New year's Eve Birthday

I've always loved my birthday, especially because it falls on New Year's Eve. Friends used to tell me that it must have been rough to have my birthday so close to Christmas.

Nah...

It's great. I still receive cool presents, everyone celebrates on my day, and I'm very fiscally dated. PLUS...our family gives a birthday week, so I can use it over a two year period!

It's also a great time to reflect on the past year and count our blessings. We are all fortunate to live in a country where we are allowed to state our views freely, to be able to make a living doing what we want, and to raise our families free from oppression.Who could ask for better gifts than that?

Happy New Year!

Dan

Little Things Mean A Lot...

Mother Teresa said, "We are not called to do great things. We are called to do little things with great love."That favorite quote of mine came to mind this morning at my Rotary meeting. During our "Happy Bucks" segment, a fellow Rotarian (Tom) told the story of an employee (Steve) of his who had lost valuable memorabilia from his high school basketball days.

It seems that during our recent flooding, water got in his basement and ruined a video album that included memorable clips from his playing career.Tom went on to recount that somehow word got out and a fellow Rotarian named Michele took action. She had been a cheerleader at the time and also had a copy of this album, so she graciously gave Steve her copy, feeling that it was more valuable to him. Tom's "happy buck" was in recognition of this kind act. Michele also received a small cake as a gift of gratitude as Tom works for a grocery store!

Here is a wonderful example of a "little thing" done with great love. These small acts of charity may not seem significant in the big picture, but I believe in the grand scheme of things, they are simply huge. It makes you wonder what would happen if we all strive to do more "little things" with great love in 2008. My guess is our corner of the world, and maybe the world itself, will be much improved for it.Happy New Year!

Dan

It's a Wonderful Life

“No man is a failure, who has friends”.

These simple words written inside an old beat-up copy of “Tom Sawyer” that were presented to George Bailey speak volumes to us. If you’re at all familiar with the Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, you remember Clarence the Guardian Angel giving this present to Stewart’s character at the end of the movie. George Bailey had just been shown what life would have been like for his family and friends had he not been born. He came to find out that even though times were tough, he had led a life that impacted countless others.

I love this movie because it truly shows the value of each person. We all create a ripple effect in the world; impacting people around us in so many ways. Regardless of our vocation, the size of our family, or where we live, we are blessed to be able to touch someone else, even without knowing it. You might be a youth coach, a business associate, or even a supportive voice in difficult times. You play an important role to your family and friends and they in return play a great role to you.

Last Saturday, my wife Barb and I went out grocery shopping for the Christmas basket that out local St. Vincent DePaul Society puts together for needy families. It’s one of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season. We certainly don’t know the family of four we just provided Christmas dinner for, or why they are in the situation they are in. It doesn’t matter. What we come away with is the knowledge that in a very small way, we were able to give of ourselves that someone might be better off. It reminded me a little of another Christmas favorite, “A Christmas Carol”, when Ebeneezer Scrooge sends the prize turkey to the Cratchit family anonymously. “Mankind is our Business’, right?

Take a look at your life. See all the people who have made a difference you as well as those you have impacted. We don’t have the same chance as George Bailey to see what life would have been without us. However, we should always remember how fortunate we are, whether in good or bad times, that we have friends and family that love and care about us. Every day we have chances to be a positive source for someone. Let’s take every opportunity we have to accept those challenges.

After all, it is a wonderful life.

Merry Christmas!

Dan

Two down, three to go!

I just received word that I passed my second leg in the Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designation program. Woo-hoo! That was a tough test for me with all the math that was in it. Probability, statistics, and math analysis have never been my favorite. To all my friends who took the class with me, please let me know how you did. I'm headed for Part 3 in Seattle in May!

Dan

What's Wrong with This Picture?

Yesterday I was driving back from an appointment on a highway that had some road construction. Two hours earlier I had noted two cars pulled over by state patrol; probably receiving the double-fine in a construction zone ticket. Needless to say, I was very wary of obeying the speed limit through that zone on the way back.

The guy behind me obviously didn't know what I knew because he was on my tail all the way through. Of course, I felt redeemed as there was state patrol with a radar gun at the end of the construction zone.

Not a mile after leaving the area, Mr. Speedy decided to blow by me on the highway. I guess he was in a big hurry. The ironic thing was as he sped by me, I caught the window sticker on the back of his commercial vehicle....it said "Give them a break"...the safety sign for construction workers!

Do you know how your drivers are operating your commercial vehicles?

Dan

Is it the Truth?

That’s the first question in the Rotary 4-Way test. Having been a Rotarian for 14 years, I’ve come to lean on that question a lot.

Last week, former Senator George Mitchell produced his expose of the steroid and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) scandal that has rocked Major League Baseball. It named names; big ones. Over the weekend, news came out that one of those players, Andy Pettite admitted to taking HGH. Pettite has been a star pitcher for the New York Yankees and Houston Astros for many years. His name being linked to the scandal was a shock. The fact that he’s “coming clean” is very refreshing.

Mitchell’s report included Pettite for just a few pages and never linked him to steroids. Pettite acknowledges that he only used HGH back in 2000 for two days while recovering from injury. He was injected by the man who also “outed” potential Hall of Famer Roger Clemens. Clemens has been implicated in a much larger role for both steroids and HGH, which has put his once lock solid election into the Hall now in jeopardy.

What’s most refreshing about Pettite is that he didn’t waste any time confirming his use of HGH. At the time, it was not a banned substance, so in his mind he wasn’t breaking any rules. His sole purpose was to re-gain his health more quickly, and he had heard HGH could do this. The fact that he came out so quickly and corroborated the story, pledged his allegiance to the integrity of baseball, and issued no bitterness towards the report makes me believe him. That and the fact that Pettite has always been viewed as an upstanding guy only add credence to his statements.

This is in stark contrast to Clemens, who issued a tersely worded statement through his attorney that he never used steroids. The preponderance of evidence, plus the fact that Pettite’s story links the same trainer, makes one lean towards not believing Clemens. “The Rocket” is at an age that seems inconceivable that he his body has held out as it has. He has struggled with injuries over the past years and it makes one wonder what steps he would take to perhaps be considered the greatest pitcher to ever live. Now, regardless of whether you believe him or not, or whether there is any firm evidence, his name has been tarnished and sits alongside Barry Bonds with a mental asterisk next to it.

I don’t know Roger Clemens to judge his character. My gut feeling is he’s guilty. My gut also tells me Andy Pettite is a stand-up guy who wasted little time facing the music. The fact his name surfaced will quickly subside.

Think about the power of honesty in your world – personal and business. Have you ever dealt with people who have been, let’s say, less than forthright? How has that impacted you? The bottom line is that in the relationship driven world we will always live in, honesty is more than just the best policy. It’s the most important one.

Dan

P.S. Here's another truth...you can save time, money, and frustration when bidding out your insurance. You can have an insurance consultant do the work for you. To learn more about how you can make your renewal easier, click here...

Rainy Days

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we've been hit with devastating floods which closed businesses, destroyed homes, and even shut down a large stretch of Interstate 5 between Seattle and Portland. Stories abounded about businesses that had flooding issues.

