Sometimes the easiest way to make money is not to try. We put so much effort into the making of money that we forget that $1 saved is just as valuable as a $1 earned. In fact, its worth more because we normally only get to keep about $0.10 profit for every dollar earned. If you save $1, you get to keep the whole $1.

To start saving money, you must look at your overhead. That may sound like a no- brainer, but we shall soon discover it’s not as easy as it sounds. To make sure we are all talking about the same thing, let me give you our working definition. Overhead is all expense items that are reoccurring such as rent, salaries, electricity, supplies, etc.

When looking at your overhead, the first mistake is to assume that just because the items have been reoccurring they must continue to reoccur. To be critical about your overhead means you must always question the necessity of each item. I remember when we first started our business; we had a refrigerator in the office. I thought it would be a nice idea to keep soft drinks in it, and I would keep it stocked as a treat for employees. As the company grew, my treat bill began to rise. One day, I discovered I was paying $250-$300 per month so everyone could go in and grab a free Coke anytime they wanted. My generosity put me in a spot. I was now incurring an expense that was growing out of hand, and my employees didn’t want it eliminated. Of course, they didn’t. Even though my monthly bill was more than some of the employees made in a week, it was now somehow their right to have free drinks. We now have a vending machine. Sorry.

Electricity – Electricity is another problem. Not everyone operates at the same temperature. Someone will always be too hot or too cold. The thermostat will constantly be adjusted by anyone who walks by it, and the resulting hot/cold conditions will soon increase sick leave. Constantly, adjusting the thermostat also results in a higher electricity bill because of the stops and the starts. The answer to temperature control is to pick a reasonable temperature, slightly on the cool side because it’s easier to add clothes (or at least more work conducive to keep people more alert). Put a lock on the thermostat, and you keep the key.

Supplies – Office supplies are always a source of management irritation. You want to make sure your staff always has everything they need to do their job. Unfortunately, the needs are open to interpretation. Human nature is such that given the opportunity to buy what they need, your employees’ needs will exceed yours.

After a calendar episode, we adopted a policy that works. Every employee should be given a standard package of office supplies. If they want anything different, they may buy it at their option. Some people do actually upgrade and buy a few personal items, but for most, the standard works well.

What happens when supplies need reordering? They are handled by one person who has the office policy in mind. This person is taught to shop and compare, but there is a time factor that also must be considered. Everyday supplies are accessible, but the quantity is restricted. In other words, if an employee goes to get a pen and several boxes are available, he will take a box. If only one box is available, he will take a pen. Why this self-restricting occurs, I’m not sure. I am suspicious it came from getting our hand slapped when we took too much food from the platter being passed at the dinner table. In any event, it works no matter what the reason.

While it may be common sense to many of you, don’t forget to buy generic. I can assure you, if it’s acceptable to buy generic drugs (and it is in most cases), it’s OK to buy generic office products. You’ll save 25-40 percent.

Business Cards – Everybody wants them, few people need them and the cost is getting out of hand. First, price them carefully. Printing quotes are wildly different. Second, be generous with your salesmen. A good salesman can actually make money by properly giving out his business card to prospects. Your executives will expect them, so you might as well order them. For everyone else, design a generic company card with a place for the employee to sign his own name. Give each employee a small supply, and you have probably solved your business card problems about as inexpensively as you can.

Rent – As if you don’t know, office space isn’t cheap. Unfortunately, most people overpay. The reason is because the landlords tend to know more about leasing than tenants, and they can take advantage of you in a multiplicity of different ways before you even know about it. Some of this is changing. Market considerations have caused high competition among landlords and many have educated tenants by showing them why the current deal they had wasn’t nearly as good as the one the new landlord is offering. Additionally, a new procession of consultants who represent tenants has developed putting the tenant in an equal, if not better, bargaining position than the landlord.

Since rent is such a large portion of overhead, I encourage anyone who is inexperienced in both real estate and negotiation to consider having a broker who works with tenants representing you.

One of my first businesses was forced to combine locations one year because of an economic slow down. The landlord was less than pleased when I broke the news of our departure and attempted to hold me personally liable for the period of the entire lease. Fortunately, I had been careful to make each of my business locations separate companies and had always signed the documents on behalf of the company as a corporate officer. The court ruled in my favor. Many years later, having now been a landlord, I understand his displeasure, but that’s business. What you get is what you bargain for. If you don’t know how to restrict your liability, no one is going to tell you unless you hire someone to represent you. If you don’t know the difference between net rentable square feet and gross rentable, it will cost you thousands of dollars over the term of your lease.

These are just a few of the extremely complicated issues facing you as you select your business space. You will also find that most tenants overestimate their space needs, frequently by as much as 50 percent. This probably can be greatly mitigated by using a space planner who will layout your space ahead of time. Still, a new business will particularly face planning problems because of being unable to determine potential growth as easily as an established company. I would urge you to use the most flexible design possible, using more open space and less individual offices.

Furniture And Equipment – Since I talked about open space design, I thought it important to jump into furniture. There is no question that modular furniture with movable partitions is the most practical furniture for businesses today. It is much easier to expand and contract with the times.

Furniture is a major expense for any company, especially new ones. My suggestion for new companies is that you open with rental furniture and spend time looking for good prices on the type of furniture you want. Because there is great turnover in business, patience is frequently rewarded. If you think new cars drop value when you drive them off the showroom floor, furniture drops even more. If you can find used business furniture, you will get a substantial savings.

The same analogy also applies to equipment. Unfortunately, it is additionally hit by technology changes, which makes today’s wonder, tomorrow’s junk.

Look around for government auctions and warehouse sales. I’ve been to the auctions, and you truly can buy at cents on the dollar. Make sure you take someone with you who knows computers because they mix what they sell, and unless you know what you’re doing, it’s hard to compare apples to apples.

