Our new delivery vehicle and how it came to be...

So what do you do as a company who's goal is to reduce its footprint as much as possible while still being able to deliver our services? You adapt of die, that's what you do. Ok, I know dramatic phrasing, but seriously, you do have to adapt or die. You have to think of something so simple that when people see it they think "damn why didn't I think of that?"

So what's a company to do if "delivery" is part of your company culture? Do you buy/rent/lease the baddest truck on the market? Do you go with a Hybrid vehicle not designed for towing and make it fit? Or do you "keep it simple stupid" (K.I.S.S.).

We choose to "KISS" and use a product not originally designed for the task at hand but made obvious sense to us. We choose the Piaggio MP3-500 as our tow vehicle and boy was that a fight! The dealer thought we were crazy and quite frankly going to "get ourselves killed!" The engineers & Designers from Piaggio just shook their heads at the very thought. They didn't think it would last as a tow vehicle much less do what we envisioned.

But that's the thing about thinking outside the box. Most people don't, engineers never envisions their creations being used for some of their most popular purposes outside of just a weekend ride. But when someone like me gets it into his head that "this makes sense." Well, it takes a bit more than the extreme to change my mind. Now I just have to figure out how to attach a damn hitch so could pull our existing x3-rail trailer, another "engineer head smacking notion!"

Luckily for me some fabricators I had worked with in the past on other "impossible" projects took one look at the vehicle asked me for x3 days alone with it and bam! I had a working hitch connection that just needed some expert wiring by my dealers service manager and I/we would be in business.

One short coming of using a vehicle like this was people's lack of respect on the road for motorcycle and bicycles. I thought I would change that equation by adding x2 130 d air horns to "get peoples attention" last thing I need to do is end up as someone's "hood ornament" in 5' o'clock traffic.

So what does a 500cc motorcycle look like after 20,000 miles of towing?
X3 rear ties
X1 pair of front tires changed
X2 motorcycle accident repairs (x1 to the Tupperware, x2 to the front bearings)
X3 oil changes
X1 clutch part changed cause it was showing signs of wear-&-tear and bound to fail. So we changed that part before it happened in a spectacular fashion.
X1 belt failure in the speed lane @70mph that left the belt shredded! With no internal damage!
X1 idiot driver stopping on a yellow light with x2 50cc vespa's being towed

And endless stares, pictures, and people hanging out their windows to video me at highway speeds. No speeding tickets, a couple parking tickets, no flat tires (knock on wood). No breakdowns during service but I did have to wait almost 13 weeks to get on the MP3 after being hit on a 50cc vespa on Valentines day of all days to get hit. Laying in the ER for x5-hrs before they will let your wife in to see you is NOT. A way to spend valentines day!

So what does a 500cc bike get for gas milage pulling a trailer and upwards of x3 50cc vespa's daily? 25 mpg on a throttle heavy day mixed in with strong ocean winds and 42 mpg on average! I once got 63-mpg but that's without the trailer and I was baby sitting the throttle all day!

Conclusions?
We will continue to use the MP3 as a delivery vehicle because its daily operating cost not including labor is $3.81 per mile (including repairs/maintenance)!! Yep you heard me right $3.81 per mile! He'll my gas cost per day are only $1.84 per day! You can't beat those kinds of cost. And why others aren't following suite is a mystery to me. It how our business is able to survive wave after wave of attacks from others trying to replicate our success. Except they don't understand one simple business premise keep your cost low, your prices competitive and your profit margin healthy!

Grow Verde saves the planet video one mile at a time!

Cruzing on a Verde Vespa

How Steve Jobs ended up sleeping with my wife and I every night for year

My wife and I had been talking about "it" for sometime. "It" was in the news, everybody was talking about "it" and everywhere we went "it" was everywhere! So what praytell are you asking is "it?" "it", is Steve Jobs !

Yes that! Steve Jobs who created all the really cool it's that are slowly taking over the world one person at a time. But that's getting ahead of myself and I need to explain how Steve Jobs ended up in my bedroom with me and my wife and why he is still there nightly, to this day!

You see the other "it" that JOBS created was the iPhone . Now before you start passing judgement on my wife and i about that "it" know first that we avoided "it" in the beggining.

When the iPhone came out we where not in line for a week hoping to be one of the first citizens to hold the mighty iPhone. In fact we were not even at the 2, 3rd, or 4th launch (wait if we are on the 3GS... well you get what I am saying) we patiently waited till the iPhone was the top or more commonly known as the "it."