One of my clients called concerned about whose policy would cover damage from backup of sewers into the building - the tenant's or landlord's. Our conversation quickly turned to whether coverage for that peril was even in place! Backup of sewer coverage is generally an additional coverage on property policies, but not always. It's one of those bullet points in your proposal that can quickly be glossed over. Now is a great time to review your policy with your agent and ask to see if you have the coverage and for how much. Those that do may find a limits ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 to be standard. Make sure whatever you have is adequate to protect your business. You never know when you will need it for a rainy day!

Dan

P.S. Need to know other important questions to ask your agent? Join me in January when I interview Scott Simmonds and discuss the "7 Questions You Must Ask Your Insurance Agent Today". It is the first of my 2008 Teleconference Series. To find out how you can join, click here...

In Need of Noah's Ark

For the second year in a row, I've been down in Palm Springs when my home state of Washington has been devastated by flooding. I've watched in horror and sadness as many people have had tragedies from the rains and floods. My home is safe and for that I'm thankful. The pictures on the news look straight out of Katrina a few years ago. Let's keep all those adversely affected in our prayers and hope for a quick return to normalcy.

Dan

What's Your Risk Tolerance?

Evel Knievel is dead. If you are my generation or older, you remember the American daredevil icon from the 1960’s and 70’s. It’s surprising my opening statement wasn’t said about Knievel many years go! Knievel just passed away a few days ago at the age of 69 of natural causes.

Knievel was known for attempting huge life-threatening risks, like jumping over the Snake River in Idaho on a motorcycle, or jumping a long row of trucks. Evel understood the risks but his tolerance was more than the average Joe was willing to take. The consequences of his risks were broken bones, a battered body, and potential death. It is surmised that his health challenges in later years were exacerbated by his many injuries.

What’s your risk tolerance for your business? What risks are you willing to self-insure? Have you ever given it much thought? Your business faces many risk exposures on a daily basis. Risks like fire, liability, and employee dishonesty. Based on your financial position, you may be willing to self-insure a larger amount than the average Joe to save some premium dollars. On the other hand, you may not have that luxury and need to have a lower deductible. Regardless of where that limit is, you need to know what it is and set your deductibles accordingly. If you don’t, you’re paying too much for your insurance.

Talk to your agent about risk tolerance. If he or she doesn’t know what you’re talking about, you may need to find another agent. Being an Evel Knievel with your insurance rarely makes sense, unless you are financially able to withstand the blows. If you’re not, your business may be in for a premature demise, too.

Dan

P.S. Need some unbiased advice on just how to determine your risk tolerance? How about if you just want to know if you’re paying too much for insurance or if you’re adequately protected? Join the new Toro Insider today and find out how you can take control of your insurance costs. To learn more, click here…

Who's Number One?

If you are a college football fan like me, you’ve probably been amazed at all the volatility in the BCS standings, especially with the top ranked teams. It seems that on a weekly basis, there has been a major upset and whoever the new #1 and #2 teams are, they have been bounced out by someone else. It happened again this past weekend when Kansas was defeated at home by Missouri, who then claimed the #1 spot themselves. I can’t remember a football season that has been as unpredictable as this one. It makes for a very entertaining time for football fans.

How volatile is your business? Do you go through stretches where things seem topsy-turvy in your world? That may not be as entertaining to you as a college football season. The reality is that change and volatility are part of any business or industry. How you respond to it will decide your success or failure.

The one constant you always have is how well you present your company. Risk positioning is the concept of making your organization as attractive to insurance companies as possible. This will allow you to get the best pricing available and save you MONEY! A great by-product of that is that with better housekeeping and an eye directed at improved risk management, you will have less claims and reduce the hidden costs of those nasty things. It’s a win-win all the way around. Regardless of what’s happening in a volatile insurance marketplace, you will always be positioned for great pricing on your premiums.

Dan

P.S. Need some help with your risk positioning? Let me help you. As a consultant, I will help make your business look beautiful to insurance companies and they will be begging you to take their best offers. Give me a call at 360-697-1058 or e-mail me at dan@toroic.com.

Apple Cup at 100

It's Apple Cup time again, this time for the 100th time. I'm heading to the big game tomorrow to root on my Dawgs with my daughter Kelli. Both teams have struggled this year, but there's no doubt everyone will be up for this one. The pride of our state and schools are on the line.

Go Dawgs!

Dan

The Big Ouch: Blondie’s Best Lesson Saved for Last

“She’s gone.”

Simple words spoken by Dr. Monica as the shot laced with an overdose of anesthesia gently ended the life of our family dog Blondie at 5:15 pm on November 19. We had scheduled this time because we brought Blondie home as a 6-week old puppy on Monday, June 1, 1991 at 5:00 pm. Sort of a fitting end. The 6,016 days in between were full of love, loyalty, and friendship.

I’ve been compiling for some time lessons I’ve learned from Blondie. Maybe I’ll write a book on them because they are lessons we humans can use at any stage of our lives.

The final lesson she taught me through this process is this – we are blessed with gifts and in some cases there is a time to give them back. The reality of letting go and helping a loved one through the dying process is a fact of life. No matter how well you prepare, until you go through it there is a huge unknown. Now, even though every death in our family will be painful and different, Blondie has taught me that it can be done with dignity, courage and love.

Yes, I know she was a dog, not a human. She was also a binding member of our family for 16 years; a common bond of love for not only our immediate family, but our extended one as well. Parents, siblings, and friends have all shared their sorrow with us. In fact, one of my daughters close friends left a bouquet of flowers on our doorstep last night. That’s one of the many gifts pets bring. They can be the “glue” that brings people more closely together Giving back the gifts are painful, yet always with a lesson to be learned. I want to thank all of my friends and family who have wished us their condolences. Each one is special and appreciated.

Finally, I want to especially thank the wonderful people at Poulsbo Animal Clinic, especially Dr. Monica and her assistant. The opportunity to say farewell to your pet in the privacy of your own home is something I can’t say enough about. Blondie hated going to the vet and this way it was just like having visitors to the house. No other people, no sterile environment; just peacefully passing away at home with your family by your side. Isn’t that the way we would all want to go?

Dan

The Gettysburg Address - November 19, 1863

Today is the 144th anniversary of one of the greatest, if not greatest, speeches ever delivered. It's short...for you fellow Toastmasters, it's about the length of a Table Topics. But its powerful. In honor of this day, please see the text below. You will also see the only known photograph of President Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg per the Library of Congress.

Dan

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal".

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow, this ground -- The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.

It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

The ONLY way to watch an NBA game

That's me at courtside of the Sonics-Pistons game last Sunday. The Sonics are a new client of mine and they were gracious to put me and my family at courtside for the game after we met (thanks to Chris Fryar).

The opportunity came because I stuck with my goals. How are your goals going? No matter what happens, never give up on your "season". You may find they land you in the front row!

Dan

Beware of the Margin Clause In Your Property Insurance

Here is a great article by my friend and mentor Scott Simmonds. Scott is an insurance consultant in Maine and my guest in the January teleconference. You can see more about Scott at www.scottsimmonds.com.

