30 Nov VLM Central: God Bless America!
The outrageously evil events of September 11th, 2001 have left their mark on us all!
Astonished disbelief quickly leads to sadness and despair as the death toll continues to rise. Anger soon follows as the reality of what has been done to us solidifies in our minds. The need for unity takes precedence over everything else. For once, we truly realize that, though we may all be of varied cultural, religious, and political backgrounds, etc. we belong to the same country: The United States of America. We are Americans! This is what is really important.
The massive outpouring of support (in the form of monetary donations, blood donations, and prayers) for the wounded and the families of those killed is truly a shining beacon in these dark times. It speaks volumes about who we really are!
As our President solemnly commits our Military Forces to the awesome task of bringing those responsible for these unspeakable atrosities (as well as those harboring them) to justice, I sense a growing anxiety among us. Here are but a few questions troubling our minds these days. What is going to happen next? Will more terrorist strikes happen, killing even more Americans? What about germ warfare? With the recent malicious spreading of Anthrax, will I ever again feel safe opening my mail? What will the Stock Market do in response to all this anxiety?
One thing I noticed immediately after September 11th was that the “residential side” of my business slowed down… way down! Homeowners were reassessing their financial priorities and concluding that spending money on carpet cleaning was less of an immediate necessity than it may have recently been. Some of my customers even lost their jobs, as many large corporations laid off thousands of workers. This is exactly the reason why we as carpet cleaners, who own and operate our own businesses, need to take a good hard look at our sources of income.
I have begun to look at all of my sources of income from carpet cleaning as a type of “stock portfolio”, with each client or account representing a type of “stock”. Some stocks produce higher dividend yields than others. An example (simile) of this would be the upscale client who has his/her carpet cleaned frequently. Moreover, other stocks represent a “safer and more recession-proof” value. An example (simile) of this type would be the commercial account that you clean on a regular schedule. By classifying your income (acounts) this way, you may gain a better understanding of how and why your business makes the income that it does, when it does (in relation to our economy). This understanding may also give you the freedom to shape your company’s financial destiny the way you see fit to shape it.
Having the freedom to make informed choices is a very empowering thing. It is an American thing. And our freedom is worth fighting for… even worth dying for!
God Bless America!
Mark Stanley