Then I noticed that my friend Vic Franqui had written about it, and as usual, done it with a calm mind and an unemotional look at the facts in the case and the underlying problem that caused the uproar in the first place.  Vic understands that

The biggest argument here is the fact that Rock Art Brewery is a small time “mom and pop” operation and Hansen Natural Corporation represents what “Corporate America” is. The classic David and Goliath story. How big business is trying to stop the great American Dream, a small guy trying to make it big.

Well, if this is the case and Rock Art Brewery is the definition of the chase for the great American Dream then Hansen Natural Corporation is the “Great American Dream”.

Rather than getting into all the nuances of the Hansen Natural Corporation vs Rock Art Brewery case, go read Vic’s article Hansen Natural Corporation The American Dream.

Let me say, I’ve got a great laser printer that I’ve used for several years.  It’s a Brother HL-5140 and it has been a workhorse.  When I changed locations and business model 18 months ago, my printing requirements went way down.  Since I had a spare cartridge, I haven’t had to buy a replacement for almost 21 months.

I was completely shocked when I started looking around to buy a replacement. Since there’s a Staples nearby I went to their website and was amazed at how much they wanted.  The more I searched, the more I found out just how expensive they had become.  I even checked out ebay but the only thing there was in an opened box.  By the way, you’ll find some good products for your business on Ebay.  Just make sure you carefully read the description and make sure it’s what you really want.  Keep on eye on the shipping charges also as they can really drive the price up.

To get to the point of this post, after being disappointed at the lack of decent pricing, a light bulb went off. AMAZON.  That’s right, Amazon.  If you haven’t visited Amazon lately, you need to check them out.  They’ve expanded so far beyond just books that it’s amazing.  I was able to get my Brother TN-570 Toner Cartridge, shipping included, for 20% less than anywhere else.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not just toner.  You’ll find prices on almost everything are cheaper there than anywhere else on the internet.  Next time you are looking for a product, check out the deals you can find on Amazon.

A hunter walking through the jungle found a huge dead rhino with a pigmy standing beside it.
Amazed, he asked: “Did you kill that?”

“Yes,” said the pigmy.

The hunter asked “How could a little bloke like you kill a huge beast like that?”
Said the pigmy: “I killed it with my club.”

“That’s incredible,” said the hunter, “How big is your club?”

The pigmy replied: “There are about 60 of us.”

While a cute story, there’s a lot of truth to it. You need a big club to make your business successful. By club, I mean a group of people that are willing to help you in your business, while you help them in theirs.

By “helping you” I don’t mean you buy their product and they buy yours. I’m talking about people you can share ideas with, talk about what has worked for you and what doesn’t work.

This is especially true if you are running your business online. You need to find others who are doing the same thing so that you can learn from their mistakes, and more importantly, so you can share what works.

I’ve been a member of a couple groups like this for the last year and have seen a big increase in my online income. Good groups do cost something to join, but the two I belong to don’t cost that much. In fact, since I got in at the start, I pay less than $25.00 a month in membership fees. I assure you that they more than pay for themselves.

At this point, neither of them is taking new members but I’ve heard they may reopen next month. If they do, I’ll post about it so if you are interested you can get in.

1. Donate. Spend a Saturday morning going through stuff you don’t want. “Take those clothes and items [in good, used condition] to your local charitable organization right away,” says Sally Herigstad, a certified public accountant and author of Help! I Can’t Pay My Bills: Surviving a Financial Crisis. “Be sure to get a receipt to verify the donation was made.” Popular tax-preparation software packages have charitable donation calculators built in, making this one of the easiest deductions you may be able to take.

2. Pay deductible expenses early. Make your January house payment in December so the interest deduction is included in your 2008 tax return. And, in December, pay your property tax that is due in January (for the same reason).

3. Tax-loss harvesting. In light of this year’s stock market struggles, you may want to consider taking some of the losers and selling them to realize the loss for tax purposes. Check with your tax advisor regarding your situation.

