It George Bush's Fault

This morning I overheard someone say in a very passionate manner," God Dammit, I know it's not your fault but I have to yell at somebody". In this fit of frustration, he did not know how philisophical and apropos this comment was for these times.
The joy of self employment is to be able to make money by helping small business owners solve their business problems. Most of the problems these days are money related and there are no sources of money at reasonable terms. People with cash are holding tight. Banks are not lending because they are scared of the loans they already have. Small business owners have had to use credit cards over the last few years. These credit cards are maxed out and many businesses are unable to make any payments.
Credit ratings are falling as never before.
The delema is that when the Government( as they will be involved) requires banks to lend to credit worthy businesses, there will be no credit worthy businesses.
My sales are off. I have laid off half my employees. My rent is two months behind. My landlord has offered to lower my rent and is politely asking if I can catch up but he is gratful that he has a tenant. I told my employees I might have to cut their wages and they think it is a good idea because they have jobs. One of my key suppliers is going out of business and another has to cut my terms to net 10 days. And as always, the baby needs a new pair of shoes
I have to yell at somebody. I guess it will have to be George Bush as no one else will take the responsibility.

Green Is the Only Way

To often Green development is viewed as the ultra liberal, tree hugging, impractical approach to building and design. Maybe they get it mixed up with Greenpeace.

It has been my observation that even Republicans over 50 recycle.

The US Green Building Council's LEEDS(Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) program makes sense. This sensible approach is good for everyone. The theme is reuse as much as possible and minimize the impact on the environment. LEEDS has a rating system. The more you design,develop and build according to their standards,the more positive impact you have on the environment and the higher your LEEDS rating.

As Jeff Foxworthy would say you might be LEEDS certified if

Your building is on a bus stop

You are refurbishing an old building instead of rebuilding

You have self flushing urinals

Your lights are low energy UltraMAX electronic ballasts

The inside of your inside furniture is made of pressed wheat chaff

Your paint is made of Volatile Organic Compounds

Your appliances and office equipment have Energy Star ratings

There are plants intentionally growing on your roof.


GREEN buildings make economic sense.

Construction costs are not much more if at all.

Tenants seek out Green buildings and stay longer.

Quit Treading On Us

Everyone wants to work. Small businesses want to crank up. All the factors which make the US such a vibrant place to live and work are at the mercy of politicians who have no clue as to what to do other than introduce legislation and increase taxes.
I am amazed daily that politicians think they can do it better than anyone else. Most of these politicians have never signed a paycheck nor experienced the exhilaration of running a successful small business.
Many politicians view employer-employee relations as adversarial. They think employers are exploiters and employees are victims. This is an obsolete and self-serving thought process. Most employers treat their employees well because they realize the importance of their contribution in building the business. Most employers try to pay a high and fair wage. Employees want their employers to be successful because they know that their futures depend on their employer's success. Most employees do not want the responsibility of owning and running a business. Most employers and employees like each other.
But we are talking about the private sector where importance and success are earned not entitled.

Wall Street and Main Street.

I recently read "The End of Wall Street" by Roger Lowenstein. It is an excellent summary of what caused the Recession and clear explanations of events and the techniques the Wall Street boys used. These actions directly effect Main Street. The current Goldman Sachs investigations should be the last chapter but the book was written before the investigations.
This book is an example of American business ingenuity and Capitalism at it's best - like it or not. Banks needed more money for mortgages, Wall Street figured out how to get it. It took the regulators too long to understand what was happening if they ever did.
The self righteous politicians are pontificating about the evils of Goldman Sachs but refuse to admit that their excessive demands for affordable housing for unqualified people had as much to do with the problem as anything. They are about to bring criminal charges against Goldman Sachs and do not understand what they are trying to prosecute.
Some Wall St business practices need to be regulated. But first politicians should try to understand what they are regulating. It seems that most of the time it is against the nature of a politician to know what they are talking about. Because of this, right or wrong, politicians will always be outsmarted by our best and brightest on Wall Street who do know what they are talking about- right or wrong.