonder what the rest of the world does to  maintain the sense of renewal and carry it forward until the next vacation?

Quicknote:  "No Touch Monkey" by Ayun Halliday is the funniest travel adventure book I have read in a very long while.  High recommend reading it.

How would you do it?  Comments most welcome.

Lunchtime Dreamers

I worked for a busy Fortune 500 corporation from the age of 24 to 40something.  I rarely looked up from my desk from 7AM-10PM that the job and promotions demanded.  But on the weekends I turned into the outdoor adventuressI wanted to be in high school.   Why did I not pursue this path full time?  'Cause of the money honey.  There was NO money in adventuring in those days.  You took a vow of poverty and that was that.

Well I like to inhabit nice, clean places and wanted to own a home of my own. So off to work I went on Monday mornings, tired, exhausted from the all-night driving when coming back from a high energy weekend in some distant California outpost.  I kayaked, skied, climbed, backpacked every weekend and had a blast.

During the week, I ate lunch at my desk and plotted with my travel agent adventure buddy where to go next.  I wished I had had the internet then to keep me company.  I could have viewed all manner of places with out leaving my desk and reduce my stress. Check this link out and you'll know what I mean.

http://bit.ly/cWUI72

Happy Lunchtime Dreaming!

The Brand Within, By Daymond John, Shark Tank Investor

Sarah Shaw of Entreprenette interviewed billionaire Daymond John on the secrets of his success.  He is known for the creation of the FUBU clothing line and one of the investors on 'Shark Tank.' It is a riveting, powerful 30 minutes of direct, honest answers about starting up companies, investing and continuing the success from company to company.  Sarah Shaw is a member of my mastermind group and one very smart seasoned entrepreneur.  Take a moment to listen to this interview as I think you will find the lessons useful to your enterprise.

http://bit.ly/cH6xK2

Enjoy!

Carnitas Sabrosas in Los Angeles

Carnitas in Los Angeles

As a child in Mexico City I was served every style of Mexican food cooked in our kitchen: empanadas, pollo, carne asada, rice, beans, plantains, etc. But NOTHING and I mean NOTHING compared to the taste of fresh tortillas from the tortilla factory around the corner from our apartment.  Our criada would carry a cloth-covered basket and a small black coin purse, grab my hand (I was only 5) and take me to the corner tortilla factory. While we stood in line I would watch in wonder as the tortillas were placed on a conveyor belt after being 'slapped' by the strong hands of the 'fabricantes.'  The belt would carry flat, wet tortillas up towards a hole near the ceiling, disappear behind a wall, through the stove and then back down towards us, hot, puffy and delicious. It was magic!

Our criada would take 2 out of our basket and have the local food cart fill each with carnitas.  One bite into the tortilla and I was transported to heaven. This is the experience I look for every time I enter a Mexican food joint in Los Angeles and give their carnitas a try.

Here are two of my favorites:

Poquito Mas - Sherman Oaks - Dos Sabrosa Estrellas

I often skip lunch just so I can bee bop down to Poquito Mas in Sherman Oaks, order to go and eat on the way to picking up Daughter#2 at school.  When she gets in she can smell the wonderful smell and says, "Hey, where is my burrito?"  I hand one over to her and she smiles in extreme pleasure.  Puts her in a good mood the rest of the day.

Hot fresh Mexican/American food is their pervue and they cook it up fresh everyday.   The carnitas are tender, well-cooked and not too greasy.  SABROSA is the word I use as they are not mixed with lots of salsa or other some such cover up sauce. Several all over LA.

La Luz Del Dia - Olvera Street - Tres Sabrosa Estrellas

My mother loved Mexico with all her heart and when not traveling through the country, she would trek down to Olvera Street, with us in tow, for a bit of authentic Mexican food.  After trying all the various restaurants on the street she declared "La Luz Del Diaz" the best. The atmosphere was 'very public Mexican marketplace' and the food home cooked.

