Red Cross Planning For the Unplanned
Corrections or additions?
These articles were prepared for the September 3, 2003
issue of U.S. 1 Newspaper. All rights reserved.
Win $250K to Jump Start Your Business
The Jumpstart NJ Angel Network is conducting a
competition
to solicit and judge ideas for new, high-growth technology businesses.
One early-stage technology company doing business in New Jersey,
Pennsylvania,
New York or Delaware will receive an offer for a $250,000 investment
in its business. For details and to submit executive summaries, visit
Deadline for submission is Friday, September 5. The competition and
the receipt of the $250,000 are subject to rules and conditions that
can be found on the website.
The Jumpstart New Jersey Angel Network is a network of angel investors
making investments in early-stage, technology-based companies. The
network is sponsored by Amper, Politziner & Mattia, Hale and Dorr
LLP, the New Jersey Technology Council and the EDA.
For Start-Ups
Businesses are busting out all over. Propelled, at least
in part, by serial lay-offs, all kinds of people are discovering their
inner entrepreneur.
“Who are potential entrepreneurs?” asks business consultant
Joel Haness. “They are almost anyone who has an idea.”
With a deep background in electronics and in consulting to electronics
companies, Haness finds himself working with start-ups of all sorts.
“I’m now dealing with someone who wants to buy and remodel HUD
homes,” he says. “I had one guy who had a business in Europe,
and who now wants to import a product, and maybe manufacture it
here.”
Two of his start-up clients are college roommates. After not seeing
each other for 20 years, the pair got together, discovered that they
shared a common interest in launching a home accessories store, and
are exploring doing so.
“It’s everything,” says Haness, whose Palmyra-based consulting
business is called The October Group. “It’s restaurants,
consulting,
producing a food product.” The ideas are coming from “a huge
variety of people.”
Sadly, though, the idea isn’t everything when it comes of launching
a successful enterprise. Planning is required. Lots of careful
planning.
Haness provides tips on getting the planning going when he speaks
on “First Step: Starting and Planning a Small Business” on
Saturday, September 6, at the College of New Jersey’s Small Business
Development Center. Cost: $49. Call 609-989-5232 for more information.
Haness grew up in Brooklyn, entered the Navy right after high school,
and then obtained a bachelor’s degree in math from New York University
in 1952. While many crow about their colleges, Haness makes a point
of saying, “I’m so proud of my high school. I went to
Stuyvesant.”
Even before he entered that New York City school, which is arguably
one of the best public schools in the land, Haness had found his
vocation.
“My father and I sat and built little radios,” he recalls.
“Crystal sets.” The pair then moved on to oscilloscopes and
then to television repair in the early days of that medium.
Interestingly,
however, his passion for tinkering with electronics does not extend
to computers. “It’s too software driven,” he says. A lively,
gregarious man, he says he has absolutely no patience for writing
code.
Weaving in and out of the corporate world, Haness, who is retired
from RCA, now Lockheed Martin, has had consulting businesses along
the way. His current venture takes its name from the birthdays of
its three principals. “We were trying to think of what to name
it,” he says. Discovering that they all were born in October,
they decided the month, generally one of the finest in the year, would
make for a good name.
In addition to private clients, Haness spends a good deal of time
working with entrepreneurs — and would-be entrepreneurs —
who find their way to the SBDC. While each of their ventures is
different,
there is some basic advice that applies to all:
You’ve just got to have a plan. It’s one of those thingsthat is repeated so often. But like the advice to floss or todiversifyor to drive defensively, it is often ignored. “The majorproblem,”says Haness, “is that people do not plan what they are going todo.”A business plan is a necessity. “Who are your customers?”Haness asks. “Will your base grow?” Also, are you all alonein your niche, or do you have competitors? If there are competitors,it is vital to identify what you can do better than they can, whetherit be build a better mousetrap, build a cheaper mousetrap, or marketthat mousetrap better than anyone on the planet.You need to count your cash. “Do you have enoughmoney?”asks Haness. Remember, you not only need to buy office supplies, butyou have to feed and clothe yourself, keep the lights on, and makesure your children continue to sleep under a roof.Finding said cash is not easy, he points out, especially for companiesnot being set up to provide technology products or services. Venturecapital in New Jersey tends to flow to technology, he points out.While that is good news for some, it is little comfort to would-beshop owners and their ilk.Credit cards and home equity are common sources of start-up cash,and have funded many a business, but they are risky. Fall behind onthe payments and you will damage your credit, lose sleep, and possiblyeven lose your home. As for federal loans, forget about it, saysHaness,who points out that you generally have to be in business for threeyears to qualify.”There is some grant money for