Posts Tagged ‘advice’

As you go through life, there are certain memories that stick with you. You are not sure why, but then later in life it comes full circle. For me … 18 years later it has come full circle.

It might have been eighteen years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at my Grandfather’s house in Hawaii for Christmas Break. I had just played golf and was hungry. I opened up the refrigerator and was trying to figure out what I wanted to eat. I kind of stood there and was trying to make a decision … probably between a sandwich or a quick snack.

“Courtney, shut the refrigerator door.” “I’m just getting something to eat.” “Decide what you want to eat BEFORE you open the refrigerator door.” “How can I make that decision when I don’t know what’s in the refrigerator?” “You have to plan ahead or you will waste electricity.”

That was my exchange with my Grandfather and I thought it was ludicrous. I remember tellling my Mother I thought the discussion was a bit extreme. She told me it is part of what happens when you grow up in a Depression.

I also remember when I received my Driver’s Permit and my Grandmother told me I could drive her around. I was so excited (even though it was a HUGE Chevy Caprice Classic). She told me I could take her to the grocery. We would be going to 3 different groceries because that is where her coupons could be applied. I remember thinking … they live in this huge house … why is SHE cutting coupons??? Once again, my Mom explained it was part of growing up in the Depression.

Fast forward to about 5 years ago. Life was good … we were selling a ton of used cars and my Dad decided to give me this “lecture”. “You have NEVER been through a BAD time in the car business. You don’t know what it’s like. You have no idea what bad times are like.” He used to tell me that sometimes when you build a relationship with a bank, it’s not all about rate. Sometimes you will take a higher rate in return for availability of funds. Let’s just say this makes a whole lot more sense now than it did five years ago!

Guess what? We can now check bad times off the “bucket list”!! My generation has arrived and now we are getting first hand experience! Yes, we have our story. I wonder what my Grandfather would think today. When he was a Dealer, GM had over 50% of the market share. Do you think it ever occurred to him that they might go bankrupt? In today’s thinking, I suppose it would be like thinking that Google would go bankrupt? Maybe it is a hard comparison because right now, it does feel like ANYTHING can happen.

So as I reflect on the refrigerator door incident, cutting coupons, and the availability of funds, what have I learned? What will I tell my kids and Grandkids?

* Accountability during the good times is a necessity because the bad times will expose the sins of the good times.

* Pay down debt. If everything is paid for, you can survive all kinds of situations.•We all have relationships with the factory, but we need to learn to operate our stores independent of the factory because you never know what could happen.

* Constant learning and training is a necessity. If you are willing to change, you will be fine. The people that do NOT embrace change are getting ready to close their doors.

* Keep your priorities in order. There will be a ton of stress over the years but if you have Faith, Family, and then work … you will have the ability to keep everything in perspective. This will probably add years to your life.

The good news is that my Grandfather served in WWII and the store was basically “closed” for 3 years. When they returned, he told me they made more money than they ever imagined. When the smoke clears, there will be some big wins to offset these days.

There are many more items and I would love to hear what everyone is learning from these times. With that said, what is YOUR STORY?

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Courtney Cox Cole, Hare Chevy

This is a guest post by Courtney Cox Cole, owner of Hare Chevrolet in Indiana. She has worked for 13 years in the automotive industry and car buying tips and she and her sister Monica recently purchased the business from their Father. Hare Chevrolet is the largest GM retailer in the State of Indiana and has been for 4 years. Hare has the distinction of being the oldest transportation business (since 1847) in the Nation … Courtney is 6th generation. There is an article in the February 2009 edition of Car and Driver Magazine that gives an excellent history of their business.

Sending parcels within the UK and abroad is easily done nowadays but the important thing to remember is that the courier company is not liable for the contents of your consignment and you are responsible for ensuring that the items you are sending are not dangerous or hazardous. The company will normally have a prohibited items list that you can check the item against and if it isn’t there and you still aren’t convinced then you can always get in touch with them to check.

