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Posts Tagged ‘Business’
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
 Recently, a friend of mine told me a story that I thought I would pass along. He and his family were sound asleep in their beds when they were abruptly awoken to their home security system in full panic mode. All of the sudden, he was forced to be at his most alert state and ready to defend his family from the foe that tripped his alarm. When you have kids, the idea of staying behind your locked bedroom door to see what the police find when they get there is not really an option. His first thought was to get to his children and he was practically racing his wife to their rooms. Your safety often takes a backseat when you are faced with the need to protect your helpless children from harm. So, he and his wife get to their kids and then… well, I will finish this story a little later in my post.
The point is, this story really got me thinking. In my home, I feel secure and at ease and this is the type of situation that can make you feel like your “peace of mind” is not truly warranted. It also made me realize all of the other areas in life where people have a false sense of security. Now, this is not meant to scare anyone. That is not my desire. However, it’s meant to educate and inform you of the right questions to ask to make sure you are dealing with a company that keeps your security in mind.
A few years ago, the City of Houston implemented a towing program to help to clear the roads of accidents faster. Many cities around the US incorporated similar programs and were met with success and controversy all at the same time. One of the concerns that arose was regarding the Towing Companies that were chosen by the city to clear these accidents. Many of the cities that ran this program did not do proper background checks, insurance checks and licensing checks on these companies. These tow truck drivers had access to your vehicle, your personal information and often would have to escort you and your family to a different destination. It was found that many of them were not licensed, had no insurance and in many cases had extensive criminal backgrounds. This is not the type of situation that your city should put you in. Many of these programs are no longer in existence due to the problems that occurred. One way to avoid this is to work with companies that can provide proof of background checks, proof of insurance and proper licensing. And as always, when in doubt…ASK. It’s your right to know and their obligation to provide that information.
In my industry, it’s a shame how many people just trust their personal packages with companies that don’t do background checks, are not bonded, licensed, follow OSHA compliance or even check to make sure their drivers are insured. These packages are obviously important and time sensitive and in so many cases, never make it to their destination. The sad part is that the sender or the receiver can’t do much about it. This is an easy situation to avoid. Companies like my Houston Courier Service, can provide the proof you need to feel secure about your packages. Any company you work with should have this proof readily available to give you the peace of mind you need to feel that your belongings are safe when out of your hands. Paying a dollar or two more for a delivery from someone who has gone through the process of making sure your packages are safe is a no-brainer in my opinion.
Now, in a more personal area…your home. This is the area where you need to be the most alert. Work with companies that are in good standing with the Better Business Bureau. Work with companies that your friends can refer to you. You are letting people that you don’t know in to your private home and around your family. This includes your yard company, your cable company, your appliance company, repairs, carpet cleaning, etc… Be smart about who you let in to your home and be sure to stay on your toes the entire time they are there. Keep notice of all activity and don’t leave them in a room alone. Stay aware and stay safe and work with companies that have the safety and security of their customers as a top priority.
Now, to get back to the story of my friend and his tripped alarm in the middle of the night. After some discussions with the Security monitoring service and a little investigation, it turns out that a house fly was their “foe” ready to cause harm to the family. Apparently, that little fly flew right in front of their very sensitive motion detectors and the rest is history. The family is safe and got a good laugh out of the whole thing, but I can’t say the same for that poor house fly.
Until Next Time,
Eric
Tags: Business, courier service, Safety, security
Posted in Family, Safety | No Comments »
Monday, August 3rd, 2009
There are plenty of things in the news these days about the environment and the “green” movement. Energy costs have been rising over the last few years and there are new taxes that will give every business a reason to consider the environment a bit more and try to become more efficient. Successfully reducing the energy use in your company and in your home demands a commitment from everyone. Not only will you help the environment, but you will also save some money. The tips and tricks I’ve laid out below are just a start – scratching the surface of the many steps that can be taken to cut back on energy use. And, there is no reason these can’t be incorporated at your home as well as the work place.
 So, here we go…
1. Raise the Thermostat, Turn off the Water and Change the Lightbulbs - These are simple and probably the most basic of changes that anyone can incorporate. Raise the Thermostat: Trust me, I know that it’s hot in the summer – I live in Houston and I’m very aware of how humid and hot things get in the middle of August. But, your body can adjust to slight changes in temperature relatively easily. Turning the air up so that it’s not running all of the time will lower the bills and total energy usage. Make a plan to raise the temperature 3-5 degrees from it’s current position. Do one degree a week and by the time you get to your goal, your body will be used to the change. If you think it’s hot inside, just go outside for an hour. That will give you some perspective. Turn off the Water: Do you turn the water on and walk off to do something else? Do you keep the water running while you brush your teeth or stand in a shower for 20 minutes trying to wake up? Why? Turn it off – lower your water intake and again, you will help the environment and your pocketbook. Change the LightBulbs – The lightbulbs of the past are exactly that. So, get some Energy Smart light bulbs to replace your current bulbs. They are more expensive, but they save on electricity costs, use less energy and are overall better for the environment. Less wattage and longer lasting…it’s worth it and it’s easy.
2. Printers – How much do you use your printer? Are you printing things that eventually get thrown away or tossed in a drawer? These days, with the ease of 3rd party data storage and computer back up procedures, the printer is not the necessary machine as in years past. Of course we still need a printer for some things, but just think before you print. Anyone who knows me or gets emails from me has seen the bottom of my emails… “Please consider the environment before printing this email.”
