17 months later I have my first "I've got nothing but I'm going to post anyway."

But, hey, I posted 3 times yesterday.

Jon (Hack Bend) is in his fifth year of blogging, or something outrageous like that. He's a pioneer....no, more than that, he's a Mountain Man. I tell him he should be wearing buckskins and carrying a musket.

Need to get out and start gardening. Damn, I'm lazy.

The age old question. Is it better to hire an introvert or an extrovert?

Actually I've never heard the question addressed. What brought it to mind was Keeneye's need for new employees for her pizza place in Baker City. I hope she won't mind me posting an edited series of exchanges:

She said:

I’m finding myself stalking people when I’m shopping, looking to lure them to quit their jobs and work at our restaurant instead.

If a grocery clerk is friendly, if the Starbucks gal has a nice smile, or if the person at the front desk of any hotel is efficient, I feel like grabbing them, throwing them in my car and whisking them away to work at our place. I just need one, God, just one! PLEASE!

1. I keep telling you. Hire nerds! Hire introverts, people who aren’t instantly winsome, who are happy to have the job. You’ll be surprised by how often they turn out to have more integrity and hard work than the extroverted charmers.

   And once they’ve worked for awhile, they start to blossom.

   You’re looking for the superficial smile.

   by Duncan McGeary April 11, 2008 at 11:01 am
   
2. 

   Introverts aren’t usually comfortable greeting customers with a smile, making suggestions, making small talk with strangers…

   I hear you about the superficial smile, though. I can see right through those when I patronize establishments with cheesy opening lines.

   We’ve found that our best employees were raised on ranches/farms. Hard-working, pleasant to talk to, take direction well, and appreciate praise for a job well done.

   by keeneye April 11, 2008 at 11:39 am
   
3. 

   People scoff at my store when I tell them I’m unsocial, an introvert. I’m very outgoing in my own space.

   Introverts just need to get comfortable.
   

However, I do remember going into a place once where I realized that everyone there was an introvert –shy introverts at that. It was very odd, I must admit.

But, you can bring in one introvert at a time, and eventually, some of them will become extroverted, and they will identify with your place which is what you want.

Just saying….

by Duncan McGeary April 11, 2008 at 12:04 pm

So what am I saying?

Nowadays I have just one employee at a time, and I can take my time hiring him or her. But back when I had 4 stores, I had up to 7 or 8 employees besides me and Linda.

First of all, whether a person is an introvert or and extrovert, doesn't indicate if they are honest, reliable, hardworking or nice.

That said, I've found that introverts are more honest, reliable and hardworking. Kinda. They do seem to stay more loyal, less flaky about leaving for other jobs, and tend to identify with the store more. And they always become more outgoing, as they get comfortable.

I know that people who read this blog or come into the store can't believe that I could possibly be non-social (I won't say anti-social, cause that isn't it). I think people believe it's some sort of coy stance that I need to be coaxed out of. But not really. If you come in and introduce yourself as a blog reader, I'll immediately get nervous. Or if I meet you in the movie line, as I did a customer last weekend, you're likely to get very short answers out of me.

But I have found that people are more outgoing the more comfortable they get.

Of course, the best kind of employee is the outgoing introvert, or like my wife and Pat, a quiet extrovert.

Damn oxymorons!

Went in and visited Jerry and Tom at the Sole Shop this morning. How refreshing. People who are actually willing to express opinions, exchange ideas, gossip, and roll their eyes at the decisions the powers that be are making.

Jerry Opie was my neighbor for 20 years, and I didn't realize how much I missed bouncing ideas off of him. He was always willing to talk over the events downtown. When I started, I was starry eyed and optimistic and thought many of the things downtowners were doing were just great! Jerry was a little more experienced and jaundiced about it.

And more often than not, he was right.

Thing is, Jerry knew all the old merchants, he knows the history of most of the buildings. That history is being lost, forever. I've taken to encouraging him to write it down, but I know he won't. Any reporters who want to get a unvarnished history of downtown over the last 30 years or more, could learn a lot from Jerry. I can't vouch for everything he says, but it rings true.

