On the Dayton Flyers official site all of you Flyer fans from across the country can watch UD Basketball for free. They just added a feature supported by CSTV that allows you to stream the live feed onto your computer. I hope that this will continue with the NCAA tournament when we make it (Crossing fingers)
You will need the latest version of Internet Explorer (which pains me since I am an avid Firefox user) and the latest version of Windows Media Player as well. Unfortunately those are kind of annoying to upgrade to, but well worth it I assure you.
Other than the stiff software requirements I am pretty excited about this. I also was messing around on the site and found out that you can stream many of the games earlier in the season as well. So for all of you that missed a home game...enjoy!
Go Flyers!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Churchills Tea Room - Cincinnati, OH
For all of you tea lovers I am writing this to share with you a true gem in the downtown shopping district of Cincinnati.
My enjoyment of tea started in college with my roommate Mike. He is a purveyor of all things expensive: cigars, Audi's, wine, speaker systems, Rolex watches, etc... He started buying loose leaf tea and brewing it as a hang over cure. I had always been fascinated with tea, and this really pushed me over the edge in regard to interest. After buying my first cast iron tea kettle I started buying loose leaf teas and trying all kinds of hot and iced tea. I now have many tea kettles, my most prized being from my trip last summer to Hong Kong, China, of the Yixing (pronounced ee-Shing) variety, that was hand made by a master potter. I picked up one for Mike as well. He was very grateful.
So back to Cincinnati, there is a place called Churchills Tea Room that is located in Tower Place downtown. There is this delightful British woman who owns the tea shop, and she has done a marvelous job with the place. High Tea is served 6 days a week and they also have a large variety of tea to choose from off of the shelf. Probably the most enjoyable part of visiting this shop is having a discussion with the owner. I find id fascinating and intriguing being around someone who is such an expert. The desserts she makes are quite delicious, and the view from the prized window seat is not bad either. Hint: There is only one window seat, so if you plan on people watching you had better make reservations!
After visiting on many occasions I now choose to buy all of my tea from this unique place to support their efforts to reinvigorate downtown. I also have brought many friends to spend the afternoon enjoying High Tea and having insightful conversations. It takes about 45 minutes from my house to get down there, but as of yet I have never regretted the drive.
My enjoyment of tea started in college with my roommate Mike. He is a purveyor of all things expensive: cigars, Audi's, wine, speaker systems, Rolex watches, etc... He started buying loose leaf tea and brewing it as a hang over cure. I had always been fascinated with tea, and this really pushed me over the edge in regard to interest. After buying my first cast iron tea kettle I started buying loose leaf teas and trying all kinds of hot and iced tea. I now have many tea kettles, my most prized being from my trip last summer to Hong Kong, China, of the Yixing (pronounced ee-Shing) variety, that was hand made by a master potter. I picked up one for Mike as well. He was very grateful.
So back to Cincinnati, there is a place called Churchills Tea Room that is located in Tower Place downtown. There is this delightful British woman who owns the tea shop, and she has done a marvelous job with the place. High Tea is served 6 days a week and they also have a large variety of tea to choose from off of the shelf. Probably the most enjoyable part of visiting this shop is having a discussion with the owner. I find id fascinating and intriguing being around someone who is such an expert. The desserts she makes are quite delicious, and the view from the prized window seat is not bad either. Hint: There is only one window seat, so if you plan on people watching you had better make reservations!
After visiting on many occasions I now choose to buy all of my tea from this unique place to support their efforts to reinvigorate downtown. I also have brought many friends to spend the afternoon enjoying High Tea and having insightful conversations. It takes about 45 minutes from my house to get down there, but as of yet I have never regretted the drive.
Prosper - Micro lending brought to the masses
A while ago I was reading in the Wall Street Journal, for those of us who are regulars it is called simply "The Journal", about the Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. He started the Grameen bank in India that gave out micro-credit loans. These are very small loans given to poor entrepreneurs in third world nations. The impact of these banks is amazing. It stimulates economic development, and fuels the capitalist fire like few other things can. This, of course, does a number of wonderful things economically, politically, and socially for these countries.
Fortunately, I do not live in India. However, I plan on traveling there some day. So how can I start doing something like supporting a micro-credit loan program in Dayton, OH of all places?
