Author Archives: billkizer

Cancer Sucks

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There are times in our lives that we’re dealt a hand that we’re not sure how to handle. It can leave one confused, angry, and sad. It can even make us mad at our Maker for giving us something that seems unfair.

I’ve felt all of those feelings in the past few weeks. The one overriding feeling that I’ve experienced the strongest is sadness.

I was diagnosed with live cancer recently and I have two small sons (10 & 12) whom I treasure. The thought that they should have to go through the rest of their lives without their Dad makes me tremendously sad.  I was raised without either parent so I know the feeling that goes along without a father’s influence. I’ve made every attempt to be a good father to them for that loss in my life. I know that I can’t make up for my life but it doesn’t stop me from trying to make their life better.

I’d been feeling exhausted and fatigued for some time and after my last blood work my primary suggested I get an ultrasound at UCSD

After a multitude of scans, etc. the doctors confirmed that there were multiple tumors in my liver, the largest is half a centimeter smaller than a tennis ball. The second largest is 4 centimeters and the other 3 are smaller.

What does this all mean? I’m not entirely sure but I do know no matter how brave of a front I put on, I’m afraid. I got more afraid after an initial procedure to reduce the size of the largest tumor failed due to the portal vein that was instrumental is 100% occluded. You bet I’m afraid.

Where does this lead us to now? Again, the answer is I’m not sure. I have another visit to UCSD scheduled for day after tomorrow to determine what’s next on the menu , but more importantly when and what do I tell my boys? I have them most of this coming weekend and how do I start that conversation? Hey Guys, Dad has cancer, who wants to go to the beach? I don’t want to break their hearts and shatter their dreams of doing the things that boys do with their Dads as they get older, but yet they deserve to find out something before they hear from their Mom, Boys, your Dad passed away last night, who wants to the beach?

I’d appreciate any feedback that someone may have that has gone through this. I wish that no parent would ever have to have that conversation with their children. It’s not right…it’s not right that loved ones have to stand by unable to do anything as cancer works itself through the victim’s body. I’m lucky because the woman that I love is a medical professional and sometimes I give her too much credit and forget that she’s just a human being with feelings like the rest of us, so to you I simply say I Love You for being the woman that you are and wish you didn’t have to go through this.

Going To Sage Summit 2013?

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sage summit 2013 square logo
The timing for this blog isn’t an accident. I wrote it specifically to be finished around Sage Summit 2013.

If you have questions about products and services and which Partners provide the best, look around while you’re at Summit. You’ll find enough quality VAR’s to answer any questions you might have. If you’re a customer attending and you don’t have a Sage VAR that you’re currently working with here’s your opportunity to find the best. They’ll be easy to spot; they’re usually the ones standing in booths, attending lots of sessions and you’ll usually find them between sessions talking with other VARs about software.

What factors make you want to return to a retail store, a vendor or a service provider? Is it price? Is it location or is it something even more?

One of my favorite quotations was written by Benjamin Franklin; “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten?”

What does that mean to you as a consumer or should it mean anything at all to you? My answer is “Yes it should.”

Saving money doesn’t mean buying the lowest priced products or services. It means buying products or services that offer the best value. This can be stripped down to 3 words, Focus on Value.

Traits to Look For In Your Sage Software Partner….

Do they have integrity, passion, & honesty? Or do you have to check and re-check every invoice they send you knowing that you’re going to have a less than pleasant conversation with them about the “Holy Cow” additional costs that you hadn’t anticipated?

Do you hear from them regularly to tell you about new updates, versions or maybe just an offer to go to lunch? Or, do they call just to remind you that your annual maintenance and support fees are due?

Do you recommend them to friends or business associates who are looking for ERP software?

If your “VAR” isn’t providing you with quality service like the ones that have been mentioned then maybe what you have is a Re-Seller, not a VAR.

If your software partner doesn’t appear to offer much beyond the ability to sell software I would refer to them as a Re-Seller. A Re-Seller doesn’t offer additional services, usually doesn’t have the resources to provide those services and generally has to charge you more because they have to pay an outside resource to provide those services.

Our clients deserve the best service that’s available. They trust that they’re getting the best service. It’s incumbent upon us to provide an extraordinary customer experience each and every time that we have a dialogue with them. It’s time that our clients are treated as something other than a quick buck.

If you’re losing more than your fair share of clients for “undetermined” reasons then it’s time to re-examine your business practices. Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate why you’re in business & if it’s just to make money then you’re probably in business for the wrong reasons.

However if providing an extraordinary customer experience for your clients is your number one goal, congratulations, you “get it” and not surprisingly so do your clients. Welcome to the World of VARs

Have Fun At Sage Summit 2013
July 21 – 26

http://na.sage/sagesummit.com

Bill Kizer

Bill Kizer

Bill’s 4th Annual Booths Not TO Miss While At Sage Summit 2013

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sage summit 2013
It’s that time of the year again & that means my list of booths not to miss is ready for publication. This year’s list has some repeats but there are some newbies. They’re not listed in any order.

1. Information Integration Group; Booth 1096 Visit Alec & Gary to check out their Add On Solutions like Advanced Distribution Bundle, Material Planning & Production Mgmt, Service Maestro, Rental Maestro, Apparel Maestro, among others.

2. Altec; Booth 858 The Altec Team will be in Booth 858. Stop by to see what’s new in document management

3. Azamba/TechnoTropic; Booth: 721. Come see the strides that Peter Wolf & his team are making with 3rd party applications & productivity enhancements to SageCRM         

4. I Business Net: Booth 444. If you want to meet one of Sage’s Top VARs come by & say hi to Gary Feldman

5. Website Pipeline; Booth 491 Come by & see what Brian Seidel & Brian Nunes have to offer in the latest eCommerce solutions.