For instance, he was telling me how the Mirror Pond parking lot was created by Wall Street merchants such as Wetle and Olsen. They bought the property for free parking, and then handed it over to the city. Wonder if the original contract has any provisions about keeping it free?

Anyway, just about everyone downtown has been there for five minutes, or so it seems. No one has a clue -- nor do they care -- about the history of the place. But I think the free exchange of information is one of the more important aspects of business. I feel kind of sorry for most merchants because they are so guarded, so frightened, they don't seem to want to know about anything but what's right in front of them. They don't care about 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, nor do they care about 10 years from now. Yet, so many of the things we are going through right now, have already happened before.

Free parking downtown was a response to the exodus of customers to the malls.

Interesting that we would be willing to revoke that now.

Hard to believe that we are half way through the fourth month of the year. Older folk are always talking about how time speeds up, and younger folks are always ignoring them, but I'm here to tell you whippersnappers....

I always liken the stretch from Christmas to the middle of June as the stretching of the rubber band, almost to the breaking point. Normally, in fact, I do go into the red and spend half of summer just catching back up again.

This year has been down in sales, but probably the best cash flow I've ever had, which just goes to show that the level of sales isn't necessarily the most important statistic. One of the interesting things I've learned is that I can make just as much profit with lower sales, if the inventory is ordered correctly. You just have to be more efficient.

I've been reading with interest the problems that pizza places and such are having with higher prices of materials. I don't really have that problem; ironically, I make more money off of price increases, off of Suggested Retail Prices, since I make a percentage of the sale and that doesn't change. The pizza places and such are in the unenviable position of having to decide whether to eat the difference, or pass along the price increases.

So it's really a matter of keeping overhead down, and profit margins up.

Don't get me wrong. I love having higher sales, but not at the cost of margins.

It's startling to me that I'm only 2 months away from the kick off to summer, which is where I usually make money. Which means I am well over the hump.

Native optimism is my downfall, so I've taken the occasional negatives to heart. The withdrawal of my HELOC was surprising to me, since I've been so good at paying off my equity, but it was a sign. Paying off and canceling one of my two credit cards threw me into negative cashflow for a week or two, but in the end inspired me to be more disciplined.

This month has been great with sales -- at last years levels, so far. I'm further along with bill paying than I expected, and I'm thinking -- would it really be breaking the budget to take the 'extra' cash and buy inventory?

So I start watching George Soros on Charlie Rose last night, and it was like a splash of cold water.

I know it seems strange that I'm finding it hard to find negative news to motivate me. It was easy to see the housing bubble a couple of years ago, and to be alarmed by it. But once it burst, it's been much much harder to get a lay of the land. This current season is when a lot of what matters will happen, but we won't really know the results until it's over.

But when I look at all the underlying factors, nothing has really changed. I have to remind myself what I said at the beginning:

Bubbles burst sooner, harder and longer than you think they will.

In effect, I've been cutting back and hedging my bets ahead of events all year long. And it's worked out great. If I over correct in the hedging side, it's not very difficult to take on more risk later on. But if I take on too much risk, try to leverage, tie up cash in inventory, it's very difficult to correct with a slowdown.

So I'm sticking to my mantra of: cash is king. Eliminate debt. Keep the cash flow in the black, and if there is a recovery, it will turn into profits.

It's agonizing to me not to order everything I want. I got very spoiled over the last few years, just like everyone else. But unlike most people in business in Bend, I've experienced a deep recession before and I never want to go there again.

Mirror Pond Parking.

I know you're expecting me to say something about it.

So I'll just say,

WHAT A HORRIBLE, STINKING, ROTTEN IDEA!

Ahem.

Throat clearing and a modulated, moderate voice.

I really, really hate this idea.

"Datwyler said by eliminating free parking in the lots, it will force employees to park elsewhere, freeing up space for visitors who are likely to spend money in downtown businesses."

Park elsewhere? Gee, I wonder where? Maybe where there is FREE PARKING?

Visitors likely to spend money? You mean tourists, don't you? What about destination customers who want to park, go in and do their business, and leave? Not spend 90 minutes browsing downtown shops?

So this will just guarantee that no one who actually lives here will actually shop in downtown Bend? (It's bad enough, already.)

