Fight or Flight in the Year 2020

Every young boy who played or who has attempted to play sports knows what it means to either “Fight or Flight” all too well.  At first glance, one might think the cause of the dilemma the player would be a game situation, but most of the time it was in the locker room.  There would inevitably be a situation presented that the player would have to make a choice to stand up for what he felt was right or back down and try to deescalate the situation.  “Fight or Flight”.

Today, business owners are faced with a variety of situations that have or will trigger the release of hormones that will prepare them to either face the continuous threats or try to move to safety.  In the past, our ancient ancestors faced dangers in their environment.  They could either fight or flee.  Sun Tzu, the legendary Chinese military strategist from 5^th Century BC would use both options as a strategy in his well-read book, “The Art of War”.

Instead of facing enemies armed with weapons determine to take your life, in business, we are faced with challenges that try to alter our path.  My home state of Texas is facing an unemployment rate of 12.8% which is the worst on record.  The closest past unemployment rate was 9.2% back in November of 1986 during the last big oil bust.  Every state in the Union has been hit hard.  Nevada, for example, has registered an unemployment rate exceeding 28% which is the highest in the nation due in large part to its reliance on tourism and hospitality.  The overall unemployment number is at 38.6 million at the time of this blog with an average of 2 million new filings a week.  To understand how big this number is, 38.6 million is greater than the combined population of 21 states.

Mainstream news media that continues to scare uninformed citizens by distorting the truth, power hungry politicians (although a few have changed their stance because of the unrest of their voters) and opportunist who continue to profit off of a pandemic that has a 99.9% recovery rate (much better than the seasonal flu) have become a business owners’ nemesis.  The so-called stimulus meant to assist businesses to keep their doors open while we “flattened the curve” and ease the burden for hospitals; instead lined the pockets of political operatives and their interest.  These enemies of the people have and continue to threaten the lives of millions minimalizing the crisis by flippantly calling it “The New Normal”.

So we are faced with a choice.  Fight or Flight.  There will be casualties in this civil war.  Currently, as we are experiencing The 2^nd Great Depression in the year 2020, we will see deaths from suicide and stress related illness.  We will see families destroyed through divorce, child and spousal abuse.  Crime rate will be much more than a neighbor reporting another neighbor for not “Social Distancing”.  Alcohol and drug abuse will rise.  The Government of the People will give way to the Powerful Elite.  The top .05% of wage earners will increase while over 95% of the population will soon learn why deflation is not what economist want to see.

History has shown civilizations having mass exodus from countries such as Ireland, Sweden, Germany and most recent, Mexico and Honduras.  Can you imagine Americans running for the boarder to the North or even the South?  Our other option is to stay and fight.

Necessity is the mother of invention.  To survive, businesses must understand the fears of their employees and potential customers.  Although the threat of the seasonal virus has been proven to have been overhyped and the response to the threat has been catastrophic to tens of millions; business have to adapt to the current battleground.  Investment in PPE products and having a digital strategy will be crucial to stay alive.  Staying transparent and forming alliances between competition and your own employees will forge a stronger bond allowing you to operate at a point of strength versus weakness.  New opportunities will emerge and appear before you as you survey the ever-changing economic landscape.  You will have battle scars, but if you stay the course you will come out victorious.  God Speed to all of you!

Take control of your own destiny and do not rely on the humanity of corporations or the effectiveness of a bloated government.  We are not in this together… yet we could be by choosing not to listen to those that say we are. We can stop succumbing to the fearmongering and support each other in our own communities. 

DeliveryMaxx is a small business that takes pride in helping other small businesses succeed in an increasingly digital world.  That was our mission prior to this outbreak which has now shown it is more important than ever.  If you need help navigating a transition to becoming more active on social media, building an e-commerce website, or post-sale communication with your clients we are here to help.  Our clients experience positive Online Reputation, stronger SEO, concise content management, increase in social media engagement and advertisement and higher customer retention. See how we have helped clients in multiple industries across the country such as Automotive Dealerships, Real-Estate Brokers & Agents, Churches, Service Industry, Sports Teams, Non-Profit Organizations and more as we utilize our Patent-Pending Program to develop a digital strategy that will meet the needs of sales, service and messaging to your audience.  www.deliverymaxx.com or give us a call at 888-936-6299 today or watch the DeliveryMaxx Introduction Video!

Let Passion Drive Your Business

Over the last 3 months, we have all had a lot of time to reflect on our purpose in life.  For many, we have let our careers define who we are.  If this is the case, why are there not more people that absolutely love and have a desire to punch that time clock every Monday morning?  If you are one of those who are still procrastinating after a long Memorial Day Weekend by browsing the internet and stumbling onto this blog… You’re Welcome.  This is a perfect blog for you.

