Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Ouch – I just got notice from my insurance carrier that that our premiums are going up over $620 a month for next year for our small family business and that is only for two families. I heard that another small business owner with 4 families was given notice that their premiums are going a whopping $2,000 a month. This increase on top of that a recession that is hurting most small business with lower cash flow with little or no recovery for next year on the horizon.
What are w
e to do? Do we raise our deductibles to $5,000 or so? Do we make our employees pay more? Are we forced to drop coverage altogether and pay what fines may be imposed by the government? Do we go out of business? Do we eliminate jobs to help cover the costs? How will the average family cope with the added costs? These are tough questions that almost all business are being forced to deal with THIS YEAR.
As I look at this from a family business point of view, I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I need to have my family covered, but I need to increase our income in a very tough environment or lower expenses or a combination. I believe that every small business or self employed person are being forced to answer these very tough questions – Most businesses plan ahead for 3 to 5 years – but now many small businesses are trying to figure out how to pay the bills this month or the next 3 months to stay in business. Until we get a handle on this very important issue in my opinion very little hiring will happen in 2010 and perhaps into 2011.
What are we doing to solve this problem? We are looking at the following.
- Try to find some type of Co-op in order to reduce costs and stay at our current coverage.
- Increase our deductibles (to catastrophic coverage) and pray that nothing happens
- Open up some type of (health savings plan) to help pay for the small health related day to day expenses.
- Get and stay healthy – develop a plan that is workable for each family which may include:
- Taking supplements – I like a product that helps the whole body like mangosteen – I have found a good web site www.experience-mangosteen.com
- Learn how to treat small health issues at home when you can
- Develop a eating and exercise plan that a family can follow.
I would be interested to learn what other self-employed or small business owners are doing. So we all can learn together.
Domestic violence: How does this relate to Locksmithing? I will tell a brief true story. Several years ago I lived in a small town in central Illinois. I worked with a young woman who was mistreated by her live in boyfriend. He was physically and verbally abusive. She pressed charges and he was arrested for domestic battery and was being kept in the county jail. She had an order of protection order placed against him while he was in jail. After work one evening she returned home and found him in her apartment. He still had a copy of the key. Before she returned home he had filled the bath tub and was going to drown her. Thankfully a close friend of hers had been trying to call her and after several attempts, contacted the police and he was not able to finish with what he intended.
This could have been avoided by having her locks re-keyed. It certainly would have made it more difficult for him to get into her home. Remember order of protections and restraining orders are a good idea to help protect people, but they are only paper. Make sure that your locks are working properly, that you know who has keys. If you have a security system, use it. It would not hurt to have some sort of self defense equipment inside your home, such as pepper spray, personal alarms, stun gun. Of course all personal defense products should be kept out of reach of children, but in a place that you can get to in a hurry. www.locksnmore.com offers home re-keying and other locksmith services at the best prices you can find. We also have aligned ourselves with a company that specializes in personal security and safety products. See our web site for more information on Locks-N-More, and visit our product pages.
Be aware and be safe.
Last week I received a call from my oldest daughter. She returned home from an outing to find that the back door was unlocked. She did not know if she forgot to lock it or not. She said that when she entered some things were out of place. I told her to get out and call the police. The police did a walk through of the home and luckily found no one. And nothing was missing.
This is a strong message. If you think something is wrong don’t take a chance. My daughter was lucky that there was no one in the home when she entered. Make sure that your locks are in good operating condition and use them. Your locks are your first line of defense. Know who has keys and that no one has lost them. If you can not account for all of your keys. I would strongly recommend that you have the home Re-Keyed. If you have a similar story, or just a question or comment. Please reply.
Have a safe day
Tags: http://www.locksnmore.com/home-owners/
Are you the next victim? A burglary takes place in the U.S. every 14.6 seconds according to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program Crime Clock.
