A New and Growing Vacation Ownership Option

http://real3state.blogspot.com/

The downturn in the real estate market has caused many people to forgo the purchase of a second home. But because they still want the opportunity to travel and spend time with friends and family, many are opting to become members of luxury travel destination clubs instead.

One reason for the switch — most clubs provide a guaranteed refund of deposit, which may be more appealing than the liability of purchasing a second home in a potentially risky real estate market.

“With the current market, people are looking for alternatives to owning a vacation home. They still desire the quality time spent on vacations, but they want options,” says Steve Greer, founder of the LUSSO Collection, a boutique luxury travel destination club. “Destination club members get the opportunity to have luxury vacations around the world, without the hassle of second home ownership. Plus they have peace of mind because of the refund available on their deposit.”

Besides being concerned about the unstable real estate market, many people are finding that having a second home is simply too much work. Although you have the benefit of total control over design and decor in your own home, it often requires a lot of maintenance that can add up fast in time and money. If you live far away from your vacation home, that means hiring out the upkeep of the property. If you live close, you might spend half your time there tending to necessary household tasks.

Destination clubs are another option that consists of members who join a country club type of organization to utilize a portfolio of properties that the club owns. The clubs work well for people who enjoy the privacy, space and conveniences a home offers, but don’t want to worry about maintenance hassles or be limited to one destination. Additionally, certain destination clubs also provide vacation planning and on-site concierge services that you would normally find at a luxury hotel.

Decor and amenities are determined by the club, and although this freedom is forfeited, many view this as a positive. Some people prefer not to spend their own time on these items and find comfort in knowing the organization is consistently keeping the properties in superb shape.

Interest in destination clubs is evident in the recent growth of LUSSO, which has doubled in size since 2007 and recently reported its strongest quarter since its start in 2006. The concept for the LUSSO Collection came to Greer after traveling with his wife and first child. They found rented homes to be unsatisfactory and the prospect of buying a second home unappealing. The need for rented cars, car seats, toys, games and groceries made the travel experience less than pleasant.

With its unique boutique structure and a members-to-residence ratio of 5.5-to-1, LUSSO is a choice that makes sense for a lot of people. Members get unlimited use of private luxury homes that are fully equipped with all needed items including a Lincoln Navigator, golf clubs, a gourmet kitchen stocked with pre-arrival groceries and amenities for all travelers regardless of age. The membership deposit is 100 percent refundable upon resignation as well as annual dues.

With an economic structure that is similar to a country club, members pay a fully refundable deposit (currently $425,000) and annual dues for unlimited access to the club’s portfolio of residences and services. Properties are in locations such as Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Aspen, Colo.; Manhattan; Hawaii; the Bahamas and other choice destinations. For more information, visit www.lussocollection.com, or call (866) GO LUSSO.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Seven Days, Seven Projects for a Kitchen that Sells

http://real3state.blogspot.com – In today’s market, selling a home involves much more than posting a “for-sale” sign in the yard. Preparation is key. In fact, experts agree that property appearance and condition play a big role in the home-sale process.

While home improvements can increase buyers’ interests, most sellers hesitate to renovate, fearing they may not recoup their costs in the sales price. However, with strategic updates in key rooms, such as kitchens, sellers can increase the value of a home – giving them a leg up on their neighbors to sell more easily and command a higher selling price.

With just a week’s time, a small investment and a bit of elbow grease, you can easily turn your kitchen into your selling feature with these seven projects.

Clean Up!
Although you may love your children’s artwork or favorite magnets on the fridge, prospective homebuyers want to envision a home as theirs – not yours. Start your kitchen update by making a clean sweep of the room. Remove everything from the top and sides of your refrigerator and clear off countertops. By eliminating clutter and personal effects, your kitchen will look neat, clean – and even larger.

Fix Up Your Faucet
The faucet is the workhorse of the kitchen – and a focal point. So add new life to your sink area with a fashionable and functional new faucet. For an affordable price, you can find beautiful pulldown models, such as Moen’s Solidad pulldown kitchen faucet (available in LifeShine Classic Stainless finish at The Home Depot for $219). Potential buyers will be amazed with the functionality and the updated styling that it brings to the whole room.

