Strengths & Weaknesses

        It is the time of year when we make our New Year resolutions.  Many of us have the standard resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, or even to quit smoking.  You or someone you know may be thinking of buying or starting a business.  The timing could not be better with the new political climate. 

        Our federal government will be promoting business and improving the economy.  Economic development in our little county is improving.  Since the election, several companies have announced they are proceeding with expansion projects.  I expect the same to happen with new start-ups. 

        My book, Business Fits was written to help people find the right business to help them achieve their goals.  One economic development director said, “Make this book your first business investment.  It will save you a lot of time and heartache…”  Business Fits could make a great late Christmas gift.  

        One of the first things I recommend in the book is to analyze and write down your strengths and weaknesses.  This is much more important than picking a product or service. 

        A person can sell or not.  A person can manage people or not.  Strengths and weaknesses like these will determine success or failure in a specific business.  Everyone should find a business that takes advantage of their strengths and where their weaknesses will not be a disadvantage.

        Sometimes a character trait can be both a strength and a weakness in different situations.  I have strengths and weaknesses like anyone.  I have been told many times that I am honest-to-a-fault.  I consider this a good trait in business, but I could never have been a White House Press Secretary for President Obama.  I could never stand in front of the press and made statements that I knew were lies.  I just couldn’t do it. 

        If you are considering a business, make sure your role in the business fits you strengths and weaknesses.  It will make you happier and more successful.  A good place to start is reading Business Fits: How to find the right business for you!  It is available on Amazon as an eBook and as a paperback.

        Happy New Year and God bless America.  Let’s make America great again. 

http://BusinessFits.com

Fireside Chat

        From March 12, 1933 to June 12, 1944 President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave 30 Presidential radio addresses, at a time when radio was a relatively new.  These casual radio chats ran for 14 to 33 minutes.  President Roosevelt talked about the depression, the banking crisis, the New Deal, and World War II.  He obviously felt the need to Give his messages directly to the people and not rely solely on the newspapers and the radio news networks. 

        The Founding Fathers knew the importance of honest reporting of the news in order to make the new republic work and survive.  In their time print media and word-of-mouth was the only way to report the news.  When radio changed that, President Roosevelt felt the need to address the people directly. 

        Television was the next new news media.  The televised Presidential debates between Kennedy and Nixon probably determined the outcome of the 1960 Presidential election. 

        With newspapers, radio, and television news, we would think that now the public would have easy access to what is happening with our government.  Not so.  Most news networks seem to have no problem slanting the news or actually reporting lies to fit their political agenda.  There are exceptions like FOX news, but they are in the minority. 

        Today, much of the public no longer trusts the media, and they no longer trust government officials.  How can the public not be skeptical when our Secretary of State can blame a video for the deaths at Benghazi when she knew it was a terrorist attack? 

        The last Presidential election proved that the media, political analysts, and political polls can’t be trusted.  The lame stream media is still trying to discredit Trump’s election.     

        President elect Trump recognizes that he can not depend on traditional news organizations.  He has used social media and political rallies very effectively and will continue to do so.  This is the only way he can get honest information to the public and control the political establishment. 

        I hope and pray that all news organizations start to honestly report the news, but that is probably just wishful thinking. 

        Merry Christmas and God bless America.  Let’s make America great again. 

http://BusinessFits.com

U.N.N.A.

        Those of you, who have read my book, Business Fits, know how much I hate acronyms. Their use results in  ineffective communication and wasted marketing expenditures. 

        How many of you know what U.N.N.A. stands for?  If you have every looked at a help wanted ad, you may have seen it.  Did you know it stands for “Unemployed Need Not Apply”?  Some companies only interview or hire people that are currently employed.  There are a variety of reasons for this policy, but none of those reasons are valid for excluding unemployed applicants.     If you have ever been unemployed, I doubt you agree with this hiring policy. 

        Human resource departments of large corporations often try to put applicants in boxes.  I once had a friend that worked in human resources.  She was going through a large stack of applications for a particular position while visiting our house.  She quickly scanned the first paragraph of each application and threw most on the floor. 

        When I asked her what she was doing, she said she was scanning the first page for two or three words.  If she did not see these words, the application was thrown on the floor and never considered.  When I commented that the best applicant was on the floor, she said, “I’m sure that’s true, but I don’t have time to read them all.”  She found a few acceptable applicants and did not worry about finding the best. 

        How many of you have ever applied for a job and was told you were overqualified and/or overeducated?  I have and it is very frustrating.  The logic is that an overqualified person will not stay in the job.  This may be true, but there is no guarantee that any applicant will stay.  

        If you are hiring, hire the best you can hire.  The more overqualified the candidate is the better.  Maybe your company can grow to fit the new hire. 

        I once was the plant manager for a recreational vehicle manufacturing plant.  Over the objections of our company president, I hired an overqualified individual for the position of office manager.  The applicant was an unemployed bank president that had been laid off due to a bank merger.  He was financially comfortable and did not want to relocate for personal reasons, but did not want to retire yet.  He did a great job as my office manager, and based on my recommendation, replaced me as plant manager when I left the company.  We both benefited because I didn’t put him in the banking industry box, or worry about him being overqualified and unemployed.

        If you or anyone you know is a capable manager and sick of being put in a box, or unemployed and overqualified, now is the time to look at self-employment.  This country is going to see significant growth in the private sector of the economy and significant layoffs in the public sector.  It sounds like a great time to consider your own business.

        I recommend reading Business Fits as you start this journey.  It is available on Amazon as an eBook or a paperback. 

        God bless America.  Let’s make it great again. 

http://BusinessFits.com

Change

        Change is inevitable, but some things never change.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Change can be good and bad.  We have all heard these statements and they sound contradictory, but they’re also true. 

        The dedication for Business Fits is:  “This book is dedicated to all the small farmers and the small town business owners that played a huge part in making this country great.  Unfortunately, they are both disappearing.”

        Small farms are disappearing because larger farm operations are more efficient and profitable.  With the decline of rural populations, businesses must grow to serve larger geographic areas more efficiently.  These changes are both good and bad, but are inevitable. 

        As I wrote Business Fits, I was continually amazed how business had changed over the years with changing technology, but the basics stayed the same.  New entrepreneurs need to read Business Fits to insure they don’t skip the basics. 

        Change in business is good for small business and entrepreneurs because they can adapt to a changing market much faster than large corporations.  Franchises are also in a good position to react because of the market research that is provided by their network of franchisees. 

        Obama ran for President with the slogan Hope and Change, but when he got to Washington, he continued to grow the Federal Government.  Spending, debt, regulations, taxes, welfare, illegal immigration, drugs, race relations, foreign relations, duplication of services, waste, and corruption all got worse.  The Federal Government had a stranglehold on small business, the economy, and most working Americans. 

        Trump appealed to all American workers who were fed up with the problems created by big government and the political elite.  The big question now is, will Trump change Washington, or will Washington change Trump?  Trump is a deal maker so it will probably be a little of both, but I hope he changes Washington, because we have been going in the wrong direction for a hundred years.  He can’t change 100 years overnight, but, hopefully, he can change the direction this country is heading. 

        Love of God, family, country, and a good work ethic made this country great.  Not big government and generations enslaved to welfare. 

        Trump needs to hire the best people and not people who were political supporters as has been the practice of Presidents in the past.  There are many highly qualified people who will serve because of love of country, and not for financial or political gains.  

        God bless America.  Let’s make it great again. 

http://BusinessFits.com

Out of Touch

        Even though registered Democrats far outnumber the number of registered Republicans in this country, the Democratic Party is in serious trouble.  It seems to be in total free fall.  Can it survive? 

        When President Obama was elected President, the democrats were in total control.  They controlled the Congress and the Presidency.  They were also in control of many state governors and state legislatures.   

        The Democrats pulled an end run with Obama in 2008 and 2012.  Obama won because he was black.  He had no qualifications, but he was black and could give a great speech as long as it was prepared for him.  A brilliant campaign slogan of Hope and Change appealed to a large portion of the population.  It said nothing, but individuals could all hope it meant the change they wanted.  Unfortunately, the change never came. 

        The Democrats thought they had a slam dunk with Hillary Clinton for President, but Trump won.  Being black had been enough to elect Obama.  They thought being a woman would pull it off again in spite of her other short comings.

        They should have looked at what had happened since 2009 when Obama took office.  Democrats have lost:

·       14 U.S. Senate seats

·       69 U.S. House seats

·       12 state governors

·       910 state legislator seats

        That is more than 1,000 elected officials that the Democratic Party has lost since Obama took office.  It is not all President Obama’s fault.  The Democratic Party is just totally out of touch. 

