A daunting experience you can avoid

We've asked some of our customers why they felt a need for a personal property inventory. To sum up their answers ... While you always expect the best, you've purchased homeowner's insurance to guard against the unexpected. Fires, burglaries or natural disasters always happen to other people ... until it happens to you.

Dealing with such things can be daunting! It's a real-life nightmare. Once things are missing or damaged beyond recognition, is not the time to begin to take inventory of what is missing. Just as with insurance, the time for an inventory is before you need it.

Having a thorough, written report supported by photographic records will provide the documentation the insurance company requires ... especially when filing your claim for high-end items because it provides model and serial numbers to substantiate your cliam. Insurance adjusters say that with such an inventory, they can file the initial claim within 36-48 hours. Without this information available, the normal time is 4-12 months. Face it; there are things that you can't be without for a year or more.

If you don't have the time to complete your own inventory, or prefer the added benefits of having it professionally done, don't put it off; contact an inventory service provider to schedule your peace of mind.

This should be part of your financial planning

Retirement, college funds for the kids and/or grandkids, traveling or a 2nd home in a warm climate - these dreams turn into realities because of good financial planning. A personal property inventory should be part of this plan. It can help you recover from a disaster, or the lack of one can totally change all that you worked for.

Without a list and photographs of the contents in your home or apartment, it would be impossible to remember and prove all that you lost! Victims of disasters state they couldn't remember or prove a sufficient amount of items, which left them with a claim settlement that was thousands of dollars short of what they needed.

As a result, many state they had to withdraw funds from an investment account. What will that do to your retirement plans? Your children's college plans? Your financial future? Will you have to continue to work longer to replace the money that was withdrawn?

In today's financial market, are you comfortable that your investments would be sufficient to recover from a disaster and not alter your current and future lifestyle? Talk to your financial planner. There is no right or wrong answer, only what you are willing to risk. You are the only one who can determine if the risk is worth not having the inventory.

Often, the return on investment is more than just money - the ROI of an inventory is also measured in time savings, less stress and peace of mind.

I can't imagine anyone hurting so badly to want to cause such devastation

Arson. That's what caused the fire in Nashville, Indiana, at the Little Opry earlier this month. According to an article in Inside INdiana, the owners were facing $68,000 in back taxes. No charges yet, but the article stated the owners were also operating on an expired entertainment license. 


With today's forensic tools, I can't imagine anyone even thinking they could get away with it. But that's probably the key word - thinking. Whoever set the fire obviously wasn't thinking.


We see, talk to and read about people on a regular basis who suffer loss from fires - from small kitchen fires to uncontrolled wild fires. Each one has emotion and stress attached to their nightmare of the recovery process. I can't image anyone wanting to cause such devastation, such destruction. But they did, and unfortunately others will continue to do so as well. 

You don't need an inventory if ...

We often discuss the many reasons you need to have an inventory of the contents of your home and business, especially when it comes to disaster preparedness and recovery. But there are situations when you don't need one. Here they are.

You don't need an inventory if ...

• You live in an area where there is never a burglary, fire or natural disaster.
• You have a photographic memory and can remember what you own.
• You know how many you have of each of all of these items: CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, books, jewelry, shoes, clothing, dishes, pots & pans, etc.
• You are able to remember model and serial numbers of all electronics and appliances.
• You can prove high-end items like big-screen TVs (even if your photos and owners manuals get blown away or burned).
• You are willing to do without.
• You have plenty of money to purchase items that you weren't able to replace after your insurance settlement.
• You honestly believe it can never happen to you.
• You won't mind digging through the muck after a fire so you can do your best to create a thorough list of what was there.
• You are willing to risk devoting countless hours remembering and listing what was lost rather than spending that important time with your family and/or business during the stressful recovery.

Every home is in some type of flood zone

"Some residents of Georgia have experienced deadly flooding over the past few days, causing many homeowners to re-evaluate their homeowners insurance policies." These words are from a Home Insurance blog post. 