If you aren’t part of a major warehouse discount club, (Costco, Price, Pace, Sam’s, BJs), join one today. The savings are tremendous. In fact, the prices are so good, I know some retailers who buy at these clubs and resell in their own stores. Since anyone can join, I don’t understand why people don’t. You’ll find the savings more than worthwhile.

Printing– This is a personal pet peeve of mine, so I’ll admit it up front. Printers will kill you with their prices. (Sorry printers.)

To begin with, there are a lot of printers out there. If you send something out for a bid, you will get a wide range of prices. There are many printers who are also willing to “buy your business” by giving you very low prices in the beginning to get your business. They know that after a while of checking their prices, you’ll get lulled into satisfaction, and they can begin to raise their prices. Since most printing jobs are slightly different, it is very difficult to notice what’s happening unless you rate compare similar type work over a period of time. For any of you, who may be thinking that this isn’t happening to you, let me suggest that you check your bills. It is done in very subtle ways. For instance, let’s say you normally order 1,000 sheets of stationary but, because your business is picking up, this time you order 1,500. Your printer charges you the same price per piece for the additional 500 sheets. It sounds fair, but it’s not. The incremental cost of the additional 500 sheets is nothing compared to the cost of the first 500. Remember, he had to set up the machine, layout your work, etc. (all those things he told you to justify his price in the first place). Now, all he needs to do is let his press run. His real incremental cost is paper, ink, and the time to run the press.

The best way to handle your printing situation is to continue to check your bills and bid the work out every once in a while just to keep everyone in their toes.

Telephone – Sometimes I think you need a degree in telecommunications just to read your phone bill. The choices are growing, and between both land lines and cell phones it can get very expensive.

At a minimum, you should review your equipment and line charges at least once every six months and adjust what you can. As your business changes, you may not need the extra lines you ordered six months ago. Reviewing your bill specifically for this purpose will keep your needs in focus.

The new trend for office phones is not to have desk phones but use cell phones connected to a land-line system. I’m not there yet in our office, but it will be a growing trend especially for new businesses. Having purchased many desk phones over the years, at a ridiculous price, which soon became obsolete; this will be a good idea to investigate.

Shipping Costs – “FedEx it” has gotten too generic by me and everyone else. They are the best but often the most expensive. SHOP, SHOP, SHOP and make sure you train your staff on how to decide which service to chose. Each shipping carrier has an advantage, but they are different so make sure your staff knows and understands the differences as they apply to your business or you will waste money.

JACK’S RULE: Spend time saving money and you won’t need to make as much.

JW Dicks, Esq. is an attorney, best selling author, entrepreneur and business strategist. He has spent his entire 35-year career building successful businesses for himself and his clients bringing his golden touch to the marketing and sales of over $500 million of products and services. His professional versatility affords him a unique insight into the opportunities available for today’s business owners along with the knowledge of how to structure and position a business to take advantage of them.

He is the senior partner of Dicks & Nanton P.A.: The Business Growth Lawyers™, representing clients in the growth of their business using franchises, area exclusive licensing, coaching, idea licensing, info-marketing, joint ventures, syndications and explosion marketing to accomplish their goals. Jack has worked with a diverse set of clients ranging from an Inc. 500 fastest growing company with sales over $250 Million, public companies, down to a small start up that made fishing lures. He loves the challenge and excitement of them all.

In addition to coaching and consulting with clients nationwide, Jack is also a successful entrepreneur. He has built his own businesses, with annual sales over $35 Million, developed real estate in excess of $200 Million and both created, and sold intellectual property rights for as much as $1.8 Million.

Jack has led national conferences and conventions and has spoken to over 150,000 business leaders on venture capital formation, syndication, investing, and business growth strategies. He is the best-selling author of numerous legal and financial books including the 50 Volume set, How to Start a Corporation and Operate in Any State, Moonlight Investing, The Florida Investor, Mutual Fund Investing Strategies, The Small Business Legal Kit, The 100 best Investments For Your Retirement, Financial CPR, Operation Financial Freedom, and How to Buy and Sell Real Estate .

In addition to his Juris Doctorate degree, Jack holds securities licenses, 22, 7, 65, and 24. He is also a registered securities principal, registered investment advisor, and real estate broker. Although technically proficient in several professions, his clients consider his greatest attributes to be his innate creativity, visionary focus and ability to design and implement multi-layered profit centers for companies and individuals seeking long-term financial growth and protection.

Jack is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason College of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, NASD, National Association of Realtors, the Florida Bar and the Virginia Bar.

Jack’s business address is Orlando and his play address is at his beach house where he spends as much time as he can with his wife, Linda, of 32 years, two daughters, two son-in-laws, and two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing although the fish are rumored to be safe.

I went to a Cuban restaurant the other night for dinner. It was a good restaurant. It had great food, but I left dissatisfied. Does that ever happen in your business?

Let me explain.

I enjoy Cuban food because of the taste and blend of flavors. One of the things I like is Cuban bread. Naturally, with dinner I ordered bread, expecting my favorite, but was surprised when we received rolls.

Now, there was nothing wrong with these rolls. In fact, they were pretty good rolls, and if I had been eating at Cracker Barrel, I probably would have enjoyed them. Unfortunately, I was thinking Cuban food, and I wanted Cuban bread. Since I’m not particularly shy, I called the waitress over and asked her if she would get me some.

“We save the Cuban bread for the Cuban sandwiches,” she replied in a friendly manner.

“But I’ll be happy to pay extra,” I offered, figuring it was likely just a cost factor.

“Sorry, sir, we only have Cuban bread for sandwiches,” the waitress replied, and I let her go with a smile. What I wanted to do was order a sandwich and tell her to hold the meat, but Linda (my wife) was already kicking me under the table, and I knew I was through before I got started.

