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Today I was able to catch up with Gary Key who is a Technical Marketing Manager for ASUS to ask him a few questions about Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview 3.

James : Thanks for your time Gary. As a Technical Marketing Manager, how have you been involved with the release of Internet Explorer Platform Preview 3?

Gary : It’s really exciting to be involved! ASUS has been providing both mainstream and cutting edge hardware to Microsoft to ensure the best possible user experience with Internet Explorer 9. Not only have we been supplying exciting hardware for testing but we’ve also been providing input and feedback on how to make IE9 perform its absolute best on ASUS products.

James : You said that it’s been exciting being involved with Platform Preview 3. What’s been most exciting for you?

Gary : Here at ASUS we’ve been at the forefront of netbook and notebook innovation by providing the type of CPU and graphical processing power that Internet Explorer 9 thrives on. For example, we shipped the first Intel Atom dual-core with NVIDIA ION powered netbooks, NVIDIA 3D Vision enabled notebooks and one of the first DX11 gaming notebooks powered by ATI’s Mobility Radeon HD 5870 GPU. It’s this type of power that enables IE9 to provide an extremely responsive and interactive user experience on the Web. ASUS’ continued commitment to provide excellent CPU and GPU performance in its mobile products along with Microsoft’s innovative use of hardware acceleration in IE9 will help to create an unlimited possibilities for new Web applications that are both graphically and functionally rich.

James : You mentioned some of your innovative hardware. I’ve had my eye on your U30Jc or UL80Vt notebooks. How will they perform with the latest Platform Preview?

Gary : Thanks to the Intel dual-core processor and discreet graphics performance of the NVIDIA mobile GPU chipset in either notebook the user experience with Internet Explorer 9 will be incredible. In fact, even our AMD based Eee PC 1201T netbook will provide enough graphical and CPU processing power to ensure the user has a terrific web experience with IE9.

James : How about elsewhere in your range? Is there a price point or a particular type of machine I should be looking for?

Gary : We have a vast number of new mobile products launching this summer that are built with Internet Explorer 9 in mind. Everything from our upcoming Eee PC 1215N netbook and slim and light U35Jc notebook to the new 3D capable Republic of Gamers G53 gaming notebook will offer users a rich and interactive internet experience with IE9.

James : So do I need to buy a new notebook or workstation to take advantage of the hardware acceleration in Internet Explorer 9?

Gary : Not at all. We’ve been using discrete graphics and multi-core processors in most of our machines since we started shipping Windows Vista and Windows 7 machines so Internet Explorer 9 will be able to take advantage of that horsepower too. Of course, buying a new shiny notebook with an aluminum body never hurts does it?

James : You’re really trying to talk me into that U30Jc aren’t you? One last thing, what’s your favorite Platform Preview 3 demo on the www.ietestdrive.com site and why?

Gary : That’s a very difficult question to answer. I really do not have a single favorite Internet Explorer Platform Preview 3 demo as they all show how the combination of IE9 and the processing power available in ASUS mobile products will provide a uniquely rich, responsive and interactive Web experience for the user. However, I would have to say during testing that we probably ran the Flickr Explorer demo the most as it truly displayed the power of our current and upcoming mobile products when using IE9.

James : Gary thank you so much for your time.

Gary : It’s been a pleasure.

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foreclosure homes

For example, the "official" unemployment figure is about 14 percent in the state of Michigan right now.  But if you actually believe that 86 percent of able-bodied workers in the state of Michigan are employed, then perhaps you would be interested in an offer to purchase the Golden Gate Bridge as well.

Elliott Parker, an economist at the University of Nevada, Reno says that the record-setting unemployment numbers in Nevada are just part of a larger trend.... 

"Nevada has been losing jobs since March 2008, and we are continuing to do so."

But where the state of Nevada and the city of Las Vegas have really been hammered is in the housing industry.

It is estimated that a whopping 65 percent of all homes in the state of Nevada are underwater.

Let that sink in for a bit.

65 percent of all home owners with a mortgage in the state of Nevada owe more than their homes are worth.

Talk about an implosion.

