How do you see your future in that environment? Q: Cost pressures have reduced loyalty with your Big 3 captive customers. We understand the market and the competition. Q: What caused your dip in revenue in 2006? Q: Your business seems to be concentrated in the United States. You may be asking yourself, does this actually do any good? Well, it depends. The reaction of the business seller as we debrief from such a call is often "a blow to the ego", "why didn't he get that?", "he doesn't understand our business", or even "what a moron!" Below are some sample questions that demonstrate this approach from a buyer: Q: Why are the co-op advertising cost so high this year? Is it all Lowes? Q: There seems to be an unusually high level of product returns reflected on the 2007 YTD Financials. This product line seems to have enough uniqueness that it is able to avoid that commodity label. Managing this process often is critical to maintaining a good buyer/seller relationship and creating an environment where a deal is possible. The second not so subtle message is that we really understand the flaws in your company and we are going to manage your expectations and justify our less than generous offer. Please explain. These positioning statements by buyers often are interpreted as personal attacks or insensitive comments by someone that doesn't get it. But, we must counter punch and our defense generally takes the form of answers that either explain why a negative was a one-time occurrence or something we have already identified and have taken corrective action. They are able to get some companion product pull through - engine oil, filters, belts, spark plugs, etc. That is OK. 4. Our second major counter to the negatives from the buyer is to demonstrate that we understand why they are an interested buyer in the first place and try to position our company as a strategic acquisition. Can you comment on this? Q: Your licensing revenue accounted for close to $1 million in 2006. Do they expect us to take this lying down? Two can play at that game, or whatever saying we can think of. Is that the case with your company? Q: It looks like the majority of the business is originated by the owner. Are all of those licensing agreements expiring? These questions are meant to help the potential buyer really understand the seller's business and understand any issues that could impact the business in the future. You correctly observed by doing more of the component production yourselves, you could substantially improve the product line margins. Thanks again for your efforts and your consideration. As our seller and I debriefed on the call we had a couple of observations: 1. We know what we have.If you are a business seller, one of the most challenging aspects of the sale process is listening to a potential buyer tell you why your baby is not beautiful. Because your TPE Yoga mat competition can not provide it, you could have a new reason to approach chains that may carry Competitor A, Competitor B, Competitor C, etc. Your team was obviously very sensitive to the big box retailers pricing pressure through your own personal experience. 5. The product could be easily integrated into your current line and current distribution systems with minor incremental costs. for the spring and fall tune up. What effect is that having on margins? Q: Your company appears to have little or no relationships/Brand identity in China limiting potential in a very large growth market. If, however, they have the impression that the aforementioned Competitor A, Competitor B, and Competitor C have been presented the same positioning and have bought into one or two of the strategic arguments, then it really does work. Usually we schedule a conference call between buyer and seller after the buyer has reviewed the Offering Memorandum, Confidential Business Review, or "Book" that has been prepared for the business sale engagement. Buyers like solutions and if your product can be part of a solution, then buyers listen and pricing pressures are not as pronounced. It seems to be more strategic to the stores that carry it. We have other options besides you, so you might have to alter your expectations on how much you are willing to pay to become the ultimate buyer. Does that cause you to lose orders? Q: The US Auto market is in terminal decline. We try to send back our own not so subtle message. 3. Business sellers, however, have a huge emotional connection with their business. What happens if she leaves and how can we be protected? Q: Your order lead time is 6 months. We understand that the big box retailers try to turn every product into a commodity and exert pricing pressure on their suppliers accordingly. As I said, she laughed about it and did not get upset because she recognized it for what it was, a negotiating ploy. This product currently is the market leader in a newly revived market. Their identity is intertwined with the business they have devoted years into building. This product could be an effective door opener. How much business is done outside the United States? Q: Generally the unions are very restrictive on the use of outsourcing. It is hard not to take that personally. We look forward to continuing your investigation and due diligence process with us. A friend of mine is selling her condo and laughingly tells me of a buyer that came in and rolled a tennis ball across her floor to demonstrate that it is not perfectly level and that this flaw should justify a lower sale price. If they have the feeling that they are the only buyer in the process and we are selling the company from a position of weakness, our counter efforts are largely ineffective. The XYZ Product is in a different stage of its product cycle then probably most of your line that is more mature. As you know and as XYZ Company is experiencing, their marketing costs in the start-up and growth mode may be out of line with the expectations of a more mature product line. Plus, this helps our seller feel less like a punching bag and more like a worthy opponent. Below is a sample communication back to the buyer after a conference call in which the buyer exercised his right to try to drive down our selling price: Subject: Thanks for the Great Questions on the Conference Call: Bill: Thanks to you, Jim and Brad for some very good Q&A. . 2. It is also a product that provides that Eco Friendly Halo Effect. This looks like it could be a "strategic acquisition" in that it can easily achieve results well beyond the sum of its parts. We understand the strategic implications of you or one of your competitors in control of our product line.