You and I know that I could have insisted, and I would have ultimately gotten the bread. Unfortunately, to get there would have required the effort no customer should go through.

We pay a great deal of money to get a customer in our door, whether we are selling Cuban food or widgets. Making sure these prized clients get what they want should be our number-one concern because if it’s not, your competition will make it theirs. We would likely be amazed if we knew the number of times a small indulgence extended to a customer is the difference in keeping them or losing them.

What can you do to keep yours?

• Train your employees to understand the importance of a customer and how they need to go the extra mile. When they do, back them up.
• Get a reputation for always saying, “Yes” to customers’ requests.
• Treat your customers as individuals. Some say to-mâ-to, some say to-mä-to, and some like Cuban bread with their meal. If you don’t have what your customer wants, that’s one thing, but if you do, try to be reasonably accommodating.

The competition is tough here in 2009. If you want to stay in the game, you’ve got to learn to be flexible and helpful. The customer may not always be right, but if you want to keep them coming back, you better make them feel like they are.

JW Dicks, Esq. is an attorney, best selling author, entrepreneur and business strategist. He has spent his entire 35-year career building successful businesses for himself and his clients bringing his golden touch to the marketing and sales of over $500 million of products and services. His professional versatility affords him a unique insight into the opportunities available for today’s business owners along with the knowledge of how to structure and position a business to take advantage of them.

He is the senior partner of Dicks & Nanton P.A.: The Business Growth Lawyers™, representing clients in the growth of their business using franchises, area exclusive licensing, coaching, idea licensing, info-marketing, joint ventures, syndications and explosion marketing to accomplish their goals. Jack has worked with a diverse set of clients ranging from an Inc. 500 fastest growing company with sales over $250 Million, public companies, down to a small start up that made fishing lures. He loves the challenge and excitement of them all.

In addition to coaching and consulting with clients nationwide, Jack is also a successful entrepreneur. He has built his own businesses, with annual sales over $35 Million, developed real estate in excess of $200 Million and both created, and sold intellectual property rights for as much as $1.8 Million.

Jack has led national conferences and conventions and has spoken to over 150,000 business leaders on venture capital formation, syndication, investing, and business growth strategies. He is the best-selling author of numerous legal and financial books including the 50 Volume set, How to Start a Corporation and Operate in Any State, Moonlight Investing, The Florida Investor, Mutual Fund Investing Strategies, The Small Business Legal Kit, The 100 best Investments For Your Retirement, Financial CPR, Operation Financial Freedom, and How to Buy and Sell Real Estate .

In addition to his Juris Doctorate degree, Jack holds securities licenses, 22, 7, 65, and 24. He is also a registered securities principal, registered investment advisor, and real estate broker. Although technically proficient in several professions, his clients consider his greatest attributes to be his innate creativity, visionary focus and ability to design and implement multi-layered profit centers for companies and individuals seeking long-term financial growth and protection.

Jack is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason College of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, NASD, National Association of Realtors, the Florida Bar and the Virginia Bar.

Jack’s business address is Orlando and his play address is at his beach house where he spends as much time as he can with his wife, Linda, of 32 years, two daughters, two son-in-laws, and two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing although the fish are rumored to be safe.

It’s not just cool being “green” anymore; it’s going to be very profitable.

The Obama administraion is doling out the dollars for energy-saving projects, and if you are looking for a modern-day gold rush that is sustainable into the next economic growth spurt, this is it.

Four out of five people say they are still buying green products and services today, which sometimes cost more, even in the midst of the U.S. recession. (Source: Reuters.)

If you are looking for a new business or an “add-on” to your existing one, there are real opportunities for funding your ideas from the government now and big profit payoffs for success. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides for increases in funding, extended tax incentives and outright grants to encourage renewable-energy projects, energy savings and green jobs.

But the government stimulus is just one way to profit from the green movement. Another way to take advantage of the green trend is to tailor a product or service you have to “green.” For example, BMW’s hot Mini was small, smart and cheap to run. Now there is a new Mini E (which stands for electric) that will soon hit the streets, and there is already a pent-up demand to get them.

Payless Shoe Source has a new line of low-cost, eco-minded shoes. They are sure to be cool, but I hope they aren’t really green in color. On the other hand, even if the color affected the sale, the trend will attract attention to its entire product line. Truthfully, energy products may very well want to use a color or unique name to separate themselves from the rest because consumers will want their peers to know they are supporting the “green” movement. Green is, and will continue to be, cool again.

Another example of companies using the ECO trend to position themselves is CropToCup.com, which sells coffee through the use of a story about buying directly from the farmer and actually allowing the consumer to trace their cup of coffee back to the farmer who produced it. This, of course, brings personalization into the coffee-sale process along with good feelings about helping the small-coffee famer and not some big-company giant. Similarly, IceBreaker.com allows you to follow its product-production trail back to one of 120 sheep stations in New Zealand where your product came from.

Your home is also about to become a battleground for eco devices that monitor your energy use and provide eco training so you can learn new ways to adapt to energy usage that saves money and the planet. One state has a two-year waiting list for a training program that teaches people how to make older homes more energy efficient. This is certain to be a new area for private training programs and info-products, or even franchises, to take hold and prosper.

Check out RoofRay.com to see a California start-up that gives consumers the info they need to properly install solar panels. The firm provides modeling tools that use Google Maps to help determine how much solar energy a home could capture in its area and how that would translate into savings. GreenIrene.com is another interesting business model that offers a green makeover service, which involves a visit from an eco-consultant who offers money-saving solutions available from the company.

There is lots happening in the ECO marketplace, and its growth will offer many new opportunities. While there have been stops and starts in this industry in the past based on fluctuations in the price of oil, this seems to be a more sustainable trend because it has the president, Congress and lots of money behind it.

