Tipper2010

Super Bowl 51 plays out in Houston (and in every living room in the US) this Sunday. Whether you’re rooting for the Pats, the Falcons, or just the commercials, you have to agree that the Big Game is all about getting it done. Let’s round up the top five ways that entrepreneurs just like football […]

The post Top 5 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Are Your Real MVPs appeared first on .

Super Bowl 51 plays out in Houston (and in every living room in the US) this Sunday. Whether you’re rooting for the Pats, the Falcons, or just the commercials, you have to agree that the Big Game is all about getting it done. Let’s round up the top five ways that entrepreneurs just like football […]

The post Top 5 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Are Your Real MVPs appeared first on .

(BPT) – The year 2016 was devastating for some safe deposit box holders. In New York, thieves cut holes in the roofs of three banks and brazenly emptied hundreds of safe deposit boxes, leaving the victims’ pillaged boxes on the roof and strewn around the vault.

A stealthier thief in Florida picked safe deposit boxes in several banks, emptying the contents without damaging the box or leaving any visible sign of the theft.

These are not isolated incidents. On average, there are between 15-18 robberies or burglaries involving bank vaults every year according to the FBI. Millions of dollars of jewelry, cash, gold and family heirlooms are stolen, leaving devastated box holders dealing with unrecoverable losses.

Still the safest

Despite these occurrences, law enforcement agencies, FEMA, the American Red Cross and AARP all recommend safe deposit boxes to store valuable items, heirlooms and documents. A safe deposit box in a vault is superior to home storage even with a safe. Why? Because a residence is almost 20 times more likely to be robbed than a safe deposit box in a bank. And with rental costs starting at around $30 a year, safe deposit boxes remain one of the best values offered by a financial institution.

Required step

Today, most people who rent a safe deposit box assume the bank or a federal agency insures the contents. This is not true, and unfortunately, too many people learn this the hard way.

A standard homeowners policy provides limited coverage for some items in a box, but excludes losses from flood and other risks. They may also have a high deductible.

Specialty insurance designed to cover and protect everything inside of a safe deposit box — including cash, gold and important papers such as wills, titles, deeds, photos and digital backups, is now available. There is no deductible, and risks such as terrorist attacks, hurricanes and earthquakes are covered.

And because you do not need to identify what is stored inside the box to obtain coverage, you can maintain your privacy.

Protect yourself

Clearly, there are events that no vault or safe deposit box can protect against. However, there are steps you should take. Safe Deposit Box Insurance, LLC (SDBIC), the leader in protecting valuable assets in secure boxes, has developed a secure storage quiz on secure storage options.

So, despite there being some high-profile break-ins, a safe deposit box is still the best place to store your documents, family heirlooms and other valuables. But because nothing is 100 percent foolproof, it’s important to do your research, select the right bank and insure the contents of your box through SDBIC.

(BPT) – The year 2016 was devastating for some safe deposit box holders. In New York, thieves cut holes in the roofs of three banks and brazenly emptied hundreds of safe deposit boxes, leaving the victims’ pillaged boxes on the roof and strewn around the vault.

A stealthier thief in Florida picked safe deposit boxes in several banks, emptying the contents without damaging the box or leaving any visible sign of the theft.

These are not isolated incidents. On average, there are between 15-18 robberies or burglaries involving bank vaults every year according to the FBI. Millions of dollars of jewelry, cash, gold and family heirlooms are stolen, leaving devastated box holders dealing with unrecoverable losses.

Still the safest

Despite these occurrences, law enforcement agencies, FEMA, the American Red Cross and AARP all recommend safe deposit boxes to store valuable items, heirlooms and documents. A safe deposit box in a vault is superior to home storage even with a safe. Why? Because a residence is almost 20 times more likely to be robbed than a safe deposit box in a bank. And with rental costs starting at around $30 a year, safe deposit boxes remain one of the best values offered by a financial institution.

Required step

Today, most people who rent a safe deposit box assume the bank or a federal agency insures the contents. This is not true, and unfortunately, too many people learn this the hard way.

A standard homeowners policy provides limited coverage for some items in a box, but excludes losses from flood and other risks. They may also have a high deductible.

Specialty insurance designed to cover and protect everything inside of a safe deposit box — including cash, gold and important papers such as wills, titles, deeds, photos and digital backups, is now available. There is no deductible, and risks such as terrorist attacks, hurricanes and earthquakes are covered.

And because you do not need to identify what is stored inside the box to obtain coverage, you can maintain your privacy.