It became a habit that we would go there every Sunday night.  We had the place to ourselves, the owner would flirt with my mother and we would gobble up the extra portions he served us along with the best rice, beans and guacamole going.  We would leave the place beyond full and drop into a deep sleep on the drive home.

A recent trip to Olvera Street showed me the the place nor the food has changed.  The carnitas are still the juciest, cooked slow overnight.  They are so tender that the women behind the glass counter serve them up by hand as a fork makes them fall apart - as carnitas should be. The tortillas are thick and warm and puffed up as in Mexico.  TRIPLE SABROSA is the rating on these puppies.  Ordered with or without beans, rice, salsa and guacamole.

Women and Intellectual Property Protection

This past month one recurring theme among my female clients rose above all others: Intellectual Property protection.  Each woman had confusion on who owns what in their partnerships. They seemed unable to ask for just compensation for their ideas or unique products invented. 

Let me say this very clearly:  It's yours if you invented it.  Copyrights, patents, trademarks are easily registered with the US gov't to ensure ownership and revenue rights for years to come. Tony Robbins does it, Martha Stewart does it, so why not you? 

I asked Beth Andrus, author of "The Essential Business Handbook," to weigh in on the matter.

"I work with very small businesses and many of the women I encounter are new to the business world," says Beth.  "Women are often reluctant to take legal steps to protect their intellectual property as they think it involves a long expensive process with lots of attorney fees.

"I have found that women will form partnerships quickly, without committing to paper the division of labor and IP.  Women don't want to appear distrustful as most of their partnerships are based on some type of 'best friend' emotions. Important to have someone neutral draw out the terms of the agreement for you so the emotion is kept to a minimum," suggests Beth, CEO of  www.minibizbuzz.com.

This is so true! We meet a woman with whom we have instant bonding. We talk, we plan, we dream and work our fingers off to get the 'dream' going. And then when "putting it writing" needs to be done, it's either blood on the table or dissolution of the partnerships with hurt feelings on both sides.

I advise all my clients the following: 

Protect all your material.  File with the US Gov't all your ideas, process, books, CD, DVD that you have developed.  Hold the material as an individual so you can then license it out to the company created to sell the service or item. You enjoy the protection of the US gov't on ownership and revenues.

Take a toy away from any two year old and they'll tell you firmly, 'Mine!' Let's take a page from their playbook shall we?

Morning Beauty

Los Angeles has four seasons; Hot High Winds, Hellacious Fire, Oven Heat, and Deluge Rains.

Upon waking up this morning in the middle of Deluge Rain season, I thought I would show that it looks like from our backyard at 6:30AM.

The trees are bare, the fog has rolled in and we are in day 2 of the rainy season.  Please note the the Ash tree on the right just lost its leaves in the last week and will begin sprouting new growth first of  February.  The Maple on the left lost all it's leaves right after New Year's and will begin sprouting in March.  Our seasons are short and to the point.
Unlike those beautiful landscape pictures of red, yellows and orange falls or the snow-covered car in the driveway, this is most likely the only 'winter scene' day we will have here in Los Angeles.

So I will enjoy this quiet morning with a cup of coffee and the Jake the cat on my lap. 

Clients: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is an adept description of the feelings we have towards our customers. 

Those we love (the good), those that drag their fee to pay, but pay big (the bad) and those that drive you straight into the arms of the shrink!

So what is an entrepreneur supposed to do?  Keeping a consistent revenue stream is so important to the small business and entrepreneur market segments. Let's look at ideas on how to deal.

The Bad - Large Health Care Organization

Problem: 

Client had not paid their bill in 8 months.  They did not return calls, ignored dunning notices and trashed the emails.  The bill was up to $15K! Outstanding invoices created a additional $641 in interest accrued.  Our services had saved this client 50K in operational costs.

Solution:

Did a bit of research and found out the objectives of the CFO.  What does he stand for?  What is he measured on? He had been PROMOTED because of his cost-cutting measures.

