                     AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH
                       WITH THE MERCHANTS

                   Message From the President

                A Recipe for Success in Business

     Anyone who enjoys eating--and who
doesn't--recognizes the importance of
recipes when it comes to quality food
preparation.  The success of a
particular dish is in large extent
determined by the care taken in
selecting the proper ingredients and    
following closely the method of
preparation.  As in the food arena,
success in business is quite dependent
upon the right ingredients and the
faithful adherence to the method of
preparation.  

     I title my recipe for business
success Business Hash.  The ingredients
are four:  honesty, assertiveness,
sensitivity, and hospitality.  The
method goes something like this.

     Start with honesty.  If there is no
honesty, there can be no integrity,
without which no business can be truly
sound and enduring.  Half truths and
shady dealings may produce results
which appear outstanding on the
surface, but they are only a nice-
looking facade over a shabby, decaying
structure.  As deterioration increases,
both those responsible for the business
and the public being served are hurt
badly.

     Add assertiveness.  Especially
today, assertive actions are needed to
effectively handle the method of demand
placed upon business people from
management, suppliers, solicitors, and
the general public.  This proper use of
firmness and resolve can help hold a
business on an even keel and allow the
business person not to be unwillingly
drawn into circumstances which may be
regretted later.  This assertiveness
must not be confused with
aggressiveness--a trait not desirous,
even detrimental, in business.

     Add sensitivity.  Being sensitive to
all those with whom one comes in
contact leads to development of good
rapport and effective working
relationships.  Empathy for
supervisors, peers, and the public
produces feelings of good will and
cooperation.  Sensitivity given can
lead to sensitivity given back in
return.  

     Finally, add hospitality.  To be
hospitable is to be sincerely friendly. 
This friendliness must be genuine, not
superficial or fake.  If it is not
genuine, people will discover the
insincerity, thus creating weak or
strained relationships.  Hospitality is
contagious; the more it is exhibited,
the more other persons strive to
emulate it.

     So there you have my recipe for
Business Hash.  I'm sure you know the
recipe, yet from time to time all of us
need to read it again and be reminded
of the ingredients of a successful
business. 

                      What Grocers Offered             
                         Their Customers
                             In '91

     Percent of grocery stores offering
these products in 1991:

Hot take-out                 55%        
Store-made pizza             53%       
Chilled prepared food        49%
Hot food bars                34%
Cheese shops                 32%
Salad bars                   18%
Restaurants/cafeterias       14%
Fruit-juice bars             10%  

               Copied From
               INDUSTRY NEWS
               April, 1992

                   Microwaves & Nutrient Pills

     A recent gathering of the
International Food Futurists in
Pittsburgh looked into a crystal ball
and came up with their ideas on what
peoples eating habits will look like in
the future.  A non-profit group of food
professionals, the Futurists share
information and explore new ideas and
trends.  Their latest ideas are on
display at the new $30 million Carnegie
Science Center in Pittsburgh (also
known as the "Amusement park for the
mind."

     Some of those predictions:

          Eating five or six meals 
     a day instead of the current
     three.
          Microwave ovens that fit
     on bedside tables.
          Nutrient pills that allow
     people to skip meals.
          Edible containers for
     take-out food.
          Snack bar choices at
     your local theater, themed
     for each movie.
          Restaurants with story 
     book areas and theme menus
     providing an interactive
     dining experience.
          Best-seller food stores,
     selling the best products.
          Individual microwaves,
     with everyone in the house-
     hold responsible for 
     programming his or her own
     meals.

               Copied From
          Virginia Restaurant Magazine
               July/August, 1992

     The excuse for slow sales in October
is, people are waiting for the fall
clearance sales.

                         When in Rome...

     Have you been to England lately and
ordered an English muffin?  Probably
not,because an English muffing is a
crumpet in Britain.  According to
Reader's Digest, many foods that are
named for specific countries are called
something different in their place of
origin.  Are there french fries in
France?  No, they are called pommes
frites.  There's also no bologna in
Bologna, Italy, nor will you get an
American hamburger if you order one in
Hamburg, Germany--in Hamburg, a
Hamburger is a resident of the city.
Spanish rice is not served in Spain,
and turkeys are scarce in Turkey.  In
the U. S., Baked Alaska is not a
particular favorite of Alaskans, a
Western sandwich out West is oftentimes
called a Denver, and a New York Sirloin
in the Big Apple is called a boneless
sirloin.

               Copied From 
          Virginia Restaurant Magazine
               July/August, 1992

                     Observations From a Pro

     A few philosophical comments from Ed
Allen Who contributed much to the cable
television industry.  They are the
kinds of observations that merit a
pause.

          It is not what you say
     of do, it is how you treat
     people.  That is how they
     will remember you.

          People who view their
     work at 60 the same as they
     did at 30 have wasted 30
     years of their lives.

          Good executives surround
     themselves with good people
     who can get the job done,
     so they can put their feet
     up on the desk and think.
     This iSEXIT what they are 
     being paid for.

          Don't be content with
     "average." This means you
     are as close to the bottom
     as you are to the top.

          Without communication,
     understanding is impossible.
     Without understanding, 
     conflicts are probable.

          To change is difficult.
     Not to change is fatal.

Copied From Business Review Aug. 1992
                            Calendar
Oct. 1, 1924,  Jimmy Carter
Oct. 2, Happy Birthday Hazel Hicks
Oct. 3, 1922, First woman U. S.
        Senator appointed
Oct. 4, 1957, Soviets orbited
        first manmade satellite
Oct. 6, 1927, First talking
        movie shown
Oct. 7, Yon Kippur
Oct. 8, 1956, First perfect
        game in World Series
        pitched.
Oct. 10, 1845, U. S. Naval 
         Academy opened
Oct. 13, 1792, White House 
         cornerstone laid
Oct. 18, 1867, U. S. bought
         Alaska from Russia
Oct. 21, 1879, Electric light
         bulb invented
Oct. 22, 1883, Metropolitan
         Opera House opened
Oct. 24, 1945, United Nations
         established
Oct. 28, 1886, Statue of Liberty
         dedicated