by Joanne on May 31, 2008
in Finance
Last summer my business cash flow began dropping as my wholesale book suppliers increasingly competed against me, undercutting my prices. The wholesalers were also raising prices while cherry-picking inventory, and it became more difficult to find good inventory with a decent profit margin. Amazon continued to erode the profit margin for used books by increasing [...]
by Joanne on May 28, 2008
in Finance
I was still very confused about bankruptcy and how to handle my business, so I looked up another firm in the Yellow Pages, which had a web site. Their web site assured me that they wanted to talk to me, so I should call for a free consultation. The man I spoke with, Bill, was [...]
by Joanne on May 25, 2008
in Finance
When the bankruptcy laws were revamped in 2005 to make it more difficult for people to file chapter 7 (liquidation) bankruptcy, many attorneys had to find work elsewhere. The second attorney I visited was struggling to keep his business afloat. Now when I had looked at his picture in the Yellow Pages I thought he [...]
by Joanne on May 24, 2008
in Finance
When I decided to consider bankruptcy as an alternative, I looked in the yellow pages for an attorney who handled both business and personal bankruptcy. My business was failing and once that was finished, I was out of a job. I would no longer be able to afford my home or service my debt. There [...]
by Joanne on May 13, 2008
in Finance
I am self-employed. I own a corporation. I have been self-employed selling books online since 2000. Most of the time I’ve been the only employee. But in the past I had a 7,500 square foot warehouse and up to four employees (one great one and three mediocre ones. But that’s for another day.) To me, [...]
by Joanne on May 13, 2008
in Finance
I came across a rip-off report by a Chase customer in Florida. The customer (hereinafter referred to as “Mad”) has had a Chase credit card for three years and has regularly received promotional checks offering a low, fixed APR. Mad took advantage of the offer and cashed a check. Mad used the Internet to pay [...]
by Joanne on May 12, 2008
in Finance
Chase Credit Card Services just called and wanted to know if I could make a payment on my overdue credit card. The gentleman from India was polite and persistent, and he “can only imagine” what I’m going through. Damn straight. After going around in circles for a while I asked the Chase man, “If I [...]
by Joanne on May 11, 2008
in Finance
No longer able to make payments, I surrendered my motor home to the bank for repossession. Bank of America has hired someone to come pick it up on Monday.