So many times people complain about the added cost of flood insurance. If you feel you don't need to worry because you aren't in a high-risk area, the Home Insurance blog offers this statistic: FEMA states that 25-30% of all flood losses occur in low to moderate flood risk zones. 

Do you have flood insurance? When your time comes, you'll be happy you have it. I'm sure that those who suffered through this flood were glad they had an inventory of their belongings - or wish they did. 

The future's so bright I gotta wear shades

Do you remember that song from the 80s, sung by Timbuk3? Well, we celebrated with 100 people who must be singing - or at least humming - this song today. Last night we were privileged to attend Indy's Best and Brightest, The Top 100 Professionals Under 40 event, created by Indianapolis Junior Achievement.We were there with Howard Bienstock, founder of OneDegreeConnected.com which was a gold sponsor of the evening.

Chris Wright, Master of Ceremonies, is known in Central Indiana as "the weatherman" from WTHR. Our inventory business was created because of the need for people to protect their belongings in case of disaster. Therefore, we are always tuned in to his forecasts. He showed the depth of his industry professionalism and comfort in other areas besides in front of the big green screen during the presentation. Technical difficulties didn't disturb him and he inserted a few (just the right amount) of ad-lib funnies into the program. Job well done!

The highlight of the night was the announcement of the winners, one out of 10 finalists from each of 10 categories. We were proud to applaud two people in particular:

In the Banking and Financial Services category, David Nijhawan walked away with the award. He was our business attorney, now turned Business Banking Officer, for Old National Bank. We've remained friends over these 5 years and are always greeted with a robust hug and handshake whenever we see him.

President of The Stitch Smith, Erin Smith, received the nod in the category of Manufacturing, Retail & Services. Proud to call her a friend, we just never know what she's going to be up to next. And we hear something is happening soon ... she'll be in the "spotlight" once again.

After being introduced to all 100 of the finalists, and having spoken to some of them, I am changing the lyrics to this song. With these newly recognized young (under 40), savvy, intelligent entrepreneurs and professionals leading our business world into the next decade, I do believe that the future's so bright Indiana's gotta wear shades!

Congratulations to all 100 recognized last evening!

Only the rooftops

A  friend of ours, Scott Cunningham, The Referral Advisor, sent us this picture. Scott is always keeping his eyes open for us, and we appreciate his interest in our residential and commercial inventory business. So, where is this photo of rooftops?

Atlanta!  People are devastated with the losses they're facing. Another friend, Virtual Assistant Tracey Tarrant, is experiencing the damage personally. She was bailing water out of her home most of the day on Tuesday.

How many people do you think have a list of what they own? An inventory service would have certainly paid for itself  - probably 1000s of times over.

Imagine having to sort through all the muck and mud. Now imagine, instead, calling your insurance agent and telling them you have a home or business inventory. You'd be filing your claim within a couple days.

There are inventory service providers throughout the United States. If you don't want to compile your inventory yourself, please give one a call.

Oh, the dilemma of moving a blog

I'm thinking about moving my blog from Blogger to WordPress. Why? Mostly because Blogger took away spell check! Oh, No! No spellcheck?  YIKES!

I found a couple reasons given for removing spell check during their recent update. One is that it created a lot of HTML issues. Another reason offered is that with all the languages supported by Blogger, spell check was impractical to offer. 

It may seem minor, but I like to know when I misspell a word because typos bug me. But I must weigh the good against the bad. I've been happy with Blogger. It's easy to use, their technical support is helpful, and they have tools that make it easy to create and publish the blogs.

Well, I asked on Twitter and Facebook about switching to WordPress. Was it difficult? Did anyone have issues? I received replies that it's easy. Even @ablegragon sent me a link to a blog post that gives the step-by-step process. (I love my fellow Peeps!)