Protect yourself

Clearly, there are events that no vault or safe deposit box can protect against. However, there are steps you should take. Safe Deposit Box Insurance, LLC (SDBIC), the leader in protecting valuable assets in secure boxes, has developed a secure storage quiz on secure storage options.

So, despite there being some high-profile break-ins, a safe deposit box is still the best place to store your documents, family heirlooms and other valuables. But because nothing is 100 percent foolproof, it’s important to do your research, select the right bank and insure the contents of your box through SDBIC.

(BPT) – If you feel like you’re working more, but getting less done, you’re not alone. Employees are working an average of 44 hours per week, of which only 29 were considered to be productive, according to a new survey of 1,200 full time office workers.

The recent “Productivity in the Workplace” study commissioned by Fellowes found respondents feel the key to productivity is making adjustments within the existing workday versus working more hours. Chatty coworkers top the list of productivity killers, with unnecessary meetings, cell phone disruptions and problems with office equipment also on the list. Respondents identify productivity boosters as cutting back on meetings, having more quiet spaces to work, schedule flexibility and more up-to-date technology.

Laura Stack, also known as “The Productivity Pro,” travels the country helping organizations of every size improve their employee and team productivity. She shares the following tips to help people make the most of their hours in the office so they can get back to business.

1. Give disruptions the boot. Resist the urge to constantly check email and turn off email notifications. Put your cell phone on airplane mode, instant messaging on Do Not Disturb, and let calls go to voice-mail.

2. Speak up. Need something new in the office to help your coworkers and you stay more productive? It never hurts to ask. Office equipment, like printers and shredders, are now being made with advanced technologies that can make your job easier and help you get back to work.

3. Cut down on meetings. Ask yourself if you really need to have a meeting. Can you cover agenda items via email? Cancel meetings if face time isn’t imperative and give colleagues more time to get their jobs done. Also, try to schedule one day a week on your calendar that is meeting-free.

4. Don’t multi-task, single-task. When you do have a meeting, make sure you are 100 percent focused. You don’t want to miss crucial updates and next steps on projects, it will only hurt your productivity later on.

5. Practice “on, in, around, or shred.” Eighty-eight percent of people use paper in the office. Keep items you work with daily on your desk, those you work with weekly in your desk drawers, and those you work with monthly around your desk, in archives, or filing cabin Use an automatic shredder for everything else, like Fellowes’ line of AutoMax shredders, which shred up to 500 sheets of paper at a time with the simple touch of a button –which helps avoid disruptions.

6. Break it down. If you have trouble getting started with a big task, break it into smaller chunks. Ask yourself, “What is the next action step I need to take to see progress on this project?” Then set a timer, leap into action, and focus on the next step.

7. Vary activities. For mental and physical alertness, vary sitting activities with standing ones, mental activities with physical ones. It will help prevent fatigue and keep your efficiency high.

8. Put some fun into your work. Turn boring tasks into a game. Make a deal with yourself that when you complete the activity, you will do something fun afterward – like taking a walk or having a piece of chocolate. By creating internal enthusiasm, you can stay focused longer.

9. Change of scenery. Try to work in a different setting once a week. Whether you work from home, the library, or a nearby park, new surroundings can inspire ideas and give you the energy you need to tackle your to-do list.

To learn more about Laura Stack and the “Productivity in the Workplace” study, visit www.fellowes.com or www.TheProductivityPro.com.

(BPT) – If you feel like you’re working more, but getting less done, you’re not alone. Employees are working an average of 44 hours per week, of which only 29 were considered to be productive, according to a new survey of 1,200 full time office workers.

The recent “Productivity in the Workplace” study commissioned by Fellowes found respondents feel the key to productivity is making adjustments within the existing workday versus working more hours. Chatty coworkers top the list of productivity killers, with unnecessary meetings, cell phone disruptions and problems with office equipment also on the list. Respondents identify productivity boosters as cutting back on meetings, having more quiet spaces to work, schedule flexibility and more up-to-date technology.

Laura Stack, also known as “The Productivity Pro,” travels the country helping organizations of every size improve their employee and team productivity. She shares the following tips to help people make the most of their hours in the office so they can get back to business.

1. Give disruptions the boot. Resist the urge to constantly check email and turn off email notifications. Put your cell phone on airplane mode, instant messaging on Do Not Disturb, and let calls go to voice-mail.

2. Speak up. Need something new in the office to help your coworkers and you stay more productive? It never hurts to ask. Office equipment, like printers and shredders, are now being made with advanced technologies that can make your job easier and help you get back to work.