Nationally, the number of homes that are "underwater" is about 24 percent.  That is an all-time record for the entire nation, but it doesn't come anywhere close to the nightmare that is unfolding in Nevada and in Las Vegas.

And the number of foreclosures taking place in Nevada is absolutely breathtaking.

According to RealtyTrac, Nevada is still ranked number one for foreclosure filings.  In fact, one out of every 79 Nevada homes received a foreclosure filing in the month of May alone. 

Nevada’s foreclosure rate is now five times the national average.

By just about any measure, the economy of Nevada is a complete and total disaster.

A reader recently sent an email describing the economic horror that is unfolding in Las Vegas.  No matter what you may think about the city, the truth is that it is sad to see any great U.S. city fall to pieces like this....

"Las Vegas is a goner. The homeless population is out of control. The real estate is far worse than I have seen in the media (no surprise there). The towers of condos are ninety five percent vacant with zero activity. The streets and parks are in decline. Local governments are busy making cuts and fighting unions. When I ride the streets they are deserted, a big change from 2006. The major casino companies have all but moved the casinos out of Nevada. Rooms and restaurants have been closing for years, even while they finished the new projects. The entire town is a skeleton staff providing substandard service and decaying properties. I still work for one of the majors which is in bankruptcy. When the next wave hits there is nowhere to cut. It will be a game of dominoes with the Wynn properties the only ones left standing. I see the ninety nine cent breakfast making a comeback. The bullet train a day late and a few billion dollars short."

So is there any hope for Las Vegas?

Well, if the U.S. economy gets back up off of the operating table and roars back to life there is little doubt that millions of Americans would once again soon be flying there to gamble away their discretionary income.

But the truth is that any "revival" that is going to happen in Vegas is going to be very short-lived.

The U.S. economy as a whole is caught in a death spiral, and we are about to see a repeat of the housing crash that devastated Las Vegas so badly the first time around.

No, there really isn't any way that the death of Las Vegas can be avoided.  Just like the U.S. economy as a whole, it is inevitably doomed.  The numbers don't lie.

The grand total of all government, corporate and consumer debt in the United States is now equal to 360 percent of GDP.  That is a far greater level than the U.S. ever approached during the Great Depression.

The entire U.S. economy is a house of cards built on a gigantic pile of debt and paper money, and it is only a matter of time until it all comes crashing down.

But of course that isn't stopping the U.S. government from spending even more money and getting us all into even more debt.

According to a recent Treasury Department report to Congress, the U.S. national debt will top $13.6 trillion this year and climb to an estimated $19.6 trillion by 2015.

But as many of you who have experienced this on a personal level know, getting into continually increasing amounts of debt never ends well.

So do any of you have a tale to tell about the city where you live?  Do you find yourself caught in the middle of an economic nightmare?  Feel free to leave a comment telling us what is happening in your area of the United States....

Don't Miss: 20 Cities That Have Completely Missed The Recovery

"That's a very good thing," said Thomas Lawler, an independent housing economist in Virginia. But he noted that even with that positive trend, "you are highly likely to see an acceleration in the number of actual completed foreclosures."

Lenders are offering to help some homeowners modify their loans. But many borrowers can't qualify or they are falling back into default. The Obama administration's $75 billion foreclosure prevention effort has made only a small dent in the problem.

About 25 percent of the 1.2 million homeowners who started the program over the past year had received permanent loan modifications as of April. About 23 percent of those enrolled dropped out during a trial phase that lasts at least three months. Many more are in limbo.

Among states, Nevada posted the highest foreclosure rate in May. One in every 79 households there received a foreclosure notice. However, foreclosures there are down 16 percent from a year earlier.

Arizona, Florida, California and Michigan were next among states with the highest foreclosure rates. Rounding out the top 10 were Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Utah and Maryland.

Las Vegas continued to be the city with the nation's highest foreclosure rate, but activity there was down 18 percent from a year earlier. And nine out of the top 10 cities with the highest foreclosure rates posted annual declines. The exception was the Vallejo-Fairfield area in California, where foreclosures were up 1 percent from a year ago.