JW Dicks, Esq. is an attorney, best selling author, entrepreneur and business strategist. He has spent his entire 35-year career building successful businesses for himself and his clients bringing his golden touch to the marketing and sales of over $500 million of products and services. His professional versatility affords him a unique insight into the opportunities available for today’s business owners along with the knowledge of how to structure and position a business to take advantage of them.

He is the senior partner of Dicks & Nanton P.A.: The Business Growth Lawyers™, representing clients in the growth of their business using franchises, area exclusive licensing, coaching, idea licensing, info-marketing, joint ventures, syndications and explosion marketing to accomplish their goals. Jack has worked with a diverse set of clients ranging from an Inc. 500 fastest growing company with sales over $250 Million, public companies, down to a small start up that made fishing lures. He loves the challenge and excitement of them all.

In addition to coaching and consulting with clients nationwide, Jack is also a successful entrepreneur. He has built his own businesses, with annual sales over $35 Million, developed real estate in excess of $200 Million and both created, and sold intellectual property rights for as much as $1.8 Million.

Jack has led national conferences and conventions and has spoken to over 150,000 business leaders on venture capital formation, syndication, investing, and business growth strategies. He is the best-selling author of numerous legal and financial books including the 50 Volume set, How to Start a Corporation and Operate in Any State, Moonlight Investing, The Florida Investor, Mutual Fund Investing Strategies, The Small Business Legal Kit, The 100 best Investments For Your Retirement, Financial CPR, Operation Financial Freedom, and How to Buy and Sell Real Estate .

In addition to his Juris Doctorate degree, Jack holds securities licenses, 22, 7, 65, and 24. He is also a registered securities principal, registered investment advisor, and real estate broker. Although technically proficient in several professions, his clients consider his greatest attributes to be his innate creativity, visionary focus and ability to design and implement multi-layered profit centers for companies and individuals seeking long-term financial growth and protection.

Jack is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason College of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, NASD, National Association of Realtors, the Florida Bar and the Virginia Bar.

Jack’s business address is Orlando and his play address is at his beach house where he spends as much time as he can with his wife, Linda, of 32 years, two daughters, two son-in-laws, and two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing although the fish are rumored to be safe.

There is an old story about two boys whose father told them to clean out the barn and he would give them a surprise.

When the boys got to the barn, they found the stall filled high with, well, er…, horse droppings. At the sight of the mess, the younger boy sat down in disgust at all of the work that lay before him. The older boy quickly grabbed a shovel and started digging.

“What are you doing?” the younger boy asked in wonder as he watched the older boy shovel with fury.

“Looking for the surprise,” the older boy replied with a grin on his face. “With this much mess, there’s got to be a pony in here some place!”

The moral of the story is that we should always look for the good, even in bad situations. There are lessons to be learned, even from our mistakes. One of the wonders of life you are about to discover (if you don’t already know) is that you will make mistakes with your customers. When you do, you have two choices – hide it and hope no one finds out or admit it.

Now, here comes the lesson. Think about how you feel when someone makes a mistake, acknowledges it and apologizes. If you are like me, you probably say, “Hum, so he makes mistakes too.” Interestingly, you also feel a little better about the incident because you know that you and the person who made the error are on the same wave length. And, folks, that’s the way it is. We all make mistakes; and we all like to do business with people who are like us.

Remember your mistakes. Use them as lessons to see how you can work with your customers. Use the time to create a bond of understanding and frankness with your customers. What you will soon find is that this type of new customer relationship is a growing trend in business. It has been a long time coming, but honesty and ethics are back in business, and I, for one, am glad.

JW Dicks, Esq. is an attorney, best selling author, entrepreneur and business strategist. He has spent his entire 35-year career building successful businesses for himself and his clients bringing his golden touch to the marketing and sales of over $500 million of products and services. His professional versatility affords him a unique insight into the opportunities available for today’s business owners along with the knowledge of how to structure and position a business to take advantage of them.

He is the senior partner of Dicks & Nanton P.A.: The Business Growth Lawyers™, representing clients in the growth of their business using franchises, area exclusive licensing, coaching, idea licensing, info-marketing, joint ventures, syndications and explosion marketing to accomplish their goals. Jack has worked with a diverse set of clients ranging from an Inc. 500 fastest growing company with sales over $250 Million, public companies, down to a small start up that made fishing lures. He loves the challenge and excitement of them all.

In addition to coaching and consulting with clients nationwide, Jack is also a successful entrepreneur. He has built his own businesses, with annual sales over $35 Million, developed real estate in excess of $200 Million and both created, and sold intellectual property rights for as much as $1.8 Million.

Jack has led national conferences and conventions and has spoken to over 150,000 business leaders on venture capital formation, syndication, investing, and business growth strategies. He is the best-selling author of numerous legal and financial books including the 50 Volume set, How to Start a Corporation and Operate in Any State, Moonlight Investing, The Florida Investor, Mutual Fund Investing Strategies, The Small Business Legal Kit, The 100 best Investments For Your Retirement, Financial CPR, Operation Financial Freedom, and How to Buy and Sell Real Estate .

In addition to his Juris Doctorate degree, Jack holds securities licenses, 22, 7, 65, and 24. He is also a registered securities principal, registered investment advisor, and real estate broker. Although technically proficient in several professions, his clients consider his greatest attributes to be his innate creativity, visionary focus and ability to design and implement multi-layered profit centers for companies and individuals seeking long-term financial growth and protection.

Jack is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason College of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, NASD, National Association of Realtors, the Florida Bar and the Virginia Bar.

Jack’s business address is Orlando and his play address is at his beach house where he spends as much time as he can with his wife, Linda, of 32 years, two daughters, two son-in-laws, and two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing although the fish are rumored to be safe.

Now is a great time to rethink your business and consider actions steps you might take to jump start your business.