Pull it Together
Once you’ve updated the faucet, pull the rest of the finishes in the room together by updating the hardware. Drawer pulls and knobs in a beautiful stainless finish are a simple project and can add a finishing touch that dramatically updates the look of new or older cabinets.

Become Ultra-Organized
Be prepared! Potential buyers will open your closets, cabinets and drawers to assess the storage availability in your home. Be sure that you organize each of these areas to make your kitchen look like a storage dream – not a nightmare. Many cabinet manufacturers, such as Masterbrand cabinets, offer custom shelves to help organize, or you can find simple organization systems at local retailers. No matter what system you choose, your organization won’t go unnoticed.

Curtain Call
Windows are a selling point in any room – allowing nature into a home by providing a source of sunlight. Be sure that windows and blinds are free of dust, fingerprints or pet nose prints for a bright and cheerful display. Adding a neutral, but classic curtain can be a nice touch to frame these focal points of the room.

Follow the Light
Does your kitchen still have the “builder-basic” or outdated brass lighting fixtures? As a focal point above your kitchen table, be sure to update your hanging chandelier with a model in a finish that coordinates with the rest of the room. A variety of classic-designed light fixtures in stainless steel or oil rubbed bronze finishes are available at local home improvement stores and will instantly light up your kitchen décor — literally.

Cosmetic Cover-ups
You’ve lived in your kitchen so long that you may not notice the small paint chips in the trim or stain on the carpet, but to prospective homebuyers, these stick out like a sore thumb. A fresh coat of paint on walls and trim will always add more value than its cost and let buyers know that your home is well kept and clean.

Within a week you can easily increase the value of your home in the eyes of potential buyers – as well as provide an enjoyable space for yourself until you sell!

For more information on the Solidad pulldown kitchen faucet or other Moen products, visit www.moen.com or call (800) BUY-MOEN (800-289-6636).

Courtesy of ARAcontent

The In-style In-law Suite

http://real3state.blogspot.com – The In-laws. Often, nothing can scare a person more than hearing that they’re coming to visit. But as the years go by, and your parents (or your spouse’s) get older, visits become more frequent and the thought of sharing a home with them becomes a welcome idea.

Three or more generations live together in 3.9 million American homes, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. A number of households consist of adult children caring for aging parents. But, don’t just stick Mom and Dad in the guest room when the time is right for them to move into your home. Having a well-designed in-law suite can make sharing a household much more enjoyable for all parties involved.

“Adding an in-law suite is a great idea, especially for homeowners who want to add extra space to their existing home,” says Laurie Birko, marketing and communications manager for Creative Specialties International. “By thinking about the design and amenities aging parents will need, you’ll have a universal space that will be safe and accessible not just for them, but for every member of the family.”

Keep the following tips in mind when creating an in-law suite that is both appropriate and adjustable to meet your family’s needs:

Privacy Please
“Privacy is one of the most important features to consider,” Birko says. “ A home that provides private spaces for each generation, as well as common gathering spaces, is the best way to make the new living arrangements work.” Location is key, but try to keep the in-law suite on the first floor for easy accessibility.

However, creating a suite on another level offers extra seclusion. Also, if possible, provide your in-laws with a separate kitchenette. That way they’ll have a sense of independence, but within the comfort and care of your home. A separate entrance is also another addition that can give your in-law suite more autonomy. Just be sure to check local building codes to see if there are any restrictions before you begin the remodel.

Custom-Built Baths
The bathroom is one of the most difficult rooms for older people to maneuver. It has the potential to make your in-law suite full of danger zones if you don’t carefully plan. Some aging parents may find the toilet seat is too low to accommodate their limited mobility and puts unnecessary stress on the legs, knees and back. An elevated toilet seat increases comfort and safety levels. Home Care by Moen offers a Locking Elevated Toilet Seat that subtly complements the décor of any bathroom, and locks securely on round and elongated toilet rims. Or, if the bath is too far from the bedroom in your in-law suite, Home Care also offers a new Premium Bedside Commode for added safety and comfort – right next to the bed – just in case.