Dan

For 20 years or so the best way to insure property was to combine all of your buildings and the contents of your buildings into one amount of insurance. So-called "blanket insurance" provides a single limit of insurance from which the losses of an event are paid.
In addition, it has been common to eliminate the coinsurance penalties by using "the agreed amount endorsement."
The combination of blanket insurance and the agreed amount endorsement provided a high level of protection against the threat of under insurance.
While the above strategy provided exceptional protection for the insurance buyer, it didn't always work out so well for the insurance company. Underwriters are fighting back. It is becoming more common for policies to be issued with a "margin clause” that limits the loss payout on any particular building to a percentage above the replacement cost reported by the insurance buyer.
So, if you list two building on your insurance, each having an estimated replacement cost of 1,000,000, you purchased $2,000,000 of blanket coverage. If a 25% margin clause is added to your policy and, for whatever reason, the actual replacement cost of a particular building is found to be $1,300,000. A loss would be paid only at $1,250,000, leaving $50,000 uninsured.
This policy addition severely limits the advantage of blanket insurance. Some insurers are adding a margin clause without notification to the insurance buyer. I 've taken a strong stand against insurance companies restricting coverage at renewal without a specific notification. Hiding a new endorsement in a renewal makes it appear that the insurer is trying to pull a fast one.
Carefully review your renewal policies. Ask your insurance agent if there are any changes from the expiring policy. Save the e-mails confirming the conversations.

Preparation is key to safety

I should know better. Last night when I pulled in at home after a meeting, I noticed my gas tank was on empty. Actually, I had noticed it for awhile - you can't miss the bright orange "LOW FUEL" light glaring at you. I was tired and just wanted to get home figuring I could get gas in the morning.

The thing that dawned on me when I pulled in was this thought - What would happen if there was an emergency in the middle of the night and I needed to drive somewhere like the hospital. In an emergency, there is no time to stop and get gas. As a risk manager, I should know better.

Think about your business. Are there any "LOW FUEL" lights on for you? Being prepared for anything goes a long way in mitigating catastrophes. Whether it's making sure your office, yard, or plant are cleaned up at the end of the day; or ensuring all your commercial vehicles are properly maintained for the morning, may make a difference in the safety of your employees and others that come in contact with your business. Ultimately, it will reduce your risk exposure and your insurance costs!

Dan

Finding Balance on Gilligan's Island

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you felt totally unable to function? Last night, I was staring at my computer monitor trying to get a little work done after a busy weekend. My oldest daughter Mindy had been home from college for several days and my wife Barb was taking her to the airport. I was at home because our old dog Blondie is starting a steep decline and we didn’t want to leave her alone. Lack of sleep, a helter skelter few days, and a debilitating overtime loss by the Seahawks had me completely distracted. You probably know that weird feeling of just staring blankly at e-mails!

That’s about the time I realized that balance was needed right then and there for my life. I subscribe to Alan Weiss’ newsletter, The Balancing Act (which I highly recommend – wwwsummitconsulting.com). Alan is constantly talking about life balance. In my case, sometimes you just have to take a break.

My method for taking a break was to turn off the computer (so as to not be tempted to come back), pour a smooth glass of wine, and watch my Gilligan’s Island DVD. Now you may be thinking “Gilligan’s Island! Is this guy a kook?” Maybe so. But, at that point and time, I needed a good dose of slapstick humor and relaxation to re-charge my batteries. After a relaxing evening and a good night’s sleep…I was able to tackle the next day with more vigor and focus. If I had continued on my path of work the night before, I’m certain I wouldn’t have had the same focus.

What about you? Are there times that you need to reward your mind and body with a much needed break to find balance? Now, you may not find Gilligan’s Island to be the right remedy for you. But a nice walk, a game of chess, or a quiet dinner with your spouse or significant other may be just what the doctor ordered.

Workaholics abound in our society. The desire to get ahead at all costs often lead to high blood pressure, stress disorders, and failed relationships. One thing I have learned in my life, and continue to be reminded of, is that balance is good for the mind, heart, and soul. Remember that next time you are staring blankly at your computer monitor.

Dan

Triangulation Anyone?

Last week I took my second course in the Certified Risk Manager series, Risk Analysis. I remember the happy day my sophomore year of college when I took the last math class I needed to take. The happiest day of my college life. Little did I know over 20 years later, I'd be sitting in a class learning triangulation, standard deviation, and the coefficient of determination!

Risk Analysis has an awful lot of calculations, probability, and statistics. If it weren't for taking the test, I may have enjoyed it more! After 20 years in the industry, I finally learned where rates are derived from..actually a very interesting process.

I encourage any of you in the insurance business to take a CRM or ARM class. Even if you don't want the designation, there is a lot to learn about how risks are analyzed and priced. I just hope I passed the test so I don't have to sit through it again!

Dan

P.S. Need some education on how to shop for your insurance? Go to my online store and check out Your Eight Really Cool Rules for Better Insurance Buying. It will help you make the right decision on your insurance and save you time and frustration.

The Good Samaritan

Yesterday my family and I took a trip to Wal-Mart after church to pick up some quick items. As I got in my Suburban, I noticed a piece of paper underneath my windshield wiper. When I got out to examine I found a free-hand note stating “Your passenger-side tire is very low”. Upon further inspection, I was horrified to find that not only was it very low, it was VERY, VERY low. Fortunately, Wal-Mart has a tire service place open on Sundays because I’m not sure how I far we would have been able to go. Turns out the culprit was a screw I ran over. To make matters worse, the front tires were no longer legal for road use, so I had to replace both of them!

Two things to learn from this; first I’m very thankful to my Good Samaritan who left the note. How often do we walk by a situation like that and don’t take the time to leave a note. I could have been down the road a mile or two with my wife and daughter and been involved in an accident.

Second, be prepared. I had let my tires become hazards and if it wasn’t for a wayward screw I ran over, may have found out the hard way.

The last word – this was my definition of a close call. How many close calls do you have around your workplace? Your home? Learn from those near misses so they don’t happen in the future.

Dan

Boo Birds...

I've been a huge sports fan for as long as I can remember. The first football game I remember watching was in 1975 when Larry Csonka and the Miami Dolphins beat the Minnesota Vikings. Booing has always been a form of communication in sports. Some fans, like in Philadelphia, are known for it. When you boo Santa Claus, you earn that claim to fame!I will admit, I have done my share of booing in my life. As I have grown older though, I have made a conscious decision not to. I'm not sure if that has come around due to coaching high school basketball for six years, but something has changed me. The recent booing of Shaun Alexander of the Seattle Seahawks has prompted me to write this article.Shaun Alexander has nearly 10,000 rushing yards in his career, which places him in elite company. He is a former league Most Valuable Player. Even if he slows down to average numbers for the rest of his career, he is more than likely a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And, he has played his entire career with one team, which in this day and age is unique.Due to recent injuries and an overhaul of his offensive line, Alexander has had less than sterling numbers. The Seahawks "faithful" has been riding him hard and have actually booed him the past two weeks. I don't get it. Alexander has been a hero for this community and led our once doormat team to the Super Bowl. Not only that, he has been a sterling contributor to our community with his charitable work. How soon we forget. In this society which thrives on "What Have You Done For Me Lately", it's not surprising. I'm sure the fans who do the booing would never accept it in their line of work.Final thought - the Seahawks fans are famous for raising the "12th Man" flag prior to each game. Seattle Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki just did the honors last Sunday. That means we are part of the team. What part of "team" does booing honor? Aren't we suppose to pull for OUR team and be encouraging? Unfortunately, we here in Seattle are closer to the Philadelphia model of "team" than we might like to believe.

