Passing the Perceived Small Business Title

When building a business, we tend to look for reputable trade associations and assistance to help distinguish ourselves as a steady and reliable company.

We are Recession Proof Holdings, LLC (RPH).

In doing so, we turn to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) as it was thought to be a reliable source of information and was used by many companies as a benchmark resource to inform customers about how serious and committed a business is. 

We looked into many business associations, such as, The Chamber of Commerce, The Elk Lodge, Rotary Association, and many others.

The interesting thing we learned was that each of these organizations charged a nominal fee for membership. While most were upfront about the fees and benefits they offered, there was one that was not so easily understood. The Better Business Bureau (BBB).

The BBB appeared appealing in name and benefits.  Just look at the name... "Better" (enhancing better businesses) "Business" (the understanding of businesses) "Bureau" (a term used by government agencies). I can remember thinking that this was a Federal Agency when I was a young man.

This was the "Agency" to use, I thought, for our burgeoning business. Perfect! A government agency that my tax dollars had paid for already. A great way to register our business with the Federal Government, I thought.

We started researching. We saw the logos on many small business doors and windows, understood that this is where we report any problems with the business that we might have.  Heck, they advertised that they even helped settle any disagreements between business and customer. This has got to be it!

After preliminary research, we decided to make the call.  An older sounding gentleman answered our call. Very enthusiastic and optimistic sounding, he asked; "what type of business do you have?" I replied; "We are a holding company," being so proud to have established, what I thought was a perfect business model. 

We had started with, real-estate, owning our properties outright, established a property management and maintenance company to oversee our operations. We own a Consulting Company, working in the marketing, advertising, technology, Executive and Business Consulting spaces. 

We also hold a Non-profit organization geared towards our military, veterans and their families as our way to maintain community engagement, create additional employment opportunities and support other nonprofit organizations in this space.

He replied, "What is a Holding Company?" A little taken back, I started to explain. "We are a Parent Company that provides governance to our subsidiary companies, we provide liquid assets and absorb the majority of the tax burdens," I said. "A SMB" (small to medium sized business).

I continued, "We're registered with the Secretary of State, the Federal and State Internal Revenue Departments. We maintain our subsidiaries under the same Federal Tax Identification Number" (TIN or EIN). Our NGO (Non Governmental Organization) has a separate tax ID number."

We... He interrupted me, saying "What's you websites address? I can just look it up there."

Well, a little confused that a Bureau for business didn't know what I was describing, struck me as a little strange, I rattled off "www.recessionproofholding.com." 

"Okay sir" he said. I will take a look at it a call you back tomorrow. "Sure thing" I said.  "Look forward to hearing back from you sir."

The following day, he called.  He said, his manager was concerned about the affiliate marketing campaign on our website and asked what it was.  I explained, that our Consulting Company understood this market and were advertising our ability to assist companies and individuals in this space. He appeared to understand and respect this explanation. Finally, he then dropped the one thing we wasn't expecting... the price.

It appears, that our Holding Company, Recession Proof Holdings, LLC, our Property Management Company, dba Murphy Properties, LLC, and Consultant Company, RPH Consulting, LLC, all needed to buy a product from BBB.  And, if we so desired, we could add an additional service for RPH's Foundation for Military and Veterans Affairs (the NGO).

If you understand business, you know what I was thinking! Here's another organization that's claiming to work in good faith between company and customer, trying to profits from businesses while claiming to represent consumers. 

This concept was and still is beyond me. Why would we pay for someone to determine whether we are operating on behalf of our customers? If we were to have a non-legal dispute, wouldn't it be better to settle with our customers, rather than pay a rolling fee to a organization to stand in the middle, then siphon it's operating costs for us?

"No go," I said, not explaining my rationale to the older gentleman. He then began to try to negotiate a better price. "No go," again.  Surprised, he turn to "Let me talk to my supervisor." At this point, I'm blown away.

In typical fashion, his supervisor called. "We're concerned that your company is engaging in MLM!" (A term that means Multi-Level-Marketing or a pyramid scheme). I explain kindly, we understand the affiliate marketing programs and strategies companies use to recruit salesforces, we help companies utilize this resource. I rattled off some of the large companies that we were promoting such as, Hewlett Packard (HP), Google, Microsoft, etc..

It was then clear to me, we had left the respiratory of a traditional small business mindset behind. We had jumped the small business theory of business and possessed a medium to large business standard operating procedures. 

However, the better business bureau (bbb) stuck in the dinosaur age and like a tick or leach, stuck on our businesses and many more like us. They keep a database, derived by internet searches from complaining consumers. They attempt to force businesses to pay their operating costs to clean up negative feedback.  We're supposed to pay them to address each issue or let us respond publicly, to what may or may not be legitimate comments or complaints.  Wow, what manipulation! 

If nothing else, we've learned from this experience, to choose our battles. More importantly, never engage with unscrupulous entities. Yes we are silent, but for only publicly but not in our diary of thoughts.

By Jeffrey Murphy, 

Founder and President 

Recession Proof Holdings, LLC

The Importance of Family Time

April 18, 2014

‘Here am I and the children … the Lord has given me!’ Isaiah 8:18 NKJV

You don’t have to spend huge amounts of money to have meaningful family life. Children love the most simple, repetitive kinds of activities. They want to be read the same stories hundreds of times, and hear the same jokes long after they’ve heard the punch lines. These interactions with parents are often more fun than expensive toys or special events.  Dr James Dobson says: ‘A friend of mine once asked his grown children what they remembered most fondly from their childhood. Was it the vacations they took together or trips to Disney World or the zoo? No, they told him.  It was when he would get down on the floor and wrestle with the four of them. They would gang-tackle the “old man” and laugh until their sides hurt. That’s the way children think. The most meaningful activities within families are often those that focus on that which is spontaneous and personal… Busy and exhausted mothers and fathers, especially those who are affluent, sometimes attempt to “pay off” their kids with toys, cars and expensive experiences. It rarely works. What girls and boys want most is time spent with their parents—building things in the garage or singing in the car or hiking to an old fishing pond.  No toy ... to be played with alone, can ever compete with the enjoyment of such moments ... And those moments will be remembered for a lifetime'.  You say, ‘But I’m so busy’.   If you’re too busy to get involved in the lives of your children, you’re too busy! Rearrange your priorities and start making some changes.

Time Management

"Manage Your Time, Manage Your Life"

Tuesday, 29 March 2016

'Walk in wisdom... redeeming the time.' Colossians 4:5 NKJV

One of your greatest possessions—is your next twenty-four hours. How will you spend them?  Will you allow television, pointless emails, unimportant tasks, your own impulses, the wrong people or other meaningless distractions to consume your day?  Or will you take control of your time and make today count?  Leadership experts say that focusing on the top 20 per cent of your priorities brings an 80 per cent return on your effort. So when you get up each morning, look in the mirror and say, ‘Today I’ll live my life according to God’s will, and give my energies to the things that help me fulfil it’.  The truth is, there’ll always be things vying for your attention. Advertisers want you to spend money on their products ... And have you noticed how people with nothing to do, usually want to spend their time with you?  Even your own desires can be so diverse and your focus so scattered that you aren’t sure what needs your attention first. That’s why you need to focus like a laser on your God-given purpose. Whatever you concentrate on, you give strength and momentum to. Your priorities determine how you spend your time, so set them prayerfully and maintain them carefully. Eliminate non-essentials. Those who tell you, ‘You can have it all’ are misguided. You can’t do everything you want to do, but you can do everything God wants you to do. You’ve got to choose! Success comes from doing the right things right, and letting the rest go. If you’re not sure what the right things are for you, imagine yourself looking back on your life years from now— which things would you regret not doing?