Enter www.prosper.com. Prosper is the online version of the Grameen bank. I have been enjoying a 12% return on my investment for about a year now. In the spirit of Micro-credit loans I started small. A mere $250.00 deposit and I was ready to lend. It works similar to Ebay. People basically auction their requests for capital with a detailed description and the lowest rates from the people willing to lend the money win. Lenders, such as my self, bid on these requests with what ever return that they would deem acceptable from their investment. Once the full loan amount is funded the auction closes and the loan is financed.
Prosper has thought of the risks involved and it is compulsory to attach a credit agency to these accounts so that if they were to default, the agency will represent you and get most of your money back. Also, all of those wanting money have their credit score attached. The amount of information is very nice, and makes for a very secure and safe lending environment. The best part of this process is that you can manage your own risk. Do you want to get a higher return? Say, 20%? Well, the people you will lend to will have a credit rating much lower than those expecting an 8% return. The amount of risk you accept is up to you.
I however decided to split my $250.00 between two people. One is paying off credit cards. The other is much closer to my heart. He is getting his MBA and is in sales. Bravo! Though I am not worthy of any Nobel prize, I certainly am enjoying participating in an idea that achieved that status.
Fortunately, I do not live in India. However, I plan on traveling there some day. So how can I start doing something like supporting a micro-credit loan program in Dayton, OH of all places?
Enter www.prosper.com. Prosper is the online version of the Grameen bank. I have been enjoying a 12% return on my investment for about a year now. In the spirit of Micro-credit loans I started small. A mere $250.00 deposit and I was ready to lend. It works similar to Ebay. People basically auction their requests for capital with a detailed description and the lowest rates from the people willing to lend the money win. Lenders, such as my self, bid on these requests with what ever return that they would deem acceptable from their investment. Once the full loan amount is funded the auction closes and the loan is financed.
Prosper has thought of the risks involved and it is compulsory to attach a credit agency to these accounts so that if they were to default, the agency will represent you and get most of your money back. Also, all of those wanting money have their credit score attached. The amount of information is very nice, and makes for a very secure and safe lending environment. The best part of this process is that you can manage your own risk. Do you want to get a higher return? Say, 20%? Well, the people you will lend to will have a credit rating much lower than those expecting an 8% return. The amount of risk you accept is up to you.
I however decided to split my $250.00 between two people. One is paying off credit cards. The other is much closer to my heart. He is getting his MBA and is in sales. Bravo! Though I am not worthy of any Nobel prize, I certainly am enjoying participating in an idea that achieved that status.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Zillow - Realestate Estimator
http://www.zillow.com/
Although Zillow (like "Pillow") claims to be in Beta, it is a very polished Web 2.0 application for anyone looking for a house. It has the look and feel of Google Maps and it overlays houses and housing prices. Although it is not 100% accurate it basically uses sale prices of the neighborhood and comparable houses, "comps", to estimate the value of the house at which you are looking. Zillow calls this a Zestimate.
It definitely gave me piece of mind when buying my first home. I realized that the neighborhood I was looking in was on average worth $XXX,XXX.xx and that the specific sq. ft. requirement and bedroom requirement would put me around that price. It can also pull tax records so that you can estimate what you will be paying when Uncle Sam comes knocking.
Useful, easy and fun to look all of your neighbors and friends houses. Enjoy!
Although Zillow (like "Pillow") claims to be in Beta, it is a very polished Web 2.0 application for anyone looking for a house. It has the look and feel of Google Maps and it overlays houses and housing prices. Although it is not 100% accurate it basically uses sale prices of the neighborhood and comparable houses, "comps", to estimate the value of the house at which you are looking. Zillow calls this a Zestimate.
It definitely gave me piece of mind when buying my first home. I realized that the neighborhood I was looking in was on average worth $XXX,XXX.xx and that the specific sq. ft. requirement and bedroom requirement would put me around that price. It can also pull tax records so that you can estimate what you will be paying when Uncle Sam comes knocking.
Useful, easy and fun to look all of your neighbors and friends houses. Enjoy!
Infiniti G35 Coupe Yuppie Mobile
Automobile
–noun
| 1. | a passenger vehicle designed for operation on ordinary roads and typically having four wheels and a gasoline or diesel internal-combustion engine. |
-noun
1. an Infiniti G35 Coupe
Now that I have been making money for a few years I have come to the decision that after buying my house, the next thing I need is a new car. My dad gave me his Cadillac STS when I graduated from UD and it now has 157,000 miles on it. While I do enjoy floating around, and I do mean floating, in a Cadillac the time has come to change my ride. The Cadillac image is not exactly what I was looking for. After all, how many 24 year olds do you know driving an STS?