Do you have passion for what you do?  I’m not talking about “Pizza Friday’s” we all remember in elementary school.  I’m not even talking about the desire for the clock to strike 11 AM and the glorious sound of the bell releasing us for an hour of recess.  I’m talking about the 24/7 ultimate fixation, mouth drooling, weak at the knees, heart palpitating excitement to get to do what you want to do.

Very few people get to experience this type of bliss typically because of fear.  However, once you find your passion, use it to absolutely drive your business to reach heights you can only dream of.  That passion will be contagious.  Your employees will want a taste of it.  Your family will appreciate you for it.  More importantly, you will have found your purpose making 5 o’clock Fridays another hour in the day. 

This doesn’t mean you won’t have obstacles that stand in your way because you will.  Peers may resent your happiness.  Friends and sometimes spouses may feel like they are competing for your time.  Your competition will do everything they can to tear you down.  However, armed with passion for what you do will carry you through the finish line.  The great thing about possessing passion is that what seems like a tough rat race for most, will allow you to sprint a marathon.

People want to do business with companies that love and have a passion for what they do.  The want to see the dream and in reality live vicariously through you.  Think about professional athletes for a moment.  Why do you think they always have an entourage around them?  The same goes for your business.

Build your entourage by letting your customers and potential customers have a taste of your passion.  With today’s technology businesses can easily share with the world their passion.  People are spending more time on the internet than ever before.  Today more than ever, the consumer wants to see something positive and if you are teasing the world with a positive glass of passion, they will ultimately want to buy the whole container.

DeliveryMaxx has been the leader in this arena over the last decade and continues to help businesses in all sectors reach their potential customers by sharing their passion through the most innovative digital strategy utilizing common sense and today’s technology.  Our clients experience positive Online Reputation, stronger SEO, concise content management, increase in social media engagement and advertisement and higher customer retention.  We are able to customize and create a strategy for any entity that is trying to gain more exposure on the web.  With clients in multiple industries and across the country such as Automotive Dealerships, Real-Estate Brokers & Agents, Churches, Service Industry, Sports Teams, Non-Profit Organizations and more; we utilize our Patent-Pending Program to develop a digital strategy that will meet the needs of sales, service and messaging to the masses.  For more information about DeliveryMaxx contact (888) 938-6299 or watch the DeliveryMaxx Introduction Video!

Helpful Recommendations to Survive and Rebuild Your Business

For the last two months, business owners like myself have been very frustrated and in many cases at a loss for what to do next.  First, we all should agree that reactions to the Coronavirus have negatively impacted many businesses.  Like many of you, a wide variety of emotions have emerged as the goal post continued to change as we tried to conduct business in an ever-changing economic environment.

Instead of writing a blog blaming the government for abusing power, complaining about the mainstream media providing misinformation, exposing the big banks for squeezing out the small businesses for PPP funding or even shaming the citizens for allowing their fear to dictate the new rules and regulations that have severely limited businesses to achieve success; I have decided to talk about actions DeliveryMaxx has taken.  Hopefully, this blog will give you and your business some positive actions you might be able to take allowing you to adapt, survive, rebuild, and ultimately thrive.  Like us, you have probably invested your life savings to build your dream job, not for the sole purpose of making a living, but because you truly enjoy actively participating in the services or products your company provides.

There are several steps you can take to position your company and operate at a point of strength.  Reaching potential clients, promoting a safe environment, networking, identifying ways to help others and willingness to adapt are just a few recommendations we encourage you to look at:

·         Reaching Potential Clients. Due to the government shutting down business operations as we know it; it is imperative that you have a strong presence on the internet.  This means your website has become your primary store front.  It should be easy to navigate and allow your potential customer to receive all of the information they are looking for.  However, you must have a digital strategy that helps guide people to your website.  Think about the internet as a highway.  If you were able to put up a billboard on every exit of the highway guiding people to your place of business, would that be helpful?  Of course it would.  That is how you want to use your social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogger, WordPress, Pinterest, YouTube and more.  You should have a methodical strategy.  The good news is that digital advertising and marketing is a lot less expensive than traditional advertising.  Companies like DeliveryMaxx can help you.

·         Promoting a Safe Environment.  It does not matter if you think the reaction to the virus was a hoax, overblown or the perfect solution to keep people from getting sick.  Perception is reality and the reality is there are a lot of people who are afraid due to the information or misinformation they have received.  Therefore, if you want to build your clientele to solicit your place of business you will want to make sure they feel safe and are willing to step foot in your building.  Although your employees are probably thankful to get back to work, they too receive a lot of information.  They may not express their feeling to you, so you can ease their concerns by providing the appropriate PPE supplies to allow them to do their job safely.  Personal Protection Supplies can be anything from KN95 Mask, disposable gloves, hand sanitizer or disinfectant spray.  Companies like Apache Commodities Group have fair pricing below market and can even provide bulk products and pricing for your needs.

