Re: OT: Cancer

[Frank Olson <use_the_email_links@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robert L Bass wrote:
> "Frank Olson" wrote:
>>
>> I can't imagine an online store such as yours being worth much to
>> anyone else (and this is *not* a flame)...
>
> It's a function of sales rather than recurring revenue.  Online retail
> sales is completely different business from an installation firm.  A
> prospective buyer looks at volume, profit margin, ease of operation,
> etc.  We sell more than all but a few very large operations and our
> overhead is minimal.
>
> Anyway, I'm not yet certain I'll sell unless I get a really good offer.
> The current business market is less than ideal so it's not likely the
> right offer will come along soon.

I imagine the business market in Florida is experiencing the same kind
of "slump" the housing market is having.  I've lived through one of
those already (in the mid '80's) and I don't envy anyone that owns any
kind of property there right now...  I do understand that there are some
good deals to be had, though...


>
>> If you had established contracts or agreements
>> (with regularly recurring revenues) then that would
>> be a different matter...
>
> We get a lot of repeat business from industrial clients, government and
> military buyers but any of that could dry up at any time.

Tell me about it.  We just lost a substantial contract.  A "competitor"
dropped their labour rate to $40.00 per hour...  I simply can't see how
they're going to be able to fulfill that contract based on that number.
  Personally I see it as a move to keep their bank "happy", which is
just before the move that puts the "closed" sign in the window.  It just
means we'll have to go through the tender process again, only this time
the participants know where everyone was (price wise).


> There's no
> guaranty sales will continue as they have, but there is a nice, upward
> curve in monthly sales volume that's been continuing for a while now.

I'm happy for you.


>
>> The DSC section sucks big time.
>
> That's because I've paid no0 attention to DSC.  I only handle it for the
> benefit of clients with existing alarms.  The same is true of many of
> the GE lines.

But when someone calls to order an 864, 832, 632, or 1555, what do you
say to them??  Wouldn't it be simpler to just delete those units (or
move them to the "discontinued product" category)?  Selling "Napco"
smoke detectors as "DSC Smoke Detectors" isn't very responsible either.


> For alarms I mainly sell Honeywell and Napco.  That's no
> longer the biggest part of my business though.  I make more money
> selling home access control, locksmith supplies and CCTV.

I understand your strategy when it comes to search engine positioning.
There are other ways to accomplish your goal of global alarm domination
though...  :-)



> There have been other RW events which you're probably not aware of.
> Anyway, forget it.  I don't care.

It doesn't matter now, but you still have to ask yourself:  "What did I
do to warrant this kind of treatment?"  My faith forces me to evaluate
everything I do.  For several years I stopped attending services.  We
were too busy and I put work before Him.  We're still busy, but recently
I've "rediscovered" Him (and in the most unusual circumstance, but
that's another story).  The point of all this is that "Newton's Law" of
action/reaction applies to everything you (or I) do, say, or write.  You
know the answer to the first question very well.  So what did you think
would happen?  That the people you attack would simply "roll over" or
leave the forum?  It seems to me that you were enjoying yourself far too
much.  It's time to face the hurt and pain you've caused, Robert.  Even
if you don't publicly (or privately) apologize, you have to make your
peace with God.  I hope and pray He gives you the strength to do that
before it's too late.


>
>> You've just summed up in those few words the "raison d'etre" for a lot
>> of folks here.  Pardon my French.
>
> I never was much good at French but I do fairly well at Portuguese.
>

Heh...  And I'm a fair hand at German...