6. Suntico, Booths 671, 680  Stop by & meet the team of Derek Stewart & Hugh Johnson  & see what’s new in online CRM and private social network that links to your accounts software.

7. TaskCentre; Booth 408  Stop by & let Paul Cannon & Nicole Laurier show you TaskCentre v4.5, a powerful suite of Business Process Management (BPM) technologies that ‘loosely couples’ business applications enabling organizations to automate virtually any employee-driven business process

8. xkzero; Booths 1208, 1209  Paul Ziliak & his team have developed Sage 100 ERP GetX Search & iSales 100 provide Universal Search for the Sage portfolio.

9. Net@Work; Booths 802, 803  Meet the Solomon Brothers & see what a full service business consultancy & technology solutions provider looks like. Their expertise goes beyond network solutions & across all areas of business, including accounting/ERP, CRM, manufacturing/distribution, HRMS,  eCommerce, & enterprise/ document management

10. Enbu Consulting; Booth 673 are experts in Sage CRM software. Companies  have been choosing Enbu to deliver CRM based solutions, address key business processes, including sales, marketing &  customer service.

Have Fun!

Sage Summit 2013 – Are You In Or Are You Out?

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Gaylord National Harbor Resort

Gaylord National Harbor Resort

There has been much discussion about the value of attending Sage Summit 2013 Partner & Customer Conference, which is being held in Washington D.C. July 21 – 26 at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort.

This is my favorite Gaylord because it’s easy to navigate (Not like the Opryland Human Maze), it’s close to some outside restaurants and clubs, (Again not like Opryland which is a $25 Cab ride downtown Nashville)

But I won’t miss it and neither should you!  I’ve have found that Summit provides me with great value and relevant information. Our industry changes daily and there’s no way to stay on top of these changes if we don’t talk to the source(s). You can find the source(s) and other partners who have utilized those changes successfully by attending Sage Summit 2013. 

Most of the real interesting conversations are those that you find in the hallways between sessions and keynotes. If you want to watch a partner who is adept at deciphering what is said and more importantly what’s not said, find Wayne Schulz and ask him if it’s okay to tag along, he’ll probably say “no” but go anyway. It’s how he and I became friends.

Its eye opening, informational and very rarely is his take on things wrong. I talk to Wayne 3-5 times a week and the conversation is always lively. You can catch Wayne on his daily morning walks at 6:00 a.m. along with other partners like Robert Wood, Peter Wolf & I swear I’m going to get up at Zero Dark 30 to walk with them.

If sessions are your thing then go park yourself in every Ed Kless session that has an open seat. You won’t leave disappointed. I have sat in many of his sessions, taken the week long Consulting Academy, gone to conferences just to hear him speak and rate Ed as one of the top speakers in our industry.

Look at the business partners and vendors who consistently attend Summit.  If you want the keys to success they’re the people to see. Go to their booths and see what they’re doing that you’re not. It’s probably a safe wager that they’ve been involved in Summit for many years.

“It has always been MY rule that if I am serious about selling Sage products I need to attend Summit. I need to “breathe” the air, sense the mood of the Sage community, and get enough inspiration to see me through another year.” Arlie Skory; Managing Partner at Skory Employer Solutions LLC 

There is a long term value of creating lasting relationships with other colleagues who will share their knowledge with you. I’ve spent many hours talking with them about the direction that our industry is headed.

What price tag do you put on the information you receive at Summit? How about face time with Sage executives, visiting with 3rd party providers? I don’t think you can put a tag on these. The sessions alone that Sage offers are topic rich.

We get caught up on doing work as we’ve always have not aware there are better ways to streamline our businesses & become more cost effective. If we don’t go to Summit & feed off the synergy then we’re going to stay in that same rut getting the same results.

There are BP’s who have concerns that they don’t write any new business at Summit. They’ve bought booth space, & brought a large group. Is it worth the expenditure? Can I justify the costs? How much business will I miss out on while I’m at Summit? These are valid questions. The answer is simple….How much effort are you willing to exert while you’re there.

If you’re going to Summit with the sole intent of closing deals you will be disappointed. It’s like going to the circus expecting Shakespeare; this is an unrealistic expectation. A lot of companies look at expenditures that don’t provide immediate return as worthless. I think of attending conferences the same as Spring Training, The chances of a productive year increase exponentially with a successful Spring Training.

If you’re still not sold, here are 3 questions to ask yourself.

►By not going am I adding or taking away value from the success of my business?

► What new technology can I find at Summit that I can add to my product portfolio?

►Am I the problem or am I the solution?

Come to D.C. & see what’s going on at Sage. You will go back to your business with new tools, ideas & a new attitude.

See you in Washington D.C.
Bill Kizer
http://na.sage.com/sage-summit/
http://billkizer.com

What Not to Say to a Social Media Strategist…

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Kim Garst Head Shot

Kim Garst

Written By Kim Garst @kimgarst / CEO, Entrepreneur, Social Media & Personal Branding Strategist & Mentor to Business Owners. Forbes TOP 50 Social Media Influencer

1. They pay you to do that? I thought social media was free! 

Well yes, it’s free to have an account on every social media platform. Some of the tools to increase efficiency in social media aren’t free. And that doesn’t even get into the issue of whether it’s cost effective to put yourself through the learning curve required to use social media effectively – posting fresh content regularly, writing at least 2 blog posts per week, and creating videos just to name a few. To use social media well takes time and a consistent strategy. I haven’t even mentioned marketing knowledge yet!

2. I know how to use Facebook! How do I start?

I think developing a social media marketing business is a great way for people to break out of traditional work environments – especially people like stay at home moms, retirees, etc. However, just because you use Facebook doesn’t mean you are ready to hang out your shingle and call yourself an expert! There are many other social media platforms, not to mention running a website or a blog. Plus, the endless hours of learning online marketing strategies – which are very different than standard marketing strategies.

3. You just play on social media all day? What kind of a job is that?

Honestly, while there are certain activities that go into every social media marketing campaign, every day and every client has unique needs. So while I know what kinds of activities I’ll be doing regularly, there are many days that I never know what is going to happen by the day’s end! (But I can assure you, it’s not just “playing” on any platform, be it Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or the rest!)

4. Pinterest and Twitter for business? I thought that was just for housewives or college kids!

Marketing is about providing your message to your ideal customers, wherever they are. Social media and content marketing takes that one step further and provides valuable information across multiple channels that helps you find, then develop relationships with the people most likely to be interested in the services or products you offer. Where is your ideal client? Chances are,  they’re on Twitter and Pinterest!

5. Social media is just a fad!

As Gary Vaynerchuk puts it, betting against social media now is like betting against the Internet. Six years ago, what was developing into social media was called “Web 2.0″ It was where the internet was going, and developers knew it. While social media platforms may continue to evolve, the likelihood that social networking will cease to be part of people’s everyday lives is as high as the likelihood that movies or television will stop existing all together. They may be made and distributed differently, but they’re not going away. Neither is the need for businesses to engage with their customers online.

6. Since we’re friends, can you help me out for FREE?

Unless you would also ask every friend to provide professional services  for free (and if you would, let’s talk about professional manners! you should also expect to pay for the professional services of someone handling your social media strategy. Besides the cost of access to tools that a professional social media strategist incurs, if he or she is serious about business, he or she also has invested a great deal of time and money learning the skills of the profession, just like any other professional. And one last thought…do you work for free?

7. My granddaughter is into computers; I’ll just have her do that for me

It’s important to understand that social media isn’t about the technology. It’s about understanding that whoever is providing your social media updates, designing a Facebook contest that doesn’t break the Facebook Terms of Service (TOS) and creates fresh blog content regularly is the face and the voice of your company to anyone who reads your content. It takes work and a strong strategy to provide a voice that indeed sounds like someone from your company. Building your brand as a company takes time – and it only takes one misinformed Tweet to ruin it for a long time to come.

8. Twitter? Do People Really Use That For Business?

Yes Twitter is used for business.  I can’t begin to tell you how many paid clients have first connected with me through Twitter or as a result of content I’ve shared via Twitter. You would be amazed at the power of 140 characters to make or break your brand.

Saying goodbye to Tom Miller – or – what do you do when Superman retires? by Peter Wolf on February 6, 2013

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Tom Miller @ Sage Summit

Tom Miller @ Sage Summit

Tom Miller has announced that he will retire from Sage North America on March 29, 2013.

This is not new news – it’s been out there for a while now. It took me a while to figure out what I would like to say.

I would like to use this space and honor his legacy.

Personally I’ve always been the type of guy that likes to sharpen the saw by reading smart ideas by smart people presented in new and interesting ways. Yet, while reading these sources of information and inspiration, I’m always reminded of the classics – Zig Ziglar, Dale Carnegie, Peter Drucker, Napoleon Hill – which, to me, are the fundamental sources upon which most other business philosophies are built upon.

I am not going out too far on a limb to say: Tom Miller is the embodiment of these fundamental sources of business inspiration.

He’s a living, breathing example of those classics.

I would challenge anyone to name a time where they interacted with Tom and didn’t come away richer for the experience. Whether it’s direct advice or, more likely than not, you walking away thinking you came up with a great idea even though he skillfully planted it, fed and watered it and helped it grow.

Tom has mastered the unbelievably difficult skill of helping others reach their potential. He’s not in the fish-handing-out business, he’s in the teaching-people-to-fish business.

He embodies the positive thinking, get ‘er done, 1 + 1 can equal 3 mentality that I aspire to maintain. Tom doesn’t see obstacles and problems, he sees opportunities and exciting challenges. Tom believes in the power of free enterprise and the ability of sharp business owners to find ways to create value for their customers, their partners and themselves.

And, as a software reseller, you can rest easy knowing that Tom has walked a mile (or two) in your shoes. He understands what it means to hump for sales and to motivate teams and to struggle to find talent and to keep customers happy.

He’s been there and done that. He knows your pain and, when he commiserates with you, you believe it and you feel it.

As such a staunch channel advocate, he has overseen a very difficult transition as Sage has made controversial (some would say necessary) moves to a more aggressive and more self-deterministic future that has changed the Sage channel dynamic. During this period, he has continued to advocate for Sage and the future of Sage while also continuing to provide a rich and deep set of partner services to help Sage channel partners transition to become Firms of the Future and learn self-sustaining skills in the Sales, Marketing and Consulting Academies.

Partners that have taken advantage of these – and other – programs provided by Tom’s team have come away stronger for the experience. I know that my company has.

Tom is also sharp as a tack. He understands the big picture and can dive down into the details when necessary. Present him with a problem that has been plaguing you for a while and he can distill it to its essence in a single conversation.

And he’ll have you walking away thinking you solved it on your own and the two of you just had a nice long chat.

I have only known Tom for a few brief years and – mostly due to his personal charisma and style – I consider him a teacher, a mentor and a friend. I feel fortunate to have met him, to know him and to see such a class act firsthand.

Tom epitomizes the ability of one man to create a cascading positive influence in the world.

If you’d like to leave a comment on Peter’s LinkedIn Post please click on this link  http://linkd.in/VOmvZN

Thank you, Tom.

