I encourage all of you to get involved with local charities. You can always give money, but even better, you can contribute your time and services.  Your neighborhood needs you and the rewards are life changing.  I would like to share a quick story with you as well as a few charities that could use your help.  Several months ago we received a call from a gentleman looking for a Houston courier service to pick up a pallet of bottled water and deliver it to Minute Maid Park.  Having over heard this conversation in the call center, I asked to take the call.  I discovered that this gentleman was with the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), and their organization was providing water to the members of the 72nd Infantry Brigade and their families during a deployment ceremony parade.  Having attended Texas A&M University, I have the privilege of knowing many current and former members of our military.  When the husband of a dear friend of mine was deployed to Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks, I purchased a camouflage bracelet that simply says, “Support our Troops”.  I have never taken this bracelet off.  Our men and women and the families of these courageous folks need our support, so when it came time, I was honored to provide a free delivery for these brave souls.  The unbelievable part about this story was that just last week, I was invited to the VFW Hall and they presented me with an Award of Appreciation! Can you imagine? All that these men and women, their friends and families, are sacrificing so much, and they give me an award?  I don’t tell this story for my benefit, but rather for the benefit of our military.  The smallest actions, and believe me, to me, my action was very small, mean the world to these military families.  The same is true for all the actions and involvement with your local charities. These terrific groups strive and are able to give back to our communities because of the actions and involvement of people like you and me.  I challenge each of you to get involved with a local charity and you will be amazed at how much more fulfillment you will get out of it than you put it. The outcome is terrific!

A few groups I would like to highlight, are Comp-U-Dopt

http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1262047571 

and U.S. Vets

http://www.usvetsinc.org/locations/location.asp?id=7

So, what does this have to do with 24/7 365? The media has story after story with the local plumber reminding people to wrap their pipes and stay prepared. They have been getting calls at all hours of the night for broken pipes and busted sprinkler heads.  Running jobs at all hours of the night is nothing new to most of us in the courier business, but it is important to stop and reflect on the importance of being prepared and having a proper strategy for any and all weather related events. Especially when driving at night in subfreezing weather. The roads are slick and deliveries still have to be made urgently, but, with extra caution.

Do you have a winter strategy in place? Have you spent time ensuring that those who work for you and represent you know what precautions they need to take when transporting freight or even themselves to and from the office?

Here are a few tips for winter driving conditions:

• Use slower acceleration and slower speeds.
• Avoid heavy steering and braking.
• Allow extra time to reach your destination during inclement weather. It is not worth putting your own life or the lives of others in danger to save time.
• Drive with your headlights on.
• Don’t get overconfident with four-wheel drive. It won’t help you stop any faster.
• Winter road conditions often result in longer stopping distances. Give yourself room. If you have anti-lock brakes, press the pedal down firmly and hold it. If you don’t have anti-lock brakes, gently pump the pedal.
• Slow down when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges or shady spots. These all have potential to develop black ice.
• Avoid abrupt actions while steering, braking or accelerating to lessen your chance of losing control.
• Look farther ahead in traffic. Actions by other drivers will alert you to problems and give you extra reaction time.
• Trucks take longer to stop. Don’t cut in front of them.
• Avoid using cruise control or overdrive. Don’t let your car make a bad decision for you.

Also, check out the Red Cross’s “Winter Storm Safety Check List” and be prepared.

Have a warm and cozy day, where ever you are!

Until next time,

Eric

We have an incredible software system that has a feature that can automatically populate our order entry screens using our phone systems caller ID.  However, in order for us to make this work, we have to make a change to our phone system.  I have put this change off for way too long, mainly due to convincing myself that the pain of reassigning IP addresses etc far outweighed the benefit we would gain.  Not to mention the fear that someone may mess up and we lose our phones for a period of time.  However, while crafting my intentions for technological improvement and reducing operating costs, I soon realized that not only will this new phone system help increase our customer service (another intention), we will also be saving over $500 per month on our company phone bill and be getting better, more robust service.

The day to day reality of running a same day delivery business, like my Houston courier service, Hot Shot Delivery, Inc., or any business for that matter, is full of distractions and pressing issues.  With the right intentions in place and the discipline to follow through, life and business will be easier.  So, say goodbye to 2009 and the unresolved, unachieved, goals and resolutions of the past.  Welcome 2010!  I intend on this year being a banner year and I look forward to sharing it with each and every one of you. So don’t forget, Shop Hot Shot!

For more information on intentions, please visit my dear friend Brian Parsley at www.brianparsley.com or give me a call and we can share ideas.

There is an easy way to fix things like this and even prevent them from happening in the future. The simple fix is to open the door, roll up your sleeves and jump in with the crew. As a boss of a wonderful group of very talented people, it’s extremely easy and enjoyable for me to do this. These great people are a part of my family and I don’t want them to do anything that I can’t do or have not done myself.

To be honest, it’s quite a bit of fun to get back to the basics of your company and deal directly with the front line situations. Recently, I spent the day with the customer service group at my Houston Courier Service, Hot Shot Delivery. I answered calls, tracked packages, took orders, communicated with drivers and talked with tons of customers. It was a great day and I vowed to myself to experience this process more often. In just one day on the front line, I learned about a recurring service request that could turn in to a new service offering. I also learned some quick short cuts when working through our system as well as great insight about what motivates my employees.

I did not stop there – I jumped in with one of our drivers and spent the day making deliveries. That gave me the chance to see a day in the life of our delivery drivers. The traffic problems, their interaction with our customers, the challenges they experience and, again, what motivates them as independent contractors were all witnessed during my delivery day adventure.

As it seems to be in many areas, communication is the key. Opening the lines of communication with your employees can make things so much better for everyone and the way to do that is to walk in their shoes. See what they are going through each day and they are more likely to talk to you about their ideas for improvement and feel like an important part of the team.

Now don’t get me wrong, it is still extremely important for you, as the boss, to work on strategy, marketing and the “big picture” of your company. These are areas that can facilitate long term growth and additional revenue streams. Just find a balance between the two and you will see that your company will benefit greatly.

So, be sure to take some time and figure out how you can get more involved with the team. Your entire organization will notice, appreciate and communicate with you – which is a win-win for everyone!

Until Next Time,

Eric

The point is, this story really got me thinking. In my home, I feel secure and at ease and this is the type of situation that can make you feel like your “peace of mind” is not truly warranted. It also made me realize all of the other areas in life where people have a false sense of security. Now, this is not meant to scare anyone. That is not my desire. However, it’s meant to educate and inform you of the right questions to ask to make sure you are dealing with a company that keeps your security in mind.

A few years ago, the City of Houston implemented a towing program to help to clear the roads of accidents faster. Many cities around the US incorporated similar programs and were met with success and controversy all at the same time. One of the concerns that arose was regarding the Towing Companies that were chosen by the city to clear these accidents. Many of the cities that ran this program did not do proper background checks, insurance checks and licensing checks on these companies. These tow truck drivers had access to your vehicle, your personal information and often would have to escort you and your family to a different destination. It was found that many of them were not licensed, had no insurance and in many cases had extensive criminal backgrounds. This is not the type of situation that your city should put you in. Many of these programs are no longer in existence due to the problems that occurred. One way to avoid this is to work with companies that can provide proof of background checks, proof of insurance and proper licensing. And as always, when in doubt…ASK. It’s your right to know and their obligation to provide that information.

In my industry, it’s a shame how many people just trust their personal packages with companies that don’t do background checks, are not bonded, licensed, follow OSHA compliance or even check to make sure their drivers are insured. These packages are obviously important and time sensitive and in so many cases, never make it to their destination. The sad part is that the sender or the receiver can’t do much about it. This is an easy situation to avoid. Companies like my Houston Courier Service, can provide the proof you need to feel secure about your packages. Any company you work with should have this proof readily available to give you the peace of mind you need to feel that your belongings are safe when out of your hands. Paying a dollar or two more for a delivery from someone who has gone through the process of making sure your packages are safe is a no-brainer in my opinion.

Now, in a more personal area…your home. This is the area where you need to be the most alert. Work with companies that are in good standing with the Better Business Bureau. Work with companies that your friends can refer to you. You are letting people that you don’t know in to your private home and around your family. This includes your yard company, your cable company, your appliance company, repairs, carpet cleaning, etc… Be smart about who you let in to your  home and be sure to stay on your toes the entire time they are there. Keep notice of all activity and don’t leave them in a room alone. Stay aware and stay safe and work with companies that have the safety and security of their customers as a top priority.

Now, to get back to the story of my friend and his tripped alarm in the middle of the night. After some discussions with the Security monitoring service and a little investigation, it turns out that a house fly was their “foe” ready to cause harm to the family. Apparently, that little fly flew right in front of their very sensitive motion detectors and the rest is history. The family is safe and got a good laugh out of the whole thing, but I can’t say the same for that poor house fly.

Until Next Time,

Eric

Shout it out to the world!

