And that’s not a good sign for the ruling Democrats. A survey released this morning, and one released yesterday, show a sour mood abroad about the economy and the government’s efforts to improve it.

This morning’s survey by business management software services firm Sage North America, a division of Sage Group, shows most small-business owners haven’t seen the benefits of efforts to stimulate the economy. And 78 percent of those owners surveyed on the Internet by Sage say their businesses have been negatively impacted by the economy. Another 77 percent are either unsure when the economy will improve or don’t expect improvement in the next year.

Only 7 percent of the small-business owners surveyed believes the government is doing enough to boost the economy, and only 16 percent say they benefited from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009—better known as the stimulus.

So some of the signature policies of the Obama administration aimed at helping small businesses haven’t, or aren’t well known, the 528 business owners surveyed told Sage. For instance, only 23 percent were familiar with the contents of the Small Business Jobs Act passed this September over the objections of Republicans. That law provides for tax cuts and credits for small businesses, and establishes a pool of money for small banks to lend to small businesses.

Read more at: Portfolio.com

Read more: http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/capital/2010/10/26/surveys-show-small-business-owners-disgruntled-prefer-republicans?ana=e_pft#ixzz13k2zXk75

First lady Michelle Obama addresses the National Restaurant Association’s board of directors

Paul Frumkin writes in Nation’s Restaurant News that First lady Michelle Obama called on restaurateurs to help put an end to childhood obesity in an address made Monday to the National Restaurant Association’s board of directors at their fall meeting in Washington, D.C.

Thanking those in the foodservice industry who already have made an effort to address the problem, Obama urged restaurateurs to go even further.

“The reality is, it’s just not enough,” she said. “Together we have to do more. We have to go further. And we need your help to lead the effort.”

NRA president and chief executive Dawn Sweeney also addressed the gathering, emphasizing that consumers are demanding more healthful options.

“The restaurant industry is responding to consumer preferences by providing options for their tastes and dietary needs,” Sweeney said. “Offering more menu choices, cooking with healthier ingredients, and providing nutrition information for guests are just a few of the ways restaurants are answering consumers’ interest in more healthful food options.”

Noting that one-third of all meals today are eaten in restaurants, the first lady urged operators to use their creativity to reduce the number of empty calories Americans consume. And while “we are programmed to crave sugary, fatty, salty foods,” she added, “with a little persistence and creativity, we can also turn them on to higher quality, healthier foods.”

Obama also recommended that restaurateurs offer more healthful menu options for children, adding, “most kids’ menus look pretty much the same.” She cited one survey that found that “90 percent of [children’s] menus includes mac and cheese,” while 80 percent includes chicken fingers and 60 percent includes burgers or cheeseburgers.

“Some options weigh in at over 1,000 calories, and that’s close to the recommended amount that a child should have for the entire day,” she said.

“That’s why I want to challenge every restaurant to offer healthy menu options and then provide them up front so that parents don’t have to hunt around and read the small print to find an appropriately sized portion that doesn’t contain high levels of fat, salt and sugar.”

The first lady told operators she was not “asking any of you to make drastic changes to every single one of your recipes or to totally change the way you do business. But what I am asking is that you consider reformulating your menu in pragmatic and incremental ways to create healthier versions of the foods that we all love.”
Read more: Nation’s Restaurant News

Hispanics have become the most important U.S. demographic growth driver in the food, beverage and restaurant sectors, according to data presented by Latinum Network during the Sanford C. Bernstein Investor Conference Call.

The U.S. Hispanic segment made up more than 50% of real growth in the midst of a stagnant U.S. consumer economy between 2005 and 2008, with $52 billion of new inflation-adjusted Hispanic spending outpacing $40 billion of new spending by non-Hispanics. This growth can be attributed primarily to an increase in the number of U.S. Hispanic households, and secondly to an increase in consumer spending among U.S. Hispanics. In the food, beverage and restaurant business, this new spending offset most (84%) of the real decline in demand across the entire $1 trillion sector. This divergence in demand is driven mainly by differences in ethnic preferences, economic and cultural integration, and demographics.  

Among Latinum’s key findings:

• Over $9B of new value in Food and Beverage was created by Hispanics in otherwise dormant or declining categories such as fish and seafood, fresh fruit juice and dairy products between 2005 and 2008
• $5.9B of new value was created by Hispanics in growing categories where they represent approximately 20% of the growth such as vegetable juices and fruit drinks, meats including pork, ham and mutton and frozen meals, which represent the highest-growth food category among Hispanics. It appears that busy Hispanic professionals are increasingly turning to frozen meals to feed their children.
• While health & wellness trends reduced non-Hispanic consumption of beef, ethnic preferences buoyed Hispanic buying of beef.
• Hispanics are eating out more while others are cutting back, driving growth in fast food and full-service. In particular, Hispanics are increasingly likely to eat out during the work day, driving new sales in fast-food breakfasts and full-service lunches
• The increasing rate of Hispanic home ownership is driving growth in household goods, while non-Hispanics are doing the opposite – reducing real estate holdings and their purchase of household goods
• Hispanic teens are driving the majority of new growth in deodorant and feminine hygiene and at least 20% of growth in cosmetics and shaving needs.

According to Alexia Howard, Senior Research Analyst-US Foods at Sanford C. Bernstein, “With total U.S. Hispanic household spending  expected to top $1 trillion by 2013, and emerging markets around the world (such as China or India) fraught with political risk and hidden costs, institutional investors have a unique opportunity to look  homeward.  We see the growth in food, beverage and restaurants here as a particularly interesting opportunity for our investors.  Especially with the relative stability of Hispanic demographics, this growth can be reliably predicted through 2050.”

Says David Wellisch, co-founder and principal of Latinum Network, “Clearly, U.S. Hispanics represent a growing market in the midst of a mature U.S. consumer economy, but in order to win over this important demo, brands must make an authentic appeal to the unique behaviors and tastes of U.S. Hispanics through distinct products, channels, messaging and marketing strategies.”

For example, while younger Hispanics have higher levels of English proficiency and economic achievement due to having more education than their older counterparts, Spanish usage and preference remain high as consumers acculturate, giving companies expanded options for in-language and multichannel advertising and marketing strategies which appeal to a broader portion of the market.  

Find out more at: Latinum Network

Breakfast sales at restaurants declined 3.4% from 2007 to 2009, reports Chicago-based market-research company Mintel, but the daypart still is expected to post 13% growth from 2009 to 2014. As competition heats up for diners’ morning-meal dollars, data from R&I’s 2010 New American Diner Study offers valuable insights into customers’ habits and what they want from restaurants at breakfast.

How often do Americans eat breakfast from a full-service or quick-service restaurant on weekdays? 9.4% say they do so always or often, 24.3% say they sometimes do and 66.3% say they never do.

More dine out for breakfast on weekends: when 16.5% do so always or often, 33% do sometimes and 50.4% rarely or never. Asians, blacks and Hispanics much more likely than whites to go out for breakfast on both weekdays and weekends.

What would make diners more likely to eat breakfast at a restaurant on weekdays? Consumers offer the following as their top-five incentives: lower prices (42.4%), discounts for frequent/loyal customers (20.9%), more-convenient locations (19%), faster service (17.1%) and more time to stop (16.5%). Expressing the most interest in loyalty-based discounts are Gen Y and Hispanic diners, residents of the Western United States and diners with children.

It’s not the economy … Only 3.1% of diners who say they’re eating away from home less frequently because of the economic downturn name breakfast as the dining occasion on which they’ve cut back most (36% said dinner, 36.8% said “all occasions”).

Quick- or full-service? It depends on the day. During the week, fast-food establishments are by far the top choice for all age groups, with 48.9% naming QSRs as their top breakfast destination. Unsurprisingly, Gen Ys and Gen Xers are most enthusiastic about fast-food breakfasts; matures and boomers are much more likely than their younger counterparts to say they usually choose full-service family or casual-dining restaurants at breakfast on weekdays. On weekends, full-service family restaurants take the lead: 32.5% say they most often visit these operations. QSRs, casual-dining restaurants and fine-dining operations are the top choice for 25.9%, 8.1% and 9.2% of diners, respectively.

Chains win out over independents. Asked where they’re more likely to dine out for breakfast on weekdays-at a chain or at an independent restaurant-69.7% say a chain; 30.3% say an independent. On weekends, chains lose some ground, with only 54% of diners saying they choose them. Among demographic groups, younger diners and Southerners are more likely to patronize chains; Northeastern residents are more likely to head to an independent establishment. The groups most likely to choose chains are Gen Y, Asians, Southerners and single diners.

Breakfast of champions? Breakfast sandwiches (52.5%) by far are the most popular food choice for weekday breakfasts at restaurants, in particular among Gen Y diners, blacks, Southerners, single diners and diners with children. Pancakes, preferred especially by matures, blacks and Hispanics, rank second at 30.9%. Muffins, doughnuts and other sweet baked goods are a top choice for only 15.9% of consumers.

 Read the entire study: R&I’s 2010 New American Diner Study

For the fourth quarter, or the quarter ended closest to December for companies on a non-calendar fiscal year, quick-service chains on average posted a larger same-store sales decline than any other restaurant industry segment. Quick-service chains were hurt by rising unemployment as well as comparisons with a year earlier when sales trends for fast food were still stable. Casual-dining chains still struggled for customer traffic in the fourth quarter, but some same-store sales results did ease from a year ago. On average, pizza chains and coffee and snack brands were able to post positive same-store sales in this harsh environment, while the fast-casual segment, which is typically the fastest-growing segment, posted, on average, a same-store sales decline of 0.8 percent. That was mostly driven by a double-digit drop of 11.9 percent at Cosi.

The averages were based on all chain reports for the latest quarter, including international operations.

Click here for a complete look at restaurant same-store sales results.

Quick service: Average segment same-store sales result: -4.7%

The segment finally started to take some hits from the recession. Arby’s fourth-quarter same-store sales were down 11 percent at North American stores compared to a year ago, while Wendy’s North American comps declined 3 percent.

While Wendy’s fourth quarter numbers were down, the company said its 99-cent spicy chicken nuggets and new fish sandwich helped sales jump 0.3 percent in January to open the first quarter.

Arby’s said its January corporate same-store sales improved, declining 7.4 percent, as it rolled out its $1 value menu to more than 2,500 restaurants.

Sonic blamed severe winter weather for systemwide same-store sales that dropped 12 percent to 14 percent in the second quarter. The Oklahoma City-based company said nearly two-thirds of the decline can be attributed to record snowfall around the country, including Texas and Oklahoma, where more than a third of the chain’s restaurants are located.

Read More at: Nation’s Restaurant News

Hardee's Double Sausage Egg ‘N’ Cheese Biscuit

Mark  Brandau reports at Nation’s Restaurant News that even though breakfast traffic has not fully recovered from declines brought on by high unemployment, new research shows that the morning meal is still an important daypart for restaurants.

Chicago-based research firm Mintel reported that restaurants added more than 460 new breakfast products to their menus in 2009, more than in the previous two years.

However, Mintel also found that consumers are spending less on the morning meal at restaurants. Half of consumers surveyed by Mintel last November said they spent less on restaurant breakfasts in 2009 than in 2008, while only 10 percent said they spent more. Nearly half of respondents said they don’t eat breakfast out during the week, at 47 percent, or during the weekend, at 45 percent.

A separate study by The NPD Group found that breakfast traffic fell 2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared with a 1-percent increase in the year-ago fourth quarter. Traffic at breakfast fared better than at other dayparts, the Port Washington, N.Y.-based firm found, as lunch traffic fell 3 percent and dinner traffic declined 4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Falling sales and traffic haven’t dissuaded restaurants from introducing new items for breakfast, however.

“We see an increasingly competitive market for restaurant breakfast, even though sales have declined,” said Eric Giandelone, director of research for Mintel Foodservice. “Restaurants are refreshing their breakfast menus, but I believe reduced consumer spending, as well as relatively high unemployment, will limit sales growth over the year.”

Sales of breakfast and brunch decreased 3.4 percent from 2007 to 2009, Mintel said. The firm projected that morning daypart sales would grow modestly through the end of 2011, but would pick up significantly after that, resulting in a 13-percent growth from 2009 to 2014.

“To overcome contracting sales, restaurant operators need to be keenly aware of what drives people into restaurants for breakfast,” Giandelone said, adding that survey respondents said they are seeking convenience and low prices during the weekday rush and menu variety and high-quality food while having breakfast or brunch on the weekends.

Already in 2010, quick-service heavyweights like McDonald’s and Hardee’s have rolled out new items in the morning, including the test of oatmeal for Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald’s and the introduction of the Double Sausage Egg ‘N’ Cheese Biscuit at St. Louis-based Hardee’s. Late last year, McDonald’s debuted its Breakfast Dollar Menu, comprising six items.

Coffee will be another area where restaurants will target improvement, as McDonald’s tests expanded items for its premium McCafe line of coffee and Miami-based Burger King upgrades its BK Joe coffee to Seattle’s Best.

Mintel said offering breakfast beyond morning hours could be a boon to restaurants, as the most popular suggestion survey respondents had for restaurants was all-day breakfast. Thirty-six percent of participants called for all-day breakfast on weekdays, while 38 percent wanted all-day breakfast on the weekend. Another 32 percent of respondents said they would like to see more breakfast value meals in restaurants.

Read more: Nation’s Restaurant News

The publisher will stream short news blurbs to TV screens operated by San Francisco-based RMG Networks starting today, Murray Gaylord, NYTimes.com vice president for marketing, said in an interview.

“It’s a branding play to a large degree,” Gaylord said. “We’re getting the value of our content to millions of people in a new venue that’s very important for us.”

Times Co. has been seeking new sources of revenue as circulation and advertising sales continue to slide. The New York-based publisher will begin charging for some Web content next year.

The screens will rotate business, movie, technology and health news, among other New York Times content, he said. About 20 percent of the advertisements will be for New York Times subscriptions or other products, Gaylord said.

RMG will double the number of screens — now in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston — by August and bring in new cities, Chief Executive Officer Garry McGuire said in an interview. Closely held RMG will keep the revenue it collects from advertisers.

Read More at: Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Bankrate.com reports that it’s especially unfunny for homeowners and agents in Nevada, Florida, California and Arizona, who’ve languished in the top four for most of the real estate recession.

“Those states had similar scenarios,” says Rick Sharga, senior vice president of RealtyTrac, a California-based firm that tracks U.S. foreclosures. “They all had unsustainably high home prices and had many buyers who really couldn’t afford them — most with toxic mortgages — followed by (downturn-related) unemployment.”

Some of the country’s foreclosure problems revolved around a pervasive American mindset of “object identity,” says Barbara Fitch of Pacific Star Real Estate in Corona, Calif. “The house is who they are and that is why (so many) are in this jam.”

Unfortunately, the foreclosure beat goes on. RealtyTrac reports more than 300,000 U.S. properties received a foreclosure filing in November 2009 for the ninth straight month.

Here’s a look at the top 10 states for foreclosure and how they got there:

No. 1: Nevada — In third-quarter 2009, Las Vegas suffered the nation’s highest foreclosure rate at 5.13 percent, or more than one foreclosure for every 20 households — almost seven times the national average. Investors, who snapped up one of every three homes sold at the boom’s height, were gambling on future gains after watching Vegas-area median home prices jump 122 percent from 2000 and 2006 — twice the U.S. rise of 49 percent in that span. The crash arrived, and real estate and construction jobs fell away — followed by many casino jobs. While foreclosure numbers were improving near year-end 2009, a 13 percent Las Vegas unemployment rate and 12.2 percent rate in Reno/Sparks helped keep Nevada in the top spot.

No. 2: Florida — In Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, unemployment soared from just over 3 percent in early 2006 to 11 percent in fourth-quarter 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or USBLS. Orlando and Daytona Beach posted slightly higher unemployment, while Cape Coral-Fort Myers posted a 13.7 percent rate, helping place it at No. 4 on RealtyTrac’s top 10 foreclosure cities. “It’s likely that California will recover before Florida does, partly because of its net growth in population and partly because Florida is lousy with condos, which are typically the last to come back,” Sharga says. From 2003 to 2007 Florida prices doubled and tripled based largely on speculation, says Bernard Haddigan, managing director of Marcus & Millichap, a national commercial real estate brokerage specializing in real estate investment services. Homeowners were aggressively borrowing on future values and lenders were happy to cooperate, he says.

No. 3: California — At year-end 2009, the Golden State had 18 statistical metro areas where unemployment exceeded 10 percent — with nine of its cities in the bottom 14 in employment, according to the USBLS. In the hard-hit region surrounding Ontario, San Bernardino and Riverside, home values spiked from around $300,000 pre-boom to $800,000-plus at the market’s zenith. When the bust hit, jobs were whacked quickly along with home values. “We learned to borrow against everything,” says Fitch. “Buyers should buy houses for less than what they qualify for — not because it’s the largest or because it’s a bargain.” Pamela Haile, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Gonella Realty in hard-hit Merced, Calif. — the top foreclosure city in the country — says, “We had a lot of lender fraud going on with non-English speaking residents. They were rushed through with lenders who added income to their applications and lied to buyers that it was legal.” In Merced, one in every 83 homes received a foreclosure filing in November. “Builders were manufacturing homes using an assembly line (in the area),” explains Julie Jalone of Roseville, Calif.-based MagnumOne Realty. “These homes were sold, sometimes in lottery style, before they were even built.” Consequently, she says, owners with mortgages higher than the purchase price came to represent a large portion of the market.

No. 4: Arizona — The 8.7 percent jobless rate in Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale is the lowest of the top five foreclosure states. However, Arizona foreclosure activity still jumped nearly 8 percent in November with one in every 186 homes getting a notice. Despite a breakneck growth rate through the past decade, the area remains overbuilt residentially and commercially, says Kevin Schuck, senior vice president for CB Richard Ellis, a national commercial real estate firm. All the growth fueled a run-up in service-related and construction-related jobs “that gave people a false sense that it would continue forever,” he says. In Phoenix and other high-foreclosure markets, banks are holding back foreclosure inventory to keep from flooding the market, Sharga says. Nevertheless, “we don’t think the (overall U.S.) market will not feel much better until 2013,” he says.

No. 5: Idaho — The inclusion of Idaho, where one in every 259 homes received a filing in November, in the top five may surprise some — but not Dale Alverson, certified buyer-broker with Boise, Idaho-based 43 Degrees North Real Estate. “It’s not really surprising considering we had 20 percent-plus appreciation annually from 2003-2006,” he says. “What economy can sustain that?” Add in interest-only loans, “stated-income” loans and investor over- exuberance, “and you had all the ingredients for the perfect real estate tsunami.” On the upside, buying opportunities currently abound in most distressed markets. “As many savvy billionaires have stated, ‘Buy when everyone else is selling and sell when everyone else is buying,’” Alverson says.

No. 6: Michigan — The state’s automotive-related job losses have been well chronicled. Nearly 16,000 Michigan residences received foreclosure filings in November, or almost 10 percent above the state’s totals in November 2008.
No. 7: Illinois — The Land of Lincoln saw 16,422 properties owners receive foreclosure notices in November, nearly 108 percent higher than November 2008 and the third highest in volume among all states, according to RealtyTrac.

No. 8: Utah — Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, 2009, about 42.4 percent of all Utah subprime adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, were reset, compared with 27.8 percent nationally, according to the Federal Reserve.

No. 9: Maryland — More than 30 percent of the state’s foreclosures occurred in Prince George’s County, which has just 10 percent of Maryland’s housing stock. County officials blamed the problem on exotic loans and balloon mortgages.

No. 10: New Jersey — About 3,000 New Jerseyans have received counseling through the Garden State’s “Foreclosure Mediation Program.”

Bankrate.com

Production shortages have seen the cost of sugar nearly triple in the last year, flirting with 30 cents US per pound in comparison to the 11 cents at which it formerly hovered. Analysts predict things will get worse before they get better, with potential price implications for everything from donuts to candy bars.

Misty Harris in Canwest News Service writes that Canadians with a sweet tooth may soon find cavities in their wallets as sugar prices soar to their highest level in three decades.

Production shortages have seen the cost of sugar nearly triple in the last year, flirting with 30 cents U.S. per pound in comparison to the 11 cents at which it formerly hovered. Analysts predict things will get worse before they get better, with potential price implications for everything from cupcakes to double-doubles.

“I think we’ll be going through most of 2010 at abnormally high levels,” says Edward Makin, president and CEO of Lantic, which represents more than half of Canadian sugar sales. “The 30-cents level we touched last week was probably justified, and we’ll likely go even higher.”

Sandra Marsden, president of the Canadian Sugar Institute says long-term contracts have helped limit the exposure of many retailers and food processors to the latest sugar swings. But until the predicted return to surplus in 2011, individual manufacturers and smaller businesses will have to either hold the line at lower profits or start passing costs along to consumers.

If prices stay as high as they are now — or worse, climb higher — Lantic’s Makin says companies of every size will face that same decision.

“With things like this, you’re best to keep your head down and hope it all goes away. But I don’t think it’s going to do that any time soon,” says Makin, noting that he wouldn’t be surprised to see sugar trading in the mid-thirties over the next several months.

Already, the price of bags of sugar at grocery stores has risen with the fall in production, which was caused by unfavourable weather in India and Brazil. And across the country, bakeries — many still recovering from the record wheat prices of recent years — are preparing to raise the price of their goods.

“We’re definitely at the point where we have to increase prices by five to 10 per cent,” says Lori Joyce, co-founder of the Cupcakes franchise in British Columbia. Although the bakery chain won’t implement changes until after the Olympics, the fear that Canadians will presume price-gouging still looms large.

“I’m really nervous,” says Joyce. “The consumer just thinks retailers are getting greedy . . . This (situation) forces us to look like the bad guy.”

Even an organization as embedded as Tim Hortons isn’t immune to sugar shock, with coffee and doughnuts having been subjected to price increases of about five cents each late last year.

“High sugar prices have increased the cost of business for our local franchisees. In fact, franchisees have been hit from several directions, dealing with increased labour costs and commodities, such as coffee and dairy products,” says David Morelli, director of public affairs for Tim Hortons.

For competitive reasons, the company isn’t tipping its hand to this year’s pricing strategy. But if industry predictions are correct, Canadians who enjoy a good sugar fix should start fattening up their piggy banks now.

Canwest News Service

What’s your weather information source? Do you trust weathermen? Or do you look out the window to check? If your weatherman had been struck by lightning a dozen times, would you get a new weatherman?

I ask, because it’s 2010 economic forecast season. Even if they’ve been wrong the past 10 years, “experts” can’t resist the temptation to try again.

Personally, my New Year’s resolutions included not making economic forecasts this year. Instead, I’ll advise about steps to consider in light of the consensus forecast of the “experts.”

Economic forecasters are boldly predicting we’ll see bumps in 2010 but that falling off a cliff like in 2008 isn’t likely. We may see improvement, but don’t be surprised if we don’t. It’s the weather equivalent of: “Partly sunny with a chance of scattered showers.”

The experts are covering all the bases and not going out on limbs. Perhaps that’s a good theme for running your business in 2010. Here are a few tips about how to deal with partly sunny with scattered showers.

• First, remember the millions of people fired in 2009? They’re both risks and opportunities. Should you rehire at first signs of a recovery or wait? There’s lots of talent available willing to work cheap, but it’s painful and expensive firing people – which is what will happen if you bet wrong on economic recovery. Do you want to risk running a revolving door hiring and firing? Suggestion: Weed out the remaining underproductive people in your organization and recruit better talent. Use this opportunity to upgrade your team’s quality while keeping expenses and headcount the same.
• Second, the world is still de-leveraging. What’s your company’s balance sheet look like these days? Should you increase debt to grow? Build up equity? Reinvest profits? Take profit out to rebuild your personal balance sheet? There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Suggestion: Consider why you own a business. Is being bigger your goal? Interest rates are low, if you can get a loan. Maybe you’ll expand into a rising marketplace. Or do you want stability and personal financial freedom? If so, take some profits out of your business instead of borrowing. One warning: Be careful about personally guaranteeing debt. Pay off personally guaranteed debt, if you can. Taking business risks is one thing, but it’s probably not the time to put more personal chips on the table.
• Third, with health-care law changes, there will be winners and losers. This year’s biggest potential swing factor is how you play the health-care game once Congress deals the cards. Make the effort to determine how to reduce employee health-care expenses in light of whatever new law emerges. Now isn’t the time to be an ostrich with your head in the sand.

So, no predictions from me this year – just some card game advice about knowing when to hold them and knowing when to fold them.

Have a prosperous New Year!

Read more at: Triangle Business Journal