Welcome to ForestNet

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To cut down on users' hunting and waiting time, networks have been formed to provide "one-stop shopping" for particular topics or industries. ForestNet, for example, provides general Internet access, plus a personal E-mail account, news and finance reports (including publications such as Crow's), a marketplace (where companies can post or investigate notices about offerings or needs), discussion groups, and shareware (software offered for sale or swap).

A typical user might log on to keeP track of lumber and panel prices; advertise products, services, even job openings; find new vendors; peruse their catalogs, or simply to converse with others in the industry.

But with the Internet craze in full frenzy, year-old ForestNet is no longer alone. Random Lengths expects to start up an electronic bulletin board service for its weekly price guide this month. VantagePoint, Amarillo, Tx., is introducing an online directory for building products retailers and wholesalers to post and peruse company profiles and listings of products and services. Another wood products industrY bulletin board. based in California, is in the formative stages.

McGraw Hill/F.W. Dodge now has Dodge Dataline, linking subscribers to daily reports on new building projects and changes in ongoing projects' Reports can be called uP bY Project type, location, size, stage of development, valuation, owner, etc.

The Building IndustrY Exchange Foundation's new on-line service pro- lliii.ij-i.l ETTTJ Softv.re filei mv vides a vast source of building industry resources, references and communication. Features include a publications directory, Career & Employment Center, Health & Safety Center, Education & Training Center, Environmental Protection Center, Advertising & Marketing Center, Government & Legislation Center, a TalentBank of industry professionals, and a

Story at a Glance

What the Internet holds for the lumber industry what it can do now and in the future for your business.

Virtual Industrial Park of businesses, people and products in 47 classifications, including architecture, engineering, construction, real estate, manufacturin g and associations.

HYGNet is a new network for the Home, Yard and Garden industrY. The service also custom designs Web Pages, with graphics and audio clips.

The second current problem with conducting financial transactions over the Internet is security. Methods of encrypting transaction messages are still in development, with experts predicting it will take 12 to l8 months for any to begin to catch on.

For ForestNet and other industryspecific networks to become forces in the industry, they need a huge base of buyers and sellers. Subscribers have been entering cautiously. Predictably, says Desmond, the lumber industry is very traditional and slow to change. "The biggest hurdle is people who stopped purchasing computers with a 286," he explains.

Desmond looks five years into the future: The local lumber retailer begins his morning by sitting at his computer and bringing up a list of his current inventory. At the push of a button he receives a list of every product that has fallen below preset stocking limits. By clicking another icon, he initiates a nationwide search for the best deals on the products needed, with his computer working out the details with the suppliers' computers.

"It's coming and I think people are going to be surprised (at how much business will be done over the computer)," Desmond muses. "But people who are used to writing things down on a yellow pad of paper are going to be completely left out of these technological breakthroughs and it's going to be pretty difficult for them to compete."

Beginning in September, the National Housewares Manufacturers Association will open NHMA Online. The electronic bulletin board includes E-mail and access to the Internet as well as to industry news, the associaE mall The Merchant Mdgazir,e on he I nlemet. at alwick@beachnef fTREDIT losses are inevitable in lU"u"* business. Even if you do business in what ordinarily is thought of as cash (cash, credit cards and checks received at the time of sale), losses are possible through counterfeit currency, fraudulent use of credit cards and bad checks. ttCash and Carrvt'

The extent of granting credit by a business can be put in three broad categories: "cash and carry," limited credit and expanded credit.

Credit card losses can be minimized by following the rules of the credit card company for preauthorization, verifying that the user of the card is the person named on the card, etc. Bad checks can be minimized by recording information on the check from the customer's bank

Story at a Glance

Safeguards vs. credit losses ... tips on qualification, verification and authorization.

guarantee card or picture identification, such as a driver's license; comparing the picture to the person presenting it, and refusing to take thirdparty checks, counter checks and checks without the customer's name and address being imprinted. Check verification or guarantee services could be used on some or all checks.

A check verification system, such as Checkrite, uses a credit card terminal on which data from the check is input to a remote computer. Information from the system will advise whether the writer of the check has a history of bad checks. The monthly cost varies, but usually is up to $20 per month plus the costs for the terminal and telephone.

One check guarantee service is Telecheck. The MICR data encoded on the check is electronically submitted by an authorization terminal to Tele-Check's computer. The service promptly responds, approving or declining to guarantee the check. The cost varies depending on volume. You could also obtain information on local lenders eager to loan money to your customer. You could then pass on the information to your customer, who could borrow money to buy your goods. For example, ifyour customer has a do-iryourself home improvement project under way, local