Developing Your Strengths

"Minor and Major Gifts"

Thursday, 24 March 2016

'God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.' Romans 12:6 NLT

To excel at anything, you must discover your major gifts and put them to work. One of Paul’s minor gifts was making tents to help support his ministry, but clearly his major gift was teaching and building churches. You say, ‘How can I discover my major gifts?’ 

(1) Get God’s input. Who knows the product better than the manufacturer?  You didn’t create yourself, so there’s no way you can tell yourself what you were created for.  But God can, and He will. ‘If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you … But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.  Do not waver ...’ (James 1:5–6 NLT)

 

(2) Commit for the long haul. When you were first learning to walk you spent more time on your bottom than on your feet.  But you succeeded. That’s because you were born to walk!  You may discover your major gifts quickly and easily, but developing them to their maximum potential will be the work of a lifetime. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. 

(3) Get feedback from the right people. Asking others for feedback isn’t always easy, but it’s essential to success. Never be too proud to seek help.  And if you’re a ‘loner’ here’s a Scripture you need to ponder:  ‘There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no ties with anyone’ (Judges 18:28 NKJV).  A word of caution, however:  Choose people who have no agenda other than to help you.

The Young

In the Age of Google DeepMind, Do the Young Go Prodigies of Asia Have a Future? — http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/in-the-age-of-google-deepmind-do-the-young-go-prodigies-of-asia-have-a-future?mbid=rss&utm_medium=App.net+Broadcast&utm_source=PourOver

Check out @RPH052012's Tweet: https://twitter.com/RPH052012/status/708018822540873728?s=09

Celebrating Women History Month

 “Oh, if I could but live another century and see the fruition of all the work for women. There is so much yet to be done.” – Suffragist Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906)

The consumer movement, trust-busting, the women’s movement, and the work of the FTC have traveled parallel (and often intersecting) paths. Women’s History Month offers us a chance to consider the contribution women have made to the mission of the FTC and the unprecedented moment in women’s history we’re witnessing at the FTC today.

At the start of the 20th century – before women won the right to vote – managing the household budget was the first step many women took toward economic empowerment. Their efforts fueled the drive for safer products and fair dealing.

From the beginning, the FTC has been committed to encouraging a competitive marketplace where truth prevails. Skim the first volume of FTC Decisions and you’ll see a surprising number of “shopping cart” cases – inferior coffee beans sold as mocha java, sweetheart deals that kept competing household goods off store shelves, and misleading testimonials for health products, to name just a few. Our law enforcement actions continue to target practices that hit Americans in the wallet.

How has the FTC maintained its consistent focus on unfair and deceptive practices that affect the day-to-day dollars-and-cents interests of consumers? We think some part of that may be due to the leadership of outstanding women. 

Appointed in 1964 by President Johnson, Mary Gardiner Jones was the first woman to be named an FTC Commissioner. Since then, 14 women have served as Commissioners. Janet D. Steiger was the first woman to be named Chairman, a position she held from 1989 to 1995.

And now to that moment of living history. We note that for the first time, all four sitting Commissioners – Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, Commissioner Julie Brill, Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen, and Commissioner Terrell McSweeny – are women. What’s more, the FTC’s three bureaus have women at the helm:  Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Jessica Rich, Bureau of Competition Director Deborah Feinstein, and Bureau of Economics Director Ginger Zhe Jin.

We think their efforts to protect the interests of all consumers give us a special reason to celebrate March as Women’s History Month

Microsoft and Linx

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/08/technology/microsoft-opens-its-corporate-data-software-to-linux.html

Letter from Senator

https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/view_newsletter.aspx?id=235538&c=quorum_kirk-iq

Working Canines

https://plus.google.com/+ATPWorldTour/posts/LQxPvQ5AZxL?_utm_source=1-2-2

I got tired (Inspiration)

0.00 | 1:15:57

Rural America

Connecting Folks to Their Food: Farm Aid’s Homegrown.org — http://modernfarmer.com/2016/01/farm-aid-homegrown-org/?utm_medium=App.net+Broadcast&utm_source=PourOver

Dynamics and Challenges of Business Growth

Growth has traditionally been regarded by academics as the stage of the business lifecycle that follows market entry. Many small companies that were founded during the recent "age of the entrepreneur" have never made it to this next stage, usually due to stagnation or failure. To advance to the growth stage and stay there, all the challenges and changes caused by sustained growth must be well managed, which is no easy task.

