bizRichard

Apologies - this post was set for release back in December - but for some reason it got overlooked.  But even if the comments about Christmas are no longer timely, the rest certainly is - and we should be doing more to get our work-life balance back in harmony again.

It’s known that we are a nation of ‘workaholics’ – but I was surprised at the results of a couple of surveys I came across recently – and a somewhat timely reminder as we approach annual festivities.

According to research by Bibby Financial Services, nearly 67% of businessmen will cancel romantic plans with partners at the last minute in order to bring in new business, and 33% will miss important meetings about their children’s education.

This same survey also found that over 50%of business owners will relinquish holiday plans to win business and nearly 90% will work late regardless of pre-existing family plans.

Another study, by Clydesdale Bank, found that roughly 10%of businessmen and women are likely to miss Christmas day festivities with their families due to work commitments.

And the research also showed that Christmas is not the only holiday that overworked businesspeople are sacrificing - more than one in five respondents said they had missed their child’s birthday in the last year.

And all these surveys were done before the ‘difficult’ trading conditions in which so many now find themselves - so the situation, I perdict, is only going to get worse!

Well, I leave you to your own thoughts on this one – but isn’t it sad that business owners can’t get to learn how to ‘sharpen’ up their businesses, to work smarter, and to build into their schedules plenty of time for those wonderful moments - to share, enjoy and live - the the very reasons we are on this planet for.

Just take a moment to look at your diary for next year and ‘book’ in, right now, time for you and your family - holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, whatever - these are perhaps your most important dates of the year. 

Keep those promises, and I can guarantee that your year will become that much more rewarding and fulfilling.  So, go fill those dates in now.

Richard C

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Coming back in the car a few evenings ago, it happened to coincide with the evening broadcast of ‘the Archers’.  For those of you, especially my overseas readers, who don’t know what ‘the Archers’ is, it is a radio ’soap’, almost quintessential English culture, that has run uninterrupted since 1950 and enjoys a dedicated audience in excess of five million fans daily!

Now, I don’t know what had transpired in the storyline previously, but it just so happened that in this session Tom Archer had finally come to a conclusion - that his ineffective ‘pig-keeper’, Gary, should be released from employment.

However, during the ‘dismissal conversation’, the emotion and consequences of Tom’s actions diverted him from his his original decision and Gary, it seemed, was to be given a ’second chance’.

This got me thinking, because I keep seeing this problem in business - emotion, interfering with sound business decisions.

Too many business owners, I’ve discovered during some 26 years of advising struggling entrepreneurs, still get hung up about their ‘inseparable relationship’ from their business - that they are the business and vice versa.  This is absolutely not true - and holding onto this belief can seriously damage your chances of a longer-term success of the business.

This is, perhaps, one of the most important things to realise - when looking at your business - no matter what your business does, it is just a ‘vehicle’ through which you do business – in simple terms, a ‘machine’ that you happen to control – no more, no less.

Your business, any business in fact, is a series of processes that convert ‘inputs’ into the ‘outputs’ your customer needs or wants.  It doesn’t matter whether you are a farmer, a manufacturer, a shop, a restaurant, or a service provider - the input combines varying degrees of labour, materials and intellect - and the output is the provision of something that your customer takes away.

And, how well you manage those processes will determine the success or otherwise of your business.

Yes, your ‘personality’ may well reflect the ’style’ of your business - and that’s absolutely right, as it is a key differentiator between one business and another.

But only when you view your business from this, perhaps different, perspective (ie separating yourself from your business) that will you suddenly find yourself ‘freed’ from your ‘emotional ties’ with the business – and only then can you make better, more business orientated, and more effectual, operational decisions.

Now, don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying “don’t be passionate about your business” and “don’t show empathy in your management of staff, customers,” etc - absolutely you must - I’m just suggesting that you don’t let ‘personal emotions’ prevent you making, what you believe are, the correct business decisions.

Step back, a moment, from your business and think about some recent decisions you’ve made where you might not have been as ‘resolute’ as perhaps your business demanded.

So, with that critical paradigm shift on board, go make money the smart way.

Richard C

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As some of you will know, one of my pet subjects is ‘communication’ – and by that I don’t just mean talking, letters, telephone calls etc.

