Stress, as we all know, can come from a variety of sources - and at this time of year, turkey with the in-laws, hanging Christmas lights, and opening your post-holiday Visa bill are just some of the many sources of our escalating stress levels.

Survey findings show that added holiday stress, on top of already high stress levels associated with work and the economy, makes it hard to relax. Cited as "multiple stressors" in the APA research are lack of time (up to 69%), lack of money (up to 69%), and pressure to give or get gifts (up to 51%). In addition, men and women who experience elevated levels of stress rate their psychological and physical health lower than those who are not experiencing stress - and are more likely to experience a range of health ailments and symptoms such as sadness (59%), sleep problems (56%), and lack of energy (55%).

To help yourself enjoy the Holiday Season and keep yourself and your loved ones from becoming part of these dismal holiday stress statistics, follow these tips:

·         Have an outlet (a hobby or something you enjoy)

·         Control your "stressors"

·         Hang out with your friends

·         Focus on the positives

Mazon works with your business by purchasing your business-to-business invoices for products and services provided to customers.  Our combined services function as your accounts receivable clerk, collections clerk and customer service person (i.e. handling address changes, help with invoices, payments and more) for your business.  As a result of utilizing our services, you may choose to not fill those positions within your company (which include healthcare and employment taxes).  (DFW Metro area cost of full-time accounts receivable clerk = $12-17/hr.)  Our factoring fees start at just 5% of each invoice, and can go as low as 2.25% depending on how much you factor with us.

Additionally, when you factor your invoices with Mazon, you earn interest on your account if you have more money in your reserve account than in your accounts receivable balance. 

Adding to that, Mazon offers you a monthly referral payment of 10% of our factoring fee when you refer a new client to Mazon (example: $1,000 fee @ 10% = $100 paid to you!). This is paid to you each month for as long as the business remains a Mazon client!  (See details at the end of this newsletter.)

When Christmas rolls around each year, you and/or your employees can enjoy the holidays with a happy heart made possible with the money you earned by factoring your invoices throughout the year!

Seventeen centuries ago in Turkey, there was a nobleman whose wife had died of an illness leaving the nobleman and his three daughters in despair.  After losing all of his money in useless and bad inventions, the family had to move into a peasant's cottage, where the daughters did their own cooking, sewing and cleaning.  When it came time for the daughters to marry, the father became even more depressed as his daughters could not marry without dowries, money and property given to the new husband's family.

One night after the daughters had washed out their clothing, they hung their stockings over the fireplace to dry.  That night, Saint Nicholas, knowing the despair of the father, stopped by the nobleman's house.  Looking in the window, he saw that the family had gone to bed.  He also noticed the daughters' stockings.  Inspiration stuck Saint Nicholas and he took three small bags of gold from his pouch and threw them one by one down the chimney and they landed in the stockings.

The next morning when the daughters awoke, they found their stockings contained enough gold for them to get married.  The nobleman was able to see his three daughters marry and he lived a long and happy life.

The Christmas season sparks a renewed mindset for giving and sharing what we have with others, both in money and time, to those less fortunate.  This is also the season to be wary of increased requests for giving via email/online, telephone solicitations, folks knocking at your door, or using the mail service to obtain charitable funds.  Before giving to any new charity, be sure that they are a reputable organization by first checking with the Better Business Bureau (where the charity is located), your state's Attorney General's Office (via internet), or even your local police department.  America is one of the most generous and giving countries in the world - and "ripe for the picking" when it comes to charity scams and identity theft during the holiday season.

The following recent recalls were issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.  More details can be found at www.cpsc.gov.  Pottery Barn Lamps (Imp: Pottery Barn, San Francisco, CA); Chest Freezers (Imp Haier America Trading, New York, NY); Carabiners (Mfg: Hunter Safety System, Danville, AL); GE Profile and GE Monogram Dishwashers (Mfg: GE Appliances & Lighting, Louisville, KY); Market Pantry Beef Sticks, 8-oz. packages (Mfg: Klement Sausage Co., Milwaukee, WI).  To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at 800-638-2772.

There are currently 78 people named S. Claus living in the U.S. -- and one Kriss Kringle (you have to wonder about that one kid's parents!).  
  
December is the most popular month for nose jobs.  
  
Weight of Santa's sleigh loaded with one Beanie Baby for every kid on earth: 333,333 tons.  
  
Number of reindeer required to pull a 333,333-ton sleigh: 214,206 -- plus Rudolph.  
  
Average wage of a mall Santa: $11 an hour.  With real beard: $20. 
  
To deliver his gifts in one night, Santa would have to make 822.6 visits per second, sleighing at 3,000 times the speed of sound.  At that speed, Santa and his reindeer would burst into flames instantaneously.

Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first.  The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world of the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years.  Underneath all the bulging bundles is this beating Christmas heart.

- George Mathew Adams (1878-1962)

The game show contestant was only 200 points behind the leader and about to answer the final question - worth 500 points! "To be today's champion," the show's smiling host intoned, "name two of Santa's reindeer."

The contestant, a man in his early thirties, gave a sigh of relief, gratified that he had drawn such an easy question. "Rudolph!" he said confidently, "and, Olive!"

The studio audience started to applaud (like the little sign above their heads said to do,) but the clapping quickly faded into mumbling, and the confused host replied, "Yes, we'll accept Rudolph, but could you please explain 'Olive?'"

"You know," the man circled his hand forward impatiently and began to sing, "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glowed. *Olive,* the other reindeer . . . ."

      Earn 10% Monthly Referral Fees!

Most of Mazon's clients have come to us through referrals of current and former clients.  We rely heavily on word-of-mouth marketing to bring in new clients.  Our monthly referral payment to you is 10% of our monthly factoring fee (determined at the time of client sign-up) and continues for as long as the business remains with Mazon Associates.

Potential clients include start-up businesses, high-growth businesses, undercapitalized businesses with historical operating losses, businesses with tax liens, turnaround situations. Other potential clients could be businesses who have been turned down for a bank loan and/or do not currently meet a bank's credit criteria; have delivered a service or product to other businesses and have invoices that can be independently verified; expresses cash flow problems and have a cash flow need; and/or companies expecting rapid growth.  The potential client can be located in any of the 50 United States.

Prospects are usually businesses that are manufacturers, distributors and service companies. Traditionally, Mazon has had businesses in the following areas: advertising; apparel, courier/delivery services, environmental service companies; manufacturing; printing; start-up and early stage/growth companies; staffing companies; telecommunications; and transportation.

We do not accept businesses which have a majority of consumer receivables such as retail businesses, progress billings, third-party pay, medical receivables and certain construction-related businesses.

For more information on our referral program, please contact Lisa Mazon by telephone 972-554-6967 ext. 238 or 1-800-442-2740, or by email lisa@mazon.com. (You are not required to be a Mazon client to refer a business and receive a referral fee!)