So, after a long search looking at Honda S2000's, Nissan 350Z's, and Lexus ES 330's I have decided that the Infiniti G35 Coupe is the car for me. A guy in my MBA class has one: black on black, 293 horse power, spoiler, harmonic exhaust, zero lift aerodynamics...I was in love. We went out one night after class and opened up the engine. I about swallowed my tongue. He had the wheels squealing up the entrance ramp to I-75. Damn! My Cadillac's 4.9l V8 could not keep up with this smaller, faster V6. I was impressed and a little shocked at the speed. Plus, most of the Infinity's come with upgraded rims and spoilers in the coupe model.
I was not expecting to ever own an Infiniti, but after my thrilling test drive I hope to be able to get one soon enough. Expect to see me bragging about it in 4 months.
*Crossing my fingers*
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Dayton Flyers NCAA Basketball
I have been going to the UD Basketball games for about 15 years of my life. As my family is closely tied to the University of Dayton in a number of ways, we have been Flyer fans for quite some time. I can even remember back when we first got tickets in the nose bleed section so that my sister and I could run around be be kids without disturbing the game for anyone else who actually cared. I can also remember the senior season of Negel Knight who would later be drafted into the NBA. The Dayton community has supported the team with out reservation for many years and I am proud to be a part of that community.
Within the past week the Flyers have added another page to the history of Dayton basketball: Brian Roberts scored his 1,000th point. Only 36 other players for UD have achieved such a status. This accomplishment speaks for itself. I am normally not one to glorify athletes, but from personal experience Brian Roberts is not your normal NCAA student athlete. He is actually smart, lacks the ego that has become so tiresome in college sports, and he unselfishly produces on the court. In short; a leader.
In the most recent game on Saturday against La Salle how does Brian Roberts respond to breaking the 1,000 point barrier? He scores 34 points and wins the game with his unfailing free throw shooting. He is routinely over 80% at the line, but on Saturday, in the last 2 minutes of the game, he was 7 for 7.
Will Roberts have the same long term impact at Negel Knight? Maybe not. Will Roberts continue his basketball stardom into the NBA? Most likely not. In Dayton our stars come and go, and we only get them for a short for years. Our only chance is to watch them play in college, and that is why UD basketball is so special. That is why our fan base is so strong. The fan base roots for the team, not the players. It seems Roberts is rooting the same way.
GO FLYERS!!
Within the past week the Flyers have added another page to the history of Dayton basketball: Brian Roberts scored his 1,000th point. Only 36 other players for UD have achieved such a status. This accomplishment speaks for itself. I am normally not one to glorify athletes, but from personal experience Brian Roberts is not your normal NCAA student athlete. He is actually smart, lacks the ego that has become so tiresome in college sports, and he unselfishly produces on the court. In short; a leader.
In the most recent game on Saturday against La Salle how does Brian Roberts respond to breaking the 1,000 point barrier? He scores 34 points and wins the game with his unfailing free throw shooting. He is routinely over 80% at the line, but on Saturday, in the last 2 minutes of the game, he was 7 for 7.
Will Roberts have the same long term impact at Negel Knight? Maybe not. Will Roberts continue his basketball stardom into the NBA? Most likely not. In Dayton our stars come and go, and we only get them for a short for years. Our only chance is to watch them play in college, and that is why UD basketball is so special. That is why our fan base is so strong. The fan base roots for the team, not the players. It seems Roberts is rooting the same way.
GO FLYERS!!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Marketing Disaster
The category of products that I am selling currently has been around for over 25 years. However, the product I sell is brand new and has some truly innovative and groundbreaking features. It is more expensive, and works better than any product out there. It has the chance to truly dominate the marketplace. I was specifically recruited from Xerox to join this new product team and make sure that is takes off like a rocket. Coming from Xerox I realize the value of a high priced product that delivers a premium value. If you have ever sold on price, shame on you. The real money, and skill, is in the premium products that demand a premium price.