So now there should be nothing holding me back. But what if I run into issues? Everyone who knows me knows that I am NOT a techie by any stretch of the imagination! What if I lose everything? Is all of the time and torture I'll spend 'fixing things' worth it just to get spell check again? Is the value of a perfectly-spelled blog worth the issues I might run into? And then - OMG - what if WordPress chooses to stop offering spell check? AUGHHHHHH!

I don't know the answer, so I guess I'll sit on the fence for a while. Thoughts, anyone? Can someone give me a very good reason to make the move, or should I stay where I'm safe. Then get therapy to stop making a typo such a huge issue?!?

All that's left are the memories

Saturday night - and into early Sunday morning - local firefighters fought to save a Brown County landmark - the Little Nashville Opry.

There are fires every day of the year, but when a special building falls into smoldering embers, people take notice. My heart goes out to the owners as well as the fans. All are feeling a sense of loss today.

At this point, too, I feel it necessary to remind everyone how quickly you can lose everything you own. An inventory will not bring it back, but it will make the recovery process easier. I've been told by those who have been through it, that using a document to list items when filing the insurance claim is much less stressful and emotional than having to dig through the rubble while attempting to identify each item that is now charred, melted or destroyed beyond recognition.

Please take some time to create your list of assets. You will be so happy you did if or when you experience a fire, theft or natural disaster. If you never experience any of these, the peace of mind your inventory will provide was worth the time and effort to create it.

Photo: Indianapolis Star

Great messages from some of the best

As a small business owner, I'm always seeking ways to make new connections, and to also help others connect with those I know. Whether you call it "pay it forward" or "what goes around" or "what you give, you get back" or any other phrase, to me it's just the right thing to do. Small business owners especially understand the need and advantage of helping each other make connections for each other.

With that in mind, I'd like to invite you to attend a Webinar Celebration. You'll hear from some of the best in the fields of motivation, inspiration and business education. And you'll also learn about a B2B tool that is a quick, easy way to get connections that YOU are seeking, and at the same time, be able to give connections with just the click of a mouse! A big time-saver for the small business owner!

Please join us at the OneDegreeConnected.com Global "GIVE BACK" Launch Celebration Webinar on September 24!


This event is all about giving back ... attend the webinar and receive great information, inspiration and motivation from world-renowned experts in their fields:


Bob Burg (Keynote speaker), Author of  "The Go-Giver"

Kevin Eikenberry, Creater of "The Remarkable Leadership System"

Josh Hinds, Inspirational speaker and entrepreneurial coach

Doug Karr, Globally recognized guru in identifying and implementing effective online marketing strategies

...and more!

Prepare to be inspired, motivated, educated and entertained while you also learn about this B2B referral tool!

Register here and we'll "see you" there!

Mack writes about who? About Cindy Lou

The Grinch is everywhere, it seems - and not only at Christmas. In a recent post, I shared a phone call I received from one of our customers who had just been burglarized. Last week at our monthly ITEX (a barter group) meeting, this customer was giving a testimonial for our home and business inventory service, explaining to the group how helpful it was after his vacation home was burglarized.


Mack Earnhardt of Agile Reasoning, a custom software design firm, was also in attendance. After hearing "Willy's" story, Mack chose to blog about it while proving that some "techies" have a fantastic sense of humor.

How Cindy Lou Foiled the Grinch

Vacation homes let us escape for a bit,

But the Grinch is so jealous, he just has a fit.

So while Willy was working and his back was turned,

The Grinch took some things that he hadn't earned.

Candles from mantles, and runner from halls,

Food from the freezer, and artwork from walls.

Take a moment and check out the remainder of Mack's very funny, creative blog.

An impromptu education session

When we started our home inventory business 5 years ago, one of our criteria was to educate people. Now, to be honest, we realize that once people learn the importance of knowing what they own, some will become customers. But there are also those who will want to do their inventories themselves. And that's great, too!