Frankly, despite their denials, this has the appearance of a money grab. Which raises an interesting question. Could it be that the parking garage hasn't penciled out the way they thought it would? That this is an attempt to force the employees into buying a spot in the garage?

I'd love to see the actual revenue numbers for the garage, and compare them to the predictions. Could this be another case of too optimistic planning?

In any event, I don't think it will work. The people who move their cars every two hours (known by all as, 'parking tag') aren't going to change now...they'll just move the arena to the rest of downtown -- to the parking spots on my street, for instance, to the spots in front of my store!

I'm hoping I'm far enough away that it won't affect me as much, but if the employees simply move from there and disperse around the rest of downtown, it could get worse. The parking garage fills on the first three or four levels when the Churches are meeting, or when there is an event. The middle parts often have parking, but permits users aren't allowed to use it. We go to the final two levels, which my understanding will soon be turned over to the hotel when it opens.

So, unless they open the middle section for permit users, I foresee no spaces available. Bad planning.

I think they expect the average parking garage user to turn up, and park on the entry level. But in reality, they flow downward, taking up all the permit spots.

Anyone on the parking committee listening? You've got a planning glitch that needs to be fixed before it becomes a disaster.

So there you have it. Any destination or workaday businesses are going to have to think long and hard about the benefits of downtown; eventually, we may have nothing but art galleries, restaurants, and tourist oriented businesses.

My customers just want to get their comics. It isn't a day event, a "90 minute" browse.

Another indication that my store doesn't service the typical downtown customer is in the article about the downtown funds: If you take the quarter of June, July and August, we in no way approach the 50% in income from tourists that is stated; we do perhaps 35% on the upside. And 75% of my customers aren't tourists. In my store, it's 75% of the people who actually SPEND money are regulars, even in the summer. It's possible that 75% of the people that walk in the door are tourists but if they don't spend money, they could just as easily park in Timbuktu for all I care.

I'm going to have to tell everyone to use the parking garage. Everyone who walks in the door. Maybe even hand out a flyer.

The only good thing about this, is that I'll have at least a year to gauge the effect.

Tuesdays are the slowest day of the week at Pegasus, since unlike the rest of the modern pop world (cds, dvds, games, toys and books), our industry insists on releasing product on Wednesdays.

I 'm sitting at the computer, and discover that Diamond is offering it's annual "Summer Sizzler" sale.

Nuh, huh. Doesn't fit my budget. Pass on by.

What would hurt to take a small glance?

Oh, look at that! 25% off that title I've been wanting to get! Oh, a Speed Racing die-cast set with the movie about the come out!

O.K. I'll just order the very best stuff with the biggest discount.

Oh, that title used to be one of mainstays. I didn't even realize it was back in print. Only a 10% discount, though. I'll just add it to the list and delete it later.

Oh, there's another one. I've always wondered what that one looked like, and someone was asking for it the other day. Oh, that's a bestseller for me...getting another copy at a higher discount just makes sense.

To make a long story short, I ended up with a 1000.00 worth of stuff.

I'm an absolute sucker for 'sales'.

But most of it was marginal material that I had passed on before, or had let fall out of the rotation because of slow sales. Most of the stuff was only 10% off.

Only the other hand, at worse, I'd probably break even.

I've been a good boy. Haven't had a drink....I mean, an order.....in weeks. What harm could it do?

So I start to press the "Confirm" button. No, wait. I left something off. I go back.....

....and somehow lose the order.

I sit there looking at the screen, thinking, this is a sign. You want to feel virtuous? Walk away.

Thanks, but no thanks, Bartender.

I'm very proud of myself. It may have happened because of an accident, but I could've got the page back, I'm pretty sure. Or even re-entered it.

But in the end, it didn't happen, and that's all that matters.

Whew....

Oh, oh. This doesn't sound good.

"Odometer tampering charge dropped....." (Bulletin, 4/8/08).

I love this quote from our Mayor, Bruce Abernethy: "It was being distracting....." He added that the city's charges of fraud were the central part of the city's case.

I wonder why the odometer tampering was being considered the "main crux of it? "

Oh, I don't know. Maybe because it was PROOF of fraud? Nevermindthat.

Somehow, I don't think this case is going to come out well.