There will be no update posted this week, for the WBwso test investments that we have made to date.

This will be replaced by a report on the meeting that was held with Tomas Jacobsson, the General Manager of WBwso, at the time we would normally prepare the weekly update.

If you cannot live without your weekly dose of excitement, we recommend that you visit the ‘Stats’ button above and salivate again over last week’s results.

“Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible”.

The older members will remember the previous  sentence, which often graced our early television screens, when a programme was interrupted due to a technical fault. This was usually accompanied by a picture of a windmill, so if you are going cold turkey without your weekly update, picturing a windmills may help, but it is not guaranteed to do so.

We have to thank Carole for sharing this with us.

The new telephone ’scam’ has arrived.
I received a call from a ‘representative’ of BT, informing me that he
was dis-connecting me because of an unpaid bill. He demanded payment
immediately of £31.00 , or it would be £118.00 to re-connect at a
later date.
The guy wasn’t even fazed when I told him I was with Virgin Media,
allegedly VM have to pay BT a percentage for line rental!
I asked the guy’s name – the very ‘English’ John Peacock with a very
‘African’ accent – & phone number – 0800 0800 152.
Obviously the fella realized I wasn’t believing his story, so offered
to demonstrate that he was from BT. I asked how & he told me to hang
up & try phoning someone – he would dis-connect my phone to prevent
this.
AND HE DID !! My phone was dead – no engaged tone, nothing – until he
phoned me again.
Very pleased with himself, he asked if that was enough proof that he
was with BT. I asked how the payment was to be made & he said credit
card, there & then.
I said that I didn’t know how he’d done it, but I had absolutely no
intention of paying him , I didn’t believe his name or that he worked
for BT.
He hung up.
Did 1471 & phoned his fictitious 0800 number – not recognised.
I phoned the police to let them know , I wasn’t the first! It’s only
just started apparently but it is escalating.
Their advice was to let as many people know by word of mouth of this
scam. The fact that the phone does go off would probably convince some
people it’s real, so please let as many friends & family aware of
this.
This is good but not that clever. He gave the wrong number – it should
have been 0800 800152 which takes you through to BT Business. The
cutting off of the line is very simple , he stays on the line with the
mute button on and you can’t dial out – but he can hear you trying
(This is because the person who initates a call is the one to
terminate it). When you stop trying he cuts off and immediately calls
back. You could almost be convinced! The sad thing is that it is so
simple that it will certainly fool the elderly and vulnerable.

We have to thank  Sue (suebee) for sending us this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PelTWCUmTsU

A lovely interview of a charming and courageous lady,  find time to view it, it could just improve your chances of living longer.

We have to thank Jennifer ‘Jen’ Maxwell from Calary, Canada for this report on her visit to meet the ANN team.

MY FLY IN VISIT TO AAN

Hi AAN Members,

One question that came to mind after an intense three day visit to the AAN facility is this.

Why pursue a business education in college or university, when Chris Bell and the dynamic AAN family can give one an immediate, no frills, no holds barred, education in what makes this business so successful? I got just such an education.

A successful business must have the following ingredients:

1. Vision
2. The means to make that vision a reality

Chris Bell has the expertise, drive and vision to steer the company to heights most of us can’t even comprehend, and to put his vision into effect David Cheyne is one of the principal players at the table. The two men are closely connected, at times appearing to answer each others’ questions almost wordlessly. They have each others’ back. That may sound trite to you; nonetheless it’s true and it’s a beautiful thing to witness. 

The entire team is made up of experts and I don’t use that term loosely. Ted Walthers is a techno-genius with a gentle manner and disposition. An example of how closely he is related to the inner exchanges in the office: – Chris was walking me through the online Admin back office, showing me how to enter an appraisal, change status to sold or unsold, upload inventory pictures and make allocations to members active or inactive and so on, when he came across a tiny glitch, and by the time he said “Ted, did you hear that?” The response was “Try it now” and voila, it was fixed. 

The interaction and information going back and forth at lightning speed between everyone was like a different language, and although I had difficulty keeping up, they were all helpful in straightening me out, no matter how often I got turned around. Huge loads of intermeshing details that must be accurate for the whole to work correctly are in the final stages. They are right on the cusp, folks. 

From Dwane Jenkins unpacking an item of inventory, staging, photographing and then uploading it into a folder on their dedicated server, to Samantha Migneault and Laura Cheyne doing the accounting to satisfy the BCSC (British Columbia Securities Commission) legal requirements, the staff is multifaceted. 

