Competition

As I was falling asleep last night I started thinking about competition. Competition occurs on many levels and at many different times. My interest in competion is primarily business focused, allthough competition occurs in academics, relationships, war and athletics to name a few. The more I thought about it the more I began to focus on resources and how critical they are to your success in any competition. The marshalling of resources is a key factor in your potential victory or defeat. (more later)

What do you think?

-Khris

Tips for the Entrepreneur

Tips for the entrepreneur:

I have had some pretty interesting experiences over the last five years. I was never trained as a salesman and pretty much learned on the job. Nothing motivates you to sell like paying a mortgage. My top 3 realizations:

1. If a customer wants to give you money, take it then and there.

2. If you have sold "it", shut up and let "it" be sold, all you can do at that point is "unsell" - "it".

3. Sometimes you have to tell the customer to buy "it".

4. In preparing your long winded, graphic heavy, presentation remember to include a moment for the customer to buy. If they take that opportunity -see item 2 above.

5. Remember that every customer evaluates your product based on their own set of priorities. It's up to you to determine what those priorities are and shape your "pitch" to show how your product realizes those priorities. For me those priorities can be fit, style, protection level, uniqueness, sameness, beliefs, etc.

6. People barter with small companies, but not with large established ones. No ones goes into Target and offers $10 less than MSRP, do they?

7. Someone has to be the boss, even in a partnership.

8. Know what you do or sell, and do or sell what you know. You can't be a conglomerate from day 1.

9. Don't be afraid to tell a customer NO.

10. Talk to your customers even when they don't buy.

11. Women can help you sell to to a market dominated by men.

12. People buy in herds....others will assume value, investigate, and possibly buy, if others are buying from you. I believe the inverse to also be true.

Seriously...

The Walmart-ization of America

Do you purchase the cheapeast products available? Is that the only factor you use to evaluate a particular product? Has everything been commoditized?

No probably not, but access to inexpensive smartly designed products can be had at most big box retailers. The combination of market competition and cheap labor rates have effectively produced products that are both inexpensive and of questionable quailty, but hey it's cheap right? Buy, break, replace....it's only two bucks. Did you know oil is used in the production of plastic? Forget about cars, what happens to my life if the production of plastic is limited?

This all brings me to producing items offshore. My company produces everything offshore. We have no US production capability. When we initially set up the company we visited several countries in Europe, but settled on one in Asia. I would have loved to set up shop in the US (i think it's better), but I didnt think I could sell enough $800 leather jackets to support a business. So what does this mean? Well, I guess there are manufacturing jobs in the US that weren't created as a result of my business, but the market get's a product it wants at a price it wants to pay. So who looses? I am really not sure.

What concerns me is, if the US eliminates most of it's onshore manufacturing capability what happens if one day the Chinese or another Low Labor Producer (LLP) suddenly decides to stop doing business with us, however unlikey? We will move to some other socio economically depressed area and continue to exploit exceptionally low wages in order to deliver inexpensive products, but the real threat I see isn't this. The real threat I see is that a LLP buys a strong brand or develops its own and can go to market agressively at a price point that an "outsourcer" cannot compete with. What happens then?

-Khristiano

Get On The Bus

You know, I just feel the need to say something about this dude at the bus stop. This cat tries to get his "I'm a REAL gentleman" brownie points by standing in front of the bus door when it's his turn to get on the bus. He's there holding up an insanely long line of people by letting all the women get out of line and on the bus first, then getting on the bus himself, followed by the rest of us that use this form of public transportation because some don't feel like driving, some can't drive, some don't want to pay for parking in the city, and some just love it because of the convenience. Sure it's cute and/or sweet but what does it mean if a couple of the women think you are a gentlemen and the rest thing your are as dumb as a bag of yak shavings for letting them get first dibs on the comfy seats with the scenic panoramic views. Now, I don't mean to stand on my soapbox and preach but I believe that I am speaking for us all when I say this from the bottom of my heart, nay, the bottom of my nether regions..."Man, get your stankin' ass on the bus. I need to get to my office."

If you want to be the fuckin' Golden Girl from Saint Ohloff, get to the back of the line and let us all on the bus ahead of you. Now that's chivalry!

-Panama

2008 Model & Bike Shoot for TonyD Freestyle

We just got a copy of a bike shoot that our rider TonyD Freestyle sent to us. Can you find the Corsa sticker on his bike? The shoot features model Darlene Escoto. He will be stuntin' on for 2008. It's a 2005 Kawasaki 636 pimped out by Redline Motorsports.

Love::Speed::Glory

Man Up, Girlfriend.