rehabbing HUD houses,” he says,”but it covers only materials, not your time, or the purchaseprice.”Cash flow must create a profit. Some business owners turntheir new companies into just another job. They make enough to coverexpenses and to repay loans, but do not make a profit. That is nogood in Haness’ book. “One of the major things,” he says,”is that you must be making a profit, not just paying back a loan.You’re taking a risk, you should be making a profit.”Break-even should occur at about 18 months. “If it happens beforethat, you’re doing well,” he says. “If it takes longer, youshould look at your business plan.” Plans need to be revisedconstantly,and one that is not leading to profitability after 18 months needsto be revised right away.Hours will be long. “Prepare to work eight-day weeks,18 hours a day,” says Haness, and it doesn’t even sound like heis kidding. Many people he counsels think that going into businessthemselves means taking days off at random, knocking off inmid-afternoon,and enjoying lengthy vacations — all with no boss to say no. This,he says, is not how it works.For all of the above reasons, it is essential to get thefamily’ssupport before putting up a shingle — or getting a sign for thepick-up truck. Everyone must be prepared for the first months of thenew business, which, yes, will be exciting, but which will almostcertainly be filled with uncertainty.Top Of PageNew Take on NetworkingLorraine Allen has been to more than her shareof networking events. The regional director of the Small BusinessDevelopment Center at the College of New Jersey sounds a bit impatientabout the usual drill.”You stand up. You say your name. You give your pitch,” ishow she describes a typical networking gathering. A can-do person,Allen wants to put a motor under the whole process. “There’s gotto be a better way,” she says. Who can afford to waste so muchtime on a slow dance?Not Allen, and she has come up with a way to supercharge networkingevents. She is calling it “New Market Monday,” and the firstevent takes place on Monday, September 8, at 8 a.m. at Panera inNassauPark. Pre-registration is required and is an important part of theconcept, although Allen says, “I haven’t decided whether I’llturn away anyone at the door.” The cost is $20. For moreinformationcall 609-989-5232.New Market Mondays will take place on the first business Monday ofeach month. The dates are no accident. For one thing, businessmeetingstend to cluster in the middle of the week, steering clear of the firstpost-week-end day. Even Friday meetings are more common than Mondaymeetings. But why not seize the day? Start out the week — andthe month — with a bang?”It’s a trigger,” says Allen. “It’s a way to jumpstartthe month’s sales.”Here is how New Market Monday works. When each attendee registershe does so by putting down his very best offer on whatever it is hesells. That is part one. “And we’re not talking about 10 percentoff,” says Allen. “We’re talking about the best you can do.You don’t want to give away the store, but this should be the bestoffer you can make.”As part two of the registration process, each attendee must statewhat it is that he wants to buy.Allen collates the information and creates a list to pass out at themeeting. Then, at the meeting, each person gets up, briefly describeshis services, and — with luck — reels in some buyers. Whiledoing so, he obtains goods or services that he needs at a good price.”Maybe (an attendee) had not been considering purchasing yourgoods,” postulates Allen, “but now you’re at the top of thelist.” This is so because of the excellent value offered.She implies that sales made through New Market Monday might bringin less cash than usual, but says that the benefit of good word ofmouth, and of a piece of business in hand with which to get the monthrolling, is a good trade-off.Allen offers the SBDC’s services to any entrepreneur in need ofcoachingto make the most of the event. The organization is ready with adviceon pricing, presentation, and collateral materials.”Come with a good piece of business,” Allen urges. “Putit on the table. Let’s do it now!”Top Of PageAn Expert Exposes ForgeriesThe white Mercedes station wagon in the driveway isa little dusty, as befits a gumshoe’s vehicle. Its license plate reads”QDI.” Questioned Documents Incorporated. Inside, ReneeMartin,handwriting identification expert, readily agrees that she is adetective.Smiling in an immaculate office mere feet from Route 1 North asincessanttraffic zooms by, she expresses gratitude that her brand of sleuthingdoes not involve violence or blood.”But there was that one time,” she says, turning pensive.”The case involved a body with handwriting on it.” The deathhad been ruled a suicide, but the mother thought it was a homicideand that the handwriting could prove her theory. “I only sawpictures,”says Martin, relief in her voice. “I didn’t have to see the deadbody.”There may not be enough blood, violence, or nuttiness for a JanetEvanovich novel in the cases that land at a handwriting expert’s door,but a surprisingly large range of dramas do come down to the slantof a signature. As one of just four handwriting experts in the state,Martin sees a good number of them.She speaks on “Handwriting: What Does It Reveal?” on Tuesday,September 9, at 7 p.m. at a meeting of the Hightstown and East WindsorBusiness and Professional Women at Hickory Corner Library in EastWindsor. Call 609-426-4777 for more