What’s Ahead for the Economy Ok, so no one has a crystal ball. But, we can take some pretty good guesses at what’s on the horizon. Of course, much of it depends on some critical things going on nationally and globally. One thing’s not going away any time soon, the nation’s ever increasing ballooning debt which will be something that’s going to weigh very heavily on the economy. There are many other factors that are going to assert their conglomerate effects on us. Economists, executives and investors are reading the 2020 tea leaves with heightened scrutiny in an effort to divine what this year holds for the U.S. economy and […]

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Most states are financially healthy Most states’ financial health is looking up, thanks to the long bull market in stocks and a decade of steady economic growth that has lifted tax receipts. Most are boosting spending this year while still adding to rainy-day funds. Outlays are up 5% on average. But some are in better shape than others. And many face long-run fiscal challenges. Who’s Recession Ready? How ready are states for another recession, whenever it arrives? The Great Recession forced painful cuts that took years to recover from. 29 are well prepared, with enough saved in reserve funds to ride out a moderate recession without having to cut services […]

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The Importance of Cap Rates The integral question, if you don’t know, is what is a cap rate? Now, mathematically, a capitalization rate (or “cap rate”) is an asset’s unlevered net cash flow divided by its value or purchase price.  It can also be thought of as the reciprocal of a property’s price-earnings ratio (or “P/E ratio”). So, if a property is valued at a 5% cap, the value is 20x (i.e. 1/.05) the current net cash flow. What is the importance of a Cap Rate? It provides a value of the property in terms of the potential capital it can provide, thus the name. But, often people are looking […]

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Many Builders are Getting Away with Vague Statements Many builders use the term “energy-efficient” to describe their homes when in fact they include very limited energy efficiency features or appliances. Don’t be fooled. Get a builder who takes energy-efficiency beyond the typical bare minimum by using holistic energy saving techniques at every stage of home design and construction. From the foundation to the roof, ensure your builder gives customers the benefit of one of the most comprehensive standard features lists that include unmatched energy efficient elements to deliver high energy efficiency and lower utility bills. Make Sure Your Home is Efficient A good energy efficient home has energy efficiency built […]

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Make a Lasting First Impression Thanks for the advice, I know. But, there are a ton of great ads that have been created through the years and so many of them fall short of this simple construct. With the Super Bowl coming up, it’s a good opportunity to talk about the first tenet of marketing. There have been so many great ads for the Super Bowl through the years and, in fact, many people just watch the game for the ads. Well, that and the snacks served at some of the best parties people throw for the event. In truth, just between you and me, you might catch me just […]

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With 2020 ahead of us, we should take a look at the housing market and how it will continue to boom. Texas and Florida are still two of the best housing markets to be in, but there are some other big booming markets relative to their share of the market as a whole. The housing growth that is expected to continue through 2020 will lend itself to other benefits. The South and West have long led the nation in population growth. But a lack of affordable housing is hindering several states. Migration to many Western states has slowed, while migration out of California has picked up, most likely due to […]

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In a recent interview with the President of PTC Computer Solutions, David Parker, Biz Buzz host, David Sillick, discovers the future of Social Marketing. Not in the traditional means seen to date, but in utilizing Social Marketing to Micro Market to very small and specific Psychographic Sectors of the population. As Mr. Parker reveals, the future in marketing is not in mass marketing but in detailed segmentation of the population based on the spending habits and interests of the individual. Watch the interview from Biz Buzz here. Bizz Buzz with David Parker from PTC Computer Solutions from BluHorn TV on Vimeo.

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Don’t Forget to Bury Your Digital Life Your digital footprint—including photos and videos, social media accounts, subscriptions, and online bills—will eventually outlive you, leaving family and estate executors to sift through the virtual remains. An executor does not automatically gain access to the accounts unless the deceased person has made specific arrangements. Create a list of your accounts and their passwords, and note your wishes and instructions. Providing a list for a trusted person is still precarious, but most states have adopted legislation that allows you to designate a legal representative to access your digital assets after death. You can provide that access through a will, power of attorney or […]

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With 2020 ahead of us, we should take a look at the housing market and how it will continue to boom. Texas and Florida are still two of the best housing markets to be in, but there are some other big booming markets relative to their share of the market as a whole. The housing growth that is expected to continue through 2020 will lend itself to other benefits. The South and West have long led the nation in population growth. But a lack of affordable housing is hindering several states. Migration to many Western states has slowed, while migration out of California has picked up, most likely due to […]

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Demographics Are Useless but Psychographics Aren’t Marketers everywhere (should) already know their target market demographics – the easily quantifiable ‘who’, ’what’ and ’where?’. But a growing number of us are realizing that psychographics – the elusive reasons ’why’ our customers buy from us – are not only far more valuable, but that the data is getting easier to obtain. Marketers in general have been pretty slow to latch onto Psychographics due to the amount of time, effort and resources required to use them effectively. At Parker Associates and PTC Computer Solutions, we are heavily focused on Psychographics and have been for over 30 years. It’s what defines our buying habits […]

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