Business growth is truly a two-edged sword. When it's controlled and well managed it has the potential of providing tremendous rewards to the managers and shareholders of your company. But when growth is poorly planned and uncontrolled, it often leads to financial distress and failure. Rapid growth for many companies is the only way to survive in highly competitive industries, such as technology, telecommunications and E-commerce. These companies are faced with a choice of either acting quickly to capture additional market share and build brand recognition or sitting on the sidelines and watching others play the game. But do these competitive conditions justify unplanned and unbridled growth, where sound management, legal and accounting principles are disregarded? Certainly not.

Your business's need to grow must be tempered by the need to understand that meaningful, long-term, profitable growth is the by-product of effective management and planning. A strategy that focuses on sensible and logical growth dictates that a balance be created. You must achieve the organizational flexibility to quickly seize on market opportunities, adapt to changes in the marketplace and develop creative solutions for problems that arise within the context of a controlled and well-managed expansion plan. Failure to create this balance will result in a vulnerability to attack by competitors, creditors, hostile employees and creative takeover specialists.

A commitment to properly grow your company will invariably trigger the need for management to undertake greater risks. These risks must be managed from a legal perspective. So, too, must the changes that your emerging-growth business is likely to experience in its structure, products and services, markets and capital requirements. Growth means that you'll be hiring employees, and they'll be looking to your company's top management for leadership.

Growth means that your management will become increasingly decentralized, which may create greater levels of internal politics, protectionism and dissention over the goals and projects that your company should pursue. Growth means that market share will expand, calling for new strategies for dealing with larger competitors. Growth also means that you'll require additional capital, creating new responsibilities to shareholders, investors and institutional lenders Accelerated growth will mean that the risks and changes will occur with greater frequency and with more serious implications.

The requirements and restrictions imposed by the law that affect most business objectives and transactions will typically retard the rate at which your company can grow. The delays caused by legal drafting and negotiation of documents, filings with regulators and meeting statutory requirements, however, are unavoidable and a cost of doing business. Since the law is not likely to go away, take the time to learn the fundamental legal issues that govern your plans and strategies. The specific legal requirements will depend on:  the market segments and industry sectors in which your business operates;  the exact stage of your company's development;  your business's the current and projected capital needs; and  the types of barriers that your company must overcome to achieve its objectives.

Why Do You Want to Grow? A key question to ask is, "What is motivating my desire to grow?" For most entrepreneurs, it comes down to fear, greed or ego, as set forth below. Fear. This may be fear of the competition, technological innovation, becoming obsolete, becoming (or staying) unprofitable, losing key employees, rapidly changing marketing conditions, or just be a general fear of being left out or left behind as a company. These fears become the motivator to grow and remain competitive and viable.

These fears may also manifest themselves into specific growth strategies or influence what paths or new markets the company chooses to penetrate. Greed. The desire to be the biggest, the best, the market leader, the most profitable, the fastest growing, or the highest in profile within the industry can be a strong motivator. The focus is on increasing revenues and profits, maximizing shareholder value and maintaining very aggressive rates of growth.

Companies in this mindset are more likely to choose the capital markets or acquisitions as their preferred method of growth. Ego. This is a more dangerous strategy than being motivated by fear or greed. This type of company has a strong need and desire to be loved by its customers and its employees, even at potential cost to its shareholders. It is very focused on building brand loyalty, long-term customer relationships, and strong vendor and distribution channels. It may have a larger marketing and public relations budget than its competitors and is more likely to be a media favorite and household name, even if it is not the darling of Wall Street.