information.Martin, a New York City native, has 50 years of experience inhandwritingidentification and analysis. Her company, which she moved from NassauStreet to the Princeton Service Center complex at 3490 Route 1 Northfour years ago, has been located in the Princeton area since 1966.”I just fell into the field,” she says of her work. “Iwas into handwriting analysis, and someone came to me to ask if alunch check had been changed.” She laughs at the memory. “Itwas a check for $7.29. It seems impossible, but in those days twomen could have a good meal — with wine — for $7.29.” So,the insertion of a “2” in front of the tab was suspicious initself.It was also a bad forgery job. Martin says she was able to tell inan instant that the additional numeral had been penned in a differenthand.”It was the fastest $25 I’d ever made,” she says. And a careerwas launched.Most of Martin’s clients are attorneys, but she does get calls fromindividuals. “It’s funny,” she says, running current casesthrough her mind, “I’ve had three individuals just recently.”She describes one current client as “a reverend.” Thereverend,now retired, was given a piece of property by his church. But hissuccessor, a man he himself had chosen, disputes the gift and isaccusinghim of forging the property transfer documents.Another case involves a pre-nuptial agreement. Now that divorce isreplacing wedded bliss, the bride is denying that she signed thepre-nup.”She signed dozens of pieces of paper that day,” says Martin.She acknowledges signing all of the others, but says the John Hancockon the pre-nup is not hers.The third case has to do with an all-too-common situation. Brothersare arguing over their deceased parent’s will. Specifically, recountsMartin, “a gentleman is being shut out by his siblings. Theyrefuseto give him his rights as co-executor. They forged a document sayingthat their mother had given power of attorney to their father.”Disputing that the signature was that of his mother, the allegedlywronged brother brought Martin samples of her writing, the types ofsamples a son is likely to have. “There was a card or two,”she says. The most recent samples were jottings on the back of familyphotographs, recording dates and identities of those smiling intothe camera.None of these cases are difficult, says Martin, despite the fact that”no one ever signs his name the same way twice.” It doesn’tmatter. Neither age, nor hurry, nor an elaborate plot can alter thebones of a signature. The owner of each unique signature comes throughno matter what. Identifying features include beginning strokes, slant,spacing, pressure, and pace.”One case involved a man who signed his name as four circles,”Martin recalls. “He even let people in his office use thesignature.”No matter, she says, no two people will create even a simple,stripped-downsignature the same way.A signature is as distinctive as a fingerprint, or at least it isto the eyes of a trained professional.Martin places an allegedly altered signature next to samples of theperson’s genuine signature, and closes out everything else for fouror five hours. After analyzing every facet of the handwriting, sheis able to definitively declare whether or not there has been aforgery.Generally, that is all it takes. Faced with a detailed report froman established handwriting expert, disputants tend to settle. Butwhen the other side has retained an expert who comes to a differentconclusion, the case sometimes moves to court. This phase, saysMartin,is what has caused many a handwriting expert to change careers. Forwhile any well-trained, experienced person can tell the differencebetween a genuine signature and a forgery, few can hold firm in acourtroom where the opposition’s case rests on discrediting the expertwitness and belittling her testimony.Martin has no trouble dealing with cross examination, but she isspendingless and less time in court. The reason? “Mediation,” shesays. Within the past three years or so, the less confrontationalway of settling disputes has really taken off. Now, most of her casesend short of the courtroom door.There have been other changes in the profession as well. Most of whatMartin does now is handwriting identification. Her forays intohandwritinganalysis are confined mostly to meetings like this one. But therewas a time — not all that long ago — when companies routinelyturned to handwriting analysis to plumb the depths of prospectivehires’ minds and characters.When Scanticon, now the Doral Forrestal, first came to Princeton,says Martin, it recruited her to analyze the handwriting of thoseit was considering hiring. Mental acuity, the ability to get alongwith others, trustworthiness, honesty — all of this, and muchmore, is on display every time anyone jots a note or signs a check.While analyzing personality and character through handwriting israrelydone by employers anymore, at least not around here, Martin says thatother parts of the country are much more open to the practice.”Outside of the northeast,” she says, “handwritinganalysisis used to aid lawyers in selecting potential jurors.”In these parts, the art has mainly been relegated to the level ofparlor trick. For those who study handwriting, though, it offers afascinating peak into the psyches of their fellows. Does Martin everanalyze the handwriting of public figures? Of, maybe, someone likeGeorge W. Bush?”Oh, Bush!” she exclaims. It turns out that she has indeedtaken a look at his public signature, but