Did you know: Most burglars work alone and tend to probe a neighborhood looking for the right residence and the right opportunity. Burglaries occur when there are obvious signs that no one is home. Most criminals are looking for things that are small, expensive, and can easily be converted to cash. Items like money, blank checks & account details, jewelry, guns, watches, laptop computers, and other small electronic devices are high on the list. If you don’t know how many keys to your home other people have it is a very good idea to have your home re-keyed by a professional locksmith.
The following are 10 simple tips for Protecting Your Home and Property.
- Lock your door and windows. Always check and lock the door that connects the house to the garage. Burglars know that specific door is frequently left unlocked.
- Make sure you house has a lived-in look when you leave for the day and especially if you go out of town;
- Use a $9.00 plug-in light timer on one or more lamps.
- Don’t let newspapers or mail accumulate when you’re away.
- Put thorny shrubs under/around your windows, especially outside children’s rooms.
- Have an American Flag outside and visible. Burglars often believe a flag displayed means a gun owner lives there.
- Display a “Warning – Guard Dog” sign even if you don’t have a dog.
- Leave a stereo or clock radio playing at moderate volume during the day or evening when you are away.
- Clearly display burglar alarm decals and yard signs.
- Always draw shades and curtains when you leave the home.
- Be aware and watchful in rental or multi-family communities of who strangers move in with neighbors
- The single most effective tool is to have a no-hassle home Security System that is affordable and reliable.
Go to www.locksnmore.com for more information.
You pull out of your driveway and are heading to work and all of a sudden you feel this bump, bump, bump and you know you have a flat tire. It’s on a busy street and you know that you should not drive on a flat tire for very long and you pull over. You say – hey I have roadside assistance – I don’t have to do anything because in less than 45 minutes the work can be done for me and it won’t cost me anything. Or you’re at the mall shopping and the car won’t start. No problems; I have roadside assistance I will be on the road again in a snap. Or I just passed a gas station that I should have stopped but didn’t; the car starts to sputter and I know I ran out of gas – NO problem I have roadside assistance and soon I will have enough gas to get back to the gas station for a fill up. Or you lock your keys in the car and need help – NO problem I have roadside assistance and help is on the way.
Road side assistance can save the day for you. It is a great service and every family should have it. Every city has a number of vendors that will take care of you. Most are timely, professional, and will work in 100 degree weather, snow storms, rainy days and 24/7 just to make your day a little easier.
BE KIND TO THAT PROVIDER – Here is what you may not know. Most 
of the people that serve you are independent of the road clubs that you are a member. Each one has to pay taxes, pay for fuel, maintain the vehicles, and carry insurance. These cost really impact this lower margin service and these independent service providers count on as many calls a day as possible to make a decent wage. The next time you need help and they serve you well, treat them with kindness and respect like you would any other service people. When waiters, bell hops, hair stylists and many other service providers do a good job – they get a tip. If you get good services from a roadside tech why not tip the driver as a thank you. Often the job they do is far more risky than others that serve you.
Consumers in nearly every city in the U.S. are warned to beware of individuals posing as locksmiths who perform unnecessary work or charge exorbitant un-locking fees. The Associated Locksmiths of America, Inc. (ALOA), an international association of locksmith and physical security professionals, recently issued an official warning for major cities across the US.
“This scheme entices locked-out consumers with large Yellow Pages ads that give the impression you are calling a local business,” says ALOA’s Executive Director, David M. Lowell, CAE, CML. “These companies manipulate listings with multiple false addresses and phone numbers to make them seem like a neighborhood businesses. In actuality, the victims frequently are calling out-of-state operations that are not locksmith companies at all. The consumer is quoted a reasonable price over the phone, but when a person posing as a locksmith finishes the job, the victim is charged a considerable amount more for unnecessary and sub-standard work”.
Legitimate local locksmith like Locks-N-More are being pushed out of business and the public is being ripped off by those large companies that dominate the internet and yellow pages.
