Elements of Successful Self-Employment

I have been self-employed for most of the last 25 years. Personally, I find self-employment to be critical to my psychological and financial well-being. Some people need structure, co-workers, and a boss to tell them what to do, however for many people, self-employment provides the creativity, flexibility, and challenge that can allow them to be successful beyond their wildest dreams. Here are some things to consider if you want to be self-employed:

• Choose a business structure that can protect you, such as an LLC. Corporations can get complicated and sole proprietorships usually don't provide enough protection.
• Don't have employees. They are expensive, and as one writer said, easy to get but hard to get rid of. If you need additional help, consider using contractors--people who own their own businesses just like yourself.
• Do something you love to do and that you do well. Picking a field because it is the current "hot" industry or because you think you can make loads of quick money is a quick way to business failure. Choose something you will enjoy doing even when you hit a rough patch.
• Get some clients. An intricate business plan and a great business idea are nice but the bottom line is you need to make money from this venture. In order to make money, you need to find people who will buy the product you are offering. Without clients (the people who will pay you for your product) you will not have any income!
• Keep overhead and expenses as low as possible. A home-based business is a great idea. Getting caught up in a commercial lease, furnishing your space, and paying for the rest of the business infrastructure (phone lines, fax lines, internet, etc) can run through your start-up cash in a heartbeat.
• Have money in savings to start your business. Many businesses fail due to lack of funding, especially during the first year or so. Of course, save the money you need to get started before you launch your business and don't use loans and credit cards because then you will be responsible for covering these debts as well as your regular business debts.
• Become a salesman. No matter what your business is, one of your primary tasks will be to sell yourself and your product. Although many of us are not born salesmen and the thought of "hustling" our product can be distasteful, you need to believe in what you offer and evangelize your product to others.
• Pay your taxes first. Before you pay yourself, before you pay the phone company, before anything else, pay your taxes. If you don't take the first 30% or so out of each chunk of money you receive and send it to the IRS, you will sink into the quicksand of tax debt.
• Always give your clients more than they expect. It's called "adding value" to your products and services. And remember its corollary, "under promise and over deliver" and you will have many happy clients.
• Realize that by being self-employed, you are responsible for everything in your life. Need a retirement program? You will need to invest in this. Need health insurance? You will need to provide this as well. Need an expense account, gym membership, and/or continued education to stay competitive? You are responsible for these items as well. Price your services accordingly.
• Rely on experts. No matter what I or other writers/friends/strangers tell you, you need to find your own set of experts (accountant, lawyer, etc) to guide you through the parts of your business that you don't understand. Accounting and legal issues usually require the services of someone well versed in these fields; skipping this process and trying to figure out legal or financial issues on your own can sometimes have horrible consequences--paying for these services could really save you money in the long run.
• Grow your business slowly and confidently. Some businesses hit on a hot product and expand with the force of a shooting star. Unfortunately, they tend to burn out just as quickly. Grow your business with a mind towards keeping it for a very long time. Don't take undue risks, remain flexible, have a plan, and look for ways to spin off your business (ie: if you make and sell wood carvings, consider teaching a class or writing a book on the subject) to create even more income.

A Warning for Parents of Teens

Our local high school held its annual "Mock Crash" today. This event simulates a fatality crash caused by teens drinking and driving. While I have seen other staged crashes that had more of an emotional impact (maybe it was less intense due to the sheer number of 1500+ kids attending or maybe they are so hyped up about graduation that they didn't fully pay attention), the message is nonetheless, important for all parents as well as teens:

• Drinking and driving is the leading cause of death for teenagers nationwide.


• The time around prom and graduation is the most common time for teen DUI fatalities.


• They say that after midnight, every tenth driver on the road is under the influence.


• Parents need to let their teens know that anytime they need a ride home because either they or their friend who is driving is intoxicated, they can call and get a ride home with no questions asked and no third degree the next day. Then parents need to keep their word.


• Parents need to keep their kids occupied and pay a lot of attention to them. Many teens say that boredom or the thought that their parents don't care what they do are reasons for drinking and doing drugs.


• Parents need to set a good example. When parents drink irresponsibly and/or buy alcohol for their teens, they are sending the wrong message.

The bottom line is that teens need to be protected. I have seen too many parents devastated by the death of a child who was a vibrant, active and an integral part of a family and community one minute then dead the next. It is a tragedy that parents, and families, never recover from.

CNI Challenge #8--Earn $500 in One Day

Here's a challenge that can come in quite handy sometimes. Can you earn $500 cash in one day? Legally? Ethically? The idea here is to be able to meet your emergency financial needs as quickly and effectively as possible while still earning the money in a legal, ethical fashion. First make a list of the things you could do to earn this money (the possibilities are endless--babysit 10 kids at $50 each for a day, cut up and sell a couple of loads of firewood, pressure wash five roofs in your neighborhood, build a website for a local business...). With people facing a variety of financial challenges these days--gas prices and food prices among the leaders--it is important for everyone to be able to, as Dave Ramsey says, get "gazelle intense" and actually meet this type of goal.

A Reading Assignment

One of the best ways to learn new information or refine information you already have, is to see what others are doing/have done and figure out how to incorporate lessons learned by others (ie: skipping the "school of hard knocks" approach) into your everyday preps. Alpha Rubicon has been a well-respected survivalist site for a number of years, which is why this weekend's assignment is to read all of the articles on this page http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/prepinfo.htm. Doing this should significantly increase your knowledge and preparedness skills.

Like all sources of information, no matter who is providing it, you have to use common sense and use the parts that work for you. As is always the case, some information will be spot on, much will be somewhat useful and/or interesting, and some will be totally useless for your purposes so take care in choosing the things that will work best for you.

100 Survival Items for $10 or Less

Some people think it takes a lot of money in order to buy survival supplies. Here are 100 items you can buy for $10 or less. Next time you are passing buy Walmart or your local general store, stop by and buy a couple of these important items for your survival supplies cache:

1. Duct tape
2. Plastic sheeting
3. Manual can opener
4. Vitamins
5. Ibuprofin
6. Leather work gloves
7. Spare gas can
8. Bottled water
9. Calling card
10. Land line phone (sans answering machine)
11. Soap
12. Razors
13. Bleach
14. Emergency blankets
15. Socks
16. Heavy duty aluminum foil
17. Heavy duty plastic bags
18. Ziploc bags
19. Rope
20. Flashlight
21. Batteries
22. Matches
23. Lighters
24. Parachute Cord
25. Candles
26. Water purifier tablets
27. Compass
28. Map
29. Canned food
30. Handiwipes
31. Sewing kit
32. Scissors
33. Permanent markers
34. Hand sanitizer
35. Mirror
36. Bandana
37. Condoms
38. Ammunition
39. Propane fuel bottles
40. Water-proofing spray
41. Fix a flat
42. Tweezers
43. Antiseptic cream
44. Latex gloves
45. Alcohol wipes
46. Face masks
47. Whistle
48. Plastic bucket with lid
49. Staple item (beans, rice, oil, peanut butter, etc)
50. Sun screen
51. Bug spray
52. Toilet tissue
53. Fishing supplies (line, hooks, etc)
54. Sterno
55. Transistor radio
56. Coffee filters
57. Spices
58. Flares
59. Glow sticks
60. Tarp
61. Magnifying glass
62. Knife sharpening stone
63. Glue (epoxy, wood, Super, etc)
64. Wire
65. Pliers
66. Hand saw
67. Crow bar
68. Screwdriver
69. Hand warmers
70. Candy
71. Stocking cap
72. Nalgene water bottle
73. Toothbrushes/toothpaste
74. Bolts/screws/nails
75. Metal cup
76. Fluorescent signal cloth
77. Scalpel
78. Towel
79. Roll of quarters
80. WD40
81. Smoke detector
82. Utility knife
83. Petroleum jelly
84. Playing cards
85. Lysol/disinfectant
86. Garden seeds
87. Mosquito net
88. Zipties
89. Safety glasses
90. Padlock
91. Shovel
92. Paper plates/plastic utensils
93. Utility shut-off wrench
94. Spare set of keys
95. Books (how to, survival, etc)
96. Bungee cords
97. Pencils/waterproof paper
98. Slingshot
99. Cast iron skillet
100. Doodads (safety pins, rubber bands, clothes pins, etc)

Memorial Day Inspiration

When I see these young kids coming out of boot camp, I can't help but wonder how on earth they are going to protect us. They are kids after all! Some are barely old enough to shave! They aren't even old enough to drink and someone gave them an M 16??

So on Memorial Day when we are getting all sentimental anyway, I ran across this story http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA041608.01A.Marine.3832796.html and think that if this young guy--22 years old--can fight in Iraq, survive a burn that covered 97% of his body (unheard of in the medical profession), make the rounds in the burn unit to inspire others to keep fighting for their lives, and start a non-profit...well, anything is possible.

We often underestimate the young people in our community. Many parents tend to treat their kids like kids until the grand kids are in college! Of course we want to protect our children no matter how old they are, but the future of our country is in the hands of these young people and they deserve a lot more respect than we often give them. This story renewed my faith in the younger generation--they really can do anything they set their minds to, including protecting the good ole US of A. They are truly amazing!

Check out http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/ to see the others who have died in support of our nation.

A Memorial Day Thank You

I just wanted to say Thank You to all active duty and retired military personnel. The sacrifices these hard working people make on an average day are innumerable. Add to that, risking life and limb when deployed around the world to protect those of us at home and a simple thank you is hardly enough. Even though there is only one day a year set aside to honor you, believe that every person who is enjoying freedom in our country each day has you and those who came before you to thank for it.

Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Goals

Since I'm a listy kind of person, I need my daily, weekly, and monthly goals written down and posted front and center in my office in order to achieve them (but mostly so I don't forget what they are). Here's my preparedness/survival goal list:

Daily:

• Exercise for one hour
• Eat right (or at least try to...staves off medical bills and chronic health conditions)
• Take vitamins (and meds if you need to)
• Save money (even if it is just pocket change)
• Peruse the online preparedness/survival sites (there is always more to learn)
• Update the CNI website and write a blog post (I think everyone should blog because there is so much value in learning what others are doing as well as learning from their successes and mistakes)
• Do my preparedness goal (I try to set a preparedness goal to meet every day even if it is something as simple as cleaning out a closet in order to have more food storage space or getting the air checked in my tires)
• Set a preparedness goal for the next day (so I don't have to think about it the next morning and can plan ahead for how to accomplish the goal)

Weekly:

• Do my weekly grocery shopping and buy a couple of bags of additional food to add to my stockpiled food
• Practice a skill (this could be anything from shooting at the range to going on a day hike to orienteering, etc)

Monthly:

• Take a class (this might be a language class, a boating class, a HAM radio operators class, a motorcycle endorsement class, etc)
• Revamp my survival supplies (I pick a different area to review and update each month--car BOB, house BOB, stockpiled food areas, office BOB, water stores, etc)
• Do a weekend project (things that take a bit more time such as a camping trip, attending a preparedness conference, participating in a shooting match, setting up a HAM radio station, etc)

To Camo or Not to Camo

The question came up about camouflage. Lots of people who lean towards survivalism tend to think that military issued gear and camouflage clothing are de rigour for being a survivalist. I tend to think that this type of stuff is only a very small part of your survivalist gear. If you are a hunter and have every camouflage item produced by Cabelas, that's fine, however in a survivalist situation, or in day to day situations, what you need to do is be able to blend into your environment. Camo helps you blend into the woods/desert/snowfields depending on the pattern. It is appropriate clothing for hunting, is perfectly appropriate on military bases, and is often required by your military/SWAT command.

On the other hand, you also need appropriate clothing and gear to blend into 95% of the other situations you may find yourself in. We have been hard-wired to judge people within a split second every since our ancestors crawled out of the swamp. This ability allowed our earliest relatives to determine who wanted to kill them and who would be more likely to help them and allowed them to survive and reproduce which is why we are here today. Even though we like to think we are more advanced than this and would judge people by the "content of their character", we still have that primordial part of our brain that makes immediate judgements. Which leads us to appropriate gear and clothing.

In most of the survival situations that you will find yourself in, you will be relying on other people to help you. The other people may be your friends, neighbors and relatives, however they will more likely be complete strangers. They will take one look at you and determine if, how much, and what type of help they will offer you. It pays to look as much like them as you can since immediate reactions are based on appearances.

You can try this theory out for yourself. Go to an upscale mall. Have on a well tailored suit, good shoes, a nice haircut, a watch, and a briefcase. The sales people will flock to help you. If on the other hand, you arrive at aforementioned upscale mall looking like you just rolled out from beneath an underpass, the only people who will flock to you will be security.

Basically, you need to match your environment. If you are traveling around the world, it helps to look as important as possible. Most cultures base the esteem that they give a person on how well they are dressed. You may be able to head out to Walmart here in your sweatpants and raggedy T shirt, however in most other countries, people wouldn't be caught dead dressed like that and they will treat you accordingly. The same goes if you are in a rural area in the northwest. T shirt, jeans, and ball cap would be perfectly acceptable clothing; an Armani suit and a Rolex would draw undue, and possibly negative attention to you in this type of situation. Women who travel to Muslim countries, whether they are Muslim or not, should wear a head scarf. It isn't required, however it may make the difference between being served in a restaurant and having rocks thrown at you when you walk down the street.

The bottom line is that you need a variety of "costumes" in your survival supplies. Camo is fine but "generic average people clothes" based on your location is better because you won't stick out like a sore thumb and/or scare the natives. You may even want to consider having on hand a Domino's drivers uniform, paramedic's uniform, or lineman's get up just in case you need to access a location where these types of clothing would allow you to "fit in" and therefore be accorded the access and assistance you need.