Thus, that's why we share this information ... how insurance works, the different types of coverage, the claims process, etc. We also discuss estate planning and estate settlement, why a business owner needs to have this information, plus all the other reasons you should have an inventor of your home and business. The key is knowing WHY someone should have an inventory.

So yesterday, while working in the office, Mike said, "Let's have an "Ask the expert" time on Facebook and Twitter. I thought it was a really good idea, so we started letting people know we'd be available for questions. Friends are so cool, and very quickly we got a note from James Ryan suggesting we post it as an "Event" on Facebook (thanks James!). Within minutes, he was sharing the information with others.

It was short notice, but a few picked up on it and we were able to answer some questions. We'll do it again before the end of the month (with more notice) and are considering making it a monthly activity thereafter. Why? We want to share our knowledge. Questions come up and "need to know" is a timing issue. What you don't need to know today might be an urgent issue a couple weeks from now.

Social media is not just for promoting products or providing inspirational quotes or tweeting "I'm sitting on the patio" (though I enjoy reading all of these, too!). Social media is also a great tool to share your expertise.

What can you offer of value to your followers and friends?

Things that make life easier

Our guest today is attorney Anastasia Demos Mills, a founding partner of  A. Demos & J. Reyome, Attorneys & Counselors at Law, LLC in Broadripple, IN. Her practice focuses on estate planning, probate, adoptions, and guardianships.  Ph:317.205.4357

Like most kids who grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons with a bowl of Lucky Charms in the 1980s, I watched “The Jetsons” and fantasized about having my very own robot. 

As a particularly scheming kid, I figured that my very own “Rosie the Robot Maid” could relieve me of such crushing and stressful tasks as making my bed, returning my cereal bowl to the sink, and *gasp* even watering the garden.

After a bunch of halfhearted attempts to automate the watering of the garden with a metal pail, a pulley and some rope fell flat, I abandoned my efforts and resigned myself to my toilsome fate.

Fast forward to the present and I’m pretty convinced that it was those glorious hours of watching “The Jetsons” and scheming about ways to make life easier that got me so overstimulated about the prospect of buying my very own robotic vacuum cleaner. 

So now I have one. Enter the Roomba i400. It’s a nifty little gadget, really. Looks like an oversized hockey puck and it wanders around my floor in persistent little circles, sweeping up dust and dirt with a teeny tiny brush until everything is spotless.

Not surprisingly, I completely adore the thing and show it off at every opportunity. Even clients at our law office are occasionally greeted at the door by the Roomba, persistently cleaning around their shoes.

Whether it’s a robotic vacuum cleaner or a backpack for your dog or the ShamWow that can mysteriously absorb gallons of spilled liquid, it’s a really, really good thing when we discover things that can make life just a little bit easier.

Believe it or not, I became a lawyer to make things just a little bit easier for people. (No, seriously!  Lawyers can do that!)  When people anticipate events ahead of time (i.e. writing a will, creating a business plan, or creating a family emergency plan), it generally makes circumstances a bit easier to deal with down the line when and if they do come.

At our office, we tell our estate planning clients that we try to make contemplating their mortality as painless as possible.  They usually snicker good-naturedly, but the underlying (more sobering) message usually comes through loud and clear ... by taking a little time to plan now, people can save a lot of time, resources, frustration, and potential heartache in the future. 

Having an inventory created of your personal or business property is another way to make life just a little bit easier and, frankly, may even be more useful than my beloved robotic vacuum cleaner. Odds are that, at some point, many of us will find ourselves in situations where an insurance company will require prior documentation of items to pay a claim. Or maybe a probate court will require an inventory of assets in the context of opening an estate.

The good news is that the friendly and capable professionals at Hartman Inventory can do all the work for you.  Yes, stuff is just that ... stuff ...but time is precious, isn’t it?  It’s irreplaceable. Give Hartman Inventory a call today. Their services really can make life easier when you most need it. 

