OPERANNG OPPORTUNITIES

WALLY LYNCH Paid Associates PO. Box

741623 Dallas, Tx.75243 ll o vnrrER what the florecasters l! and prognosticators say about next year, sales and profits will still be generated by the effective use of people and assets. The fittest will survive.

Here are 10 questions (with comments) to help you determine how your people and assets were employed this past year:

(1) Did your company own and make available to all employees a college level text book on retailing?

(lfyou answer no, you're running a space station without an owner's manual.)

(2) What formal classes or seminars relevant to your business did You and/or your management attend?

(Doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. are all required to hone their skills.)

Other than on the job training and indoctrination, how manY hours of formal (non supplier) training were provided by your company for each of your employees?

(Grow people and the rest will follow.)

How many employee suggestions to improve your operation were received and/or adopted bY Your company?

(When I talk. I don't learn anYthing.)

Excluding public relations and incentive travel plans, how much was spent to tell your customers whY they should buy goods and services from your company?

(How can anyone know how good you are unless someone takes the time and makes the effort to tell them.)

What are the names of your customers who consistently appear on the list of Receivables over 60 days old?

(Most companies lose all Profits somewhere between 30and60 daYs.)

Did you read the clocks on your fork lifts so that you knew how manY hours per week each was used?

(Effective is 25 to 30 hours Per unit per 5 day week.)

How many items (other than sPecial orders and which ones were they?) produced less than four unit sales each ?

(Turnover at 8 to l0 times is verY doable; average is 6 times.)

(9) Using Delivered Sales onlY, on average. how much in dollar sales was delivered with each of the company's trucks?

(Over $1,500,000 is verY doable Per 2 to 2-1/2 ton truck.)

(10) How much were the comPanY's non-payroll taxes?

(One examplesales of $1,500'000 at 2o/o pre-tax, non-PaYroll taxes were $10,000. ComPanY's first $500,000 in sales was needed to pay these taxesone-third of its annual volume.)

There are no right or wrong answers, just your answers. Whatever you come up with, you will be better off if Your people and assets are more deftly employed each year.

Good-Lookine WoodSellsltsilf

Given the choice of clean or moldy .'l'ood, your cuskrmercu'ill preflerthebrightern'ood eve4' ttme. For ther goori mone1,,, moldy u'ood just doesnt ltasf fP Fre'^shlv CCA prersire-treaied lumber is highly susceptible "to blacli mold. Especially u'hen-it's treated nou'forspmg delirery But" ififs treatedu'rth rnprov-edstrength'\loldex"'. it always slays gleqr.r and bright' R.eoue.st from t our su ppliers \ loldex-treated u'ood thdt displal's itre Good-l-ooking \\'ood-label on each bundle. Thht uar: the wood you order for lreatment todrl'uill arrive next spring frt'e of mold.

For more ffirmation aboutThe Good-trnking Wcrod, call 1-800 421-8661, Toll Free. Or urite usat CSf One Wxlcllaun Green,CharlotteJC r"r,:!