Standing for long periods or slipping in the shower are also concerns in the bathroom for older adults. If you don’t want to break the bank installing a built-in seat in the shower, try Home Care’s new Premium Shower Chair. It offers superior safety and added conveniences in the shower – all with attractive styling. It has anti-slip rubber feet that provide superior stability, as well as adjustable height settings. The rubber-grip support handles offer added ease and support when standing or sitting, and a basket organizer and handheld shower holder help keep necessary items conveniently close.

To prevent slipping, the new Premium SecureLock Tub Grip lends a stable helping hand for stepping into and out of the tub. The new design features an easy-locking lever to ensure a tight fit to most tubs without harming the tub surface. An ergonomically designed handle features an anti-slip grip to provide optimal support and comfort. Plus the innovative design offers easy installation and removal – no twisting motion and no tools are necessary.

Versatility is Key
Just because you’re planning for this extra space to be a restful haven for your parents, doesn’t mean it will always serve that purpose. It’s wise to remember that since it may only be used for a limited time, make sure it can flex to other purposes when it’s no longer needed as an in-law suite. Be careful to not design a space so specialized that it will impair the future resale value of your home. Perhaps it will become a guest suite, a home office or a master suite, so look for stylish accessories and accents that can help your space transition. But for now, as you’re planning for your in-law suite, be sure to keep these tips and products in mind to keep Mom and Dad safe and comfortable.

All items from the Home Care by Moen line of bath safety products are available nationwide at Lowe’s and at select home health and medical suppliers.

For more information on Home Care by Moen’s line of bath safety products, visit
homecare.moen.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Buying or Selling in Today’s Market? Internet Paves the Path to Real Estate Success

Real estate tips-Home buyers and sellers – the relationship may seem like it should be more adversarial than ever, given the current market. Coming at the real estate equation from opposite sides, buyers and sellers may feel they have little in common. The truth is, however, that both groups share a common path to real estate success – the Internet.

The Internet has been revolutionizing real estate for years now; more than 80 percent of buyers look at homes on the Internet, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). “More homes than ever before are being marketed on the Internet,” says Kendra Todd, of HGTV’s “My House is Worth What?” and season three winner of “The Apprentice.” “Whether you’re buying or selling, it’s essential to work with a real estate expert who is on the cusp of the latest trends, especially the Internet.”

Even the most techno-savvy among us may feel overwhelmed by the volume of real estate information – and listings – available on the Internet. How do you sort through it if you’re a buyer? And how do you find the right agent who will know how to maximize Internet marketing value, if you’re a seller? Here are tips from real estate experts – Todd, Saul Klein, CEO of Point2 Technologies, the company behind a leading real estate Web site, Point2 Homes, and Brady Pevehouse of Lynk Mortgage and Perrone Realty in central Florida.

Tips for Sellers

* With home prices still falling in many areas of the country, it’s probably tempting to try to sell on your own and avoid paying a commission to an agent. “But homes represented by agents historically sell faster and for a better price than those sold by owners,” Klein points out. “It’s harder and riskier to try selling on your own.”

* Select an Internet-savvy real estate agent to represent you. Questions to ask any agent you’re considering include: Do you plan to use syndication to publish my listing widely? Do you cover Craigslist, Yahoo!, Google, etc.? How many sites will my home be on? What kind of traffic do those sites receive? Will you purchase ad space on the Internet?

* Use the Internet to find a tech-savvy agent. At Point2Homes.com, sellers can find local agents with sophisticated Internet marketing skills. These agents use Point2 Technologies’ Web marketing software, Point2 Agent to syndicate listings and to create and maintain user-friendly, informative Web sites designed to help their clients sell their homes.

Tips for Buyers

* Take full advantage of the Internet’s research power. “The Internet can give you more relevant real estate information than just listings,” Todd says. “You can use it to evaluate price trends in areas of interest, access city hall records on development plans for your area, check out crime statistics, school facilities and noise issues.”

* “Begin with a clear vision of why you’re buying and how long you intend to be in the house,” Pevehouse advises. “This will help you determine what kind of home you’re looking for and what mortgage product is right for you.”