Looks Like the Mainstream Is Starting to Get the Picture

Here's a couple of articles found on Populrs (http://popurls.com/) today. Looks like the mainstream media and the mainstream public are starting to get the message--be prepared to take care of yourself because nobody else will...
http://green.yahoo.com/news/ap/20080524/ap_on_re_us/environmental_survivalists.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/23/AR2008052302456.html

http://www.waterconserve.org/shared/reader/welcome.aspx?linkid=96250

25 Things Updated

You may have read this post http://codenameinsight.blogspot.com/2008/05/dpt-25-things-to-always-have-with-you.html where I outlined the 25 things you should always carry with you. While I was revamping my go bag, I took a look at the contents of my smaller daily carry pouch and added a few things. Here's an explanation:

30 Things You Should Always Have With You (and a couple other items):

1. A pouch to put everything I (I use a LeSportsac lightweight nylon pouch)


2. $100 in cash (depending on where you are you may want to carry five $20s)


3. $2 in quarters (quarters always seem to come in handy)


4. Pocket knife (I've had this knife for about thirty years and use it all the time)


5. Laminated list of people I can call on in an emergency (this list contains about eight phone numbers of people I can count on for anything; if my cell phone dies I can at least have these numbers available)


6. Cell phone (this is a must have)


7. Credit/debit card with at least $1,000 on it (you never know when an emergency will happen and you need to pay for something that costs more than $100 immediately)


8. Small flashlight (I have used this to find my way out of dark buildings, look at people's swollen throats, etc)


9. Lighter or matches (while I don't smoke, a lighter is useful for melting ends of nylon cord, etc)


10. Pen and paper (to take a note or leave a note)


11. Mirror (this is a tiny mirror found at WalMart; can be used for signalling or getting the spinach out of your teeth after a business lunch)


12. Aspirin (people always seem to need aspirin for headaches, etc)


13. Firearm and ammo (one of the best life insurance policies you can have)


14. Calling card (If my cell dies I can still call from a payphone although they are getting harder to find; can also be used to call long distance from a friends house; sometimes calling cards work during a disaster when cells don't)


15. Passport (I use this for definitive ID; my driver's license has my address on in which I don't want people to know and my military ID has my social security number on it which I also don't want people to know)


16. Digital camera (a digital camera is included in my cell phone, above)


17. Necessary medications (I don't take any medications, however for those who do, having a spare nitro or diabetes medications with you, should you be away from home unexpectedly is good insurance)


18. Medical info--allergies, medical history, current medications, doctor's name and phone number (this info was included on the phone number list above, printed out in 9 point font and laminated to the back of the copy of my ID below)


19. USB drive (this is a micro thumb drive which I use often to transfer files from place to place; also includes files with my most important information--copy of passport, copy of birth certificate, passwords, etc)


20. Spare house key (if I ever lose my keys at lease I can get into my home without breaking a window or setting off the alarm)


21. Rubber band (this item comes in handy for various things from time to time)


22. Safety pin (ditto)


23. ID of some sort (I made a copy of my drivers license--reduced to 70%--and laminated it to the back of my emergency phone number list. It's also good for the paramedics/police to be able to identify you in an emergency)


24. Floss (for obvious purposes, also can be used in place of string)


25. Food (a granola bar of some sort comes in handy when I'm away from home for a period of time, am hungry, and don't want to go to a restaurant)


26. Bandana (surprisingly I use this for everything from wiping sweat off my brow in locations where it is hot to a head covering to a washcloth. It's a good idea to keep this in a ziploc bag so you can easily store it when it is wet).


27. Ziploc bag (see above)


28. Wet wipe (good for a quick wash up; change this out often as they deteriorate quickly)


29. OB (the feminine hygiene kind. Is an excellent wound compress)


30. Condom (aside from the obvious purpose, can be used to carry water or as a tourniquet. Get the unlubricated kind)


31. Bandaids (a couple of small bandaids can be useful for a variety of things)


32. Alcohol wipe (to disinfect the needle, below, and wounds. Is also a good fire starter)
    
33. Needle (can be used to sew--use the floss above or reuse thread from the garment you are working on; also to take out splinters, pop blisters, etc)


34. Bottle of water (it's too big to carry in an emergency pack but if you have room in your go bag it's good to have on hand)

All of the items above, except for the cell phone and gun, fit into the pouch which measures 3" x 4" x 1". This pouch can be carried in your go bag, in your briefcase, or in a large pocket.

CNI Challenge #7--Do a Long Distance Hike

Hiking the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail is something that few people will complete but it is well worth the challenge. Completing a long distance hike of thousands of miles and months of walking will give you the survival skills that few in this world posses. You will realize what you really need to survive (not much as it turns out...just what you can carry on your back), you will leave behind the 9-5 life and get into the flow of nature (up at dawn, asleep at dusk), you will learn skills ranging from how to arrange food drops to what to do if a bear invades your camp to how to take care of your own medical needs to orienteering. You will also truly learn how to survive in the wilderness--something many people claim they will do WTSHTF but honestly have no clue how to do it.

Resources:

http://www.pcta.org/

http://www.trails.com/pacific-crest-trail.htm

http://www.fs.fed.us/pct/

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.1423119/k.BEA0/Home.htm

http://www.nps.gov/appa/

http://www.trailplace.com/

25 Basic Preparedness Tasks You Can Do This Weekend

It's going to be a nice, long three day weekend and with the price of gas causing fewer people to travel over the holiday, what better time than now to have a family "Preparedness Weekend"? Here's 25 activities you and your family can do to work on your preparedness stocks and skills:

• Peruse the Sunday food ads and add 10 items per family member to your food stores (preferably loss leaders).
• Clean out the garage. This allows you to easily store your survival items, know where they are when you most need them, and see if anything is missing/old/outdated and needs to be replaced.
• Go play paintball. This sport kicks your survival instincts/skills up a notch as you learn how to run through the brush, hide, set traps, etc. And it's fun.
• Put together drawstring packs to leave under each person's bed. These packs should include leather gloves, shoes, flashlight, some cash, a bottle of water, an energy bar, a photo copy of each person's ID, a laminated copy of emergency numbers, and a calling card.
• Spend half of the day in the library and the second half at a local park. At the library you will want to pick up books on edible and medicinal plants as well as local wildlife then try to identify any of these plants and animals you can find at your local park.
• Camp outside in the back yard. It's free and it's a fun activity for the kids. The fresh air will be good for you as well.
• Have a scavenger hunt by bus. Put together a dozen locations around your city that are accessible by bus and have each person see how quickly they can get to all twelve locations then back home. Come up with a way to document each location such as taking a photo, getting GPS coordinates, picking up a napkin from a local restaurant, etc. This activity will teach everyone how to use the bus system to get around (and if need be, out) of town.
• Start a preparedness group. Invite like-minded friends over for a potluck picnic and suggest a six week trial period for a community preparedness group. Each person/family would be responsible for setting the location and the task for each weekly meeting. One week may focus on first aid, one week on the bug out bag, one week on orienteering, etc.
• Go to the library or local book store and get the information you need to plan for a summer hike or backpacking trip. Set a date for the hike, then get prepared (physically as well as supplies), then go!
• Practice your food preservation skills. Pick an item that is in season (strawberries for instance) then figure out various ways to preserve them (freezing, fruit leather, etc).
• Enjoy some sort of physical activity together. Go for a long walk, kick the soccer ball around, play basketball, etc.
• Turn off all electronics for the weekend (TV, computer, cell phone, iPod, et al). As has happened a couple of times over the past winter, the power was out and everyone was in shock because they didn't know how to live without the electronics in their lives. Use this weekend to practice going "electronics free" and focus instead on other activities such as reading, playing games, baking cookies, working on a project, etc.
• Have a "no spend" weekend. Can you and your family go for the entire three days without spending a dime?
• Set a financial goal as a family then brainstorm ways to reach this goal. Whether it is a vacation or to pay off a debt, have the whole family get involved. First research the amount needed for your goal, then have everyone get busy on meeting this goal (recycling cans, selling stuff on EBay, mowing lawns, etc).
• Dump out everyone's bug out bags then repack them making sure the clothes still fit, batteries are still good, food is still edible, etc.
• Buy, rent, or borrow an item and teach the whole family how to use it (items may include a compass, metal detector, GPS, ski doo, etc).
• Think back to your younger days and help your kids build a fort either in the back woods, in the back yard, or in their bedroom.
• Have a campfire, tell ghost stories, and make S'mores. This teaches a number of lessons including how to make a fire, how to share information through storytelling, and how to cook (well, maybe melting marshmallows and chocolate together doesn't count for cooking...).
• Put together a communications plan and test it out. First determine what methods you would use then put people in different locations to test it out. Use cell phones, handheld radios, Twitter, email, a runner, connecting through various emergency contacts to relay messages, etc.
• Practice first aid skills and put together a first aid kit. After a disaster has shut down everything (roads, power) and someone in the family has keeled over, you don't want another family member reading first aid how-to's to try to revive family member #1. Practice these important skills this weekend so everyone has a basic knowledge of first aid. Get books and/or a knowledgeable friend to help.
• Have everyone in the family research survival topics for one day, document their findings, then report what they found out at a family meeting the next day. This will help everyone learn more about survival and will especially help the kids with research, documentation, and report giving which will come in handy at school.
• Pick a room in your house and completely stock it for one year. For example, pick the master bathroom and buy enough toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste, razors, Qtips, etc to supply this room for one year. Do this for a different room each week or each month and you will soon have quite the stockpile which will see you through any emergency.
• Plant a garden, no matter how small. Involve the whole family in starting a garden even it if is in a widow sill.
• Call a family meeting and set a number of survival goals that you will work on for the coming year. Write up the goals on a big chart, place the chart in a visible location, and have each person take responsibility for various goals. Be sure to post updates regularly on the chart.
• Volunteer. Have the whole family volunteer at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, church, community event, etc. One of the most important things we can do is give back to the community. As a side bonus, many of the people you will meet who are having a rough time of it, will have survival knowledge to share that can't be found in books.

Rant--Parenting

I have to rant a bit about some of the parenting skills I've seen on display recently. It blows me away how some people treat their kids. Never mind that these same kids who are being yelled at, slapped around, and talked to in the most disrespectful of ways will soon be making decisions for their horrendous parents (like whether or not to leave them by the side of the road instead of a nursing home), but should something like a pandemic or chemical attack happen, these families would need to shelter in place for a few weeks together. If they can't stand each other, can't depend on each other, can't respect each other, and can't communicate with each other in a public place, what chance will they have to survive together during a disaster?

Fortunately many of the survival-oriented families I know have wonderful kids (which comes from good parenting), but there are other families where either the kids seem to be in charge or where the parents are out of control (or both). Families need to work together as a team to develop all of the skills necessary to be both good citizens as well as good survivalists. Like all teams, there needs to be a leader (this will be the parents). And like all teams, each member needs to respect each other, be responsible, learn as much as possible about as many things as possible, take the lead in their various areas of expertise, and learn how to rely on and communicate effectively with each other.

Bag the Attitude and Get Flexible

I recently returned from a jaunt around the country. A couple of weeks ago I was in Las Vegas; I had a nice suite at a very upscale hotel and was happy as a clam. When I came back to Vegas a week later I didn’t have a hotel reservation and figured it wouldn’t be a big deal to find a room, until I called a dozen hotels and they were all booked (seems the CMA Awards were happening that weekend in addition to a few other conventions). To make a long story short, I ended up in a lousy hotel with a lousy attitude to match. Here’s where the preparedness lesson comes in…
I was sitting in a less than desirable hotel in a less than desirable neighborhood with less than desirable neighbors thinking I should just get on a plane and get the hell out of there when it struck me that it wasn’t the situation that needed to be adjusted but my attitude. In many disaster situations, one of the hardest adjustments to make is people’s preconceived notions about how things should be. The government should help us. This disaster shouldn’t have happened. The hospital shouldn’t make us wait in the ER for six hours. You get the idea...
In order to get past this stumbling block and move towards the repair and recover phase, you often need to stop, take a breath, and look at the situation realistically instead having a condescending “this is how things should be” attitude. So here’s what I did:
First, I looked around the room. It was clean, it had air conditioning, there was a lock on the door, and a handful of security guys walking the property. Also, it just so happened that the news that day was focusing almost solely on the earthquake in China and the typhoon in Myanmar. Those people would be deliriously happy to be safe, warm, dry, and well fed at this particular hotel I was in, so why should I be complaining?
Second, I took a look at the whole situation while trying to stay open-minded. I looked to find where the escape routes would be. I noted who the people were that were staying there (although some people were loitering in front of the building and a couple of prostitutes were leaving the hotel, the vast majority were travelers apparently looking for a bargain hotel). I also noted how the staff worked (there were many staffers working at all times of the day and night in all areas of the facility and they seemed fairly attentive).
Third, I made a back up plan. I called the airline to see which flights were available within the next 24 hours. Then I called a friend who lived in the area to check in but declined an offer to stay with them although I kept the offer in the back of my mind.
Finally, I decided to stay for one night to see how things went. I've stayed in worse places overseas because there weren't other options, however as I get older, I tend to not settle for less than what I want because with age and money comes an attitude that generally serves me well but can sometimes get in the way. Anyway, it turned out fine and we ended up staying for a couple of nights before heading home.
The bottom line is that this experience, in an unlikely way, helped me practice for what could happen during a disaster. It gave me the opportunity to be flexible, manufacture a positive attitude, and create a plan--are all critical components of surviving anything that may come your way.

