Free Enterprise Is Great but Maybe Not as Free as Thought

I am a major proponent of the American free enterprise system. Properly structured there are no rules other than market forces.

Ah, but never underestimate the power of those market forces. They have a tremendous ability to regulate commerce.

You see, free enterprise is not uncontrolled, free-wheeling, do whatever you can get away with. Oh it might be for a short time, but that won't last.

Competition, customer loyalty, pricing, market reach, advertising and other factors will reign in an out-of-control venture. It might even cause its demise. The Internet has helped consumers to be much more knowledgeable about products, businesses, and business practices than at any other point in history.

Companies have the right to succeed and the right to fail. There are no guarantees. This is the freedom in free enterprise, and the less regulation and intervention the better.

There is still going to be taxation, registration, licensing, zoning, incorporation, tariffs, rules, oversight, and other restraints on our businesses - even as we attempt to conduct them as freely as possible in the marketplace.

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For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Setting Our Sights on the Rest of the Year

Now that we've had two months (admittedly February was a short one) to launch. monitor, and evaluate our plans - possibly even reinvent ourselves a little - we should have a pretty good idea of where we want to go for the balance of the year. If not, there is still time to make some very important planning decisions.

The main thing is to use our vision (no not our physical eyes but our mental vision).

Our overall, long range vision comes before anything else if we want to be successful.

From our vision, we formulate our mission and translate that into objectives, goals, and tasks. It's moving from the macro to the micro, and that's the way it works the best.

Liken it to driving on the highway and keeping your car perfectly centered in the lane. If you look ahead at the horizon (or as far away as you can reasonably see), your car will drive along centered with little effort. However, if you drive by watching the road immediately in front of you, you'll' be making many minor corrections and veering left and right along your path.

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For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Is Like Everything a Crisis?

You know, is like, uh, everything a crisis?

Notice how "you know" or "like, uh" fills the conversation of many people? They pepper what they're saying with such phrases - probably without even realizing it.

It's becoming this way with the word "crisis." Our national leaders cannot utter one sentence that doesn't include the word "crisis" in some context.

Let's see, we have a housing crisis, a financial crisis, a lending crisis, a consumer confidence crisis, a Big 3 automaker crisis, an unemployment crisis, a stock market crisis, and I'm sure many more - not not mention all the catastrophes, calamities, bursts, collapses, failures, and other such doom.

If it's all that bad, maybe we should go back to bed.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Are You Sold on What You're Doing?

Enthusiasm. Optimism. Excitement.

These are qualities that we look for and admire in others. Are they present in us?

These lie at the root of being a successful communicator and salesperson. We have to be sold on the opportunity that we represent. We have to be convinced of the value that it offers a typical customer - also its efficiency, effectiveness, durability, and reliability.

If we had a need for the type of product or service that we represent, would we buy from ourselves? The answer had better be a resounding "yes."

If we don't believe in what we are doing, how so we expect to convey to a potential customer that they should buy or invest in what we are promoting?

Before we ever attempt to sell a total stranger - or even a good friend or family member - our product or service, we need to be very sure that we believe in it and that we are sold on it ourselves.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Connecting & Interacting

I'm looking forward to doing a class in the morning at the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches (RAPB) on social networking. It's a course I put together and wrote that I call "Connecting & Interacting: Your Passport to Social Networking."

In fact, this blog post is an example of the many tools that we have available to us to reach out to fellow professionals and the general public so that we might connect with them, build relationships, and conduct business.

To me social networking exists to build business relationships. I know that much of it has to do with personal relationships and the truly "social" side of social networking, but for those of us who like the idea of using the web for building our businesses and our online visibility, I really like the realm of social networking.

It is an exciting, growing network full of many sites and forums for expression.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

It's Not the Action, It's the Process

Self-generation of leads is extremely important at anytime in business. However, they have never been more vital to the success of a business as they are now.

When consumer confidence dips, when consumer spending falls off, and when traffic generated from conventional sources just isn't there, it's time to take matters into our own hands.

This is where self-generation of leads occurs. It is personal. It is active. It is proactive.

Leads generated through conventional means are passive. We never talk to people until they decide to become a lead. We have no ability to influence their thought process directly because we don't even know who they are.

Now, I have read and heard recently that salespeople need to pass out business cards like there's no tomorrow - only partially true.

If I want to pass out (throw away) 5,000 business cards in the next hour, I can do it - but what is the point? Pass out business cards, yes! Only, make sure that it is done on a one-to-one, point-of-contact basis. Just getting rid of a bunch of cards to say that you've done it accomplishes nothing (except a reorder for cards from your printer).