PGA Tour + Peter Ripa + Happy Fan = “I’ll Be Back”

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Mr. Peter Ripa, PGA Tour, Tournament Director Farmers Insurance Open

farmers insurance open banners

Last year I attended the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, CA. Golf courses are known for their beauty & pristine conditions but Torrey Pines is a standout on the PGA Tour. The backdrop is the blue Pacific Ocean & in the afternoons the surrounding sky is dotted with hang gliders. Have you ever watched Tiger Woods gaze as the hang gliders come within several hundred feet of the fairways & I can’t help but think that he would enjoy strapping himself into the harness & glide through the sky over the place that we get to call home.  Hang Gliders over Torrey Pines

But I digress because this blog is about something & someone else.

At the 2012 Open I was disappointed that so many top tier players had chosen to bypass the Farmers Open so they play in Abu Dhabi where large player appearance fees are paid. The PGA doesn’t allow appearance fees to be paid and I’m not sure paying a player just to show up is a good policy. Our method avoids the occasional player who might commit to a tournament just for appearance fees & then mail in his performance.

Torrey Pines Ocean View
I sent an email to the PGA to voice my concerns over the cost of attending & not getting to see Tiger & Top 20 players in the field. They directed my email to Mr. Peter Ripa, who is the PGA Tour Tournament Director of the Farmers Open who in turn contacted me. We scheduled a call & talked for approx. 30 minutes; he understood & empathized & asked if it would be okay if he sent me passes to this year’s event. Of course I accepted his offer but was not anticipating passes for everyday of the tournament. Peter & his staff went way over my expectations.

Please understand that two key events came to pass as a result of my email.

1. The PGA didn’t just read my concerns & put my email in the trash file, they sent it to the right person to read.

2. Mr. Ripa, understands that one unhappy fan will tell at least 25 people who will then tell another 25 and so on and the tide begins to shift against all the hard work that goes into promoting an event of this magnitude. There is no stronger voice than word of mouth & I’ve always found it interesting that most people are eager to tell someone when they’re unhappy with something or someone but will very rarely tell others when they’re had a great experience.

I’m taking this opportunity to say that Peter Ripa & the rest of his staff and the people at the PGA offices are doing an incredible job. To them I simply say thank you. Thank you for listening to a disgruntled fan with an open mind. You now have a loyal fan that is committed to the Farmers Insurance Open, Torrey Pines Golf Course & the PGA brand(s)

Congratulations to Tiger, the PGA & Peter Ripa on a job well done! See you next year!

And Now For A Comedic Break ~ The Trillion Dollar Coin!!

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Trillion $ Coin

This Coin Isn’t Worth A Wooden Nickel Nor Will It Buy A “In Debt We Trust Wooden Coin”

Wooden Nickel

Good Old Wooden Nickel Which May Worth More Than The Magic Coin

In Debt We Trust

This Wooden Coin Just Plain Stinks!

Here’s what I know about the Magic $1 Trillion Coin.

Our government has hit the debt ceiling, and unless Congress votes to raise it, we will go into default. The Republicans in the Congress, say they won’t raise the debt ceiling unless the Democrats agree to major spending cuts. The Democrats are giving the Republicans the Finger.

Theoretically the Treasury can print a $1 Trillion coin and the Feds can exchange it for brand new cash and we can all sing “Oh Happy Day” and skip off into the sunset. It’s legal, but a bit unusual. Most countries have a (get this) a functioning government which would raise the debt ceiling to pay its bill and already approved spending by the government.  But since we don’t have a functioning government (open for debate) the $1 Trillion coin is the answer.

Are you still with me?

The Magic Coin would not increase the money supply more than just raising the debt ceiling. If the debt ceiling is raised, the Treasury will print $1 Trillion paper money, also known as Treasury Bonds and the Feds will exchange that for money. However, absent a debt ceiling increase, the Treasury can’t print the paper debt. But it can print the Magic Coin. Since the coin doesn’t increase the money supply any more than issuing paper; or to be more correct, electronic debt would do, there is no harmful effect on the money supply. It will make the US look like idiots, but political idiocy doesn’t raise inflation; otherwise inflation would be very high in the USA already.

Thanks to Macro Investor that should answer the question: What is the $1 Trillion coin? You’re on your own for the answer to the rest of the below questions.

What is the $1 Trillion coin worth?

Is it worth a wooden nickel?

Can I purchase a wooden “In Debt We Trust” coin?

Why would anyone want their engraving on the face of the $1 Trillion coin?

So I got to thinking what I would do with $1 Trillion Dollars……

Can I buy a fleet of luxury cars & Harleys? Range Rover, Maybach Mercedes with a driver, Mercedes V12,  a stretch Hummer limousine just so that my boys could have some fun with a driver and a Prius Hybrid to keep me humble?

Would I finally be able to buy 5 homes in San Diego, Hawai’i, Aspen, Spain, San Francisco?

Take golf lessons from Phil Mickelson?

Build a 25 room mansion with pool, gym, Jacuzzi, horses, ATC’s, and open it with a complete staff to children who are living in the foster care system and then build another identical home for children who are higher functioning Autistic kids. There would never be a charge to anyone for their complete care no matter how long it takes. There would be additional rooms for entire families. We would have a private jet for families who couldn’t afford to visit.

My last charitable act would to write (25) $1 Million Dollars Checks and drop one off at Ready Children’s Hospital in San Diego, Homes for Battered Women & Children, children with terminal disease and then put Gloria Allred on retainer to go after the scumbags who batter women and children

Open (4) $10 million trust funds, one for each of my sons & Marti’s two children that they can’t touch until they’re 25 and they must have a solid business plan for the money. No business plan, no money.

That’s my list and my take on the Magic Coin

Are You Part Of The Solution Or Problem?

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military at xmas time

While the holiday season is a happy one I’m always reminded of our active military who are spending time away from their loved ones to protect us and how little effort it takes to brighten their day.Have you ever been at the airport when all of a sudden you look up to see a group of enlisted men and women who have joined the Marines, Army, Air Force, Navy in their camoflauge uniforms? Do you ever wonder where they’re going? What small town/big city they’re from? Do they have children or spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends who are missing them? Will they all make it home to their loved ones? I know I do and then I ask myself what can I do to make their day a little brighter?