A Random Assortment of Travel Preparedness Tips

It's been a busy couple of weeks. Here's some tips I have gleaned from the road:

• Pack lite! Here’s a video to explain how to pack all of your travel stuff into one small bag. With American Airlines now charging for ALL checked luggage, we may all need to be able to do this soon. http://www.lifenomadic.com/how-to-pack-everything-you-own-in-a-28l-bag.html
• I second the Kiva bag suggestion in the video above. This is the best bag to carry with you when you travel because it folds up really small and hangs on your belt loop until it is needed.
• Ask the locals for info. Best breakfast in Vegas, courtesy of a friend who live there...$1.49 for eggs, toast, hash browns, and sausage or bacon at the Wild Wild West Casino just west of the Excalibur. Another friend suggested the $5 24-hour bus pass which will take you almost anywhere in Vegas that you want to go. It also eases the burden of parking and for partiers, the burden of getting a DUI.
• I have yet to figure out why high end hotels will nickel and dime you to death (wanna park your car? It's an extra $15. Want internet? An extra $15. Use the gym? An extra $20. Eat breakfast? An extra $12) while mid-range hotels such as Quality Inn and the like will give you a very good price which usually includes free parking, internet, gym, and a nice breakfast too.
• When flying, put your carry on luggage across the aisle from where you are seated instead of right above where you are seated so you can keep an eye on your stuff.
• Here's a great website for the geeky traveler in all of us: http://www.geekytraveller.com/

DPT--Visit Your Local Shooting Range

One of the best ways to improve your shooting skills is to practice. One of the best ways to practice is to visit your local shooting range. It's fine to set up a target in the back 40 and shoot away, but at a range you will have some significant advantages.

Liability would be one of the biggest advantages. Years ago many people could go out their back door, set up some targets, and start shooting. With continuing growth and homes being built just about everywhere, this increases the danger and the likelihood that someone could get hurt or killed by a stray bullet. Shooting ranges are designed to keep projectiles within the confines of the range which is one less thing for you to worry about.

Second, most ranges offer many different opportunities to increase your shooting skills. They usually have organized practices, weekly or monthly matches, classes, one-on-one instruction, and other valuable classes as well (ammo reloading, gunsmithing, etc).

Finally, the relationships you develop with like minded people, the education you can glean from others at the range, and the "coolness factor" or seeing all of the interesting hardware that others bring out can't be beat. Check out your local range today!

Click here to find a range close to you: http://www.wheretoshoot.org/

Go Bag? Bug Out Bag? Why You Need Both

There seems to be a bit of confusion about Go Bags and Bug Out Bags. Judging by this article http://speedbird.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/against-go-bag-silliness/ it's clear that people tend to think that they are one in the same. The difference, however, is that a Go Bag is used for everyday purposes and a Bug Out Bag is used for survival purposes. You should have both types of bags at the ready at all times.

A Go Bag is used every day and contains all of the items you need to survive the day (lunch, water, cell phone, iPod, pen, paper, work, keys, etc).

A Bug Out Bag is filled with items that can help you survive should you need to evacuate at a moment's notice (clothing, shelter, food, and other emergency supplies).

You should have a Bug Out Bag at your home, in the car, and at your office as you never know when disaster will strike. Having a single Bug Out Bag is fine, however the thought of carrying such a comprehensive bag with you at all times may be a bit unnerving (and in most cases unnecessary).

A smaller, less comprehensive, more useful on a day-to-day basis Go Bag should be carried with you at all time.

Resources:

http://lifehacker.com/photogallery/show-us-your-go-bag/

http://lifehacker.com/photogallery/Show-Us-Your-Go-Bag/2471164

http://lifehacker.com/photogallery/show-us-your-go-bag-part-3/

http://www.exxcess.info/bugoutbag.aspx

http://davespicks.com/misc/bob.html

http://www.survival-gear.com/bugoutbag-survival-items.htm

Listening to the Oldtimers

Old people are such a valuable resource in our community, unfortunately these "living history books" are often overlooked when it comes to preparedness planning. Very old people (ie: those who have lived through the Great Depression and every war and recession since then) who have a good memory and clear mind can teach us a lot about how to survive in even the hardest of times.

This topic came to mind because I was talking to the grandmother of a friend who just moved here from Asia (she is about 85 years old). I was lamenting the price of Jasmine rice (the kind from Thailand that is prized in the Asian community because of its quality) when she mentioned that she just mixes half Jasmine rice with half of the cheaper, regular long grain rice and you can barely tell the difference. A simple, but very effective way to stretch an expensive commodity.

In another example, an elderly neighbor never wastes food. Ever. She knows how to use every part of every fruit, vegetable, grain, or meat in order to stretch her dollars. Carrot and celery tops go into soups and stews and one chicken can be used to create a half dozen meals (roast chicken, fried chicken, adobo chicken, chicken tonkatsu, chicken pot pie, and chicken soup). She makes all of her own breads and baked goods, and never buys junk food, soda pop, or other high priced, low-value food. When I asked her how she knew all of these things, she said that she grew up poor and nothing ever went to waste because it would be like throwing hard-earned money into the garbage can. I can name quite a few younger people who are throwing their money into the proverbial garbage can on a daily basis!

Just about everywhere you look, you can see old-timers doing things that to many of us may seem too boring (like saving money), too thrifty (foregoing the big flat-panel TV because their old TV works just fine), too old-fashioned (passing up Starbucks in favor of a thermos of home brewed coffee), or things that seem to take too much effort (cooking from scratch, weather-proofing their home, tending a huge garden). In reality, these are the things that have allowed the elderly to live successfully to a ripe old age. It only makes sense to learn how to survive hard times from those who have lived through similar situations.

Take this opportunity, while your elderly relatives are still alive, to really talk to them about how to survive hard times. Take notes if need be, and glean all of the information you can from them in order to garner even more ideas to add to your preparedness arsenal.

Notes from (Another) Preparedness Conference

I recently attended another preparedness conference and came back with the following high points:

• "Once the infrastructure is threatened, all bets are off" meaning that the Constitution is followed (usually...OK, sometimes), and local, state, and federal laws are followed, and that we all have rights...until the infrastructure of the country is threatened then all of the rights and freedoms we take for granted can be summarily ignored if the government feels that these are a threat to the best interest of the country and its citizens. Scary.
• You know all of the food, supplies, and equipment that you have been carefully stockpiling in an effort to protect yourself and your family in the event of a disaster or when TSHTF? Well, the government can confiscate all of these things if it is in "the best interest of the country". Now in addition to stockpiling food, weapons, and supplies, I'm going to have to worry about how to hide this stuff from the government so they won't re-appropriate MY stuff to themselves and others who did not have the foresight to plan ahead.
• You are responsible for yourself during a disaster. At the federal level, many plans are being made for health care preparedness, law enforcement preparedness, food supply chain preparedness, etc., but when it comes down to it, the little guy on the street is responsible for his own health, safety, and food. Unless you want to be one of the huddled masses waiting in vain for government handouts, you need to be prepared to take care of you and your family's needs.
• Communications is important. Really important. In state and federal disaster planning, communications concerns always top the list. What most planners have determined (after millions have been spent on sat phones and the like) is that the good old fashioned HAM radio will be the communications equipment of choice during a disaster. Cell phones and land lines are nice but generally unavailable after many disasters. Sat phones can not be depended upon 100% of the time. Hand held walkie talkies can be good but are usually jammed after a disaster. The bottom line, and what many people have come to rely on during a disaster is HAM radios. Have you got your certification and equipment yet?

