If you know me personally, you have probably noticed that I am a huge believer in optimism. In any circumstance, I try to find the good and train my mind to dwell on it instead of giving way to fear, anger, or discouragement. Right now we are all facing a crazy uncertain future. A virus we may not have even heard of two months ago has completely upended our reality and frankly has been devastating for some. So is this a time to set aside positivity as just meaningless fluff? An annoying act of “faking fine”? I would say that optimism, the mental determination to think on what is good, is more important than ever right now. Uplifting thoughts give us a reason to keep going in the face of danger. There’s a reason coaches and generals make speeches; we all need inspiration when we’re feeling vulnerable.

It’s painful to work as hard as you possibly can for years to achieve a dream, and end up with your dreams being crushed. I’ve been there twice. Interestingly enough, the most positive people I know experienced their own “rock bottom.” I’ve been thinking about the movie The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), which tells part of the life of Chris Gardner. In the story, he fights through months of homelessness, caring for his young son as a single father, while showing up every day for an unpaid internship as a stock broker. No one at the firm has any idea about the desperate life he lives between 5pm and 8am, and he is constantly reminded that his bet may not pay off — the internship may not end in a job that can support him and his family. It’s not a “positive” time. But in those hardships, I see several inspiring thoughts that encourage me.

I hope they encourage you to be positive today too.

1. It can always get worse,

so be thankful for every good thing in your life — especially people you rely on. As the story unfolds through the film, you find yourself believing it can’t possibly get any worse — but then it does. Life continues to get harder and harder for Gardner. If you’re in a tough situation, pause and appreciate the good around you. Let the knowledge that “it could get worse” inspire you to be thankful right now. Especially take time to appreciate the people in your life who are willing to help you! You may choose not to accept their help, but don’t be too proud to appreciate it.

2. Providing for others gives you a reason to keep going.

In the story, Chris chose to take full responsibility for the care of his son during a personal financial crisis. Although having a child made life extremely difficult for him, the child was also the reason he worked so hard. It’s a beautiful paradox. You may hesitate to take on responsibility, afraid you can’t measure up; but that responsibility — that love — comes with a powerful drive to keep going, even when you feel you can’t. When your greatest burdens are your greatest purpose, you are a blessed person.

3. Fear is a four letter word.

It might even overcome you, like the scene in which a trembling Gardner spent the night locked in a dirty restroom in the subway station, his son asleep in his arms, and security periodically pounding on the door. But fear doesn’t want you to remember that it won’t win forever. The sun will rise, and a path will present itself. Fear likes lists — lists of the things that have gone wrong, will go wrong, could go wrong. When it whips out that list and starts speed reading, you can end up in a panic. Slow it down. Determine to take on only one problem at a time. Fear is a normal human reaction in a world that’s not safe, but letting fear be the default driver of your mind is damaging. I don’t know if i could ever talk about fear as well as Will Smith does here-

4. Hard times bring people together

Maybe that could be why military veterans build such a great bond and respect for each other. That hard they endured together united them. Now they have a bond with anyone who mentions that they served in the military. There is no question that after the attack on Pearl Harbor that the United States of America became one, united front; a true force to be reckoned with.

5. Optimism is a choice.

This is something you must pursue. This idea is one of the main themes of the movie, referring to the phrase in the Declaration of Independence, where Thomas Jefferson wrote that among the unalienable rights God gave humankind was the pursuit of happiness. In the film, Chris points out that happiness is not guaranteed; it must be pursued. Now is the time to pursue, to dig in and endure, to sacrifice. It may not be the happiest time for you… this may even be the worst time for you but there are only two things you can always control in this life; your attitude and your effort. And every second you make hustling for your dreams in the meantime, I believe, will pay off in the end.

Inspiration is born in the storm, and it’s what helps us weather the storms. The real-life Chris Gardner is a motivational speaker today. His message of positivity? “The world is your oyster. It’s up to you to find the pearls.”

Deaths from large Truck Accidents reached their highest level since 1988 according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.

America’s roads, after years of steady declines in vehicle accident deaths, are seeing a significant rise in deadly accidents in the last six years. But accidents can be especially lethal if a large truck or bus is involved.

In 2017, there were 37,133 fatal automobile crashes on the nation’s roads, according to the National Highway Traffic Administration. About 12.5% of them (4,657) involved at least one large truck or bus.

In addition, there were 6,419,000 non-fatal crashes, of which 7% involved a large truck or bus, This means that accidents involving a large truck or bus are almost twice as likely to result in a fatality as accidents that do not involve such vehicles.

The combination of speed and sheer mass of these large vehicles makes for a deadly brew.

Main causes of accidents

Number 1. — The number one cause of large truck collisions with other vehicles was problems with brakes.

More than one accident in four could be attributed to faulty or poorly maintained brake systems on the truck itself, according to the Department of Transportation. In contrast, only 2% of accidents involving cars and large trucks or buses could be attributed to faulty brakes on the car.

Number 2 — The second-leading cause of trucking and bus accidents was interruption in traffic flow, which accounted for about 25% of all accidents involving a truck and a car.

In about 15% of these cases, authorities attributed the cause to excessive speed for roadway conditions. About 19% involved a lack of familiarity with the road.

There were a number of other reasons, of course (see below).

• Work pressure
• Speeding
• Distraction and inattention
• Fatigue
• Drug use
• Tailgating
• Illegal maneuvers
• Misjudgments of other vehicle’s speed
• Overweight truck
• Shifting cargo
• Poor road conditions
• Tire problems

So check your brakes often, make sure your divers are getting enough sleep and utilize local driving routes as much as possible.

I have answered a lot of business insurance questions lately but one that has been recurring is, “Should i have employees or independent Contractors?.”

This has shown to be a tricky subject. When do you not want to deal with this legal battle? In the event of an injured worker.

Let me share a story with you.

There was once a family ran flower shop that was insured by a very knowledgeable agent and friend of mine. Numerous times he told the company owner that they needed to get a workers compensation policy. What was the owners response? “They are all sub-contractors” he told him, “We are not required to have a workers comp policy.” that was until one of the workers fell off a ladder and broke a hip. She went to her health insurance provider and when they asked what she was doing, she told them she was at work. A few months later the company got a letter in the mail from the worker’s health insurance company asking for their workers compensation policy number and claim contact information. The owner’s response? “We don’t have a workers compensation policy.” After that, the health insurance company sued the flower shop, won, and liquidated all of their assets. The flower shop is no longer in business today simply because they did not pay for a relatively inexpensive workers compensation policy.

The United States Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service have combined their efforts to help various states share resources and information that will expose worker classification violations. Employers found to be in violation could face paying back taxes, back pay to workers, missed overtime, retroactive benefits, interest, fines, staff effort charges and legal fees. With situations where there are multiple violations or willful negative intent, the penalties and fines are worse. In addition to the money a violation would cost, employers would also face the negative effects of this damaging information being made available to the public.

The IRS has made it clear that it is not easy to classify independent contractors and employees. Every case they evaluate is different based on a wide variety of factors. To start, employers may think about whether they have control over a worker’s performance and work outcomes. This is not based on whether an employer decides to exercise control. It is a matter of whether the employer actually has the legal ability to control the workers in these areas. The IRS has a set of rules called the Common Law Rules, which cover the categories of financial control, behavioral control and relationship classifications. None of these factors are individually decisive. The entire situation must be evaluated to make an accurate determination. In addition to these evaluations, employers may take the Economic Reality test from the Department of Labor.

So what are some questions you could ask so your company does not wind up in a bad situation?

Pinnacle Insurance has came up with the a 7 questions that can help you define an independent contractor from an employee-

• Do you tell the individual when or how to do the job?
• Is the individual “free from control or direction”?
• Do you provide tools or equipment?

If you answered YES, this person in not free of direction and control and is considered an employee. If you answered NO, then this person is “free from control” so please continue and ask yourself the following:

• Is the individual “engaged in an independent trade, occupation, profession or business”?
• Does the individual: — Have a business name? — Carry business insurance? — Offer this service to any other business? — Submit invoices? — Supply the tools and vehicle? — Work alone? (If not, he or she may need to carry workers’ compensation as their worker may be an employee.)
• Are the payments made to the business name?
• Is the individual paid by a fixed rate?

If you answer YES to all the above questions, the facts indicate the individual is independent, meaning you are not required to cover him or her under your workers’ compensation policy.

And what helps you prove the workers are independent contractors?

1. Certificates of Insurance
   for all of your sub-contractors. You need to make sure their company has insurance as well. Ask for your sub-contractors certificate of insurance and keep that in a file in case your insurance ever goes through an audit.
2. Invoices
   Keep every invoice the contractor submits. Payment should be made based on these documents. If a worker is not an employee, he or she should not submit expense reports. Since mileage and equipment are a contractor’s business expenses, contractors should not bill for these items. Make sure all invoices match 1099 forms, which must be sent to the independent contractor after the end of the year.
3. Proof of Separate Business
   If an independent contractor has his or her own business, keep any items that reflect proof of this. Business stationery, advertisements, brochures, business cards or any similar items are acceptable. For contractors who have their own sites on the Internet, it is important to print copies of any online pages where services are outlined.
4. Written Contracts
   It is important to have a written contract for every independent worker. This document should clearly state the nature of the relationship between the business and the worker. In addition to this, the project’s details should be outlined. A contract should include what the business expects from the contractor, the payment terms and any deadlines. Make sure the document is dated and signed by both parties. If a contractor has a tax identification number, this should be included. New contracts should be created for each project when the same contractor is hired for multiple projects.
   
   Before classifying a worker as an independent contractor, it is important for a business owner to do his or her homework carefully. Employment laws today are very strict, so discuss any concerns with a licensed attorney in the state.

I was having lunch with a college student a few weeks ago. He had his computer out and was looking over his college work assignments when he suddenly exclaimed so loud that we all felt a little embarrassed, “You have got to be kidding me?? This is totally ridiculous! How could he do this??” he looked up and noticed how we were all staring blankly at him. “I’m sorry, apparently I have missed two assignments by this professor that he did not tell us about.” He then, frantically called some of the other students in his class to confirm the professor had not clearly stated that there would be two assignments over the weekend.

He angrily typed out an email to the professor and was about to hit send. Looking over his shoulder i had to cringe. “Being in sales is not much different than this situation,’’ I told him. “You are asking someone why taking a certain action is beneficial to everyone.” through the conversation, we talked over 5 points that create a very successful email.

You can also learn a lot more from a great Copywriter interviewed on the BiggerPockets Business Podcast Here. I personally did.

Here are the following tips-

1. Replace “I” with “You.”

Look through your last 5 emails you sent. How many times did you use the word “I”? The word “I” (especially used as the subject of the sentence) makes the discussion a lot more about yourself than the prospect, customer or in this case… the professor. People naturally focus on themselves and using this tip helps the reader picture themselves in the situation at hand.

2. Explain the Why behind everything

One of my favorite books is “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek. In this book it explains the importance of explaining why a person should do something, not what it is and not how you do it. Why should the reader take this action? The question “why” makes you feel emotion and emotions have a lot more power than features or benefits. Market to the gut first.

3. Ask questions.

You can ask questions in two ways.

To yourself; With every feature or benefit statement ask… “so what?” and then answer that question to dig to the deeper meaning. When typing out your email you would write your “so what” question to yourself as a “which means” comment to the reader.

To the reader; In questions, there is the power of the conversation. John C. Maxwell wrote a whole book on the power of questions called, Good Leaders Ask Great Questions and i would recommend the read.

4. Keep it simple and don’t sound like a robot!

Some people are like me and love the small intricate details of every product. Most however, do not care. Use bullet points to keep yourself on track and know when you are giving way too much information. When you type out a list of all the nitty-gritty items it also makes you sound less human. Some people hand write what they want to say before typing out an email to make sure they sound natural and the email flows well.

5. Always have a clear call to action.

This is where successful emails really come into play. What do you want the recipient to do? Make that very clear for the next steps you would like them to take.

My call to action. If you enjoyed this read, all is ask is that you tap the Clap button. It helps me out and is a small price to pay if you would use any of these techniques in your next email. Did i miss something? comment below to start the conversation!

Thank you,

Ben Trygstad

While summer is a time for fun and sun in the outdoors each year, at least 200 children lose their lives in pools during this season. Here are some tips to protect your home and your children.

1. Secure the pool with barriers. Every pool should be surrounded with a sturdy fence that is at least 4 feet high. There should be a self-latching gate with a hinge that makes it close on its own.
2. Keep unoccupied pools and spas covered. Use a hard cover or an approved pool net to keep pools and spas covered. Do not use a tarp or any type of covering that is not fitted by a professional. Many children drown each year when they climb on inadequate covers. Keeping the pool or hot tub covered also reduces risks of mosquito problems. Be sure to remove any access ladders or steps when they are not in use.
3. Install a pool alarm. There are several different types of alarms. Spend some time researching them to find the right one for individual needs. Pool alarms go off whenever someone enters the pool or the fenced pool area. Since it only takes a few minutes for tragedy to strike, these alarms are a must for summer when children are at home and cannot be visually supervised every minute.
4. Supervise children while they swim. An adult should be present at all times when children are in the pool. If young children are swimming, stay in the pool or by the pool’s edge. As a rule, they should never be more than an arm’s reach away. For young kids who cannot swim safely yet, use life jackets that are approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
5. Enroll all family members in swimming lessons. The Red Cross provides swimming lessons in nearly every city. Adults can be proactive and take first aid and CPR classes from the Red Cross to be prepared for any emergencies.
6. Keep pools and hot tubs clean. Water should be changed when necessary. Use nets to scoop out bugs and leaves. Be sure to test pools and hot tubs for a proper balance of chemicals. Also, check the filtration and circulation systems for proper function. Many children develop rashes, illnesses and ear infections from unsanitary home pools and hot tubs.
7. Implement a set of pool rules. It helps to post the rules in a visible place. Ask young kids to recite the rules before they use the pool each time. These are some important rules to include:

• No dunking others
• No running
• No diving
• No drinking pool water
• Swim with a buddy
• Use ladders safely

Also, be sure that teens know how to call for help if they are supervising younger siblings. Although an adult should always be present, it helps to teach kids how to use a phone to call 911. In the event of an adult needing to perform CPR, a child could call 911, set the phone to speaker mode and help the adult talk to the operators to arrange for help. Learn more about pool safety as preventive measure and speak to us about your insurance coverage on pool accidents.

Not only that, but clicking on a nefarious link on a website or in an e-mail can unleash a cyber attack on your computer with bots rifling through all of your files.

In addition to online scams, criminals are also calling people and asking for personal information.

Recently, an anonymous hacker who now writes a cyber security blog had these recommendations for individuals who want to protect themselves and their files when online.

Here’s the techie’s advice:

• Check senders carefully. Cyber criminals will try to get you to click on a link in an e-mail by making it seem like it comes from an official source, like “auditor@irs.gov.” If in doubt, don’t click on any links and call the agency using information from 411 or other legitimate sources.
• Don’t believe every caller. If you get a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS who tells you that you owe back taxes and face penalties that could involve asset forfeiture, you should know that the IRS doesn’t make phone calls.
  Tell the caller that you’ll call them back. Look up the number from scratch and call. More often than not, nobody will answer or the agency will never have heard of you.
• Don’t follow links to a site that’s going to ask for secure information, such as a password. “If I want to raid your bank account, or do other harm, one way I can do it is to send you an official-looking e-mail with a link to your bank, asking you to log into your account for some reason,” the hacker writes. If you go to the criminal’s site, they will then obtain your log-in information and have access to your bank account.
• Before you follow a link, verify that the visual link and the actual link match. For instance, let’s say the link is “PETA.org.” But if you move your cursor over the link without clicking, most browsers will then show you the real link, either near the cursor, or at the lower-left corner of the window.
  If you see something like “PETA.smurfit.org” or “PETA.ru,” or anything else that doesn’t exactly match, it’s likely they’re trying to dupe you.
• Don’t automatically grant access for all programs. If you download a new game online and it asks you to enter the system manager password, you may be right to be suspicious as a game would not need system-level access.
• If you are using a new site that requires a password, use a unique password, and one that can’t be found in a dictionary. In other words, don’t reuse a password from another site. This way, if the site is compromised and they get your unique password, they won’t be able to access other online accounts of yours.
• When a system asks for security questions and answers, give ridiculous answers. For instance, if a site asks which high school you went to, don’t use the name of your real school. A dedicated hacker can find out where you went to high school. Instead, you might want to write something like “cuddly panda” or “fuchsia.”
• Ignore spam e-mail. You can often tell that e-mail is spam before opening it. Look at the “From” address. Do you know anybody named “Special Offer?” If the subject is odd, like “Donald Trump says he has a big brain, here’s why,” it’s likely spam and should be avoided.
• Set your e-mail reader so that it does not load images automatically or follow links automatically. For instance, if a scammer includes an image, allowing it to load can send the image ID to another server that then gains access to your system. Before you allow the browser to load images, check that every image name is generic.

One of the biggest mistakes owners of growing businesses make is not keeping up their insurance coverage to account for the expanding assets and potential liabilities.

Let’s say you started your business 10 years ago with just a small space and computer desk. Today, you have an office full of employees and equipment. If you still have the same insurance coverage as you did a decade ago, or even three years ago, the chances are high that you are under insured.

To make sure you have all of your assets covered, you should review your business insurance program annually. Circumstances change, and without a yearly review, you could be faced with substantial expenses if you suffer a loss.

It’s common for small businesses to start out with basic insurances, such as commercial property and general liability policies. However, as they grow, most owners need other types of insurance, such as:

• Excess liability or umbrella — This covers claims exceeding your standard policy’s limits.
• Workers’ compensation — After your business hires its first employee, this type of insurance will be required in most states to provide payments for an employee’s lost wages and medical expenses following a workplace injury.
• Professional liability — This form of insurance covers your service-provided mistakes, and usually your attorney fees.
• Auto, hired and non-owned — This protects your business should an employee cause a vehicle accident in their personal or rented auto.
• Commercial auto — This provides coverage not under personal auto policies, such as to your business and for employees unloading and loading.
• Employment practices liability — Coverage for HR issues, such as those related to termination, harassment and discrimination laws.
• Directors and officers liability — Financial protection for directors and officers should they be sued for wrongful acts stemming from performance of their duties.
• Employee benefits liability — This insurance covers liability issues from an omission or error in the administration of an employee’s benefits that results in the employee incurring a cost, such as a terminated worker losing benefits after not being provided with COBRA information.

Depending on your business, many of these coverages may be essential to adequately protect your firm. An annual insurance review is an ideal time to discuss your needs with us.

Ensure the following elements are considered as you begin the review:

• Revenue — More business is good, but it also means a greater potential for liability. Have your annual sales changed?
• Property — Have you added equipment, computers and such that would create a need to increase your commercial property policy’s limits?
• Location — Your business owner’s or general liability policy could be affected if you’ve added, closed or moved locations.
• Travel — A hired and non-owned auto policy may be needed if your employees are frequently driving rented vehicles.
• Employees — Have you had an increase in your workforce, turnover rate, or use of contractors? Consider employment practices liability insurance for high turnover rates. The more employees you add, the more you’ll pay for your workers’ comp coverage.
• Services — Are you offering additional services? For certain types of work, you may need additional endorsements to your general liability policy.
• Customers — Are you serving new clients or industries? This may cause problems with your professional liability policy if you’re servicing high concentrations of high-risk clients/industries.

The takeaway

The answers for each of the above won’t remain the same over a business’s life, and that’s why insurance isn’t a one-size-fits-all, unchangeable product.

Annually review your business for exposures and insurance needs. Insurance may not cover everything, but it can certainly mitigate your risks.

Start your annual business insurance review today by setting up a meeting with us to discuss the above issues and how they relate to your current insurance needs.

How does a millennial decide to purchase a product in 2018? Would a millennial come across your marketing ads in their search for your product? And speaking of your product, is it relevant to millennials?

A staggering 75% of the workforce in 2025 will be millennials. Let that sink in. Currently, millennials are also the largest generation at 76.6 million. Unless you have a specialized product that applies only to a very young or very old population, YOU will be affected by these numbers. Are you prepared?

The first step is education. Step into the mind of a millennial. Using that perspective, take a critical look at your product. Take an even more critical look at your marketing (hint, this is a huge factor in purchases for this unprecedentedly techie generation). Once you’ve identified the ways your business needs to adapt to meet the coming wave, begin the changes. Give yourself time to lead your business through the change — but don’t wait to begin the process!

So … what’s the mind of a millennial? Luckily for those of us in the insurance industry, a surprising 50% of millennials found their insurance agent by a referral. In general, industries that are “necessary” will experience the same advantage. Most of my friends visit the same family practice and purchase insurance from the same agent as their parents did. Many of my friends used a mutual friend as their real estate agent when they bought their first home, and they will take her recommendation for a mortgage loan as well. Millennials were raised by an extremely cautious generation of parents, so many are striking out on their own — but they do want to be on their own. This means they are actively searching for the right adviser who will come alongside them as they make their own decisions.

While referrals may start the process, a millennial won’t be sold immediately. Next, they will go online. A great referral from a trusted family member or friend goes a long way, but next, your business will have to pass the tests of online presence and overall likability (reviews). A millennial will google your business after being given the name. (Hint: make sure you’re showing up with your best foot forward!) Google and Yelp reviews provide feedback that is put alongside the referral comments and used to evaluate your product further. (Do you have a bad review out there in cyberspace? Have you responded to it?) Final step: a visit to your website — likely via phone.

Your website will never have a more critical judge than the millennial generation. Providing information simply isn’t enough. It must be presented — tactfully, efficiently, visually, and positively. Remember, a millennial is looking for someone to trust, so websites that spend time building that trust up front will probably earn a scroll through. If your website is judged to be a “good” website, a millennial will look next for a place to try your product — is there a sample? Is there a form to fill out? Is there an app? Can I schedule an appointment online?

Millennials are surprising in their receptiveness to self-servicing. They can cause you a lot less trouble than other generations.

So now, analyze.

1. Do you leverage your referrals with special treatment or simply treat them as yet another client stream?
2. What shows up first when you google your business? What if you search a keyword for your business? Will your business be lost in pages of other companies or will it have a great SEO ranking?
3. Is your website mobile friendly?
4. Is your business’s differentiator clearly shown in everything your business does? If you could summarize your business in one sentence, what would that be? Is that clearly shown on your website?
5. How do you actively present yourself as a trusted adviser? Think about your social media presence, your knowledge you share with your clients or even your personal story.

How did you answer these questions? This can be a great litmus test to see where you stand in marketing to millennials and their buying decisions. If you need someone to look at your website, send me a message and i will be able to refer a great person to help you.