9/6/2016, Helpful Stuff, September Issue --  Books: The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future by Steve Case http://www.thirdwavebook.com/ We’re on a roll with the tech revolution and already embarking on what can be called the third wave of the Internet. According to Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and an accomplished entrepreneur, it will be unlike anything we’ve seen to date transforming the economy and our daily lives. Paying homage to futurist Alvin Toffler (from whom Case got the book’s title), Case offers insights into some of the most important business decisions of our time and what will happen next. The first wave was AOL and other companies setting the scene for consumers to connect to the Internet. (Hard to believe, but back in 1985 when AOL came on the scene, just three percent of Americans were online). The second wave has been about apps and services on top of the Internet. This Third Wave will be centered on entrepreneurs transforming industries like health, transportation, energy, and food. Ultimately, Case predicts, tech companies today and of the future—many of which may no longer be based in Silicon Valley—will have to rethink their relationships. The new rules, he writes, are…

9-6-2016 -- I co-chair a large local car show that attracts several hundred customs, classics, street rods, and tuner cars. It has been good for my business because these vehicle owners now see me as not only a car audio specialist but also a "car guy". People owning this type of vehicle want to know that the people working on their rides understand and appreciate what they mean to them. It doesn't generate big numbers of vehicles but it does give us the opportunity to work on them and these people usually have a higher disposable income level and will spend money to get the job done right and with quality products. And we get to work on some cool rides. Dave Clews, 12-volt Dave's Audio, Pottsville, Pa. Sell what you believe in. It makes you appear more honest and sincere. Don't be afraid to give a little; you'll get more than you think. In the last few years we added custom vinyl which has been very successful. Profits are very similar to window tint. We just recently added lift kits and off-road accessories. There is a bid demand for that in our area and it should be profitable. John…

Entrepreneur -- You can tell a soon-to-fail entrepreneur by the tired, haggard look in his eyes. Like extras from "The Walking Dead," they stumble around looking not entirely alive. Because they aren’t. Despite covariance in the rate of startup failures with overworked CEOs, the problem persists. Some founders are fanatical when bragging that they work 60 to 80 hour weeks. Their sense of building “sweat equity” blinds them to the sacrifices they make -- to their health, to their marriages, to their families and communities. What they mistake as a successful lifestyle is actually a massive failure. Related: Here's Why the 8-Hour Workday Doesn't Work Personal fatigue. People are not designed for 80-hour work weeks, at least not over the long term. Various studies show that we humans operate efficiently for maybe 10 hours a day, and that is if you sleep well, eat right and exercise regularly. As you will quickly see, attempting to work more than 10 hours is an exercise in diminishing returns, as it keeps you from being at your peak performance for those 10 top hours. Most people need a solid eight hours of sleep to rejuvenate. This leaves 16 waking hours in a day. A…

8-31-2016 -- Legendary martial artist and philosopher Bruce Lee once said, "Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless—like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; you put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; you put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend." The power of water is undeniable in the natural world. But in the retail space, it can be even more powerful. Especially if one put Lee's concept into practice. Luckily for Mark Fung, owner of Stereo Solutions in Redding, Calif., both the philosophical and physical elements of water have helped land his shop in the Top 50 two years in a row. Located on the Sacramento River, and close to multiple lakes, including the vast Lake Shasta, Redding is home to a strong boating community that acts as the foundation for Stereo Solutions' business. Due to the recent drought in California, Fung had been concerned about the possibility of a slow season, but luckily, thanks to a surprise rainy season, business is booming. "It's been our second busiest month ever. California has been in a drought. Our lakes are full now. Mt. Shasta has a bunch…