Letter:  We wrote an old-fashioned letter, sent via registered mail, to the CFO letting him know that 1) his company had saved 50K by using our services and 2) his company had accrued an extra $641.00 in interest COSTS due to ignoring the bill.

The client called the next day (after having his butt chewed out by the CFO), apologized with some excuse (ok by us) and said the bill would be paid immediately.

The check arrived the next week - All 15K of it!  AND......

We got a call to come back in and help them save once again.

What are you doing to turn your bad into good! Future blogs on the good and the ugly.

'Tis the season of customer retention

I have received more emails, newsletters and blog postings from all whom I have encountered during this very tough year of 2009.  That's ok, but doesn't float my enthusiasm boat. I think in tough times, personal touch means everything! So 'tis the season to GET PERSONAL!

Clients love to hear from their vendors, vendors love to hear from their clients.  Your personal touch means you care, you are ready to listen to them about what is going on in their lives and you both will walk away with a feeling of mutual gratitude.

Here is a reach and touch a customer tips for the season:

1. Make a list with phone numbers of all clients, however brief, that you did business with this year.
2. Make a list of all the vendors, with phone numbers, however brief, that you did business with this year.
3. Prepare a thank you statement that has at least three versions.  Ex: Hi I am calling to thank you for your business this year.  Hi, I am calling to thank you for being such a great vendor.  I so appreciated bringing the (insert product/service name) to (XYZ company).  Have a happy new year and a prosperous 2010!
4. Take one hour each morning until December 31st and CALL EVERY CLIENT and VENDOR. Use the prepared statement as a springboard for what you really say. 
5. Don't ask for anything - no referrals, no more business, no reminders.  Just a THANK YOU to them for having chosen your product or service.  Just a THANK YOU to those vendors that did a great job servicing your account.

You will be amazed at the reaction you will get and you will automatically rise to the top of visibility list.
Happy Holidays to all of you!

We control $4.3 Trillion in consumer spending!

The numbers are in and the facts are clear: Women control $4.3 TRILLION of the US Consumer spending. And WE WANT IT OUR WAY!!!

“The Rise of the Real Mom,” a white paper authored by Marissa Miley and Ann Mack and published by Advertising Age  took a good look at the mothers of today. They named it well as a Google search brought up 14Million searches for  'real mom'. I believe that the words will gallop into the lexicon of US English.

This is the most fascinating report as it covers the wide range of women aged 18 to 65. It identifies the percentage rise in education (YEAH) and the new expectations of the mothers who are also workers, careerists and fully in charge of their families.

A few facts:

Moms still do the majority of wet tasks (dishes, laundry, cleaning the bathrooms) while men stick to the dry jobs (driving children to school, making lunches, taking out the garbage).
Moms juggle far more in terms of activities than men
Have higher stress than men

Nice to have all this confirmed. I can assure that any wet task performed by men leave a bigger mess than when performed by women. So women know, “it’s just easier if I do it myself.”

VERY IMPORTANT FACT: Pragmatism and control rules the day!

To reach this real mom, marketers need not just to communicate that the
goods and services they offer are practical and convenient; they also need
to make real moms feel confident and in charge.

Let’s repeat that: practical and a sense of control! We are pressed for time, driving the kids to and fro (I clocked 100 miles one day), work, planning, homework, with little time left to breathe and think. The products today need to be easy to buy, pay for, receive and install!So in what categories do women exercise the practical and sense of control? Not surprisingly, it is vertical market specific.

Real Moms influence the buying decisions in these categories:

Personal Care 67%
Clothing 64%
Cosmetics 61%

Spouses and Partners have greater influence on buying decisions in these categories:

Electronics  45%
Cars 46%
Restaurants 42%


If you sell to women, how do you, as a business owner, sell to the ‘real moms’? Start with a look at your service or product and assess whether it appeals to this demographic. Next, how can you make it as easy as possible for real moms to buy from you? Third, look at your marketing materials and does it include the ideas of easy, practical and control?

