A couple more well-known wealthly people, who lost during last Monday's stock drop lost on paper anyway:

Been on a business trip lately? The average cost of taking a 3-day trip is just over $1,000!

Don't hestite to take a temporary job, if that's all you can find at first. Temporary staffing agencies say nearly 3-quarters of temporary workers do eventually move on to permanent positions.

The design is underway for expansion of the Salt Palace. It's a big deal, 114,000 square feet, with a 47-million dollar price tag. It should be completed in the summer of 2000. It's construction begins in September. Workers will demolish the south parking lots, and build a new underground parking structure. The expanded ballroom will become one of the largest in the country at 45,000 square feet.

Do you like using E-mail? Most company executives do. A recent survey shows two-thirds of execs say it helps cut down on meetings; paperwork and it improves productivity. But, they acknowledge E-mail is a bit impersonal.

When we go on vacation, we go shopping! Nearly a third of all people surveyed said they shop no matter where they go.

Income tax update:
As of July 3rd, the IRS had received 118-million tax returns; and had sent out 80-million refunds.
Average refunds are up this year too: roughly 13-hundred dollars.

From the Thredgold Economic Associates newsletter, we spotted this:
"Nothing makes a person more productive, than the last minute."
Yeah, we've all been guilty of that.

From a recent newsletter from the Utah Valley Entrepreneueral Forum, comments from around the office that will guarantee that things won't get done:

Here are a few more comments from the workplace that will discourage new ideas and thought:

The U. of U's department of Economic and Business Research has released its latest report on population estimates for Utah. Just how many people do you think live here now? And how many move here each year?

The latest figures are from July of '97. The state's population: a little more than 2-million (2,048,753). That's 46-thousand more than the previous year. Of that increase, 15-thousand are transplants to our state.

CELLULAR PHONE USE IN U.S.
1997: 55-Million
1996: 44-Million

Last year, there were 55-million cell phone customers out there--that was up 11-million from the previous year. It will no doubt skyrocket this year!

DCED "UTAH IMAGE" SURVEY
Impression of Utah for business? 55% positive
Advantages to establishing a business in Utah?
19%--Quality of Life
13%--Labor Market
10%--Growth potential

A recent survey by the Utah office of Community and Economic Development asked businesspeople around the nation about their impressions of our state as a place to establish a business. 55 percent had a favorable response; And, when asked to list the advantages to running a business here: Quality of life, the labor market, and growth potential were brought up most often.

DCED "UTAH IMAGE" SURVEY
Utah--what first comes to mind?
30%--Skiing
19%--Mormons
15%--Mountains
11%--Beauty
What are disadvantages of locating a business in Utah?
28%--Location!

More responses from that state "Image" survey: When you think of Utah, what first comes to mind? 30% of the CEO's surveyed said skiing! Mormons, mountains and beauty followed. And, disadvantages of locating a business here: 28% of CEO's said location.

URBAN OR RURAL?

From 1990 to 1996, where have most people moved to? To the city or the country? Population in the United States is once again making a shift. But to where?

Okay, here's the answer. If you guessed it's the country--you're right! In that period of time, from 1990 to 1996, over 3-million people have moved into rural areas. Look out, Heber City. (Source: Layola University research)

In a recent survey, executives were asked if job applicants knew much about the company during the interview process; or in cover letters. The CEO's said about 60 percent of the applicants didn't demonstrate much knowledge. Advice from the execs--do a little homework first!

Ad time for Seinfeld: $1.7-million
The Fugitive: $26,000
MASH: $102,000
Cheers: $650,000

When "The Fugitive" signed off in 1967, advertisers spent 26-thousand for a 30-second spot. In '83, the final MASH episode took in 102-thousand per ad. And, in 1993 for Cheers, the spot prices were 650-thousand dollars.

Most/least productive workdays:
Least - Friday
Most - Tuesday
Source: Accountemps

This probably isn't a surprise--but the least most productive workday of the week is Friday! Yep, managers say employees are already in the "weekend" mode on Friday's! And it's almost as bad on Thursday's! In a recent survey, company executives say Tuesday is the most productive day of the week!