Here is how this works –
For example we got a call from a person asking what we charge to unlock a car because he claimed that his girl friend was charged $200. He gave his girl friend his credit card number for her to use to pay someone to unlock her car. She called one of those that advertised cheap car door unlocking services. She talked to a dispatcher and they told her over the phone that it is $19 service call plus $15 to open. They arrived in a unmarked car with no uniform he opened the car then told her it was harder to open and charged her $200. She paid it because she thought she had to. After he left she looked at a generic invoice and noticed it did not have a locksmith name or phone numbers and saw the lower amount on the invoice. Making it harder for her or her boy friend to contact them to complaint or report them to authorities.
A legitimate locksmith will charge you a flat rate of between $40 and $60 d
epending on the time of day and location. They will arrive in clearly marked vehicles with company phone numbers and web page on the invoices with contact information. Protect yourself and search out a legitimate locksmith and save their number in your cell phone in case you need help in the future.
Tags: http://www.locksnmore.com/
Do you have a new home with old locks?
It’s a great feeling when you are handed the keys to your new home. However, ask yourself the following questions:
- Who else has a key to my home?
- Do I know how many sets of keys the previous owners had given to friends and neighbors?
- How secure am I in my new home?
During the sales process – realtors, inspectors, potential buyers and workmen have access to your new home keys. Also, did you know that builders will often use a “Control Key System” that might change one or two pins in the lock creating what they call a “new” key for the home owners? That “Control Key System” may not be as secure as you think and the builders are asking you to trust them
Why take a chance? – the cost of Re-Keying your home or business is not very high compared to some one entering your home with your key and taking personal and valuable possessions.
If you have recently purchased a home or rented an apartment or you purchased a home that was foreclosed, or through a quick sales then you need to protect your home, family, or business by Re-Keying.
Researchers have discovered and classified approximately 200 xantones, and about 47 are found in one fruit called Mangosteen. Xanthones are some of the most potent antioxidants known. It is thought to be more potent than both Vitamin C and Vitamin E. In fact, many doctors refer to xanthones as “Super Antioxidants”
Antioxidant Power of Xanthones
A powerful antioxidant, xanthones are a family of vigorous phytonutrients. Research supports the role of xanthones in minor muscle pain, immune system support, joint flexibility and intestinal health.
Previous studies and ongoing research recognize xanthones for the following benefits:
- Anti-Fatigue – Helps boost energy.
- Anti-Inflammatory – Helps prevent and reduce inflammation
- Anti-Aging
- Helps prevent cancer. According to a preliminary study, six xanthones have been found to be capable of killing cancer cells. For instance, one study performed in Japan showed that the xanthone alpha-mangostin had apparent properties that suppressed the development of tumors. Another, performed in China, found the xanthone garcinone E to show significant anticancer effects in terms of liver, lung, and gastric cancer cells.
- In addition, some xanthones have shown significant antimicrobial effects in terms of fighting MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), which is a bacterial strain known for its tenacious resistance to pharmacologic antibiotics. One scientific study also showed that alpha-mangostin, beta-mangostin, and garcinone B to have pronounced inhibition effects on a strain of tuberculosis
- Scientific research has made it abundantly clear that no other fruit compares in its health benefits to mangosteen, due to its xanthones and other nutritional properties.
- Helps lower blood pressure
- Helps lower blood sugar. Many people with type II diabetes have reported that it helps them to regulate their blood sugar levels.
- Helps prevent infections – Bacteria, Microbes, Viruses, Fungus.
- Anti-Diarrheal – In folk medicine, the pericarp of the mangosteen (most potent source of xanthones) has been used for centuries to effectively treat dysentery.
- Anti-Parkinson, Anti-Alzheimer. Helps prevent dementia.
- Anti-allergenic – Helps with allergies
- Eye Care – Helps prevents cataracts and glaucoma
- Helps protect the heart and cardiovascular system
- Anti-Obesity
One Medical Doctor says it best.