Here is a list of ideas to review that may just be the thing your business needs to get it moving. The action ideas are not in any particular order, so consider each equally.

1. Establish your own referral network. Get a group of business people together who are non-competing and pledge referrals to each other. Meet once per month to thank each other and give ideas of the type of customers and clients you may be looking for. Commitment is the key for each participant.

2. Become the expert in your business. Write a book, report, article, newspaper column or seminar about your topic and publish it yourself to get it circulating. When you circulate your best ideas, good things happen.

3. Develop at least one add-on or “up-sell” to your main product. Always offer the add-on every time the main product is offered. It should be low cost and high profit. Start now and it will help you make up for any recession fall-off in your business.

4. Make it more convenient for your customer to do business with you. Increase your hours, add a toll-free number, accept credit cards, etc.

5. Do a cost audit of your business. Consider alternatives to every vendor or supplier you have. For example, competitively price your long-distance carrier. Compare UPS to FedEx. Eliminate waste. A dollar saved goes right to the bottom line profit.

6. Trade high-interest-rate credit cards for low-interest-rate cards. If you pay off your balance every month, get a no fee card. Interest rates are dramatically different today, so review every card you have.

7. Before adding a new employee, try a temp. See if the increased work is short-term. Outsourcing jobs is a growing trend for all businesses.

8. Become tax smart. Learn all of the business deductions and be creative in how you can reduce your taxes. Deductions save you the percentage of your tax bracket. Tax credits save you dollar for dollar.

9. Arrange for a discount with your suppliers if you are able to pay on invoice. If you are having cash-flow problems, reverse the procedure and ask for 90 days same as cash.

10. Buy your office supplies from major wholesalers. Use Office Depot, Price and Costco, and don’t let individual employees order their own supplies. Adopt a set list of products a new employee can have and exclude anything else.

11. Join the national association for your business. Attend the national convention. This will keep you informed of the latest ideas in your industry. Also take advantage of the discounts they arrange with vendors.

12. Consider bartering your services. Be liberal. The barter, even if worthless, may lead to a new client. You should also consider offering your services to nonprofits; it could be a way of meeting a new group of potential clients.

13. Raise your insurance deductible. There is a big premium difference between $250 and $1,000. Weigh the annual difference and consider self-insurance for the higher deductible.

14. As long as you’re updating plans, review your specific marketing ideas and objectives for this year. Don’t just spend money on whatever comes along; plan your expenditures. Use only advertising that allows you to back your reason. If you don’t know your reason, you’re wasting money.

15. Use free advertising by getting publicity. Do press release on newsworthy events.
16. Consider joint ventures with other companies. You can piggyback on their business; be quick and ready to pay for referrals where payment is legally allowed.

17. Send thank-you notes for anything and everything done for you. Do it because it is the right thing to do, not just because it will help your business.

18. Step up your collection process. Use credit cards to get money faster.

19. Add shipping and handling charges to any order. Everyone has them, and it has become common place. If you are absolutely against them, make sure you promote the fact that you don’t charge for shipping and handling.

20. Make your life directly related to your business so everything you do becomes deductible. Vacation on business and dine with business clients.

21. Keep immaculate business records. This will save your neck in government audits and lawsuits. Use internal memos to file and confirm everything in writing. If it’s not worth writing, it’s not worth doing.

22. Update your life and health insurance. For an independent analysis and recommendation of the cheapest insurance use an insurance audit.

23. Take a day off work to create one additional profit center for your business.

24. Review your old customers. Write a specific letter to each of them offering a special discount if they will do business with you today.

If you study the preceding list, I know you will agree there are at least a couple of ideas you can put into effect today that will make or save you money. I also hope that you will save the list to review again in the months ahead. I find that as I scan through a list of powerful ideas, others formulate in my mind and it only takes one good idea to keep you and your business going.

JW Dicks, Esq. is an attorney, best selling author, entrepreneur and business strategist. He has spent his entire 35-year career building successful businesses for himself and his clients bringing his golden touch to the marketing and sales of over $500 million of products and services. His professional versatility affords him a unique insight into the opportunities available for today’s business owners along with the knowledge of how to structure and position a business to take advantage of them.

He is the senior partner of Dicks & Nanton P.A.: The Business Growth Lawyers™, representing clients in the growth of their business using franchises, area exclusive licensing, coaching, idea licensing, info-marketing, joint ventures, syndications and explosion marketing to accomplish their goals. Jack has worked with a diverse set of clients ranging from an Inc. 500 fastest growing company with sales over $250 Million, public companies, down to a small start up that made fishing lures. He loves the challenge and excitement of them all.

In addition to coaching and consulting with clients nationwide, Jack is also a successful entrepreneur. He has built his own businesses, with annual sales over $35 Million, developed real estate in excess of $200 Million and both created, and sold intellectual property rights for as much as $1.8 Million.

Jack has led national conferences and conventions and has spoken to over 150,000 business leaders on venture capital formation, syndication, investing, and business growth strategies. He is the best-selling author of numerous legal and financial books including the 50 Volume set, How to Start a Corporation and Operate in Any State, Moonlight Investing, The Florida Investor, Mutual Fund Investing Strategies, The Small Business Legal Kit, The 100 best Investments For Your Retirement, Financial CPR, Operation Financial Freedom, and How to Buy and Sell Real Estate .

In addition to his Juris Doctorate degree, Jack holds securities licenses, 22, 7, 65, and 24. He is also a registered securities principal, registered investment advisor, and real estate broker. Although technically proficient in several professions, his clients consider his greatest attributes to be his innate creativity, visionary focus and ability to design and implement multi-layered profit centers for companies and individuals seeking long-term financial growth and protection.

Jack is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason College of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, NASD, National Association of Realtors, the Florida Bar and the Virginia Bar.

