Inside East Valley Business

A fifth of all Americans are meandering aimlessly through life without any particular goals, according to a new survey.

SUCCESS magazine, a publication for those who fancy themselves as high-achievers, said nearly 20 percent of those questioned said they had no direction in life.

“The first step toward achieving your dreams and ambitions is to identify them because they remain fantasies until you write them down and create a roadmap to get there,” said Darren Hardy, publisher and editorial director of SUCCESS in a press release.

Another survey release by the publication showed 33 percent of respondents said their highest priority is to run their own company. Another 31 percent said that their top goal was to retire early.

Arlene Sandberg of Queen Creek is attracting a lot of thumbs up from smiling motorists  as she drives her 2006 Ford Escape SUV along the Valley freeways.

She is also getting a few other digital expressions from angry  speedsters who tailgate her.

Reason for the smiles-and-frowns: Sandberg, owner of a housecleaning company, Clean As A Whistle, recently put a sign on the back of her vehcile that says: “Not Going Faster! Saving Gas. It Works. Try It. You’ll Like It. $$”

The sign explains to other motorists why she drives five miles per hour  below the speed limit.

“I’m saving about $30 a week on gas by driving five miles slower,” said Sandberg. “It’s also  safer.”

Sandberg traded her pickup truck for the smaller, SUV specifically to get better mileage. Her miles-per-gallon of gasoline went from 18 with the truck  to 21 with the SUV. By driving 60 mph instead of 65, she now gets about 29 mpg, which, at more than $4 a gallon, amounts to  a savings of about $36 a week.

“My sign also tells tailgaters why I’m driving slower,” Sandberg said.

For the sixth month in a row, there are fewer cars on the road, U.S. Department of Transportation reported Wednesday.

 The department said the lower numbers are the result of record-high gas prices and a surge in transit riders. 

Americans drove 1.4 billion fewer highway miles in April than at the same month in 2007. Vehicle miles traveled on all public roads for April 2008 fell 1.8 percent compared with April 2007.  

So far this year, motorists have driven nearly 20 billion miles less than in 2007, the department said. 

The numbers highlight the need find a more sustainable and effective way to fund highway construction and maintenance, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.

“We’re burning less fuel as energy costs change driving patterns, steer people toward more fuel efficient vehicles and encourage more to use transit.  Which is exactly why we need a more effective funding source than the gas tax,” Peters said.

As Americans drive less, the federal Highway Trust Fund receives less revenue from gasoline and diesel sales – 18.4 cents per gallon and 24.4 cents per gallon, respectively.

The department said data show midsize SUV sales were down last month 38 percent over May of last year; car sales, which had accounted for less than half of the industry volume in 2007, rose to 57 percent in May.   Peters said past trends have shown Americans will continue to drive despite high gas prices, but will drive more fuel efficient vehicles consuming less fuel.   

“History shows that we’re going to continue to see congested roads while gas tax revenues decline even further,” she said.

While most U.S. airlines recently started charging fees for previously free amenities so they can afford to gas up the planes, Southwest Airlines, which managed to hedge most of its future fuel purchases at a fraction of the current tab, is making the most of the PR value of its free instead of fee stance.

On Sunday, which of course is Father’s Day, flying dads even get some extra freebies — a greeting card and a drink on the house.

But the airline’s Friday the 13th promotion is a little like “rubbing salt into wounds” of the cash-strapped competition.

Or in this case just tossing the salt around.

Southwest’s ticket sales for Friday were up despite paraskevidekatriaphobia. (I don’t know how to pronounce it either, but it means fear of Friday the 13th.)

“The price of gas proves to be much scarier than taking to the skies,” the company said in a press release.

And the rub? “Southwest Airlines announces it will not charge a fee for throwing salt over one’s shoulder.”

Women aren’t the only ones making careers sacrifices to be a parent.

A survey commissioned by a global recruitment firm said 45 percent of men say fatherhood has impacted their career path.

The Adecco USA Workplace Insights survey also said 64 percent of dads say it’s more difficult to manage their family life than their career.

“The perception that the work/life balancing act is mainly a female struggle no longer holds up in today’s workplace,” says Rich Thompson, Adecco Group North America vice president of training & development, in a statement. “As moms and dads continue to more equally share responsibilities both at home and at the office, employers need to be mindful of this and ensure that they offer work/life benefits that are inclusive of both groups.”

Wal-Mart store officials launched a Web site, www.workformarketside.com, where they are soliciting applications from prospective store managers.

The Financial Times newspaper was the first to report in January that the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer was planning a new store concept similar to what United Kingdom-based Tesco created with its new Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market.

According to the newspaper, the stores will be about 20,000 square feet each and located at 7561 E. Baseline Road, Mesa; 910 E. Elliot Road, Gilbert; 950 N. Mc-Queen Road, Chandler; and 838 W. Elliot Road, Tempe.

Those stores would be significantly smaller than Wal-Mart’s Neighborhood Market grocery stores and more comparable in scale to the Fresh & Easy stores.

Wal-Mart have been extremely hush-hush about the store and have declined to divulge many details in the past.

The new Web site offers scant information on the stores.

“Marketside associates are enthusiastic people with a passion for fresh and delicious food,” it said. “We are looking for candidates with superior customer service skills and who enjoy working in a team environment.”

Dutch Bros. Coffee company officials are planning their second East Valley location after recently entering the state by opening a store near Arizona State University.

The company has a plan under consideration by Mesa’s Design Review Board for a shop on the northwest corner of Gilbert and McKellips roads.

But don’t expect lavish digs with oversized couches, jazz music and tables for long hours of studying or reading. The tiny coffee shop will consist only of 450 square-feet of space and a drive thru coffee shop.

Dutch Bros. only operates in the western United States, but only recently entered Arizona with a store on Rural Road between University Drive and Apache Boulevard. While Oregon hosts the most Dutch Bros. Coffee locations, the company also has a presence in California, Washington, Idaho and Nevada.

At least one industry seems to be relatively recession-proof.

Rising gas prices and tumbling housing tabs don’t impact beer budgets.

People don’t buy less booze during a bad economy, they just buy it in cheaper places,
according to a new study by national pollster Nielsen.

A whopping 80 percent of those Nielsen surveyed about the impact of forced budget tightening on their imbibing habits, said they are spending as much or more on alcoholic beverages as they spent a year ago.

Of the 20 percent that said they are spending a lot less on liquor these days, 60 percent said they now shop for spirits at places closer to home to save gas or at cheaper shopping venues.

“Alcoholic beverages are withstanding the economic slowdown very well, compared to other categories that might be considered indulgent or non-necessities,” said Danny Brager of The Nielsen Company. “To many consumers, alcoholic beverages are an affordable luxury.”

The study also found many people are saving booze bucks by drinking and entertaining at home instead of at bars or restaurants.

Are you a bad customer? You may be, according to a survey of 1,400 service-based companies.

According to a poll by Angie’s List, a Web-based consumer review service, the “worst customers” do any of the following:

• Fail to pay on time

• Cancel at the last minute or don’t keep appointments

• Act dishonestly or are indecisive

• Act rudely to workers

The Web site gives several suggestions on how to become a “better customer” including:

• Don’t expect to get extra perks without expecting to pay more

• Ask question if you’re unfamiliar with a company’s services

• Act professionally if you want your service provider to do a good job

• Remember that you get what you paid for

• Be civil if something goes wrong

• Pay on time