I won’t go as far as saying it’s our duty to others, but I’m getting very close to feeling that way. People rely on their community to give them honest and accurate feedback about businesses, products and services. It’s our way of weeding through the junk to get to the great stuff. Without this, we will continue to keep people in business that treat their customers poorly, don’t back up their products and cheat people out of their money. If people speak up about the great companies, then the bad ones will lose business in the process.

A little example from my life – I recently had to switch banks due to a poor service issue that I could not ignore. This bank has been a part of my life and my Houston Courier Service, Hot Shot Delivery, for years. The sad thing was, it was an easy decision to finally make the switch. Somewhere in this “bad economy”, this bank forgot the importance of loyalty, customer service and convenience. It became all about numbers and the bottom line for them. I had recommended this bank to my employees, my contractors, my friends and business colleagues. I could not sit by and watch as their new philosophy caused problems, inconveniences and frustration for multiple people. So, I took a stand – changed banks and told others my reasons for leaving.

Good service is not optional!! It’s not a thing of the past, it’s not a choice and it’s definitely not a perk. It’s expected by me – Every Time. And for that matter, I expect my company to provide that good service to our customers. And, if you don’t get it – Tell me about it! I want to know how my company can improve because I want Hot Shot Delivery to be around in the future. I want to provide the level of service that gets shouted out to the world. High quality, high caliber service that people want to recommend to others. That’s when I know I’m successful. Treating customers like they matter, because you know what… they do.

It’s really very easy to let people know how you were treated or how your new product compares to your expectations. If you are worried about putting your active email address out on the internet, it’s simple to create a “review email account”. Email accounts from Google, Yahoo and MSN are all free. Create an account that you use to review products and give feedback. You will be doing your part and helping others with their buying decisions. People need to know when you have found something so great that it’s made your life easier. They also need to know when you have run in to bad service issues so they can avoid the same problems. It’s a way of giving back through your time and your opinion. You are helping people – it will make you feel great!

Think about it for a minute – can you go through and recommend to others a service that you currently work with? Your doctor, your veterinarian, your dry cleaner, your local delivery service (grins) – are these companies so great that you want to shout it out? If so, look them up online and do a local review of their service so that others who are in need of that service can be one step closer to finding that great business experience too.

Do you have any other great ideas about getting the word about great service out to the masses? If so, let’s chat more about it. Comment on this blog and I’ll get back with you shortly.

Until Next Time,

Eric

Could this have been avoided? Absolutely. There are so many examples of problems with final destination (AKA: Last Mile) delivery. Freight, perishables, pallets, exhibits and tons of other deliveries get stuck somewhere in the middle and customers are left wondering. It’s amazing how things seem to travel seamlessly from one corner of the US to the other, but getting your freight off of the truck in the middle of the day on a crowded street with no parking can be close to performing a miracle. Or worse, wondering if your time-sensitive trade show booth was accidentally left on the dock the day your convention is starting.

Truck At Empty Dock

Now the concept of delivering freight may seem simple, but trust me, it CAN have its challenges. For example, when a truck comes in to a city like mine (Houston, TX), the delivery can be extremely tough. Getting through the traffic congestion and jams, or moving in and around the downtown area can be very tricky. Dock appointments can also prove to be a chore, particularly if the freight is going to a convention center. All of these challenges can end up with your freight stranded on a truck. So, what’s the solution? This is where it gets a bit more simple…find a last mile provider and transfer the load. What is a last mile provider? A last mile provider is a delivery service that specializes in the final leg of a delivery. They should offer a climate-controlled warehouse along with the proper equipment to handle a freight transfer.

This is an example of one service that my company, Hot Shot Delivery, handles on a daily basis. Our Nationwide Freight Service along with our in-city on-demand courier service can handle the process of unloading those huge 52 Foot 18-wheelers full of deliveries. Once unloaded,  we split them up between several smaller trucks, cargo vans and cars who can then cut the delivery time down by huge amounts. This gets the freight to the customer sooner, gets the 18-Wheeler back on the road to pick up more long-haul deliveries and when it’s all done – both sides of the equation have saved time, money and additional resources. Trust me, when you see long-distance trucking companies have to turn down deliveries because their trucks are sitting idle at a dock waiting to be unloaded, you would likely agree with the value of a last-mile delivery provider.

