My heart goes out to the thousands of victims of the recent Haiti earthquake. We heard news today that the death toll has risen to over 200,000. I find it difficult to fathom the depth of the suffering that is going on in that country. I know that their time of need is now and I hope that everyone will respond.

I believe that if everyone gives just a few dollars, we can make a huge difference for the survivors of this terrible tragedy. I know there are many stories of how the relief effort has been failing, but I believe that it is still doing a lot of good. I implore everyone to keep giving whatever they can to this cause.

Since the Tiger woods story is all over the news, we all knew that there would be repercussions for him. As bad as all the negative media was for his image, now the financial disaster is beginning. The first sponsor to drop Tiger from its rolls is Accenture Ltd. The have stated that he is no longer a person that they wish to represent them. So far, there has been no comment from Tiger on the situation though it is natural that he would be disappointed.

There has been some debate over the recent government run program called “Cash for Clunkers”. The program allowed consumers to buy new vehicles and get a rebate of $4,500 dollars to do so. The program was intended to help the ailing auto industry and to help get the economy moving again. Some critics think it was a waste of money.

There are studies that argue that the program which cost U.S. taxpayers 3 billion dollars did little to help the economy. There are some estimates that each car sold cost the taxpayers well more than the 4,500 dollar rebate. The White House has defended the program saying that they stand by their numbers and that the program was a success. I guess only time will tell who was right or not.

Things around our office have been tight for quite some time. Since the economy is failing, we’ve had to cut corners wherever possible. We asked our employees to come up with their best ideas for saving money. One of the best ideas was to switch to using Compact fluorescent bulbs in order to use less electricity. This will help save us some money as well.

There are other benefits to switching out our old bulbs. By using the more efficient bulbs, we will help our earth by using less energy. I am always glad to find situations that are win\win. This is one of those times. I’m glad I have such intelligent people working for me.

One thing that I’ve learned in this world is that when it comes to business, friends are good. I have a friend who owns a hot dog stand. Every time he makes a sale, he hands out custom business cards for his friends. They supply the cards and he hands them out. The idea has worked beautifully and the amount of business generated by the cards is amazing.

In the world of business, getting your name out there is always a chore. It’s good to take advantage of every opportunity to spread the word about your business. It’s hard to believe that a simple piece of cardboard with your name on it can earn you money. I’m glad I was able to get in on the action and make a few bucks of my own!