Money

Changes in Latitude...Changes in Attitude 06 March 2010

Changes in Latitude…..Changes In Attitude…..

We are positioned to be the centerpiece in a trillion dollar economy.

story C. Lloyd Mahaffey photography Tim Towers

Jimmy Buffett’s profound song Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude symbolizes perception of the mind and a switch in psyche when it comes to change; whether is be a personal, business or global.

Yes. We’ve been in a recession. Yes. It was worse than we thought. Yes. We are starting to pull out of it. Yes. It is taking longer than we thought or hoped. But, we are, finally, starting to recover. The question has never been whether we would come out of it. It is the nature of capitalism that, if you live long enough, you will witness the economy move up and down. We’ve been here before and we will be here again.

Strategically, recessions, mild or tough, give us a reason to pause and review the conditions in which we are trying to do business. This ability to examine, critically, where we are, how we got here, what we can do to improve, and, then take action, is a key attribute of US businesses. So, as we begin the Great Recovery of 2010, here are a few questions to consider:

-What did we learn in this recession?

-What can we do different?

-How do we exploit our strategic DNA?

In real estate, assets are defined by location, location, location. The State of Idaho Department of Commerce (www.commerce.idaho.gov) and the Boise Valley Economic Partnership (www.bvep.org) talk about Idaho’s participation in the Pacific Northwest Economic Region known as PNWER (www.pnwer.org). With over 20 million people and over $700 billion USD in gross regional product, the US Pacific Northwest and Western Canada is one of fastest growing regions of North America. It is China and East Asia’s gateway to North America and the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Interestingly, during Olympics, the Boise Airport served as a primary arrival center for international private jets bringing guests. Yet when you look at the PNWER map, the Boise Valley and Southwest Idaho sits on the outer, southern edge of that dynamic economic zone.

One of the basic rules of marketing is that you should define a unique position for your business that optimizes the advantages for your company, while placing your competition on the defense. As it applies to the Boise Valley and, in our case, Eagle and Star, as long as we sit on the outer edge of PNWER and draw maps that show our remote position in the Pacific Northwest, we will remain less interesting to those site selectors seeking optimal corporate relocation scenarios. We will also fail to highlight, to existing businesses, one of our greatest market and customer reach advantages.

So what do we do? Redraw the map…on paper, in our head, and in our business plans. When you start with the PNWER map and add the Southwestern United States and Mexico; one of Idaho’s most important trading partners, the Boise Valley, situated at 43 Degrees North Latitude, becomes the strategic center and hub of an extremely large, vibrant Western North American economy with more than 200 million people and a 4 Trillion Dollar economy. Furthermore, there are direct flights to almost every major US city in this expanded economic zone from Boise.

What can this re-positioning mean to us? Imagine you are flying an Asian air freighter bringing technology devices manufactured overseas to the US and are flying a Great Circle polar route. Landing in Boise is a shorter flight than landing in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City or Denver. A shorter flight means less fuel and more product payload. This “re-draw” of our location highlights the advantage for importers, showcases markets for Boise Valley businesses to serve, and makes the argument to site selectors that Boise is a strategic location for businesses to consider.

So, what should we consider after we redraw the map? We should make the structural and political decisions to position the Boise Valley, with the Boise Airport’s long runways, expansion capability, new Control Tower, and mild weather conditions that optimize flight operations, the centerpiece of a strategic, international, inter-modal distribution center with Free-port zones and daily international freight flights. Imagine the Boise Valley as a major import-export center. It is possible, takes advantage of existing resources and could be key to our recovery. We should challenge our leaders to focus on this.

Singer Jimmy Buffett, sang, “changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes nothing remains quite the same.” We can’t change our latitude. Like the formation of the Snake River Valley AVA Wine Region, we can take advantage of it. The benefits will change our attitude, reposition our community, increase our customers and, over time, improve profits.

C. Lloyd Mahaffey

Managing Partner, Dynamis Group

Chairman, ESTech

Chairman & CEO, Dynamis Energy

Written by: Tia Markland

Mo' Money Less Problems 02 November 2009

For Primerica Agents Rick Bradley, Joe Ball, and Susan Brown --
Primerica offers the perfect fit.

Rick Bradley’s Story...

I have been enjoying working with Primerica for a little over a year now. I am excited every morning getting out of bed. The opportunity I have here to work for my family’s future (and not my boss’s) is unlike anything I have ever had before. My previous profession was a computer aided designer. During the past 10 years I was laid off 4 different times. Most recently designed houses and really enjoyed making others’ dream come true by way of a perfect home. Today I help my client’s financial dreams come true. One client of mine had a fantastic solution. They where both accountants, and thru some financial education, and our $.M.A.R.T. loan we where able to get them out of debt (including their home) in 17 years and save them over $460.00 a month. They used those savings to fund both their kids’ education and get them to retire with over 1.3 million dollars! This program we have in the best in our industry and it’s complimentary! I never get tired of showing my clients a life that they only could dream of before. Let me show you how to do this for you and your family.

Joe Ball’s Story...