Let's take our case to the people - the ones who can use our product or service. The success is in the process, not the activity.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Great to See Free Markets Working

Talking about gas prices – next to the weather and politics – is a popular pastime. Last summer we got to vent about seemingly out of control, egregious price increases that seemed to have little to due with market influences.

Then crude oil prices began their dramatic slide from $147 to less than $50 a barrel in a matter of a few months. Gasoline prices followed but not a the rapid pace at which they had increased.

In some markets in this country, gas was at or near the $1.30 a gallon mark. Here in our area, $1.68 is the lowest I ever saw – and just for a day.

Then they started creeping back up. A few weeks ago, there was a modest increase in oil prices and gasoline shot up $.10 overnight in our area. This put almost all of the stations back in the $2.00 a gallon strata.

Well, the past couple of days, I am pleased to see that gas has backed off from its $2.05-2.09 level to the $1.90s at many stations.

If free markets really work, consumers can tolerate a temporary rise in prices because they know that competition, efficiency, and adjustments to supply will cause lower prices again. It's when price go up – and stay up – for inexplicable reasons that we have issues.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

A Different Type of Government Stimulus

Forget about the mortgage intervention and the $8,000 rebates and other governmental "solutions" that recently have been enacted or proposed.

If our government really - I mean really - wants to help the sluggish market to recover, I have a plan. Now, this will do nothing for the seriously overbuilt markets where there is simply too much available housing and some of it really needs to be surgically removed.

Here's my plan. The issue in so many markets is waning or no consumer confidence in real estate. From what people have been reading or told in the media, they should wait for prices to drop further, they're not going to be able to sell their home, they're going to have difficulty in financing another purchase, and a myriad of other issues.

The government can help in one very simple, and relatively inexpensive (especially compared to a trillion dollars) PR program. The NAHB ran a "Buy Now" campaign that met with some degree of success. The feds need to run a much bigger program. Hit all the media. Hit the talk show circuit. Do a total blitz with the message that it's OK to invest in housing, that loans are available, that you can sell your home for a reasonable (not inflated) amount.

Of course the government would have to believe that this is true, and that may be a larger issue.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Calling a Rebate an Incentive Doesn't Make It One

The new $8,000 tax credit provision in the "stimulus" plan is called an "incentive" by most, yet it isn't. It clearly is a rebate. It is money that someone gets backs after the purchase (and after paying for it first through the proceeds of their mortgage, down payment, and closing costs) by filling out and filing their required and necessary forms (1040 tax return) and meeting the eligibility requirements.

It is a nice bonus for those who already decided to purchase and could meet the provisions of the package.

I have not seen or heard of anyone (although they could be out there) who were not ready to purchase a home who were so persuaded by the $8,000 future rebate that they went ahead and made a decision that they hadn't really planned.

In most cases, a rebate only helps us feel good about a decision we were going to make anyway.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

A Confessed Capitalist

Hi, my name is Steve, and I'm a capitalist. In today's free-wheeling, government-entitlement society, admitting that you believe in the American system of free-enterprise, free markets, and capitalism may not sound like the conventional wisdom.

However, I am here to shout it out, and would love it if others would join in the chorus. We are entrepreneurs. We don't need bailouts (even though we could probably find something to do with the money). We don't need meddling or government intervention.

Market forces will win out if allowed to run their course. It may not be pretty, but it will get done.

This is a time to take a stand for what we believe in.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

When Was Your Most Recent Sales Meeting?

If you work in a company with other salespeople, you likely have periodic sales meetings or rallies. But what if you work by yourself, or what about the in-between days since your last company meeting?

As entrepreneurs and self-starters, we need to motivate ourselves. Motivation is something that springs up from the inside. We can use inspiration to trigger and stoke our motivation, but motivation is not something we receive.

We must motivate ourselves - positive self-talk, affirmations, goal sheets, progress reports, podcasts, webinars, CD or DVD programs, books, and mastermind groups are resources that will get the job done.

We need to have daily sales meetings with ourselves - regardless of other programs that are being offered or mandated. Ultimately, we are responsible for our own success.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Not So Fast on the Payouts

I love what Mark Twain once said: "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first."

Yet, look how pervasive this attitude has become that we should not be allowed to fail. Companies by the dozens are lining up on the steps of Congress with their hats in their hands to request billions of dollars of taxpayer support - and not just once, but over and over.

No one is too big or too important to fail - no individual and no corporation. That's the beauty of a free market system. If someone or some business fails - and they had a good idea or product - someone else will come in behind them and make a go of it. If that wasn't true, there would be no banks or airlines or auto manufacturers - but there are.

