Well, it's official: the economy stinks.

Not that anyone with half a brain (or considerably less) couldn't see it coming. But things get really rocky when the Dow starts to plummet and the banks all fail and the government offers a "Sweetened Bail-Out" package...you get the idea.

But then some of my employees were chatting and had heard that, throughout the web, things were looking grim. There was this story from CNN which is terribly depressing - and with the word "depressing" comes the word "depression".

Yes, depression. As in The Great Depression. As in "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" depression. Which 60% of Americans think we're facing. And that means 60% are overreacting.

You might not agree with me. You might think we're doomed. But the Wall Street Journal doesn't think so...which is to say the Nobel Laureate who authored this article doesn't think so. The LA Times seems to argue that depressions in economics are inevitable, but another "Great Depression" is highly unlikely. People in Congress and in the Media have been yelping about depressions and recessions and bailouts and the plummeting market and that's got you worried. You should be worried, but you shouldn't be terrified. You should be ACTING on good information given to you by informed market professionals. Don't sell everything you own. Don't give away all your possessions and run off into the desert. Just think carefully and don't get overwhelmed by people telling you we're all doomed.

Labels: Depression, Financial Crisis, Financial News, Loans, Money, Ron Rants, Special Reports

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Ron Daly's new segment, "Ron Rants", tells readers what gets him angry.

Every so often, I pick up my phone and find that the person calling is someone at their wits' end. They've had it with their inferior service at another vendor and they've finally called us to help them get their systems working the right way. Some call it "a lesson learned the hard way". I call it "getting hosed."

HOSED (n.) - Taken advantage of by a service provider that does NOT know what they're doing.

Why do people do this, you wonder? Because there's some sort of crazy idea about Internet services that says cheaper services are just as good as other services that are a bit more costly. This is as good as saying that a gas station hot dog is as delicious and filling as filet mignon. What gets in people's heads that says "this costs drastically less, but must be just as good"?

Does this mean that every online service that's any good is expensive? No. But when you pay money for a service - of any kind, really - you should be getting your money's worth. When your e-mails don't get through and your surveys don't produce results, you're getting hosed. H-o-s-e-d. So how do you avoid this?

1) DO YOUR HOMEWORK - It's not impossible to comparison shop web services. Good businesses can back up their performance with testimonials. They have corporate partners in the same line of work. They have evidence of success in the form of awards, mentions, and accolades. Are these things missing from your provider's site? They're HOSING you. Failing anything else, ask other businesses that have used the service in question. Hear what THEY have to say. With Web 2.0 becoming more and more prevalent, the idea of dialog is so important. Have a chat with people who know what's happening.

2) ASK FOR PAPERWORK - It's called due diligence. You take the time to ask for reports on success rates, for survey results, for feedback. When they don't provide it, give them the boot.

3) REMEMBER: IT HAPPENS BOTH WAYS - Every business began as a small business. Google was once something overshadowed by Yahoo!. Apple floundered for most of the 90s. David doesn't always slay Goliath, but he CAN avoid being stepped on: when you can get the same thing from vendor A that colossal vendor B has been giving you at a fraction of the cost, make the best decision you can.

Good support is everything. When your "helper" stops "helping", it's time to move on. Get the most out of your dollar and don't settle for second best. No one gets into business to be the most mediocre corner of the market. Long story short: DON'T GET HOSED!

Labels: Credit Union News, email, Marketing, Ron Rants, Special Reports

Click Here to Read the Full Version of "Ron Rants"