I want to wait?

     “I want to wait...” So often I hear this statement coming out of someone’s mouth but really what they are saying is “I need an excuse at this moment.”

     2015 will be here momentarily, are you ready or are you going to wait? (Just kidding you can’t) Wait to hit your business goals? Wait to take the next step? Wait until…? It’s time to start preparing for the New Year and start by setting your goals. Not New Year resolutions, not someday when Jupiter, Uranus and Earth align, actual goals and rungs to reach for in your business.

     A quote going around Facebook today is: “Good things come to those that wait WORK THEIR TAIL OFF.” Fitting for current events and with all things considered going on in the world. The Economy is recovering (so ‘they’ say), gas prices are down, election season is over and it’s the dawn of a new year. Why not take advantage of your time and talents and start to put the pieces together for your life puzzle.

     Make the move today, physically or mentally, but take more than a moment to plan, act, and do your goals with no limitations to hold you back. The regular excuses don’t apply today, because tomorrow is a new day and there isn’t time to wait for the New Year. Take your business Up One Level.

 

Brian Walker

CEO, MBA, DTM, LUTCF

Hitting the Sweet Spot Month, Take Advantage of It!

September 12, 2014

 

     With the close of summer upon us and the kids back in school, September has the potential of being an amazing month for business. Very soon, the holidays will be here and we’ll get distracted by the excitement. These months are the ‘sweet spot’ for a final push towards your yearly goals.

     What are you going to do differently in the next 30 days? Go to a Chamber event? Schedule a meeting with a personal coach? Are you going to jump in and tackle that nagging problem you’ve wanted to solve? Whatever it is, the time is now before it is too late.

     The Rilynn Company has been busy putting together activities and seminars in the meeting room and around the building itself. Social Media Educationals, Toastmasters, TEAM Referral Group and Tupperware have been keeping the place lively and causing the doors to swing. Many people come to the building several times a week to learn something new from an expert.

     Open enrollment for Medicare starts October 15^th, if you or someone you know qualifies for Medicare, please consider talking with Nency Gonzales. She is becoming an expert in Medicare and truly cares about her clients. With her years of insurance experience, she not only helps her clients, she educates them as well so they know what they are getting before it is too late.

     Consider doing something new this month, out of the box and away from your comfort zone. The results may surprise you so enjoy the changing business season, the changing of the weather and enjoy the changing you!

Micro Managing

     The bad news is you can’t do everything by yourself; the good news is you can find someone else to help! Many self-employed people start a business with a dream and a goal. They have a product, they acquire customers, they make sales and everything is great in the business world. However, when the challenge of making enough product and finding or maintaining the client base becomes too much for one person it is time to hire employees.

     This article is not about how to find employees, rather how to manage an office. When you start a company, it is your child, your world and you put everything into it. Therefore, micro managing is common because you want it your way and your way only. Trust becomes a big issue and you need to stop looking over the employee’s shoulder and start managing.

     Personally, I like to give my staff a job to do and walk away from them. I have some of the best and brightest people around and they are very capable of handling anything thrown at them. Many times, they teach me things as they have become the specialist and I have remained the generalist. This would never be possible if I was still controlling their every move.

     If you trust yourself, trust your hiring skills and get the right people in place. Then, after a little training, step back and let your employees do their job. They may surprise you as you realize you are not the only person caring about the business. This will allow you to do bigger and better things by focusing ‘ON’ your business and not being dragged ‘IN’ your business. Don’t be afraid of success as the business grows; just know the good news will turn into you not being able to do everything by yourself.

To be or not to be...Appreciated

     It is great to be appreciated and it makes us feel good; no matter if you bask in the limelight or like to hide in the shadows. An extra handshake, pat on the back or public announcement of a job well done goes a long way for a person. Being appreciated isn’t the only reason we do things, but it helps us to want to do it again.

     If you have employees, the easiest way to show your appreciation towards them is to pay them more money. Buy them lunch, give them a bonus or raise their salary. However, if raising their wage is not financially possible, an employer needs to look for other ways to show they care.

     Simple things to ‘change’ up the week can catch an employee off guard. Have a casual Tuesday and let the office wear jeans, call them Thursday night and tell them to take Friday off for good behavior. Send their spouse a ‘thank you’ card in support for allowing their significant other to work overtime on an important project. These three things can change an employee’s outlook with only a little extra effort and rearrangement of the schedule.

     Business owners constantly think about ways to improve their business, however improving the happiness of their staff can make more of a difference than just tweaking the numbers. If you are unsure, ask your staff what they want and wait for an answer; it may surprise you. To be or not to be, the answer is always to appreciate, as the old cheer goes: Two, Four, Six, Eight…who do we appreciate?

CEO... Chief Everything Office or...?

     CEO…Chief Everything Officer or Chief Executive Officer; Are you working in your business or ON your business? Almost every day I ask myself this question as I get to the office early and leave late, first in, last out mentality. Do I get up for another cup of coffee or send someone else while I finish a task actually making me money? Is the gossip at the water cooler worth the 15 minutes and (most importantly) productive?

     Time management is important for goals, deadlines and priorities need to be set. Boundaries for how much TV watching, talking with friends and window shopping can be determined so more time can be devoted to positive projects and not time wasters. As we all know, even the richest people only get 24 hours in a day to be successful.

            The next time you are out playing a game on your cell phone, ask yourself, “is there something else I should be doing?” If the answer is yes, stop and take the correct actions to reach your goals. If you don’t have goals, put a slot of time into your day to think and daydream about the person you want to be. This can be for personal, work or whatever else you feel is necessary to make you smile at the end of the day. Because waking up knowing you are a better person can help you stay motivated to accomplish even more as the CEO, even if it means you are the Everything Officer.

RILYNN Company Inc. welcomes new team member

RILYNN Company Inc. Welcomes new team member

The Rilynn Company is proud to announce a new addition to the insurance team, Candice Samson. Candice has her Property and Casualty insurance license and has many years in sales training and in the home field. She worked for another insurance agent before coming to the Rilynn team and has also worked in property management.

    

Candice was raised in Menifee and has lived in the area since age four. She attended Paloma High School and lives 3 blocks from the home she grew up in where her mother resides. She has been married to her husband Brandon for over 11 years and has two beautiful children. Her daughter Jeweliann is ten and her son Christopher is nine, both of them have straight A’s and are doing fantastic in school.

   

While Candice is not working, you can find her in the garden, at the gym or spending time with her family. However, when she is working, she will be handling the Commercial and Workers Compensation Insurance for the Rilynn Company. If you have a question about your companies work comp or liability, give Candice a call 951-934-0630 and introduce yourself.

Networking organizations, Community Service & Hobbies,

     Throughout most communities, many clubs and organizations fight for attention and donation money. Some groups are for networking, some to help others, and some are used to keep one’s attention on something fun. All of them serve a purpose but it comes down to where a person feels comfortable and quite possibly, where they can contribute the most.

     Many people stereotype organizations from rumors or one experience they have had in the past. Make note, every club can be different, even if they share the same name. A morning club could be different from the evening club, a networking group or chamber could be different than the one in the next town. It all comes down to the people, time, and if they have specific goals for their organization.

     When selecting a club, recognize its strengths and your particular goals, if they are the same you could have a match. Then go and visit, at least twice to experience the environment, atmosphere and how everyone treats each other. This will give you some indication if you can help them as much as they will help you.

     I have been fortunate to be a part of so many groups in the past 18 years. Some were for growth, others were for networking but the service organizations were my favorite. However, everyone changes, and even though you or I may not be a part of one particular group anymore, they all hold a special place in our heart and we are grateful for being there. It is better to have loved and left then to drag out something, so continue to grow and your community will grow with you.

wait, what was that?

Sometimes you have to take a moment to relax and enjoy…wait, what was that?

     Distractions play a role in day to day life and most are unimportant, yet we focus on them instantly. Email bings, text alerts, phone rings, bathroom breaks and water cooler gossip cut into our important life activities because we let them.

     In sports, coaches always yell at the players to focus; focus on the ball, focus on the offensive player, and focus on the game itself. In business, you need a coach to tell (or yell at) you to focus on your work and finish what you started. Turn off the ringers of your phone, turn off any alerts you have for emails or texts and keep the gossip to a minimum. However, go to the bathroom often, drinking plenty of water is a good thing and bad things can happen if you hold it for too long!

     If you set an agenda for your day and have a plan, you are more likely to finish everything you need to get done. Take the time to do this and you will be happy you did, then thank your new coach for helping you focus. All the while when you are…wait, what was that?

Monthly Costs...but how much?

     While discussing insurance, the number one question is “how much is it per month?” The common response: “That’s too much!”

     No matter what the coverage, no matter what the factors are, no matter what the company, people feel insurance costs too much. So let’s look at a few things while you read this drinking your Grande Mocha Frappuccino Skinny Latte costing $4.80. You have your monthly costs, but how much CAN it really cost you?

     Most insurance companies have their target clients; number of assets, income, household size and location. The companies price their products based on these factors and some companies want the people willing to pay more for better coverage while others target the minimum payment customers. Next time you talk to your company, ask them how much it would cost to go to the ‘next level’ of insurance coverage, it may surprise you.

     Increasing your coverage may only cost you a cup of coffee or an HBO package per month and we are talking double or triple coverage. Like interest on a credit card, your purchase today could add up in the future if you were to cause a major accident. The attorney on the other side doesn’t care about your lifestyle or how you like your coffee or what shows you watch and they will go after your income.

     For a little bit more money per month, look at adjusting your insurance up and don’t always think the insurance costs too much. After an accident, you will be glad you have the better coverage and you can never have too much.