3. Turn it off – Did you know that lighting accounts for 44% of the monthly electricity usage at office buildings? When you leave a room, turn the light off. And, utilize natural light when you can. At the end of the day, turn all computers, lights, copy machines, printers, etc.. off. Don’t forget the power strips they are attached to. Also, during the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. And so you know, screen savers don’t save energy. Make this a habit and it won’t even phase you. The machines will last longer and the energy usage will decrease.
4. Recycle - This can be done at home or at work. It truly helps and it does not take a big change to incorporate recycling procedures. Place recycling bins in each office, next to the printers, in the break rooms, etc… At home, have a regular trash can and a recycle trash can. Be sure to place a sign next to the bins with what can be recycled and what can’t. Saving the Earth one can at a time – seems impossible, but every bit helps.
5. Consider who you do business with – My final tip for the day will include a courier service example. Considering I own a Houston Courier Service, this is an area I am educated in and can speak about. The easiest way for me to give an example of energy saving and environmentally smart decisions is to give you a quick example of how working with a company like Hot Shot Delivery to deliver your packages vs. a different company can be good for the environment.
First, a little information….each person has a carbon footprint. According to Wikipedia, a carbon footprint is “the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product” – their individual drain of energy on the environment. Finding out your carbon footprint and then learning ways to reduce it is a great step towards embracing a “greener” life.
Ok, so back to my example – Let’s say that you are in Downtown Houston and need to deliver a package to The Woodlands (approx. 30 minutes away). By working with Hot Shot Delivery, chances are good that you are not the only one that needs a package delivered there. So, your package jumps in with a few other packages making that trip. And, when the driver gets to the destination, he may have a few other packages to pick up in that area to bring back to Downtown Houston. All of these packages, on one trip – lowers YOUR carbon footprint. When you work with a company that is larger with more clients, you do have that benefit. Now, I’m not saying there is anything wrong with working with small companies. However, in this example – the larger company can lower the burden on the environment by lumping several deliveries together to save gas, emissions and more.
Thanks for your efforts at “going green” and be sure to send in more examples of simple ways to reduce your impact on our environment.
Until Next Time,
Eric
Tags: Business, courier service, Environment, go green, green movement, greener, to do list
Posted in Environment | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 8th, 2009
I recently had surgery on my shoulder and have been out of commission for the last week or so. Can’t trust my blogging on pain killers, so I decided to take a break to let the healing begin. But, I’m back and have tons to share with the world.
While sitting at home healing, I ran across an old article in Money magazine that got me thinking about what I would label as good uses of your money. The current economy has most people thinking of ways to be smart with their money and not wasteful. Being smart with your money does not mean not spending any of it…it means making the right decisions that will pay off for you financially, for your career or for your future. None of these ideas will make you rich, but they may be able to provide lower risk and a higher probability of success. That’s what I call smart. Most of these ideas are related to your money and your family. It’s by no means the only thing to do with your money, but it’s a start.
5 Things To Do With Your Money:
1. Automate – Your financial life, that is. Don’t rely on your emotions or your memory to put aside money each month towards your investments. Things get put off or moved down the list when you make them a manual action. Contact your bank or your broker to have monthly investments routed from your account each month…automatically. Make investing an afterthought by taking the thought out of it. Do the same thing for all of your monthly bills. It will make life easier, I promise. And, you will never pay late fees again or waste time each month managing the bills and investing. This leaves you more time to do the things that generate profit or income.
2. Every Penny Counts - Get a jar, a bucket, a big cup, whatever…and make a pact with your family to put all stray coins there. Pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, all of it goes in the jar. Do this for six months and then bring it to a bank that has a coin sorter. Now, for the boring part , don’t spend it. Yes, I said don’t spend it. Open a savings account and put the money there. Let it earn interest as you determine what you will want it to pay for in the future. It’s easy to save hundreds of dollars each year (if not more) effortlessly. This money can eventually pay for a big family vacation, a college education, paying down high-interest debt, etc… The possibilities are endless and the process is fun for the whole family. Kids really get in to this and it’s a great outing when you go to the bank to find out how much the family saved TOGETHER.
3. Invest in College - I can’t stress enough the importance of sending your kids to college. In today’s world, the competition is fierce and the jobs are limited. Save the money, borrow the money, whatever it takes – make sure they go to college. College graduates make 80% more than non-graduates over their lifetime. This adds up to a cool million over their lifetime. Now, that’s a good use of your money.
4. Know your credit score - This is a really important number to know. It can prevent or facilitate the purchase of necessary things in life. Having a bad credit score can haunt you for years and years. Get a reporting agency to give you the credit report for all three bureaus. It will cost you some money, but you will have the number and be able to fix any problem issues before it’s too late. And, many times, mistakes are made and your credit report has someone else’s problems on it. This can take years to fix if you don’t take action quickly. So, please spend the $50 and get a good idea of where things stand in your credit world.
5. Push the limits – Max out your 401(k). Yes, the market is rocky, but it’s still a good place to put your money to invest in your future. Determine your riskyness through your age and the closeness to retirement. Keep things a little more conservative if you can’t afford to have too much fluctuation. Either way, many companies provide 401(k) matching programs, which is free money to you. Take advantage of it and max out your contributions. Putting a few dollars in each month can turn in to thousands of dollars when it comes time to retire. It’s worth pinching the pennies now to have security later in life.
That’s about it for me for this week. I’m finally back at my Houston Courier Service this week and am very busy trying to catch up. I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July holiday. Let me know if you have any other great ideas for your money.
Until Next Time,
Eric
Tags: 401k, Business, college, education, Family, Money, Savings
Posted in Business | No Comments »
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