They also go seek out a 'buddy' to complain to about how bad other people make them feel or how so and so isn't giving them any feedback or how they aren't appreciated. Read your statement out loud. Gather these lists together and Yoga block look at them, deciding a few things from each list that sum you up. As we said, outside acknowledgement is good. So our fourth step is don't read beauty magazines. Am a good listener. They blame others a lot for making them feel bad; they have long conversations in their heads about what other people should be saying to them, and making up assumptions about why they don't; quite simply, they make themselves feel worse. How did I do on my appraisal? Do my colleagues like me? Am I getting praised enough? Now, there's nothing wrong with looking to externals for verification and affirmation. .

So tell them first. If you wait for them to tell you how brilliant you are, you might have to wait a long time. You will have less to fret and worry about and your energy can go into what you can 'borrow' to make yourself feel better rather than into giving yourself a hard time about what you aren't able to do. Self-esteem isn't something you can buy (don't we wish), but you can accumulate it: notice and highlight the best of who you are in small things every day and your self-esteem will grow. You need to know and acknowledge those qualities, skills, values and beliefs that you can rely on and that tell the world who you are. You may not be able to shut them up, but it's interesting; the longer your list is, the quieter those voices get.

It's really hard to do these lists without those negative thoughts creeping in. To this list add things you know you're committed to, like a partner, a house, your family, some volunteer work, parts of your job, hobbies, etc." Why not? Not everyone has you in the front of their brain the way you have you in yours. I don't race or anything and some of my friends join those charity bike-a-thons. Well, sometimes I'm a good listener, but there are times when I'm really rushed, and don't have the time I'd like to give to people. You'll need an ever-increasing dose of approbation from others to keep going. And so on. Add to your list. It also is a very good reason to stop yourself from attempting new things, because you know you won't be able to get it right and get it perfect. Then you'll find yourself blaming externals when you feel bad and play the 'if only' game: "If only such and such had happen (or hadn't happened) then I'd feel better and things would be OK. Have we really got you down now? It's really not as bad as all that. Internal Assessment The only place to start is with you. Ask for what you want in terms of feedback. So, here's an exercise to start the ball rolling. Sometimes other people don't notice or don't think to comment or may comment in their heads but the words don't come out of their mouths. What a tyranny. No negatives; not a one. We do need the acknowledgement of others to bolster our sense of self. Take your power back Earlier we talked about the fact that if you measure your esteem mostly through externals you give your power to others.

Finally, add things that motivate and inspire you - music you listen to, walks you take, people you admire, authors you read, food you relish, etc. Stop gossiping." Of course, this means another self-perpetuating cycle: you make your self-esteem reliant on others which means you give your 'power' away to them. Can ride a bike well. No one can get it right all the time, first time, every time. No negatives.Let's take a good look at self-esteem. Get the picture? So. Stop moaning about your fate. If they don't come up with the goods (which are usually in your head so the other person doesn't really know just what the goods they're supposed to come up with are) then you feel bad and your esteem drops. However, if self-esteem is based solely on externals and what others think, then you will continually rely on 'them' to make you feel good. In other words, it's back to the comparisons are odious thing. Unfortunately, it's one of the ways you'll be able to stock your arsenal of beating up weaponry, because you didn't get it right. If your feelings continuously rely on others' acknowledgement and affirmation you take a passive role while you wait for them to give you what you need.