Let's not look to the world or Washington to do what we can and should be doing for ourselves.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Workshops for Palm Beach County Realtors

This Thursday, February 19, members of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches (RAPB) will have 2 opportunities to participate in workshops that I am conducting for them in their technology lab at 1926 10th Avenue North, Suite 410, Lake Worth, Florida.

The first course (from 9:30 – 11:30 am) is “Your ‘Outlook’ for Success” and is an introduction to using Outlook for contact management.

Some of the topics covered include what to look for in a CRM (contact manager), why Outlook is a great solution, using Outlook to keep track of contacts and customers, sending and receiving email, setting and monitoring appointments, and accessing your data remotely.

The second class, from noon – 2:00 pm, is “Internet Insights” and is a brand new one on internet marketing, using material I have prepared to meet the learning objectives.

Subjects to be discussed include·an overview of Internet marketing, the scope of Internet marketing, defining and identifying your resources and online market, developing an online budget, formulating an Internet marketing plan, implementing an Internet marketing plan, Internet technologies,·and relating to your audience.

If you are a member of this Board, contact them or me about attending.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Market Downturns Can Be Very Good

In the past couple of years, we have been focused on housing and lending and the adjustments that have needed to occur. Unfortunately, many people weren't ready for the changes. Hold that thought, and let me talk about a different type of market change and an interesting outcome.

For those of us who are NASCAR fans, we know that today is the Daytona 500. Something very different about today's race and the week of qualifying that has gone on that may have escaped the casual observer. Oh sure, there are still our favorite drivers and teams from the past seasons. But there have been some personnel shifts. Some drivers are with different teams, and some have gone out one their own. That's what is different about this year's racing season - the number of one-team start-up companies that are attempting to compete this season. The door is open for them.

Entrepreneurship at it's best. No guarantees. Plenty of blood, sweat, tears, elbow grease, and plain ol' luck. The large teams don't have as much money to spend so they have made adjustments. Some teams don't have as much sponsorship money - or none at all. Enter the lone drivers and the new companies. Take a chance. Compete.

Ain't competition and free enterprise great?

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

A Business That Gets It

How refreshing it is to see a business who understands the role of the customer.

I was in a fast food restaurant today and saw a sign posted on the soft drink dispenser that described how the customer was not an outsider and that were not considered an intrusion. This means that the business is actually there to serve the customer.

The sign went on to say how they considered it a favor to wait on the customer rather than considering that they were somehow doing the customer a favor.

With all of the pressures of being in business today, it is rewarding to see a business that understands the extreme value of the customer. That's why any of should be in business - to serve the customer. I salute "Five Guys" for their approach to business and being bold enough to post a sign about it.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Guess What? Homes Are Being Sold

It is being done without any stimulus. Imagine that. The $7,500 isn't the issue. The anticipated but now nonexistent $15,000 wasn't a factor. What am I talking about about? Home sales.

That's right. Sales are being made - especially new home sales.

Markets have a way of correcting themselves in a free market economy if we just don't meddle in them. Here's proof.

Congratulations to all of the great salespeople who are making sales and experiencing this rebound in the market.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Ask Not What You Can Do for Yourself but What Your Government Can Do for You

In one of the most quoted lines of any President, John F. Kennedy in his Inaugural Address beseeched us to "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country." Today, ironically on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, Congress and the President have pushed through the granddaddy of governmental spending packages and have labeled it a stimulus bill. Other than the government check writing machinery, I'm not sure what else will be stimulated by the excessive and unnecessary spending.

We are fully capable of bringing about our own resurgence and recovery. We - the American people - are resourceful. In fact, Lincoln said:“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” This is fantastic advice in light of this tremendous spending plan that is about to be undertaken. He is telling us that we need look no farther than ourselves, our resolve, our capabilities, and our desire to bring this about.

As entrepreneurs, we are the strength and future of our country - not the government. We require no governmental meddling or financing and prefer no regulation. The market forces are quite good and strong when it comes to deciding which businesses get to succeed and thrive and which ones will fail and disappear. We don't need to look to government for protection or life support.

As entrepreneurs, we create our own opportunities. We create the jobs. We create revenue. We supply charity.

I am dismayed at the number of Americans who have abandoned our core principles and now seem to think that slogan of the land should be "ask not what you can do for yourself but what your government can do for you."

We have been issued a challenge by our government. We owe it to America to succeed and show that big government is not the panacea.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

What a Great Time to Start a Business

A friend of mine started a new business this week. Kudos to him. This is a great time to start a new business.

He didn't rely on help from the government. He isn't counting on some big stimulus plan suddenly creating a demand for his services.