Once JOBS' was the "it" device to have we still waited for it to fit into our tech heavy lives and provide to us the functionality that our previous devices delivered to us. And with the launch of the 3GS JOBS and his people convinced my wife and I to bring him into our lives, hell, even into ourbedroom every night.

My wife, who by the way is the president of a publishing company, owner of an Indie label, and majority stock holder in a Eco-Friendly transportation company in Miami. She uses her 3GS to read emails from each of her businesses. Write comments on Twitter under @roadtoashes her account where she shares details of her life and struggles as a woman writting an autobiography about her life growing up. She has 9,700+ people following her every word. She does her , multi-media webcast through UCast and she holds her conference calls via her

I on the other hand have married my to a Mophie (battery extenders) that gives me 100% battery life till 5 pm. Then I use the standard battery till 2 am everyday unless I have been tweeting like a demon or using my location based apps to check in as I go about my business day. I use mapmyride, loopt, tweetdeck, even GOOGLES' own "buzz" throughout the day.I update via facebook and linken and always use my calendar to remind me of my next meeting. Next month I replace my Mophie battery extenders with a new Mophie product that allows me to swipe credit cards on site and have an extra battery on hand to carry the burden of my daily workload.

So even though my wife and I talked about it for years before it ever happened! We willingly invited Steve Jobs in our lives and even into our beds every night as we charge up our for the next days busy schedule. The one thing we did wish was that Mophie would build a battery extender that used the standard plug to charge the battery now that would make going to bed in the dark with JOBS a lil less stressful.


Q Fortune is President & CEO of Grow Verde an Eco-Friendly Vespa-Sharing members only service being tested in Miami. The service is in stage 2 testing & under the application process for supplying the world with Carbon credits via it's members. Q is also part owner of an Indie Label that specializes in mobile applications & digital distribution. He is Executive Producing an audio series of an autobiography and is spearheading an Audio+ series due out late 2010.

You can reach him at Growverde@gmail.com for interview request.


- Posted using BlogPress from my & yes I have the Mophie battery extender on it as I write.

How apple became my personal Tech guru

What does Steve Jobs and his little company have in common with an upstart business in Miami?

Depends on who you ask that question to! Ask Steve Jobs about Grow Verde and he will tell you he has never heard of us. Yet deep in the heart of that Cuppertino CA company his many minions slave away for the benefit of Grow Verde.

His marketing people hyped up on caffine (add name brand caffine drink here) throw ideas around about what the next commercial should look like featuring the next iPhone 4GS and Grow Verde's iPhone app that uses the latest and greatest developer features that use the LEAST amount of battery power.

And better yet our app made easier because the app actually works. Job's programers have clocked overtime and delivered on time and under budget, upgrades to code used only by Grow Verde's reservation application available to members of their Vespa-share program.

Business has changed over the past 10 months to how we do business now, and how we did business in 2006 when our phone lines went live is also different. The iPhone 3GS is a stronger business based smart phone that I as a CEO can build my business around for years to come. The rumors of a 4G phone are sweat music to my ears, and does not create a furrowed brow as many other CEOs battle to keep up with technology trends.

I can build a business model and infrastructure around the guys at Apple and have confidence that they won't let me down. Without getting into details right now Apple itself bids on our iPhone app and who better to build your iPhone app than the people who actually built the

Times are changing and that state-sized city in California is getting into bed with smaller and smaller companies every day looking to make their product and services a part of everyday business.

I for one have opened my sheets and will snuggle tightly with the and the next that comes out .


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Carbon credits is the grease for these cogs.

I am asked all the time "What are Carbon Credits" and why are they important?

As a producer of carbon credits our business depends on the demand of VER credits. VER credits simply mean Verified carbon credits. These VER's come in all shapes and sizes. From wind farms the size of a small town to bio fuel plants that convert organic matter into usable sustainable fuels and our favorite Carbon Offset Projects! COP's are very simple in design but very difficult in application. A typical COP would be a reforestation project, where an activist group or say a govt. would set aside a swatch of land to prevent development and then replant trees in areas farmed or cut down by forrestation. These programs play a key role but are limited by the space which they occupy. Our COP program is actually a more effecient way of transporting people from one place to another using the best means of transport for the task at hand. A large percentage of people commute to work less than 40 miles roundtrip. That is why the standard for hybrid or electric cars is 40 miles on a charge, cutting it close if you ask me. And a lot of non commuting driving is done doing errands. A large percentage of non commuting driving is done running errands less than 2 miles from home or work.