* Working with an Internet-savvy agent is as important for buyers as it is for sellers, Todd says. “Does the realtor provide dynamic info? Is he or she comfortable communicating with e-mail, text messaging and other technology tools?”

* While you’re researching online, keep in mind the difference between blogs and information, Todd advises. “Blogs are just opinions.” Look for fact-based sites and be sure the information you find is not outdated.

* “Real estate is intensely regional,” Todd says. Be sure to learn about the market in your area, because it may not necessarily be following national-level trends.

* Don’t be afraid to negotiate terms with the seller. “With inventory levels high, sellers can be very accommodating,” Pevehouse says. “Many are willing to contribute towards closing costs as an incentive for buyers.”

* If you’re even thinking about buying, do it now. “Jump on it now,” Todd advises. “It’s a buyer’s market, perhaps the best in years,” Klein agrees.

Buyers and sellers will both find helpful information on agents, markets and more at www.Point2Homes.com. Brokers and agents who wish to be added to the directory can also do so at www.Point2Agent.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

What are your Big Five For Life?

Have you ever had the experience of suddenly having a new insight into something?

It could be during a heated conversation when you suddenly understand where the other person is coming from (and why they’re mad…) or sometimes you can ‘have the lights turned on’ when you’re listening to a particularly talented speaker.

It only took 15 pages into The Big Five for Life by John Strelecky for me to hit on a new way of looking at something.  This is a book that’s billed as a story about the greatest business leader to ever live and the ’secret’ to his success.  It’s not a typical business book by any stretch, but there are a lot of ideas that a business owner could use to increase their success.

One of the things that I love about what I’m doing now is that I need to read a lot of books, specifically business books.

• Many of them are extremely insightful and about as much fun to read as a statistics textbook.
• Many of them are painful to read and not very insightful.
• A very few of them are both enjoyable to read and leave you with great ideas.

The Big Five For Life belongs in that last category – read on to find out why!

Leadership Versus Management

There are literally hundreds of books on leadership and on management and probably a few hundred more on either the combination of the two traits or the differences between them.

My definition:  Leadership is about the ability to inspire others towards a goal or a vision, while management is about the skills to make sure that goal or vision can be reached.

So with that in mind, a major part of leadership is being able to develop, communicate and inspire people with a vision – or a Purpose For Existence, which is one of the key points out of this book.

Every business should have a clearly defined, simple Purpose for Existence (PFE) and if that business wants to be successful, then it should ONLY employ people that share that Purpose for Existence in their own life.

It’s not a new or unique idea, but it’s also one that’s not commonly practiced.  The author makes a very compelling business case for why it’s important and how it can drive profits and growth up by 20% or more (statistics and good ideas…!).

Other key insights

There are probably a dozen key things I took away from this book – some of them reinforcing things that I already believed (but stating them in a new and different way) and some of them really challenging my experience with how things are done – especially in the corporate world.

As an example, you don’t have to look very hard to find someone that will agree that their company’s success is due to the people that work at that company, but how many business leaders actually develop a culture that rewards and enables those employees to achieve their own life goals?  (The Big Five for Life are the Five things that would make your life complete).

Imagine a company where:

• The employees love to work there
• They believe in what the company is doing and buy into the bigger picture (PFE)
• The company leadership incorporates the employees into solutions
• The company purposefully helps employees achieve their personal goals

What kind of productivity can you get from people that love what they’re doing and who they’re doing it with?  How much harder do you work on a pet project or hobby at home than you would for just a mundane work effort?  How much likely are you to stay on with that company in the long run?  It’s not about making people happy, but about the bottom line – about profits!

How would you go about creating that kind of company?

There are also some great ideas on increasing profitability, how to determine if it’s worthwhile to invest money in certain projects, ideas on how to grow your business beyond the initial business – the story narrative makes it easy to demonstrate a lot of these ideas in more of a real world setting.

Downside to the book?

As you can tell, I got a lot of positive things out of the book, but I did come away with sort of a wistful feeling that it wasn’t about the real world.  Although there obviously are excellent companies out there, there are unfortunately not very many of them that could really create what’s described here.  In other words, actually putting all of these ideas to work seems like it would require the World’s Greatest Business Leader to pull it off.

