[TheForge] RE: making a living

Sun Jul 14 12:28:01 2002

Bob,

I think you really need to look at getting health insurance.  When we are
young, health issues are rarely a problem.  But, from your posts, it sounds
like you are at least in your middle 40's and that's just about the time
that you start accumulating health issues.  Everthing is fine one day - then
all of a sudden, you have a problem you never saw coming.  Then once you get
diagnosed with something, getting health insurance can be impossible and
that good 401k plan of your's is jeapordized.

All of the insurance companies are supposed to have "open" enrolement
periods where they take high risk clients but that system doesn't work well.
After having a neck problem, I waited over 1-1/2 years to get coverage
before I luckily got a job that covered me. I thought my neck was the
problem but within the next three years I had 3 major operations and was
diagnosed with diabetes.

I don't know anything about NASE but you need something, if not for yourself
then for your wife's peace of mind.

Walt

-----Original Message-----
From: Demon Buddha <[email protected]>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Sunday, July 14, 2002 11:32 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] RE: making a living

>
>
>Bob Ehrenberger wrote:
>>
>> Bob,
>>
>> Thanks for your encouragement. The only way that we have made it so far
is I
>> got completly out of debt before quiting my day job. The truck is
starting
>> to show it's age but keeps on going.  My daughter is getting married this
>> fall so I'm pretty much done raising my family. I have a pretty healthy
401K
>> from 25 years as a software engineer, and we just pray to stay healthy as
>> there is no mony for health insurance.
>
> Bob, have you tried NASE for health insurance?  They have a
> pretty good package.  Mine was $224/month and covered just about
> everything.  If you can swing the $$ it's worth it in case,
> heaven forbid, anything major would befall you.  It takes only
> one good car accident to ruin you financially for good.  I had
> to drop them because I'm too broke, but if you're making a decent
> income and can swing it, I'd recommend you do.
>>
>> My biggest problem is selling stuff. I never was much of a salesman and
>> still am not.
>
> Marketing is the key to success in such a business.  Either
> you have to actively market yourself or have a location that
> does it for you.  George Cavaliere in Scottsdale runs the shop
> his grandfather started in 1909 or 1919.  It's in the heart of
> Old Scottsdale.  The business comes to him.  He has more work
> than he knows what to do with at times.  George is a cool fellow
> and he has all manner of interesting old items in the shop and
> his wife is a nice girl from the Bronx, so we had a lot to talk
> about. :)
>
> Anyhow, may I suggest you  hit up your local community college
> for some education on marketing for small businesses?  It's an
> investment that could return thousands of times its value.  That
> or bite the bullet and put yourself through a Harvard MBA. :) :) :)
>
> I know forst hand how tough this, or any other business, can be.
> Best wishes.
>>
>> As I said in my last post I just got a contract for 100' foot of fence
and
>> the same builder wants me to bid a gate so maybe my customer base is
>> improveing.  The fence is mostlly fabrication, I hope that the gate will
>> involve more blacksmithing if I get it.
>
> Hope you bid it out well enough.
>
> -Andy
>
> PS: I still have that crystal.  It's quite the conversation piece.
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