Packing an item is important because by doing so sufficiently you are helping your delivery reach its destination safe and securely. Packing and sending parcels is straight forward as you can easily find the right container to fit the item but if you are sending special items such as bicycle, crockery and china, car parts or musical instruments you have to pay more attention to the their packing requirements.

You may need to send a bike if you have sold it on an auction site and are not able to deliver it yourself or sending it in for repair. If you do need to send a bike then it is a good idea to remove pedals, handlebars and front wheel. You can contact bike shops for the right sized container as they will have he ideal size. Once you have the right container you can pack all the parts you have disconnected and pack it with the rest of the bike.

Another unusual item that may need to be sent is car parts and hardware, especially for automotive companies who need to certain parts they do not have in stock. The first thing you need to do is to ensure that all hazardous substances are removed such as hydraulic fluid, fuel, oil and antifreeze. Wrap the item in paper or, better still, polyethylene to help prevent scratches. Ensure that obtruding parts are well packaged so they do not pierce the container and ensure you tape the container with duct tape or other strong tape.

For sending crockery, glassware or china you need to ensure that each one is wrapped in Bubblewrap carefully and separated from each other. To separate them you can use polystyrene chips, rolled or shredded paper. It is important to ensure they are not going to crash against each other so packing china and crockery is vital to ensure they do not smash.

If you are looking for worldwide parcel services make sure you look online where a range of international couriers can be found.

All About Karachi, Pakistan

According to Wikipedia, Karachi is the largest city, main seaport, and the financial capital of Pakistan, and the capital of the province of Sindh. With a city population of 15.5 million, Karachi is one of the world’s largest cities, 13th largest urban agglomeration and the 20th largest metropolitan area in the world. It is Pakistan’s premier centre of banking, industry, and trade. Karachi is home to Pakistan’s largest corporations, including those that are involved in textiles, shipping, automotive industry, entertainment, the arts, fashion, advertising, publishing, software development and medical research. The city is a major hub of higher education in South Asia and the wider Islamic world.

Passage to Afghanistan

Because of it’s location, Karachi, Pakistan is important for shipping a vehicle to Afghanistan. It is the nearest sea port to Afghanistan and is considered to be a “gateway” port to many central Asian locations in addition to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, there is no rail network in Afghanistan and all trade is conducted by land route from Pakistan and other nearby countries. As such, cardio in transit to Afghanistan can be exempted from custom duty and taxes in Pakistan.

The Karachi Economy

National Geographic claims the economy of Karachi is driven by: motor vehicle assembly, oil refining, steel mills, shipbuilding, railroad yards, jute and textiles, printing and publishing, media and entertainment, food processing, chemicals, engineering.

Shipping a Car to Afghanistan

If you need to have an automobile shipped to Afghanistan via Karachi, Pakistan there are a few basic tips that you should be familiar with:

1. Have proper documentation

2. Keep all of your papers organized

3. Check the citizenship requirements

4. Make sure you car meets the required Afghani standards

5. Think about potential customs issues

6. Prepare to pay VAT taxes

7. Make sure you hold a valid Afghanistan drivers license

8. Research government transportation license fees

9. Get the correct insurance

10. Give it time, shipping a vehicle to Afghanistan is not going to be a quick task

Hinckley is a town in south west Leicestershire. It is 12 miles equidistant from both Leicester and Coventry. It is a popular distribution hub, and has some automotive manufacturing companies. It has a population of over 42,000.

Help With Debt helps companies with debt problems through this worrying time.

Companies up and down the country are struggling to make ends met and get through the recession. Companies and Business based in Hinckley are no different.

Businesses in Hinckley which are insolvent need to take proper insolvency advice and may need to cease to trade. To carry on trading whilst insolvent can lead to accusations of wrongful trading which can make a director personally liable for losses of the company.

There are three main types of insolvency procedure which can help a limited company which is insolvent.