3. Cut down on meetings. Ask yourself if you really need to have a meeting. Can you cover agenda items via email? Cancel meetings if face time isn’t imperative and give colleagues more time to get their jobs done. Also, try to schedule one day a week on your calendar that is meeting-free.

4. Don’t multi-task, single-task. When you do have a meeting, make sure you are 100 percent focused. You don’t want to miss crucial updates and next steps on projects, it will only hurt your productivity later on.

5. Practice “on, in, around, or shred.” Eighty-eight percent of people use paper in the office. Keep items you work with daily on your desk, those you work with weekly in your desk drawers, and those you work with monthly around your desk, in archives, or filing cabin Use an automatic shredder for everything else, like Fellowes’ line of AutoMax shredders, which shred up to 500 sheets of paper at a time with the simple touch of a button –which helps avoid disruptions.

6. Break it down. If you have trouble getting started with a big task, break it into smaller chunks. Ask yourself, “What is the next action step I need to take to see progress on this project?” Then set a timer, leap into action, and focus on the next step.

7. Vary activities. For mental and physical alertness, vary sitting activities with standing ones, mental activities with physical ones. It will help prevent fatigue and keep your efficiency high.

8. Put some fun into your work. Turn boring tasks into a game. Make a deal with yourself that when you complete the activity, you will do something fun afterward – like taking a walk or having a piece of chocolate. By creating internal enthusiasm, you can stay focused longer.

9. Change of scenery. Try to work in a different setting once a week. Whether you work from home, the library, or a nearby park, new surroundings can inspire ideas and give you the energy you need to tackle your to-do list.

To learn more about Laura Stack and the “Productivity in the Workplace” study, visit www.fellowes.com or www.TheProductivityPro.com.

Charles Silberman, aka silberma1976, is a physical education & health teacher as well as a Fiverr Super Seller. He develops teaching curriculums and contributes regularly to local, national, and industry publications. SPAM. Any way you look at that word, there is nothing positive that comes to mind. In the Victorian era, telegrams were used to […]

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(BPT) – Eva Wallace never enlisted in the U.S. military, has never been on active duty and never endured life-altering injuries protecting American freedoms. However, as a military spouse she has found another important way to serve our country — advocating for veterans’ rights.

Each February, Wallace and more than 500 other members of The American Legion Family, descend on Capitol Hill, in Washington D.C., to attend a conference to hear from influential speakers and meet with Congressional representatives and their staff. American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) members share and discuss pressing issues and legislation that affects veterans and their families, including increasing support of homeless veterans, upholding and expanding the advancements made by the GI Bill and improving Veterans Affairs hospital care for veterans in need. Members of the Auxiliary also appear alongside The American Legion before a Joint Session of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans Affairs to advocate for key issues and promote accountability for legislative actions.

“The military community is constantly evolving and changing, so the veteran community is changing along with it. Returning from the conference, members are armed with new information on important issues that we can share with those who are interested in making a difference in the lives of veterans,” says Wallace, whose husband served for 24 years in the U.S. Coast Guard. “We return to our communities ready to shine a light on the true veteran experience.”

Last year, ALA advocacy helped preserve many important veterans’ services, including programs for disabled veterans and veterans’ widows. They also played a role in helping make care for veterans more accessible, especially for those who live hundreds of miles from their Veteran Affairs medical facility. Recognizing the important role military families play in supporting servicemen and women, the ALA also focused on enhancing resources that support them.

With each conference attendees tackle new challenges and define annual priorities. In 2016, members learned how to encourage local involvement in veterans’ issues, generated awareness of national memorials honoring veterans and raised $110,000 for the Auxiliary Emergency Fund, providing disaster relief for ALA members. In 2017, ALA has programs in place to commemorate the anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and to help establish a National World War I Memorial.

“The conference encourages important conversations with policymakers and explores new ways to collaborate and promote the mission of the ALA,” says Carol Harlow, director of the ALA Washington, D.C office. “When members depart Washington, D.C. they leave feeling empowered, inspired and ready for new challenges.”

The ALA is the world’s largest women’s patriotic service organization and one of the nation’s most prominent supporters of veterans’ rights. The nonpartisan organization, founded in 1919, helps to advance the mission of The American Legion and provides service to veterans, military and their families. Working in tandem with The American Legion, the ALA has a record of creating meaningful change and has been instrumental in protecting the rights of those who have served. From helping to draft the GI Bill with The American Legion in 1944 to championing the formation of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in 1989, The American Legion Family has been pivotal in advancing legislation that improves the quality of life for our veterans and their families.

The ALA encourages non-military members to also get involved. To learn more about the legislative bills the ALA supports visit: legion.capwiz.com/legion/issues/bills/.