More to follow...

Rant--Flying Basics 101

I'm off to another conference and either because of jet lag or just a generally crappy attitude after no sleep and lots of stuff to do, I decided somewhere over the mid-west that a list of air travel "do's" and "don'ts" should come standard with each reservation. Here's the list:

• Dress appropriately. Airline travel used to be about style and class, now it is about getting to your destination in cattle-car fashion so dressing to survive instead of to impress is only logical. The new "show the butt crack when you sit down" jeans, are atrocious. Ditto for ultra mini skirts, and other clothing more appropriate for a nightclub than a family-oriented event.
• Consider that you may need to escape down a slide from your aircraft and run from the crash scene. Spike heels, no shoes, ultra-thin clothing made of plastic material, et al. won't help in this situation and may make your chances of survival even less.
• Leave the perfume and cologne in your suitcase until you reach your destination. Some one's nose is going to be about five inches from your body and they may not want a migraine inducing dose of "eau de stench" (whether from cologne or body odor) so take pity on the poor souls who are crammed into the seats next to you and try to be as "smell neutral" as possible.
• Consider that the entire forward section of the plane does not want to hear you chat on your cell phone until the very last minutes before take off. I don't need to hear about your liposuction, gallstones, wayward children, wayward spouse, etc. This is also my pet peeve in public restrooms, public transportation, or other locations where others can easily overhear cell conversations.
• Be patient. We are all trying to get to the same place so cutting the line to get on the plane first or having your lap belt off and bags out of the overhead as soon as the plane's landing gear touches the tarmac is unnecessary.
• Travel light. Yes, the baggage rules are becoming more restrictive every day but bringing three unwieldy carry-ons and a small animal with you is annoying to everyone else.
• Do: dress comfortably but appropriately, wear good shoes, carry on only one bag, bring your own food, drink, and entertainment, dress in layers, and keep your ID, some cash, and a credit card in a zippered jacket pocket in case you need to exit the aircraft in an emergency.

DPT--Food Rotation

How often do you rotate your food stock? One of the best habits to get into is rotating your food and water supplies about every six months in order to keep the "first in, first out" rule in play and make sure that nothing falls through the cracks and you end up with a big batch of food dated 3/1989 when you need it most.

Every six months, use your stored water to water the garden or fill up the animal's water buckets then refill the containers. With more expensive bottled water, you may want to make an effort to use the water as a continually rotating stock so that you aren't wasting old bottled water just to get rid of it in order to restock.

All food that comes into the house should be dated (I use a Sharpie marker to print the month and year on each can or bag). Next you want to have a shelving system that allows you to stock from the back (like the milk cases at the grocery store) and pull from the front so that your canned food stays in continual rotation. The same is true for MREs. These are dated and rotated throughout the summer when they are used for long distance backpacking trips.

Every six months I clean out all of our food areas (kitchen cabinets, freezers, garage food storage areas) and ensure that the food is rotated properly and that old food is either used immediately, given away, or tossed, depending on its condition. This is also a good time to make a shopping list for items to restock in bulk as most of our food stocks are purchased at case lot sales, as loss leaders, or when other "great bargains" are available. This can leave a food storage area heavy with some items (canned beans, canned tomatoes) and light on other items (beef jerky, peanut butter).

With a good food rotation system, you can ensure a continual stock of food, a continual rotation of food into your kitchen, and an excellent back up in times of food shortages, job loss, or other conditions that would cause you to rely heavily on your stored food.

Notes from the Trauma Conference

As I said before, it's conference season, so about every other week I will be attending an event of some sort for the foreseeable future. Today's event was a trauma medicine conference. While much of the information was technical (IOs, ETs, and massive amounts of data), many of the case reviews provided information that could prove useful in any emergency situation:

• In rural medical emergencies you need to have a complete medical kit with you. If you don't have the items you need, you won't be able to run down the street and resupply like you would do in a city. You want to have with you items you are familiar with and not rely on random items provided by others that a) you may be unfamiliar with and b) don't meet your emergency needs. This applies to survival supplies as well.
• Bring more than you need. Depending on how far you are from civilization, you will need the supplies and meds necessary to take care of an emergent situation for a much more extended period of time than when you are in the city.
• Communications are important. The ability to communicate where you are is even more important. There are no cross streets in the wilderness.
• Usually, the more people available to help during an emergency the better. Extra man power comes in quite handy for everything from carrying a patient to bagging a patient to providing and extra set of hands for the myriad of other tasks that are required during an emergency.
• Mark your trail when you are heading out to a rescue. That way back up will be able to find where you went.
• Take reasonable safety precautions. Many trauma patients get that way because they don't wear a helmet when they ride their motorcycle, don't wear a seat belt when they are in the car, fall off ladders, walk out in front of moving cars, aren't paying attention, etc.
• During a disaster someone needs to be in charge. A dozen people giving orders doesn't work and neither does no one giving orders. Having a knowledgeable, experienced person who isn't afraid to take charge, give orders, and apologize later would be a good choice in a disaster situation.
• A disaster plan, which is well known by all it impacts, is practiced regularly, and is revised after each event is very important.
• Never stop learning. In every field, there are always new developments, new techniques, new materials, new supplies, and new information that can increase your chance of survival in many different kinds of disasters.

DPT--25 Things to Always Have With You

Here are 25 things that you should always have with you:

1. $100 in cash
2. $2 in quarters
3. Pocketknife
4. Laminated list of phone numbers of people you can count on in an emergency
5. Cell phone
6. Credit/debit card with at least $1000 available on it
7. Small flashlight
8. Lighter or matches
9. Pen and paper
10. Mirror
11. Aspirin
12. Firearm and ammo
13. Calling card
14. Passport
15. Digital camera (or camera on cell phone)
16. Necessary medications
17. Medical info (allergies, med history, med list, doctor's name and number, etc)
18. USB drive
19. Spare house key
20. Rubber band
21. Safety pin
22. ID of some sort
23. Floss (Glide in a tiny, flat dispenser)
24. Food (like a Cliff bar)
25. Bandana

CNI Challenge #6--Provide All of Your Food for a Day...Yourself

Could you provide all of the food you and your family need for a day? We aren't talking about going to the grocery store or the fast food restaurant to pick something up, but to actually go out and hunt, fish, forage, grow, glean, or otherwise come up with the food you need to sustain your family for a day.