        The political elite thought they could control the media and how the country voted.  Democrat Party leaders and the media located in New York City and Washington DC did not have a clue what was happening in the rest of the country. 

        The people of this country are fed up with big government and politics as usual.  They want real change.  The Republican Party has benefited from this feeling of anger since 2009.  Trump recognized how determined the public was for real change before the Republican Party did.

        Trump has changed the Republican Party.  The Democratic Party will also have to change to survive, but how will they change?

        Liberals are demonstrating in the streets.  Some say this is an attempt to solidify the Democratic Party.  I think it has just the reverse affect.  These demonstrations continue to divide the country and create more unrest.

        Some Democrats want to become the new Socialist Party.  Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders made a run at this.  I hope this country is too smart to turn socialist.  Historically, socialism has never worked for obvious reasons.  Most liberals advocating socialism have no idea how it will effect their freedoms and quality of life.  A quick look at Cuba should be enough of a reality check.

        The Democratic Party needs to listen to all the people and abandon the liberal Progressive big government ideas.  There was a time the Democratic Party did represent working men and women.  That is certainly not true today, buy maybe they can return to that platform. 

        I sincerely hope so.  I would love to have a Democratic candidate at the state or federal level that I could vote for.

http://BusinessFits.com

When to Start

         Chapter 33 in my book is When to Start.  Now is the perfect time for anyone who has ever thought of owning a business as an investment and/or self employment.   I warn people not to fall into the trap of getting ready to get ready.  That is pure procrastination.

        With Trump’s election, we can assume that the Federal Government will be more supportive to small business and business start-ups than at any time in recent history.  If you don’t agree with this, you better stay in your public sector job and hope it survives.

         If you’re starting to look into becoming a business owner while still employed, you will have to designate so many hours per day or per week, to investigate if self-employment or a business investment is right for you.

        Getting ready to get ready is no excuse.  I’ve had clients who said they had to get this or that done before they could start their investigation.  This is a classic excuse and in most cases, a safe way to avoid learning if self-employment is the right option. 

        Why would someone want to avoid making a commitment to investigate options?  A major subconscious reason is the fear of actually finding a great option that will give them the vehicle to achieve their goals.  They would then be forced to put up or shut up.  Reality can be very scary.

        When it comes right down to it, there is no right time except now.  Don’t make excuses.  Make the decision now to start gathering data.  Don’t put off this part of the process.  Everything you do will take longer than anticipated.  If you do find the right option to reach your goals you can always delay implementation, but be ready. 

        A marketing professor I had said:  “If you wait until you are 100% sure you are right, you’re wrong, because you’re too late”.  Don’t wait and miss your opportunity. 

        Deciding to go into business for yourself is premature at this time, you are only investigating options.  You may discover that owning a business isn’t right for you.  You’ll face that decision at some point in the future when you have more data and facts. 

        For more information about finding the right business for you to reach your goals, read my book, Business Fits.  It is available on Amazon as an eBook and as a paperback.

       

http://BusinessFits.com

But Trump Won

        Last week the people of this great country voted and the people won.  The political elite lost.  I was not surprised.  I had been concerned because I believed the future of the country was at risk. 

        I felt Trump could win, but I am surprised at how convincingly he won.  The people from the “deplorable basket” have spoken.  The silent majority was not silent.  They are fed up with the political elite.  This was the most consequential election in my lifetime.

        I find it amazing that the media was so surprised and considered it such an upset.  The working class of this country is fed up with corrupt big government, and Hillary represented everything they are fed up with. 

        Hillary’s campaign outspent Trump 2 to 1, and Wall Street totally supported her, but Trump still won.  Hillary had more staff and a better ground game, but Trump still won. 

        The media did every thing possible to elect Clinton.   She was continually praised and complimented.  Over 90% of all media coverage of Trump was negative, but Trump won. 

        Some states like those on the east and west coasts and Illinois are so strongly Democrat that they would vote for a convicted serial rapist/killer of children if that person was on the Democrat ticket.  Over 90% of Washington DC voted for Clinton.  I think that shows how committed they are to a corrupt big government.   But Trump won. 

        The polls predicted Clinton a winner and gave Trump little or no chance.  They expected the race to be called early.  But Trump was a clear and convincing winner.  Can the pollsters and commentators be that incompetent, or were they just trying to insure Hillary won?  I never received a call asking how I would vote.  Was this an accident or an intentional manipulation to promote Clinton?   But Trump won. 