Communication is about absolutely everything you do.  Everyday basics, such as how you dress, how you move, what you look at, what you read, who you ‘hang out’ with, etc, all tell your ‘observers’ a story; how you react to and respond to given situations tells even more about your character and your abilities. And when it comes to talking, the sincerity of what you say, how you say it, and the words you use are either supported or contradicted by the non-verbal communications – the body language - you deliver at the same time.

And for those charlatans (a minority I’m sure), who pretend to be someone they are not, dropping your guard can catch you out – especially on the impersonal environment of the internet. 

Have a quick read of this extract from ‘careerbuilder.com’ - I found it interesting in that it enabled 3rd parties to identify the positive or the negative characteristics of the individuals they were interested in. 

Having read it, what are your thoughts on this new personality ‘spy’.  I think the employers have been extremely resourceful and innovative, and thereby saved themselves and their prospects a whole load of time and grief.

So, where is this leading me?

It’s the very essence of why you are here on the internet - it’s the way you communicate through your blogs, your comments, and your web-sites. 

Don’t pretend to be someone you are not.  Be the ‘genuine you’ and let your true character, your skills and abilities, shine through – whatever they be. 

That way you will find and build a relationship with people who like you, trust you, and like the way you do things – they will become your ‘genuine’ customers, the only sort of customers on which any sustainable business can be built.

So, be highly visible, but always be the true you, and make some money the smart way.

Richard C

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The answer - when everyone else is hiding!

Like now!

When everyone else is pulling their heads back down, stick your head up and out. Get yourself noticed - big time.  Rise above that cringing pack of frightened business owners and tell the world, and especially your customers, that YOU, at least, are still there for them!

It’s obvious really – as businesses start to hide, so the marketing clatter fades, leaving more space for your messages to be heard more easily. And, in all probability, regardless of trading conditions, your clients, customers and patients will still continue wanting, and needing, the goods and services you have on offer. 

Okay, so doing business is always a risk - even in good times. But, unless you are in ‘Securities’ or ‘Financial Services’ of some description, this is no time to suddenly become irrationally conservative.  Simply apply standard business criteria as always.

On the ‘plus’ side, see this current ‘crisis’ as a huge opportunity for you to reach out to your ‘audience’ and offer even greater value than ever before, thereby immediately exceeding their expectations and cementing loyal relationships.

But it’s not just about offering greater rewards, better guarantees, discounted prices (heaven forbid), freebies, or whatever – it’s much deeper than that. Your clientele don’t want to talk to your products and services.  They’re not only buying your products and services - they are buying YOU.

So, in times good or bad, show your human side. And, especially in difficult economic times like this, make sure you really do understand their economic and personal concerns - relate to them at a personal level. Demonstrate that not only can you provide the solutions they need, but that you can also provide better value because you are still there and able to empathise with their respective predicament.

Remember, it is always, always about THEM, not you. And there are many ways to show them you care – more of which in a future blog.

When everyone else is being ultra-cautious and doing nothing, isn’t this the time to move your business from good to great?

So, get out there, on the ‘front line’, and give it a positive and jolly good go – that way not only will you succeed in the short term, but also you will be well placed to literally ‘take off’ when the economy revives.

Richard C

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 A recent survey of more than 1,000 senior executives, done by Bank of Scotland Business Banking, has found that the amount of time UK business owners spend at work has increased further during the past 12 months,

On average, those who responded were spending 50 hours a week at work - up by almost three hours (6.3%) a week compared to a year earlier. And, for some, the situation is expected to get worse as 26% of those asked said they expected to be working even longer hours as a result of the current economic downturn.

Small businesses in Scotland put in the most time at work - almost 52 hours a week - while those in the south-east clocked up 47 hours a week.

Critically too, the rise in working hours has had a knock-on effect on personal health.  71% of respondents claimed that they now felt stressed running their businesses, compared with only 54% a year earlier.

My point in highlighting this survey is – do you recognise this behaviour in yourself?

Hands up - are you working longer hours?  And if so, why?

Is it part of our ethos that when faced with uncertainty we double our efforts and work longer? What leads us to this philosophy? Does it suggest a lack of confidence, or is it the need to ‘prove’ commitment to our team, our suppliers and our customers?  Is it a ‘natural’ behaviour or do we ‘learn or copy’ this behaviour from our peers or forebears?