So here’s my challenge to you, the next time you’re sitting there waiting for your plane, sipping on an overpriced cup of coffee  round some of them up, march them to the nearest coffee concession and buy them each a cup of coffee. I guarantee you’ll go straight to the front of the line. You might say you don’t have the money and that’s fair, then at least do it for one, but just do something.

Me? I’m heading over to Oceanside this morning to go to The Breakfast Club, sit at the bar & enjoy some coffee & the first group of Marines that come through is going to get their meal paid for. I never make a big deal out of it, I’m not doing it for the accolades, I’m doing it because I appreciate what they do everyday for us.

farmers insurance open banners
I just received 20 upgraded passes to the upcoming 2013 Farmers Insurance Open which is being held January 21st – 27th at Torrey Pines in La Jolla. I don’t need 20 passes that include private seating on the 15th green at the new Tilted Kilt Tartan Terrace  so I’ve decided to give at least half of them to some Marines who enjoy golf and would enjoy watching one of golf’s premier events at no cost other than their food and drinks. Not a big deal to you and I but to them it will be a day that they won’t soon forget.

It’s not easy being away from your family and when you’re the age of some of these kids it’s probably the first time any of them have been without Mom’s home cooking, sleeping in a real bed, and and away from their childhood friends.

Now they’re on their way to a country most of them couldn’t spell before they got their deployment and they’re scared. I know they’re scared because I’ve asked them. A little constructive fear isn’t necessarily a bad thing for their upcoming trip, it keeps them aware of what their mission is.

Most of them will be back here within 6 months to a year, but they will have seen things no young person should ever have to witness. They will have changed, but at least they’re back here at home. Some of their buddies aren’t going to be so lucky.Our country, while the greatest in the world is governed by lazy, over paid politicians who have forgotten where they come from and many of them aren’t in favor of giving these heroes fair compensation.

Remember, it doesn’t take much to make someone else’s day a little better. Instead of handing a few bucks to the panhandler on the corner, take an active duty person to lunch, at least then you know your money is doing something positive.This blog weas prompted by something I just read and it angers and saddens me at the same time that these are the people who are making decisions for our servicemen and women.

Cindy Williams was appointed by President Obama  As an Assistant Director for National Security in the Congressional Budget Office.

She wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service members’ way this year citing that she stated a 13% wage increase was more than they deserve. See this link for 2013 Military Pay Scale Chart for the Army, Navy, Air Force & Marines

http://www.militaryfactory.com/military_pay_scale.asp

It’s always fun to help someone else and it always makes me forget about what’s going on in my life.

Happy 2013

The End Of The World We Live In…..NOT!!!

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mayan calendar oreo cookie

Okay, so let’s be honest, how many of you have wondered if the Mayans just might be right? I have, for about 10 seconds but then I come back to my
senses & realize that those Christmas bills will still need to get paid, I still need to get a job, etc.
weather report eow
I was watching a You Tube video  http://youtu.be/UiL0D-_cUKU?t=4s which was given by Ac Tah who is Mayan & according to sources, (still don’t know who they are) has the perspective of his people.  If you have 32 minutes watch it because if nothing else it’s entertaining.

His description of what it supposed to happen on the 21st is bit far fetched and many of his points just don’t hold water. He talks about the world shifting 18 degrees off it’s axis and for 8 minutes how we’ll vibrate and become very conscious of our entire lives. He also talks about proton protons and the power of liquid mercury that can be found in the 50 million light bulbs that 139 million Mexicans have purchased.  Yeah, it does sound like a bad peyote trip laced with pure mezcal.

If you’re wondering about the time it’s supposed to happen is around noon so eat a big breakfast and pack a healthy lunch just in case.  According to Ac Tah we will be conscious through this process and we relive all of our entire life in just eight minutes and he suggests that we have pencil and paper handy to write everything down. I’ve got to tell you the late 60′s and early 70′s are going to take alot more time than eight minutes for me. It was a great time to be a teenager and I didn’t miss out on much.

By the way I’m sleeping in on the 21st so please don’t call before, oh lets say 2:00 p.m. If I’m going I want to go in my sleep and not sitting around writing down my life story and if the world is supposed to end who’s going to be around to read it anyway?

Look I’m sure Ac Tah is a sincere and nice person but the Travelling Snake Oil Salesman routine got old in the early 50′s.

What’s amazing to me about this End Of The World is how many people buy into these (hopefully) false prophecies and start living their life as if this is it and what these seemingly self appointed prophets have to say is gospel.

There’s nothing that this Mayan leader can say without any sign of researchable evidence that will make me believe. I don’t buy it and I hope you don’t either.

But if you do know something that the rest of us don’t please share it with me, I promise I won’t tell a soul.

Let’s celebrate the end of 2012 on it’s real date, 12/31/12 and enjoy what 2013 is going to bring our way.

Merry Christmas ~ Mele Kalikimaka ~ Feliz Navidad

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Okay, I’m off my Black Friday Soapbox and on to the joys of the Holiday Season. I really do dislike having to be politically correct by saying “Happy Holidays” so here it comes in the 3 languages that I have some familiarity with.

Merry Christmas ~ Mele Kalikimaka ~ Feliz Navidad

Wow, that feels great & frankly if someone is offended then I suggest they go suck on a lemon because I don’t really care. We live in a country that is the greatest country on the planet but yet we seem to contain the largest collection of whiny, thin skinned goofballs & I’m sure we outrank the world in that category.

