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Land Rover LR4, Lemon Nightmare

/ Alec
LR4 Land Rover
I have a car problem. Always have. I’ve avoided British cars since I grew up with them as a kid and they never seemed to run properly. I was recently convinced to trade the  dependable Dodge pick up for an SUV. After a long search a 2011 LR4 HSE was the pick. It was back in the shop the first week: Leaky rear washer that sprayed inside the car rather than out and random electrical gremlins. Then I caught a rock on I89 and needed a new windshield. $1400 installed was the only option. Ouch.
I’m a car Nazi. I enjoy a clean, well functioning, cocoon of steel, to listen to my Sirius Radio as I crank to work. I won’t bore your with all the details but the Land Rover LR4 was at the dealer almost as much as it was in my garage. The seat moved randomly, the window leaked onto passengers, the stereo had a mind of its own, low pressure tire alerts came and went randomly, the satellite radio got worse with each up date. It was a nightmare of repeated visits to the dealer with few successful repairs. Luckily I have a great dealer in Automaster of Shelburne, VT and I got cozy with my loaner car.
The LR4 is a very functional car when it runs. When it is in the shop it is a very expensive repair. I pulled the plug last week and traded to a BMW X5. I credit the team at the Automaster for making this as painless as possible. They have won a customer for life by turning my LR4 lemon into lemonade. I won’t buy a Land Rover ever again and I would recommend you don’t as well. The clincher for me was when the Automaster told me that they could try to get the Land Rover representative up from NJ but that they had not seen anyone from Land Rover is several years! Problems happen, how you deal with them will make or break your business.

Starting your business with a spreadsheet

/ Alec

I get a request a week from someone in my network looking for advice in turning their concept into a business. They are talented people with great ideas but I like to get people thinking about,  “Does your idea support enough margin and a large enough market to build a business?” The reply I usually get is; “All the people (read friends & family)  that I have talked to LOVE the idea.” There is a big difference between a hobby that you love and business that can support you. Just because you love to cook does not mean you are cut out to build a menu with the margin needed to pay the rent on 5,000 square feet on Church Street. The majority of people I talk to might be better off keeping their endeavor as a hobby. Where it is still fun, the time commitment is manageable, and the extra money makes for a nice winter vacation to the Caribbean. Don’t get me wrong I’m a huge supporter of starting your own business. I’m on my 6th and we clearly need more entrepreneurs/small business owners in America. All I’m saying is start your dream with an assumption and a spreadsheet. Then go test those assumptions as cheaply as you can.

Resources:

sba.gov – Actually has some good resources especially around Loans

score.org – Can hook you up with a local mentor and has extensive online courses on the basics

Jaxworks.com – A set of free basic excel files

inc.com – Has many good articles and tools. I’m also a fan of there one page worksheet to get the concept grounded.

ShipIt – Seth Godin’s great workbook on helping you to be inspired and ship often.

Thanksgiving 2010

/ Alec

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday so much so that I do it twice. Once with family and then again for Turkey2 with friends. On the drive home from Hanover, NH I had a chance to reflect on all the things I’m thankful for:

  • My family and friends whose love and support make it all worth while
  • The opportunity I have to build, make connections, lend a hand, and create things worth fighting for
  • My health – I’ve taken it for granted until a little ER visit this year
  • Vermont – There is nothing better than seeing the Green Mountains unfold into Lake Champlain and the village lights twinkle as I wing my way back from some far off city
  • Music – It never fails to lift me up on bleak days or send me driving to Montreal to dance the night away
  • Travel – It makes me a better person. To see a different patch of the world and then return home to appreciate what you have at home.

So, raise a glass with me as we sit around the table and toast all that we have to be thankful for. It is humbling. Cheers…