Or is it simply that we don’t understand our options when under perceived pressure - it is easier to work harder than it is to think things through.

If so, let me suggest to you another, methodical, approach.

It involves, firstly, taking the time out - to understand the issues and then to set priorities.

By asking ourselves (or our teams) the right questions about “what happens if . . . ?” we can identify the truly critical issues in our business, spend proper time on these, and thus ignore those annoyingly ‘loud’ but irrelevant matters.

Once you’ve assessed the critical issues, take time to generate the right solutions – and never just one solution but many different solutions.  Write these down, and don’t stop until you have 5, 10, or more possible tactics. Consider the ‘outcomes’ that you want and the result that each of your possible approaches might bring. Then rank them in order of effectiveness and feasibility.

Next, the critical stage, do something - take real and positive action.

Choose your best (highest ranked) option and implement immediately.

But, please, not by doing it all yourself – we’ve been through this one before. Take into account the resources available, and try to delegate elements of the action plan to others where possible.  Trust your team and your professionals to work in your best interests. Brief them, with absolute clarity, and monitor progress, without interfering, to ensure things advance the way you want them to.

And if your initial ideas aren’t working, don’t be ‘pig-headed and stick to them - be prepared to change tack.

Never panic - decisions made in haste are often regretted later and usually have limited effectiveness. But, as described above, by taking time to assess properly all the options available to you, delegating some of the tasks, and monitoring the results, you stand to multiply, many fold, your chances of success.

So, get out there and make effective changes to your business for optimal profits.

Richard C

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There are several schools of thought about personal strengths and weaknesses.

One reckons on “working to eliminate your weaknesses so that you’ll become better in those areas” - to become so accomplished that you’ll be virtually ‘unstoppable’.

The other reckons on the opposite view, “work on your strengths and have someone else do all the other things” – things that you either don’t enjoy doing or the things you’re simply not very good at.

Which camp are you in – making yourself more accomplished, or getting someone else to do it for you?

Stop reading for a moment – just pause a while and think about what you do.

Then let me tell you where I’m going with this one.

I used to be in the first camp - I loved the challenge of learning and improving on those things I wasn’t too good at – and I still do. But, increasingly I’ve switched camps now - because I realise that working on your weaknesses is probably one of the most imprudent things you can waste time on. It is not only unproductive, but it costs you time and money – and time is one of those most precious and irreplaceable resources that once spent, can never be replaced.

Here, let’s take a closer look.

When you focus on your weaknesses, unless it is something you really want to do, not only is it taking your time, you’re probably always going to be in a state of conflict and dissatisfaction with yourself until you reach ‘perfection’. And nothing is more damaging or crushing to your own self-esteem and feelings of accomplishment than continually feeling dissatisfied with yourself and your performance.

I’m not saying to ‘stick your head in the sand’ and ignore your weaknesses – no – clearly you, must continually strive to learn and improve yourself – to stay in command of your life. But what I am saying is that to set your whole focus on improving your weaknesses, to the detriment of getting on, is seldom going to get you anywhere effectively or fast.

The amount of time you spend trying to get better at something you’re simply not good at is, in all probability, time wasted – it uses up valuable time that could have been used more effectively working on something you’re extremely good at.

Would you rather spend 10 hours laying bricks, for example, something you’re not particularly good at and may regret doing, or would you rather spend those 10 hours writing a piece of software you can sell, or 10 hours doing something else you thrive on?

Which of these activities makes you feel better and allows you to achieve more in your life and your business?

The derivative of what we are discussing basically comes down to the relative opportunity costs. How much will it cost you to hire someone to do your bricklaying, or whatever - versus how much you could earn applying your energies and time to the things you are good at? Or even spending precious time with family and friends?

At the end of the day, it boils down to common sense and a willingness and open-mindedness to do things differently. And doing things differently is the ONLY way to shift your earnings, and your mindset, upwards

And, life’s too short to do the things you don’t like. And since, in theory, you’re in control of your own life, why would you want to do things any other way?

Get out there and run your life the SMART way

Richard C

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I’ve been away several weeks for a ‘well earned’ break but, back on the scene again, I’ve discovered, following on the theme of my last post “Hands up those who know the answer . . . . because I don’t!” that other people are equally puzzled about how things are panning out in the current economic conditions.