CVL or Creditors Voluntary Liquidation

This is where a company in Hinckley calls a meeting of it’s creditors to advise them that it is insolvent and as prudent directors they have to close the company to stop any further loses from occurring. This is a simple procedure and will be well known to company directors. In a CVL it may be possible for the directors of the business to purchase the assets and viable business from the Liquidator. Many businesses in Hinckley have been helped by such a mechanism.

CVA or Company Voluntary Arrangement

This is a solution whereby the company which is essentially viable offers to pay back to it’s creditors a set amount in the £ of money owed, over a period of time, which is usually 3 – 5 years. This enables the company to continue in business but stops all creditors from taking action which could prejudice the survival of the company. Companies in and around Hinckley have been using this procedure since 1986.

Administration

The administration procedure is now a tool used quite frequently by businesses in Hinckley to close down one company and pre-pack the sale of the old business to a new company, whilst preserving the value of the business. It maintains employment and creates a viable new entity whilst at the same time delivering a better return to creditors than might otherwise be the case.

All these company debt solutions are available to business owners on Hinckley and advice on which is best for your insolvent company is only a phone call away.

If you manage to find the right mover then half the battle is won. One of the greatest challenges of moving from one city to another, to the countryside, or abroad is locating an efficient and honest mover.

Keep in mind the following: movers must have a good reputation, an extensive network, and be licensed and insured. In addition, they must be professional, polite, understand your needs and proffer the right advice.

Here are a few considerations to put you on the right track:

Meet the mover and find out how long they have been in business and whether they can give you a few references.

Check the references. Call his clients to check on the services the mover offered and whether there were any problems.

Do an online search to determine whether there are any warnings or complaints against the mover.

Check with the local chamber of commerce or bank to determine the moving company’s business standing.

Check if the mover’s license and insurance are current. Ensure they have workman’s compensation and other benefits in place.

Determine whether the mover handles the work himself or assigns it to a sub agent or associate.

The mover must have a wide network with offices in the place you are moving to.

A reputable mover will be a member of AMSA, the American Moving and Storage Association. As a professional he will have committed to following an industry Code of Conduct and will offer quality service.

The ideal mover will not give you an estimate off the top of his head. He will insist to making a preliminary inspection, listing objects to be moved, and ask you to answer a number of questions. Based on which he will prepare an estimate and highlight variables.

He will be open minded and explain clearly what you can expect and what you cannot. He will tell you all about insurance, the actual moving process, transit storage, guarantees and so on.

An ideal mover will value your business and explain his responsibilities clearly.

Once you know you have to move allocate enough time to finding the right mover. Ask relevant questions like will my stuff reach its destination as promised, will the material move as one load or as part of other things, a larger load. What kind of training do your workers receive? Are the workers experienced in packing antiques and other valuables? Do I need additional insurance apart from the one provided by you?

Be prudent and weigh the pros and cons carefully. Never let cost dictate your choice. Sometimes by cutting corners to save a few pennies you may loose thousands in damaged goods or lost goods.

The following is an expert answer given by Florida Premises Liability Lawyer, Joseph M. Maus, and taken from AllExperts.com, a free Q & A service on the internet

Subject: Slip and fall case

Question: I entered a Wal-Mart at North entrance, chose a shopping cart and started pushing cart to the automotive dept. I started searching the aisles for hand cleaner. I searched several aisles for hand cleaner and could not find any. I eventually gave up my search and started walking and pushing the cart in front of me down the aisle between the automotive batteries (which are stocked on a very tall metal shelve/rack) and the automotive tires. After walking just past the batteries shelve/rack on my left and tires on my right, I slipped and fell hitting the floor. I had slipped in a water puddle located just south of (right after) the automotive battery rack. The water puddle was formed by water leaking through a hole in the roof. I did not notice the water leaking down through the roof and ceiling due to the battery rack on my left being so tall and I did not see the water on the floor because it was clear with no coloring. I also did not hear the water hitting the floor from the leak in the roof/ceiling because all I could hear was a heavy rain outside hitting the roof above me. I laid on the floor for approximately five minutes until a Wal-Mart employee came to my aid. I asked if they could call an ambulance and they did. While laying on the floor, I learned from the Wal-Mart employees, that I had slipped in a large puddle of water created by a leak in the roof. At the time of my slip and fall it was raining very hard outside.