It was a bittersweet phone call

Once in a while we receive a phone call that creates happy/sad emotions. Last Friday was one of those times:

I want to thank you! I want to thank you for me being a customer of yours!

People broke into our house and I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have an inventory!

This is bittersweet because we are sad that they experienced this loss, but also happy that we provided our inventory service for him. We know we have helped lessen the emotion, saved them hours of time and increased the opportunity for a more thorough claim, resulting in a higher dollar settlement.

He told me about how they ransacked the entire house, stole beds, mattresses, electronics, even kitchen appliances ... food and cleaning supplies, too! It was a horrible experience, and the aftermath when you have to file a claim can be just as emotional.

When he called his insurance agent and told her he had a home inventory, she told him his life would be much easier with that information. Then she explained he would need to list, room-by-room, everything that is missing (including model numbers).

As we hung up the phone, he was going to start that process. His closing remark was that it'll be so much easier to do this, because he has the list we created for him, along with detailed photographs. Being able to refer to the photos, he will be able to SEE what is missing! 

A picture is worth a thousand words. And in this instance, a picture is worth thousands of dollars!

9 kids and a bunch of mistresses

I don't know why I always thought wealthy and/or famous people all have wills, but I'm finding out they don't. WHY!?! I just don't understand why! They have money to hire the best estate attorney to write the will. It's not a time issue, because they have enough "people" to arrange for it to happen. Is it just complacency? Or do they think they'll live forever? Or they just can't think of life after they're gone? I believe creating a will is a gesture of love. And here's why ...

We all have been reading about the mess that Michael Jackson's estate is in. Think of all the money that is going to be spent on legal fees! Even more important, the family bickering, finger pointing, emotions. Time spent in court. Think of how the kids are feeling, not knowing what's going to happen to them. Now another situation popped up that is even more complicated and unfortunately, almost comical!

I read in the Wall Street Journal that billionaire Wang Yung-ching, owner of Formosa Plastics Group in New Jersey, left a $7 Billion estate behind when he died at the age of 91 last year. His legal widow (wife for 70 years) lives in Taiwan. So far, OK. But bring in his 9 children, birthed by mistresses over the years, and you have a 3-ring circus to be played out in court!

I wish I knew Mr. Wang - I could have at least created an inventory for him. It would have been interesting listing the kids (who knows...probably grandkids, too), the mistresses and the widow and what items of his he wanted each to have. It would have been great meeting and having a conversation with a woman who had been married for 70 years! A trip to Taiwan would have been nice, too.

On a serious note ... No matter what your age or financial worth, get a will. Don't put your family through years of fighting, turmoil and emotional roller coasters.

Questions, questions and more questions

Occurrences of thefts usually rise during tough economic times. Now is no exception. There has always been anecdotal evidence of suspicious insurance claims, but new data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) proves it. For the 1st half of 2009, these statistics show increases in almost every category compared to a year ago.


“The overall number of questionable claims for the first half of 2009 is 13% higher than it was at this time last year,” Joe Wehrle, NICB president and CEO, said in a statement."


These 41,619 claims in question were referred to NICB for closer review and investigation, compared with 36,743 received during the same period a year earlier. This means that fraud continues to climb, which in turn will most likely impact our premiums. 


If you have a claim to settle, doesn't it figure that the adjusters and insurance companies are going to increase the questioning? Possibly want more proof of ownership by asking for pictures, serial numbers or model numbers of your belongings? Maybe now - like this weekend now - is a good time to create your personal property inventory!

Mother is warning you

The Mother I'm referring to is Mother Nature. And by her continued acts of destruction from fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes, I think it's time we all listen to her! Being prepared helps you recover and return or rebuild your home and/or business. If you're a home-based business, you've just experienced a loss of both at the same time.