Jack’s business address is Orlando and his play address is at his beach house where he spends as much time as he can with his wife, Linda, of 32 years, two daughters, two son-in-laws, and two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing although the fish are rumored to be safe.

Old is new again!

Back in the “old days,” most things were bought with cash, but if you didn’t have the cash to buy, retailers came up with a system called a layaway plan. The retailer held the goods, and you made payments on them. When you were done paying the full price, you got your furniture, dishwasher or whatever. Christmas layaway assured gifts for the kids.

Over the years, the plan morphed into giving you the item at the point of purchase and making payments. Then someone got the bright idea to charge interest, and once that took off, credit cards began. Soon, merchants were making more on their financing charges than the sale of goods (GE Capital), and the world of credit was born, perhaps to all our chagrin.

History has a way of repeating itself, and during this economic downturn, the layaway plan has made a comeback in various forms and from unusual sources. Who would have ever thought a music festival would be sold that way?

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Califorina, offered a layaway plan this year for the first time in its 10-year history. Customers had the option of buying tickets over several months by putting 10 percent down and the balance over two additional months, with the final payment due prior to the event.

The payment plan was adopted because other festivals have had to cancel their events this year due to sluggish sales. The plan has been working. The organizer was quoted having said, “Without the layaway option, we wouldn’t have done so well.” Like any good idea, it is also already being adopted at other festivals in Tennessee, New Jersey and Arizona.

The NFL also now uses a similar payment plan for its season tickets. You start paying right after the end of the last season and get paid up before the new season begins.

We use a layaway option in our own business. The Ultimate Celebrity Branding Experience™ payments are spread out over 12 months; franchise legal work and business consulting are all extended over at least 12 months, instead of charging the full fee or requiring the total to be put on a credit card and the client getting killed by interest. We are convinced it has made a tremendous difference in everything we do and why our business is growing rapidly even in this economy.

We aren’t alone, and several of our clients, including orthodontist Donna Galante and Paul Cater (www.CGBraces.com), have added monthly payment programs to their standard pricing. Clearly, others should consider doing the same no matter what their business.

If you adopt a variation of the layaway plan in your practice, we encourage you not to add interest. All of us are very serious about our dislike of interest payments right now, and we all would love to avoid paying it when we can. You will make more sales by not charging interest, and that alone will increase your bottom line.

JW Dicks, Esq. is an attorney, best selling author, entrepreneur and business strategist. He has spent his entire 35-year career building successful businesses for himself and his clients bringing his golden touch to the marketing and sales of over $500 million of products and services. His professional versatility affords him a unique insight into the opportunities available for today’s business owners along with the knowledge of how to structure and position a business to take advantage of them.

He is the senior partner of Dicks & Nanton P.A.: The Business Growth Lawyers™, representing clients in the growth of their business using franchises, area exclusive licensing, coaching, idea licensing, info-marketing, joint ventures, syndications and explosion marketing to accomplish their goals. Jack has worked with a diverse set of clients ranging from an Inc. 500 fastest growing company with sales over $250 Million, public companies, down to a small start up that made fishing lures. He loves the challenge and excitement of them all.

In addition to coaching and consulting with clients nationwide, Jack is also a successful entrepreneur. He has built his own businesses, with annual sales over $35 Million, developed real estate in excess of $200 Million and both created, and sold intellectual property rights for as much as $1.8 Million.

Jack has led national conferences and conventions and has spoken to over 150,000 business leaders on venture capital formation, syndication, investing, and business growth strategies. He is the best-selling author of numerous legal and financial books including the 50 Volume set, How to Start a Corporation and Operate in Any State, Moonlight Investing, The Florida Investor, Mutual Fund Investing Strategies, The Small Business Legal Kit, The 100 best Investments For Your Retirement, Financial CPR, Operation Financial Freedom, and How to Buy and Sell Real Estate .

In addition to his Juris Doctorate degree, Jack holds securities licenses, 22, 7, 65, and 24. He is also a registered securities principal, registered investment advisor, and real estate broker. Although technically proficient in several professions, his clients consider his greatest attributes to be his innate creativity, visionary focus and ability to design and implement multi-layered profit centers for companies and individuals seeking long-term financial growth and protection.

Jack is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason College of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, NASD, National Association of Realtors, the Florida Bar and the Virginia Bar.

Jack’s business address is Orlando and his play address is at his beach house where he spends as much time as he can with his wife, Linda, of 32 years, two daughters, two son-in-laws, and two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing although the fish are rumored to be safe.

Like you, people send me stuff from the web all the time. Most of the time, I can’t find the delete button fast enough. This was sent to me by my wife who knows the stuff I think is important. I encourage you to read it because you will think it is important too! – JWD

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. ‘I’m glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,’ I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.

‘Where are you headed?’ I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

‘Chicago – to the Great Lakes Base. We’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Iraq.’

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for $5. It would be several hours before we reached Chicago, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. ‘No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth $5. I’ll wait till we get to Chicago.’ His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant $50.

‘Take a lunch to all those soldiers.’ She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. ‘My son was a soldier in Iraq; it’s almost like you are doing it for him.’

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, ‘Which do you like best – beef or chicken?’

‘Chicken,’ I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. ‘This is your thanks.’

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. ‘I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.’ He handed me $25.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, ‘I want to shake your hand.’

Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain’s hand. With a booming voice he said, ‘I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.’ I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another $25 in my palm.

When we landed in Chicago I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another $25!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them $75. ‘It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.’

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals.

It seemed so little…

– Author Unknown…

JW Dicks, Esq. is an attorney, best selling author, entrepreneur and business strategist. He has spent his entire 35-year career building successful businesses for himself and his clients bringing his golden touch to the marketing and sales of over $500 million of products and services. His professional versatility affords him a unique insight into the opportunities available for today’s business owners along with the knowledge of how to structure and position a business to take advantage of them.