For any of you who have been in sales you realize that you control only a precious small portion of the success of any product. It is the job of the salesperson to help the customer recognize that there is a difference between their current state, and their desired state. We have to help them realize that they are dissatisfied with their current state and get them all "hot and frothy", as we said at Xerox, about the new product (desired state). Truth be told, that is only a very small part of a total strategic plan for any product. The first step is to get your potential customers aware that this new product even exists. Enter the Marketing team.
To give some background: Our sales team and Marketing team almost never work together. We had a few ceremonial meetings in the beginning and they actually had a hand in training us. Other than the first two weeks of employment we might have seen our marketing team, which consists of two people total, three times for about an hour each occurrence. Three hours in 7 months! Other than the obvious problems that are caused by the lack of time spent together there has been a relatively cordial relationship between the two teams.
About 4 months ago we received an e-mail from Marketing describing their "Marketing Plan". It consisted of sending out mass mailers to every dealer in the country by franchise. They were breaking those down by specific franchises in the order of best chance of success. The first mailer should have the most success. This is not necessarily a bad plan, but sending a mailer to everyone? What happened to target markets? I could go into a diatribe on target markets having a degree in Marketing, but I will not. So, the mailers went out and the response faxes came back. The sales team was excited about getting responses and we jumped on the chance to call these "hot and frothy" customers. Here were the response rates:
Lets break this down.
Here are rough estimates of the cost of the campaign only for material:
Without giving exact numbers our Return on Investment was less than 2% only on material costs. This does not include paying salaries, heat, light, time, etc... In terms of an investment. we would have been better off buying a 6 month Savings Bond.
But, have no fear. We have just been told that the next mailer is right around the corner. If we keep this up, we might just get that 1 sale out of 2281 that is just sitting there ripe for the picking.
For any of you who have been in sales you realize that you control only a precious small portion of the success of any product. It is the job of the salesperson to help the customer recognize that there is a difference between their current state, and their desired state. We have to help them realize that they are dissatisfied with their current state and get them all "hot and frothy", as we said at Xerox, about the new product (desired state). Truth be told, that is only a very small part of a total strategic plan for any product. The first step is to get your potential customers aware that this new product even exists. Enter the Marketing team.
To give some background: Our sales team and Marketing team almost never work together. We had a few ceremonial meetings in the beginning and they actually had a hand in training us. Other than the first two weeks of employment we might have seen our marketing team, which consists of two people total, three times for about an hour each occurrence. Three hours in 7 months! Other than the obvious problems that are caused by the lack of time spent together there has been a relatively cordial relationship between the two teams.
About 4 months ago we received an e-mail from Marketing describing their "Marketing Plan". It consisted of sending out mass mailers to every dealer in the country by franchise. They were breaking those down by specific franchises in the order of best chance of success. The first mailer should have the most success. This is not necessarily a bad plan, but sending a mailer to everyone? What happened to target markets? I could go into a diatribe on target markets having a degree in Marketing, but I will not. So, the mailers went out and the response faxes came back. The sales team was excited about getting responses and we jumped on the chance to call these "hot and frothy" customers. Here were the response rates:
- 2281 letters mailed
- 51 Leads (2.5% response rate)
- 1 unit sold @ $XX,xxx.xx NET OT and $Xxx.xx NET Monthly
- 25 open prospects
Lets break this down.
- 2.5% response rate
- Sounds good right? 2.5% might be good for a random sample mailing however this was mailed to only our current customers. The average for a mailer of this type can be between 8% and 25% as defined by marketing standards. The 2.5% category is for things like your Sunday coupon circular.
- 1 Unit sold
- Out of 2281 potential customers that is a close rate of .04384%. Not even half of a percent. You might have a better chance selling vacuums door to door.
- 25 open prospects
- No one on the sales team even knows what this means. We have many more than 25 prospects but most of those came from our own out-bound activity. Not from the list.
Here are rough estimates of the cost of the campaign only for material:
- Postage: $.21 for bulk X 2281 = $479.01
- Printing costs (I did come from Xerox after all): $.03 x $68.43
- Envelopes: $.02 x 2281 = $45.62
Without giving exact numbers our Return on Investment was less than 2% only on material costs. This does not include paying salaries, heat, light, time, etc... In terms of an investment. we would have been better off buying a 6 month Savings Bond.
But, have no fear. We have just been told that the next mailer is right around the corner. If we keep this up, we might just get that 1 sale out of 2281 that is just sitting there ripe for the picking.
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