Ah, we hear you say, "But then it doesn't mean as much if I have to ask for it. Doing it that way will make your life a whole lot easier. Read it to other people. We guarantee it. Step Three. Having made your list, now go to a couple of people you genuinely trust and ask them what they like about you.. You can also begin to. Actually, they don't creep, they storm in; they shove and push their way in and YELL REALLY LOUDLY to drown out the positives. Make a list of all the qualities and skills you already have. Many of you may remember that a few years ago a non-existent commencement address (not) by Kurt Vonnegut whizzed around the internet. Inside is better. Nor should they. You can stop this downward spiral right now if you wanted to. Anyway, one of the pieces of advice she gave was not to read beauty magazines, they'll just make you feel ugly. First of nearly everyone wishes they had more self-esteem?. Don't voluntarily put yourself into situations where you will just feel bad about yourself, where you will reinforce the worst bits about you rather than the good bits. You have to get it right; you have to get it right first time; and you have to be perfect. You won't be able to do this completely - maybe the Buddha could, but not us mere mortals. Read it each night before you go to bed and first thing when you wake in the morning: this is who I am. To the rescue Never fear, Impact Factory's here. Without a firm foundation of your own view of self worth, your self-esteem can be knocked back quite quickly and easily. But you can cut down on your daily dose of dissatisfaction.. And notice what your head is doing through all of this. And you have to be able to do everything as well. At the top of the page put 'I' and then your list, such as: have a warm smile, am a good listener, can ride a bike well, do the washing up without being nagged, like to help my colleagues, can be relied upon, am efficient.

Step Two. Then write a Personal Statement about yourself incorporating the most important bits. This means you need to see more of the people who think you're wonderful and give you positive feedback and less of the ones who think they know you better than you know yourself. You can, however, be 'practically' perfect. Try it; you'll see. Of course, they're incredibly active up in their brains. If you don't acknowledge these, why should anyone else? Practically Perfect Something we know is tied up with what gets in the way of having high self-esteem is perfectionism. You can choose what practically perfect could look like (which isn't perfection by the way) and aim for that. And we have a few hints and tips to help you when things feel really rough. It was soon discovered that it was a piece written for the Chicago Tribune by Judith Schmich. Let people know your accomplishments. We mean everything. We also said that outside acknowledgement is important, but we know that people with low self-esteem place an inordinate significance on what others think. Once again, they remain passive. Stop telling someone what's wrong with someone else. Sound silly reading it, doesn't it? At Impact Factory we're of the practically perfect (even occasionally, the good enough) school of thought.

Perfectly. If you're not getting as much acknowledgement as you want and need, then go to the person and ask them for it." "If only so and so would tell me how I'm doing, then I'd be fine. Step One. Avoid people who tell you what you need to fix or improve in order to get better at stuff. Next make a list of your passions, beliefs and values: things you feel really strongly about; things that turn you on; beliefs and values that are important to you. Not in a pumped up ego way; merely bring to their attention stuff that's important to you.. Stop complaining to other people. Of course, I'm not an expert. No 'needs developing' or 'could do better' or 'Yes, buts'. This needs to be a long, long list. Step Four. Your need for outside affirmation grows and you rely more on externals than before which gives your power away and undermines your self-esteem. What tends to happen around self-esteem is that most people assess themselves through externals and tote up their self-esteem by how well they've done in comparison to some impossible measurement in their heads. And on and on. I've never done that.