·         Networking.  With so many people telecommuting and utilizing virtual contacting services; having great relationships with others is vital.  Talk with your vendors or partners.  Be transparent with your employees.  Let your business accounts know what is going on in your world.  The more you share, the more likely it will be for someone else to identify with your experiences.  Join a networking group even if it is a small group.  Every business has been affected by the current situation and the landscape will continue to move.  Experiences of the past will always help you prepare for the future.  The more people you are in contact with the more experiences you will have access to allowing you to position your business for success.

·         Help Others.  This area is personal for me and DeliveryMaxx.  Throughout this whole ordeal, I have experienced the same frustrations as many of you.  I have felt like I was put on a remote island with no tools or help from others.  I swallowed my pride and shared my concerns and sure enough there were individuals that offered to introduce me to others that might need my services.  There were individuals that helped me navigate through the regulations of securing funding to allow me to operate.  There were even clients who understood my value and instead of cutting out my services, identified other ways I could help.  When I sat back and realized I could do the same for others, business began to grow.  I offered to use my expertise at a minimum cost to them.  Many times, my new clients and my company used unique billing methods that would be advantageous to both of us.  In some cases my company achieved more revenue and in other cases we added more work without adding revenue.  However, the satisfaction we gained helping others was a huge boost to our psyche and that gave us another ally in these chaotic times.

·         Willingness to Adapt.  You have a choice.  You can draw a line in the sand and decide not to cross it.  This can be admirable to some extent, but if your business can’t function, who does that help?  Or you can compromise and adapt.  Take for example a restaurant.  Putting up Plexiglas dividers is not ideal.  In many cases, it does not make a lot of sense when you really analyze what it is doing.  The same goes for having the wait staff wearing a mask.  However, if that is what it takes to open your doors and get back to 100% capacity that might be something you have to look at doing in order to survive.  You don’t have to compromise your beliefs or alter your moral compass.  However, if you can keep your business going for another day, month or even another year; you are giving your business a chance to survive.

On behalf of DeliveryMaxx, I hope that these suggestions will help you and your business survive, rebuild and thrive better than it ever has before. Please feel free to contact us and we can identify ways to allow you to get back to business as usual.

DeliveryMaxx continues to help businesses in all sectors reach their potential customers through the most innovative digital strategy utilizing common sense and today’s technology.  Our clients experience positive Online Reputation, stronger SEO, concise content management, increase in social media engagement and advertisement and higher customer retention.  We are able to customize and create a strategy for any entity that is trying to gain more exposure on the web.  With clients in multiple industries and across the country such as Automotive Dealerships, Real-Estate Brokers & Agents, Churches, Service Industry, Sports Teams, Non-Profit Organizations and more; we utilize our Patent-Pending Program to develop a digital strategy that will meet the needs of sales, service and messaging to the masses.  For more information about DeliveryMaxx contact (888) 938-6299 or watch the DeliveryMaxx Introduction Video!

DeliveryMaxx Congratulates 2020 Seniors

When the beginning of the school year began for the 2020 seniors; nobody would have predicted what would have happened in the World much less the United States.  Not only did the economy coming to a screeching halt but high school students would have their lives turned upside down as well.  Distance learning would become the norm, cancellations of prom and unorthodox graduations would be planned.  The high school senior would soon learn that nothing is guaranteed in life and no matter how much you prepare for the uncertainty; everything can be taken away in an instant.

The Class of 2020 doesn’t know a world without 9/11 as it is a historical event rather than something they lived through.  A Texan occupied the White House when they were born and they were only 6 years old when the first Black American was elected to the highest position in America.  They are younger than the iPod, which was released in 2001 and only 5 years old when the first iPhone was released.  YouTube launched while they were 3 years old and SpongeBob SquarePants is older than all of the 2020 seniors as is the video game series Halo.  “Call of Duty” video game came out when they were a year old.  MySpace had launched when they were one and they had just turned 2 by the time Facebook was created.  When they were 4 years old, Twitter became a mainstay in social media.  They have participated in viral challenges like the Harlem Shake and Ice Bucket Challenge.  Popular communication methods are “Texting” and “Snapping” friends.  Pew Research is classifying the high school class of 2020 as post-millennials or Gen Z.