Having said that, if you could get inspired and use even a couple of these ideas, you would be well ahead of the majority of businesses out there.

What was the insight I had on page 15?

It’s an early discussion the primary character has with the business leader on why it’s important to not only do what you want to be doing, but to be doing it NOW (not some later point).

The average person lives 28,200 days (about 77 years).

Imagine a history museum of your life, your 28,200 days with a display for every day of your life.  Would your museum show you doing things that were meaningful to you, things that you enjoyed and loved…or would 80% of your museum show you being miserable at work, hitting your head against the wall, generally hating life?

Powerful thought – isn’t it?

It was that clarification of the sense of urgency that we all feel at some point that made me stop reading and go ‘whoa’…!

Check this book out and share your comments here – I’d love to hear your thoughts about this and have someone to discuss it with.

Shawn Kinkade  www.aspirekc.com

What are your guiding principles?

photo by MumbleyJoe

Business Developers

Stand
In the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction
Wonder why you haven’t before
Now stand
In the place where you work
Now face west
Think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven’t before

REM – Stand

I had an interesting discussion today where the question was asked to me:

“If you could make $100,000 a year just for giving this type of presentation 5 times a week – would you be interested?”

(As a side note, this type of presentation was a reference to a network marketing type of product – I didn’t get all of the details, but it looked cleaner than some, but ultimately involved selling to friends, acquaintances and contacts).

Have you ever thought about what you do for a living and the money you make?

Just a guess, but if you’re like most people, you’ve at least considered it.

What would your answer to that question be?

Before I answered, I gave it some thought and…wait, I should back up just a bit and give some background…

What do you want to do?

I have probably spent more time on the topic of ‘What do you want to do with your life’ than most people.

By the way – great book on this topic is What Should I Do with My Life by Po Bronson.  He does a fascinating review of hundreds of people that have made significant life changes and presents dozens of them as individual case studies on how people have approached this issue and what their outcomes were.

The coolest part of the book is that although you can draw some broad conclusions, there’s more than enough diverse material to inspire lots of great discussions and thoughts.  It would have been much easier to lead to a simple conclusion (i.e. do what you love and the money will follow) but this paints a much more complete and realistic picture.

Anyway – as I was saying, I’ve given this a lot of thought in the last 4 or 5 years and although I haven’t reached any amazing epiphanies (one of the coolest words ever…!) or really even reached solid conclusions on what I should be doing, I have discovered a few guiding principles that I think are pretty important:

1.  Be yourself.

I’m sure this doesn’t qualify as groundbreaking news, but it is an important lesson that I wish I had really applied earlier in life.  I spent a fair amount of time doing things because I felt like I needed to chase an arbitrary definition of a career.

Don’t do that – figure out what’s important to you as a person and then figure out how to reflect that priority in what you do.  It’s about you, not your parents, your family, your friends, it has to be about you.

2.  Spend time with people you enjoy and that can help you grow.

I don’t think that I can overstate how important this is.

Life is way too short to spend any of it with people that bring you down.  People can do amazing things if they believe they can do amazing things – the importance of a positive mindset, some confidence and a little help along the way can make a huge difference.

If you suspect that you’re hanging out with people that are negative, try a new crowd for a while and see if your perspective improves.  If it’s you that’s negative, find some books, join some groups do something to get past that, because it’s poison.

3.  It’s never about the money.

This is the one that I really screwed up on.  It may not be true for everyone, but for me I’ve learned the hard way that it can’t be about the money.

As soon as it’s about the money, then everything else is going to fall by the wayside.  I’m not saying that money isn’t important, I’m saying that it can be the overriding reason for doing what you do.

Having said that, I know a lot of people that are content to get their time in and save their interests and passions for the weekends.  I did that for quite a while and it didn’t work for me.

So what would you say?

Back to the question at hand – I thought about it very briefly and answered “No. -  I wouldn’t be interested, even if the money was great and this really was a legitimate opportunity.”