James Rivers and Shane Harder do a great job in the marketing arena which has already resulted in many sales to the company as well as in membership growth. Advertising has been held back somewhat until launch to allow inventory to be allocated, but once AAN goes live, Shane has a team ready to flood Craigslist, Kijiji, eBay and UsedVancouver with around 150 ads per day. 

Appraising an item accurately is important in this business, and David, Dwane and Samantha have a ton of knowledge and experience in this area, while Chris is still top gun in most fields. Each item is appraised by at least 2 staff members to ensure the best possible results. Details have to be precise in listing an item as well. For example let’s say you have a Vintage Fridge and just enter Fridge, you could lose out big time, and this applies to books, tables, sofas and every other piece of inventory.

While I was there, Chris took out a record album and walked me through the process on how to find out its worth. They have a library of reference material (which Chris doesn’t seem to need), and he explained what to look for on the cover, the record and the label, then look it up in the reference book. What a jaw dropping eye-opener!

Don’t be throwing out those old albums, folks! Or if you do, make sure you let Chris or Dave know. This particular album was a Bob Dylan in very good condition, and the label and reference book told me it was worth $350. Now the great part about acquisitions is that at auction you can buy boxes of miscellaneous items like books, records or toys for $5, or even get them thrown in free when you purchase other lots.

Who wouldn’t pay $5 to make $350, or even $50? An example that Chris showed me, was a book dated 1847, purchased for $100 and in poor repair on the outside. When I queried the cost, he grinned and I knew it was time for another lesson! The 116 undamaged pictures in the book were worth between $25 to $250 or more each. The scope is unlimited in the acquisitions business model.

I saw tons and tons of collectables from many different eras and genres, and enough furniture for a large town of wall-to-wall homes. Things that are not in good order are either auctioned off or given to charity, so rest assured that inventory sold is in very good shape.

When the official launch takes place, this inventory that is now stacked high and wide in stores and kiosks, will be unpacked and displayed throughout the Mall. If you live in the area or within travelling distance, be there. Chris or David would love to show you around and answer questions.

The search for larger premises is still ongoing, and Chris has a meeting with a team of realtors early this week. His vision to have a turnkey location incorporates the following:

26’ High industrial storage racks 
A cleaning and maintenance section (so that if a tabletop is damaged it will be repaired in-house etc.)
Loading bays
AAN retail stores
A shipping department
Central podium-like staging area with a drop camera above and a digital & video stationary camera in front
Office space

If you think that everything I’ve told you encompasses the complete AAN business model, you would be happily mistaken. Chris has a scope of vision far exceeding the norm, is able to succinctly explain what he wants while David and the rest of the team make it happen. Numerous times Chris said that they have scalability of personnel and processes; an important formula for success now as well as for dynamic growth in the future.

Chris Bell is without doubt the go-to expert in this industry, with an undisputed reputation for integrity. His contacts are spread far and wide, and this is one of the reasons he knows where to buy, how much to pay, and when to walk away. A few of these contacts became joint venture partners when they were introduced to the AAN business model. That in a nutshell says it all.

During the three day visit I was able to spend one-on-one time with most of the team. They believe in Chris and AAN 100% and it shows in their tightly focused, can-do attitude, dedicated to making this company exceptional. The office environment appears relaxed, but there is no 9 to 5 here. Everyone works as many hours as it takes to get the job done and we, the members, couldn’t be in better hands.

The majority of my time well spent was with Chris Bell . Kind, patient, passionate, informative, businesslike, friendly and with a great sense of humour, his stature in my eyes grew every day. It is obvious that he is held in the highest esteem by everyone who comes into contact with him, with special emphasis on the diverse AAN team. He wholeheartedly reciprocates by giving unstintingly of himself.

Now, more than ever before, I know our funds are in safe hands, and I’ll go so far as to say, forget the stock market, forget forex trading, forget online HYIPs, MLMs, banks and savings accounts, and max out your membership funds in this company as soon as you can. Then sit back and reap the rewards, and do remember to tell everyone you know and love about this.

Many of you who know me well are aware that I don’t pull any punches in telling it like it is, so I want you to realize there was no looking through rose coloured glasses during my stay. AAN is solid and operates like a well oiled machine with scalable personnel and processes, under a blanket of respect, camaraderie and family.

It was an honour to be invited to Vancouver to learn the inner workings of AAN, and get to know everyone. I was touched by each one’s acceptance of me and my sometimes quirky attitude, and go so far as to hope I’ve made friends for life. Thank you David, Sam, Ted, Laura, Dwane, James, Shane and Chris M. Very warm and special thanks to Chris Bell for making this possible. I am truly blessed.