        I work as an election inspector in our little Wisconsin township.  Wisconsin was predicted to favor Clinton.  The turnout in our township was around 90% and when we ran the tallies Trump won with more than double the votes for Clinton.  Was omitting our township from polling intentional?

        Some people voted for Clinton because she was a woman.  Some voted for her because she was a Democrat.  Some voted for her to continue the welfare society and government handouts.  Some voted for her to continue big government and protect their government jobs.  But Trump won. 

        Trump is an outsider and he may be the most non-partisan president in history.  Both political parties did everything in their power to stop him, but Trump won.  In fairness, some Republicans did support him in the end. 

        The media and the political elite could not attack Trump on the issues, his program, his business experience, or his leadership abilities, so they had to attack him as a racist, or a sexist.  They made a huge issue of any politically incorrect word or statement that he ever made.  The public is fed up with this kind of politics, and Trump won. 

        The media and political elite tried to divide the country along sex, race, and religious lines to hurt Trump, but he showed he was for all Americans and he won convincingly.  This was and is a political revolution. 

        Some celebrities vowed to leave the country if Trump won.  Considering who they were, I hope they keep their word.  There are many socialist countries they can choose from.

        There was a time when the Democratic Party was the pro-slavery party.  Later they were considered the working man’s party.  Neither is true today.  The Republican Party never was pro-slavery, but they were considered the party of the rich.  The truth is neither party has represented working America for decades.  

        Trump won last week.  The Republican Party was not the reason, but Trump helped a lot of Republicans to be elected.  Republicans may be getting the message that people are fed up with the political elite, big government, and elected officials that don’t represent working people.   

        I hope the Democrats get the message too, but I wouldn’t count on it yet.  Eight years ago when Obama was elected President, the Democrats also controlled Congress.  How has that worked out?  What have they done for the country besides doubling the debt?  I am not saying Obama was the only problem, but his legacy is gone.   

        Like Reagan, Trump was a Democrat when younger and now ran as a Republican, but he ran to represent all the people of this country.  He did not try to divide the country or make promises to any special interest group.  He is also not obligated financially to any special interest group or donor.  Trump is very unique.  He is an experienced manager and a deal maker.  He is in a good position to cross party lines and work for the people.  

        I wish Trump all the success this country deserves.  God bless America.

       

http://BusinessFits.com

VOTE

Today is Election Day. 

This is without question the most important election in my lifetime. 

This is not about whose team wins. 

This is not a sporting event. 

This election will determine the direction of this country for two or three generations.  It might not be possible to correct the direction. 

I will vote for the Constitution and the Republic. 

I will NOT be voting for more big government run by the political elite and big money. 

As President Lincoln said “and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” 

In God we trust.

    

http:    //BusinessFits.com

First 100 Days

        I found Trump’s plan for his first one hundred days as President a positive plan:

1.      Appoint Supreme Court Justice that will uphold the Constitution and the laws of this country.  This seems pretty basic, but Hillary will appoint people that will legislate the progressive agenda from the court.  We would lose much more than our Second Amendment rights.

2.      Build a wall and address the problems associated with illegal immigration. This will help every aspect of our economy, but legal immigrants, blacks, and Hispanics will benefit the most. 

3.      Redo our trade deals so America is on a level playing field in order to create and save jobs at home.

4.      Cancel rules and regulations that send jobs overseas and put small businesses at a disadvantage.  Repeal every illegal Executive Order.

5.      Lift restrictions on energy production.  We must be energy independent. 

6.      Get rid of Obama Care.  The architects of this bill knew it could never work and lied to the American people.  I think their goal was, and is, total socialized medicine. 

7.      Pass tax reform that will promote the economy and give working Americans a break. Companies are moving over seas because we have the highest corporate tax rate in the world.  This must stop.

8.      Impose tough new ethic rules starting with the Secretary of State.  The world is laughing at us.  A Constitutional Amendment that will set term limits for Congress.  People leaving Congress should not be allowed to work as lobbyists. 

    

All of this sounds good to me.  Who would oppose these ideas?

·       The Political elite

·       The establishment - both Republican & Democrat

·       Career politicians

·       Big business

·       Big banks

·       Big government

·       Lame stream media

        Who will benefit?  Every citizen of this country except the above named.  I am fed up with our bloated and often corrupt federal government.  I will be voting accordingly on November 8, 2016.

http://BusinessFits.com

Bumper Stickers

        Marla recently mentioned a very attractive new SUV she had seen in a parking lot.  She noticed it had a Trump sign on the back window.  She did not know who owned the vehicle, but commented on how brave they were to have a Trump sticker on the car. 