Why puzzled?  Because, the increase in ‘new business start-up’ numbers is defying the multitude ‘credit-crunch’ reports that have recently been forecasting doom and gloom for businesses in the months ahead.

The new research, from Barclays, suggests that ‘entrepreneurs’ are far from being discouraged by reports of an economic slowdown – there were an estimated 98,000 new start-ups formed in the first three months of 2008.

Although this number is not as high as the record-breaking business formation figures seen in 2006 and early 2007, the first quarter of 2008 shows the highest number of start-ups in the last three quarters.  It should be noted that the number of new businesses formed, and the number closed, was roughly the same in Q1 2008, but previous quarters saw much greater number of closures - in the last quarter of 2007, there were 86,4000 start-ups, and 111,900 closures for example.

According to the statistics, the most popular industries for start-ups were business and financial services (27,500 start-ups), construction (15,100) and the retail sector (10,700) – the later two clearly at odds with the reported downturn in construction and difficulties on the ‘high street’.

John Davis, Marketing Director for Local Business at Barclays, said: “Small business entrepreneurs are finding opportunities in the market place. They are entering in reduced numbers, reflecting an uncertainty over short-term economic prospects, but clearly there’s a feeling there is never a bad time to start a good business.

For those of you who like figures, the statistics for Start-ups and Closures over the past year 2007-8 are as follows:

The above figures are supported by another new survey, conducted by Deloittes, suggesting too that the UK’s entrepreneurs remain confident about business growth despite the current economic uncertainty.  Their survey, “Entrepreneurship UK: 2008″, offers an insight into the mindset of the country’s entrepreneurial business talent and suggests that entrepreneurs are actually bullish about their future with 45% predicting revenue growth in excess of 20% in the coming year.

So, optimism and opportunities for all. 

But with plenty of competition still entering the field, make sure you are always the best at what you do – that way, you build market share, while others lose it!   Seize the opportunity now, get out there - and get your share . . . and then make volumes more  money the SMART way

Richard C

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I was reading an article in the Times today – that the job of ‘Director General NHS IT’ is to be split in two following the resignation of it’s present incumbent – but are they going to split the £275,000 salary cost in two? Of course NOT!

But it wasn’t actually the poor taxpayer ‘footing the increased cost’ that got me thinking - it was the ‘why’? Admittedly, as jobs go, this one’s a biggie; but how can you have TWO people doing ONE job?

But then this IS the civil service I suppose! And haven’t we been seeing this phenomenon evolving everywhere we look in the NHS – more and more managers, multiplying like the very viruses they are ultimately seeking to eradicate?

And it’s this curious phenomenon, which I know you too will have experienced for yourself, that I wanted to discuss today.

It’s called “Parkinson’s Law”, a humorous observation (not a scientific law) that states that “work expands to fill the time available”. The observation was first articulated by ‘Cyril Northcote Parkinson’, appearing as the first sentence of a humorous essay published in The Economist in 1955, later reprinted together with other essays in the book Parkinson’s Law: The Pursuit of Progress.

And guess what - he derived the dictum from his ‘extensive experience in the British Civil Service’.  Now isn’t that a coincidence?

So here it is – this man, Parkinson, says that it will take you as long to do a task, as you have time to do it. So basically, the amount of work you have will expand to fit the available time you have, or the available time you give it.

And here is my point – when you need to achieve something, setting yourself deadlines becomes very important.

You see, without deadlines and time pressure, you rationalise your tasks within the parameters of Parkinson’s Law.

And, short-term deadlines are far better and more tangible than long-term deadlines (or goals) - long-term goals are just too distant to be real enough to need reacting to. Not that you shouldn’t set long term goals - I do - but for effectiveness, a series of short-term goals is very likely to be just the motivation you need.

So get out there, set your deadlines, keep up the pressure, and watch your output improve.

Richard C

I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand shopping at Ikea.

I don’t particularly mind putting together flatpacks. It’s a great concept – well designed and functional furniture that people can afford. And I’d much rather have a house kitted out with Ikea products than the dreary stuff obtainable from most other DIY chains.

It’s just that I find elbowing my way around one of their warehouse is such a depressing experience. Even if you go in just one item, it still seems to take most of the day to get in and out of the place. (And heaven forbid that you have take something back for a refund or replacement – that takes even longer!)