When I slipped and fell, my head was whipped backward. I landed on my right shoulder, my back, right hip, with my right leg and foot twisted up under me and I also landed on my right hand and wrist trying to break my fall. CMI sent me a letter the next day and the case manger gave me a claim number by voice mail, also listed on claim letter. I have been seen by three doctors. I suffered contusions, I now have constant headaches from whiplash and my back, shoulder and hip are in constant pain (I had back surgery three years ago and just recently I became disabled). I immediately started seeing a pain doctor and received six shots to neck, shoulder and back. I lost my private insurance last year. My doctor informed me if CMI doesn’t won’t pay the doctor bills, he can’t see me again. CMI says they are not responsible, the roof contractor is responsible for my bills. I need help! I talked to two lawyers and they would not take my case. Please help, what should I do? I am so stressed and confused and in a lot of pain.

Answer: Your email doesn’t indicate in what state you live. I am an attorney in Florida specializing in personal injury claims such as Florida car accident claims, Florida slip and fall case claims, and Florida workers compensation claims. If you are in Florida, please give me a call and I can discuss your claim with you in further detail. However, laws vary from state to state, so I cannot advise you on the laws in your area.

My first suggestion is to speak with an experienced slip and fall case attorney in your area. Wal Mart will not pay much attention to your claim without an attorney, and any offer they eventually make will not be a very good one. The attorney in your area can advise you on specific laws and time requirements that may apply to your claim, and help you with medical treatment, medical bills, and how best to proceed with a claim against Wal Mart.

An experienced slip and fall case lawyer can also help evaluate the “liability” aspect of your claim. At least in Florida, stores such as Wal Mart are not responsible for injuries arising out of a slip and fall in their store unless the condition that caused the slip and fall, here a puddle of water, was one that Wal Mart knew existed on the floor, or should have known it existed on the floor, and did not take reasonable measures to clean it up or warn customers of its existence. There are different ways to show this, and different facts to examine to try and satisfy this burden of proof. Water on the floor from a leaky roof is usually a good sign that the condition has existed for a sufficient period of time for Wal Mart to correct the leak, or at least warn its shoppers of any puddles that may be in the aisle.

Keep in mind that most slip and fall/personal injury attorneys handle claims like this on a contingent basis. If there is no recovery, you do not owe an attorney’s fee. Also, most attorneys offer a free initial consultation, so you have nothing to lose in getting an expert opinion from a lawyer in your area.

Lastly, most experienced Florida slip and fall case lawyers that do this type of work have handled cases against Wal Mart before. I would imagine this holds true for other states as Wal Mart stores are everywhere. Wal Mart handles thousands of claims on a daily basis. An attorney will know that Wal Mart claims are handled out of Bentonville, AK by inhouse adjustors. To speed up the process of hearing from Wal Mart, you need to call them in AK and find the claim #, and the name of the adjustor assigned to handling the case. BUT – if you’re considering getting an attorney, I would do it before you speak to Wal Mart.

Additionally, some Wal Mart stores carry “medical payments” coverage. Thisis insurance that will reimburse you for out of pocket medical expenses. I have had claims in Florida with Wal Mart where one store has “medpay” and another store down the street does not. You need to get Wal Mart’s insurance information for the specific store to find out whether you may be reimbursed through medpay.

For more information about a slip and fall case, contact Florida premises liability lawyer Joseph M. Maus at 1-866-556-5529, visit his website at www.jmmlawyers.com, or email him today.

Car maintenance is a quite often discussed topic and you have heard your local automotive technician rattle on and on about its importance. It might have gone heedless anyway. However, here is another primer on little things you need to keep in mind about your car tires especially.

Car tire Ageing: Whether you use the car or you don’t, car tires age, primary indications of car tire ageing would be cracking on the side walls, on the treads or fading of the treads, sometimes accompanied by carcass distortion. Old or aged tires must be checked by a tire expert before use to ascertain it’s suitability for road usage.