Extra "Seinfeld" Spots:
Cost: $1.5-1.7-million/:30 seconds

There may be a few extra spots available in the Final episode of "Seinfeld". NBC says the show may run longer than one hour. So, if you have an extra 1.7-million dollars to spend for 30-seconds. That final show is May 14th.

"Telephone Tag"
37%--Out of office
18%--On another line
14%--in a meeting
12%--Available!!!

Wonder why you have trouble reaching a person on the phone during the workday? There's only a 12 percent chance that you'll catch the person at his or her desk, to take your call.

"We don't need hot weather to make us sweat. That's what the stock market is for." Source: Thredgold Economic Associates

Define an Entrepreneur? John Hopkins, Venturi Technologies Inc.: "GETTING UP IN THE MORNING WITH A DREAM. BEING ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD IN UNCHARTED WATERS. I THINK THAT'S WHAT ENTREPENEURS ARE MAKE OF."

Are you on-line? The government says traffic on the internet doubles every 100 days! How many people use or surf the net in the United States? 62-million and growing!

Use of the Internet is up, and so are sales! The Commerce Department says 10-million people made on-line purcheses last year--everything from clothes to airline tickets to cars. By the year 2002, on-line sales could reach 300-billion.

Professional Secretaries Day: April 22

ARE GIFTS OR RECOGNITION IMPORTANT?
Somewhat important: 42%
Not important: 32%
Very important" 25%
Source: Present Perfect Gift Consultants

This coming Wednesday is Professional Secretaries Day in the US and Canada. Do secretaries care? Actually yes: A survey by a Utah Company shows that 42 percent say a gift or recognition by the boss is important; 25 say "very important". Bosses, keep that in mind.

PREFERRED GIFTS FOR SECRETARIES DAY (APRIL 22)
A+: Paid time off
A: Tickets, flowers, money, travel
B: Lunch
D: Books, computer items, furniture!
Source: Present Perfect Gift Consultants

Ok, how do secretaries want to be rewarded on Secretaries Day? Using letter grades, a national survey shows: Time off with pay gets an A-plus! Also getting A's: tickets, flowers, money and travel. Lunch with the boss gets a B grade; Getting D's: reference books, office computer accessories, and ergonomically correct furniture!

Our friends at the Utah Valley Entrepreneural Forum had this quote in a recent newsletter: From Thomas Edison: "I never did a day's work in my life...it was all fun."

Since the tax deadline is fast approaching--a quote from Will Rogers: "There are only two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. And I'm not exactly sure about death!"

We all know that Titanic is the most popular movie in the theaters. But which movies do best on airline flights?

Most popular In-Flight Movies-1997
1-One Fine Day
2-Jerry Maguire
3-First Wives Club
4-101 Dalmations
5-The Saint

Okay, out of all news, information or entertainment Web sites, which ones do the kids like the most? Kids ages 11 and under?

Well if you find that your kids are visiting the most famous mouse on the planet at Disney.com you're not alone. Other interests include Nascar, Hollywood and MTV.

"NETTING" THE KIDS (11 and Under)
Disney Online 8.5%
Nascar.com 3.4%
Hollywood.com 3.3%
MTV.com/Sony Online/WBS.net 2.6%
source: Media Metrix

Tax day isn't far off. We happened to see what kind of taxes some of the major league baseball teams have to pay. These are "Luxury Taxes" based on total payroll. Based on last year's payrolls--which team owed the taxman more? And how much?

Baseball Taxes:
1-Yankees: $4.4-million
2-Orioles: 4-mil
3-Indians: 2-mil
4-Braves: 1.2-mil
5-Marlins: 140-thousand
Total: 12-millionish

Running a major league baseball team isn't cheap these days. Last season--if the payroll was more than 55-million, teams had to pay a luxury tax. The Yankees were hit the hardest--4.4-million. The Marlins had the lowest tax, and they won the world series!