So what does this mean for our COP? It means that if you can provide a small enough vehicle (motorized) make it accessable, and free. Then you can effectively adjust behavior that will lead to significant reductions in carbon emmissions.

Stay tuned for more details on how Grow Verde's application process is going. And how you can Apply to become a beta tester of the service in the coming months!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone comments or questions please email: Q@GrowVerde.com

What Universal Health Care in America means for my small business?

Ok so the Senate has presented a bill that will cover 96% of Americans and cost us $800+ Billion dollars. Republicans are crying foul & Democrats are marching the streets in victory.

What does this all really mean for small businesses?

I am not sure I am not an expert on small businesses. I am an expert on my small business and universal health care means nothing to me. My company already pays 100% of the cost of health care. We have been for 2 yrs, we have been waiting for the rest of the country to catch up.

Universal health care to me as a CEO may mean lower premiums but that may take some time to reach me. It may mean better coverage and that may also take some time. But most importantly UHC means that new workers will be held to strict health guidelines that are a benefit to them vs being a burden.

Sick days take as much away from a small business as loosing a "large client" or "profitable customer." currently all our employees exercise a minimum of 2 days a week for a minimum of 2 hrs at a time. As CEO I am required to exercise 4-5 days a week and a minimum of 2.5 to 4hrs, I have to set the example.

If we(as a company) are going to pay 100% of your health care then we rather u not have to use it for something you can prevent. Accidents happen, that's why you have health coverage. Be productive enjoy life and "work to live" not the other way around.

So Senate people, hurry up and catch up to what we have been doing for 2 yrs. Oh and the rest of the world has been doing for a while already. Pass legislation that provides every American, not just the 96% of Americans, with health coverage. We small guys have already been doing it.

You can reach me at Q@Growverde.com

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We are buried under a mountain of paperwork

After doing six months of research about carbon credits, cap & trade, and various other govt. plans in circulation. We have come to realize that we have to choose a route that best suites our companies goals and focus on that one plan. We built this company as a transportation offset program. Use carbon credits to fund the growth and daily operations. Provide the service to locals for free after gatherig some information about their driving habits, and tada!

Sadly that's not the case for us with the economy tanked and funding dried up. We are forced to look at the core of our business model and evaluate it.

Q. Will people use a service that's good for the environment?

People already use Mas transit in many different cities, some cities more than others. People already take the bus, but because they have to not because they want to.

Q. Do people care if the service is good for the environment?

An overwhelming number of people are speaking with their wallets when it comes to green initiatives. Buying locally grown food, services, and products to reduce their carbon foot print.

Q. Can we overcome the stigma associated with public transport?

We will have to see! Currently our project is privately funded but as it grows in scope I am sure some federal or public money will surface. This creates hurdles from people who will be quick to judge our intensions.

Bottom line: today as well as yesterday is a struggle for us to climb our way out of the mountain of paperwork we are buried under trying to get this service out of 2 years of beta testing and onto a full scale citywide test.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone. For comments or suggestions email: Q@Growverde.com

Jay Leno proves us right with an Aptera test drive

Look for video from me later this year after the company purchases an Aptera for me (the CEO) as part of my salary package. The video speaks for itself..enjoy

How the State of Arizona helped us with our Vespa rescue?

OK first let’s start with the obvious question.

Why would a Miami based company have a Vespa in Arizona, Shaq's new home?

The simple answer that is where our GPS partners are located. The long version would involve thirty two hours of driving through the vast territory of Florida and its curved highway system, a three state sprint through the recovering "Gulf of Mexico" with its small towns and cities and slipping into Phoenix at night as the sun was setting. So let’s get to how the Vespa got to Phoenix in the first place...

The obvious question, "how did your Vespa end up in Phx?"