Foreclosed homes are typically sold at steep discounts, lowering the value of surrounding properties. That's a concern for local communities, and a drag on the economic recovery.

In recent months, home prices have started to sink again after stabilizing last summer. Economists at Goldman Sachs predicted in a report last week that prices will fall about 3 percent nationally over the next year, with the largest declines in cities where mortgage defaults are rising.

"The housing market remains plagued by enormous excess supply," wrote Goldman economist Sven Jari Stehn.

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foreclosure list

Foreclosure Mediation Programs Succeed Across The Country — Will Pawlenty Give Minnesota’s A Chance?

Today, across the country, mortgage mediation programs aimed at helping struggling homeowners stay in their homes are getting underway. Programs are launching in Maryland, as well as Florida’s 6th and 10th judicial circuits — encompassing Pasco, Pinellas, Hardee, Highlands, and Polk counties — while Cook County, Illinois is beginning a huge round of outreach for its burgeoning program.

In all, “the number of jurisdictions with foreclosure mediation programs is nearly double the number a year ago, with jurisdictions in 21 states now offering foreclosure mediation or negotiation programs.” Not on this list, however, is Minnesota, where Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) saw fit to veto a program last year.

The Minnesota state senate recently passed the bill again, sending it to the state House, so Pawlenty could very well get a second shot soon. And there’s simply no reason for him to oppose the program, as mediation — during which a bank meets face-to-face with a borrower, often in the presence of a judge and housing advocates, to try and forge a mortgage modification or other arrangement that prevents a foreclosure — is one of the most successful methods of helping struggling borrowers stay in their homes.

Connecticut’s mediation program, for instance, has kept 60 percent of its borrowers out of foreclosure. Philadelphia’s success rate is also 60 percent, while Nevada claims an 85 percent success rate:

About 80 percent of homeowners at risk of losing their homes don’t engage in any efforts to negotiate with their lender. And those who do so on their own often run into a bureaucratic mess, including hours on hold, lost records, and customer service representatives who know nothing about the borrower’s situation. Mediation helps to ensure that situations like that don’t happen.

“These new protections empower our fellow Marylanders, putting them on a more equal footing with mortgage companies that too often can’t be bothered to pick up the phone before beginning a foreclosure proceeding against a Maryland family,” said Governor Martin O’Malley (D). And lest Pawlenty think this is a purely partisan issue, it has also won the praise of Gov. Jodi Rell (R-CT). “Clearly, mediation is an effective tool homeowners can use to ward off foreclosure,” she said. “This program is a beacon of hope for hard-pressed homeowners and a real alternative for lenders.”

In mediation, there’s no requirement for a lender to accommodate a borrower, but it’s often the case that preventing a foreclosure is in the best financial interest of both the borrower and the lender. As CAP’s Andrew Jakabovics and Alon Cohen wrote, “the simple act of participating in mediation consistently yields solutions short of foreclosure that are acceptable to both sides.” Hopefully, should the Minnesota legislature do the right thing and create a program, Pawlenty will allow it to stand.

Michael McNamara, Vice President, Research and Analysis for SpendingPulse, observes Consumer Takes a Respite as Spending in Many Sectors Declines.

The momentum in consumer spending that was building through the first quarter, seems to be taking a breather in the second quarter of 2010, at least so far. Financial volatility in the capital markets and ongoing macroeconomic issues could account for this shadow cast over the recovery in consumer spending. Some sectors seem to be responding to specific disruptive events, such as the expiration of the Federal housing tax credits, where previously we'd noticed a beneficial "echo" effect on housing related categories such as Furniture and Furnishings.

In addition, Memorial Day occurring a week later than it did last year, could have pushed some spending into June, 2010. Nevertheless, we continue to see strength in pricing, and in most categories, we are registering solid increases in the SpendingPulse Price Index, indicating that inventories continue to be aligned to demand, and retailers have not had to return to steep discounting.

Price Wars

In response to Michael McNamara's statement "retailers have not had to return to steep discounting" I counter with Foreclosure Life Raft; Price Wars at Walmart; Electrical Demand Drops Two Straight Years, First Since 1949.

Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, others are clearly in the midst of price wars hoping to capture market share.

YouTube Commentary From McNamara

Here’s a short YouTube video with additional commentary from Michael McNamara.



Factors in Spending Respite

McNamara discusses several factors in the spending respite.

• Some Memorial Day sales falling into June instead of May. This may benefit June sales.
• Financial market volatility impacts big ticket items and durable goods.
• The end of $8,000 housing tax credits pushed forward big ticket spending items like furniture and appliance.
  

Spending Trends

Interestingly, apparel sales and footwear showed a significant decline although online apparel sales were up 20-30% depending on category.

Furniture sales were down 9% compared to a year ago. This was in spite of a mini-rush to buy housing ahead of the expiring tax credit. Perhaps we see a bump in furniture and appliance sales in June or July after some of those home purchases close, but that will be the last hurrah in my opinion.

Luxury retail spending showed an increase of 9.7% compared to May of last year. Luxury sales reflect a recovery in the financial markets as opposed to the real world job loss recovery that most experience.

Moreover, comparisons for luxury sales going forward start to get harder going forward.

Finally, McNamara notes that "eCommerce growth is moving well ahead of brick and mortar sales at +13.7% year over year". Sales tax avoidance anyone?

Expect to see more weakness going forward as housing tax credits expire and other stimulus efforts diminish just in time for the November elections.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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managing personal finances

Women are becoming more knowledgeable about finances, becoming more confident managing their own investments and talking more openly about moneywith their kids, colleagues and peers. This, according to new research conducted by Citi's Women & Company.



I recently chatted with Lisa Caputo, president and CEO of Women & Co, and she says that it's about the recession and its aftermath. "Women are ushering in this new era of responsibility. They're stepping into the role of 'Chief Financial Officer' and building quality lives for themselves and their families."



They're going to graduate school. Starting companies. Becoming breadwinners. Even outgrowing the number of men in the workforce -- for the first time in American history. "We're taking the financial lead," says Caputo, "and becoming more empowered."



Here's how you can do it -- at any age:







In Your 20s

Time is on your side - use it to build a solid financial foundation.Start living on a budget, identifying financial goals and putting a plan in motion, and most importantly, setting aside income, says Caputo. Ideally, aim to set aside 15% of your gross salary. Not possible? This money doesn't have to come out of your pocket so it's not be as painful as it seems. For example, say you're single, and making $50,000 a year. If you have just $250 a month of pretax dollars automatically deducted from your paycheck, and deposited in your company's 401K plan, and if your company matches those contributions (50 cents on the dollar up to 6% of your salary), you're already more than halfway there!



In your 30s

Set up an emergency fund (ideally, 6 months worth of living expenses), max out the contributions, and "define your investment strategy and structure a well diversified portfolio," says Caputo.That may require your working with a financial advisor, particularly since you're probably having a tough time budgeting given your new status (married? kids?). You can find one through napfa.org.



In your 40s

You may be juggling the needs of a growing family and aging parents, but don't take a break from retirement savings. And think about protecting your legacy, says Caputo. "We're talking wills, naming guardians for small children, and getting life insurance if you have dependents."



In Your 50s

This is when you want to get serious about crunching the numbers -- specifically, estimating your retirement expenses and your projected income.There are calculators on the web to help you do this. Once you're age 50, you can add an extra $5,500 in catch-up contributions to your 401(k); IRA savers can throw in another $1,000. Take advantage of this. Caputo says you should also rebalance your portfolio, and review your life insurance coverage at this age.



In Your 60s

You're eligible to collect Social Security benefits beginning at age 62 -- the median retirement age -- but if you can wait a few years the payouts will be bigger. In fact, every year you delay drawing Social Security between age 62 and 70 increases your eventual payout by about 8% a year. Just something to think about, says Caputo, who also suggests you go back to budgeting basics as you learn to live on a fixed income, and that you additionally update your estate plans.