For where I’m at now, it’s more important to find something I can get excited about.  Yes I want to make money but the primary driver is doing something I believe in – and although I don’t have it all figured out just yet, I truly enjoy helping people grow their business and be more successful.

I think for most successful business owners, there has to be an element of interest / desire / passion lighting the way for where they want to go.  The hours are too long, the work is too hard if you don’t have some sort of guiding principle to keep you moving forward.

Could you trade that in for a steady paycheck and a lot less interesting (and less stressful) work?  Understandably it happens all the time.

What would you do if you were offered a job doing something uninspiring but paid well?  Share your thoughts here – I’d love to hear them.

Shawn Kinkade    www.aspirekc.com

My Marketing Budget Is Small – How Can I Make The Most Of It?

Regardless how small or large your budget is, there are a number of ways you can make it go farther. One way is to capitalize on the seasonality of your business.

For example, it may not make sense or be necessary to market consistently all year long. Are their times when your particular industry is slow and customers are not likely to purchase? Conversely, are their times during the year when customers are more likely to be in the market for your product or service?

Schedule your marketing activities to take advantage of these peak times and to avoid what I call the “valleys” (when no one is in the market for what you are selling). Aim to persuade as many people as possible to buy from you when they are in the buying mood.

Ever notice how health clubs market heavily in January and in the spring? They know people are more likely to be focused on getting in shape at the beginning of a new year, and before summer and swimsuit season arrive. So they spend more marketing dollars and focus their promotional efforts during these times of year and they maintain a lower profile the rest of the year.

Ask yourself these questions: What “seasonality” exists in my business? How can I schedule my marketing to take advantage?

(C) 2005 Debbie LaChusa

20-year marketing veteranDebbie LaChusa has developed The 10stepmarketing System to help small business owners successfully market their business, themselves. To learn more about this simple, step-by-step program and to sign up for her FREE audio class and FREE weekly ezine featuring how-to articles, tips and advice, visit http://www.10stepmarketing.com

Author : Debbie LaChusa
Site : ezinearticles.com

Looks Life Wichita May Fly Again

There is some activity going on in Wichita even as India comes online to start building light aircraft again. It seems that every time it looks like Wichita is in a spiral, someone puts the ball back in the center kicks the rudder back to zero and pulls back on the yoke. Well, I’ll be damned the onlookers say. It is as if the founding city of the first US Mail Planes still has some powerful spirits flying around from the past entrepreneurs and pioneers who made Wichita what it is today.

Two new things are happening in Wichita which might help the nearly 6000 laid off aerospace and aviation workers; Cessna is building a Citation Jet Center

http://customer.cessna.com/citation/locator.chtml

for customer service issues and Boeings Dreamliner the 7E7 will be partially built in Wichita, but very little of it and recently an interesting twist of fate; Airbus will be building certain wing assembly sections

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/business/…ion/6098084.htm

http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/sto…/05/story2.html

in Wichita, due to the availability of highly skilled laboring the newest materials and components. Still the aviation sector predicts another 2500 job losses to make the total 8,100 job losses or 40% in the next year, without a return on the aviation market sector. Another recent good piece of news was the Boeing sale to AirTrans

http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/sto…/05/story2.html

and Thayer Aerospace getting a contract for a component on the Joint Strike Fighter

http://webs.wichita.edu/cedbr/Forecast2003.Pdf

being built North East of Dallas. If the sector continues a decline which we are hopeful it will not there could be another huge set of lay offs and more complications for small business machine shops servicing those industries and companies. Steinmart and Albertsons pulled out of Wichita and that cost 600 jobs which were replaced fairly quickly with new stores going up on Rock Road and on 400/54 Hwy (coined the Yellow Brick Hwy, KS has a good sense of humor with those road signs?) Personally I prefer to fly over KS it is just too far across to drive listening to the same music on your CD player five times as you run out of music in the box. No wonder they make airplanes there, the damn state is nearly as long as TX, it could be its own country no doubt. Lindbergh must have practiced flying mail there and decided hell it is nearly as long as the distance across the pond anyway? And it is about as flat at the ocean too. But the technology sector is hurt;

http://www.wichitatechnology.com

“Lance Winslow” – If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

Author : Lance Winslow
Site : ezinearticles.com

Aircraft Capital of the United States Wichita, KA is Taking Off Again

Wichita, KS Economic Outlook is picking up even with all the aerospace layoffs there. In Wichita there is a 79.4% white, 9.1% Black and 22% of the jobs are in manufacturing which the average salary is over $18.45 per hour or at the average of 39.5 hours per week is over 45K per year annual income – High paying manufacturing jobs. Most of which are aviation related 56% are totally aviation only.