He is the senior partner of Dicks & Nanton P.A.: The Business Growth Lawyers™, representing clients in the growth of their business using franchises, area exclusive licensing, coaching, idea licensing, info-marketing, joint ventures, syndications and explosion marketing to accomplish their goals. Jack has worked with a diverse set of clients ranging from an Inc. 500 fastest growing company with sales over $250 Million, public companies, down to a small start up that made fishing lures. He loves the challenge and excitement of them all.

In addition to coaching and consulting with clients nationwide, Jack is also a successful entrepreneur. He has built his own businesses, with annual sales over $35 Million, developed real estate in excess of $200 Million and both created, and sold intellectual property rights for as much as $1.8 Million.

Jack has led national conferences and conventions and has spoken to over 150,000 business leaders on venture capital formation, syndication, investing, and business growth strategies. He is the best-selling author of numerous legal and financial books including the 50 Volume set, How to Start a Corporation and Operate in Any State, Moonlight Investing, The Florida Investor, Mutual Fund Investing Strategies, The Small Business Legal Kit, The 100 best Investments For Your Retirement, Financial CPR, Operation Financial Freedom, and How to Buy and Sell Real Estate .

In addition to his Juris Doctorate degree, Jack holds securities licenses, 22, 7, 65, and 24. He is also a registered securities principal, registered investment advisor, and real estate broker. Although technically proficient in several professions, his clients consider his greatest attributes to be his innate creativity, visionary focus and ability to design and implement multi-layered profit centers for companies and individuals seeking long-term financial growth and protection.

Jack is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason College of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, NASD, National Association of Realtors, the Florida Bar and the Virginia Bar.

Jack’s business address is Orlando and his play address is at his beach house where he spends as much time as he can with his wife, Linda, of 32 years, two daughters, two son-in-laws, and two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing although the fish are rumored to be safe.

The best new ideas are often old ideas brought back to life. Sometimes the ideas are altered to fit particular circumstances but, many times, the application is altered to fit current circumstances.

More than 20 years ago, when I was in the financial services industry, I decided to alter our business from commission-based to charging a monthly fee based on a percentage of assets. This was a radical thought at the time because the brokerage business was based on commissions. The change was also difficult to execute because it took some time for monthly income (based on a lower rate) to catch up to handle current overhead. The change required confidence that the new monthly fees would last, and we had to temporarily cut overhead at the same time.

Fortunately, it proved to be the best decision I ever made in business. Since that pivotal moment, I have never had a business that did not have a continuity component attached to it. Additionally, every business we consult with is taught the value of continuity and has it structured into their business plan.

Continuity income is simply income that is based on a monthly plan or membership program. If you have a continuity program, you can count on a certain income stream coming in each month whether you find a new client or not. This is not to say that you do not need to keep looking for new clients, because you do. Instead, it is a mechanism that produces income so that should you have a bad month in finding new business, or should the economy falter, you still have money coming in regularly, allowing for time to make adjustments. If you do not have a continuity program in your business or profession, you have to get a certain amount of new customers each month or you are going to have serious problems in a short amount of time.

The ideal goal in a continuity program is for the continuity to first cover your monthly overhead. When you do that, all new business goes to profit and expansion. The next goal is to make money just on your continuity.

When we present the continuity factor to clients, some have an immediate “ahhh” experience. Others struggle with how the application could possibly be structured into their business. These clients frequently say the same thing, “But my business is different.” Trust us. It’s not. Let me give you some examples so you can see the applications of continuity in different businesses. Our goal is for you to consider how continuity can be applied to your business so you can enjoy its benefits.

A real estate broker in Iowa works exclusively with investors. He has a successful track record of finding good, income-producing properties. He offers a tiered continuity program where investors pay different amounts each month for the opportunity to be higher on his investor list in order to see new properties first. For $1,000 per month, you get to see them immediately. In addition, he must agree to work with you exclusively and give you a fee as a buyers’ broker when you buy the property. He also represents you when you sell the property. The continuity factor in his business takes the pressure off having to find something new in a particular month.

Frequently, continuity is designed around a marketing service or an ad campaign that a company has developed to consistently produce new clients. For example, a client we are working with has a commercial cleaning company. They have developed a very successful lead-generation system. We are developing a monthly payment program based on providing leads to other cleaning companies in non-competitive areas that pay a fee for the exclusive rights to those proven marketing methods.

Our latest client is a pizza business, which our law firm is franchising. The pizza delivery company sells a monthly membership service that gives discounts and higher priority for phone orders based on membership levels.

And to blow your mind even more: We actually know of a funeral director who guarantees recovery for the family of a lost one and charges a continuity fee for counseling and grief services.

Continuity in your business will improve your income and your stress level. We encourage you to think about how continuity can be used in your business. If you want help, let us know.

JW Dicks, Esq. is an attorney, best selling author, entrepreneur and business strategist. He has spent his entire 35-year career building successful businesses for himself and his clients bringing his golden touch to the marketing and sales of over $500 million of products and services. His professional versatility affords him a unique insight into the opportunities available for today’s business owners along with the knowledge of how to structure and position a business to take advantage of them.

He is the senior partner of Dicks & Nanton P.A.: The Business Growth Lawyers™, representing clients in the growth of their business using franchises, area exclusive licensing, coaching, idea licensing, info-marketing, joint ventures, syndications and explosion marketing to accomplish their goals. Jack has worked with a diverse set of clients ranging from an Inc. 500 fastest growing company with sales over $250 Million, public companies, down to a small start up that made fishing lures. He loves the challenge and excitement of them all.

In addition to coaching and consulting with clients nationwide, Jack is also a successful entrepreneur. He has built his own businesses, with annual sales over $35 Million, developed real estate in excess of $200 Million and both created, and sold intellectual property rights for as much as $1.8 Million.

