MEETING MINUTES
Friday, June 27, 2008
Volume 15; Issue 23

Membership Report
John Passante has resigned.  He appreciates everyone in the group and what the group has to offer but he found it increasingly difficult to make the meetings.

Social Report
We still need a social director.

Treasurer Report
The quarterly dues billing went out 6/1.  Please contact Melissa Matthews if you did not receive yours.

Leads Report
04-13, 46-13, 15-56, 21-53, 50-37, 50-22, 37-45, 09-37, 09-32, 09-05, 56-15.

Question of the Day 
Do you accept credit cards?  If so, what rate are you paying?

• I don't take credit cards - Many members responded this way.

• We pay .4% with Wells Fargo plus a monthly fee.  We worked a long time trying to get the lowest rate.

• I don't know what I am paying.

• For me it is cheaper to not do business with someone than take their credit cards.

• Most of the clients I serve (or want to serve) don't have a problem paying with a check.  If I did accept them, I could probably increase my customer base but probably not with the ones I want.

• We get a good rate because of who we process through.  And we can negotiate better rates because of our volume.

• We do accept credit cards.  We were doing it through our bank and paying high fees.  We switched to Costco and get a much better rate.

• We have a high rate on credit cards but most customers pay by check.

• We have only had a couple of customers ask us about taking credit cards in the many years of doing business.

• I had one customer ask if I take them and I ran.

• We are part of a franchise that negotiates our rates.

• Cash and carry only.

• Since we had that bounced check, our bank has encouraged us to start accepting credit cards.  We haven't made the decision. - Members suggested it wouldn't help because the customer could always argue the charge.

• I almost got pulled into a credit card scam last week.

• About 80% of our business is with credit cards.  I pay 1.9% and own my terminal.  But they do nickel and dime you.  Look at those monthly statements.  They are constantly adding little fees here and there.  You can dispute them.

• I use PayPal.  It has a higher rate but there are no hidden fees.  No terminal needed.  I explain to customers that if they use a card they need to pay the 3% fee and they understand it.

• Most of the cards we take are debit. 

Notable Mentions

One member asked if anybody was doing anything about members in violation of the attendance policy.  Lisa Wolfe said that it is not going unnoticed.  The summer is always a challenge.  There are economical challenges to consider.  People are having to work harder in this economy.

Lisa asked members how many of them have made a commitment to making the MABE website their home page.  There is a lot more up there to help us stay connected.

Lisa spent the day Wednesday calling several companies about what programs they have to offer associations.  Office Max replied immediately.  They will be here July 11th to talk about their retail connect program and pass out cards.  They are excited about the partnership. 

Let's start with some personal background...
I have 3 jobs and I am going to ASU.  I work at Landmark for Don Ellis.  I started their at age 16 as a hostess.  I teach dance at a studio in Gilbert.  And fell into the skateboard business because of my boyfriend.  I was born and raised here. I spent 5 years in LA.

What was it like moving from Arizona to North Hollywood, to Westlake Village, to Hollywood again and then back to Arizona?
It was exciting when I first went to California.  I loved it.  I did a lot of auditions which led to a dance tour in China. That place was dirty and kind of gross.  California is very competitive.  It is how you dress and who you know.  Westlake Village is beautiful. It is close to the beach. 

You started as a Dance Instructor.  What kind of dance do you teach?  You're still teaching and performing?  Is everybody "teachable"?
My little kids are 3-6.  They are my favorite Class.  The teens are fun but they are loud. Is everyone teachable?  Some people maybe shouldn't be dancing.

Your boyfriend and business partner is Paul.  You are partners with both Paul and your father in Polestar Distribution.  What are the roles?
It was a challenge getting started.  My dad is like a silent investor.  He is savvy financially.  He and I are behind the scenes...warehouse and marketing.Paul is the heart of the business.  He knows the product and does all the sales. Knows the product.  

Your industry is very Brand and Target oriented, and you told me very "image-driven".  Where does the Brand "Navigator" fit into this? (Navigator Trucks, Deville Wheels, Ideally Suited OEM Business)  You have a foundry in California?
The Navigator was developed in 1999.  Yes, the industry is really image driven.  When we first started Paul did a lot of cold calling.  We do trade shows. We have professional riders that we sponsor.  We trademark our items and sell to mom and pop shops.  Currently we are working on an e-commerce site.  We assemble everything but we are not manufacturers.  We have four employees right now.  Our products are top quality.  OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) offer B-grade quality.  They are doing better in this economy.  

Polestar is an international company.  What countries does it do business with?
Italy, Spain, Hungary, Russian, Canada, Mexico, France, New Zealand, and others.

You're heavily involved with My Space and You Tube.  How?  Does that mean you don't need a Marketing Plan or Advertising Budget for your products?
It costs $22,000 to advertise in an industry magazine.  We can't do that right now.  But the web is huge.  We hired a genius18-year-old kid that does the web work for us.  .We have three different sites.  You can find us at My Space and we put stuff on You Ttube all the time. 

Finally, you're taking 2-3 classes a week at ASU to get your degree in Business.  How do you juggle everything?  What's down the road for you.....your aspirations?
I work a lot.  Most of my classes are online.  Its our business so I can leave and go home to study.  I hope that we can make this work and I can do this the rest of my life.  I'm stressed right now but I like the industry. 

No sense asking you about what you do in your spare time, as you don't have any, but if you did, what would you like to do??
In spare time, I would dance more.