does not want to say toomuch about it. “Let’s just say this,” she says, “I wassurprised. He’s quite a macho person, or that’s the way he wants otherpeople to see him.”More enthusiastic about the personas of politicians past, as expressedin their handwriting, Martin says, “Now Washington and Jeffersonhad very contemporary handwriting. They would fit right in today.”September 13Top Of PageComputer Clean-UpPrinceton borough and township residents harboringoutdatedand broken computers and peripherals will have a chance to free upthat storage space on Saturday, September 13. That’s the date forthe first Princeton Computer Recycling Day to be held from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the Community Park pool next to thePrinceton Township Municipal Complex on Witherspoon Street.Organized by the Princeton Environmental Commission and the TrentonMaterials Exchange (TMEx), this special drop-off day is only forresidentsof Princeton borough and township. Residents may bring any type ofcomputer system and peripherals (printers, scanners, PIAs, drives,etc.), working or broken, to be donated to TMEx, a 501(c)(3)environmentalnonprofit. Residents will receive a tax deductible donation receiptfor the materials dropped off. In addition to the opportunity todisposeof these items in a convenient and environmentally appropriate way,participants will also be helping others to obtain computer systemsthey otherwise could not afford.As part of a larger reuse and recycling center, TMEx operates ayear-roundcomputer/ electronic drop-off and refurbishing program. Workingcomputersystems are refurbished and distributed at no cost to children, peoplewith disabilities, and older adults of limited means. Very dated andbroken equipment is sent to a licensed de-manufacturer for recyclingin an environmentally appropriate, safe manner. As part of thisspecialcollection, TMEx will donate 10 refurbished systems to children andadults selected by the Princeton Environmental Commission.Proof of residency will be required at the drop-off. Very large piecesof equipment, such as plotters and copiers and drop-offs bybusinesses,cannot be accepted on this day. Businesses requiring disposal forcomputers and related materials should contact TMEx directly. Formore information on the drop-off day or computer disposal call TMExat 609-278-0033.September 17Top Of PageRed Cross Planning For the UnplannedComputer viruses are a calamity, but as the old sayinggoes, “Nothing is a problem that money can’t fix,” and moneycan fix almost any computer problem.What money can’t fix are personal problems, and as the September 11anniversary nears, businesses large and small are revisiting thepreparationsthey have made for how to help themselves, their employees, andemployeefamilies through any future crisis or disaster.The American Red Cross of Central New Jersey will stage a conferenceand exhibition on this theme, “Helping Businesses Prepared forthe Unexpected.” It is set for Wednesday, September 17, from 7:30a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Westin Hotel, Forrestal Village. Cost: $175including breakfast and a reception. Call Lee Doherty at609-951-8550.Ivan Walks MD, chief health officer of the District of Columbiaduring the September 11th and anthrax attack crises, will be thekeynotespeaker.Also speaking are Sidney Caspersen director of the New JerseyOffice of Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security, Clifton R. LacyMD, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health and SeniorServices, Sharon Bryson deputy director of the Office ofTransportationDisaster Assistance, National Transportation Safety Board; ElinGursky, senior fellow for biodefense and public health programsof the ANSER Institute for Homeland Security; Gerald Anderson,officer of the international security unit of the InternationalServices,of American Red Cross; Mark Braverman of Marsh CrisisConsulting;Howard Leadbetter, special agent of the FBI; and AllenSilkof Stark & Stark.Workshop topics include homeland security, crisis communication, riskmanagement, public health and bioterrorism, human resources indisastersituations, emergency preparedness for employees and their families,and disaster planning and management. The final topic: LessonsLearned.Top Of PageSchool Teachers:Save Your Receipts!The school bell is ringing — or will be soon. Beforethe first child drags his backpack into the classroom it is a goodbet that his teacher has hit a number of stationery supply stores,ordered cut outs of colored leaves online, and generally dipped intoher own dwindling end-of-summer checking balance to make her classrooma colorful, inviting learning space.For years, teachers have quietly been spending $200, $500, or morea year not only on decorations, but also on basic supplies that couldbe found nowhere in the school supply room. Now, the IRS isacknowledgingthe expense, and is even offering to help.Starting with the 2002 tax return, teachers may subtract up to $250of qualified expenses when figuring their adjusted gross income. Thetax break covers purchases of books, classroom supplies, andcomputer-relatedequipment, including software and services.The new deduction is available to educators in both public and privateelementary and secondary schools who work at least 900 hours duringa school year as a teacher, instructor, counselor, principal, or aide.Corrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