No, he relied on his own ingenuity and experience. He came up with a business plan and launched it. He put it on the line as an entrepreneur and made the commitment to go forward.

Businesses shouldn't need any help from the government to succeed. We have what need need already. Like my friend, we have the ability, desire, passion, determination, and perseverance to make it. That's plenty of stimulus for a business to succeed.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Having a Great Time Completing the CAPS Coursework

Today, we had a great time sharing and learning. I was fortunate enough to lead a class of 13 professionals from around Florida, plus one each from Alabama and North Carolina, in a class on "Design/Build Solutions for Aging and Accessibility" (otherwise known as "CAPS II"). This is part of the 3-courses required for the NAHB's University of Housing designation of Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist" and for most in the class was their final course for the designation.

Yesterday, I spent the day with the same people as we looked into "Marketing and Communication Strategies for Aging and Accessibility" (also known as CAPS I).

We were extremely well represented with professionals from several backgrounds, including construction, remodeling, nursing, aging, decorating, insurance, and real estate.

In addition to covering the course material, we had great exchanges of information and ideas on ways to use and apply what was discussed.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Small Details Still Matter

The last time I looked, making a good first impression was still important for selling and marketing a new home community.

Not long ago I saw a community sign that listed homes up to $3 million with faded paint, stains, and just an overall tired, weathered look.

While $3 million doesn't buy as much home as it used to, it's still a fairly significant amount to invest.

It would be unfortunate to miss an opportunity to even talk to a prospective customer because they were turned away by a disappointing appearance.

In sales, the little details matter.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

I'm Supposed to Be Impressed?

Those of you who have read my posts before (including yesterday's post about Michael Phelps) know that I believe in both the power of the brand and in protecting that brand.

We works years - perhaps most of our lifetime until now - establishing our brand through our actions, personal integrity, the quality of our product or service, and the relationships that we build. With all that is stake in building the brand, we would want to do everything conceivable to maintain it.

That said, I imagine all of us at one time or another have gone to a trade show, expo, or product fair and left with a few "takeaways." Calculators, soft foam toys, balls, pencils, pens, drink cozies, magnets, and similar items come to mind. They are emblazoned with the name, logo, and advertising message of the company that wants us to remember them, use their product or service, and talk about them favorably through word-of-mouth.

Occasionally, it's a more expensive or functional item such as a tape measure, level, or small tool set. Not long ago, I got an item such as this, and I was quite excited about using it. It was compact and would seem to serve me well when I didn't want to take along the larger, more expensive version of it that I already had.

Just to make sure it would work, I tried it out before packing it. Guess what? Nothing. In the trash it went. So much for that item. So much for the (what appeared to be) nice takeaway. So much for that company improving their brand. So much for being impressed.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

How Valuable Is a Corrupted Brand?

Each of us has a brand. We've spent a lifetime acquiring and marketing it - whether consciously or not. It's our personality, our image, and our character. When we carry this over into the business world as entrepreneurs, salespeople, or Realtors, our brand is synonymous with our reputation and our livelihood.

It's who and what we are to those who do business with us as well as those who might consider working with us. We work hard at maintaining our brands. We can't afford to do anything to damage the integrity of what we stand for or the relationships with consumers that we intend to create.

The importance of our brand and how easily it can be damaged was driven home this week with the Michael Phelps incident. I don't know what he did or didn't do - I wasn't there. I don't know why he did what it looks like he was photographed doing. What I do know is that his brand is terribly, possibly irrevocably, damaged.

We need to remember that eyes are on us as we do our jobs, serve the public, and even go about our daily lives as private citizens. As entrepreneurs, its nearly impossible to separate the business brand from the personal one.

Therefore, constant attention needs to be given to doing the right thing all the time. We are being watched, and what we do and what we are seen doing can make a big difference for our success.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Thanks, but No Thanks to the Stimulus

Many people are looking to Congress to fix the sluggish housing market. This is definitely the wrong place to look.

We don't need outside intervention. Building and selling homes is one of the last capitalistic pursuits we have. Let's fight to maintain it. Let's flaunt our entrepreneurship.

The housing rebate that so many people thought would just have the new orders clicking along a robust pace was a total fizzle - and why not? No actual price reduction, no instant savings. Just a bunch of regulations that apply to a loan that needs to be repaid and could even be less than the $7,500, depending on the purchase price, income level, and tax liability.

So why all the excitement over a proposal to double a hollow offer to $15,000? Twice of nothing is still nothing. Oh, because it doesn't need to be repaid - small consolation. Still no stimulus.

There are buyers in every market in this country - some have more activity than others. Likewise, there have to be sellers to furnish the homes to the buyers.