        We are supporters of Trump, but would not put a Trump sticker on our cars.  The risk of getting the vehicle keyed or damaged is just too high.  We don’t want to have to make paint repairs. 

        I live in Wisconsin and am an Iowa Hawkeye fan.  I have Hawkeye license plate frames on my car and a Hawkeye hitch cover.  I don’t have to worry about someone damaging my car for displaying my team loyalty.

        We have Trump yard signs out where we live.  These also have been vandalized and even run over with a vehicle.  My liberal neighbor across the street has several Democratic yard signs out including a Hillary sign.  They are never touched.  It only the liberals who are destructive.

        This same attitude applies to other political activities.  I have attended and spoken at Tea Party rallies.  When the rally is over, there is not only no damage, there is seldom a scrap of paper or cigarette butt left on the ground. 

        This is certainly not true with liberal protests.  Destruction of property is common.  We have even seen death threats here in Wisconsin at our state capital.  Sometimes paid protesters are brought in from outside the state to create problems. 

        Why do we put up with this double standard?  The same seems to be true for freedom of speech at many of our universities.  Conservative speakers are not invited or allowed to speak at some schools.  This is ridiculous and should not be tolerated for an institution of higher learning. 

        I have heard liberals justify their actions because they are so passionate about their cause or candidate.  Strong feelings do not justify unlawful actions.  Next month’s election is certainly the most important election in my lifetime, but I don’t break the law by damaging or threatening the opposition. 

        We have a federal government that is out-of-control.  Politicians and some celebrities believe they are above the law, while our personal freedoms are in jeopardy. Half the country seems to be more concerned about someone using a politically incorrect word that might offend someone, than the possibility of losing their freedoms.  

        I hope and pray we can change the direction of this country next month with our votes. 

    

http://BusinessFits.com

Hayden Fry Dumpling

        For days, the number one story on the lame stream media was a tape of Trump using inappropriate language eleven years ago when he thought he was in a private setting.  Trump has apologized for the comments.

        With all the important issues facing this country, I can’t believe this even made the news.  Our country is in crisis caused by a wasteful, bloated, and in some cases a corrupt federal government.  We have serious problems with the economy, jobs, cities, drugs, trade, education, taxes, terrorism, government regulations, and illegal immigration.  At this point, with our country’s future at stake, who cares if Trump uses an offensive word? 

        This obsession with political correctness has reached the level of stupidity.  What man has not used offensive terms when they did not think any women were around?  Ladies, ask your husband or boyfriend.  If they say no, you better ask yourself what else they lie about. 

        I doubt that this is only a male phenomenon.  It could also occur when woman are alone.  I once ran a manufacturing plant.  The language in the production area got pretty rank, and the woman were just as bad as the men.  Of course, most of them never planned on running for political office. 

        To call Trump a Misogynist because of this language is ludicrous.   Actions speak much louder than words.  Look at how he has treated women in all his business dealings.  He has always treated woman fairly based on their job performance. 

        That is more than I can say about the Clintons.  Why do we make a big deal about offensive language and give a pass to lies, cover-ups, selling favors, and even criminal activities?  Our country and the media need to get their priorities straight. 

        I have two degrees from the University of Iowa and am an Iowa Hawkeye football fan.  Hayden Fry was a great collage football coach.  He totally turned around a football program without a hint of scandal.  More head coaches have come from Fry’s assistant coaches than any football coach in history. 

        A woman once yelled a comment to Hayden as the team was leaving the field after a game.  In the post game press conference, Coach Fry referred to the woman as a dumpling.  The liberal press immediately jumped all over this comment implying Fry’s coaching career was over because of him referring to this woman as a dumpling.

        At the next home game, more than 10,000 female fans were wearing buttons saying, “I’m a Hayden Fry Dumpling."  I hope and pray this country’s voters are as smart as the female Hawkeye football fans.

    

http://BusinessFits.com

Oligarchy

        Oligarchy is a form of government where total control is held by a small group of people.  This group could be royalty, the wealthy, military, corporations, family, educators, religious, or some combination of these groups. 