In addition to helping businesses navigate the current economic climate providing strategies for companies to reach a larger market share through digital media platforms, DeliveryMaxx would also like to congratulate the sons of James Schaefer and Mark Henry.  James is the Founder of DeliveryMaxx and Mark is the Business Development Director.  Both of their sons, graduating high school seniors, Joseph Schaefer and Zach Henry were Captains for this year’s Rockwall Yellow Jackets State Semifinalist Football Team.  They have been teammates of each other since the 6^th grade. 

Joseph is graduating in the top 5% of his class and will be attending Wesleyan University in Connecticut this fall.  He will be playing football for the Cardinals and majoring in Economics.  While in high school, Joseph was the inaugural President for the Young Men’s Service League and a member of the National Honor Society as well as being selected to serve on the Student Leadership Council.  He was a 2 year letterman for the Yellow Jackets Football Team earning All-District Honors as a Junior, and 1^st Team All-District as well as 1^st Team Academic All-State as a senior.  In November Joseph was named Jacket Athlete of the Month  having 25 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 Pass Break-up in three Rockwall playoff victories for the month of November in 2019.  Head Coach Rodney Webb shared, “Joseph has led our defense late in the season in addition to leading the entire team as a senior captain.  Joseph Schaefer has epitomized the meaning of JFND (Jacket Fight Never Dies) in our three playoff victories this November.”  Playing linebacker, Joseph finished his senior season tied for 3^rd in Most Tackles in a Single Season in Rockwall History for the 2019-2020 year.

Zach will be attending the University of Texas in Arlington this coming fall.  He will be playing baseball for the Mavericks and majoring in Business and Sports Medicine.  During high school, Zach was a member of Student Council and PALS. He was a 3-year letterman in both baseball and football for the 6-A program which competes on the largest stage of high school sports.  He earned 2^nd Team All- District as a Junior and 1^st Team All-District his Senior Year at the Running Back position.  In three years he racked up 2932 yards and 39 touchdowns.  In November of 2018 he was named Jacket Athlete of the Month rushing for 311 yards and scored 6 total touchdowns in three November football games for the Jackets.  Zach's 118 yards rushing is the most allowed by a single player versus Allen in 2018.  The next highest total was 109 yards by EJ Smith of Jesuit - the son of Emmitt Smith.  “Zach Henry was an offensive catalyst for our great month of November, in which our offense averaged 44 points per game” stated, Coach Rodney Webb.  For baseball he earned 2^nd Team All-District as a sophomore.  His Junior Year he was named 1^st Team All-District, 1^st Team All-State as an Outfielder and Offensive Player of the Year.  He would also be named Dallas Morning News Player of the Week.

Both boys attended Rockwall Schools from elementary through high school.  After playing against each other for several years in baseball and football in various select leagues; they became members of the same Select All-Star Team in football traveling to Oklahoma for the National Showcase Competition.  Zach would play quarterback while Joseph shored up the defense at linebacker.  Both boys would take their talents to Williams Middle School for 7^th and 8^th grade before entering Rockwall High School.  They each played on the 9^th Grade A-Team as starters before making their way to Varsity their sophomore year (Zach at the beginning of the season and Joseph for playoffs).  The boys would end up helping the Jackets Football Program collect a total of 6 playoff wins (3 Bi-District, 1 Area, 1 Regionals, and 1 Quarterfinals Championships). They would finish their high school football career leading the Jackets to the Texas 6A High School Football State Semi-Finals for the first time since 1988 against a loaded Duncanville Panthers team falling one game short to have the chance to play for a State Championship.  Their win against perennial power house Allan High School was recently voted as one of the Top Games of the Decade by 24/7 Sports.  Both Zach and Joseph made some key plays in the game to secure the victory.

Bruce Springsteen released the song, “Glory Days” in 1984.  The song is a seriocomic tale of a man who now ruefully looks back on his so-called "glory days" and those of people he knew during high school.  However, this isn’t the case for these two.  Zach will have a chance to continue his baseball career at UTA in the Sun Belt Conference while Joseph will continue in football for Wesleyan University in the New England Small College Athletic Conference.  Each player is on scholarship and will get to add to their accolades maybe inspiring another artist to write about high school kids that faced challenges head-on and accomplished remarkable things in life.  

James and Mark have a lot to be proud of by leading DeliveryMaxx into one of the most innovative digital media companies in the country… especially in today’s economic climate.  However, they will be the first to tell you that they are filled with excitement about their boys’ accomplishments and the bright future each of them have.  Joseph and Zach will conclude their senior year by participating in the graduation ceremonies for Rockwall High School that will be held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at 7 PM.

Congratulations to all of the 2020 High School and College Seniors!  You are the future, and we look forward to seeing all of the great things you will do in the years to come.