Tomorrow is one of my favorite events of the Christmas Season and that’s the Vista Christmas Parade.  As you may know Vista has a small town feel to it & I think that’s one of the reasons that I like it. That, & my sons have grown up their entire 11 & 12 year lives here in Vista in the same house, only 2 miles from their Grandmother & Grandpa Rick, or Mr. Rick as they affectionately call him from time to time. It’s only a 5 ~ 10 minute drive to my house & that is as far as I want to live from them.

Several years ago there was a petition going around by members of the WTSG group asking the City of Vista to change the name of the Christmas Parade to the Vista Holiday Parade so as not to offend those who preferred the more generic phrase.

The petitioners were shot down by the City Council who suggested that if they didn’t like the name of the parade to not attend. That’s when I fell in love with the City of Vista. Imagine your City Council standing up & telling the “Do Gooders” that if they didn’t like the name of the Parade & were truly offended that their attendance wasn’t a requirement.

So one more time, Merry Christmas ~ Mele Kalikimaka ~ Feliz Navidad

Written By Guest Blogger, Santa Claus

 

Happy Black Friday, Small Business Saturday & Cyber Monday

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Is it any wonder that people like me really dislike Christmas? It’s not that I dislike Christmas itself, it’s all these pre-Christmas Sales Opportunities that make a mockery of the Holiday Season.

It is beyond disgusting when you watch grown ass adults acting like animals just to get the newest Xbox games for their darling children for only $25. Watch normal people snatching gifts out of the hands of the small, the frail & defenseless not giving a crap about that other person just to be able to justify shopping at midnight.

Did someone mention lines? Have you seen those idgets who camp out in front of a store for days prior to that most sacred of days, Black Friday? Don’t they have jobs to go to? What do their children tell people when they ask why dear old Dad is sleeping in a tent on the sidewalk in front of Best Buy.

Since we’re Speaking of Black Friday. Doesn’t that imply that it starts & ends on a Friday? It used to but apparently the greedy retailers weren’t making enough money so they started opening their doors as early as 8:00 pm on Thanksgiving.

Black Friday wasn’t enough so let’s invent another reason to put a dent in those credit cards and let’s call it Small Business Saturday, which is the only day that I think is a good idea.  Apparently even the retailers don’t want to mess with God’s Day (for most religions) so for now Sunday is hands off, besides how do you plan on getting men off the couch who are watching football? It’s probably going to take a huge sale at Victoria’s Secret complete with live models serving beer & wine, pretzels, pizza & big screen TV’s locked into all the football games.

And now it’s Monday and that must mean it’s Cyber Monday for those who shop online and are looking for great bargains. Apparently Cyber Monday is also known as Cyber Week.

One Black Friday question; why aren’t Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson and the NAACP all over this one. Why does it have to be called Black Friday?

Analytics? We Don’t Need No Stinking Analytics…….

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[FINN]

Okay, so the heading is just a bit over the top, but I don’t believe by much.

I’ve had several websites over the past few years & when I used to speak of them it was always from the Analytics perspective. How many unique visitors did the site have? How much time were they spending on it? What was the Bounce Rate? What city were they arriving from? What foreign countries, etc., etc., blah, blah, blah ad nauseum.

I realized that we had been sold a bill of goods by Google and took the current Analytics at face value as gospel. It was also, I believe, a stroke of genius on their part when they made these available to anyone by offering them at no cost.

What did those metrics really say? More importantly what didn’t they say?

“Most businesses measure only Activity Metrics which I’ve come to believe don’t tell the whole story. What we should be looking at are Outcome Metrics  which monitor impact,” according to Jonathan Becher, CMO SAP.

After reading his brief column titled “Counting What Counts: How Outcome Metrics Have Changed the Game” in the Sept. 24th issue of Forbes Magazine, I felt that I has found a kindred spirit.

This idea that maybe we were looking at the wrong metrics was the basis for the movie Moneyball in which Billy Beane, then the General Manager of the Oaklands Athletics MLB team turned the baseball world upside down with his theory. He had a lot of naysayers within, old school scouts, owners, even his own team manager.

In baseball where $10 million plus annual salaries are fairly common Beane was given a very small budget  ($40mil) to field a team of 25 active players & 15 others who make up a 40 man roster. Beane determined that baseball had been all wrong in what metrics it was using to draft & trade players & what their dollar value was to the team. Statistics such as stolen bases, runs batted in, and batting average, typically used to gauge players had been determined by Beane to be relics of an earlier time.

Instead he theorized that metrics such as OBP (On Base Percentage) SLG (Slugging Percentage) were the Impact Metrics & were far more important than RBI’s, SB’s, & BA.

Oakland went on to a 103 – 59 record, second only to the New York Yankees who finished the year with a 103-58 season at the cost of over $100 million just for player’s salaries to achieve the same number of wins.

Becher goes on to say “We live in an increasingly data driven world. Unlocking the power of the data & analytics provides insights & a competitive edge….”

This is exciting to me & I plan on looking more into the Impact Metrics versus the easily attainable Activity Metrics that we currently put so much faith into.

I now know what Ed Kless feels like when he’s attempting to teach software partners a more financially sound method of billing for their services. Many of those partners are CPA’s, a group who thrive in the thrill of Hourly Billing. I believe that it takes courage & a firm conviction to believe in something that is totally opposite of the “norm.” It makes it expodentially difficult when you exist in a world that lives on the time worn creed, “But that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

Are You Still Missing The Social Media / Blogging Train?……..

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Don’t Be This Guy, He Missed The Train

Since Sage Summit I’ve been talking to a lot of companies of different sizes & different industries about the importance of getting on the social media train. Social media is not a fad, it’s here to stay.

