We are pleased to present our monthly newsletter in the hopes it not only represents a useful business tool, but can bring a smile to the faces of our readers. If there is a subject you would like to see addressed, feel free to contact us. Your comments are always welcome.

Sales of new single-family homes were 411,000 in March 2010 (seasonally adjusted), 26.9 percent above the previous month. Sales were 23.8 percent above the level in March 2009.

What is your brother-in-law's name?
Borofkin.

What's his first name?
I can't remember.

He's been your brother-in-law for years, and you can't remember his first name?
No. I tell you I'm too excited. (Rising from the witness chair and pointing to Mr. Borofkin.) Nathan, for God's sake, tell them your first name!

What is your name?
Ernestine McDowell.

And what is your marital status?
Fair.

Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?
All my autopsies have been performed on dead people.

So, after the anesthesia, when you came out of it, what did you observe with respect to your scalp?
I didn't see my scalp the whole time I was in the hospital.

It was covered?
Yes, bandaged.

Then, later on.. what did you see?
I had a skin graft. My whole buttocks and leg were removed and put on top of my head.

The truth of the matter is that you were not an unbiased, objective witness, isn't it. You too were shot in the fracas?
No, sir. I was shot midway between the fracas and the naval.

U.S. Businesses are Making a Comeback

Commercial delinquencies are declining and the average risk score continues to improve.

The national average commercial risk score is up 2.4 percent and overall delinquencies have declined since the beginning of the year, according to the latest Business Benchmark Report from Experian. The national average percentage of dollars delinquent has improved by 5.9 percent, and the percentage of dollars 91-plus days delinquent has improved by 1.9 percent. Additionally, businesses in states with large metropolitan areas, such as California and Texas, had among the lowest rates of severe delinquency, coming in at 14.8 percent and 28.8 percent below the national average.

Other key findings from this month's Business Benchmark Report include the following: Percentage of dollars delinquent:

• Overall, delinquencies are declining. The national average percentage of dollars delinquent has improved by 5.9 percent since the beginning of the year, and the percentage of dollars 91-plus days delinquent has improved by 1.9 percent.
• Over the last six months, the average percentage of dollars delinquent has improved by 1 percent. Large businesses with 500 to 999 employees and midsize businesses with 100 to 249 employees have seen the greatest improvements at 2.1 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.
• Texas, Arizona and California were among the areas with the lowest percentage of dollars delinquent, with an average of 10.14, 9.6 and 9.27, respectively. Additionally, California and Texas ranked among the areas with the lowest rates of severe delinquency, coming in at 14.8 percent and 28.8 percent below the national average.

Although very slight, we are seeing a recovery improvement over last year and it seems that the consumer in general is getting over the shock of the financial crises that affected us all. We need to make sure that good basic business fundamentals and policies are in place regarding accounts receivables and bad debt. This would include a well stated statement of financial policy and responsibility signed by all consumers, patients, tenants or clients as ultimately providing proof of payment responsibility is essential. There should be a strict policy regarding the use of in-house collection letters and telephone calls to collect past due balances and a pre-determined cutoff time for forwarding bad debt to collections. We strongly encourage you to turn bad debt accounts to us on a monthly basis after your pre-determined cutoff period on those accounts has expired. This time period should be between 45 and 90 days. Placing new business with us can be done in any of the following ways: picked up by runner on Tuesdays of each week, mail, email to newaccounts@plusfourinc.com, fax to 702-898-9116, or upload files from our website.

Next month I will have news of our new software that we are in the process of converting now. This will greatly enhance your online experience and interface with our company.

Have a great month and thank you for your continued business and support, Rick