Last week, VentureBeat reported that Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk personally running low on cash, a fact he disclosed in court papers as part of his divorce proceedings. We asked if the company, which is seeking to go public, should have included those facts in its filings with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Now, the company has responded, by way of a revised S-1 form filed today.

In an article crediting VentureBeat’s reporting with prompting the newly amended filing, the Wall Street Journal points to language added to address Musk’s finances:

“While Mr. Musk has historically provided a significant amount of the funds required for our operations, we have not received any funding from Mr. Musk in the past 12 months and are no longer dependent on the financial resources of Mr. Musk to fund our expected growth given the funds available under DOE Loan Facility [the $465 million in low-interest loan provided via the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program] and the expected proceeds of this offering and the concurrent private placement with Toyota. We do not believe that Mr. Musk’s personal financial situation has any impact on us.”

In that same section, the S-1 delves into Musk’s divorce proceedings, which, as we have previously reported, could potentially reduce his holdings in Tesla as well as his other ventures, SpaceX and SolarCity:

“Mr. Musk is currently engaged in divorce proceedings and previously entered into a post-nuptial agreement which provides that the holdings of the trust, including Mr. Musk’s shares of our capital stock, shall remain solely his property. This post-nuptial agreement has been upheld by the Superior Court of Los Angeles though such decision may be subject to an appeal. However, we do not believe that Mr. Musk would have to liquidate a significant percentage of his holdings in order to satisfy any settlement reached in connection with such proceedings.”

The company’s “we do not believe” statement might not be a strong enough assurance for shareholders. Right now, Tesla’s success appears to hinge on the $465 million loan it received from the U.S Department of Energy. Drawing down that loan is how the company plans to buy the NUMMI automotive plant in Fremont, Calif., needed to manufacture both its Model S sedan and future vehicles it may build in tandem with Toyota, one of the plant’s current owners. But this loan is dependent on Musk being able to retain at least 65 percent of his current stake in Tesla. If he doesn’t, the company defaults on the loan.

“If the DOE loan is dependent on Musk retaining a certain percentage of Tesla, there is no guarantee that this won’t happen due to the divorce settlement,” says Dallas Kachan, managing partner of cleantech consultancy Kachan & Co. “Investors should bear that in mind.”

This is the type of information that could impact potential shareholders’ decisionmaking, Kachan says. And this type of personal disclosure isn’t all that uncommon in SEC filings, when potentially relevant to shareholders.

What may concern shareholders more than whether Musk can continue to personally keep Tesla afloat is that he is currently actively running two companies, Tesla and SpaceX, while also remaining involved in SolarCity, dealing with a personal cash crunch and navigating a rocky divorce. That’s a lot to be juggling at any one time.

Incidentally, the S-1 notes that under Tesla’s agreement with Daimler, a major Tesla investor and partner, if Musk decides to step down from his post at Tesla — an event that seems unlikely for now, then Daimler will have veto power over the company’s selection of a successor as Tesla CEO.

Tesla Motors couldn’t comment directly on its decisions to update its filings, due to SEC rules for companies planning an initial public offering. In the meantime, however, it’s to the company’s credit that it decided to clarify all of these issues in writing.

Next Story: Facebook promotes Bret Taylor to CTO less than a year after FriendFeed acquisition Previous Story: Swingvine launches location-enabled photo app

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Everyone is exposed to finance at one time or another -- be it in either their personal or professional lives. Personal finance, finance and managing your money is somewhat scary and daunting for a lot of people, so if you are one of these people then look no further as here is just a bit of guidance and a few suggestions as to how you can manage personal finance.

1. Know what you are dealing with and what you are doing. All finance is a risky business, so know what you are signing up for, taking out and doing.

2. Keep accurate records. Keep up to date, clear and concise records of all of your financial dealings. This will help you manage your finances better as well.

3. Keep your eye on the game and keep ahead of the crowds. Don't always follow what everyone else is doing, as this might not suit you, your lifestyles and your needs. Do what you want and need to do to keep your personal finances on the right track.

4. Get professional advice. If you are unsure or anything or with anything then its always best to seek impartial professional advice and guidance as and when required.