With a few changes can you make the delivery of your product practical and easier to use? Can you do a bit of rewriting the marketing verbiage you have on your web site to reflect the concept of control, practicality, and time saving for your real mom client?

A quick personal experience to bring this info home: I wrote a twitter to promote my workbook on elevator pitches. It stated: Real moms: Easy, at your command, the ‘how to’ on creating an elevator pitch http://tinyurl.com/yfhess5

The results have been great!

Holiday is the time to listen.

"I am a shy person so I am more comfortable listening to others," so said by a speaker I recently heard at an awards show. 

What insight! What a great clue to working with people.  I have to admit that I get bored very easily talking all the time about my business. Listening to others becomes a pleasurable event when I calm down and open up to what they are saying. I get a sense of what is going on in their lives beyond what their words.  This helps me help them.


And if I know anything about the human being is that everyone wants to be heard deeply and sincerely. 

Here are few hints and tips on listening to all others this holiday season. 

How to Listen Well

• maintain eye contact;
  
  
• don't interrupt the speaker;
  
  
• sit still; stand comfortably to you don't weave or move too much; 
  
  
• nod your head; keep you hand still;
  
  
• lean toward the speaker; not too close as too imply intimacy, but enough to hear them clearly
  
  
• ask appropriate questions when the speaker has finished.

Barriers to Listening


Things that may get in the way of listening.

• bias or prejudice; do you like this person or not?
  
  
• language differences or accents;
  
  
• noise;
  
  
• worry, fear, or anger, boredom; 
  
  
• a different agenda for attending the event; 

So I ask you, "What is your challenge when listening to others?"

Google trends and more trends

Mary Ellen Bates is a superb librarian, and Bates Info Tip has transferred her skills of classifying information to the internet.  I received this from her and am using the tools provided by Google below.

Google has been doing some interesting things with its analyses of what people are while they are on the web. Google Trends, which was rolled out in 2006, lets you see how frequently words or phrases were search for in Google, over time. You can even compare the relative frequency of two different words or phrases. I was curious about how people referred to the H1N1 flu, and when the shift occurred from calling it “swine flu”. I typed in the two phrases, swine flu and H1N1, separated by a comma. [“swine flu”, h1n1] According to the search results, it wasn’t until October that most people shifted over to referring to the flu strain as H1N1. I can also see search trends in specific countries and in specific cities and states or provinces.

Google’s latest analysis tool is Google Trends for Websites. You provide one or more URLs; for each web site, Google displays the number of daily unique visitors, the countries or states/provinces they came from, other web sites that they have also visited, and terms they have also searched for. Just as Google Domestic Trends went beyond search queries to compare financial trends to its information, Google Trends for Websites extends its reach and analyzes information on web traffic from a number of outside sources.

Google Trends for Websites only works for fairly high-traffic sites, but can be a useful tool for seeing the relative popularity of web sites, and for getting ideas on alternative search queries on a topic.
Companies can use this as a quick way to see how their web traffic compares to those of its competitors, as well as to see what search words were being used to find them. See, for example, the difference in traffic by geographic location and over time for NBC, CBS and ABC.

Use this tool well to help you increase your keywords to direct traffic to you web site.  Also good information to use to see what your competition is doing.

Dude, your clothes!

"Dude, Your PJ's are on the bathroom floor," I remind my husband as he has one foot out the door.

 "What clothes?" he says, frustrated at being stopped 2 seconds away from a clean getaway. "What am I supposed to do with them," he asks.

"Geez I don't know." I reply calmly,  "How about roasting them for dinner?"

Hubby laughs and begrudgingly picks up his clothes and stuffs them onto the shelf.  At least they are off the floor.  I walk into the kitchen and now am aware why he gave in so quickly.  The sink is full of dishes from last night!  AHHHHHH!!!!!!!