There are many things you can do to prepare. This article on openforum.com provides some simple things that will make your life easier after a disaster strike. This one is near and dear to my heart:


Inventory. Know the value of equipment and other important things in your office. If necessary, take photos of your space. If your office is damaged, you’ll have to provide your insurance company with a full list of all the equipment and infrastructure that need to be replaced. It’s better to be safe than sorry.


Remember, it's not just the money that will be recovered when you have an inventory of your belongings. You'll also recover faster, with less stress. That provides you the most valuable item of all - time to spend with your family who will need you as you pull your life back together!

Fires don't need to be wild to require attention

Losing your home in a wildfire is very traumatic and frightening. In a period of panic, fire victims often rush and do the wrong things. Here are nine great tips for those who have lost their homes. How to deal with insurance companies. What to say, what not to say, and what not to sign.

These are the words in an article from PR-Inside that was written in response to the wild fires in California, but perfect for anyone who is facing, has faced or (hopefully) being proactive against loss from fire. It continues:

Every year, wildfires ravage Southern California, claiming many homes, condos, apartment complexes and businesses. Immediately after a fire, most turn to their insurance companies for relief. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of work, experience and negotiation to successfully settle a large insurance claim.

One of the goals of this blog and our newsletter is to provide information regarding business and home inventories, insurance and disaster preparedness/recovery. This PR-Inside article provides 9 great tips for those who have already suffered the loss. Consider how much easier and less stressful it would be if they/you already have the inventory, which is tip number 6:

Start your personal property inventory immediately. This will be a very lengthy, detailed and emotionally involved process. Your memory is best right after the loss, so start to compile your list of personal property immediately. It is very likely that you will not remember to list all of your items and several months later, while looking for certain things, you will determine they are gone – this is most often the case with partial losses.

One of our newsletter articles asked, "If not now, when?" Take the time now to record your inventory now of your home and/or business. The hours you spend now will be minimal to what you'll face later! Stress, time and emotion will also be lessened.

Photo: Sullivan/Getty

There is a big difference between 6 and 8

I've done a lot of thinking about typos lately because I had one in a press release. Now, I know, ONE typo is not an earth-shattering thing. I always proofread articles, blog posts, press releases - usually even emails (yes, I'm kinda crazy that way).

Well, BIG lesson learned - proofread the phone number, too! I failed to do that when giving contact information for our Hartman Inventory Systems Turnkey Package and it could have caused a problem. When I realized the phone number was incorrect (typed an 8 instead of a 6), I called the person who owned the "incorrect" number. She is an on-call nurse and it was the number of her emergency phone. I apologized to her for any calls she might receive from someone wanting to reach us. She was not real warm about my error, and I can't say that I blame her. When she stated she wanted an "immediate retraction", I was so happy that I had already submitted my request for the correction! At least I was able to show her I was taking this mistake seriously.

I'll always proof the phone numbers and address - any numbers for that matter - in any future marketing pieces. I wanted to pass this on to you, too, because I'm guessing others forget to check these items as well.

Now a question for you ... is there anything else I could or should have done for the person with the 8 instead of the 6 in her phone number? Please let me know.

The broken link

In a previous post, I asked how you feel about typos and what you do about them when you discover one on someone else's marketing material. I place high importance on not having typos (and grammatical errors) because these pieces represent our contents inventory company.

I have the same question about links that don't work. Do you let them know? I see a lot of this on Twitter and Facebook when the shortened URL doesn't lead people to the intended site. Is this a courtesy that followers and friends show each other, or is this courtesy extended for blog posts, articles and websites, too? I'm guessing it happens more often on the social media sites because it's quick and easy to reply "link broken" and move on. Calling or emailing would take more time than a quick reply.

What does it matter, anyway?

I have recently learned how important it is to make people aware of this. In a recent press release, the link to our website was broken. Steve Scalph, owner of Sign Here!, is a good friend of ours and let me know about it. He understands that it's more than just a broken link. It could also mean a lost opportunity for business. He cared enough to take the time to tell us. He showed how we are connected, too, which creates a stronger personal link, a stronger relationship and continues to forge a deeper friendship.

