Gregg Henson.com

Your old pal 3G is asking for a favor!

ok, I know I can count on you folks for a little favor from time to time.

Jungle Java - Round Rock has been nominated for "Best indoor playspace" by Parentsconnect.com and Nickelodeon-TV.

The voting is all being done on-line and the winner will get some mentions on Nickelodeon.

I'd appreciate it if you could log on and give us a quick vote, there is no registration necessary to vote and you can just click the link below to give us some love.

Thank you, your vote is greatly appreciated!

For Indoor Playspace
in Austin

Good news, bad news on the self-employed health insurance front!

As a self-employed businessman it is up to me to secure and pay my own health insurance and Friday we got good news and bad news.  The good news is that Nicole and the kids were accepted for coverage, the bad news is I got rejected.  Too bad Noah wasn't covered when he split his head open like a grape in October. I still don't know why I was rejected, the insurance company will not tell you in Texas, you have to wait for the letter to get to your doctor.  Once he gets the letter he will forward it to me and I can decide if I want to appeal or not. 

I suspect I was rejected because I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis in 1999.It's odd that I would be rejected for insurance based on an autoimmune but not Nicole who has celiac disease.  It's even more odd considering my auto-immune requires NO treatment and never will.

At this point I have given up looking for health insurance, in Texas they "underwrite" health insurance  for the self-employed and can pick and choose who they accept so I will likely just purchase coverage through the "Texas high risk pool."  The pool is designed for those who can't otherwise qualify for coverage and they accept anyone as long as you can cover the increased premiums.

I spent most of my professional life working for others so I never, ever considered the problems attempting to purchase health insurance for my family.  I am having a hard time wrapping my arms around the fact that I am ready, willing and able to pay for insurance but they won't accept my cash.

Either way, the good news is Nicole and the kids are covered and I don't have to live in fear of a broken bone or some other childhood injury.      

Why is the bailout stalling for GM, Ford and Chrysler?

Are you starting to get the feeling that the Republicans are blocking the automotive bailout as a payback to Michigan voters for not supporting a Republican Presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan?  This may be payback for years or not supporting Republicans.

I don't know if this is the case, but it sure doesn't seem like a good idea to allow our automotive sector to go belly up, even if it is just "bankruptcy reorganization."  I'll admit I think the auto manufacturers are guilty of completely ignoring the public sentiment regarding fuel efficient vehicles, but why bailouts for Fannie, Freddie, AIG and the Airline industry but not Detroit?

Many are calling this a "Union bailout" as it is the only way to protect the current union contracts, but the UAW needs to stop with the hardball negotiations and understand that their time has passed, they can no longer make twice as much as their non-union counterparts.  The money just isn't there anymore.  Face it, one of the main reasons capitalism works is because competition keeps prices in line and the American union workers must adjust.  The market has spoken and the American Car makers must change the way they do business.

The Republicans appear to favor bankruptcy for the Big 3, I don't see how that is good for anybody.  I don't know that they should get a "bailout" but I'm not against low interests loans to stabilize the car companies while they re-tool.

Jungle Java is packed

The Jungle Java is going so well that I thought I would share a few of the pictures with you.  Here is a picture of our Jungle Java last week, packed to the rafters.  It has been so hot in Austin that people are seeking refuge at the air conditioned J.J.  These are pictures of Moms and Kids enjoying the play structure as well as shots of the packed parking lot in front of our business.  Thank you Central Texas for supporting Jungle Java.

  Jungle Java is the culmination of a lot of work by Nicole and I over the past 14 months and we are thrilled that kids in Round Rock are enjoying our business.  Jungle Java Corporate has been amazing during the process, we are excited to be affiliated with this growing company.

Jungle Java rolls!

I need to thank Central Texas for the amazing support of Jungle Java.  Nicole and I knew eventually that people would find us but we couldn't have imagined the craze that Jungle Java has cause in Round Rock and the surrounding areas.  The last 20 or so days have been amazing for our start-up business.  In our wildest projections we couldn't have predicted the popularity of the Jungle Java.

When we launched, we were busy, three weeks later, we are packed and it is a good thing.  We hope people continue to enjoy the experience as we refine the business to make it even more family friendly.  Bottom line, opening a Jungle Java was the best move of my business life.  We look forward to our continued growth with Round Rock.

On a personal note, I am having a great time operating the business.  My kids love it and I can have them there when I work. I also really enjoy chatting with the customers and thier children.  This whole process has been amazing, it reminds me of the early DFN days when we were launching a new format in Detroit.

Guest post about buying American

Out of a job yet, Keep buying foreign.

These bumper stickers are the dumbest marketing campaign yet.  I have one car, a Chevy Aveo, in my neighborhood that is peppered with like 10 of them.  So does this jack ass that worked for GM actually think his car is produced in the US?  I am thinking I am going to leave this web site link on his car.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/chevrolet-aveo-review/

“Chevrolet’s Aveo has the makings of comic gold. It’s the cheapest car sold in America. It’s from GM, ever the stooge to straight men Honda and Toyota. And get this: despite being the first vehicle to feature in Chevy’s ubiquitous “An American Revolution” campaign, the Aveo is built in… wait for it… Bupyong, South Korea. Ba-dum ching!

