What Radio Shack really needs to do…

Radio Shack needs to retool and get out of being a cheap clone of Brookstone. What do they sell anyway? They truly need to embrace their D.I.T. (Do It Together) mantra, that is hidden on their site.

To me Radio Shack was always the go to place to find tools and gadgets you need to fix things. What happened to that? Now they sell junk gadgets, toys and cell phone contracts? It’s the cheap version of Brookstone.

Did you notice how many people are walking around with shattered smartphone screens? How many small “shady” places are offering repairs? Hello!? Why doesn’t Radio Shack get into that business? Sell warranties? Parts? Classes? D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself). If not, get a Really Smart Associate to fix it. Get it? RS? Radio Shack – Really Smart?

How to do that? Here’s the plan. 

1. Buy iFixit.com, they already have a HUGE customer base, with videos on how to fix things and a retail business going. That’s already 50% of the work done for you.


2. Get into the warranty service business. Technology companies need this for all their gadgets, become the “Apple Store” for everyone else. Samsung, HTC, Blackberry, etc. Upsell the RS Complete Coverage, for ALL gadgets. Fill in the missing gaps.


3. Get into the trade-in business for electronics, can’t fix it? Buy it from us, while you’re here.


4. BE Maker Faire (http://makerfaire.com/). Embrace those customers, I mean people. They are people who will come back to your stores and support the brand. Goldsmith sponsor is good, but BE the Presenting Sponsor. Have one every week in your store!


5. Get into home automation on the ground floor. Home Depot and Lowes CAN’T compete. Get a Really Smart Installer to install the system and show people how to use it. It’s a growing field, be the pioneer!


6. Get into 3D printing, it’s going to be high margin big business. Get in on the ground floor. No one else has the distribution or reach that you do, right now.

A lot of these are very easy to get into immediately and wouldn't require much retooling, just branding.

Passwords made simple and secure

A great comic strip explaining how easy it is for you to get hacked and how to make a better password. Be sure to also activate the 2 step verification from my previous post.

xkcd: Password Strength

Your personal security online...

Everyone uses locks on their doors at home and some even have a security system to protect their personal belongings. Some get a car alarm and even one with a GPS to prevent your car from being stolen. A password on your phone, but what about your email? No one seems to secure email and it's the most important thing online now.

Why is email important? Think about it. Where are all your forgotten passwords resets sent? Especially for your banking and credit cards? Email. All I need to do is enter your password and is it even a secure one? Is it your kids name? Your wife's? Does it contain letters or numbers? Or even capital and lower case letters? Chances are it's a simple password. Is your password on this list?

25 most-used passwords revealed

Here are the steps to make it more secure and some recommendations:

1. Make a better password. Check this link out: http://xkcd.com/936/

2. Use Two-step verification. It's a second code that is sent to you or generated by an app, that needs to be entered. Think of it as your work VPN token. I have more information below.

Here are some links to popular email services with their "How-to". If you don't use any of these, I would seriously consider switching.

Hotmail or Oulook.com: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/two-step-verification-faq

Yahoo: http://help.yahoo.com/kb/index?page=content&y=PROD_ACCT&locale=en_US&id=SLN5013

Gmail: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/180744?hl=en

Apple: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5570

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150172618258920


Enjoy your new piece of mind!

The Way To Wealth By Benjamin Franklin (1757) Success Manual ...

Something recently discovered and a good read.

The Way To Wealth By Benjamin Franklin (1757) Success Manual ...

Year end closeout...

So, another year has gone by... did you keep your New Years resolution? Mine was to post more. I came close. Missed a few since August due to work.

With the holiday's and New Year coming up. We all do things for other people, but forget to do the important things. Things that will benefit you and your future loved ones even more than the latest/hottest gift.

Here are a few things you've probably missed:

1. Examining your 401k - Is it giving you the best return, does it need to be reallocated? Are you getting at least 12%?? No? Time to take a look. While you're there, be sure to increase your contribution by 1%. You'll never miss it and you'll thank me later!

2. Your emergency fund - Is your money sitting in a checking account earning something for you? Most banks are paying 0.01 - 0.05% on your checking account vs a national money market account which is about 1%. Know what that means for every $1,000? $10 vs $0.10 in interest. What would you like to be earning?

3. Insurance - For everything. Are you covered? Life, Auto, Home, etc? Talk to an insurance agent or 2. You can save money and cover yourself. If hurricane Sandy taught us anything, is that anything can happen, make sure you're covered.

Life insurance can help your family through a rough time, especially if you had a new addition this year. Update your beneficiaries too!

Not to mention that you could also save a ton of money by getting additional insurance. I saved an additional $200 on car insurance for buying a $100 renters policy which covered me for property loss, even if something is stolen from my car.

4. Company benefits - This has multiple parts.

FSA/HSA/Dependent Care - ALL pre-tax benefits. Your child care, your glasses, dental work, doctors visits, etc. Plan ahead. You save 25% in taxes by just planning ahead. 25%!! Think about it. Could you use $250 for every $1,000 you spend. I sure could. (If you don't know what these are, I would find someone who does and ask. Talk to your tax adviser/accountant this coming April.)

Company Stock - Does your company offer it? My company offers a 15% discount on the purchase price at the end of every quarter. 15% You don't get a rate of return on your money that easy, ANYWHERE! Think about it, every $1,000 you earn $150 in 3 months. That's an extra $600 a year. Not to mention that some companies also pay dividends. Do you hear the dollar signs?

Pre-tax transit & Parking - Want to save 25% off your transit costs? It's easy! Take advantage of your pre-tax commuter benefit. Most companies offer this. On average, we spend about $1,000 a year on trains and buses. Park at a Park & Ride? You can put away for parking also. Add that $1,000 to it and you save $500 a year.

5. Your living will - Very important. If you don't have one. Get one. It's cheap and easy. It will save your family a ton of problems in case you ever pass away. No matter how old you are, you have assets and it can be passed on. Work has life insurance, your car, your retirement account. It will help in settling your affairs. Make a list and check it twice. You may have more than you know!

At this rate, I think I've saved and earned you at least $3,000+ a year.

And that's all I have for now! Happy Holiday's and Happy New Year!! See you in 2013!