Dan

This is FUNNY

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of giving a presentation to the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. After the event, I was talking with several attendees as they were leaving, and one gentleman happened to catch my eye. I noticed that his name badge said "Weedin". Not seeing too many people with MY last name, I took a closer look to see what his first name was. To my surprise, it said "Kelli". Why was I surprised? Well, because that's my daughter's name!Turns out this man's name was "Kelly" and he was rushing in as the event was starting. The lady at registration asked his name and he said "Kelly". Well, my Kelli was originally going to come with me, but was sick and couldn't come. She had a name tag all set for her. You can guess what happened! The registration lady peeled off "Kelli Weedin" and gave it to this gentleman who wore it the entire time without realizing it. We shared a good laugh about that one. I told him that the story would definitely end up in a speech somewhere, and of course in my blog.

Dan

Liability Protection for Coaches

I'm starting a new educational program for coaches to help protect them from the growing concern of liability. If you're a coach for a youth team, consider taking this course. Teachers have been trained on the methods of protection. Most youth coaches haven't and are just as much at risk.

This is a teleseminar course with an audio CD. To learn more about protecting yourself as a coach from unwanted liability, click here...

Dan

Simplicity...

Sometimes you find inspiration in the strangest places. While attending a fundraising luncheon for the local community college, I heard a wonderful speech from a young woman who was a student. It was unpolished yet beautifully and sincerely delivered to a room of about 400 people or more. Sometimes I wonder if we work too hard to deliver the "perfect" presentation when simplicity will do just fine thank you.

Dan

So what do you do?

I wasn’t expecting to be sitting here typing out a blog on my Alaska Air flight to Palm Springs. I fully intended to be listening to my new Patricia Fripp DVD called Preparing and Presenting Powerful Talks. For those of you not familiar with Patricia Fripp, she is one of the premiere speaking and presentation coaches in the world. I became a big fan after attending her workshops at the Region 1 Toastmasters International Conference last June. Now I had her DVD and I was primed for a valuable lesson on this 2 ½ hour flight!

I waited patiently like just about every other passenger for the pilot to come on the loudspeaker and give us the green light to turn on electronic equipment (Boy has traveling on planes changed in the last 10 years).

I popped in the DVD, shut the blinds, turned up the volume and on came Patricia. Funny thing happened. Her mouth was moving but I could barely (and I mean BARELY) here any sound. Checking the volume that it was maxxed out, my keen mind figured out that the huge engines that I was basically sitting on at the wing position was drowning out all audible sound. Even my new fancy Sony earphones didn’t help. This ever happen to you?

It only took me about 7 minutes of watching her talk but not being able to hear her that I realized that I just wasn’t learning by reading her lips. This was a futile effort. I figured since the laptop was out anyways, that this would make a good post. I suppose you will be the judge of that.

While waiting to take off, I made the acquaintance of the person sitting next to me. His name is Jeff and it turns out he and I have some things in common. We are both in the Zoodango online business networking community, both a part of Kiros (in fact, he’s the founder of the Christian business organization), and both consultants. I realize some people don’t like to talk with strangers on an airplane for fear of getting in a long conversation about life insurance or pyramid marketing. Their loss is the opportunity to meet someone new and perhaps gain a friendship. Jeff and I shared thoughts and ideas on our businesses and families and I hope to get to know him better through our mutual interests. After 10,000 feet we both went off to our laptops to get some work done. Since we are both furiously typing away, my guess is he can’t hear anything either.

This is a blog dedicated to communicating, so here’s the moral of this post. Take a chance once in awhile and meet someone new, especially if you are going to be cramped together on a long flight. I have yet to meet someone that I wish I hadn’t started a dialogue with. More often than not, I learn something new that adds to my personal growth. What’s the worst that can happen…you end up with some new life insurance or a bunch of boxes in your garage?

Dan

P.S. Do you have trouble meeting people or networking? That’s a bad thing in business. Let me help you with my Power to Panic Boot Camp coming up in November. Click here to learn more. Dates are being finalized for a Seattle boot camp so stay tuned!

Don't Drop Your Head

Driving home this afternoon, I was listening to University of Washington Head Coach Tyrone Willingham on his radio show discussing the game against (then) #1 ranked USC on Saturday. The Huskies came close in a 3-point loss that went down to the final seconds. He was describing his words to his team prior to the game. One of his statements made me stop and think.

He told his team that they didn’t have to play a perfect game to win. He reminded them that they would make mistakes during the game, but to never drop your head because of them…to keep fighting on and overcome those mistakes. The part that stuck with me was not dropping your head.

It reminded me of my days coaching high school basketball. How many times I remember kids making mistakes on the court and dropping their head in disgust, hurt, or sadness. How much harder is it to bounce back when you’re looking straight down?

The same can be said about life, too. Business, sports, and personal lives all give us plenty of opportunities to make mistakes. Some mistakes are made with all the right information and effort…it’s that “hindsight is 20/20” stuff. Some mistakes you wonder, “What was I thinking?” But in all cases, I encourage you to take Coach Willingham’s advice and keep your head up. We all make mistakes. If we are smart, we always learn from them, too.

Keep your head up. Go into your “game” knowing you will make mistakes. Resolve to learn from them and keep battling. Remember that you can’t get where you want to go if you’re looking straight down.

Dan

Don’t Get Caught Paying Your Own Claim

I just taught a Commercial Property Class to a group of agents here in Seattle last week for the Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) program. One of the concepts that is most difficult to grasp, even for agents, is coinsurance. If you are a business owner, it will pay for you to understand coinsurance, or else you may pay dearly not to!

Ask your insurance agent or broker to confirm what coinsurance percentage you have for your property insurance. If you have coinsurance (some policies waive it), it will come in either an 80% or 90% figure. That means that if you have a partial loss on your building or property, you must be insured for at least that percentage of your total property value at the time the loss happened, or else you become a coinsurer of your claim. Sound confusing? It can be. Let’s take a look at an example:

You own a commercial property valued at $500,000. You’re insuring it for $250,000 with a 80% coinsurance clause. Why is it only insured at $250,000? Well, that’s where it normally is but today you received extra inventory that will be flying out of your warehouse tomorrow. That is until disaster strikes!

You suffer a fire loss of $50,000 but you’re not worried because you have more than enough coverage, right? Wrong. The adjustor comes in to settle your claim and tells you that you were underinsured for coinsurance. Here’s why.