        A good example is Muslim countries which are usually ruled by a dictatorship or a religious oligarchy.  It is naive to think we can establish a democratic republic like ours in a Muslim country.  That country will revert to a Dictatorship or a religious oligarchy. 

        We are so lucky that our Founding Fathers established the greatest democratic republic in the history of the world.  In spite of mankind’s faults, this form of government has served us well for over two hundred years. 

        The biggest problem of a democratic republic like ours is that it is the easiest form of government to peacefully and quietly overthrow.  It is very easy to evolve into an oligarchy, and then to socialism, and then to communism.  This change can be so gradual that people do not even realize it is happening until it is too late. 

        Once this change in government reaches a certain point, it is almost impossible to return to a democratic republic form of government without violence.  That is one of the reasons our Founding Fathers passed the Bill of Rights, which includes the right to bear arms.  All socialist and communist leaders know they must register and confiscate all private firearms as soon as possible 

        Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev knew this could easily happen in the United States.  In 1959 he said:

“Your children’s children will live under communism.  You Americans are so gullible.  No, you won’t accept Communism outright; but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of Socialism until you finally wake up and find that you already have Communism.  We won’t have to fight you; we’ll so weaken your economy, until you fall like overripe fruit into our hands.”

        According to the Pew Research Center, 73% of Americans said they trusted the government “most of the time” in 1958.  Today that number is only 19%.  What has happened? 

        Much of the world feels that our government is one of the most corrupt governments of all first world countries.  Politicians sell power and consider themselves above the law.

        In my blogs, I keep referring to the Political Elite that controls this county.  How close are we to becoming an oligarchy?  Can we reverse that trend in our government?  We have an opportunity in November.  It may be our last chance. 

    

http://BusinessFits.com

Stacked Deck

         I used to play a little poker.  I kept an eye out for a crooked game with a stacked deck, which would make it impossible win.

        When I watched the Presidential debate last week, I felt Trump was trying to win with a deck stacked against him.  I don’t think Trump lost any voters, but he probably didn’t win any either. 

        I am sick and tired of biased partisan moderators with stacked questions.  Lester Holt said he would not do any fact checking, but he did just that at least four times with Trump.  I give Trump credit for not letting him get away with it.  At least he did not roll over and play dead like Mitt Romney did in 2012.   Holt never once corrected Hillary even when she made obvious misstatement of facts like saying the murder rate in New York had continued to go down after Stop-and-Frisk was discontinued. 

        The questions were extremely biased.  Holt attempted to make Trump look like a racist and a sexist.  Hillary did an excellent job of baiting Trump, and unfortunately he took the bait.

        Trump’s tax returns were brought up implying he was hiding something.  He has produced complete, audited financial statements.  Anyone that has ever taken an accounting course knows these are much more comprehensive.  Trump probably has not paid taxes.  What idiot would pay taxes if they could legally avoid them?  We need a President that understands our tax laws if we are going to make them fair for the middle class.

        It is interesting that Holt never asked Hillary about her deleted e-mails, Benghazi, the Iran deal, the Clinton Foundation, or her lying to Congress proven by the FBI.  I think Trump was negligent in not bringing these issues up himself. 

        Maybe Trump was trying to follow debate rules.   I was on the debate team in high school, and as I remember the rules, Trump made an attempt to follow the rules, with the exception of interrupting Hillary several times.  Interrupting seems to be the new normal for political debates.  Unfortunately, Hillary and Holt made no attempt to follow the rules.

        I never wanted to play in a stacked-deck poker game and if I were Trump, I don’t know if I would want to participate in another rigged debate.  Trump probably does not have that option.  Public perception would be that he was afraid to debate her. 

        Trump must stop taking the bait to going on the defensive.  He must take the offensive.  Hillary has so many things he can bring up that it will be hard to choose.  The question is; do we want more corrupt big government or do we want change so the government represents the working people of this country?

        Hillary is very controlled.  One of the few times I have seen her show her true character was when she said, “What difference does it make?” when talking about the Americans that died in Benghazi.   Trump will probably not get Hillary to lose control and fight.  She will just stand there with that stupid fake grin. 

    

http://BusinessFits.com

Customer Service

        Good customer service is essential to the success of any business.  It is so important that I devote an entire chapter to customer service in my book, Business Fits.

        There are a couple rules that guarantee good customer service in most instances.  The first is never lie to a customer.  This should probably also be number two, three and four. 