Consider these statistics from Econsultancy Network Statistics Quarterly Compendium

  1. Global Wi-Fi usage is up by 240% between Q2 2011 & Q2 2012
  2. 76% of marketers plan to increase their YouTube and/or video marketing
  3. 25% of corporations have at least 1 staff member who works exclusively on social media
  4. 57% of corporations have their social media team within their marketing department
  5. Most corporate social media is used for Communications, Marketing, Customer Service & Reputation Monitoring
  6. 62% of corporations intend to increase budgets for social media
  7. 90% of corporations say social media is becoming a more important part of their marketing strategy
  8. A LinkedIn profile can bring many opportunities in your direction. If you’re sure what to do ask someone who has had success utilizing LinkedIn and to a lesser degree Twitter and Facebook The other area that I’m stressing to companies is blogging and that’s because most of them  don’t have a blog because most people don’t think they can write.

    I employ a very simple methodology that proves that ALL people can write and they shouldn’t be afraid to.

    Below are my reasons why I think blogging is so important to a company:

    a. It gives the company a face & more visibility
    b. It helps build a trust relationship
    c. If your blog is about your industry it helps mark you as an industry expert
    d. Some people are leary of “Push Notification,” be careful that you don’t come off as being pushy with your sales pitch. As a matter of fact, don’t try to sell anything other than yourself and your quality company
    e. A blog can generate leads & business provided your blog isn’t one huge sales pitch

There are more reasons to blog, these are but a few. I’m sure that you can come up with a lot more of your own. While you’re contemplating a company blog ask yourself two questions;

Are my competitor’s blogging? Are my customers blogging?

If you answered “yes” to at least one of the questions then you should be picking up the phone & calling someone who is an expert in the art of setting up company blogs.

I just saw a statistic at Sage Summit that made me smile; approx. 65% of all businesses blog. I wish I could remember which company it was that shared that with me. Even it’s off 5-10% +/- that means that over half of all businesses are utilizing a fantastic tool that most of didn’t use just 5 years ago.

So, are you willing to get on the train or are you going to be left at the station wishing you had jumped on? My suggestion? Get on the train, now!

sage partners, employees,alumni linkedIn group fall meeting

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Join us for the Sage Partners, Employees & Alumni Group Fall Meeting

        Andreis Conscious Restaurant, Irvine
http://www.andreisrestaurant.com/

Come & join the members of the most dynamic LinkedIn Group for our Fall meetup.

This is a fantastic opportunity to network with your fellow colleagues & make new acquaintances.

We’ll have an All Star panel to talk about the topics that YOU choose.
Our Platinum sponsor, Altec, & their dynamite Events Team that is lead by April Blankenship & her 2nd in command, Allison Alonzo have secured a beautiful location for this Meetup.
They’re supplying us with breakfast & we’ll have a Webex connection for those who are interested in the meeting but are geographically unable to attend that is being setup by  Moira Goggin of Chismet Consulting.
We’re looking for raffle prizes from partners, we’re going to give you a chance to talk briefly about your product.
We’d like you to choose 3 topic suggestion for the meeting.
_____Learn about 3rd party add-ons & other Sage updates
_____Identify ways to maximize your involvement in this group. “Get The Most From Your Post.”
_____Network with Sage Partners & 3rd party vendors.
_____Keep up with trends affecting the ERP/CRM industry & technology
_____Exchange views on the Summit topics & sessions. Got ideas for sessions? We want to hear them
_____Discover ways to excel in your business & differentiate yourself from your competition
(Rank your priorities 1 -6 / 1 Higest, 6 Lowest)
We look forward to seeing you on Oct. 11th.
Have questions?
Bill Kizer; 760.518.2493
April Blankenship; 949.727.1248
Allison Alonzo; 949.727.1248
Moira Goggin; 562-989-8400
John Hoyt; 818.572.7537

The 7 Deadly Mistakes of Using LinkedIn & How To Avoid Them

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The 7 Deadly Mistakes Using LinkedIn & How to Avoid Them

Since starting 3 LinkedIn Network Groups, the largest is the Sage Partners, Employees, Alumni & Analyst with 7,500+ members in 60+ countries and the United States & the group has become a daily reading staple for many of the Sage NA executives. The group was created with the idea of members sharing ideas & opinions on current Sage changes, events & general take on the Sage environment with each other.

Since May 2008 I’ve seen many mistakes that members continually make about setting up their LinkedIn profile & utilizing it to its maximum benefits.

Below are some of the most common mistakes. This was taken from a presentation that I gave recently at Sage Summit, Sage’s Annual Partners & Customers Conference In Nashville

#1 / Never Complete Your LinkedIn Profile
Don’t Open Your Professional Profile to 175mil LinkedIn members worldwide
Don’t List Your Accomplishments & Certifications
Don’t Include Your History, Current Position or Core Competencies
For mediocre results keep you profile at less than 100%

#2 / Use The Ghost Avatar
                        
Does Anyone Really look like this?
Does Remaining Anonymous Really Help?
Don’t Build any Social Media Credibility

#2a / Use A Cartoon As Your Avatar
Pets & Children’s Photos Have NO Value on LinkedIn. If You Go To Spring Break Every Year & Consume Copious Amounts of Alcohol & Lose Your Clothes, Please Keep Those For Your Private Collection.