You did insure your property at $250,000, but you should have insured it for $400,000 (80% of your actual value at the time of the fire). The adjustor divides the “did by the should”, or the $250K by $400K and comes up with 63%. He then multiplies that percentage by your loss of $50K which is $31,250. That’s all your insurance company is going to pay YOU! How does that make you feel? Not only have you had a fire damage your property and set your operations back, now you have to foot the additional costs by nearly $20,000!

Coinsurance is a highly misunderstood concept and difficult to explain. The bottom line is that you need to make sure you are adequately protected or else you can become a partner in paying your claim.

Dan

To understand coinsurance more, take a look at my booklet, Eight Really Cool Rules to Better Insurance Buying. It explains coinsurance and much more. It will be a valuable tool in making sure you are getting the right coverage at the right price!

The Blondie Rule #2 – Lessons from my dog – The rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated

Last month (August 20), the Blondie Rule #1 dealt with overcoming “analysis paralysis”. This month, you will learn how my dog has taught me about perseverance.

The famous quote by Mark Twain listed in the title surely applies to Blondie. In late December of 2004, she was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in her gum. The veterinarian had taken as much out as possible, but sadly reported that she didn’t get it all. At the time, Blondie was 13 years old and all the treatments were very invasive and costly. We opted to do nothing, except make our friend as comfortable as she could be for the remainder of her life. She was given a death sentence of 2 to 3 months.

Fast forward to today and Blondie is 16 ½ and those 2-3 months are almost 3 years. The cancer has come back and spread some. In fact, just a few weeks ago, she was looking so bad and struggling so much; we began mentally preparing for her to pass on over the weekend. She fooled us again. It’s been almost a month since that day and although I can’t say she’s going on strong, she perseveres and lives to fight another day. Sooner than later we will have to make that difficult decision when her quality of life erodes. Based on how she devoured her breakfast this morning, we’re not quite there yet!

Blondie reminds me that not every day is going to be better than the day before. Some days can bring frustration, pain, and struggle. But persevering, “grinding” out the tough days, and living to fight another day should be our mantra, too. Blondie didn’t understand the diagnosis she was given in December of 2004. She just kept living every day, even when some days weren’t as good as others.

I know I have days where I grouse and complain about things. Blondie reminds me that I need to get over myself and realize that struggle is a necessary part of life; it makes us stronger. Instead of trying to be the person my dog thinks I am, I guess I just need to be more like my dog!

Dan

Kids, College, and Insurance

If you have read any of my recent blogs, you know I just shipped my oldest daughter off to Ohio to college. Many of you have done the same thing, and many of you may be quickly approaching this reality. As you may understand, it’s a very bittersweet time in a parent’s life; we are happy for their success but we also miss them.

After shipping off my daughter’s fifteen pairs of shoes, I realize that many of you may not understand the implications on your personal insurance of having a child away at school. Do you know how he or she is protected while away from home?

Since your young adult (I don’t think my daughter wants to be called a child anymore) is still not fully emancipated from your home, they are still considered an “insured” on your policy. That’s good from a liability standpoint, but what about that new laptop she has, or the refrigerator you just bought for him? Unlike when I went to school with a 12’ television, two pair of jeans, and my golf clubs, kids have much more valuable “stuff” in dorms and apartments.

Your personal homeowner’s policy provides a limit of 10 percent of your personal property limit because the dorm room or apartment is an "insured's residence other than the residence premises.” You need to look on your homeowner’s policy under Coverage C to find what that limit is. If your limit is $150,000 for example, your students limit will be $15,000. In the old days like with me, that was probably enough. Today, with all the high-priced technology and expensive clothes, it may not be adequate.

Factor in one last thing – do you remember college life? Your kids’ “stuff” is pretty open to theft or other bad things; much more than when they were living at home. The two scenarios could be a recipe for disaster.

I urge you to dust off your homeowners policy and/or call your agent to know how much coverage you have. Then make a realistic inventory of what your student has with them. If you’re coming up short, you should have the ability to increase that limit for just a small amount of premium.

Dan

P.S. If you have any questions about this or any other parts of your personal insurance, check out my online store by clicking here. You can purchase a booklet called, Your Personal Insurance Survival Guide for just $10. You will learn how to best protect yourself, your property, and your family.

Teaching class

I’m teaching my first class for the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research tomorrow in Seattle. The class is for Certified Insurance Service Representatives (CISR) and I’m at the stage of the process to teach the first half of the class. Presenting in front of a group has never been an issue for me; however there are a couple areas that have me nervous.

I’ve got a brand new laptop and projector with great slides that my daughter, Mindy helped me put together. The problem is I’ve never used either in a formal presentation, so I spent all Saturday night making sure I knew how to connect the laptop to the projector and make sure I knew how to use the wireless mouse and laser (I’ve never had control of a little red dot on a screen, but it’s pretty cool). Still, using new gadgets for the first time in a live presentation always makes me a little uneasy. You never know what challenges you will run into with the configuration of the room, the positioning of outlets, or a just Murphy showing up and imposing his law on you.

Now I hope I will do well enough so everyone will pass there test! No pressure, right?

Dan

Protecting your business from technological turmoil

I’m composing this blog from my lap top because I’m having computer issues with my desktop. It seems like I’ve been hit through Internet Explorer with some virus and it’s causing challenges for me.

Whenever this happens, either to me or someone else, it makes me wonder how well we have all backed up our computer systems. Today, almost all businesses are powered to a great extent by their computers. The exposure to losing important data and files is very real, and very dangerous to your business. Fortunately, I’ve backed up my data, but to be honest, I’m not sure how current I am. This should be fixed soon, but it serves as a tremendous wake-up call for me.

How well have you backed up your system? If you lost everything today, would you be able to recover? How long would it take? Don’t take for granted your back-up plan is foolproof. There are many excellent ways to back-up so make sure you can be up and running again soon. Most large organizations have done a pretty good job of this…many small ones may not have had the time or resources. If you are a home-based business, you need to be especially careful. Should know…that’s what I am!

Regardless of the size of your business, make sure to identify the best ways to save data…and then do it. You can never be too safe!

Dan

P.S. Keeping saved data and media in the same location is not sound risk management. Keep at least one storage file off premises in a safe deposit box or even a relatives home. If your building burns, so will all your records if you don’t separate them.

Let Your Dawgs Out and Play

Who let the Dawgs out?

That’s my daughter Kelli and me enjoying a beautiful day in Husky Stadium where our Dawgs were beating up on Boise State. We ended their 14-game winning streak and most importantly, got off to our first 2-0 start since 2001.

As you can imagine, everyone wearing purple in Husky Stadium was ecstatic and looking forward to next week’s match-up with perennial power Ohio State. Visions of bowl games, Pac-10 championships, and Jake Locker touchdowns were dancing in all of our heads.

The funny thing was while we were driving home and listening to the post-game show on the radio, a guy called in and wanted to be the voice of caution. “We’ve seen this before. We can’t get too excited. They’ve let us down in the past”. My response was the same as the reporter. “SO WHAT!” Why can’t we enjoy this time and revel in it, especially since we haven’t had the chance to in about half a decade! Isn’t part of the love of sports based on those highs and lows we experience following and rooting for our teams? Isn’t that what makes sports special? For every New York Yankees, there has to be a Chicago Cubs right?