This is a fact we always like to check every year--which car is stolen most often in the US?

Most popular cars to steal?
1-1989 Toyota Camry
2-1994 Honda Accord
3-1990 Camry
4-1995 Accord EX
5-1988 Camry

The stats are in--and the 1989 Toyota Camry was the car stolen the most by car thieves!

Television remote controls: We love them. We lose them. And we annoy our spouses with them. But, when these modern conveniences were first introduced on the market, consumers rejected them. Why?

Today, most of us couldn't imagine living without our TV remotes. Why were they rejected at first? They changed channels on the neighbors TV as well!

OUR SPARE TIME
Watching TV: 4.4 hrs/day; 1,595 hrs/year
Listening to the radio: 2.9 hrs/day;
Music: 45-min
Newspaper: 27-min
books: 17-Min
SOURCE: U-S Census Bureau

According to the Census Bureau, the average American spends more than 4-hours a day--that's almost 16-hundred hours a year. We listen to the radio about 3-hours a day; We listen to music for 45-minutes; We take 27-minutes with the newspaper; and about 17-minutes with a book!

BUSINESS BRIEF
What is most enjoyable about pin trading?

Ed Edwards, Olympic Pin Trader "GOING AND MEETING PEOPLE AND TRADING PINS, AND MEETING ATHLETES, PEOPLE FROM THE NEWS MEDIA, AND JUST ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE. IT KINDA PUTS US ON THE SAME PLAYING FIELD-LEVEL PLAYING FIELD."

Ed Edwards from Atlanta talking about what makes the olympic pin trading business enjoyable. He has over 5000 pins in his collection.

Food Spending:
Age 64 and up: $1,861 per person per year
Age 25-34: $1,468 per person per year

The older you are, the more you spend on food. A government survey shows those who are 64 and older spend an average of 1-thousand 861 dollars each, each year. Those in the 25 to 34 age bracket, spend about 400-dollars a year less.

Salt Lake vs. Nagano
Pay phone: .25/.80
Matinee: $3.50/$14.00
Pizza: $11.00/$21.60
Source: SL Tribune

Nagano, Japan, and Salt Lake City--two Olympic cities, with different price tags! For example: A pay phone here costs 25-cents; over there 80-cents. Movie tickets: 3.50 for a matinee here; 14-dollars there. And, a 14-inch pepperoni pizza here costs about 11-bucks; in Japan more than 21-dollars!

Salt Lake vs. Nagano
House: $158,000/$280,000
Tuition: $2,000/$4,000
27" TV: SLC: $497/$320

More price comparisons between Salt Lake and Nagano. A 3-bedroom, two bath home here is about 158-thousand; in Nagano it'll cost 280-thousand; A year's tuition at the U is about 2-thousand; in Japan, double that. And a 27-inch TV: about 500 here, and significnatly less in Japan.

1997 HOLIDAY SPENDING:
Average holiday debt: $869

Looks like the average American spent quite a bit during the holidays. In fact, a recent survey shows that we spent about twice as much as we thought we would! But, we're also optimistic about paying it off--most plan to pay the bills within 3 months!

BIZ BRIEF:
What is the difference between successful and unsuccessful companies?

Kent Murdock, CEO, O.C. Tanner Company: "I THINK THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL CORPORATIONS IS THE EFFECTIVENESS WITH WHICH THE LEADERS MOBILIZE THEIR PEOPLE. TO MEET CORPORATE OBJECTIVES. AND PART OF THAT MOTIVATION IS HOW THE PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT THE COMPANY THEY WORK FOR."

Make your people feel good about working for your company and you'll be successful. Good advice from Kent Murdock of the O.C. Tanner Company.

A lot of movies and TV shows are shot in Utah. Last year there were 28 films; 96 commercials and 14 mini-series produced here. Take a guess as to how much that meant in terms of economic impact?