My generation is known as the “Baby Boomers”. Growing up we were told to get a good education and get hired on with one of the biggest and best companies we could. That would insure a regular, dependable paycheck that would provide the best available life style for our families. These days, with company cut backs, downsizing, replacing experienced workers with lower paid workers and small or non-existent pay raises; other ways must be found to reach this goal. Company paychecks are no longer dependable. Also, people realize inflation causes their buying power to shrink year after year.
One class of people who are getting ahead is known as entrepreneurs. These are the people who own and run their own business. They have the self confidence to know they will meet and beat any challenge that comes along. They have the “getter done” attitude; whatever it takes!
Primerica has given me the chance to become that entrepreneur. I am in business for myself, but not by myself. Our mission: Help families become properly protected, debt free, and financially independent. Though earning my licenses and Primerica training I have learned how to accomplish my mission. This is a “feel good about what I do” opportunity; helping people with their finances and getting paid well to do it.
Before Primerica I was IT professional, and then owned a The UPS Store. After selling our store I searched for about 6 months for something that I thought was worth putting my remaining working years into until retirement. Primerica met all my requirements.

Susan Brown’s Story...

Like most Americans, I did not learn about money while growing up, either in school or at home. As a result, like a lot of other people, I got into credit card debt, and I had to figure out how to get myself out. It was painful, but I did it, and I learned a valuable lesson. As part of my work in Primerica, I teach my clients how to eliminate debt and how money works so they can avoid debt in the future.
Recently I had the opportunity to help a local family with dramatic results. This is a typical family with two working adults, a mortgage, and other consumer debt (credit cards, car payment, etc.). They were living paycheck to paycheck, not sure when they would be out of debt and able to retire. As part of their solution, we refinanced their debt, saving nearly $1,400 a month on their payments and getting them debt-free in about 15 years! Without a doubt, Primerica changed their lives. This is what I love the most about what I do!
I moved to the Treasure Valley about two years ago and have found Idahoans to be friendly, helpful, and very family-oriented. My previous work experience includes corporate management in specialty retail, and for several years I taught high school Spanish. I loved the work I did, but nothing compares to the joy and fulfillment I receive by helping a family or individual resolve their financial issues. Not only does my Primerica business allow me an opportunity to help others in a significant way, but at the same time, I’m building a legacy for my family.
With Primerica, we not only provide practical, affordable solutions but we also give people the knowledge they need to understand how money works and take control of their future. I know I am impacting lives in the Treasure Valley in a positive way.

Written by: Tia Markland

Five Most Common Mistakes Made at Business Mixers

If you’re going to do your networking “old school” style, here are five common mistakes that you should avoid at mixers, and their solutions.

Passing as many cards as possible is NOT the answer.
Most of us have heard the three-foot rule. Anyone who comes within reach should get a business card. I call this marathon networking. They slip a card into your hand, introduce themselves, and then ask what you do. While you are answering, they are looking over your shoulder for their next victim…I mean contact.

Set a realistic number of people you want to meet and truly connect with. Spend three to ten minutes with each person. Setting an appointment for coffee to learn more is an effective way to move on.
This mixer is NOT all about you.
If everyone at a mixer goes with the idea of expanding their business, then who is there to help others? If you want to be an effective networker, the answer is YOU. If you truly want to shock someone and make them remember who you are, do not talk about yourself any more than necessary. Spend five to ten minutes talking about them, their business, their needs, and how you can help them. They will ask questions, but you give quick answers and turn the conversation right back to them. Offer to follow up and thank them for their time. You will be remembered though they know little about you.
Do not wait for people to come to you.
There are many people who stand back and wait for networking to happen. Networking does happen, but not with them. If you are one of the ones who are standing in a corner waiting for someone to come to you, look to another corner. There is someone standing there. Go introduce yourself to them. They will be thankful that you did.
When someone hands you a business card, do NOT just shove it in your pocket.
Most of us grab a card, perhaps glance at it then it disappears into our pocket. There are many ways to use that card to your benefit. Here are a few:

Look at the card, if there is something remarkable about it, make the remark. People have put time and energy into creating their card; they will appreciate you noticing.
Hold the card during the conversation and look from the person to their name several times. Many people feel that they are poor at remembering names. This is a great technique to help.
Write something special about the meeting on the back of the card. This can be an accomplishment, a comment, a joke they told, or any other unique thing about that meeting.
When you leave the mixer, you are NOT done networking.
Nothing is more important than how and when you follow up. Let no more than two days pass before mailing a personal note. You can take the time to hand write the note, or you can use an online service. I use a combination of personal notes and SendOut Cards. The best system is the one you will use faithfully. For a huge impact, this is where you reference what you have written on their business card. In your personal note, include “I loved that joke about…” or “I hope your daughter is feeling better.” You are now a rock star in their mind.

The next follow up is a call within a week. There are two things to do during this call. First, tell them how much you enjoyed meeting them. Then set an appointment to meet with them and learn more about their business.

You have made the meeting and follow up all about them. When is it about you? It becomes about you when they make it about you. Because you have spent your time and energy focusing on them and listening to their needs, they will make it about you. If they do not, after all of your effort, you have eliminated what would have been a headache.

Jon Colson is the author of the book If Your Product Sells Itself, Shut UP!
For information email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 208-703-7879.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn...

Social networking isn’t limited to coffee shops and cocktail parties anymore.

There is an analogy I often use in my seminars to describe how social media has not only shaped the evolution of the Internet, it has changed how we interact as a society. When you go to any coffee shop in town, you will find small tribes of people gathered around tables and comfortable couches, favorite beverage in hand, simply chatting about everything from relationships to what was on TV last night. These bands of socialites have simply moved their discussion from a face to face interaction to what can only be described as the “Virtual Coffee Shop”.