End of Year Retail Sales--Shop, Baby Shop!

Have you been to the end of season sales? Oh my Hell there are some bargains to be found for sure! My favorite store, Victoria's Secret has a huge sale going on and I was able to pick up the most beautiful luxuries in there--made of dark pearl grey lace and silk with scallops of roses on the boarder. Everything in there was heavily discounted and the crowds were thick. The department stores had some good sales but, I couldn't really find anything that I wanted to part money for except for a Calvin Klien shirt. My favorite brand Lucky Jeans had no discounts what so ever! I love their shirts but, they are $75 a pop and I hate spending that much for a tee shirt!

Reuter's News is reporting that retail sales for the holiday season were the worse since 1970!
It's not just in the United States, European retailers are struggling as well. Britain retailers are reporting discounts as deep as 90% to attract shoppers.
The deepest discounts right now can be found in apparel and electronics.

Elle: "It's impossible to use a half-loop stitching on low-viscosity rayon. It would snag the fabric. And you didn't just get it in - I saw it in the June Vogue a year ago. So if you're trying to sell it to me for full price, you've picked the wrong girl."
Legally Blond

The Money Behind Reality Shows

I have always loved Reality shows. I admit that I'm a voyeuristic junkie when it comes to watching people open their lives, happiness, cat-fighting, back stabbing, plotting, pushing people over balconies, fighting for cash, and grief to us from TV land. I have always wondered what the attraction was to participating on a reality show and expose yourself to a gazillion viewers like that. I admit, if I could stand to go hungry without slipping into a coma I would be the first to sign up for Survivor and I would be chowing down on water buffalo gonads with the best of them! The newest season takes place in Brazil this time! I would probably end up ditching them for the beaches of Rio though! You know that the winners make a butt-load of money but, what about the other contestants--do they make anything? What about the Network hosting the show, what's in it for them?

For the producers and networks the answer is obvious, they make way more money producing reality shows than the do with sitcoms or dramas and they are cheaper to produce as well!
These shows provide a strong rating and bring in gob's of money from advertisers. Coupled with the fact that those participating on the show don't require the same amount of pay as regular actors and actresses and producing the shows are relatively cheap, it makes for a profitable formula.

Don't you wonder how much that those are in the shows make?
In an MSNBC article The Cost Of Going On A Realty Show states that, "Some shows, particularly those without game elements, offer stipends to compensate their cast members. "Real World" roommates are paid small stipends for their "story rights"; the exact total isn't disclosed, but executive producer Jonathan Murray told USA TODAY, "I used to say it was enough to buy a used car. Now it's probably not quite as big a used car."One thing's clear, though: You should want to be on a reality series for the experience, because participation in a series definitely does not come with a guarantee of fame and fortune. "

According to In Touch the stars of MTV's The Hills make between $35,000 to $75,000 per episode. Spencer and Heidie each pull in $65,000 an episode for the drama that they provide.

If you have ever thought of trying out for a reality show they have casting calls for so many reality programs. Here's a link for a listing:
http://www.realitywanted.com/calls/search/sort/dateupdated/order/desc/page/100
I perused through the pages and picked my favorites.

• T.V. Made Me Do It: Are you a TV-inspired wild animal or reptile trainer? Now Casting. Were you inspired by a show on Discovery Channel, Animal Planet or National Geographic to work with venomous snakes, wild bears,… (no liability there!)


• Wife Swap Casting Beautiful Families:Do you have a family full of models? Is looking good the top priority in your family? Are designer clothes a must? If you answered yes - then I want you! The premise of Wife Swap is that one…Start: 09/23/2008 End: 01/29/2009


• I Survived a Japanese Game show: Think you have what it takes to compete and win in TOKYO on ABC's hit show "I Survived a Japanese Game show"?? Do you have the drive and craze to become the next Majide Champion and win $250,000??…Start: 12/01/2008 End: 01/25/2009


• Producers of SUPERNANNY looking for rebellious Teens for New Show!:Must be 18 or older. The producers of SUPERNANNY and U.S. cable hits It’s Me Or The Dog (Animal Planet) are now searching for rebellious teenagers for a brand new series from the United Kingdom. …Start: 12/15/2008 End: 02/27/2009 (I have several volunteer teen boys that would like to up against the SUPPERNANNY!)
  

Ponzi Schemes and Other Scams

Ponzi Schemes

A Ponzi scheme is essentially a scheme were you are offered much better returns than you could gain through traditional investments. There are so many different forms of investment vehicles these days that it's difficult to keep up with the vernacular of puts and calls and derivatives. With a Ponzi scheme, Instead of investing the victims money the operator uses the money to pay the previous investor or victim. Usually the scheme falls apart when new investors can't be found to pay the investors on the bottom or when the operator runs off with everyones money.

How do you keep from being a victim of a Ponzi scheme?

• Be careful about who you invest your money with. make sure that the investment firm has a long established track record that you can trust.


• Don't invest in any type of investment that you full don't understand! Don't rely on others to explain what the investment is about.