A few months ago, I sat the family down and let them know that they needed to step up and participate in the running of the  house.  Laundry, setting the table, making dinner, cleaning up, etc. were tasks that everyone could do.  I cannot (and really don't want) to do it all!

I  created a grid of tasks and days of the week.  Each family member stepped up and signed up for jobs they wanted to do.  We would move them around every so many weeks so as not to get bored.  Hubby signed up for doing the dishes and  D#2 was to get herself up and ready for school by herself.

D#2 was rousted from her bed the next morning by an alarm clock we had set in her room. She walked to the kitchen and sat down, "Mom, I didn't think we were starting this morning!"  And she promptly fell asleep at the table.

Her sister woke her up and says, "Hurry up.  And make your own breakfast and lunch.  I've been doing it since I was ten and you are 13.  So get with it!"

D#2 started slowly, but made her own breakfast and lunch and wandered off to get dressed. 

Ahhh peer pressure.  I forgot to put that on the gird.

Flight Damage

Hubby took care of all the arrangements for our trip back to Chicago to visit family. He cashed in the chips for flights, hotels, car rental and limo to the airport.

But he forgot to mention a slight detail; food is no longer served on flights. So when he informed me of this fact, I panicked!

Ok, airport food it is.  We get through security and arrive at the gate with 15 minutes to spare.  I suggest Hubby board first and save us overhead compartment space. I park the kids and run to the Starbucks to buy sandwiches and bottled water.

The line was moving quickly. I figured I had 5 minutes to grab, pay and go. That is until “Miss Professional Complainer” stepped up to the counter.

“Um… I’ll have a this and that and ok that too. No wait, I don’t want you charging me for this one as you guys owe me.” The Starbucks crew of three looks befuddled and all manner of movement comes to a dead stop. FOR 4 MINUTES. And then it takes her another 4 minutes putting it all in her large bag! The entire line is rolling their eyes and doing the impatient dance.

I stand firm, knowing Hubby is not going to let the plane take off without us.

The line moves at a snails pace as the orders become complicated a la “too much choice” menu and time slips away. I abandon the line knowing I can buy (and at even higher prices) snacks on the plane and race to the kids. The line is empty, the passengers all on board and I think, cool, we just swipe and go.

But the Professional Complainer steps up right in front of us! And she now goes into her spiel with the ticket taker.

“You guys owe me an upgrade to business class. I missed a huge important party and well it was really important and you guys owe me an upgrade. I talked to the guy at the counter, but he didn't get how I missed this really important party. So you need to give me an upgrade.”

The ticket taker smiled her “valium smile” and waved PC on down the jetway to the airplane. We swiped passed the woman and smiled the “knowing smile.”

We are the next to last passengers down the jetway and I have "where are u?"texts buzzing my cell phone from Hubby.

Professional Complainer is now on the plane at the entrance giving her you-owe-me spiel to the greeting attendant. It lasts another 5 minutes while we wait impatiently behind her. She is told, “sorry no seats available in business class.” And the discussion picks up again. AHHHHHH!!!!

By now I am 1) hungry, 2) totally frustrated by this woman’s need to claim her upgrade at the last minute. I am ready to blow past her with a loud “Excusssse meeeee” but am dead stopped by a look from D#1, who is not about to be humiliated by her mother so early on in the trip.

Hubby falls asleep right after take-off so I reach into his pants pocket to grab his wallet. Years of marriage have taught me that once he’s out, he’s out so I continue working my hand down his pocket while the food service attendant looks on with patience.  Guess she has seen it all. I spend $25.00 on ‘snacks’ to make us happy.

We can hear the Professional Complainer, four rows ahead of us, still going on and on to her seatmate about how “they owe me an upgrade. I missed a really important party and well they owe me!”

In listening to her I realized how her speech was incredibily ineffective.  As she got off the plane, she was still letting all airline personnel, "you guys owe me an upgrade 'cause I missed a really important party."

What what is wrong with her spiel?