5. Control your personal finances - Don't let your personal finances control you.

6. Set yourself personal finance goals, aims and targets. To make keeping financial records more fun, enjoyable and rewarding, why not set yourself personal finance goals, stick to them, reach them and surpass them.

7. Use and keep a spreadsheet of your finances, your incomings, outgoings and expenses.

8. Take advantage of the best bank accounts out there, from ISAs to current accounts. Fill your ISA first and then put any additional funds into a flexible saver.

9. Try to find out and/or take a credit card with a good low APR.

10. Shop around - when it comes to buying anything and everything, find the best deals out there and around and this will help you manage your personal finances even better.

11. Consider changing your bank or building society. If you are not getting the most out of your bank or building society then consider switching, or consider telling your current bank that you're thinking of switching to another provider and see what they can do for you or offer you, to help you stay with them.

12. Don't sign before you read. When it comes to anything, especially finance, its always advisable and recommended that you read everything and anything before you sign it. If you are unsure of any of the small print then seek professional advice.

I hope you have found this article both useful and helpful and I wish you every success when it comes down to managing your personal finances.

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Franchise Franchisor

College Pro Painters is a North American painting company founded and run by college students for the last 37 years. It was created in 1971 as a business plan of a college student, and has evolved over time into what it is today. This company since its very inception has been run and maintained by full-time college student managers, who on average each summer paint over 30,000 homes. It has been a franchise since its inception, as it allows the company to meet its mission. The mission being, "To provide exceptional management and leadership training to young entrepreneurs through real-world business experiences." Today, College Pro Painters operates in 29 states and 7 Canadian provinces, and every year they recruit, select, and train franchise managers to deliver a quality service, run their own business, and keep the promises of the parent company.

This is a huge advantage to College Pro Painters as they are able to mold the highest quality of student they can find into someone who can effectively run their own painting business, and make a profit for everyone. The main thing they ask of their franchisees is to give their commitment to all aspects of the business and to maintain a core set of values. The values College Pro instills in all its managers are Deliver what you promise, Respect the individual, Have pride in what you do, To be open minded to possibilities, and Our core purpose is truly aspirational. However, this does lead to some difficulties as a company as in rare cases the wrong individual is chosen and this reflects badly on the company as a whole. In the end through all the training offered and help available along the way, as it is needed, some people are just cut out to manage or run an effective business.

Marketing plays a huge role in the aspect of franchising as it is the Franchisees responsibility, through College Pro's established marketing methods and their own intuition, to obtain leads and book jobs. A Franchisee, due to their marketing effort and College Pro's overall brand, can typically receive an average of 5-10 leads a week. These leads must then be estimated by the Franchisee, so the prospective customer can decide whether or not they want to have their exterior painting done by the company. The average success rate for a new franchisee is that they will obtain 15% success rate (booking rate) for all the estimates they do. So, this means leads are everything for a Franchisee, they more they get the more business they can run, as the more prospective customers they have and are competing for. The way the Franchisee obtains these leads is as follows. First of all a franchise will not be put in an area that doesn't have enough of College Pro's target market (homeowner with an annual income of $100,000.00 or more). Since Franchisees are assigned turfs (zip codes, cities, general areas) in which to operate in, there must be at least 10,000 people fitting into the companies target market in order for a Franchisee to even be assigned to the area. Once this happens the Franchisee is giving the tools to generate leads. One of College Pro's main tactics is the use of what they call cold calling or what is more commonly known as door-to-door marketing. The Franchisee receives as part of their business kit (supplied by Franchisor) hundreds of door hangers offering free estimates on exterior painting. These hangers have all the information a customer could possibly need to set up an estimate with the franchisee. By offering the free estimate this allows the managers to get a chance to sell the service and all that it offers, while providing the customer with a no-obligation cost of proposed work to be done.

