Attitude of Gratitude

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I was up this morning at 3:30AM.  Not because I wanted to be up so early, but because I am going on a scuba diving vacation.  This time next week I will be diving with sharks (yeek!) in the warm waters of the Bahamas. 

I have a great many associates who are also business owners and everyone agrees with me that vacations are hard.  You work extra, extra, extra hard to be able to be gone and then A LOT more work is waiting for you when you come back.  However, I love to scuba dive and I guess it is worth it.  Maybe, kind of, but... oh well…

One of my emails waiting for me this morning at 3:30 AM was a message from a member of a networking group I belong to.  It is a great message and I found it extremely motivating.  It was the perfect way to start my crazy busy LONG day. 

Daniel Sanders is the owner of Four Sales Ltd (www.foursales.com), a professional estate sales company.  He is also the incoming president of Northern Virginia’s largest BNI network.  I am excited to share with my audience a part of the email I received from Daniel this morning to start my crazy day of preparation so I can go diving.  Have a great and productive day!      Brenda

(Taken from email written by Daniel Sanders, Four Sales Ltd.)

Attitude of Gratitude

Our Inspiration or framework. When I heard someone recently say that BNI was filled with chiefs, I had a moment of clarity. Read on for my Eureka Moment!

There are many definitions of the phrase Attitude of Gratitude, and even more interpretations. There is no right or wrong. I leave each member to do some research and determine what it means for them. I have already heard that some people think it is another way of expressing Giver’s Gain. I can’t argue since I want each of you to find the inspiration to move you and therefore our group along the path (quality growth) to the goal (platinum).

To quote Chief Tecumseh - When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.

In the spirit of disclosure, I want to share my inspiration (not my why, that’s different) with you. As a lifelong learner, I continue to immerse myself in topics such as leadership, responsibility and management that can help me grow. Shortly after agreeing to serve our BNI chapter, I read an article that resonated with me on many levels on the topic of Leading with an Attitude of Gratitude (http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/06/18/leading-with-an-attitude-of-gratitude/). 

My revelation - To continue our growth track, we need to inspire all our members to be leaders with purpose and to focus that strength and purpose on each other.

Business Risks

I remember when I saw the first advertisement Denise David ran in FAMILY Magazine.  I thought, what a great idea to run a short story for moms that has that “shared experience” feeling to it. Moms love to connect with other moms. Her ads have always been very interesting and thoughtful to me. 

Denise is just starting out building her client base. She is an expert for insurance for small business and I thought readers of my blog might benefit from some tips for business when it comes to protecting your property.  I hope you learn something from her tips, or perhaps they motivate you to check out your insurance coverage to make sure you have what you need to protect your business.

Business Insurance Tips from Denise David

For the business owner, there are many ways potential risk should be considered.

Some of the exposure a business experiences has to do with property. Property at risk includes the premises, any improvements made to it, the inventory and equipment all need to be insured. There is monetary risk associated with money or the loss of ability to make sales during a certain period due to a loss. These represent the more tangible types of risk a business owner faces, when making an insurance decision.

A business must also consider risk of injury. Business liability looks at many risks involving harm to someone who is affected by the business. This could be a customer, a competitor or even an employee. Liability coverage works to coverage any physical or emotional charge brought against a business. Making certain proper coverage is in place should a business be sued if someone is physically harmed while at the business location or charged with causing harm through advertising, failure to uphold terms of a contract or slanderous statements is another area of concern. Having worker’s compensation can protect should an employee be injured while on the job.

A wise business owner will also consider potential risk to their future profitability.  Putting provisions in place should a key employee or partner pass away is one way to protect the future profitability potential of the company. Having a policy with provision to hire, train and replace a partner or key position in a company is often one of the most overlooked insurance options. Planning wisely can prevent a devastating loss from permanently derailing the future of a company.

Business ownership presents many risks. Stability and the future success of the business will benefit by considering each of the “what if” scenarios and making the investment to ensure these common situations do not interfere with the profitability and longevity of the establishment.

Denise David, Agent 

State Farm Insurance and Financial Services Specialist

42882 Truro Parish Dr. Suite 209

Ashburn, VA 20148

Bus 571-291-2804   Fax 571-918-4667

DTeamCares.comhttp://www.DTeamCares.com

Licensed: DC, Maryland & Virginia

Quality Connections

Networking helps build any business.  Networking also takes place all the time, in everything you do. The person you meet on the soccer field might have a friend that is opening a new business that needs the product you sell. Of course, formal networking also happens all around us at planned events and regularly scheduled meetings.

As I said in my previous blog, the concept of “Networking” has gotten a bit of a “salesy” reputation. I will admit, some of the networking events I attend are a bit too much of a “pitch” party where everyone you talk to is trying to sell you something.  However, there is a lot of good networking also going on.  I have been to many events recently that were great and offered many good connections.

Networking is becoming more and more a big part of doing business. This week, I was formally inducted into a BNI group.  BNI stands for Business Networking International.  This is not a commitment I took lightly nor did I make the commitment quickly.  I first visited BNI two years ago and recently researched BNI groups all over our region.  If you are not familiar with BNI, visit their homepage.  It is a very interesting concept of networking. http://www.bni.com

Here’s the great thing about joining the BNI group that I am joining: I immediately have the following resources at my fingertips for my own use or to share with business associates, friends and family.  And, all of these businesses are extremely reliable, proven to be honest and provide excellent products or services.  I have 50 people I know will provide me with the best quality of business.  What more can you want?

Appliance Repair

Auto Service

Building Restoration and Cleaning

Business and Office Services

Commercial Banker

CPA for business or individuals

CPA for estates and trusts

Chiropractic Services

Computer Support

Divorce and Family Mediation

Estate Sales

Executive Leadership Coach

Exercise Physiologist

Exterior Home Maintenance

Financial Planning

General Contractor

Gift Baskets

Handyman Services

Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Hotel Consultant

HVAC service or replacement

Insurance – Life

Insurance – Property & Casualty

Insurance – Supplemental

Junk Removal

Landscaping & Maintenance

Marketing & Graphic Design

Mortgage

Moving Company

Nutrition

Oriental Carpet Cleaning & Restoration

Painter

Payroll Services

Portrait Photography

Printer

Professional Organizer

Residential Real Estate

Residential Property Management

Search Engine Optimization

Specialty Advertising

Tree Care

Wedding & Event Venue

Windows, Doors & Siding

Writing and Speaking Coach

WHEWW… what a great list of businesses to associate with!  I am excited and can’t wait to see if I can contribute as much to this great group of business people as they do to support FAMILY Magazine.