Therefore, it is up to us as professional builders and real estate salespeople to make sales happen - without interference (however well-intentioned) from government.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

What's the Hurry?

What's the big rush in trying to get the Senate to pass this stimulus package? From what I've seen, we can do without it. From what I've heard many Senators say, they agree.

Is as if we have to hurry and get this thing passed and adopted or we won't have enough money to fund it - at least that's how they're acting. There might be some truth to that.

One thing is very clear from this bill, and that is that there are so many earmarks in this bill that any stimulus that might have been in there is overshadowed. I question the need for new legislation to stimulate the economy anyway. If it's a lending issue, just get the banks to let go of some of that massive amount of cash they received from the also ill-advised TARP.

The second thing that is clear from this bill is that we can't afford it.

The third thing that is not quite so clear but appears to be the case is that it will not do anything except flood the market with government money over the next several years. Job creation would be incidental, and restoring consumer confidence doesn't seem to be anything but rhetoric.

Haste makes waste, and so does Congress.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

When Was the Last Time We Checked Our Batteries?

Batteries have become a mainstay of everyday life. We need them for so many things that we do.

Just think of the many things that have batteries - either rechargeable or not. Of course, there's our car - also the cell phone and the notebook computer.

There's the digital camera, the voice recorder, the alarm clock (backup), smoke detectors, watches, toys, tollway pass, garage door openers, flashlights, and so much more.

Sometimes we have a little warning or think to check on the battery level so that we're prepared to change them or recharge them when they get low - but not always. Ever have the cell phone go dead in the middle of a call? Ever miss an important picture because the camera wouldn't work?

So the obvious jump from this concern over the batteries that power so many of our necessities and conveniences is to look at our own batteries. Are we running dangerously close to depletion? When was the last time we took a quiet walk or just sat and did nothing? Maybe a time at the beach or skiing? Hiking, biking, jogging, reading - anything to relax and let go?

We have to recharge our batteries to remain at full power and peak efficiency.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

Here's a New Oxymoron for You

A "paid volunteer." Ever hear of one? It's a new one to me. However, this is part of the Stimulus Bill that is being debated in the Senate.

Sounds like a "have your cake and eat it, too" situation.

Seriously, how can you be such a person? Either you volunteer or you are employed.

If you're a volunteer, you are a non-compensated (except maybe some reimbursable expenses or mileage), non-employee. You can't be fired, and you can't be compelled to do anything. If you don't like the way you're being treated, you can quit. That's it.

If you're an employee, you are hired and abide by the rules, policies, and regulations of your employer - and you are paid by the hour, by salary, or by commission.

The only thing I can think of here (and I haven't read the bill nor am I interested in reading it) is that the government considers it a wise use of taxpayer money to bribe people to be volunteers by paying them as a non-employee.

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

February Is The Holiday Month

I can’t recall any other month that has so many commonly recognized and celebrated holidays and observances as February – and it’s the shortest month of the year on top of that.

February 2 – Groundhog Day (wasn’t the movie funny?).

February 12 – Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (celebrated as a State holiday in many northern areas).

February 14 – Valentine’s Day (don’t you just love this day?).

February 16 – President’s Day (now the 3^rd Monday in February and replaces the Lincoln’s birthday/Washington’s birthday controversy about which one to celebrate and now includes all 44 Presidents).

February 22 – George Washington’s birthday (by the modern calendar – he actually was born on February 11, 1731 but changed to February 22, 1732 in 1752).

February is "Black History Month."

How can one little month have so much?

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For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can join this site and begin participating in the fun and networking opportunities by clicking here.

And the Winner Is NBC

This crop of highly touted Super Bowl commercials was a big bust except for NBC who received some $3 million for each 30 second spot. Some commercials ran 60 seconds.

McDonald's, Pepsi, and Doritos are the only ones that I would consider to be worth watching a second time. Nevertheless, this was really a win-win for our country despite the fact that the advertisers themselves lost big.

While Congress is trying to spend us out of slow performing economy with bailouts and government programs, the free enterprise system actually worked here.

First, weeks ago would-be advertisers brainstormed an idea internally with their creative people. Then, they hired an ad agency to get the ideas to the conceptual stage. Once approved, actors and graphic artists were hired along with a director, film crews, a studio or location, editing suites, and other production people. Finally, NBC was paid and the ads ran. There likely were other expenses and disbursements along the way.

And while the $3 million per insertion price tag kept the likes of GM, Chrysler, Ford, and FedEx away from this year's lineup, it was a case of supply and demand. There were only so many slots available for a highly visible event with a huge number of eyeballs, and every slot was sold.

All this, and Congress had nothing to do with it.

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