Jack has led national conferences and conventions and has spoken to over 150,000 business leaders on venture capital formation, syndication, investing, and business growth strategies. He is the best-selling author of numerous legal and financial books including the 50 Volume set, How to Start a Corporation and Operate in Any State, Moonlight Investing, The Florida Investor, Mutual Fund Investing Strategies, The Small Business Legal Kit, The 100 best Investments For Your Retirement, Financial CPR, Operation Financial Freedom, and How to Buy and Sell Real Estate .

In addition to his Juris Doctorate degree, Jack holds securities licenses, 22, 7, 65, and 24. He is also a registered securities principal, registered investment advisor, and real estate broker. Although technically proficient in several professions, his clients consider his greatest attributes to be his innate creativity, visionary focus and ability to design and implement multi-layered profit centers for companies and individuals seeking long-term financial growth and protection.

Jack is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason College of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, NASD, National Association of Realtors, the Florida Bar and the Virginia Bar.

Jack’s business address is Orlando and his play address is at his beach house where he spends as much time as he can with his wife, Linda, of 32 years, two daughters, two son-in-laws, and two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing although the fish are rumored to be safe.

Thumbing through an issue of the Robb Report, (today’s “Wish Book” for men), my eye was drawn to the article about a $50,000 mattress.

The article caught my eye because Linda, my wife, had just purchased a couple of new mattresses for one of our guest rooms, and a wave of fear momentarily ran through my body before monetary reality helped me “know” her credit card didn’t go that high and such a purchase was impossible. In any event, once captured by the article, I read it.

While it is always interesting to muse on the thought that the old $50,000 record price had been replaced by a $75,000 version, this was not the point that my mind began to focus on. Instead, it was the main lesson of the entire magazine. There are two economies going on in the world simultaneously. One is the economy of higher gas prices that spoil the whole day of many Americans who get depressed every time they fill up. The other, is the economy of the ‘Affluent,’ as marketing guru Dan Kennedy, labels the other group of people in the newsletter he writes on the topic each month.

There have always been economic differences in this country, and the world for that matter. We might wish that it weren’t true, but pretending otherwise is simply not to face the truth. It is also not the target of this article.

The point to focus on here is the lesson that, to the extent you can, now is the time to refocus your business on that group of people who can afford your products or services, or at least a certain segment of your offerings. If you don’t have a product or service that is targeted to this group, you should create one so that at least one area of your business is less affected by the weak side of the economy.

Here are some examples to consider:

• A doctor could have a high-end portion of his practice that offered special service and extreme physical checkups
• A car dealership could offer a concierge level for its high-end clients that had free car use, special waiting rooms, client appreciation days and a breakfast club
• A funeral home could offer a special offering of wakes that included catering service or special spots to spread ashes — like the top of the world
• A law firm could provide total annual service for a flat fee or a monthly continuity program, the same for a CPA or other professionals
• Retail stores could slot their offerings so a mattress company could have regular mattresses but also a “behind the velvet ropes” display of the $50,000 mattress (similar to the way Vegas casinos display the $1,000,000 cash prize)
• A dry cleaner could offer pick up and delivery for customers of its monthly “Inner Circle”
• A pizza restaurant could offer “all Organic” or a gourmet-membership level
• A barber shop could have a monthly membership club that offered special prices and services

In case you haven’t guessed, all of these examples have been done, and done successfully. How can you do it in your business? What way can you create a level of service or a higher price line of products that appeals to the economic group that is still spending? Answer this question for yourself and the price of gas won’t depress you as much.

JW Dicks, Esq. is an attorney, best selling author, entrepreneur and business strategist. He has spent his entire 35-year career building successful businesses for himself and his clients bringing his golden touch to the marketing and sales of over $500 million of products and services. His professional versatility affords him a unique insight into the opportunities available for today’s business owners along with the knowledge of how to structure and position a business to take advantage of them.

He is the senior partner of Dicks & Nanton P.A.: The Business Growth Lawyers™, representing clients in the growth of their business using franchises, area exclusive licensing, coaching, idea licensing, info-marketing, joint ventures, syndications and explosion marketing to accomplish their goals. Jack has worked with a diverse set of clients ranging from an Inc. 500 fastest growing company with sales over $250 Million, public companies, down to a small start up that made fishing lures. He loves the challenge and excitement of them all.

In addition to coaching and consulting with clients nationwide, Jack is also a successful entrepreneur. He has built his own businesses, with annual sales over $35 Million, developed real estate in excess of $200 Million and both created, and sold intellectual property rights for as much as $1.8 Million.

Jack has led national conferences and conventions and has spoken to over 150,000 business leaders on venture capital formation, syndication, investing, and business growth strategies. He is the best-selling author of numerous legal and financial books including the 50 Volume set, How to Start a Corporation and Operate in Any State, Moonlight Investing, The Florida Investor, Mutual Fund Investing Strategies, The Small Business Legal Kit, The 100 best Investments For Your Retirement, Financial CPR, Operation Financial Freedom, and How to Buy and Sell Real Estate .

In addition to his Juris Doctorate degree, Jack holds securities licenses, 22, 7, 65, and 24. He is also a registered securities principal, registered investment advisor, and real estate broker. Although technically proficient in several professions, his clients consider his greatest attributes to be his innate creativity, visionary focus and ability to design and implement multi-layered profit centers for companies and individuals seeking long-term financial growth and protection.

Jack is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason College of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, NASD, National Association of Realtors, the Florida Bar and the Virginia Bar.

Jack’s business address is Orlando and his play address is at his beach house where he spends as much time as he can with his wife, Linda, of 32 years, two daughters, two son-in-laws, and two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing although the fish are rumored to be safe.