In the spirit of ribs, I’ll give you an example. We recently had a truck with 12 pallets of BBQ Spice Rub come in to town and have difficulties making their final delivery. Not only was the delivery point unable to unload the product (no loading dock and no forklift), but the truck would not even fit in the downtown area. The truck re-routed and came to our facility where we unloaded the product and re-loaded it on to a straight truck that had a lift gate. The delivery was done within an hour after we received the freight and the large truck went on to pick up his next load. The fee we charged was so much less than the charge resulting from the amount of hours the driver would have used on his log that we actually saved the customer money. And, the large truck driver was able to get halfway to his next destination in the time we saved him.

This service is available in almost every city. So, if you have to ship large items across the country, be sure to ask your delivery provider how they will be handling the last-mile delivery aspects. Because waiting around for the freight that is obviously stranded somewhere is not a good way to spend your day. If you need help with this or if you just want a great recipe for some BBQ’d ribs – don’t hesitate to contact me.

Until Next Time,

Eric

So, here we go…

1. Raise the Thermostat, Turn off the Water and Change the Lightbulbs - These are simple and probably the most basic of changes that anyone can incorporate. Raise the Thermostat: Trust me, I know that it’s hot in the summer – I live in Houston and I’m very aware of how humid and hot things get in the middle of August. But, your body can adjust to slight changes in temperature relatively easily. Turning the air up so that it’s not running all of the time will lower the bills and total energy usage. Make a plan to raise the temperature 3-5 degrees from it’s current position. Do one degree a week and by the time you get to your goal, your body will be used to the change. If you think it’s hot inside, just go outside for an hour. That will give you some perspective.  Turn off the Water: Do you turn the water on and walk off to do something else? Do you keep the water running while you brush your teeth or stand in a shower for 20 minutes trying to wake up? Why? Turn it off – lower your water intake and again, you will help the environment and your pocketbook. Change the LightBulbs – The lightbulbs of the past are exactly that. So, get some Energy Smart light bulbs to replace your current bulbs. They are more expensive, but they save on electricity costs, use less energy and are overall better for the environment. Less wattage and longer lasting…it’s worth it and it’s easy.

2. Printers – How much do you use your printer? Are you printing things that eventually get thrown away or tossed in a drawer? These days, with the ease of 3rd party data storage and computer back up procedures, the printer is not the necessary machine as in years past. Of course we still need a printer for some things, but just think before you print. Anyone who knows me or gets emails from me has seen the bottom of my emails… “Please consider the environment before printing this email.”

3. Turn it off – Did you know that lighting accounts for 44% of the monthly electricity usage at office buildings? When you leave a room, turn the light off. And, utilize natural light when you can. At the end of the day, turn all computers, lights, copy machines, printers, etc.. off. Don’t forget the power strips they are attached to. Also, during the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. And so you know, screen savers don’t save energy.  Make this a habit and it won’t even phase you. The machines will last longer and the energy usage will decrease.

4. Recycle - This can be done at home or at work. It truly helps and it does not take a big change to incorporate recycling procedures. Place recycling bins in each office, next to the printers, in the break rooms, etc… At home, have a regular trash can and a recycle trash can. Be sure to place a sign next to the bins with what can be recycled and what can’t. Saving the Earth one can at a time – seems impossible, but every bit helps.

5. Consider who you do business with – My final tip for the day will include a courier service example. Considering I own a Houston Courier Service, this is an area I am educated in and can speak about. The easiest way for me to give an example of energy saving and environmentally smart decisions is to give you a quick example of how working with a company like Hot Shot Delivery to deliver your packages vs. a different company can be good for the environment.

First, a little information….each person has a carbon footprint. According to Wikipedia, a carbon footprint is “the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product” – their individual drain of energy on the environment. Finding out your carbon footprint and then learning ways to reduce it is a great step towards embracing a “greener” life.

Ok, so back to my example – Let’s say that you are in Downtown Houston and need to deliver a package to The Woodlands (approx. 30  minutes away). By working with Hot Shot Delivery, chances are good that you are not the only one that needs a package delivered there.  So, your package jumps in with a few other packages making that trip. And, when the driver gets to the destination, he may have a few other packages to pick up in that area to bring back to Downtown Houston. All of these packages, on one trip – lowers YOUR carbon footprint. When you work with a company that is larger with more clients, you do have that benefit. Now, I’m not saying there is anything wrong with working with small companies. However, in this example – the larger company can lower the burden on the environment by lumping several deliveries together to save gas, emissions and more.

Thanks for your efforts at “going green” and be sure to send in more examples of simple ways to reduce your impact on our environment.