From where else would the Aveo hail? Daewoo is responsible for its design, manufacture, and export (under such varied monikers as the Suzuki Swift+ and Holden Barina). Chevy’s sole Aveo contribution: the bow-tie badge. But let’s give The General some credit.”

Here is my issue.  Whether we want to believe it or not we live in a global economy.  We expect people in China and Russia to purchase our cars we produce, but only people in the US to purchase US made cars.  There is rarely such a thing as a 100% US designed and produced vehicle.  I am sure there is a few examples, but even then I would be shocked is some plastic part is not produced in Mexico and shipped to Texas to be assembled.

That sticker and marketing slogan for the UAW is only to save some union job that another person can do for half the price.  Does a person installing a part on a car really add value to the car?  Can they easily be replaced within a day?  My guess is that you could find a replacement worker to assemble that part within 8 hours.

Let’s face it people we can’t keep the cost of living down and expect people to only purchase US products.  Could you imagine how much the price of everything would increase?  If you could only purchase fruits and vegetables in the US the price would rise substantially.  We are a nation of consumers, not producers.  We expect to be able buy what we want when we want it for a reasonable price.

And just so I don’t hear all this bull crap about me hurting the economy.  Our family owns two Chrsyler cars that were purchased because they were the best deal for the vehicle I wanted.  Example:  Purchased new 2006 Town and Country for $13,300, total cash price.

I also understand that the purchase of a car is a larger boost to the economy, but no one should buy something just because it is “Made in the US”, translations the company headquarters are in the US and shareholders will profit or some union slacker will get his $30 per hour for screwing on the steering wheel from your purchase.

So take off those damn stickers and become educated, you can’t have it both ways!!!

Mike

Jungle Java week one

Our Jungle Java has been open for a little over a week and I have to say, I am stunned and pleased at the support we've received from the community.

We had a soft opening which meant we just opened the doors for business without much fanfare.  We did this to make sure our staff was properly trained and able to handle a crowd.  Needless to say they were thrown in the fired as there were people waiting for us to open the doors on Saturday morning.

The customers seem to like the place and the kids are fanatical about Jungle Java.  We've already had a lot of repeat business and most are taking advantage of the "three month pass" which is a great deal for repeat visitors.

I'm not going to go into the details of our first week financially but we are thrilled at the turnout and hope to continue to grow the business while we serve our customers in Central Texas!

When I walked into the JJ tonight, this guy was there writing a review.  Glad he had a nice time with his daughter.

Stop by one of the Michigan stores with your kids, you will both have a great time.

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Jungle Java is nearly done

Progress is continuing on our Jungle Java franchise here in Round Rock, Texas.  I am posting pictures so those of you who are interested can see where we are today, just two weeks from opening.

The process of starting your own small business is fascinating, you learn a ton when you start from scratch.  I started the loan process over a year ago and it is truly rewarding that we are now near completion of this project.  It is everything I hoped it would be when we embarked on this mission, it was fun to learn some new skills.

You learn a lot, how to secure the SBA financing, negotiating a lease, designing the store, ordering the equipment, sourcing inventory, payroll, accounting and hiring personnel.  My years in radio prepared me for a lot of it, but I still feel like a rookie when it comes to operating a business.

Now comes the hard part, actually operating the business, we have 8 employees including Nicole and I, we hope to ramp up to 15 before the first month is over based on our needs.  We feel like we have some great people who could potentially be with us for a while.  I have one more interview tomorrow.

Believe it or not, Nicole has already booked 3 parties and we aren't even open yet.  It gives me great optimism that there is a void in Round Rock for a nice indoor recreation facility for kids.

I'll keep you posted as we get closer to the July 7th opening day!

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Jungle Java progress

Now that all the paperwork with Comerica is done on the loan, construction is really moving along on Jungle Java.  Here are some pictures of the build out.  We have already finished with the plumbing, framing and electrical.  After inspection on Monday they will finish drywalling the building.

We are confident we will be open for business in early July, just in time to take advantage of the brutal Texas summers.  We are guessing that we will be busy in the summer while our stores in Michigan are packed in the winter.  It is just too hot to be in on the playground in the summer, the playscapes are too hot.  We shall see, this is an exciting process.

I get periodic e-mails from people interested in opening thier own small business, please feel free to send me an e-mail if you are looking for help or advice just e-mail me.

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Comerica Bank delivered!

It is official, my SBA loan with Comerica is done.

The loan is closed and we are rapidly moving toward opening our Jungle Java in Round Rock (Austin), Texas.

I think our loan might have been one of the more difficult SBA loans of all-time, Comerica was unbelievably helpful in making our dream come true.

Our SBA loan was approved last June when we were planning to return to Detroit, but the Austin job came up and we decided to move to Texas instead, while we love Detroit, my job combined with the thriving Texas economy changed our plans and we moved to Austin.  Comerica stuck with us as we searched for a Texas location for our Jungle Java, they were even supportive when I lost my job and secured new employment.  Bottom line, they kept this loan alive through a lot of change and it will always be appreciated.

I'll post more about the process in the future, it is a great story, but anyone looking to go out on thier own should pick up the phone or e-mail my Comerica guy Doug Adams.  Doug is a huge supporter of Detroit and the region and will do all he can to help you.  Do not be intimidated, just call him and tell hin your plan. 

Comerica reallys does "understand and make it work."

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