Even with the lay offs and more to come things look better than most manufacturing cities. 46% of employers thought they might lay off more people next year but the indication is that 54% will not. That is better than most manufacturing related towns we traveled to such as Stanton PA, Allentown PA, Manchester NH, Tulsa OK, etc. With similar MSA characteristics with regards to manufacturing. Last year 64% of the employers laid off. Retail is up a bit mostly due to newer stores such as Wal-mart, Grocery and Pet Retail Companies. Over all without that we saw a 3% decline in retail last year, probably again lay offs in aviation manufacturing sectors.

Downtown area are receiving another upgrade, one area is similar to the OKC Brick Town, often travelers simply calling it Brick City, even AAA in there magazine called that.

The Brick City http://www.bricktownokc.com/

theme and has attracted residents and tourists especially on weekends to shop around, hangout and spend. Bars similar to Nashville open for kids and places to eat outside as well. Also slated is a River Walk project, a scaled down version of the one in San Antonio

http://thesanantonioriverwalk.com/riverwal…ry/History4.asp

Those projects will hopefully keep downtown from any further decay. The Wichita Ambassadors are sponsoring a project to alert their commercial and retail businesses that they must keep downtown clean from debris to attract more commerce. They have published a little booklet “Whose Job is it? The lowdown on keeping our city safe and attractive” The brochure citing, awning repair, graffiti issues, trash containers, bus stops, etc. It is an issue as there are low-income areas all around downtown especially due South.

http://www.wichita.gov

We are happy to report that Wichita KS is taking off again thanks to the team work of the entire community.

“Lance Winslow” – If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

Author : Lance Winslow
Site : ezinearticles.com

Franchising Companies Must Be Careful

Due to more unnecessary disclosure by the Federal Trade Commission franchising companies must be more vigilant to keep company information out of the hands of international terrorists. With increasing rules of discrimination a franchisor is forced to give vital information to anyone who asks for it. Including a group which supports international terrorism. Of course the FTC just doesn’t get it, they would rather sacrifice American lives and enforce political correctness and require unnecessary disclosure to protect consumers, but if the international terrorists get the information it could be deadly to Americans who are also consumers.

Many companies are careful to watch who gets a copy of their Uniform Franchise Offering Circular, UFOCs, yet we are finding more and more states wish to put them online. Some franchising websites make it easy to buy them online. All of this massive unnecessary disclosure or MUD can be acquired with a few clicks on the Internet. All of which the Federal Trade Commission is requiring to be included in the disclosure documents, such as a list of every franchisee and their address.

Now, as many see this new rule in UFOC disclosure adopted by the FTC, they want franchisors to send a UFOC with all this information to someone who sends in a form claiming that they are interested in buying a franchise. Many are suggesting that franchisors make CDROMS and send them out, or put the information all on their websites. Better yet the great state of CA is putting all this information on line of all registered franchises. Is this nuts? Anyone can send an email, request information, fill out a form on a web site and then the franchisors are required to send out this kind of personal information about our franchisee? We have a responsibility to their right to privacy too, but the FTC who cannot even put a mini dent into my SPAM or America’s run away problem with identity theft has unilaterally decided it is okay for franchisors to spill information of their franchisees to anyone in the world who fills out a form? The franchisees of any franchise system are consumers too and why should we be putting them at risk. And if their locations become a target of an attack, whose fault will it be then? Who will lose the brand name intrinsic value? Who will take responsibility? I guarantee it will not be the FTC? They have never taken responsibility for any of their mistakes, not once. Think about it, are we really safe with agencies like that?

“Lance Winslow” – If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

Author : Lance Winslow
Site : ezinearticles.com