Making Security Pay

Investments in security initiatives can produce a measurable return-on-investment (ROI). For example, a building owner might hire a security team to protect a portfolio of developments. As soon as security officers enter the scene, "General liability exposure is reduced for owners," says Joe Marcello, executive vice president of national operations with IPC International Corp. in Bannockburn, Ill. Consequently, corporate profits may increase in the form of lower insurance premiums and lower maintenance costs, as patrolling officers can dim the lights and make sure the heat and air conditioning are reduced after hours.

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Buildings (03/10) Fickes, Michael

12 Simple Steps Business Owners Can Take to Avoid Burnout

Many people experience burnout at some point in their lives. Business owners and the self-employed are even more likely to fall prey to burnout because the buck stops with them. If you feel as if you are starting to burn out here are some things you can do to avoid it.

1. Take care of #1. If you are run down, you will burn out faster. Make sure you get enough sleep, eat right, exercise and de-stress on a regular basis.

2. Make the time to do nothing! We all need to take time to relax, refresh and replenish. Don’t keep pushing yourself. Keep regular business hours and take breaks during your workday. Make sure to schedule in time off and vacations on a regular basis. You will come back with a fresh outlook and perspective.

3. Get back in touch with the things you value. Is your work fulfilling and meaningful for you? If not, check in with your values. What is missing? Where are you compromising? What needs to be eliminated? What are you merely tolerating? Re-assess and re-adjust your priorities as needed. If you work for yourself, you are in control. Make the choices you want to make by honoring what is important for you.

4. Think out of the box and challenge yourself consistently. If work has become a chore or you are in a rut, try spicing things up a bit! Find innovative ways to do mundane tasks, create new products or services to add to your offering, improve performance, or tweak what you do best and make it even better.

5. Establish realistic expectations for what you can and cannot accomplish. If you find that you’re driving yourself or your employees too hard it may be time to let go of unrealistic expectations and readjust. Shorten your to-do list, give yourself some slack when needed and know when to let up on yourself and others.

6. Learn how to communicate clearly. Resolve conflicts, don’t run from them. Let people know what you expect from them, and ask them what they expect from you. Be clear and concise with what you say, and how you say it. Listen closely to the people around you, it will teach them to listen closely to you.

7. Manage your time. Poor time management is another thing we do that leads to burnout. Set regular business hours. Make appointments with yourself to get things done – and keep them! Being on time counts, show up promptly for appointments and expect others to do the same.

8. Stop blaming yourself or others. If you are playing the “woulda, coulda, shoulda” game, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate your attitude. Blaming yourself or others for things that have gone wrong doesn’t help. What does? Learn from your experiences and make changes to ensure that you get the results you want the next time.

9. Value yourself by establishing boundaries and limits. Learn how to do it in a way that is clear and consistent. Don’t give away too much of your time. Let people know your policies and procedures. Be up front with what is acceptable and what is not. Learn how to say no.

10. Deal with your emotions. Keeping your feelings inside usually leads to trouble. If you are feeling any kind of negative emotion, don’t deny it. Instead, learn how to acknowledge your feelings, be up front with them; and deal with the underlying causes.

11. Laugh, smile and enjoy the ride! Life is too short to worry and be serious all the time. Find ways to make your work fun and enjoyable.

12. Don’t feel embarrassed to ask for help. Everybody needs a little help once in a while. You can’t do everything yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask friends or associates for help, or hire a professional when needed.

Source:  by Susan Martin, Business Sanity

Internet Security 101: What Not to Post on Facebook

A recent survey by Consumer Reports found that more than half of adults who use social networks post information that puts them at risk for identity theft and other cyber crimes.

What is risky information? According to Consumer Reports users should immediately stop:

Using a weak password. Avoid simple names or words, mix upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols and ideally your password should be 8 characters.

Listing a full birthdate. Listing a full birthdate makes you an easy target for identity thieves, who can use your birth date to obtain more personal information and potentially gain access to your bank and credit card accounts.

Overlooking usefull privacy controls. Facebook users can limit access for almost everything that is posted on a profile, including photos and family information. Leave out contact info, such as phone number and home address.

Posting a child'd name in a caption. Don’t use a child's name in photo tags or captions. If someone else does, delete it by clicking "Remove Tag." If a child isn't on Facebook and someone includes his or her name in a caption, ask that person to remove the name.

Mentioning being away from home. Doing so is like putting a "no one's home" sign on the door. Be vague about the dates of vacations or trips.

Being found by a search engine. To help prevent strangers from accessing a profile, go to the Search section of Facebook's privacy controls and select "Only Friends for Facebook" search results. Be sure the box for Public Search isn’t checked.

Permitting youngsters to use Facebook unsupervised. If there's a young child or teenager in the household who uses Facebook, Consumer Reports recommends that an adult in the same household should become one of their online friends and use their e-mail as the contact for the account in order to receive notification and monitor activity.

Source: by Alex Pham, LATimes.com

Home Safety Precautions to Keep in Mind While on Vacation This Summer

With the summer months approaching it is very important to keep security measures in mind when leaving for vacation. According to the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association summer months, particularly July and August are prime time for home burglaries with many families gone on vacation. With many homes occupied less frequently during summer months, many households become easy targets for those looking to gain entry. In order to thwart thieves take measures to secure your home and also make it look “lived in” while away. Strong deadbolts and locks are always a helpful deterrent as well as keeping grass, trees, and other landscaping trimmed in front and backyards. Also consider the use of a home alarm system as a great deterrent to keep unwanted visitors from your house while on vacation.

Source: Greenwood Index Journal

QUOTE: "A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him " - David Brinkley