The ramifications of not doing so could prove fatal. One must also pay particular attention to spare tires and tires on caravans and trailers, which often tend to be ignored. It might help to check for tire pressure and conditions before usage.

Mileage: Keep note of the duration of usage of the tires on the car. Normally, tires wear out depending on the number of miles driven, the type of the surface and sometimes even the kind of driving you do. It is generally considered prudent to replace tires after their recommended mileage.

Inflation Pressure: Tires happen to be the only point of contact between the vehicle and the road surface, hence inflation pressure happens to play a vital role in safety driving characteristics, mileage and also fuel consumption. Since there is no “Suggested inflation Pressure” it helps to follow the manufacturer recommended pressure, often found in the log book.
One must not check he pressure when the tires are hot (after a drive perhaps!), its best done before driving away to work once every week when tires are cold. Under inflation can cause tires to wear more on the outside than on the inside, leads to excess heat up of tires, decreases fuel efficiency. Over Inflation causes the tire to wear more on the inside than the outside. However, a little over the recommended tire pressure was found to show better fuel efficiency characteristics.

Misalignment: Tires when not positioned properly, or if not aligned properly, can cause uneven wear either sides of the tire shoulder or both the sides and would have a slightly torn and faded look. Check periodically for wheel alignment, wheel balancing and keep examining the tread patterns every month or so.
Proper maintenance, regular checking for inflation and prudent driving habits can go a long way in ensuring longer life for the tires and safer driving conditions

Whether you own a BMW, Ford, Citroen or a Mercedes, keeping your car in excellent condition is a must and something that needs to be worked on continually. This article will show you just what you need to know in order to look after your vehicle correctly.

Cleaning Your Vehicle The first step in caring for your car is to keep it clean. The car body needs to be kept free of mud and dust which can cause scratches and damage to the paint. A good car wash is perfect, at least once every week. If you are going to wash your own vehicle, make sure that you get into all the crevices of the car body, around the spoilers, etc. certain cars may have special car accessories or features that need to be looked after differently. For example, if your BMW or Mitsubishi has blacked out windows, these will need to be cleaned with special cleaning fluids to avoid scratching them and leaving telltale marks in the tinting. Using a soft cloth that has been well wrung out in plain water is the best way to clean blacked out windows, but if you need something stronger, an alcohol based cleaner is fine to use. If you have alloys on your car, you’ll need to make sure that they are also kept clean. It’s far easier to maintain the vehicle than to try and deep clean it once a year! Alloys need to be treated with care to avoid scratching them. Whenever you are going to clean your car, be sure to rinse everything first with water so you won’t be rubbing particles of dirt into the alloys or paint. It’s a good idea to use a protective polish as well, to keep them from getting too soiled next time. Chrome is another part of your car that needs special cleaning. Be careful not to use abrasive cleaners that can scratch the chrome finish. There are plenty of cleaners designed specifically for cleaning chrome and they work far better than common cleansers.

Tyres are definitely a vital part of your car and they need to be maintained in order to keep your car road safe. The best way to do this is to change your tyres whenever they are wearing down and to ensure that they are always properly filled with air. It’s always best to check the standards within the Highway Code regularly. You will save a lot on petrol this way, too, since under filled tyres cause the car to burn more petrol or diesel. It may not seem like much, but it certainly adds up over time.

Petrol and Diesel Another important consideration, whether you use diesel or petrol, is the quality that you are putting into your vehicle. Poor quality petrol can contain impurities and contaminants that will damage your vehicle eventually and can cause your car to run rougher. For a smoother ride, you want to ensure that your tyres are filled to the right pressure and that your petrol is clean. This will also help keep the exhausts in good condition. There will be fewer impurities to clog things up and you’ll end up with fewer issues over time. It really doesn’t matter what car you own, the basic cleaning and maintenance procedure is basically the same for all of them. You will need to make sure that the entire car is cleaned, tyres filled, chrome polished and alloys cleaned.