But where am I going with all of this? Well, as much as I find their shops depressing, I have to say that an interview with the company’s president in this weekend’s Sunday telegraph stopped me in my tracks. . .

Anders Dahlvig, president of Ikea, came out of with one of the smartest business quotes I’ve read all year!

He was discussing the impact of the housing slump with interviewer James Hall. Noted, was the fact that many DIY retailers are pretending that a housing downturn is not an issue, on the basis that if they bluff it out and persuade people to stay put rather than buy new homes, they will then spend more money ‘DIY’ing up’ their existing house.

Dahlvig dismissed this with refreshing honesty. “Oh, they (consumers) spend less. Overall consumption is always down, especially when the housing market is down. It is not a concern, as that is the nature of business. You have good times and bad. After sunshine comes rain. We have to accommodate that.”

Now, Dahlvig is of course in the lucky position of running the market leader, said he can afford to be blunt about a recession – his rivals are likely to suffer more than he does. So there was nothing staggering in this comment. It doesn’t take an Einstein to understand that business goes through ups and downs. Economists even call it the “business cycle”. But to hear this clearly stated amidst the gibberish that most business people and politicians are currently sprouting about the ‘credit crisis’, is unfortunately rare.

You can’t eliminate the business cycle

Gordon Brown said he had eliminated boom and bust. We all knew that was rubbish, but everyone went along with it because he said it in the middle of a boom - and no one wants to believe that the boom is going to end.

And that is the trouble. You can’t eliminate the ‘business cycle’. Because to get rid of the bust, you also have to get rid of the boom. And as booms make everyone feel richer, no one wants to do that.

So we all pretend that a boom is not a boom. And we come up with increasingly ridiculous justifications to maintain this pretence. House prices rise because there is too little supply, or there’s too much demand, or there’s not enough land! And if credit does have anything to do with it, well, that’s okay, because we are now in a world of rising incomes (not inflation), permanently low risk, and permanently low interest rates.

Maybe if we all just accepted Dahlvig’s point – that ‘ups and downs’ are simply the nature of business, and life for that matter – then we wouldn’t be so terrified of booms coming to an end. Also, we would make sure we prepared ourselves for the hard times ahead while the good times are still around. (They even knew this in biblical times if you’ve read the story about Joseph.) If we accepted that good times had to end then we wouldn’t strive so desperately to keep these booms going way past their sell by date, and thereby ensuring the bust wouldn’t be quite so brutal.

Why the squeeze on small /medium sized business is bad for us all

Of course, it’s now too late for us in this business cycle. And while the Ikea’s of this world can ride out the hard times, is much tougher for your average business owner. In the first three months of 2008, profit warnings hit a seven-year high, say Ernst & Young, international accountants. Life for small businesses is particularly tough.

Late payment is one of the big issue for small businesses, says the British Chamber of Commerce. Just as the banks are tightening up, so the big corporates are also paying less promptly, thus turning the screw even more on their less fortunate suppliers. The Federation of Small Businesses reckon that 10% of business failures are caused simply by late payments resulting in severe cash flow crises, reports the Times.

But is this the real point?

Nearly 3/5 of the private sector employees work in small businesses. Anyone still predicting that the UK can ride out a credit crunch without a rise in unemployment, and the consequent decrease in consumer spending, should perhaps take these figures into account.

So, for you SME business owners, now’s the time to make sure you keep your credit control tight and your liquidity strong. Remember, “cash is king”! You can’t pay your bills with stock, debtors or promises – your suppliers will only take cash. And no cash = no supplies = nothing to sell = bust business (and probably a ‘broken’ you too).

Apologies for the morbid realities stated above, but my concern is for you – just get out there now, optimise your business, make money the smart way, sort it, and you too will not only  survive the ‘bust’ end of the business cycle but be ready to ‘make a fortune’ next time round!

Richard C

I went on an ‘educational’ course the other day, as I sometimes do, usually for the benefit of my clients. On this occasion it was to do with property investment and development.

Maybe not the most appropriate timing in view of the world’s worsening economies and credit difficulties, but I have a number of clients who have become heavily involved in property investment and development and I felt I really did need to get to understand a bit more about what was driving them forward. I understood what they did in broad terms, but not in detail, and clearly I was in need of some deeper knowledge so that I could help my clients as and when necessary.