Jury Duty Scam

One scam that is going around is a Jury Duty where a clerk of the court calls you and tells you that you have been selected for jury duty and they then ask you for name, social security number and then a credit card number. If you refuse they threaten you with fines!

Multilevel Marketing and Pyramid Scams

The scam artist will try to gain your trust. He might be a friendly widower. Then all of a sudden he will start pressuring you into some business deal where you would invest $1,500 dollars and you could make loads of money in return. He might even have some glossy pamphlets that look professional. This happened with my mom one day. The conversation went like this:

Con man: "If you invest $1,500 you could make thousands in return! just get other investors enrolled in the program and they will pay you back and thousands besides."

My mom: "Isn't this just a pyramid scheme?"

"Oh no--that would be illegal. Just invest $1,000."
"I'm not giving you a $1,000!"
"Just five hundred then...you can write me a check."

So then, to get rid of the guy, my mom says,"My daughter Penny handles all of my business and finances." So she gives him my name, phone number and address! So, I have that to look foreword to--a call or visit from Ralph--you would think that being a con-man and all he would change his name to Alfonse or Jonathon or something wholly more attractive and affluent sounding. I am looking foreword to it...almost salivating at the thought...oh yeah...it's on Ralph!, it's on like Donkey Kong!

Multi level marketing is in many business opportunities a legitimate form of selling products. The difference between a legitimate multi level marketing business and that of a pyramid scam is easy to spot.

1. The legitimate multi level marketing company places an emphasis on selling a product


2. pyramid scams places an emphasis on recruiting people or asking for investments


3. In some cases like gifting clubs they will ask for donations where you in turn will recruit people below you to ask for donations or investments. The gifting clubs will sometimes use religious "feel good" terms or names like Renewal Celebrations or Jacobs ladder and might come as a special invitation from a church member.
   

A pyramid scheme is set up so that there is a hierarchy where people are recruited below those who have been previously recruited. Those who have been recruited make payments to the people above them in the hope of making their money back by recruiting others and gaining payment from them. In pyramids, most of the sales are made to the recruits and not the general public. The nutritional supplements or what ever they have going only serves as way to make the scheme look legitimate.

How do you avoid being scammed?

1. Never feel pressured into joining a multi level marketing group.
   


2. Never feel pressured into signing or investing in something that you aren't sure of.
   


3. Take the time to investigate any business opportunity.
   Check the business out on the Better Business Bureau website at http://welcome.bbb.org/


4. Never make investments at the swap meet!
   


5. Always keep in mind, that it's a felony in the United States to participate in a pyramid scheme and is punishable by fines and time in jail. People participating in the scam are viewed as engaging in illegal activities rather than being a victim.
   

Resources: FBI and The Better Business Bureau

Text Messaging Hot or Not?

One of our favorite skateboard shops is Five-O Skate Shop on 17th street out in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Last year the owner started a campaign where my son entered a number that they handed out on business cards into his cell phone. When ever they have a skateboard competition or a good sale or promotion going on they send out mass text messages to the cell phones and we are instantly included. We frequent Five-O because we feel so connected to them. That's not only "hot" but, smart!

Right now Five-O is having a sale for the Holiday Season where all of last years snowboarding clothing is 40% off! Sweet deal! I just picked up a new Volcom Jacket that I love! They also carry a good selection of snowboards and equipment.

There is a huge paradigm shift in advertising that is going high tech and mobile. Vendors can create promotions and ads or coupons that go directly to the those customers that they know with certainty will have a need or strong desire for their product or service. 58 million people in the U.S. viewed an ad on their mobile phones in Feb, 2008 alone! This text messaging not only targets directly those that have a high chance of interest but, it also makes the customer feel valued-like a friend.

The response rate for text advertisement is at about 6% to 8% verses 2% using traditional means. This form of advertising effectively reaches the %1 base that you're after rather than chasing the 99% that won't actually care about it.
The way it works is that a customer sends a text message or enters a number in their cell and that cell phone number is added to a database. A restaurant or bar can make an immediate decision about that nights special or say they want to promote a band that will be playing that night and the advertisement is sent to every one on the database list. A cell phone user can opt out of the system if they wish by sending in a text request .

Web based coupons is another "hot" trend where a customer using a smart phone or computer can look up coupons for whatever product or service and the customer can then download it to his or her cell and present that coupon to the vendor.
Another "hot trend" in text advertising is the QR code. The QR code or Quick Response code created by the Japanese corporation Denso-Wave is a matrix code like the bar code that you're familiar with but, it holds a hundred times more data on 1/10 of the space. A cell phone user can take a picture of the QR code with a picture phone on an advertisement, business card or whatever and the equipped cell phone will interpret the data embedded in that code hyperlinking it for promotions or information. This is pretty "hot" in Japan right now but, hasn't made it's way to the U.S. yet. I'm sure it will eventually.

Kip singing to Lafawduh:
"Why do you love me? Why do you need me? Always and forever...we met in a chat room, now our love can fully bloom....sure the world wide web is great but, you make me salivate...I love technology but, not as much as you you see... I still love technology....Always and forever...."
from the movie Napolean Dynomite.