Cleaning your vehicle on a regular basis will ensure that you don’t have too many problems. The build up of dirt and dust can be quite difficult to clean if left for a while, so regular cleaning is a must. Maintaining your vehicle isn’t that hard if you stay on top of it and make sure that you use good quality petrol to avoid contaminants.

To keep your car in the best of conditions get all your seat covers, dashboard covers, car covers from customcovers.com. You’ll get the perfect fit, better than the original upholstery in fact and that too at reasonable prices. Customcovers.com is dedicated to provide you with the finest custom automotive accessories available. All the covers available with them are actually made available from Coverking, the top most company dealing in automotive accessories.

The increasing and continual development of technology has led to the tremendous importance that the Internet holds today. Other media like television or newspapers still have their share, but the Internet is gaining on them as we speak. The Internet is unlimited as far as space is concerned. People from all over the world have access to any type of information, and they can find just about anything that crosses their minds. The Internet is growing into a more and more reliable source of information and it’s expanding in its every aspect.

The same ascendant trajectory is experienced by blogs, which are websites generated by users, whose entries are shown in reverse chronological order and in journal style. Most blogs offer comments or the latest news on a particular topic, which can vary from food to politics. Other blogs appear to be rather personal diaries than actual news websites, but the usefulness of personal experience is not to be neglected. From the very beginning, most blogs gave readers the possibility to leave their comments, which is very important for those interested in what others have to say on a certain matter.

The typical blog is a combination of text and images, and it also offers links to similar blogs or websites, or even to other media which may be related to that particular topic. Although most blogs are textual, there are some blogs which focus on video and photographs. This is all the more useful when you need to actually see what you are talking about. A good example is a car blog. What would a car blog be without any pictures of cars or short videos showing car performance. A car blog can be very useful for all categories of people, from those mad about cars to people simply interested in car maintenance, for instance.

An automotive blog, like most other blogs, is the perfect medium for news dissemination. A car blog will help in bringing important information to the public’s eye, the kind of information that big companies consider it’s best kept unrevealed. Automotive blogs have gained credibility, by showing that the information they present is accurate, especially when the mainstream media follows the lead of such bloggers. However, more often than not, it’s the other way around. It is the material published by such media that an automotive blog presenting car news tends to react to.

An automotive blog is concerned with everything related to cars. Whatever a car maniac might think of is right there, on a car blog. And the best part is yet to come. Not only can car enthusiasts access a car blog with the purpose of finding the latest news about cars, but they can also have their own input to the content of that particular automotive blog.

A typical car blog focuses on the latest news from the world of automobiles, because this is what readers are mainly interested in. However, the variety the information provided by an automotive blog exceeds just about any expectation, as it goes from car maintenance, diesel cars, fuel efficiency, car modifications to racing or observing the automotive industry, and many other related topics.

For more resources about car blog and especially about automotive blog please review this website http://www.car-spin.com

Using any type of wood patio furniture in an uncovered area is just a bad idea. Wood is wood after all, so over time it will begin to show the effects of being exposed to the environment. The best choice for an uncovered area therefor would be some type of metal or plastic patio furniture.

One good idea if you are determined to buy any type of wood patio furniture, is to also buy some patio furniture covers and use them. This particularly holds true if you are planning on buying unpainted natural wood patio furniture.

The best way to fix any chips that may happen in painted patio furniture is to to simply touch them up. Simply head down to your local automotive store and select the color that best matches from their display case of automotive touch up paint bottles.

If you have any young children in your home then any type of tables that have a glass top are a really bad idea. Sure they look great but kids just love to climb on them, which can lead to a disaster. You best bet is to use a synthetic clear table top that doesn’t run the risk of shattering.

If you are going to use an umbrella as part of your outdoor furniture ensemble then make sure that you buy one that is easily retracted. This is because when the wind kicks up you won’t be left having to retrieve your umbrella from your pool or the neighbors yard.