#3 / Don’t Contribute To Your LinkedIn Profile
Stay Secretive About Yourself & Don’t Let Anyone Know Who You Are
Don’t Share Your Industry Knowledge
Let Others Determine & Shape Your Online Brand

#4 / Don’t Ask (Or Answer) LinkedIn Questions
By All Means Keep Your Unique Business Acumen All To Yourself
Don’t Become An Expert in ANY Industry, Remain an Enigma

#5 / Don’t Invite Others to Your Network
Keep Your Network Your Own Private Domain
Reduce The Number of Your Relevant Connections(Or Just Don’t Get Them In The First Place)
The Less Connections You Have Will Result In Fewer Search Results That You’ll Appear In

#6 / Don’t Give Or Ask For Recommendations
Don’t Let Your Colleagues Say Anything Positive About You
Remain An Enigma In The Virtual Word
Don’t Send Any Recommendations To People You’ve Worked With

#7 / Don’t Include Any Current Contact Information
Make It Impossible To Contact You
Make People Guess Where You’re Currently Working
Don’t Answer Messages or LinkedIn Invitations

These are but a few of the mistakes that I see people making but they seem to be the ones that continually show up.
Remember that an intriguing & complete LinkedIn Profile will help you Take The Work Out of Networking

Bill Kizer
Creator Sage LinkedIn Partners, Employees & Alumni Networking Group
LinkedIn Profile: http:// www.linkedin.com/in/bkizer  ~  williamkizer52@gmail.com
760.518.2493

Robert Wood; 2012 Co-Presentor
DDF Consulting Group, Inc.
Linkedin Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bertowud  ~   robertw@ddfcgi.com
352.615.5898

Top Ten (Or So) Booths Not To Miss @ Sage Summit 2012

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Another Year; Another Conference & 10 More Top Booths To Stop & Meet. Have Fun! 


Altec ~ Booth 817

Come & meet the best team in Document Management in Booth 817. Altec understands the world of accounting, the importance of business communication through all mediums and has the expertise and product depth to begin your journey to the paperless office of tomorrow – today

Avalara ~ Booths 743 & 745

Look for the Booths with the Orange theme & you’ll have found Avalara! Their company has one of the shortest “Elevator Speeches.” We provide the fastest, easiest, most accurate and affordable way to manage sales tax compliance.” Their dynamic team will help you walk through the maze of taxation. They’re sponsoring the after party at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville on Tuesday evening. Don’t Miss It!

Scanco ~ Booth 511


You have to stop by & see what’s new in Bar Code solutions. I have worked with the entire team for multiple years & have found them extremely helpful. They’re customer oriented & will do just about anything to help you close a deal.When you work with Scanco, you have the security in knowing you are working with Sage’s Barcode Vendor of Choice. They develop and enhance the MAS 90/MAS 200 Barcode Module and fully integrates Scanco’s Warehouse Automation Module and LabelXpert Designer to Sage MAS 500. They’ve spent 20 years in the automatic identification business specializing in everything from barcode software and hardware to RFID applications. Scanco’s staff is well equipped to meet virtually every warehouse management need.

ISM ~ Booth 411ISM began as a company with one vision in mind: “Simple answers to difficult questions.” Their goal was to convert complex technology into   tangible business value so you get more work accomplished using fewer  resources. Keeping that same vision in mind, today they’ve grown to become  one of the top Sage resellers of business ERP and accounting software in the country.

ISM has a fantastic team of professionals that make ERP fun. Keeping that same vision in mind, today they’ve grown to become one of the top Sage resellers of business ERP & accounting software in the country. They’re also a Sage Master Developer with 20 years off application development experience. Stop by & see why customers choose ISM as their “Partner in Success”
                                                                   xkzero ~ Booth 746

Stop by xkzero’s booth to see their new products iSales 100 & GetX, their new mobile apps designed to make your business more efficient. Take the apps for a ride & say Hi to Paul & his team of experts! These solutions are a “Can’t Miss!”

                   Fisher Technology ~ 421

TaskCentre lets you integrate data between applications, on premise or in the cloud, build fully automated processes, generate alerts and automate reports all without having to write any  program code.

TaskCentre has a new Web service connector tool that can be used to bridge not just your ERP and CRM solutions but also your
Ecommerce, Logistics, Marketing Automation or Content Management Solution, ensuring that your business systems are not
separated by information silos. Meet Paul & Nicole.

IndustriOS ~ Booth 532


All I’m going to say about these great people from Canada is that they’re incredibly nice people who know their stuff. They also sponsor the Dan & Linda Run Challenge. Dan should be a breeze to beat, (Are you listening Rob Johnson?) but I’m sure Linda will give the women a run for their money, Check out their You Tube at the link below.

Blytheco ~ 517

If you like a full menu of product, resources & experience then you have to stop by & see what’s new in the “House That Stephen Built” Say hi to Ginger Kittinger who has worked the booth for Blytheco since, well, you’d have to ask her. They also have a race car simulator!

Foremost in accounting technology solutions for almost 30 years, Blytheco has provided a level of service that offers proven business solutions to clients that are customized to their needs. Providing a high level of consistently reliable customer service, support and satisfaction is Blytheco’s trademark in the industry. Our experienced staff of over 120 can provide you with unparalleled hardware and operating system support, accounting application training and support, custom programming and modifications and third-party software integration. Tailoring software to provide timely, accurate, and effective information will result in your business becoming more efficient and more profitable.

  I ~ Business Network Booth 711  

“Everyone knows that “Cloud” is the new buzz, but I-BN knows cloud. Since 1999 I-BN has been delivering Sage products over the internet. I-BN hosts products from over 30 of the exhibitors at the trade show. If you need to know whether something is possible in the cloud, stop by the I-BN booth.”

For those of you who are VARs looking to transition to the cloud, we do a lot of research about the business angles and the impact on a VAR practice and are glad to share insights (old Sage pun intended) so that the individual practice leaders can craft their own strategies to deal with the new realities of subscription based pricing and connected services consulting. Your top 10 including Altec, Avalara, Blytheco, ISM, Scanco and Task Centre have all run in our data center. We look forward to working with xkzero and others in the future!

Vendors & Booths Were Chosen By The Team of Trent, Trevor & Bill Kizer

                 Congratulations To All Those Chosen. Much Success To All

This List Does Not Reflect the Opinion of Sage Nor Any Of It’s Employees