That got me thinking…which can be a dangerous thing. How often do we do that in our lives? Whenever things are going well, are we too cautious waiting for the other shoe to drop? Don’t want to have too much fun in anticipation of a letdown? Conversely, when we are grinding through a tough time, do we look forward to the time when the tide changes, knowing those good times are around the corner?

Life is an adventure and a journey. I liken it to a round of golf. Through 18 holes there will be some very tough times and some great holes. And, for most holes, you will be on an even keel or at least “grinding” as Tiger Woods would say. Rejoice in the birdies in your life. They don’t always come around as often as we all would like so enjoy. Grind through those double-bogeys, knowing that your next par may be on the next hole. And, most importantly, enjoy the round and who you are playing with because you never know when that may be the last one. Game on!

Dan

P.S. You are invited to subscribe for my FREE e-newsletter, The Bull Stops Here. It's chock full of valuable information that will help save you time, money, and frustration on your insurance. Click here to subscribe. Did I mention it's FREE?

Saving You Money Texas-style – Catching the Uninsured Drivers

According to an A.M. Best article on August 30, 2007, Texas will soon have “real-time” Auto Insurance Verification in Place by 2008.

With estimates of as many as one in five vehicles on its roadways being uninsured, Texas is putting this new program into place to catch people driving without automobile liability coverage. If they are successful, you can plan on that happening in your state, too. Is this another case of “Big Brother” watching over us?

In my opinion, it’s a good deal. Why? Well, the bottom line is you are paying way too much for claims being caused by uninsured drivers. You probably (if you’re smart) carry coverage on your policy called Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist to protect you for damage to you or your car in case the person who hit you doesn’t carry liability. That cost has risen over the years. Overall, your insurance premiums are poorly affected by those who are unwilling or unable to do the right thing.

If a program like the one Texas is implementing can keep your rates down and better protect you, then I hope this will catch on everywhere. My guess is that it will.

Dan

P.S. Need to learn more about how to save money on your personal insurance? That’s why I wrote the booklet, Your Personal Insurance Survival Guide. You will learn how to save time, money, and frustration, and how to get the right agent for you. To purchase, go to my Toro IC store. You can buy either the actual booklet or an e-book. Don’t wait to save money on your insurance!

What you can learn from Wii®din

We just bought the new Nintendo game Wii® on Saturday and boy, is it a hoot! How many of you have Wii®? For those of you scratching your head and wondering what the heck is Weedin talking about, let me explain. Wii® is basically a PlayStation ® console where you can play video games on your TV. It’s a wireless game that needs YOU to do all the motions in order to make the characters on your TV move. So, if you’re playing golf, tennis, baseball, boxing, or racing cows – you perform all the actions. No more sitting like a lump on a chair with a joy stick, now you have to get up and move with Wii®.

First of all, as a family Wii® provided us hours of fun, raucous laughter at each others follies, and (unbelievably) great exercise. We were all pooped at the end of the evening. If you don’t believe me, go try out the boxing trainer and tell me you don’t work up a real sweat.

So, what can we learn from playing Wii®?

Well for starters, you can spend real quality time with your family and friends. Wii® is almost like a board game that takes everybody’s participation and attention. Unlike sitting and watching television, conversation, laughter, and bonding take place. You wouldn’t have caught me EVER saying this before about video games, but Wii® changed my mind.

Secondly, I came away with a new appreciation of humility. My daughter Kelli and I were competing in several games, namely boxing and shooting (not people – mainly space ships coming to take away little characters that look like us). She was regularly beating me (pretty soundly) in all the games that required speed, reflexes, and agility. It’s a humbling thing to be beaten by your 17 year old daughter in a boxing match! Although I was stronger (measured by the speed of your punch), she was quicker, delivering more blows.

The lesson in humility is important for all of us. One of the areas of work I need is in humility and sometimes my kids give me a wake up call. Humility is a very important aspect of business. Think about it. If you’re not humble, it’s hard to listen, for both agents AND clients. When listening doesn’t happen, it’s impossible to communicate. If communications fail, then being able to properly protect your business fails. For agents, the ability to serve your clients fails. Being humble in your business and serving others makes winners all the way around. It can be a hard lesson to learn, though.

When was the last dose of humility you received? Maybe the more important question is - what did you do with it?

Happy Labor Day!

Dan

Relationship Building is Job Number 1

Insurance is a relationship business, wouldn’t you agree? If you are a consumer, you need to feel comfortable with your agent and put the utmost of trust in them because they are in charge of protecting your financial future in the event of a catastrophic event. If you are an agent or broker, you need to build a strong relationship in order to earn your client’s business and then keep it.

Recently, a broker contacted me wanting to offer a quote for my client. That’s not unusual, except that my only contact with him was through voice mail and e-mail. When I told him my client wasn’t going to go to market this year, but that we’d be happy to discuss the possibility in 2008, he e-mailed me back “insisting” that we allow him to provide a quote. Insist? Look, agents and brokers are not in a position to use that type of wording, especially when there has been no relationship built. After I tried to call him and left a detailed voice mail, he responded by going directly to my client and asking through him. Not a good move. If you are an agent, you need to know who your prospect is and how they make decisions. Needless to say, this broker will have a difficult time getting the opportunity to ever quote for my client.

Insurance is not a commodity. Price is always important but as with any business or personal relationships, developing trust and respect must always come first. This broker undoubtedly is a nice guy, but his overly aggressive tactics are not always welcome to his prospects. Take the time to cultivate a relationship with your prospects and the people in charge of the quoting process. Remember that old saying, patience is a virtue.

Dan

Final Thoughts on Steubenville

Well, I’m home now and getting used to the Pacific Standard time zone again. I wish I could say the same for my luggage. It seems my luggage was “delayed” in Philadelphia while I came home without it. Fortunately, the only real things of value were the presents I bought and my dirty laundry. I guess my luggage took to the saying of W.C. Fields who said, “All things considered, I’d rather be in Philadelphia”.

Thank you for allowing me this forum to share with you a significant event in my life. The lessons I learned from some of the experiences certainly flow into life. The concepts of teamwork, welcoming, family and faith all are integral to the walks in your personal and business life.

Think back to when you were 18 years old and had the world in front of you. Now, whether its 10, 20, 30, or even 50 years later, are you satisfied? Have you lived the life you imagined…are you ticking off those important adventures in your life’s to-do list? If not…why? This trip revitalized me to think ahead to things I want to accomplish and do. These things may be personal or business related, but they all are important, so taking the time to reflect and set goals is vital. I challenge you to do the same, regardless of what phase in life you find yourself. As my friend Jim Key says, it’s never too late to dream.

Dan

OUCH!

Ouch is the only way to describe how I feel right now as I sit in the Pittsburgh airport after having said goodbye to Mindy about an hour ago. If you have been where I have, you know what "bittersweet" really means. There's a feeling that a part of you is now missing, but not gone. It's hard to describe. I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to spend the weekend with her to help her get started on her new adventure.

