Happy New Year! (It's been a while....)

I can't believe the last post was in 2014!! Where did the last 2 years go??

Time for that annual review!

1. Don't waste your time on resolutions you are never going to complete. It's dragging you down and depressing you while leading you to a "Failure" mindset. Just remember we can't spell failure without U R A. LOL Seriously though, you need to have New Year Realizations! What did you learn last year? I'll start you with the first one:

"You can always make more money, but you can never buy more time." 

Want to do something? Do it. Don't be that old person sitting there with regret. Don't have enough money? Work some over time or better yet, get a job that pays more and go do it. Make all the excuses you want, but ultimately, it's up to you. The world will continue to spin on and go on without you. It's too late when you're dead and time's up. For those cheapskates, remember that when you're dead, you can't take that money with you. You're hoarding money for the government to take or someone else to live it up on. Enjoy your hard earned money yourself, not on someone else.

2. Do that review of your finances. Besides tax season, make sure you have everything documented for your significant other or loved one. With everything digital, there is no hard copy. No one will find anything. Year end statements of everything. Put it in a folder and put it somewhere safe with a label on it.

3. Re-read my post from Dec 2012 (http://goo.gl/4K8nlm), the information is still relevant. Normally done during open enrollment, but still a good review and to be kept for this coming year.

4. Your personal security online. Most find it an inconvenience and annoying, but all it takes is one incident and you're completely screwed. Protect your self: (http://goo.gl/8s0EbD)

Have a happy and prosperous new year! See you next post!

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 ...