Mom, brother David and I are living in Brooklyn. Modern Times, says the next. PIMPLES Hey, get up here, I found some stuff! In a flash, Freckles is in the booth. And away it flies, landing in the third row. Why didn't I, at thirteen, flash on the future value of those now classic posters? How come I didn't realize that Joe, my son to be, could have had a free ride through college instead of washing dishes to pay his way? And couldn't I have imagined that I might someday be tooting around in a sleek new Mercedes, instead of the 1987 Jeep Cherokee with peeling paint now gracing our drive? Water over the dam; what does thirteen-years old know? And anyhow, the Cherokee is loved and dependable and gets us to places any self respecting Mercedes would be petrified to navigate. BACK TO SCENE Intrigued, Pimples inspects the pile of lobby cards advertising every movie the Rialto has featured for the past umpteen years. . Then I freeze, bug-eyed, as she cackles "poison, poison!" with fiendish delight, readying the deadly apple for that rosy-cheeked, animated innocent. POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, 1946 "The Rat Hole," locals dub this abandoned picture palace. So when my gentle mother leads me Yoga mat into a cavernous space with wall-to-wall seats and a huge rococo chandelier hanging above, I'm not sure what to expect. PIMPLES, curly haired and wearing an ill-fitting Eisenhower jacket, edges up a rickety stairwell. Think of the films that might have been inspired by this shuddering experience had I the foresight to create them: movies featuring a squishy, plush-bottomed serial killer gleefully suffocating small boys in the impersonal darkness of gaudy picture palaces. Alerted by a muffled "Help!" beneath her and realizing that she's landed on a tiny person, the Ample One quickly stands, blurts out "Oh gracious, I'm so sorry, dear," and shifts to the next (thankfully unoccupied) seat. She squeezes my hand, so I feel safe. Testosterone racing, they outdo one another, sailing the posters through a gaping hole in the screen. FRECKLES I got an idea. I might have become another Wes Craven! A cheeky introduction to movie making - to say the least." I whimper. It certainly wasn't my first. [There goes another $5000.] FRECKLES I got King Kong! [$25,000 sails directly across the stage and through the hole in the screen. But for that we need a long - FLASHBACK: To 1937.] PIMPLES I got Animal Crackers. PROJECTION BOOTH Pimples enters and looks around. THE RIALTO - BALCONY Taking turns, our delinquent heroes skim lobby cards down into the orchestra. Off it flies, bouncing across a seat and skidding to a stop out of sight on the floor. Pimples scoops up a stack and chugs after his buddy... I don't even know what a movie is.. FRECKLES I got The Informer. The label is generous: urine-stained seats, a tattered screen, and gaping holes in the roof admitting bats and pigeons that roost in the rafters. I cower on my seat and scrunch into a ball. And it does! Fortunately for the forty years in film that lie ahead, the ponderous posterior doesn't crush me. The lights go down. INSERT: Beau Geste, announces the poster. Then he runs to the tiny window through which once flickered giant images of Katy Hepburn and Cary Grant. RIALTO THEATER. INT. Pitch black. Sure, I know it has something to do with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, because Mom has read us the story from a picture book. If, in 1946, I never flashed on the someday value of those posters, I also had no clue that the Rialto wouldn't be my last encounter with movie magic. "Mommy. INT. PIMPLES Waddya think we ought'a do with this junk? Freckles hefts an armload of cards and charges out of the booth. .. [$9500 from a future ebay sale, down the drain. Then, as an approaching female someone mumbles "excuse me," I uncoil two fingers from the hand covering my eyes and gaze up at a gigantic wavering tush about to land on me. .. A box of dusty glass advertising slides sits on a broken chair. Previous miscreants have left it intact, so Freckles assaults the partition with chunks of broken concrete and a crazy laugh. .FADE IN INT.. Pimples turns one over. A battered projector, its glazed eye fixed on the floor, droops like a rejected lover. Grab some. Then suddenly, magic: music, along with multicolored drawings such as those in the picture book. FRECKLES, a hyperactive redhead, discovers a frosted glass partition separating the lobby from the orchestra. In one corner, a five-foot stack of cardboard posters rests against the wall. Pimples displays a Casablanca poster. Let's go downtown and score some chicks. A unique thriller genre; maybe it could have worked. Except that they move; and I'm pulled along by some mysterious force, captive to the flickering frames - until Snow White's wicked stepmother, in her "old crone" permutation, suddenly dominates the screen. FADE OUT As I sit here in my cozy Sierra foothills home, looking out at the deer munching my wife's recently planted hydrangeas, and dredging up that spring of 1946 - with freckle-faced Eddie and me checking to see if we've been spotted as we sneak out of The Rat Hole - my few remaining hairs turn grey.] FRECKLES (CONT'D) Bull's eye! And so it goes; until adolescent boredom sets in and Freckles says - FRECKLES (CONT'D) This is a drag. Two thirteen-year-old boys jimmy open a rusting exit door and race along an aisle toward the lobby. .

Keep your kids home with daddy if you are concerned that they will witness this, but whatever you do, don't tell the sellers you're going to resell it! The only reason you would ever tell someone that you sell on eBay at a garage sale is if they have some high quality, high priced item that you cannot afford. This may seem silly, but the next time you go to a garage sale, hang out for a few minutes and look at the other customers. You'll find that prices are higher for well dressed people.Ebay can be a great way to earn supplemental income as a stay at home mom. All that remains is acquiring items to sell! A very common source of eBay items is local garage sales.