As they say, "To have your home painted by College Pro Painters - to be a part of College Pro Painters - is to be exposed to a level of commitment, hard work, discipline, energy, and fun that exists in very few companies of any kind." The franchise managers know this and sell this, as there are few contractors that really take the time out to get to know there customer and use this knowledge to give the highest level of satisfaction possible. This is how College Pro sells paint jobs, along with offering a competitive price, a 2-year warranty on all work done, $1,000,000 liability insurance for each job, workers compensation for all painters, their years of experience in painting houses, and the ability of homeowners to help struggling college students pay their bills. Another form of marketing is that once a job is being produced or as agreed upon with the customer (discount) before production starts, lawn signs are placed in the front of the home to show that College Pro is doing the work and to give contact information. These signs are left around as long as possible and can also be placed along medians of roadways (much like political lawn signs). Flyering of the area also occurs. Another form of advertising, which is optional for the Franchisee to participate in, is the direct mailing of the entire target market in a turf. Provided through the Franchisor for an additional cost, this is a great way a manager can obtain additional leads. Another method of marketing is the required participation of the Franchisee in a community service activity of painting a home for a family who can not afford such a thing.

This is used as an opportunity to train painters as well as get local media coverage and is done as early in the production season as possible. Also, the company uses it brand awareness and recognition among a customer base it has had for its 37 years of operation. This strong company image can only help the Franchisee. Payment for the Franchisee in marketing is as follows. The Franchisee is required to pay a marketing fee that ranges in $500.00 - $1,500.00(periodic charges) that is used to "defer the costs of producing the merchandising, advertising, and promotional campaigns conducted by College Pro." In addition to this the Franchisee is also required to order a Franchisee Business Kit which contains the tools the Franchisee will be using in order to obtain leads (flyers, door hangers, lawn signs, lead tracking forms), conduct estimates(estimating guides and forms, proposal forms), and produce work (binders, painter applications, painter brochures, training guides). The cost of this is $800.00 and is paid in weekly installments. The cost incurred on marketing makes sense as the franchisees are provided with high quality methods/items that are able to be mass produced by the Franchisor. This lowers the cost of how much the Franchisee would pay for such services if the had to obtain these things alone. It also is of benefit to the Franchisor as it provides uniformity in its service. The Franchisee is not obligated to honor any nationally sponsored programs as the only direct marketing cost is guaranteed to be the one mentioned above.

In order to operate the business effectively and procure supplies, the Franchisor gives the Franchisee the means of obtaining materials. As mentioned before the Franchisee buys a business kit, he also buys access to an online software that provides information on all the Franchisees operations/financials/payroll/training videos/etc..., additionally the Franchisee must also purchase the following through the Franchisor; liability and workers compensation insurance coverage, telephone answering service (1% of Gross Sales with $975.00 minimum, the service runs the national 1-800 number featured on all advertisements and any other forms of contact directly with the company). In order to get paint supplies a $1,000.00 line of credit is established with College Pros certified paint supplier, Sherwin Williams Paint. The Franchisee is responsible for getting there own ladders and other necessary painting equipment, vehicle, and computer. The total estimated cost ($18,000.00, $6,000.00 paid directly to Franchisor) of equipment, goods, and services purchased represents 65%-80% of the Franchisees total purchases in the connection of the establishment of the business and approximately 15% of the total operating expenses. College Pro states, that "on behalf of its franchisees, College Pro seeks to negotiate favorable terms from its approved suppliers."

In order to set up a franchise, the Franchisee must first go through a rigorous selection process and have multiple interviews. Once selected College Pro asks for your full commitment of available time, and does not charge any initial franchise fee. Furthermore, the Franchisee never pays for anything out of their pocket, as the Franchisee books a job they take a 15% deposit check and that is how the initial funds are obtained. So if a Franchisee booked a $15,000.00 job, they collect $2,250.00 in the form of a deposit. About 75% is sent to College Pro, to pay for various investments and the franchisee holds on to the remaining 25% as working capital. Capital which come production season will be spent on obtaining painting supplies (like ladders). Nothing comes out of the franchisees pocket. A royalty of 21% on all profits is also obtained by College Pro, once a breakeven occurs. However, this can be rebated 5% for the Franchisee if they achieve performance levels that College Pro sets that maintain a certain level of sales and quality standards. For instance if the Franchisee achieved their sales target, provided College Pro with job rating cards signed by all customers, etc... The breakeven point for a typical College Pro business is $35,000.00 in business.