These companies typically enjoy entering into strategic relationships with others and helping to build wealth and are more likely to grow through franchising, licensing, joint ventures or even multi-level marketing. The Challenges of Growing Too Quickly It's natural for a successful business to grow, but some small companies, flushed with early successes, try to grow too quickly. They launch new lines of business, expand into unfamiliar regions, hire layers of employees and sign expensive leases.

When growth is not based on careful planning and efficient use of resources, expansion can rapidly spin out of control. These signs of impending trouble can show up early or late in the process: The decision to expand is based more on instinct than on sound financial analysis, market studies or economic conditions. Servicing the debt you assume to expand begins to consume the added cash flow. You find yourself becoming a stranger to key employees, who have been hired by someone else in the firm. Mounting overhead is squeezing other vital expenditures.

The expansion is generating more media attention or vanity satisfaction for the owner than net profit. Bureaucracy mushrooms: more memos, meetings, manuals and buck-passing. Less business, service and decision-making. How to Evaluate Your Expansion Plans To protect your company from the dangers of unwise or poorly planned growth, run your plans through these checks. Consider the possibility that your company is expanding in too many directions at once, seeking too large a geographical market, too much market share and too many groups or types of customers with too many different products. Sticking to what you do best is often the surest route to growth.

Federal Express doesn't make hamburgers and McDonald's doesn't deliver packages. Carefully assess your motivations. Growth motivated by ego (you "must have" the target company), an excess of cash or an assumption that the company can carry a lot of debt rarely succeeds. Be sure your financial systems can handle the demands of the expansion. That means cash flow, receivables and payables, inventory management, benefits and pension plans, compensation and shareholders' plans. Be sure your current management structure is capable of handling the expansion. For instance, a hierarchical company in which managers have limited autonomy or decision-making responsibility may not be flexible enough.

RPH

The Word For Today

Thursday, 3 September 2015

"Go on a Complaining Fast"

‘… do not complain …’. (James 5:9 NCV)

Whatever you keep doing becomes a habit. That’s why James says, ‘… do not complain …’ Author Jon Gordon says, ‘A complaining fast won’t just make everyone around you happier … you’ll experience more joy, peace, success and positive relationships.’ So instead of complaining when things go wrong: 
1) Practice gratitude.   Giving thanks for three blessings every day energizes you and makes you feel happier.   It’s impossible to be grateful and negative at the same time. 
2) Encourage others.  Instead of complaining about what people do wrong, focus on what they’re doing right.    ‘…encourage … people who are afraid. Help those who are weak.  Be patient with everyone’ (1 Thessalonians 5:14 NCV).   It’s okay to criticize people’s weaknesses as long as you balance it with three times more praise. 
3) Focus on your success.  Start a success journal.   Every night before you go to bed, write down something great about your day.    It could be an uplifting conversation … or an accomplishment you’re proud of. There’s truth to the old saying, ‘Nothing succeeds like success'.   When you focus on success you set the stage for more to follow. 
4) Learn to let go.  Instead of obsessing about what you can’t change, focus on what you can influence.   When you stop trying to control everything and place your life in God’s hands, things have a way of working out. 
5) Use the power of prayer.  Paul says, ‘…pray … on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests …’ (Ephesians 6:18 NIV).   Prayer reduces stress, boosts positive energy, and promotes health. When you’re under pressure, instead of complaining, plug into God’s power and recharge your batteries. Amen.‎

Chinese rushing into physical gold in huge volume as stocks crash

A simple truth;

Owning paper “Gold ETF’s” or “Gold Certificates” is like holding a receipt for a parachute

in a crashing plane.

Posted on 23 June 2015

The first signs of a rush to convert financial assets into physical gold in China have emerged with a spike in physical gold payouts at the Shanghai gold exchanges.

