BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AMERICAN SOD PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION 4415 WEST HARRISON STREET HILLSIDE, ILLINOIS 60162 FIRST CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID Hillside, IL 60162 Permit No. 217 Rush to: FILE JUNE / JULY, 1986 ASPA 1986-87 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL INCLUDES $5,000 AD&D INSURANCE FOR CLASS A's All Class A ASPA member firms, renewing their membership for 1986-87 will receive $5,000 of Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance (AD&D) for the firm’s representa­ tive. The insurance amount will increase by $1,000 of coverage for every year o-f consecutive membership -for the next four years, ultimately bringing the AD&D coverage to a total of $9,000. This insurance is made available to ASPA's Class A firms at no additional dues cost. Renewal notices were sent to all current ASPA members in mid-April, with a second notice being sent in May. All firms who have not renewed their membership by July 1 will be dropped from the rolls, with their years of consecutive membership being interrupted. When paying dues, all members should review the information presented on the statement to insure its accuracy. Particular attention should be paid to the naming of the firm's ASPA representative, plus the firm name, address and zip code. All changes should be written directly on the statement form and returned with the dues payment. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is provided with the understanding that this publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Published bi-monthly for members of the American Sod Producers Association, under the auspices of the ASPA Business Management Committee. We invite your comments and recommendations. KEEPING THE COMPANY'S SECRETS SECRET "Businesses can be severely damaged when inside information is leaked to competitors," writes the editors of "Small Business Report." According the the brief article, employees may unknowingly reveal confidential information to outsiders, who in turn can use this information to their own favor and against the original company's interests. The article noted that outside sales staffs are particularly vulnerable to such leaks. They suggest that the following in-formation should be considered private information and protected accordingly: --Sales Figures. Knowing a company's sales volume can provide competitors with an advantage --Customer Files. Safe guard your client list, and never leave these files open in the presence of customers. --Names of Suppliers. Dependable and competent suppliers are an important part of any business, therefore these relationships should be held in the strictest confidence. --Profit Margins. This is absolutely privileged infor­ mation that should never be revealed to any outsider. As the article noted, today's customers can be tomorrow's competitors. --Company Problems. Avoid discussing any problems with outsiders because partial information may cause relucatance to deal with the firm, and the problem can be easily blown out of proportion when repeated. SETTING SOME LIMITS ON COMPUTER COSTS Trying to determine how much to spend on a computer set-up can be very confusing to many people. They don't want to over-buy, yet they also don't want to under invest and dis­ cover too late that they didn't get enough machine to do the job . According to Doane Publishing's "Agricultural Computing," the wholesale vegetable business developed a formula that seems to work for them, and it may also apply to others. Here's the formula that the vegetable growers use: 4% of gross revenue up to $1 million is justified; then 2% of any gross above $1 million. That would put the top figure at $4,000 to $5,000 for farmers grossing $100,000 to $125,000. (COMPUTERS -- THE CRITICAL FIRST YEAR (Conclusion) (Doane's Agricultural Report, Copyright 1986) Having the necessary supplies Keep a 3-ring binder full of blank paper (a few sheets of graph paper are useful, too) next to your machine for keeping an abbreviated diary of useful notes and methods. Also, keep a dispenser of cellophane tape for attaching important notes and reminders to your desk or walls (don't use magnets!), and for taping together wide printouts such as spreadsheets. If you have a printer, keep at least one fresh ribbon and a box of paper ready. Also useful are a ruler, highlighting pen, stapler and bulk eraser. Bulk erasers are available from electronics stores like Radio Shack and should be kept and used well away from your system. In the bottom of your desk keep an emergency cleaning kit with cotton swabs, alcohol, a lint—free rag and antistatic video screen cleaning solution or pads. Get into a routine Once you've put in the extra hours necessary to get a good feel for the system, set up a routine for using the computer. Choose a time of the day or week that you would normally have free and make it known that you don't want to be distrubed for trivial matters. One reason for setting up a schedule is to keep from procrastinating or turning data entry into a chore to be dreaded. When you start to get bored with what you are doing, take a break. Unless you're planning a career as a hacker instead of a farmer, don't spend more than 90 minutes computing at a sitting. Know when to quit Nothing ruins your working relationship with a computer faster than a series of frustrating, seemingly unsolvable problems. Look forward to them—they go with the territory. The important thing is not feel like you're fighting against the machine. If you think you've hit a brick wall, take a break. Sometimes the solution to your problems will come only after you get away from the machine a while. From our experience, 99% of the "unsolvable" problems turn out to be simple things we've overlooked. The other 1% will definitely require some outside assistance. Nobody learns about computers by osmosis; they do it by study, by trail and error and by asking. Stay involved with a users group It's important to join or form a users group from the outset of your involvement with a microcomputer. Now that you're on your way to becoming a “local computer wizard," it's very important to stay involved with your users group. For one thing, it's now your turn to help out the novices with sage advice and bitter memories, as you were helped. For another, you're less likely to feel helpless about the computer as long as you've got the support of your users group. Know when to upgrade or buy a new machine Although it may hurt the pocketbook, there comes a time when you should upgrade your system. More memory, a hard disk, a higher speed modem, a better printer — all of these will someday be on your shopping list. When you're con­ vinced that you're beating your head against a wall, it's time to seriously consider upgrading. It's important not to upgrade frivolously. A hard disk will not be too useful it you don't really need it. You may even come to the point where you decide that you'll be throwing good money after bad it you upgrade "old reliable" any further. Instead of pitching the old machine out on the trash heap, see it there are smaller jobs the old machine can perform well. While you're waiting tor a lengthy printout on your new machine, it's convenient to be able to use your other machine tor a few calculations. (This article was reprinted with the permission of Doane's Agricultural Report and "Agricultrual Computing" newsletter, copyrighted, 1986. The complete series is contained in the ASPA Business Management Newsletters of February/March, April/May and June/July, 1986.) 2nd INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONVENTION and FIELD DAYS July 23-25, 1986 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI