Headlines:

              Spectrum Leasing "Exposed"

               Amplicon Announces Third Quarter Dividend

                Online Legal Document Firm LegalZoom Gets Ready to Launch

                   Who is Linda P. Kester? 

                      MidAmerica Association of Equipment Lessors May Golf Tournaments

       Feature: Why Bob Baker is a Leasing Guru....

  If you missed Whatever Happened to Zep?

        http://www.leasingnews.org/zep.htm

         Spectrum Leasing "Exposed"

I visited United Capital in Austin Last July.  Spectrum and United are the

same company.  Spectrum was their retail arm.  Surprised to hear anyone

would buy paper from them as it is exactly (or was) the same Steve

Dallas.  Has anyone heard from Jack Lieberman or is he long gone?

               daryl <daryl@pyramidleasing.com>

      +                     +                        +

...with regard to your coverage of Spectrum, I'm surprised you didn't know about that.  Steve is good people, but, like I said, he has made some silly business mistakes.  Mr. Dallas owns both

United and Spectrum under a company named DV Capital. He let the line between the two companies

get fuzzy too often.  Spectrum may be listed under a different suite number, but their employees share offices and cube farms with United employees, and have for quite some time.

   ( Name With Held--highly reliable source, by the way )

           +               +                  +

With respect to Spectrum Leasing, it is true that they are affiliated with United Capital, the

Austin based funding source that fell off the radar in such questionable fashion.  The companies were always separate from a legal standpoint, with Spectrum operating as a standard broker,

one-offing deals for the most part.  There has been some intermingling of personnel for certain, and I suspect that actual ownership ties between the two would lead to the same person though I

certainly cannot confirm.  I learned all of this firsthand on a visit to United for their broker retreat about a year ago, spent some time with the management of both companies and had a great

time.  The people I spent the bulk of my trip with have always proved both reputable and honest

in their dealings with me.  They did make it very clear that their intention was to keep the

relationship between the two companies hush hush, so as to not bring up unnecessary concerns

amongst United's top brokers.  Clearly that would have been a major issue for many, though in

all honesty at the time it did seem that they were sincere in their explanations that the two

companies were separate and not being used to unscrupulously enrich each other, regardless of

the fact that they shared the same building.  Unfortunately nearly all of the people I had

referenced before are no longer with either organization and as such I would be hard pressed to

defend either organization against the allegations of late.  While at the time I was there I

felt that the people giving me the explanations certainly believed in their veracity, the

potential to easily and profitably tie the two together was most certainly there in my opinion. 

  ( name with held )

  ( Yesterday we reported customer approval and vendor approachment by Spectrum

    via United Capital. We have received several confirmations, such as this

    one. editor )

Spectrum Funding Group (Also go by Spectrum Leasing)shares common ownership with United Capital.

The web site makes it look like they're in different offices, but they actually share the same

office. Another broker who knows everyone at the company says they are even going after his

customers and they leave him on hold and won't pick up his call again after the

initial greeting.  This is exactly why the warning was issued a few weeks ago.

Good luck to everyone.

Name With held

          MidAmerica Association of Equipment Lessors

                   May 19-20

            3rd Annual MAEL Warm Up Golf Weekend [ MAEL ]

Location : Ruffled Feathers & Course at Aberdeen

The 3rd Annual MAEL Warm Up Golf Weekend features tee times at:

Ruffled Feathers in Lemont, IL on Saturday, May 19 (arrive by 10am)

The Course at Aberdeen in Valparaiso, IN on Saturday, May 20 (arrive by 10:30am).

Prices are per day, per person, and include transportation.

Ruffled Feathers

$150 for member co. attendees

$200 for non-member co. attendees**

The Course at Aberdeen

$150 for member co. attendees

$200 for non-member co. attendees**

Register for the 3rd Annual MAEL Warm Up Golf Weekend by April 10th to reserve your space!

Foursomes will be assigned for all registrations received after April 10, 2001, therefore,

please register immediately if you wish to play with specific associates. Rooms are blocked at

the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza until March 20th, so please call 312-836-5000 for your

reservations today. Don't forget to mention you are with the MidAmerica Association of Equipment Lessors for a special rate!

For on-site registrations or payments add $35 per attendee. MAEL's "no-show" policy applies for

this event.

To Register Online using our secured server Click here

May 21st, 2001

17th Annual MAEL Golf Invitational [ MAEL ]

Location : Harborside International

Registration for the event will begin at 10:00 a.m. and lunch begins at 11:00 a.m. with a

shotgun start at noon sharp. The Dinner/Reception will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. and go

until 9:30 p.m.

Golf, Reception & Dinner -

$225 for member co. attendee

$800 for a member co. foursome

$275 for a non-member co. attendee**

$1000 for a non-member co. foursome**

Reception & Dinner Only -

$85 for member co. attendee

$135 for non-member co. attendee**

So register today to reserve your space for the 17th Annual MAEL Golf Invitational! Rooms are

blocked at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza until March 20th, so please call 312-836-5000 for

your reservations today. Don't forget to mention you are with the MidAmerica Association of

Equipment Lessors for a special rate!

Foursomes will be assigned for all registrations received after April 10, 2001, therefore,

please register immediately if you wish to play with specific associates.

For on-site registrations or payments add $35 per attendee. MAEL's "no-show" policy applies for

this event.

For more information, go here: http://www.mael.org/events/default.asp?mth=May

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Why Bob Baker is a Leasing Guru....

           ( His Wildwood Financial is a leading "school" in our industry )

I have to agree with Bob Baker. I have been financing trucks for thirty-two

years. For many years now I have earned medium six figures. Last year was a

record year and YTD 2001 I am ahead of last year.

I tried to diversify but I am receiving and funding so many truck deals I do

not have time to cold call.

I have a small group of regular vendors that know that I can get it done. I

have to take a nap at noon so I can make it through the day.

Recession, blah. I am tired of doing docs. Don't call me with your deals, I

do not have time to talk with you.

Gary W. Psaledas

Fisher4444@aol.com

Western Equipment Financing, Inc.

          +                 +              +

Re:  Bob Baker - Three cheers for Bob and his criticism of the whining

broker - Business is good and has been exciting for quite some time- I might

add to Bob's remarks - stick with the funders you know and trust - there are

lots of good people out there. -

June Sciotto

june@theregalgroup.com

            +              +               +

I have to wholeheartedly endorse the comments of Bob Baker.  Here at

LeaseNOW we are off to our best start in the past 5 years and we have had

some pretty good years. The best thing about it is that vendor inquiries at

our web site, requests for our software and just simple leasing programs in

general, are coming in at about 4 per week.  These are not applications,

just good old fashioned vendor leads that we have to go "sell" on our

service.  This tells me that with the incredible M&A activity and many

others who are simply not there any more it is the vendors who are in a

panic, not the leasing industry. 

Like Bob, you and many others that read Leasingnews, experience tells me

that our business may actually pick up when the economy slows down a little.

In my opinion the spectre of a full blown "recession" is largely a media

creation. What is more probable is that the small business owners that the

third party broker/lessor is more likely to serve, will want to hold on to

their cash.  This does not mean he doesn't want to acquire equipment, it

simply means that he wants to preserve his cash. I would admonish everyone

to look at their company brochure and I guarantee that they will see

"Preserve Cash" as one of the 10 Reasons to lease equipment.

With the wholesale demise of the "internet broker", that fear should be

lifted from the shoulders of the broker/lessor. With a quick glance at "The

List" any brokers worth their salt should literally be wetting their pants

with excitement over the opportunity that abounds in this market place.

When is the last time that some of the old timers can actually remember a

vendor telling you he was happy you called. 

My advice is go out and buy yourself a new pair of walking shoes, and be

prepared to get your knuckles scraped up from knocking on doors. You should

be overjoyed at the callouses forming on your index finger from "dialing out"

while making vendor calls.  Every broker/lessor in the country should be

strategizing on how to run a "vendor mop up" operation in their territory. 

I will give everybody one other hint to watch out for this coming year. The

major funding sources that are left are going to have to hit their numbers.

Remember that they are far more dependent on Big Business than we are.  Big

Businesses are the guys with capital expenditure budgets that get cut back

so that the numbers continue to look good to shareholders.  With all of the

consolidation there is another phenomenon developing, and that is, there are

very few portfolios to purchase that can help these guys hit their numbers.

What will happen?  Like almost every time in the past 3 or 4 cycles they

will turn to the best "de facto" sales force in American Industry, the third

party broker/lessor.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, "the demise of the broker/lessor has been

prematurely predicated".  Get out there and make a vendor happy.

Bob Rodi

President

LeaseNOW, Inc.

www.leasenow.com

drlease@leasenow.com

1-800-321-LEAS(5327)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Who is Linda Kester?

In our March 7 edition, and also now on line in our Articles

section,http://www.leasingnews.org/articles.doc/newsletter5.htm,

Mrs. Kester wrote an article for us on "Surviving a Recession."

This was written expressly for our industry.

We hope she is going to write further for us, as she is a free lance writer.

Many of our readers have asked, who is she?

Well, I first attended one of her workshops on advertising and promoting your

leasing company at a conference.  It was one of the best leasing conference workshops I have

been to in over twenty-five years.  I learned a lot.

 Linda Kester is founder of The Institute for Personal Development (IPD).  IPD offers

exciting and interactive training for leasing sales professionals.

    More information is available at www.lindakester.com .  Linda can be reached at (856)

489-6558, or by e-mail at

    linda@lindakester.com.

I asked her earlier about herself, and she told me:

I'm a pretty simple person.  I sold copiers door to door as my first job out

of college, and the went on to a successful eight year career at Advanta.

While I was at Advanta I fell in love w/ Gary Kester (a credit guy), and

ever since then, I've gotten "slack" about: my deals got bought because I

was sleeping with the credit department, or I only made it to Management

because of my husband.

I have to constantly prove myself.  But I don't mind.  I can live up to the

challenge.

In January of 1996 I quit Advanta because I had my second baby.  I wanted a

more flexible job, and so I started a sales training business.  It's been

great.

In June of 1997 my husband and three other Senior Managers at Advanta left &

started Marlin Leasing Corp.  They were a broker at first, and then got the

venture capital to become a funding source.  They secularize their assets,

and are doing really well.

I do training for Marlin, and I do training for lots of Brokers.  One Broker

had me sign a confidentiality agreement that I wouldn't take his ideas, back

to Marlin.  I have no problem with that.  If I didn't have integrity no one

would hire me.

I also do speeches.  I'm a sub-contractor for a company called Making

College Count.  I speak to high school seniors about making the most of

college.

  ( A truly amazing person who definitely knows how to manage her time.

    If she ever conducts a "Time Management" course, sign me up. editor )

__________________________________________________________________

         Amplicon Announces Third Quarter Dividend

SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 2001--Amplicon Inc.'s (Nasdaq: AMPI) board of directors today declared a quarterly cash dividend in the amount of 4 cents ($0.04) per share.

The dividend will be payable on April 6, 2001 to all stockholders of record at the close of business on March 23, 2001.

Amplicon leases high technology capital assets nationwide utilizing an innovative sales management organization that delivers cost effective leasing alternatives to meet customer needs.

CONTACT: 

Amplicon Financial, Santa Ana

S. Leslie Jewett, 714/751-7551

ljewett@amplicon.com

KEYWORD:  CALIFORNIA

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Online Legal Document Firm LegalZoom Gets Ready to Launch

                 By VentureWire Staff Reporters

                                  3/9/2001

LOS ANGELES -- LegalZoom.com, a company that enables users to prepare their own legal documents online but does not provide legal advice, said it will launch its services on Monday, March 12, 2001. The company, currently in beta mode, said it is earning revenue and expects to be profitable by the end of the year. To date, LegalZoom has raised $300,000 in financing from individual investors. The company said it hopes to raise an additional $2 million in the spring of 2001. LegalZoom's founders are Brian Lee, Brian Liu, and Robert Shapiro.

http://www.legalzoom.com