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Speaker Update
December 19th - James Clark
Treasurer Report
The quarterly dues
billing was e-mailed on 12/1. T Please contact
Melissa Matthews if you
do not receive your e-invoice.
Leads Report
51-22, 09-38, 09-21, 38-26, 42-13, 15-56, 47-28,
10-26, 10-38, 29-38.
There is a lot of controversy about bailing out
the big 3 automakers. What are your opinions?
- I think it comes down to keeping them in
business. If we give them money and they still go out of
business, what good does it do? They are not going to go away.
They are just going to reorganize.
- Bill LaLonde is still a union member.
He says we are just hearing the politicians. The unions
have cut back.
- A political decision is being made, not an
economical one. The problem with some of these arguments
(not just with the auto) the disaster they are claiming will
happen are just scare tactics. There are companies that
lend money to companies with good business models. Once
you start this process, where do you stop? Everybody here
could use a loan.
- Make a product that people want and can
afford. They are thumbing their noses at us. There
are so many things they can do that they are not.
- I don't think the auto companies will
evaporate. I don't think people will stop buying cars.
Existing laws are there to deal with their issues. I think
this is really about (1) this is the last vestige of
manufacturing America fight in a service oriented economy and
(2) its not about jobs but the life of the union. This is
the end of the unions. It is the cash cow for democrats.
Jobs are going to be lost no matter what.
- There is a mindset that goes along with
working for a union. I have a relative that has been laid
off several times recently. I asked him what he is going
to do. He said nothing. The unions will prevail and
they have money. He is getting full salary. He has
no desire to go look for a job. He feels he deserves it
because he is union.
- You can't have 7 dealers to 1 and be
profitable. They are so automated in other countries that
they can build more competitively. The unions won't allow
it here.
- I am shocked by the opinions this morning.
I had a grandparent in the union. I can remember not
having weekends off and 8 hour days.
- A large percentage of Dave Lathrop's clients
buy American trucks but not the cars. GM builds a fine car
it is just not very appealing.
- Be controlled and not have any say or rights
or have a workforce with protections. When you have
protections, you tend to have a better society.
- I'm saying a collective bargaining is not a
bad thing in this society.
Main Speaker - Greg Stewart, "I know what its like"
Greg know what it is like to go through life's ups
and downs...Learning how to deal with
adversity, the challenges of it and learning how to survive.
I know what it is like to operate a business in a
recession...As many of you already know we have two FASTFRAME
stores. What you may not know is that I also do voice work
through my other company, Desert Voice Creations. I do a lot
of corporate, on-hold messages. I'm the guy you hang up on!
I enjoy doing it. But even this business is effected by this
economy. I happened to choose two businesses that rely on
discretionary spending which doesn't fair well in a recession.
We started in a recession. As a business owner,
this is probably my 4th recession and this is the worst I have seen.
I know what it is like to be fired...I
was fired from my broadcasting job. It is the most demeaning
thing that can happen in life. But it turned out to be the
best thing that could have happened or I wouldn't be here today.
I wanted to be an entrepreneur after being in broadcasting most of
my life.
I know what it is like to have multiple
locations...They call Pat and I the pioneers of the FASTFRAME
franchise. We are the last surviving members of the group that
helped start the franchise back in the '80's. I've had three
stores at one time. It was a mistake. You can't have two
owners in three different places. Two is probably too much.
But we can't sell in this economy. Eventually.
I know what it is like to go through divorce and
raise kids as a single parent...We have three kids. I've
watched three of my kids get married and two get divorced.
They are now single parents. All of this stuff affects the
family. But it has a way of working out.
I know what it is like to struggle with
advertising...So much of our advertising has fallen completely flat.
What used to work in the past just doesn't work anymore. The
internet has changed everything. It hard to be a custom framer
and provide a quality service and be cheap. One thing that
worked in Ahwatukee (but not Gilbert for some reason), is an ad that
focused on relationships. Its a Q&A. (Tip: We placed the
add on alternate weeks. Never go weekly). I am really in
the business of selling relationships. If they don't like you,
they probably won't buy from you. I learned that at the Tempe
Arts Festival.
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