Throughout the course of being a Franchisee there are many training sessions and the ability to consult with a person experienced with College Pro. Training covers Paint Systems and Failures, Painting Production, Painter Recruitment, Marketing, Sales Techniques, Estimating, Safety, Financial Management, and Business Administration. This training is of great advantage to the Franchisee because they are a college student who probably has no experience painting and running a business. This training enables the Franchisee to learn the business inside and out. While a disadvantage would be that this destroys creativity and new ideas that is not true for College Pro. As a company founded by college students ideas and run by college students, they are always open to new ideas and discuss them in-depth. In the end it's the Franchisee who decides what part of the training to follow, they are only required to uphold College Pros standards and policies, not the way in which they ultimately run their business.

In order to staff the Franchisees operations the Franchisee must employ crews consisting of one Job Site Manager and 2-3 painters. Depending on the size of production the Franchisee may employ 5-6 of these crews all operating on different jobs. The Franchisee is required to pay their painters minimum wage, however, bonuses are involved that ensure motivation of the workforce. It is possible for painters to receive up to $20.00 an hour. On average they make $10.00-$12.00 per hour (if they finish the job early while still maintaining quality). This bonus money is not more money out of the Franchisees pocket as the painters were always getting paid the same amount(for the estimated amount of work); they just get increases per hour depending on how fast they work. The Franchisee is also responsible to maintain workers compensation coverage for all their workers.

Should the franchise agreement be terminated at any time prior to its expiration, then the Franchisee must pay damages suffered by College Pro and up to $4,000. This could include possibly training an individual to take over your business, plane expenses, anything the company has spent on the franchise. It's up to their discretion. While this is rare in it happening and College Pro will do everything it can to help you with your problems (besides directly giving you financing), however, termination still does occur from time to time. This is because it is for the best interest of both the Franchisor and Franchisee to maintain their relationship. Also, since the franchise agreements are done on a yearly basis, it is easy to continue until the agreement expires, and not incur these termination costs. It is very easy to exit this business as if don't want to continue into the next production season you simply do not enter into another franchise agreement with College Pro Painters.

Source: www.CollegeProPainters.com

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Buying stock is a process that is intimidating to many folks who have never bought stock directly. Even if you have stocks tied up into investments in a retirement plan or 401(k), buying stock in a particular individual company can be a little bit challenging. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make sure that the process of buying stocks goes as smooth as possible.

Before you begin buying stocks, you need to be aware that you're going to need a variety of tools. First of all, you're going to need a daily stock reference guide such as the Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal will give you ready information about the value of your stock and help you decide when it may be time to purchase or to sell that stock. You'll also need some sort of accounting software to be able to keep track of your investments appropriately. Finally, you'll need a brokerage account. A brokerage account is what actually allows you to purchase the stock on the stock exchange. If you don't have a brokerage account, you may be able to set one up with your broker.

Here are the steps involved in buying stocks once you have the necessary materials:

1. Do your research. Find out about a given stock, the stock buying and selling process and about stock brokers in general. Study about the company or companies you're interested in investing in, and learn about how their stock history has been.

2. Figure out what it is that you want from a stock broker or from a brokerage account. Decide whether you want to meet someone in person, or whether you want telephone consultation or consultation via email. Are you concerned about the price of the broker or brokerage account? Do you want to buy and sell stocks or are you also interested in buying and selling other items like bonds, mutual funds or foreign stocks.

3. Pick a brokerage or a stock broker to buy the stocks for you based on your requirements.

4. Contact your broker or brokerage firm to get an application. Many brokers or brokerage firms will offer you an online application. In most cases they will still require that you send money either via a wire transfer or via a check to open the account.

5. If at all possible, deliver your check in person to the broker or the brokerage firm as this will speed up the process.

6. Once the account is open, you can begin buying and selling stocks at will.

Ultimately, the path of least resistance to buying stocks is to choose a qualified broker or set up your own brokerage account.

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