        The other rule is to deal with any customer complaint promptly.  Return phones calls and e-mails immediately.  Don’t wait or put it off until you think you have a solution.  Ask the customer what the problem is and what they want or think is a fair resolution. 

        A lot of products are sold on the internet today.  I am currently in community theater production where one of the props is a stage pistol.  I ordered the pistol and 200 blanks from a company called Stage-Props-Blank-Guns.  They sounded like a professional organization for our needs.  I placed the order a month before needed to make sure there were no problems. 

        The gun and blanks arrived and we tested a few rounds to make sure it fit our needs.  We did not actually fire the blanks during rehearsal until three days before opening.  We had to conserve ammunition since each performance needed over twenty rounds. 

        When we started to use the blanks, approximately one out of four misfired. I contacted the supplier.  I expected an apology and reliable blanks to be shipped in time for opening night.  What I got was, “There is only a 30 day warranty.”  I could not believe my ears.  This is a company that supplies pistols and blanks for stage productions.  What good is a stage pistol that does not fire? 

        After some discussion, the company did offer to send me new blanks of the same brand and probably the same quality if I paid for the overnight shipping.  This made no sense so we were forced to find reliable blanks locally. 

        I will certainly not do business with the company again or recommend them to any other community theater.  This company will probably not be in business for long.  It is much cheaper to retain a customer with good customer service than it is to obtain a new customer. 

        It is interesting that we demand honesty and good customer service from the companies we do business with,  yet some people actually vote for a political candidate who is a proven liar, sells political influence to the highest bidder, and considers him or her self to be above the law.  Shouldn’t we demand a higher standard for our elected officials?

        In November, this country has an opportunity to reduce the power of the political elite and give the power back to the people.  I pray people take advantage of this opportunity at the polls.

        To learn more about customer service, Business Fits is available on Amazon as a paperback and as an eBook.

    

http://BusinessFits.com

If I Were President . . .

        Some of you may have seen the Sunday, September 11th issue of Parade magazine.  The lead article was “If I Were President…”  Several readers of Common Sense, Business & Politics mentioned it might be a good topic for a blog. 

Some of the comments in the Parade article were good:

·       Improve the economy by cutting taxes and regulations that       hurt jobs.

·       Push for term limits in all branches of government.

·       Focus on being a leader, not a reactor

·     Take care of our military veterans and homeless people first. 

·     Every 18 year old should serve a year of service to our            country.

Some were personal, superficial, or nonsensical:

·       Free breakfast burritos for all.

·       Have live comedy tours.

·       Insist on three-day weekends.

·       Pay moms.

·       Tell kids to try their hardest and stay in school. 

·       Create a state-of-the-art national rail service.

·      There is no issue more important than recapturing the health     of the environment.

        Parade polled 6,500 plus readers and some of the results were a little disturbing.  I am uncomfortable with these people voting.

·       10% thought Judge Judy was on the Supreme Court.

·       33% did not know the Supreme Court was one of the three        branches of government. 

·       28% had never read the Constitution.

The top priorities of the poll were:   

1.      Economic growth - This should be a priority.

2.      Health Care - Very important.  It is to bad the government      keeps addressing medical insurance and ignores health            care.  They are two different things.

3.    Defense - Always has been and should be a top priority of       the Federal Government.  This job is changing with the           terrorist threat of radical Islam.

 4/5.   Gun laws - We have good gun laws.  They just need      

          to be enforced.  Criminals don’t observe gun laws, and

          additional laws would achieve nothing.   

 4/5.  Immigration – Legal immigration is great.  Illegal

         immigration is bad. 

    I think it is interesting that no one mentioned the one solution that would solve all the relevant problems facing this country.  If I were President, I would enforce the Constitution and the laws of this country.  One person did suggest making Constitution Day (September 17^th) a national holiday.

The President’s Oath of Office is:

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

        It is time we require our President to live up the Oath of Office.   

     

Support Your Team?

        It is time for football.  I am not a big sports fan, but I do like football, especially collage football.  I have a BBA and MBA from the University of Iowa and have lived in Iowa City three times, so I am an Iowa Hawkeye fan. 

        As with most sports fans, I watch the games and cheer for my team.  I praise their wins and mourn their losses.  I wear sports apparel showing support for my team and go to some of the games.  It is a lot of fun.  The tailgating outside Kinnick Stadium is an experience in itself.   