I had a vision of a GPS based system that would allow members to use access cards vs. keys. I knew this system, as I saw it in my head, did not exist and I wanted to know how much of the system could be built with off the shelf applications. Could I really make this happen? Is this even possible? And is it cost effective? I researched the net for info on GPS devices that are small enough to fit into a Vespa or could even be used with a Vespa scooter. After almost 3 months on the internet searching around for answers and numerous calls I discovered a small company in Az. that had a device small enough to fit into the Vespa. I called and spoke to the then owner, heads of various dept., and the resident "Guru" on whether their system could work for our application. We decided that more testing would be needed and the best way to get that done was to have a Vespa on site to "tinker" with! I leapt at the chance to have a company that was showing so much enthusiasm for our vision, work on a solution that would help us scale up our services as we grew.

Could I build a system around this device with the companies help?

The company then arranged to have the Vespa picked up and shipped to their main location in Phoenix Az. (which has a special place in my heart as they city I learned how to run a business from the ground up with a direct sales company). The team’s enthusiasm always matched ours and they moved fast with development, testing, and coding the API (the language that allows systems to talk to each other) well almost!

Monkey wrenches come in all sizes!

At some point before we got down to the "nuts and bolts" of the actual API and what was expected we hit a function issue that could be a major "gremlin." Long story short, the device was draining juice from the battery and the Vespa would not be able to start within a couple days! So we halted all talks until the "Guru's" could figure out how we could work around this issue...

The sky is falling!

The state of Arizona receiving over 300 complaints via the BBB of Phoenix was investigating the owners for 38 counts of violations of Conspiracy, Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud and Transactional Money Laundering which caused 3,000 victims to lose a total of approximately $6 million dollars (you can read the details of our nightmare in more details following the link)..

AYFKM!

Once we found this out (we found out the weekend before they were sentenced) we scrambled to find a way to get back our Vespa. We made numerous calls to schedule the Vespa for shipment but an uneasy feeling came over us when the price of shipping it went from $200 to $300 to $700 in a matter of days! With our options limited by mistrust we serviced the company truck, checked the tire pressure, filled up the gas tank and drove 36 hrs to AZ from Miami... On our way (we left on Friday night) we spoke by phone to the office over the weekend then suddenly nothing! When we pull up to the office Monday night turns out the office is closed! No one picking up the phone lights off, nothing...With few options left for the night and after 12 hrs of straight driving we decide dinner and some sleep is in order, we can always come back in the morning when the office should be open

Tues. morning and the office are still not open and people are not picking up the phone. What do we do? Luckily we checked the leasing office to see if they had any info on the company or when the doors would be open. "They shut down yesterday (Monday) and high tailed it out of here with their tails between their legs!" or something like that was said. Flabbergasted and confused we pleaded our case to the owner/manager of the property (luckily the office was located in an office park, ironically the same office park I worked out of, in fact the exact same office address I just never put two and two together to realize it was the same location I spent a year in). The company had 6 offices 4 connected together and 2 separated by a wall. When we walked in it was like a scene out of "Boiler room" the movie with Ben Affleck working for scam brokers (simplified version see the movie).

Boiler room!!!

The scene was unreal one room had 5 shredders in it and paper scraps were everywhere! Bags of shredded documents piled to the ceiling and computers ripped from the walls and desk, chairs strew everywhere, and in general the place looked like someone (s) left in a hurry!!! We ran from section to section room to room trying to locate our Vespa with no luck. After a quick search of the main section we persuaded the manager and the property assistant to open the last set of offices...

There to our right was our Vespa in the last office tucked against the wall and safe but how do we get the manager to release it to us without a big legal battle? "If you can provide proof you own it I MIGHT release it to you." It has always been "company policy" to leave a copy of all registration and ownership papers on the Vespa's, and this was no different. I opened the storage unit and there was a copy of the registration and my OLD business card stapled to the registration, oh what joy! But will he release the Vespa to us, the company no longer exists and they still own him rent!

Thank goodness there are still business people who are honest and fair, he copied my license, business card, and the registration and released the Vespa to us with no further hassles. It seems that people who gave money to this company in hopes of becoming a distributor would parade through his office every day for info on where the company has disappeared to.

So what did we learn?

We are currently searching for a new GPS provider but will limit our involvement to "work for hire" and we will require proof of reliability, and ask more questions since we know what questions to ask now

Ironic Twist

By way of the internet I have discovered that the company has since changed its name and is doing the same exact thing it was doing before, just under a different name. Wonders never cease at the depravity of some people to make a fast buck.

Check out this latest news story and make up your own mind on this company and then drop me a note!

Horizon Technology / ISkyUSA / Millennium Plus