It isn't actually too far of a stretch to see where these types of skills may be necessary in the future. Of course right now you have your minimum one-year supply of food stocked, however, in an apocalyptic world, after your stored food runs out, what would you do?

Consider all of the options near your home for securing enough food to cover three meals for the entire family for a day. Can you go fishing? Go hunting? Gather shellfish? Harvest items from your garden? Forage for wild edibles? Would you be able to provide a relatively balanced meal? Sure a duck would make a nice meal but if you could only provide a duck and no vegies or carbs, your sustenance plan would not last for very long. Try to come up with a wide range of items with the least amount of effort.

Here's some resources:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2100378_forage-wild-edibles.html

http://www.ngeo.com/pathtoadventure/handbook/survival/survival4.html

Notes from the Tribal Conference

I attend a number of conferences throughout the year which focus on a wide range of topics. The conferences range from boring and unnecessary to the occasional stupendous event which changes the entire way I think about the world and/or myself. The conference I attended over the last couple of days falls into the latter category. Although I work with Native American tribes on a very peripheral basis, the conference I recently attended included a full tribal immersion event which taught me a number of lessons:

• Stop talking and listen to your elders. In a tribal setting, the elders are highly revered and a lot of knowledge is passed to the young from the elders of the tribe. Everyone is expected to be quiet and listen to the elders whether they are saying what you want to hear or not, whether they are talking in allegories or not, and whether they are officially "educated" or not, the wisdom they have to share in invaluable and the only way to learn is to stop talking and start listening.
• One of the elders said "Don't teach all of your children the same things or they won't need each other and the world will fall apart." Wow. Makes sense to me.
• The group walked though a beautiful flower garden. It was a regular kind of flower garden that you would find just about anywhere, however, with knowledgeable tribe members at our side, we learned that just about everything we saw was edible. Who would have though that stinging nettles would be something healthy to ingest?
• You have to look at situations from other's point of view. Everyday we make assumptions about other people, we create programs, initiatives, and policies that impact other people without giving much consideration to whether the people who are impacted want these things and how other people will accept these things.
• You inherit things, land, and knowledge not to keep for yourself and not to squander away but to improve upon and pass along to the next generation.

There were a lot more lesson than these and I could barely keep up with taking notes but these items made me thing both about how I worked with the tribes and how useful this information can be in relation to my preparedness goals.

DPT--Using the Mormon Cannery

I was reading through the Survivalist Boards yesterday and come upon an interesting idea. Apparently, even if you are not Mormon, you can use the local LDS canneries to can your own food. They even provide the cans and oxygen absorbers for a small price. With all of the stocking up/food hoarding going on recently, this may be an excellent way to protect all of the food you just bought. Here is some more information:
http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=125285

Preparedness: Planning for the Week Ahead

In preparedness circles, there is plenty of talk about stockpiling food, putting together alternative energy systems, and firearms. Lots of talk about firearms. Today we will go way retro and look at really basic preparedness--planning for your upcoming week so that you will be ready for anything. Here's how to get prepared for your week:

• Do your preparations for the upcoming week on a Sunday. Usually Sundays are pretty quite so you will have plenty of time to get things ready for the week ahead.


• Use paper. I'm biased towards a paper-based calendar (both the big one on the wall so the family can keep track of where I am and a monthly/weekly version I carry in my briefcase). Also, you will need a sheet of paper or notebook for your "to do" list.


• I make one giant "to do" list for the week then check things off as they are completed. At the top of each week's list are the morning rituals that I do each day (tidy house, glass of green tea, stretch, weights, pray, read Daily Word, check all phone messages, check and respond to all email, update all websites, update all blogs, eat breakfast, take vitamins).


• Next I list: all meetings/events I need to attend, any projects that are due, any other work-related things I need to do, all calls, all correspondence, errands, finances (bills to pay, financial 'to do's'), anything I need to do for others, and any social engagements (birthdays, lunches with associates, etc).


• At the bottom of the list, I write down daily goals in the following categories: daily exercise goals (ie: Monday swim, Tuesday karate, etc), daily business improvement goal, daily preparedness goals, and daily personal goals (I've got a list of 101 things I want to accomplish).


• After the list is finished, I check a variety of things: is there any prep work I can do right now to be ready for things I need to do during the upcoming week (print meeting agendas, MapQuest directions to meetings, etc); is my daily carry bag fully stocked (sometimes throughout the course of a week, things get used and need to be replaced); are my clothes ready for the week (pressed, back from the cleaners, shoes polished, etc); what is my transportation plan for the week (is the car's gas tank filled, have I made arrangements to car pool to various meetings, what days will I ride public transportation or ride my bike); is my tech stuff ready to go (cell phones charged, iPod charged, travel laptop files backed up from my desk laptop, digital camera charged); is my weekly menu planned (I usually write out a basic menu--breakfast, lunch and dinner--for the week in order to make sure we don't end up eating out due to lack of planning); finally,I clean out my briefcase and restock any missing supplies.

That's basically it for preparing for the upcoming week. It may sound overly "listy" but I have found that if I don't write down what I want to accomplish, I will either forget things or put off doing things that need to get done.

25 Reasons to Become Debt Free As Soon As Possible

Everyone knows that being debt free is a good idea but in case you need some more compelling reasons to pay off everything (credit cards, loans, cars, and house) as quickly as possible...you need to be debt free because:

1. Being debt free sets an excellent example for your kids.
2. It could save your marriage (most marriages break up over financial difficulties).
3. Instead of paying interest/late fees/over limit fees and keeping the credit industry afloat, you will be earning interest.
4. Take your monthly income and subtract everything you pay each month except debts (ie: phone bill, cable bill, gas bill, food, etc). See that big total left? If you were debt free that money would be all yours. What could you do with that amount of money?
5. If you are drowning in debt, you have neither the money nor emotional focus to put towards preparedness...and preparedness is IMPORTANT!
6. You will go to work with a whole new attitude (when you are in debt you need to work; when you are not in debt you go to work because you want to).
7. If you are debt free, unexpected expenses (a new roof, kids braces) can be easily paid for. If you are in debt these types of events can become a major crisis.
8. You have more freedom to be yourself. If you are in debt, you are always trying to keep your life from crashing down around you. When you are debt free, you don't have to meet any one's expectations; you can be and do what you want.
9. Life has more possibilities. Want to take a one year sabbatical in India? No problem, debts won't hold you back. Want to cut your work hours and work on the great American novel? No problem, you have very few expenses to meet so need to work very few hours.
10. There is no better feeling than walking into a car dealership and paying cash for a car.
11. You will make better decisions. You have the goal easily in mind: remain debt free. When you are approached by a credit card offer/timeshare offer/great business offer, your goal to remain debt free will keep you from falling for these scams.
12. You will actually be able to provide for your family. If you are in debt, any extras for the kids (clothes, college, tech gear, sometimes even lunch money) is a struggle. If you are debt free, you can easily provide for the needs, and some pretty nice "wants" for the family.
13. You will walk taller, look better, and sound better. People who are run down by debt actually look and sound run down--the stress shows in their body, their face, and their voice. Debt free people don't look like that.
14. You will be able to retire. People with a lot of debt are seldom able to actually retire. They need to keep working to supplement their meager Social Security income. With lots of money invested and no debts, you will be able to retire whenever and where ever you want.
15. You will be an inspiration to others. They will see how well you are doing and be inspired to change their lives as well.
16. If there is a sudden run on rice/flour/firearms/etc. you will easily have the cash on hand to be first in line to purchase these items (and have the spare cash to purchase more than you need so that you can sell or barter the items if the time comes to do that).
17. You will be able to afford the better things in life. You can easily purchase life changing experiences, educational opportunities, top notch consumer goods, the best medical care, etc.
18. It gets rid of all sorts of nasty financial hazards: repossessions, foreclosures, bankruptcies, adjustable interest rates, etc. You won't be in the position of losing your house because you will own it outright. You won't have to worry about rising interest rates because you won't be paying interest on anything.
19. You can easily flee a dangerous area. Look at how many people were stranded in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit; they couldn't afford to leave.
20. It will be an accomplishment that many families haven't seen for the last few generations.
21. Think of how it will feel to carry hundreds in actual cash in your wallet which belongs to you and isn't on its way to the bank to pay for a debt.
22. You will be able to give. There is no better feeling than being able to help out people in need, to tithe to the church, and to donate your time and money to the causes that mean the most to you.
23. You will help stabilize the economy. Building an economy on credit means that people have to keep earning enough money and spending to keep the economy growing. When there is any sort of glitch in this system the economy can tank-- like it is doing now.
24. You can control your taxes. If you are continually building debt you need to earn more to pay the debt thus being taxed more. With no debt and lowered or sheltered earnings you can cut your taxes sometimes dramatically.
25. You will have more confidence and self esteem than you've probably had in a long while. Taking control of your situation then being in control of your life does wonders for how you feel about yourself.

CNI Challenge #5--Take Public Transportation for a Month

Horrors! A bus?? With those kind of people? For most of the American suburban middle and upper class, taking public transportation is, um, distasteful to say the least. We Americans love our cars and to suggest people do without them is akin to anarchy. Granted, public transportation in many areas is sadly lacking compared to other locations around the globe and many large cities in this country, however it could be a workable possibility for many people given the right mindset and proper planning. After not having taken public transportation since I was a teenager (back in the stone age), I recently decided to take a bus to get from one end out our county to the other just as an experiment. Here are some thoughts on the validity of this challenge:

• Look at the financial impact of taking public transportation. If you lease an expensive car, pay insurance, pay for gas, and pay for regular maintenance, you can easily spend $1000 per month. Cost of a bus pass? $35 a month. Do the math. With a bus pass and selective cab rides, you can save an armload of money each month.
• We take public transportation in every country we travel to, why not take public transportation here? Except in cases where I need to hire a car and driver, I am perfectly fine taking subways, buses, jeepneys, rickshaws, etc. in foreign countries. A nice thing about our buses? The people don't sit so close together and there are no farm animals riding shotgun.
• We have a very out of proportion need for automobiles. A big percentage of people around the world can barely afford food yet there are five cars sitting in my driveway for two drivers. Craziness.
• Taking public transportation makes you think and plan ahead. It makes no sense to take a bus across town for groceries, bus to the other side of town for banking, and ride to another location, miles away, to go to the library. When you switch to public transportation, you will plan your route and plan your errands with more care so as to make each trip count.
• You get some uninterrupted time to read, listen to music, study, etc. Actually this challenge idea came about because a friend said she took the bus an hour each way to a class she was attending. I couldn't believe it, but when she said she saved hundreds on gas, didn't have to worry about driving through gridlock, and had two hours a day of uninterrupted study time, a light bulb came on in my head. Wow! Great idea!
• There are some things to consider: what will you do if the bus does not go where you need to go? what will you do about very real safety concerns such as walking to and from your bus stop or problems that may occur with other people on the subway? what if you miss the bus?
• What will people think???? Will your reputation survive the challenge? Many people are so afraid of what others think of them that they never try anything new; this is really limiting and impedes your personal development on a number of levels. By doing this challenge, you will learn learn how you react to new situations, be given a reason to try something new (tell people you are riding the bus for an online challenge), and you will learn to be more flexible (a definite plus when it comes to survival situations).

Good luck!

Business Success Basics 101

Many people dream of owning their own business. A percentage of these people will actually start their own business. A percentage of these (often a big percentage) will fail in their businesses. Here are some pointers to consider when starting your business:

• Have the lowest overhead possible. Home-based businesses are popular for this very reason. When you lease a suite of offices, lease a company vehicle, and lease everything else (furniture, etc), you start your business at a distinct disadvantage. The fewer bills you have coming in at the beginning (actually at any point) in your business life, the better.
• A one person business limits liability. With employees comes taxes, benefits, and the possibility of employee-related lawsuits. Consider hiring contractors instead of taking on the liability of employees.
• Have plenty of financial reserves prior to starting your business. Most businesses fail due to lack of funding--basically the funding runs out before the business has a chance to develop and become lucrative. Being frugal and having the money to back up your business decisions will put you on the road to business success.
• Have a business plan. A business plan makes you consider all of the basics (demographics, finances, marketing, etc) before you get started. Flying by the seat of your pants may seem exciting in the beginning but it is a very real hindrance to business success.
• Take care of business necessities. Things such as permits, licenses, and insurance may seem extraneous but they are necessary if you want to run your business professionally. Paying taxes is also a necessity. If I had dime for every business owner I know who got behind the eight ball due to not paying their taxes...
• Add incentives. Add extra value to every service you give your customers. Do excellent work so that your customers will recommend you to others. Make your services invaluable to your clients.
• Continue to refine your business. Every month, look at what has been successful in your business. Also look at what has not been so successful in your business and figure out how to turn these challenges into successes.

The Survival Community

Do you have survival-related information to share? Do you have survival-related questions to ask? There are a number of online communities that allow members to share information, ask questions, and provide answers to other's questions with just a bit of information to get you registered. Here's some of the best sites I've found:

• Survivalist Boards http://www.survivalistboards.com/
• Black Flag Cafe http://comebackalive.com/phpBB2/index.php
• Yahoo Prep Links http://groups.yahoo.com/group/preplinks/
• Everyday Carry Forum http://edcforums.com/