Ok, here's the deal...I just received the following email from a lady friend of mine. Uh, you may not know this but I hate "MALE MUSH" emails. What's a male mush email? Well, it's some pro-WOMAN relationship manifesto in the form of an email or story that's conjured and written by a MAN. And yes, it's soooo gay. Now, he does make some very valid points in this message. I just think that it's lame because he didn't accompany it with a version for MEN about WOMEN. Below is a list of the things that he wrote in this "Declaration of Independence" with my own thoughts behind it.

"IF A MAN WANTS YOU" by some guy

-If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away. (Except a gun)

-If he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay. (Except a gun)

-Stop making excuses for a man and his behavior. (If he's smart, he can make his own excuses)

-Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache. (And future dates)

-Stop trying to change yourselves for a relationship that's not meant to be. (As opposed to acting like the same jerk you have been for a relationship that is meant to be)

-Slower is better. (If you are falling off a bridge or building)

-Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy. (***Note, living your life for your man is what makes him happy. Anything else would be so selfish***)

-If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve then heck no, you can't "be friends." A friend wouldn't mistreat a friend. (You remember what Chuckie from Child's Play did to friends that crossed him don't you? That's my case and point)

-Don't settle. If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is. (Stringing you along is a lot nicer than kickin' your ass for speculating)

-Don't stay because you think "it will get better." You'll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better. (And things are bound to get better once you start to cough up your part of the rent)

-The only person you can control in a relationship is you. (And you can't quite seem to control yourself so the relationship is pretty much a crap shoot)

-Avoid men who've got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women. He didn't marry them when he got them pregnant, why would he treat you any differently? (Hey, Flavor Flav did it and he got three seasons on VH1 to prove that theory wrong)

-Always have your own set of friends separate from his. (Besides, your friends are hoes)

-Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you. (As long as you don't put those boundaries in the bed)

-If something bothers you, speak up. (Or forever hold your peace. Don't bring shyt up a month later. All expressed warranties are null and void)

-Never let a man know everything. He will use it against you later. (That's just a nice way to say, "Shut the fuck up" from time to time)

-You cannot change a man's behavior. Change comes from within. (So does diarrhea)

-Don't EVER make him feel he is more important than you are...even if he has more education or in a better job. Do not make him into a quasi-god. He is a man, nothing more nothing less. (And after that, just kick him square in the nuts while you got him on the ground, why don't you!)

-Never let a man define who you are. (Instead, let Webster's define what you are. Look up the word "annoying")

-Never borrow someone else's man. Oh Lord! If he cheated with you, he'll cheat on you. (Just buy a man of your own)

-A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you. (Good thing you have no say so in this matter. Whew! I was afraid we'd have to break up the band)

-All men are NOT dogs. (Some of us like to monkey around)

-You should not be the one doing all the bending...compromise is a two-way street. (It's my way or the highway. Your over-confidence is your ticket to a one-way, dead end street)

-You need time to heal between relationships...there is nothing cute about baggage... deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship. (Unless'n you are on the rebound from a relationship you just got out of. In that case, who needs healin'? You needs lovin!)

-You should never look for someone to COMPLETE you...a relationship consists of two WHOLE individuals...look for someone complimentary...not supplementary. (I think he's telling you to go on a diet. Read between the lines)

-Dating is fun...even if he doesn't turn out to be Mr. Right. (Wrong, dating is a total waste of time and the tax payer's dollars)

-Make him miss you sometimes...when a man always know where you are, and your always readily available to him- he takes it for granted. (Imagine if McDonald's subscribed to that same philosophy...smh)

-Don't fully commit to a man who doesn't give you everything that you need. (Just commit to him when either of you is in need of sexual favors. Fair enough?)

-Keep him in your radar but get to know others. (Always have your next targeted victim in your sites. Remember...No Women, No Children)

Share this with other ladies..... You'll make someone SMILE, another
RETHINK her choices, and another woman PREPARE.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate
them, a day to love them and an entire lifetime to forget them.
Pass this on to at least 10 woman and 5 men.

BY THE WAY, THIS WAS WRITTEN BY A MAN, SO TAKE A HINT...

(I got the hint...Tyler Perry must have written this)

-Your Hetero-Hero, the Manly Man, the Panly Pan


***Don't get offended and walk around with your panties in a bunch. This was all done in fun, sheesh***

Disclaimer: The Corsa Group does not necessarily agree or approve of the content displayed in this particular blog. The expressed views are those of the writer and not CORSA or it's affiliates. Panama is a liar and he really believes everything that HE wrote.