4. Put money toward retirement. If you haven’t started contributing to a 401(k) or similar retirement account, now’s the time to begin. Your 401(k) contributions are not deductible, but the money you put into them comes from pretax dollars. So, in effect, you’re reducing your taxable income. If you have an IRA, don’t forget that contributions made to Individual Retirement Accounts may be tax deductible. And, in many cases, you can claim IRA contributions made after Dec. 31, 2008 — right up through tax day, April 15, 2009. For 2008, taxpayers under age 50 can contribute up to $5,000; up to $6,000 for those 50 or older. For accurate information based on your personal financial situation, you should consult a tax professional or get more tax tips online from the IRS.

5. Make smart moves — now. Pondering a job move? Decide quickly if you want to deduct it from your 2008 tax return. You can deduct job-related moving expenses in any given year if you move at least 50 miles from your old home and remain employed full time for at least 39 weeks after the move. If you haven’t met the time test by tax day, you can still deduct moving expenses on your 2008 return, provided you expect to stay in the job for at least 39 weeks. But if you quit or get fired before the time period is met, you have to report it to the IRS. See IRS Publication 521 for details. Military moves due to a permanent change of station also qualify for the deduction, but don’t have to meet the distance and time requirements, says J.J. Montanaro, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER practitioner.

Of course we immediately made a few changes and improved our security.  Then I started researching home security and thought I’d share what I found.

These days, home burglary is one the rise.  Over 70% of all crime these days relates to property crimes, normally involving the home.  Although police and local authorities are doing everything they can to put a stop to crime, burglary is something that cannot be stopped.  Even though there are ways to protect yourself, burglars will always be lurking out there – waiting for their next victim.

Even though there are ways to prevent unwanted entry to your home, a determined burglar will always find a way to get in.  Breaking and entering is his job, and most burglars are extremely good at it.  Statistics show that burglaries occur every 15 seconds.  What that means, is that every 15 seconds there is someone out there getting robbed.

Over the years, home burglaries have received a lot of attention, some of which have even been on the news.  Although some burglars eventually get caught and arrested, most seem to disappear without a trace.  To protect yourself and your home, there are tactics such as security alarms, burglar alarms, and even security cameras that you can use.

Property marking is a great way to protect yourself as well.  Property marking involves marking everything that you own with a signature or mark that you can easily identify once the property has been recovered.  You can use micro dots, UV pens, or even laser pens.  The idea here is to mark your property so it won’t be easy to sell on the black market.  Even though it may sound weird, most burglars do study their targets quite a bit before they decide to rob them.

One of the most effective forms of home security is the home security system.  If a burglar tries to rob your home and notices that you have a security system set up, he will normally start to get second thoughts and eventually change his plans.  On the other hand, if the burglar decides to go ahead and rob a home with a surveillance system anyway, the system will normally catch him on video, making it easy for the police to identify who he is.  Home surveillance and security cameras are great to have, and can either be wireless or wired, dummy or real, outdoor or indoor, or even a combination of several.

Alarms are also a great way to prevent burglary.  The police will tell you that home burglar alarms prevent over 50% of attempted burglaries in the home.  There are several types of burglar alarms, from those that aren’t expensive to those that are monitored around the clock.  Alarms will let burglars know that robbing your home isn’t going to be easy, and that they should really give it a second thought.  Tried and true over the years, alarms have be proven to be very effective and above all else – they work.

No matter what direction you decide to take, there are indeed ways that you can protect your home from burglary. In the United States, home security systems have really become a big business.  Millions of home owners throughout the U.S. are investing in security and surveillance systems, knowing that the day will come when they will come in very handy.  Even though you may never be robbed, there is always a chance.  Burglaries can happen at any time, which is why you should always be protected.  If you think ahead and invest in a security system, you’ll be prepared for anything that happens. You have to think in terms of self defense – and ensure that your home is protected for anyone who decides to make you a target.

The video is just over 7 minutes and I guarantee that it will improve your search results.