I'm at the same time anxious to get home and see Barb, Kelli and the dogs. Kelli just passed her drivers test, so she's official. Watch out if you're on the roads in Poulsbo;-]

That's all for now. I board a plane to Philadelphia soon and then a straight shot home to Seattle. I will do a re-cap tomorrow.

Dan

Steubenville Journal - Saturday

Today was not as packed with things to do as Thursday and Friday…which was nice. There were several events, including a parent meeting and a brunch with the Franciscan friars. At the brunch, I got to meet some folks who are from Bothell. Mindy was glad to meet another native Washingtonian, especially one who lives so close. Turns out there are nine Washington residents at Franciscan.

I continue to be amazed at the warmth and generosity of this community. It’s a very inviting and welcoming place. If you were like me, your first day of school involved walking to your first class. That’s definitely not the case here. The kids already have an idea of what daily life is like on campus and have met friends. It’s a much better way to begin.

Mindy will get the opportunity to meet with the President of the University tonight at 7:15. All incoming freshman get the chance. After that, since it’s my final night here, we are going out to Dairy Queen for a dessert. It’s starting to finally sink in for me now, just like it did for Barb, Kelli, and Steve a few days ago. Being concerned for her safety is not the issue. I know she’s at the right place…no doubt in my mind. This is the beginning of a marvelous adventure and growth for her. She’s ready for it.

The real issue is I’m going to miss her. She has already left me a voice mail that I’m not supposed to listen to until she’s not around me. I haven’t found the courage to do that yet. I still see myself holding a newborn baby in my arms almost 19 years ago. Where has the time gone?

Many of you out there know what I feel. You have been there, too. In fact, I’m among good company as I see and hear similar thoughts from other parents. Distance doesn’t make a difference; whether it’s 100 or 2500 miles, the pain is still there. I feel fortunate that technology has brought us cellular phones (thanks to family calling plans), e-mail, and webcams. We still will communicate, maybe even better than before, and that will help. It doesn’t change that she won’t be there on Saturday mornings when I make pancakes, or when we are in church as a family, or every night when Barb and I would check to see if she was asleep.

I guess the moral of the story is this. Change happens. We all go through stages in our lives and Barb and I are embarking on a new one. Closing one chapter can sometimes be painful, but always seems to lead to new adventures. As out kids grow up and move on, it will really be like old times again and will give us the opportunity to focus on each other. What changes are you going through in your life? What might you be leaving behind? And, here’s the ultimately important question – what really cool things lay in store for you?

More tomorrow from the Buckeye State..

Dan

Steubenville Journal - Day 2

The university is having IT issues so I have to type this out first and put in my blogs later. Right now, I’m in the VERY cool library. Not only is it a cool place but the air conditioning is very nice as it’s extremely hot and humid outside.

So far today, Mindy has added a class to her schedule, bought her books ($500 smackers) and put money down to go to Austria next Fall. Well, I guess I paid for the books and the deposit for Austria! She and her roomie are all moved in to their dorm room and after a decent nights sleep, all is well.

We had an awesome experience last night. I’ve only been part of something remotely similar at an NBC Team Camp event. All the kids who came back to run the orientation, affectionately called the “brown shirts” since they were all wearing one, formed a type of gauntlet for all freshman and family to walk through to enter the gym for the opening ceremonies. The brown shirts were whooping and hollering and giving High Fives to everyone walking in. We felt like were rock stars. You can’t imagine the faces of all of us as were walked through…surprise and joy. Talk about being made feel welcome. To me, that is teamwork at its finest…to make your new teammates feel welcome, wanted, and excited to be there. It might make you wonder what would happen if everyone who was new to a team (athletic, business, church, etc.) were made to feel that way!

Dan

Almost Heaven West Virginia

Greetings from West Virginia! We arrived safely and I type this from my hotel room in Weirton, WV. I'm only a couple miles away from crossing the Ohio River over to Steubenville. The plane trip was uneventful as you would want one to be.

Mindy and I will be soon heading over to start getting her settled, so this will be brief.

One quick note. Normally I fly Alaska Airlines but they don't fly into Pittsburgh. I was pleasantly surprised by US Air. It was clean, on time, and the employees had fun, made jokes, and made our trip enjoyable. Customer service is a great thing...especially after my debacle with Dell.

More to come later...

Dan

Steubenville Journal

Well, I'm heading out today to Steubenville, OH to take my oldest daughter Mindy to college at Franciscan University. She's a freshman so this is an emotional time in our family as you might imagine. Many of you may have already gone through this process and can empathize. Others of you will be looking forward to it.

This will start my daily journal that can be seen on this blog about my trip. I realize this doesn't have anything to do directly with insurance, but as I mentioned on my blog, there will be posts about life journeys as well, so this is one of them. If you are interested, I hope you will check in and see how we are doing.

Last night, we had 11 people over for dinner - all members of the family. It was a great chance to see Mindy off and say "see you later" until Christmas break. Family is an important part of life, whether it's your personal family, your faith family, your family at work, or the family you coach. The support you gain from your family in all walks of your life is critical to your happiness. I'm sure Mindy received that last night.

We're off tonight on a red-eye to Charlotte and then on to Pittsburgh. My next blog will come tomorrow.

Cheers,

Dan

What you can learn from a dog - The Blondie Rule #1

The other day I was taking my dogs out for their last potty break before going to bed. It was a miserable evening as the rain was really coming down hard. I put on my rain coat, and started the “leashing up process”. As I was getting Charlie, my black lab ready to go, my 16-year old terrier mix mutt Blondie decided she wasn’t going to wait.

She walked through the screen in the door (Now, how did THAT get there?) and proceeded to the top of the porch step just under cover. It was at that point she decided to do her duty, turn around and come back in. I guess a 16-year old dog has more wisdom than her 42-year old human owner. She wasn’t about to get wet, while Charlie and I got drenched.

So, what can we learn from Blondie? It didn’t take much analysis to determine that going down the stairs into the rain just to get her “job” done wasn’t necessary. She made a “command” decision and solved the problem at the least expense and effort, and still got the job done.

How many times do we fall victim of “analysis paralysis”? Sometimes, we may take an inordinate amount of time to make a decision that was staring us in the face all the time. Instead of using our wisdom and acting, we waste time, energy, and money in over-analyzing. Sometimes, we lose an opportunity because of it! If you’re like me, you have been guilty of this.

I’ve learned that my old dog can teach me new tricks. This was a good example. Granted, I will continue to use the acceptable human way to go to the bathroom; Blondie’s method of decision-making was not lost on me!

Dan

P.S. Are you procrastinating on getting your insurance in order? How much money are YOU wasting? Click here to go to my Toro store to learn more about ways to save money on your insurance.

Too Close for Comfort

Do you ever have close calls? Just the other day, I was driving to the post office and suddenly grew concerned that I’d forgotten my cell phone at home. If you’re like me and use your cell phone for business all the time, a twinge of panic runs through you, right? Well, as I went to check my pocket, I looked up and realized that the cars in front of me were coming to a screeching halt. I hit the brakes hard and narrowly missed rear-ending the car in front of me. I was thinking, “Great. A risk management expert rear-ending another car because he was distracted. That doesn’t look very good!”