The two hour introductory ‘freebie’ was held at a local hotel, which I attended, knowing full well that it was the funnel to the ‘actual course’ itself, to be sold at some stage during the evening. When finally revealed, the ‘property investment course wasn’t too expensive and, willingly, I allowed myself to be signed up.

I had a mission - to discover more

So the day arrived, the start of a three-day course into property investment - I was actually looking forward to this. The morning trickled along with lots of interesting facts and information, and then there was a period, just prior to lunch, on ways of extracting maximum benefit from the use of credit cards. The speaker, using Lucy as a metaphor for the call centre operatives, suggested that Lucy would be only ‘too willing’ to accommodate any request we might put to her – she would advance us additional credit, zero the annual fees, and reduce the interest rate, etc – all for the asking. After all, no one likes upsetting their customer do they? It sounded all too easy. And this was our task for the lunch break.

I can’t say that I had time to try the exercise during the lunch break (too busy talking to others), but a show of hands following lunch indicated that many of the participants (in total 100 attendees) had diligently made their phone calls, and of those approximately 10% had achieved varying degrees of success with Lucy. Good on them, and much applause.

The afternoon continued with some exceedingly good content and the evening homework was set - part of which was to

persevere with Lucy

The morning of day two commenced with a discussion about who had scored any success with Lucy. The results were varied and fairly mediocre in that being a Friday night many of the call centres had minimised operational staff, and certainly those with any level of responsibility had understandably gone home for the weekend.

There were several cursory references during the rest of the day’s proceedings about follow-on courses. And yes, I thought they might well try to ‘up-sell’ allied material or courses. However, what I was not prepared for was the speaker’s revelations and insistence that to achieve success in our property investment we needed more than this course on which we now sat. In other words, our current three-day course was not, contrary to what I’d been led to believe, sufficient to educate us in art of property investing – we would need additional tuition!

The final hours of the day concentrated on the six or seven add-on courses definitely needed to secure our success

and guess what

you had to attend the ‘university’ course before you could continue with the next ‘property specialisation’ course. Each 3 day course, at its “heavily discounted price provided you bought it during this course” cost in excess of £4,000 – i.e. a minimum of £8,000 - with the sky as the limit (as there were lots more ‘new’ courses coming over from America during the year they told us excitedly)!

Suddenly, it dawned on me!

Why had there been so much emphasis on wooing young Lucy? The additional facilities on our credit cards was not for the ‘seed capital’ to our future property ventures as had been heavily inferred many many times during the course, but to cover the cost of booking these additional courses.

How deceptively clever!

And there was considerable pressure to sign up. The main speaker, clearly a master of NLP, used huge swings of emotion, from joyous rescues ‘from the brink of disaster’ to even stooping to shed crocodile tears on several occasions, and all endorsed by a parade of ‘successful’ past attendees of these courses. Unfortunately (maybe) many fell into the trap, some parting with nigh on £30,000 (that possibly they couldn’t afford) - but I wish them well and hope they manage to recover their ‘investment’ over time.

Now I fully understand ‘up-selling’ – lots of organisations do it, some better than others – but I’m not sure how you feel about this one. To me, these guys seem to have crossed the boarder into the ‘unethical’. And I don’t like, or tolerate, unethical selling (hence this blog post).

You know, as well as I, the best way to build loyal customers

be honest and up front – always

Your customers then know precisely what they have to gain or otherwise; they feel informed and in control. And that is when they begin to trust you and will buy more from you.

In this instance, perhaps the initial course should have been sold as an ‘introductory’ course. The fact participants would be ‘encouraged’ to follow on with further ‘specialised’ courses should, I believe, have been disclosed right at the start, together with the content and costs of these additional courses. That way the customer can make an educated and informed decision about what and how far they wish to, and can afford to, go. Being bullied (otherwise ‘doomed to failure’) into parting with precious funds (to ‘ensure success’) during a charged and emotional appeal is, in my book, absolutely not ethical.

I believed, stupidly as it transpires, that the company involved (Rich Dad Education Ltd), working under what I thought was the reputable brand name (I read all the books several years back - they are good, and highly acclaimed), might have been above this sort of deceptive behaviour. But it seems not. Perhaps greed (do the calculations) has taken over.

Shame on you Robert Kiyosaki for ‘lending’ your name to these people.

Now go, be smart, make money, but be ethical - always

Richard C