Danielson Airport

jet lag traveling east

Many of the United States best trading partners put up barriers to entry as American companies try to import their goods and services into those countries. This is rather a shame, and it is quite short sided. These nations put up trade barriers destroying the win-win situation that free trade opens up in the global marketplace.

If we buy from their nation, and they buy from our nation, the money keeps going around in circles faster and faster and everyone does better; that is a definite win-win and that’s why free trade works. But free trade only works if it is free and fair, and unfortunately, in the franchising industry it hasn’t actually been a level playing field and I’d like to explain.

Many nations have ridiculous rules when it comes to franchising in their country, especially when it comes to foreign partners. Many Asian nations will not let you franchise in their country right away. Rather, they want you to prove that your business is actually viable before you sell it to anyone in our country. They also do not want American franchise systems which are superior in efficiency to knock out all their small businesses in that country.

However, the reality is that franchises are owned by local business people and only the royalties are going to the franchisor and come back to the United States. In turn it helps the local economy with more efficient businesses, lower prices, better competition, and more employment. It also provides more taxation revenue for those nations.

Thus, they actually do better when there are American franchises within their country. Plus, other businesses learn from these efficiencies, and all small businesses do better therefore, creating more wealth, cycling more money, creating more tax revenues, and this all becomes a path to economic prosperity.

Recently, I was looking at one of the Asian countries, which has a franchising rule for foreign corporations; A franchisor cannot sell franchises until they have operated in the nation for 2-years and that business has been successful. Meanwhile, they must also have a native born citizen partner to start a business in the first place. And in many nations it takes two years just to get a business license. Therefore, if a franchisor wishes to become franchisor in some of these Asian countries, it takes four years to get going, that’s just a start.

Meanwhile, often their trademarks are hijacked, their business models are stolen, and it becomes a lose-lose situation, rather than a win-win situation for both the franchisor, the United States trade deficit, and the nation in question along with all the benefits that franchising system might have brought to the country. It is for this reason many companies opt out, and are even rude to franchise buyers in these types of country. This hurts international business. Indeed, I hope you please consider this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes in international franchising to help national economies.

why am i so tired……….?

for 5 weeks i traveled all across the west coast (US) and ended in hawaii. i just got home (east coast) from hawaii about 5 days ago. since the time difference was 6 hours i am still jet lagged. but i have been sleeping a lot, more than usual.
why am i sleeping so much? is it becuase i am still jet lagged and exhausted from traveling so much and not getting a lot of sleep while traveling, or is it something medical?

It may simply be the tiredness of all the traveling. If it does not resolve itself in a couple more days, see your doctor. There are all kinds of medical things it could be.

Mid-East Trip #1: Morning Call to Prayer in Cairo

traveling wilburys

The Beatles, a band whose inception occurred almost 50 years ago, are still relevant today. Starting out in Liverpool, England, 1960, with members Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Pete Best and George Harrison, the band created a compelling sound with incomparably youthful appeal. As their fame caught fire, Best was replaced by drummer Ringo Starr and the rest, as they say, is history.

The bright, pop tunes, sweet, simple lyrics and engaging harmonies that defined that band’s first forays into the limelight, with the boys sporting sleek bob hairdos and slim, matching suits, gave way to harder rock riffs, deeper, more introspective prose and the hippy attire, and hairstyles, of the times. Topic matter in their songs transcended from puppy love and girls to gurus, yogis and psychedelia. Their music evolved, exploring various genres and their lives shifted and altered, eventually drifting apart. Each of the internationally famous band members carried on to find their own individual avenues of success in the years following the band’s 1970 break up.

Paul McCartney (b. June 18, 1942) proved to be the most successful businessman of the lot, though after the tragic passing of his wife and partner, Linda Eastman McCartney, some suggest the terrific sense he so consistently displayed in professional matters wasn’t always well exercised in his personal realm. Ringo Starr (a.k.a. Richard Starkey, b. July 7, 1940) has probably been the least heard of in post-Beatles years, although he too has achieved a rather respectable degree of continued accomplishment. The late George Harrison (February 25, 1943 – November 29, 2001) was exceptionally prolific with his music and created hit after hit, both as a solo artist and also in wonderful collaborations with friends who proved as fantastically talented as Harrison himself. With Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison, Harrison’s Traveling Wilburys put out a charming handful of late 80’s hits. John Lennon (1940 – 1980) was never far from the public eye, as he and spouse Yoko Ono seemed always to be engaging in some sort of news-worthy act or protest up until the time a crazed gunman ended the famed Beatles’ life, barely two months after his 40th birthday.

Today, oh so many years later, we still find modern musicians emulating the Beatles’ style. Current groups strive to match the magical quality of the band’s early harmonies. To site just one recent example, Melbourne, Australia’s group ‘Jet’ has been hitting the airwaves since 2003 with a sound that is more often than not distinctly Beatle-esque. Fashions have even turned full circle (at least once, maybe twice) with youngsters again sporting the skinny, leg-hugging trousers that were popular back in the Beatles’ earliest days.

Dare we guess that, no matter how many decades may pass, the Beatles’ legacy will carry on long after the remaining band members have passed from this earth, well after the last of the screaming girls who once wept while watching them in concert has left our world. Paul, George, Ringo and John will live on in the memories of their music and the bands who continue to find inspiration in the indelible notes the Beatles have left to us.

Authors Sam Robertson and Kate Kelly enjoy writing on numerous human-interest topics, including entertainment, health and relationship issues. With decades of literary experience and plenty of publications between them, they offer a wealth of expertise and intriguing perspectives.

Favorite Traveling Wilburys song?

Mine’s End of The Line.

probably “handle with care’, but “like a ship” is great too.

Traveling Wilburys – Handle With Care