Provider Tip: Three Sinfully Common Writing Mistakes

by Emily Kazmierski | April 5, 2012 at 5:30 am

As an editor, I’ve seen a lot of writing mistakes, but there are three that drive me crazy. These three mistakes are practically sinful.

  1. Using apostrophes in dates. Apostrophes are used to show possession.
    • Here is an example of what not to do:
      Fashion in the 1980′s was colorful and over the top.
    • Why it’s incorrect:
      In this sentence, 1980s is not possessive and should not have an apostrophe. In fact, I can’t think of an instance in which a date should have an apostrophe.
    • What to write instead:
      Fashion in the 1980s was colorful and over the top.
  2. Mismatching singular and plural forms. Make sure that if you begin a sentence with one subject, you end with one subject.
    • Here is an example of what not to do:
      When a person is shopping for gifts, they may think too much about each purchase.
    • Why it’s incorrect:
      The sentence begins with a singular subject (a person) and ends with a plural one (they).
    • What to write instead:
      When a person is shopping for gifts, he or she may think too much about each purchase.
  3. Misusing the word “where”. Where is locational.
    • Here is an example of what not to do:
      I found myself in a situation where I was in danger.
    • Why it’s incorrect:
      In this case, the person is not in a place, but in a situation.
    • What to write instead:
      I found myself in a situation in which I was in danger. Or better yet, I found myself in a dangerous situation.

Edit your writing so that you don’t use these mistakes. You will be well on your way to becoming a great writer.

Author:

Emily Kazmierski
Freelance Writing and Editing

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Provider Tip: Lift Weights First or do Cardio?

by Allison King | March 31, 2012 at 2:03 am

The answer to an age old question when heading to the gym–Do I lift weights first or do cardio?

The answer and the best way to burn fat is always do your strength training first. You want to invest the most energy in resistance training at the beginning of the workout because as you are lifting weights, you are burning up the stored sugar that is available in the muscle. When you are ready to do some cardiovascular exercise, your body will have to break down stored fat to use as fuel in order to perform the movements. If you do cardio first and lift second, chances are you will not have the power output to lift as heavy had you spent most of your energy lifting first.

Author:

Allison King
Personal Trainer

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Provider Tip: 6 Ways to Prepare for Rising Heating Oil & Propane Prices

by Wayne Krasnow | March 31, 2012 at 12:00 am

Are heating oil prices making you crazy?

You can do something about it!

There are many choices that will save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars on your home heating bills and you don’t have to go out and cut a tree down to do it.

Hybrid Heat is one of the best options. A hybrid heat system includes a High Efficiency Furnace (Oil, Gas or LP) and the High Efficiency Heat Pump. This smart system automatically switches between the heat pump and furnace depending on outside temperatures. And because the hybrid heat system also provides cool, indoor comfort, this system becomes your total, year round home comfort solution. No additional air conditioning unit is required.

Get your friends or neighbors together. Assess how much oil or propane you and all of your friends and neighbors will need, so that you can ask for an accurate oil or propane request and ask for a lower price. Now remember that you are asking something “out of the ordinary” from a local oil or propane company, so you will have to make a few calls until one of them will work with you and they agree to make a deal.

Switch to Natural Gas. Natural Gas prices don’t rise as much as oil prices. Natural Gas Furnaces and Boilers are much more efficient and they burn cleaner than oil. In most cases, if a main gas line is near or runs by your home, it is FREE to have the gas company run a gas line and put a meter outside of your house. A good Heating contractor will help set up the process with the gas company so that everything will go smoothly. When you switch to Natural Gas, you have more choices. Natural Gas can run a Water Heater, Clothes Dryer, Oven & Cook top, Fireplace Insert, Outdoor Grill, Outdoor Fire Pit, Pool Heater and many other appliances.

Switch to Propane (LP). LP prices raise when oil prices rise but LP Furnaces and Boilers are much more efficient and they burn cleaner than oil. It is usually FREE to have the LP Company install an LP tank outside of your house. A good Heating contractor will help set up the process with the LP Company so that everything will go smoothly. When you switch to LP, you will have the all of the same options for other appliances that use Natural gas.

Note: I hear many people say that they are afraid of or that they don’t like Natural Gas or LP Gas. All newer Natural Gas or LP Gas appliances have many safety devices that simply stop the flow of gas to prevent a fire or explosion. Millions of Natural Gas or LP Gas appliances are installed throughout the United States and other countries around the world. With the proper installation procedures followed by a licensed heating contractor, you will not have to worry about heating your home with Natural Gas or LP Gas. It is a very safe, clean and efficient way to keep your family comfortable.

Have a High Efficiency Heat Pump installed. A Heat Pump is one of the most efficient ways to Heat and Cool your home. It is simply an air conditioner in the summer and it reverses its cycle to heat your home in the winter. It does require a backup heater that is built into the system, but that only has to work at colder temperatures (below 30o F). A Heat Pump can be up to 300% efficient. Let’s see an oil furnace do that!

Ductless Heat Pumps are a big money saver for heating and cooling your entire home. Each area’s temperature can be controlled separately (Zoned) even if you don’t have ductwork and can’t fit ductwork in your home. Ductless Heat Pump systems will, in some cases, heat and cool your home better and more efficiently than a central heating and air conditioning system.

Call me if you need help deciding which option is best for you and your home. 203-315-0323

OK… I have to mention the Geothermal Heat Pump system. But the reason I didn’t put it in my list (there’s always a but) is because, as a heating and air conditioning serviceman of more than 25 years, I have to say that, in my experience, this system is too expensive to install and repair and has not proven the energy savings that the media is portraying. Knowing that this statement may upset some of the Geothermal Heat Pump installers or owners, I ask that you to call me to prove otherwise.

Author:

Wayne Krasnow
Heating & Air Conditioning Professional

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Provider Tip: 401K Audit Form 5500 – Selecting a Qualified Auditor

by Suzette Porter | March 30, 2012 at 9:41 am

Federal law requires employee benefit plans with 100 or more participants to have an audit as part of their obligation to file an annual return/report (Form 5500 Series). If your plan is required to have an audit, one of the most important duties of the plan administrator is to hire an independent qualified public accountant.

When selecting an auditor the plan administrator should consider the following:

Ensure the auditor is licensed:

Federal law requires that an auditor engaged for an plan audit be licensed or certified as a public accountant by a State regulatory authority. When engaging an auditor, you may wish to discuss the auditor’s work for other 401K clients. If you have additional questions, you may also wish to verify with the appropriate State regulatory authority that the provider holds a valid, up-to-date license or certificate to perform auditing services.

Ensure the auditor is independent:

Auditors 401k plans should not have any financial interests in the plan or the plan sponsor that would affect their ability to render an objective, unbiased opinion about the financial condition of the plan.

Ensure the auditor has experience with employee benefit plans:

One of the most common reasons for deficient accountants’ reports is the failure of the auditor to perform tests in areas unique to employee benefit plan audits. The more training and experience that an auditor has, the more familiar the auditor will be with plan practices and operations, as well as the special auditing standards and rules that apply to such plans.

In some instances, a less experienced auditor may be assigned to perform routine audit procedures in order to reduce audit costs. When this happens, you should confirm that an experienced employee benefit plan auditor will review his/her work, as well as perform the more complicated audit procedures.

Ensure you select a quality auditor:

A quality audit will help protect the assets and the financial integrity of your plan and ensure that the necessary funds will be available to pay retirement, health, and other promised benefits to your employees. A quality audit also will help you carry out your legal responsibility to file a complete and accurate annual return/report for your plan each year. Because an incomplete, inadequate, or untimely audit report may result in penalties being assessed against you as the plan’s administrator, selection of an experienced and reliable auditor is very important.

Other Considerations:

Ask the potential auditor if they are a member of the AICPA’s Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center. The center is a national community of CPA firms that demonstrate a commitment to employee benefit plan audit quality and is designed to raise awareness about the importance of ERISA audits. Membership in the AICPA Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center enables members to access to a wealth of comprehensive resources to assist in providing high quality employee benefit plan audits.

In addition, members of the Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center are committed to adhering to the highest quality standards by voluntarily agreeing to the Center membership requirements, which include designating a partner responsible for our employee benefit plan audit practice, establishing quality control programs, performing annual internal inspection procedures, and making peer review report findings publicly available.

Suzette Porter is a Certified Public Accountant with over 15 years experience with 401k and other employee benefit plan audits. She is a partner with BAS Partners, a Florida based firm that provides employee benefit audits nationwide.

Author:

Suzette Porter
Accounting Firm

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Provider Tip: Home Audio/Video Wiring Installation

by Eaton Bates | March 30, 2012 at 8:00 am

Two things to consider before contacting a contractor for home audio/video wiring installation:

  1. Two-story homes are usually more difficult to wire since the attic access is only on the upper story of the home.
    If you need to add wiring to the lower story of the home, some holes may need to be opened up in the ceiling or walls. If it is audio cabling that you are needing wired, a flush mounted speaker can serve two purposes. The first purpose will be a clean-looking, discrete and great-sounding speaker, and the second is that the hole created to install it can be used to route the wiring without any attic access at all.
  2. Do you want wiring hidden down an exterior wall?
    If so, it could contain horizontal studs that can be challenging to get past. Try to see if there is another wall that would serve the same purpose but that does not separate the interior of the home from the exterior. If this is not possible, take a stud finder and run it vertically to detect any presence of studs.

Author:

Eaton Bates
Home Theater Installation

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Provider Tip: Local Search: Ensure Your Business is Found

by Glennette Goodbread | March 30, 2012 at 12:00 am

If you want to make sure you can be found when your prospects are looking for you, please do not overlook local search. Do a local search on your business and see if you can be found. Don’t search for your domain name though. Use terms that people would use if they did not know your business name i.e. “web design albany ga”, “insurance albany ga”, “chiropractor albany ga” etc. If your site doesn’t rank on the first page, or at the very least the second page, then you have a little work cut out for you.

Considerations in local search:

  • Keywords – Your keywords within your website should be local search terms that people would use to find you. You can do keyword research yourself or you can hire someone like Premium Web to do it for you. However, it is imperative that you make sure the right keywords are used in your website.
  • Blog – Blogs are handy dandy keyword creators because the moment you find out about a keyword term or phrase that is ranking well, you can create a blog post with those words in it. Plus, if you’re blogging regularly, and you should be, the keywords you use will make your page rank higher. Be sure to link internally when relevant i.e. link one page of your website to another page when appropriate.
  • Google Places – Your Google Places page needs to be claimed and optimized as soon as possible. Hint to the wise: Do not get more than one Google Places page or more than one business with the same phone number. Try to have a different phone number for each business if you have more than one.
  • Yahoo – When you go to local Yahoo, you can add your business by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking Add a Business.
  • Facebook – Create a Facebook Business Page and fill out the profile completely. Don’t forget to include your city and state. This will increase your local search results.
  • Bing – Bing has a local listing center where you can list your business. Make sure you fill out their forms all the way, and like Google, don’t do more than one phone number. You’ll get a QR code, a beautiful listing, and so much more. At the time of this writing Bing Business Portal is in BETA.
  • Yelp – Get listed on Yelp.com and get some friends, relatives, and clients to talk about you there.
  • Thumbtack – Thumbtack is a great local search directory where you can list your business and those who find your listing can even contact you from there!
  • Community – Join your local chamber of commerce and get a listing on their website. Don’t overlook local associations, too.

There are other places you can get listed and you certainly should get listed. If it’s free, why not create a listing? The more listings you have, the more likely you are to be found by potential clients. Even if you’re totally doing business on the Internet being listed and found in local search can only increase your opportunities.

If you need a professional to help you with Local Search, ask me today about my “Local Search Profits Now” package. Mention this guest post and save $50.

Author:

Glennette Goodbread
Maximize Local Business

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Provider Tip: Dupont Teflon vs. Scotchguard

by Kyle Wiergowski | March 29, 2012 at 4:00 pm

Scotchguard is the name widely associated with protecting your carpet. We carry Dupont Teflon which cost a little less, and we as many others believe its better than Scotchguard. A good question is: Is getting Teflon worth the price? Absolutely, Yes.

A few exceptions for not getting Teflon would be if you have Berber carpet. Berber carpet is so tightly knit together that most of the time it will release the stain when we clean the carpet. Teflon does assist in protecting it and making it last longer, but it’s not enough of a difference for us to really recommend it to a customer for Berber carpet.

Another exception would be if you have microfiber furniture. Just as with berber carpet, microfiber seems to let go of most spots and stains. As with berber, the Teflon with help protect the furniture, but again it’s not that big of a difference where we recommend it.

Last would be if you don’t have kids, your carpet doesn’t get much traffic and you get it cleaned on a regular basis.

Now why are we such believers in Teflon?

It’s very simple, we have seen it work it our own homes and many others. We can tell you stories about spilling orange juice, milk, animal accidents and many others and how we were able to get the spot out of the carpet the next time we cleaned simply because the carpet was protected with Teflon. We can also tell stories about customers who have 20-year-old white carpet that looks great today with minor wear because they simply spent the extra money to have it Tefloned every time it was cleaned. The extra $40 or $50, depending on how much square ft., is pennies compared to the cost of replacing your carpet. It’s like the old saying, “Sometimes you have to spend money to save money.”

How and When Do We Apply Scotchguard?

We apply it after we clean. We have a sprayer we use to spray the Teflon on the carpet in a very liberal manner. You can probably expect the carpet to take 1-2 hrs longer to dry simply because we don’t just mist the Teflon. We may not make as much money by spraying it liberally, but we know that if you see the results that we have seen, then you will get Teflon every time. Lastly, if the fibers of the carpet are about a 1/2 inch or more we will rake the Teflon into the carpet after we spray, so that we work the Teflon into all the areas of the carpet.

Author:

Kyle Wiergowski
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

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Provider Tip: Things to Ask When Hiring a Landscape Designer

by Samarotto Designs | March 29, 2012 at 8:00 am

When you hire a landscape designer, you’ve already made a good choice in ensuring that you aren’t leaving the design of your outdoor living space to a landscaper.

A good designer will be well educated, well trained and will readily share with you the work they’ve done and are proud of.

So how do you find the right designer? Start here with some basic, yet very telling, questions!

  1. “What accreditation do you have?”
    You want to hire a landscape designer who is accredited in at least one, preferably both ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) and APLD (Association of Professional Landscape Designers). While there are other, lesser, designations; these are the benchmark accreditations that every high level, professional landscape designer will have.
  2. “What is your design philosophy?”
    While there is no one “right” answer to this question, what is inarguable is that a every designer will be able to quickly and comprehensively explain what their design philosophy is and how they approach each project. Do not accept anything that sounds like, “we will bring in some stuff that looks good” as a philosophy! Look for an answer that accurately reflects a method and style and for a designer you “click” with!
  3. “Can you provide me with referrals?”
    This is not a time to gamble on a newcomer. Your home and the investment you are about to make in it deserves and demands the benefit of experienced, successful design!
  4. “What’s your level of horticultural experience and knowledge?”
    I am always surprised by so-called Landscape Designers who know little or nothing about trees, plants, flowers and shrubs! How can you design well and at a high level if you are uneducated as to the medium of your art? You’ll want a designer with a high level of horticultural education…certified Master Gardeners, accredited horticultural degrees, etc.
  5. The last question to ask isn’t a question at all…rather, you want to see how many questions your prospective designer asks YOU. In order to create a design that is reflective of you, your home and your personality and style a designer has to get a feeling for who you are, your personal aesthetic and build from there. Never hire a designer who is designing for anyone else but YOU.

Author:

Samarotto Designs
Stunning Landscape Design & Impeccable Installation

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Provider Tip: Sustainable, Green Design for New Home, Addition, Renovation

by Shannon Scarlett | March 29, 2012 at 12:32 am

Any new building project will, by necessity, be affected by green design, as the state and national codes continue to expand energy conservation requirements, including “stretch building codes” adopted on a town-by-town basis. You may also choose to have your house meet higher standards, for any number of reasons—energy cost reductions, tax and sales rebates, ethical concerns, or hopes of reversing global warming.

There are many approaches to “green design”, some are standardized and certifiable—LEEDS—while others may be just as systematic and scientific, but not offer a certification. Additionally, there are architects, engineers and builders who use a more intuitive, experience-based approach to meeting the intent of sustainability, energy conservation and healthy, green building standards. No one of these approaches is necessarily better than another, regardless of what you may have heard. So, go with what feels right for you and your project.

LEEDS (a point-based system, allowing trade-offs and choices between sustainability objectives) is a good place to start, but it requires common sense applications to achieve authentic results. Since green design has only recently been adopted as a general building incentive, and because it is still an inexact science, some level of intuition and experience will be required in any decision regarding energy conservation, sustainable resources, and environmental health.

To educate yourself enough to be an informed participant in these types of discussions, you might want to check out the following sites. You don’t need to become an expert, but you may want to have a general idea of your basic choices. This will help you determine which issues are personally most important, and what improvements will add most your specific project, while minimizing the impact to your budget. To assist your evaluations check out the watchdog organizations that alert consumers of “green washing,”—the practice of “misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”

The newest trend in sustainable building the passive house; where siting, window locations, overhangs and deciduous plantings, all working in conjunction with a tightly sealed and continuously insulated envelope to create the necessary conditions for a net zero energy house– where a heating or cooling system may not be needed at all, and electric lighting is limited to night use. (Appliance and body heat are generally enough to keep the interior at a comfortable temperature.)

For more general tips on how to get started on a residential architecture project, check out the Before You Build Workbook link on Shannon Taylor Scarlett Architects website:
http://www.scarlettarchitects.com/workbook/

Author:

Shannon Scarlett
Architectural Firm

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Provider Tip: The Mental Secret To Quitting Smoking! “The 3-Day Law”

by Robert Brown | March 28, 2012 at 5:00 pm

The 3-Day Law is an integral strategy for your overall mental well-being when you quit smoking. When you quit smoking, if you ever feel stressed or feel close to giving up – just refer back to the 3-Day Law. A simple way of putting the Law is: “Anybody who does not smoke for 3 consecutive days cannot logically justify smoking again.” Now you may be thinking, what exactly does this mean and how does it work for me?

The 3-Day Law means that after the first three days of quitting, the urge to smoke continues to decrease until nicotine is completely out of your body. During the first 3 days, the withdrawal symptoms begin. Starting with day one, each day the discomfort of nicotine withdrawal will increase in intensity and, according to the American Cancer Society, by the end of day 3 the intensity of the withdrawal will have peaked. This means from day 4 onward the discomfort brought on by withdrawal will lessen each day until it becomes nonexistent. After 14 days, your body will have eliminated all traces of nicotine from your system.

Eleven days after withdrawals start to decrease and your system will be completely free of nicotine! This means: 3 days + 11 days = a total quit time of 14 days. You can do it!

What the mind doesn’t approve, the body can’t do! The 3-Day Law will help you mentally overcome your urges and push you through the first 3 days. Simply knowing that the urges will subside after only the first three days will get you through them and on to the fourth day – and so on.

Let’s say you wake up on Day 4 and feel a strong urge to smoke however, you know the 3-Day Law now- if the intensity is already beginning to decrease you’ll have to ask yourself, “If I didn’t smoke last night when the withdrawal was at its worst, why would I smoke today when it’s easier? Why would I risk throwing everything away after that terrible struggle? Why would I smoke when I have already survived the worst? Why would I smoke now when I’ve already won?”

Ask these questions during the entire 14 day program until the nicotine is no longer in your body. That’s what the 3–Day Law is all about- if your mind doesn’t authorize it, then you won’t physically pick up a cigarette, light it and smoke it. You no longer have a physical need- it’s all about the mind. The Law helps you control your mind. The 3–Day Law, deep breathing exercises, and boot camp methodology give you a total solution to quit: The HowQuit Program. Now all you have to do is get started! Go to http://www.howdoyouquitsmoking.org to discover more!

Author:

Robert Brown
Quit Smoking

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