“No household should be without this amazing nutritional supplement. Mangosteen fruit is pan systemic, meaning it helps the whole body. Clinical studies have proven xanthones to be anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-ulcer, anti-hepatotoxic, anti-rhinoviral and antiallergic.”
Another resource of powerful information is found at www.experience-mangosteen.com
CHILD DROWNS: A 5 year old drowns in his parent’s unsupervised pool. This does not have to happen – if only we had purchased a pool alarm we may have saved our child, cry the parents.
About 300 children under 5 years old drown yearly in residential swimming pools. The U.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission states that 51,835 deaths are attributed to swimming pools. This commission estimates hospital emergency room treatment is required for another 2,300 children under 5 were submerged in residential pools.
Swimming pool drowning of children has other particularly insidious features: these are silent deaths. It is unlikely that splashing or screaming will occur to alert a parent or caregiver that a child is in trouble. A toddler drowned in June in Anderson, Ind. didn’t wake up those sleeping near the pool, because the child didn’t make any sound.
You don’t really need these statistics to convince you to do everything you can to prevent this from happening to your child or grandchildren.
A few prevention tips
• Never leave a child unsupervised near a pool. During social gatherings at or near a pool, appoint a “designated watcher” to protect young children from pool accidents. Adults may take turns being the “watch’. Otherwise, adults may become pre-occupied and assume someone else is watching the children.
• Do not allow a young child in the pool without an adult.
• Never prop open the gate to the pool.
• Stay out of the pool during rain, thunder, and lightning storms.
• Don’t let long hair get near a pool outlet. The suction can cause hair or body entrapment and drowning.
• Install a Pool Alarm Protector – this protector is an electronic monitoring system that automatically sounds an alarm when children or pets fall into your unsupervised pool. It is portable, self-contained and light weight The unit is simple to operate, entry into the pool will be detected by the Pool Protector’s electronic sensor, triggering a loud pulsating alarm at the unit and inside your home from the remote receiver.
Rated as one of the “Best Pool Alarms” by Good Housekeeping Magazine – Certified to ASTM F2208-08 and a 3 year manufacturer warranty. For about $159.00 (discounted price) you just might save an injury, or even death from accidental drowning in an unsupervised pool.
SWIMMING POOL ALERT!!
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission states that 51,835 deaths are attributed to swimming pools. About 300 children under 5 years old drown yearly in residential swimming pools. The commission also estimates hospital emergency room treatment is required for another 2,300 children under 5 were submerged in residential pools.
You don’t really need these statistics to convince you to do everything you can to prevent this from happening to your child or grandchildren.
A few prevention tips:
• Never heave a child unsupervised near a pool. During social gatherings at or near a pool, appoint a “designated watcher” to protect young children from pool accidents. Adults may take turns being the “watch’. Otherwise, adults may become pre-occupied and assume someone else is watching the children.
• Do not allow a young child in the pool without an adult.
• Never prop open the gate to the pool.
• Stay out of the pool during lightning storms.
• Don’t let long hair get near a pool outlet. The suction can cause hair or body entrapment and drowning.
• Install a Pool Alarm Protector – this protector is an electronic monitoring system that automatically sounds an alarm when children or pets fall into your unsupervised pool. It is portable, self-contained and light weight The unit is simple to operate, entry into the pool will be detected by the Pool Protector’s electronic sensor, triggering a loud pulsating alarm at the unit and inside your home from the remote receiver.
For about $159.00 you just might save an injury, or even death from accidental drowning in an unsupervised pool.
Poolside Alarm
e to do? Do we raise our deductibles to $5,000 or so? Do we make our employees pay more? Are we forced to drop coverage altogether and pay what fines may be imposed by the government? Do we go out of business? Do we eliminate jobs to help cover the costs? How will the average family cope with the added costs? These are tough questions that almost all business are being forced to deal with THIS YEAR.