Thanks, Steve!

The value of personal and business relationships

Yesterday's post, A business owner's worst nightmare, shared our experience of having some untrue comments posted about us on another website. The person who made the comments later retracted his statement, but it could have hurt our personal and business reputations if not for the wonderful friends and business associates we have!

You can spend years building a great reputation, and unfortunately one negative remark (even if not true) can really hurt a small company.

Lorraine Ball, marketing guru and owner of Roundpeg, immediately showed her support, posting:"I have known Mike and Cindy for years, these are very ethical, very reliable people who do what they say, and honor their commitments."

Carolyn Rhynearson, franchise broker and owner of Foremost Franchises, noted similar sentiments: "I have worked with them for over 3 years and I can unequivacally say that their integrity is right up there with the highest."

Shortly after, Howard Bienstock who is CEO of ROI LLC and One Degree Connected.com remarked: "I find your comments absurd for many reasons ..." and "[they] are two of the most honest and reputable people you will ever find!"

By this time, we were feeling a little better, believing that this one negative comment will be countered sufficiently to remove any question or concern someone might have about us.

I'm not posting these comments to brag (however, they sure did make us feel good!); I'm repeating them to make a point. The point is the importance of developing those trusted relationships we all hear about. Knowing that people "have your back" and will stand up for you when they see a wrong that needs to be righted is very comforting.

Returning to the comments later, we found a few more that I want to share. Teresa Ray, owner of The Payroll Department expressed her feelings:"They are the most pro-active positive duo I’ve ever met!! I had them inventory my home so I am speaking from experience."

And Brandswag owner and social media expert Kyle Lacy, young enough to be our son, drew his sword ... "I want to put my name out there and let everyone know that I have never… ever… ever known Mike and Cindy Hartman to drop the ball on anything. I have been networking around town (their neck of town) for four years and have never heard a bad word spoken about them."

And finally, Ann Fisher, specialist in all areas of the Human Resources world and owner of HR Alternative Consulting, drives the trust factor home by stating, "I would trust the Hartmans with everything I own, and gladly refer their business."

The point is, when you treat people right and help others, they will always be there for you, standing at the ready. Not because they feel they have to, but because they want to. That's the value of personal and business relationships! Have you developed yours? Will you be there, speaking out for them, when someone needs you?

And of course, including them in this post is one way I can say thank you to them. Please visit their websites and meet these great people!

A business owner's worst nightmare

Recently we had someone (whom we had never met) make an incorrect assumption about our inventory turnkey business and posted a less-than-flattering comment about us on a business news website.

Many - including us - consider this a business owner's worst nightmare. As service providers, we ARE the business when it comes to professionalism, reputation and trust. So when we found this comment, we went through the normal reaction of anger, disbelief and fear of what it will do to our business as well as our personal reputation.

After digging into the reasons behind the comments, it appears that this person was "stung" by another company and made the assumption (partly because of a broken link on our website) that all inventory turnkey packages and providers were the same. He later submitted a public apology, admitting we are trustworthy and "great people". I guess we can say "all is well that ends well."

So ... what enabled him to retract his words and belief? Check tomorrow's blog to see what caused his change of heart.

September is National Preparedness Month

A personal property inventory is key to financial recovery from a fire, tornado, theft or any other catastrophe that results in a loss of personal or business belongings. However, it's just one element of being prepared for a disaster.

September is National Preparedness Month and FEMA's Ready America website is a great resource to help you Get A Kit, Make A Plan and Be Informed. There is also a section titled Ready Business with information on how to ensure the safety of your employees, how to stay in business and protect your investment.

Kids aren't excluded from needing to know how to be safe, so FEMA has also created Ready Kids. There are games and activities that provide fun ways to learn about being safe. There is a special section for parents and teachers, too!

Be prepared; be safe!