When all those films and commericals are being made, lots of money is spent on equipment, and production crews. Cast members stay in hotels, rent cars, eat at restaurants, buy clothes. The Utah Film Commission says the economic impact from all of that last year was: $126 million. Up 25 percent from the year before!

Ever thought about how valuable you are? In other words, how much do you make each minute or each hour of the day? We'll crunch the numbers for these salaries.

How much are you worth?
$20,000/yr = .22/min; $13/hr
$30,000/yr = .34/min; $20/hr
$40,000/yr = .45/min; $27/hr
$50,000/yr = .56/min; $34/hr
$100,000/yr=1.12/min: $67/hr

OK, here's how much you make each minute and hour ofthe day. At 20-thousand a year, you make 22-cents a minute and 13-bucks an hour. At 50-thousand, you're at 56-cents per minute and 34-dollars an hour. And at 100-thosuand, you make 1.12 each minute; 67-dollars an hour.

The final figures are in for the most popular concert tours of 1997. So, which band made the most money? And, were you able to see any of them?

Top US Concerts in '97
1-Rolling Stones $88-Million
2-U2 $80-million
3-Fleetwood Mac $36-million
4-Metallica $34-mil
5-Brooks& Dunn/Reba $34-mil
6-Garth Brooks $25-mil
7-Tina Turner $25-mil

Say what you will about them--but the Rolling Stones made more money than any other group during their tour of the US this year--88-million dollars! Followed by U-2; Fleetwood Mac; Metallica; Brooks & Dunn with Reba; Garth and Tina. Several of the groups came thru Salt Lake this past year.

"What's your definition of success?"

A recent national survey showed that 46 percent said success had more to do with the family and/or children rather than making a lot of money on the job!

'Tis the season to use our credit cards! So, how much do you owe?

Right now, the average person owes $7000 on his/her credit card bill. The average credit card limit is $20,000 And the total amount of credit card debt in America--what we all owe combined--542-Billion dollars! Happy Holidays!

71% of Americans donate to charity during the holiday season. How much does the average person give, and does the amount have anything to do with age?

During the holidays, the average person donates $54 to one charity or another.

Donations by age:
18-34: 61%
35-54: 76%
OVER 55: 79%
Source: Gannett

And, the older we get, the more willing we are to give.

How many people are you planning to buy for this holiday season? Surveys show, you'll spend quite a bit.

4 to 5 people: 17%
6 to 8: 19%
9-10: 22%
15+ 18%

By the way, consumers will spend $162-billion on gifts this year.

So, how much did you spend on your Thanksgiving meal this year? Assuming you had 10 people to dinner, did you spend more or less this year?

The Farm Bureau says the cost of a traditional turkey dinner is a little higher this year: $31.75. That's for a menu of turkey, stuffing, rolls with butter, cranberries, coffee, milk, pumpkin pie -- and sweet potatoes.

A lot of people have questions this time of year about turkeys. Since 1981, the folks at Butterball have had a special hotline in place, with experts answering all the calls. So, how many calls have they answered since 1981 and what's the "Most-asked Question" about turkeys?

Since 1981, the Butterball Turkey hotline has taken 2.1-million calls--about 200-thousand each holiday season. And, the most-asked question: "What's the best way to thaw a turkey?" By the way, Butterball has an internet site, in case you want to e-mail your question: www.butterball.com

So, where do you eat lunch during your workday? At the office cafeteria, or do you and co-worker have a favorite spot?

Apparently conducting business at a trendy restaurant isn't what we do. A survey by KFC--the chicken folks--shows 43 percent of us eat our lunch at our desks, or in our cars! And, 56 percent only spend about 15 minutes eating our lunches, and then they're back at work! Our advice--take the full hour!

The NBA season is underway and Michael Jordan is once again the highest paid player--at 33 million for this season. Who's the second-highest paid player? Who's 3,4,5?

Highest paid NBA players
1-Michael Jordan $33.1 million
2-Patrick Ewing 20.5-million
3-Horace Grant 14.2 million
4-Shaquille O'Neal 12.8 million
5-David Robinson 12.3 million.
Source: NBA