Even though I don’t use my cell phone while driving anymore, it still was a distraction and nearly caused an accident. How many close calls are there in your business every day? Depending on the type of business you have, it can range from very low (1 or 2) to very high (10 to 12).

It’s important to learn from our close calls if we want to avoid the disaster. For me, I need to remember that forgetting my phone is not as important as the job at hand…driving. I could always check when I pulled in and parked. How about you? What can you do in your business?

A good place to start is by making your employees aware of close calls. If you can raise their awareness about what close calls are, and how they can predict future losses, you will be in a position to avoid costly claims and injuries. The bottom line will be your bottom line! It’s time to learn from your “almost” mistakes.

Dan

P.S. Do you need help with your safety meetings? Would you like to introduce close calls to your employees? Give me a call and let’s schedule a visit for me to your business. Your employees will learn how to protect themselves from injury and you will have a safer, more efficient work environment. To learn more about my risk management consulting, click here…

What You Can Learn from Tiger Woods

If you’ve ever watched Tiger Woods play golf, you know you’re looking at arguably the greatest golfer of all time. He unquestionably fits that title for this generation at least. Even if you’re not a golfer, you are certainly aware of his dominance in his profession. This past weekend, he picked up his 13th career major victory at the PGA Championship in Tulsa, OK; moving him ever closer to Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major wins.

So what can we learn from Tiger? No, I’m not talking about his thunderous drives or his precision putting. We can however learn something about work ethic, perseverance, and a commitment to excellence.

Tiger Woods has been called a “phenom” by many. However, his phenomenal play really comes from an endless regimen that strengthens his mind, body, and skills. The mental focus he brings to his game is really what sets him apart from his competitors. Think about this weekend. After 72 holes in temperatures that soured to over 100 degrees each day, he won a tournament by a mere 2 strokes. Two strokes over 72 holes isn’t a lot by numbers, but it’s that little “extra” that Tiger brings from the mental side that puts him over the top time and time again. His ability to focus on the task at hand, without being distracted about what happened in the past, or what will happen in the future, has made him the most dominant athlete in sports since Michael Jordan.

Do you bring that type of focus to your “game”?

I know I normally talk about insurance, but how about just plain business? Are you focused on all aspects of what is most important for your business – growth, profitability, AND survivability? If you had a major catastrophe today, is your business prepared for the worst case scenario? Here are some things you might need to focus on:

- Is my insurance adequate? When was the last time I really checked?
- Do I have an emergency disaster plan in place?
- Do my employees know what to do in the case of a disaster?
- Will my business survive a catastrophic event?

Be like Tiger Woods in your business. Prepare for the unexpected and be committed to having the best protection possible. It may just save your business someday!

Dan

P.S. Need some help figuring out the best insurance for your business? That's why I developed my 8 Cool Rules for Better Insurance Buying. You can either purchase the booklet or an e-Book directly from my Toro Store. Click here to learn more...

I Can’t Drive 55! Are your drivers costing you money every day?

Do you remember the days when you were young and having a fast car was everything? Even if it was only a Toyota Celica! I was fortunate I never seemed to pick up any tickets when I was younger and that helped me keep my insurance rates low. And when I say fortunate, I mean LUCKY!

As a consultant, I work with a lot of companies that have a large fleet of vehicles and drivers dedicated to one main thing – driving. I wish more professional drivers knew how important their personal driving record is to their ability to be employed. I’ve seen many a driver lose their job because they had too many tickets and/or accidents. I also wish business owners realized how much drivers with poor records were costing them money.

If you’re a business owner that has a fleet of vehicles and want to save money on insurance, click here to read my article on ways to drive sown your insurance cost.

Dan

Will Your Personal Insurance Cover You? How Do You Know?

How often do you talk to your personal insurance agent? If you’re like most people, including me, the answer is almost never. No wonder a Gecko has become one of the leading figures in personal insurance today!

You need to be concerned about this. I have a friend who last year decided to tear down his house and build a new home on the property. His agent didn’t do him any favors by slapping an insurance policy called a Builders Risk on it. You see, his homeowners insurance didn’t accept an endorsement called Course of Construction, which would have been broader in coverage and much cheaper. The agent took the easy way out and saddled him with an expensive 12-month policy that wouldn’t automatically renew like a homeowners policy. Its best purpose is to cover spec homes, not new residential homes by the client. The agent had personal lines companies that would have loved to take the account with a Course of Construction endorsement if given the chance.

The problem arose recently when the home was not quite finished and the Builders Risk policy expired. Nobody at the agency notified my friend until the bank wanted to know why there was no longer any insurance in place. My friend was now out of insurance and faced with the possibility of another expensive annual policy (the home will be finished in a month), or even worse, an uncovered fire that destroys over a year’s worth of work. Now, because the home is well into the process, no personal lines companies want to insure it with the endorsement. I haven’t ever figured that one out yet, but that’s the way it is.

Can this scenario or one like it, happen to you? It can, so I urge you to be diligent in making sure you’re meeting at least annually with your agent. It doesn’t take much time and your cost not to could be tragic. In an era where more and more personal agents are communicating less with their clients, you need to be responsible for your own financial protection. Make your agent earn their commission.

P.S. This is one of the reasons I started my consulting practice. If you need help with an insurance challenge, contact me at dan@toroic.com to inquire on how I can help you solve it. Or, visit my web site at www.toroic.com and see what services I offer.

The Heat is On!

Article from my July e-newsletter

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has issued a news release warning employers to take precautions to prevent heat-related illness for anyone working outdoors in hot weather. As the weather heats up during the dog days of summer, the need for good hydration becomes even more important for workers who toil outside. Heat-related illness, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, is a serious health condition that can cause disability and death.

For the second summer in a row, L&I has adopted an emergency rule to protect outdoor workers from heat-related illness. The rule took effect on June 5.
According to the news release, the emergency rule includes provisions that require employers to:

- Establish and implement written procedures to prevent heat-related illness.
- Provide and make accessible enough drinking water so that on days when employees are exposed to the hazards of heat-related illness, each employee can drink at least one quart of water per hour.
- Have procedures in place for responding to employees who are experiencing or showing signs of heat-related illness.
- Provide effective heat-related-illness prevention training to employees and supervisors.

Heat-related illness is a well-known, recognized hazard in industries where employees work outdoors. Currently, it is regulated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act and state safety programs.

A permanent rule will be adopted in early 2008. L&I will develop a small-business economic impact statement and will hold public hearings around the state so that all who are interested have an opportunity to participate.

For more information on workshops and training materials for preventing heat-related illness, please visit www.LNI.wa.gov/safety/topics/AtoZ/heatstress. If you operate outside of Washington State, make sure you check with your own state agency for any rule changes.

If you're outside of Washington State, make sure you're reading what your state requires. Not only is is good business to avoid costly fines, most importantly, it's good business practices to take care of your most valuable assets...your employees.

P.S. Do you need help with your safety program? Find out more about how I can help you on my web site at http://www.toroic.com/otherserv.htm#management. If you'd like to hear what people think about how I've helped them, you can visit my testimonials page at http://www.toroic.com/clients.htm. Remember, let's be safe out there!