If a seller thinks you are going to resell the stuff to someone else, then they figure they are not charging enough! Buyers who scream eBay are more likely to be given higher prices, with less chance of bartering a better price. Wear exercise outfits, old t-shirts, dirty tennis shoes. Your best option is to remain nonchalant about the entire transaction, and if asked what you are going to do with an item, lie. So he's attached to the bowling ball and wants $20. You make one offer of $25 for everything. Your goal is to psychologically tell the seller that you cannot afford an item. Dress casually When going garage saling, you want to make sure you blend in completely.

The seller, who was firm at $20 for his emotionally attached bowling ball, can justify to himself that he gave you the remaining items for only $5. The opportunities are there for the taking. But there are some methods of shopping garage sales for eBay finds that will make your profits soar. You want the bowling ball, 10 articles of clothing at $1 each, and a pair of snow skies for $20. This way, if you are lowballing the seller somewhat, he doesn't know which item is the one he is offering the biggest discount for. Nowadays, you can do everything from your home; list items, gather postage materials, have packages picked up by the post office. This way, everyone wins! Garage sales can be a fun way to find merchandise to resell on eBay if you know the right tips. You may decide to offer them your services as a trading assistant. Yes, you heard me. Often, sellers simply do not know how much their items are worth. Either that, or they do not want to take the time to set up an eBay account and sell themselves.

Note: you would never want to sell a bowling ball on eBay; it's too heavy; this is for example purposes Foam roller only. If you go into a garage sale and get chatty with the seller, telling him or her what you intend to do with their items, suddenly the items are more valuable to them. Leave your designer clothes, purses and shoes at home. Simply put the item in a pile and continue to scout the sale. After you have completed your perusal of the sale, make one offer for all the items you have in your pile. Then, if the price is reasonable, put it in a pile and do not say a word to the seller. For example, let's say that the seller is emotionally attached to a bowling ball. Don't mention eBay The cardinal rule in garage sale, yard sale, or estate sale eBay hunting is to never mention the word eBay. Look like you're poor. Drive the work truck instead of your new hybrid. Group your items If you are at a really good garage sale, and want to buy several items, ask the seller how much each item costs as you become interested in it. Lie. Happy shopping! . If you have small children with you, make sure they understand this as well.

If you are looking to buy some body building equipment from a large company, be sure that they are reliable and offer a guarantee. This is especially true if you are buying a machine with pulley systems. If youre not able to get to a gym, having these types of weights at home will contribute to your workout program and help you build your muscles in an amazing way. Exercise balls can be purchased in many places including discount stores like Wal-Mart, and are relatively inexpensive when you consider what they can give you in the long run. While weight machines are some of the best ways to work specific muscle groups, there is still a lot of other body building equipment you can use to help tone and work your muscles to their fullest potential.

You can actually come across some great deals when you search out the types of machines that you want to enhance your workout. There are many places you can go to get this type of equipment, but know what you are looking for before you buy. You will want to choose the type of equipment that will give you maximum results and contribute to your goals not take away from them. You should look for reliability in body building equipment before you buy. Body building equipment can greatly enhance your workout sessions and tone your body to new proportions.

Its convenient to have your own weight machine in your home, but if it doesnt give you the workout that you need, youre just throwing your money away. You simply roll over the ball and perform sit-ups while using the resistance that the ball can give you works your abs. Look at the cords and see if they are strong and not frayed. If there is any sign of stress on the pulleys, dont buy it.Generally, people think of body building equipment as weight machines. Check online and look in the classified ads of your local newspaper to find Nautilus machines as well as treadmills or stair step machines. Body building equipment doesnt have to be expensive. Use the equipment that will work the parts of your body that you want to concentrate on and then watch your muscles thrive! . A stable weight bench and some barbells as well as dumbbells will Massage ball help you workout at home. Of course, you will want to have some type of weights to help you with your body building goals. The equipment you use when you are undertaking a body building program can be very important. An exercise ball is a cheap way to work your ab muscles and make them strong.