        It is fun to support a favorite team and provides some great entertainment.  A winning season like the Hawkeyes had last year and hopefully this year is great, but if they have a bad season, there is always next year.  It does not affect my life in any serious way.  A bad season does not affect the life of my children, grand children, or great grand children. 

        This is not true for people who faithfully support a political party.  This is not a game.  It does affect our lives and the lives of our children and grand children.  I do not understand how someone can support a political party’s nomination when that candidate will forever change the principles that made this great Republic.  There is no “Wait till next year.”

        I heard a political analyst talking about the Presidential election in 2020.  The Presidential election in 2020 may be irrelevant.  If Trump is elected and does a poor job, he can be voted out in 2020 and there will be very little lost. 

        If Hillary is elected in 2016, our country as we know it, is gone for generations and possibly forever.  If Clinton appoints two more incompetent, partisan, liberals to the Supreme Court like Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, our country may never recover.  These Justices always ignore the Constitution and try to make laws by voting, as a team,  for the current liberal agenda.  There is no way either of these Justices would have been confirmed if they had been white males with the same record.  If Clinton puts two more of her team players like Sotomayer and Kagan on the Supreme Court, the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, and Tenth Amendments will soon be considered irrelevant by the Supreme Court. 

        The Tenth Amendment is already ignored by the Supreme Court, Congress, and the Executive branch of our government.  If the Tenth Amendment was enforced, half of our federal government would have to be shut down.  That sounds like a good idea to me. 

        The 2016 Presidential election is without question the most important election in my lifetime.  If the wrong person wins, there will be no wait for next time.  It may never be possible to correct the mistake.  We will be living in a socialist country run by the political elite.  The middle class, personal freedoms, and economic opportunities will soon be things of the past. 

        Support your sports team, but put God, family and country before your political party.  We must have Supreme Court Justices that uphold the Constitution and our laws.  Your vote will affect future generations. 

http://BusinessFits.com

Trump on Immigration

      We  have  a  huge  problem  with  illegal   immigration   in  this country.   It  is  costing  us  a  fortune in  many ways, and has  been getting worse  for  decades.    We have  not  had  a  single President enforce our immigration laws in 50 years.   

      Securing  our  borders  has  to  come  before  any  legislation on immigration reform.  We have been fooled by legislation promising to secure the borders and granting amnesty to illegal aliens.   Illegal immigrants were  given a path  to amnesty  and citizenship,  but the border was  not secured.   All this  did  was increase  the number of illegal immigrants coming into the country,  who only had to find a way in and wait until they got amnesty.  

       I  started  Common  Sense,  Business & Politics  in  January of 2012.   My first blog on illegal immigration was in May of 2012.  I have not changed my position on immigration since.  I am in favor of  legal immigration  and  against  illegal  immigration.   We  need immigrants who respect  our  laws,  contribute to our economy and support themselves.  We don't need illegals that we have to support and continue to break out laws.   It  is  presently easier to enter and stay in this country illegally than it is legally.   This must change or we will have no country.  

      The  solution  is  simple.    We  just  need  a  President  who will enforce our laws.  Now after fifty years, we have a chance to elect a law-and-order President.  

    The media says Trump has flip-flopped on immigration.  This is not true.  The media and the liberal’s interpretation of what he has said has changed.  They prefer to read something extra into what he says. 

Trump’s ten point immigration plan is:

1.      Build a wall

2.      End “catch and release.”

3.      Create a deportation task force and focus on criminals in the country illegally

4.      Defund sanctuary cities

5.      Cancel President Obama’s executive orders on immigration

6.      Extreme vetting and block immigration from some nations.

7.      Force other countries to take those whom the U.S. wants to deport. 

8.      Get biometric visa tracking system in place

9.      Strengthen E-Verify to block jobs for the undocumented

10.  Limit legal immigration, lower it to historic norms and, set new caps

       Trump has always said this should be done humanely.  He has never said we would deport every illegal, but if we enforce the laws, they have no way to support themselves and they will have to look at legal options.  This is nothing new or different. 

        I cannot see how any rational citizen can object to this plan.  It will benefit the entire country and especially the poorer Black and Hispanic communities. 

        I heard one person say that the undocumented workers would never vote for Trump because of this plan.  Undocumented workers are not citizens and cannot vote.  I think I see why liberals are opposed to voter IDs.

        Trump’s entire plan is just to enforce our existing immigration laws for the first time in 50 years.  What a novel idea it will be to have a President who actually honors his Oath of Office and enforces the laws of this country.