Happy Time of Year!

Wishing to all a Happy Time of Year made possible by the ability of each of us to find our happiness within ourselves and share it with the world. 

Demise of Print and Barbara Kingsolver

Was lucky enough to secure a ticket to see author extraordinaire Barbara Kingslover.  As we all know Ms. Kingsolver has written much beloved books such as "The Bean Trees," "Poisonwood Bible" and "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle."

Ms Kingsolver was entertaining and well spoken.  She was wonderful at pulling the audience into her daily writing life and the way she creates her novels.  For all budding, frustrated writers her description of her methodology of thinking out an idea, doing research and then committing the story to paper was a road map that hit its mark.   I could hear the muttering from the crowd as we were leaving: "She does research first!", "She is not always in control of her characters," "She loves to edit! She actually CUTS material!"

The audience questions were always bordering on reverence and the need to share how her books had changed their lives.  And one woman asked the key question of the evening:

"When you talk about a reader falling asleep while reading late into the night to last page and then the book, which has fallen on their face, becomes drenched with their tears, how do you feel about the Kindle?"

You could have heard a pin drop.  My seat mate had just showed me her kindle access on her iPhone.  I have written two blogs on the Demise of Print. We held our collective breath to hear the mistress of writing to hold forth on this topic.

"I am for reading in any manner that will allow for the magical world for stories to be read by the largest amount of readers.  What I am concerned about is the monopoly that Amazon created with the Kindle.  With the cost of a book down to $9.99, where is the revenue to support not just successful writers, but budding authors who need the advance to live on while they develop their next project and skill?  Where will the revenue come from to keep your independent book seller in business?"(paraphrased by the way)

I thought of all the wonderful books stores L.A. has lost in the last year.  Dutton's in Brentwood, Dutton's in North Hollywood, Book Soup and Skylight books are merging, and the only independent store left in my neighborhood is a rare book collector dealer with outrageous prices that I cannot afford.

I am as concerned as Ms. Kingsolver on the demise of a system that was perfected and efficient to nuture the budding talent hidden  within the vastness of the US.  Without the support and guidance and FUNDING to improve themselves via one advance after another what will stop the slide into mediocre literature?

My question now goes to Jeff Bezos of Amazon to ask him, how as a publisher, he intends to find, fund and nuture all those writers of passion and talent to continue creating the stories to entertain us.  Because in the end all any of us have that we most value are our stories!

The Rush for Private Schools

We are in the middle of "rushing" for private schools for D#2.  She is touring and viewing, we are calculating the costs and wondering how we will do it.  We will fill out reams of questions on application forms that will tell the administration everything about us short of a DNA map.

I find these "gauntlets" interesting as they are as discriminatory as they can be within an inch of the ethical and morals boundaries. And they all stand proud on their non-discriminatory philosophy. Bah!

Each private school forms it's own "tribes" with a uniform student body. They look for the commonalities that allow them to create insular worlds and for 30K per student per year to cater to the delusions parents have that their child is the next  "Bill Gates."  And if not, at least entrance into a top Ivy League school.

In Los Angeles there are 57, yes that's right 57, private schools that vie for a small percentage of students that qualify for entrance.

The private schools, funded in the past by tons of money from parents, allowed them to "overbuild." Every school had to offer it all in order to compete with each other.

That is exactly what has gotten them into trouble.  57 flavors of schools is NOT sustainable even in a large population center as Los Angeles.  Parents able to pay for a customized education that emphasized their values, morals and delusions about their kids, are rare and far between.

I think the schools are now the ones with delusions!  Offering to "mold" the students into perfect cookie cutters semblances of their parents expectations is ridiculous.  Children are as varied as their parents and only those with the gumption and determination make it in life.

If I am to find the perfect "tribe" for D#2 then I guess I need to look at the commonalities of culture. Wonder where I can find that school, seeped in reality, with a touch of low-cost.  That's my kind of tribe.