Until Next Time,

Eric

While sitting at home healing, I ran across an old article in Money magazine that got me thinking about what I would label as good uses of your money. The current economy has most people thinking of ways to be smart with their money and not wasteful. Being smart with your money does not mean not spending any of it…it means making the right decisions that will pay off for you financially, for your career or for your future. None of these ideas will make you rich, but they may be able to provide lower risk and a higher probability of success. That’s what I call smart. Most of these ideas are related to your money and your family. It’s by no means the only thing to do with your money, but it’s a start.

5 Things To Do With Your Money:

1. Automate – Your financial life, that is. Don’t rely on your emotions or your memory to put aside money each month towards your investments. Things get put off  or moved down the list when you make them a manual action. Contact your bank or your broker to have monthly investments routed from your account each month…automatically. Make investing an afterthought by taking the thought out of it. Do the same thing for all of your monthly bills. It will make life easier, I promise. And, you will never pay late fees again or waste time each month managing the bills and investing. This leaves you more time to do the things that generate profit or income.

2. Every Penny Counts - Get a jar, a bucket, a big cup, whatever…and  make a pact with your family to put all stray coins there. Pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, all of it goes in the jar. Do this for six months and then bring it to a bank that has a coin sorter. Now, for the boring part , don’t spend it. Yes, I said don’t spend it. Open a savings account and put the money there. Let it earn interest as you determine what you will want it to pay for in the future. It’s easy to save hundreds of dollars each year (if not more) effortlessly. This money can eventually pay for a big family vacation, a college education, paying down high-interest debt, etc… The possibilities are endless and the process is fun for the whole family. Kids really get in to this and it’s a great outing when you go to the bank to find out how much the family saved TOGETHER.

3. Invest in College - I can’t stress enough the importance of sending your kids to college. In today’s world, the competition is fierce and the jobs are limited. Save the money, borrow the money, whatever it takes  – make sure they go to college. College graduates make 80% more than non-graduates over their lifetime. This adds up to a cool million over their lifetime. Now, that’s a good use of your money.

4. Know your credit score - This is a really important number to know. It can prevent or facilitate the purchase of necessary things in life. Having a bad credit score can haunt you for years and years. Get a reporting agency to give you the credit report for all three bureaus. It will cost you some money, but you will have the number and be able to fix any problem issues before it’s too late. And, many times, mistakes are made and your credit report has someone else’s problems on it. This can take years to fix if you don’t take action quickly. So, please spend the $50 and get a good idea of where things stand in your credit world.

5. Push the limits – Max out your 401(k). Yes, the market is rocky, but it’s still a good place to put your money to invest in your future. Determine your riskyness through your age and the closeness to retirement. Keep things a little more conservative if you can’t afford to have too much fluctuation. Either way, many companies provide 401(k) matching programs, which is free money to you. Take advantage of it and max out your contributions. Putting a few dollars in each month can turn in to thousands of dollars when it comes time to retire. It’s worth pinching the pennies now to have security later in life.

That’s about it for me for this week. I’m finally back at my Houston Courier Service this week and am very busy trying to catch up. I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July holiday. Let me know if you have any other great ideas for your money.

Until Next Time,

Eric

I’m realizing that there are a few things that bring full families together – Weddings, Births and Funerals. All three are celebrations of life and occasions to come together with old stories, great memories and rekindled relationships. It is sad that it takes these major acts to keep many families in touch. People seem to be so busy these days that they forget the really important things in life. The really important things in life start with family. It is in the family that our roots take hold and from there we grow to be the person we are meant to become.

I’m very lucky to have the family that I do. We are close, we travel together, live in the same area, spend weekends and holidays together and I now run my father’s original business (A Houston Courier Company, Hot Shot Delivery). As an immediate family, we understand the importance of “family time” and we have a strong family bond. But rarely do we spend time with the extended family. I’d like to see that change.

I was watching television the other night and a line from one of the shows really hit home for me:

“Make a plan, set a goal, work towards it. But every now and then, look around, drink it in. Because, this is it. It might all be gone tomorrow.”

If everything were gone tomorrow, did you spend today doing the things that mean the most? It’s definitely something worth thinking about and possibly changing the way you do some things. I did a little exercise that I thought was pretty helpful. I took a piece of paper and drew a line in the middle of it to make two columns. In the left column, I made a list of the most important things in my life. In the right column, I made a list of the things I spend the most of my time doing. It was very interesting to see how the most important things in my life often took a backseat to the items in the right column.

As I close for the week, I’d like to dedicate this blog to my uncle and his life. I’d also like to send a message to my extended family, I hope that we can set a goal of spending more time together and work towards that goal. Because if it were all gone tomorrow, I would definitely miss those good times.

Should you do the same with your family?

Until Next Time,

Eric