Withdrawals of physical gold from the Shanghai Gold Exchange and Shanghai International Gold Exchange jumped 41 percent in the trading week 8-12th June from the previous week, while year-to-date withdrawals are up 20 per cent to an incredible 1,061 tones.

Massive rotation

To put that figure into perspective, that is higher than China’s entire last officially declared gold reserve. It represents a massive conversion of paper assets into bars of the precious metal.

The 8-12th June gold rush came before the Shanghai Composite began to sell-off late last week, quickly entering a bear market with stocks down more than 20 percent. How much paper gold trading has been converted into the physical stuff in this market collapse?

The shift into physical gold earlier this month looks like the smart money getting out ahead of the herd. But where else can Chinese investors park their cash in an emergency?

Their fear must surely be that another deluge of money printing will be the response of the authorities. Chinese inflation has already been epic since the global financial crisis and the money printing that followed, just go there and buy things to find out.

Bubble profits

Indeed the stock market bubble itself is a product of money printing. Investors wishing to protect themselves from the next blast of inflation, or actually to profit from it are buying gold.

How long before this begins to affect headline gold prices? Surely as the stock market tanks we will not have to wait until the next batch of figures confirms what was happening in early June.

http://www.arabianmoney.net/gold-silver/2015/06/23/chinese-rushing-into-physical-gold-in-huge-volume-as-stocks-crash/

The Small Business Expo-Chicago Navy Pier

North-South Skirmish Association

North-South Skirmish Association

Thumb Tack

Thumb Tack is a search engine that allows the customer to search by location.  They basically interview the provider of services and allow the consumer to make an educated decision to utilize the offered services.

 

Recession Proof Holdings, LLC has joined the free service and encourage you to give it an evaluation along with a review of our services.

 

They can be found by following this link: Recession Proof Holdings, LLC

USA.Gov

Don’t Get Scammed by Investment Fraud on the Internet

Don’t Get Scammed by Investment Fraud on the Internet

From the Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Social media and the Internet have become important tools for investors — providing not only a wealth of information for investors, but also opportunities for those looking to take advantage of innocent victims.

Scam artists use social media and the Internet to conduct complex frauds and schemes that even the most seasoned investor may have trouble detecting.  They spread false or misleading information, and conceal their identities or even impersonate credible sources of market information.  

Below are five tips to help you avoid investment fraud on social media and the Internet:

Be Wary of an Unsolicited Offer to Invest — If you receive an unsolicited message from someone you do not know regarding a “can’t miss investment,” pass up the offer and consider reporting it to the SEC.

Look out for Affinity Fraud — Never make an investment based solely on the recommendation of a member of an organization or group to which you belong.  You should use independent information to evaluate any financial opportunity, even those recommended by people you know.

Research the Investment and the Investment Professional — Never rely solely on a testimonial or take a promoter’s word at face value in making an investment.  You can check out many investments using the SEC’s EDGAR database or your state’s securities regulator. You can check out registered investment advisers at the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website and registered brokers at the BrokerCheck website of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Be Thoughtful about Privacy and Security Settings — Unless you guard your personal information, it may be available to anyone with access to the Internet — including fraudsters.  If you use social media websites as a tool for investing, be aware of the features on these websites that help you protect your privacy and personal information.

Ask Questions and Check out Everything — Be skeptical and research every aspect of an offer before making a decision.  It’s your money and if you don’t understand something, ask questions until you are satisfied.

For additional information for investors, visit Investor.gov, the SEC’s website for individual investors.

Sign up for Office of Investor Education and Advocacy Investor Alerts and Bulletins by email  orRSS feed. Follow OIEA on Twitter @SEC_Investor_Ed.  Like OIEA on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/secinvestoreducation.    

The Office of Investor Education and Advocacy has provided this information as a service to investors.  It is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of SEC policy.  If you have questions concerning the meaning or application of a particular law or rule, please consult with an attorney who specializes in securities law.