Help! I Have Been Scammed!

Identity Theft is a huge and ever-increasing crime.  Although most people associate ID theft with the internet or credit cards, it is actually a much larger problem.  In fact nearly half of all ID theft claims come from people who lost or had their wallet stolen.  ID theft due to lost or stolen wallets is three times more common than either internet scams or data breaches.  So, the number one preventative measure you should take is being certain your wallet and/or purse are secure at all times.

Victims of ID Theft have had their credit ruined and lost enormous amounts of money.  So whether or not you use credit cards EVERYONE is a potential victim.

I frequently see women in grocery stores leave their purses in their cart and then turn their backs to the cart to get something off a shelf.  It only takes a moment to grab a purse out of the basket.  Ladies, always hold onto your purse while shopping.  If you lay it in the “baby seat,” keep your arm through the strap so it cannot be easily grabbed.  In addition, if the basket has a “seat belt,” place it through your purse strap, and put the purse in a position that hides the straps.  Even with these precautions, however, never leave your purse unattended!

Never keep your Social Security Card, list of PIN numbers or bank accounts in your wallet!  Leave them in a secure place at home.  If you’re on Medicare, don’t carry your Medicare ID card with you.  Instead, make a photocopy of the card and cut out the last four characters of the number.  If you are visiting a physician for the first time, you must bring your Medicare card, so guard it carefully.

Keep a photocopy of both the front and back of all cards that you carry in your wallet at home.  That includes your driver’s license, insurance and credit cards, even your library card!

In spite of your best efforts, if your wallet is stolen do the following:

·        Call your credit card issuers immediately.  Do NOT tell them you want to cancel your account.  Instead, request an account number change.  They will issue you a new card with a new number to prevent thieves from using your card and possibly costing you a great deal of time and money and ruining your credit score.

·        Contact your bank immediately as well.  Change your PIN number and cancel your missing ATM card.  If your checkbook too is missing, get a new account number.

·        File a police report in the city where your wallet “disappeared.”  Be sure to request a copy of the report and send a copy to your bank and the three credit-reporting agencies.

·        You will also want to put a “fraud alert” on your record with the credit-reporting agencies.  They are free.  You can also request a “security freeze” which is more secure, but they may charge a fee for that service.

·        Contact your local Motor Vehicle Department to replace your driver’s license or State ID.  Also ask them to put an alert on your record.

·        Contact your medical insurers and ask them to assign a new account number.  Health insurance fraud has become a major problem over the past few years. 

·        Contact your auto insurance company to prevent the thief from making an accident claim on your insurance.

·        Check to see if your homeowner’s insurance includes ID theft protection.

·        As strange as it seems, thieves have been known to take out books using their victims’ library card, and never returning the books.  So, get a new library card as well.

·        A couple weeks after your wallet “went missing,” check your credit report.  You can get an annual credit report at no charge.

One of the most important things you can do is to purchase an Identity Theft Protection plan.  My husband and I both have LifeLock®.  My husband received an alert this past weekend from them advising him that someone was trying to access one of his online accounts.  He immediately went to that account and changed the password.  When I purchased a new smart phone last year, before I even left the store, I received a text message advising me that a large purchase was made on my credit card.  I seldom make large purchases with my card, so that created an alert with LifeLock®.  I was pleased to see how quickly they would have responded if a thief had been using my card.

LifeLock® is among the benefit plans (NOT insurance) that I promote with my Xpress Healthcare® business. There are several other companies that sell ID Theft Protection plans as well.  Whichever you purchase, sign up for one TODAY!  Please do not wait until it is too late.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

Multitasking – A Good or Bad Thing?

You're on the phone with a team member and at the same time typing up notes about your previous phone call. An instant message arrives as soon as you end your call, so you read it while you are dialing the phone to speak with a prospect. 

Believing it will increase our productivity, many people multitask – some frequently, others occasionally.   Our lives today seem to move more quickly.  We often believe people who frequently multitask as productive and resourceful, using their time wisely.  Do multitaskers truly accomplish more than those who do not? 

In reality, when we try doing more than one thing at a time, neither task is likely to be done as efficiently as if we gave our full concentration to one task at a time.  The quality of our work will suffer, and in the end, we may have to repeat projects we thought we had completed.  Studies have shown that we waste 30-40% of our time when we try to do two or three things at once.

Oftentimes people will be speaking to someone on the phone while they are writing an email to someone else.  With two different forms of communication going on at once, one or both will suffer.  We might put a lot of “ums” or pauses in the phone conversation or make typing errors on the email.  When we attempt to perform technical or more complex tasks, the quality will suffer the most.

Multitasking can also cause stress.  We may become confused, feel more tired or be overwhelmed.  Some people don’t even realize that they ARE multitasking.  We tend to do this even more when we’re working on an unpleasant task. By doing something else at the same time, we are “avoiding” doing the task we dislike.

Do you have several website tabs open at once?  Is your desk covered in papers that you’re working with?  Do you check your email while you’re on a phone call or working on a document?

Frequent interruptions can contribute to multitasking.  Let’s say that while you are working on a presentation, you are interrupted by one of your children.  You try to answer their question without looking up from the presentation.  You are not giving your child your full attention, nor are you doing your best work on your document.

Resist the urge to check your email several times a day.  Turn it off when working on any job.  Since nearly everyone has caller ID these days, if your phone rings and you see it isn’t work related or important, let the call go to voice mail. 

Focus is the key.  If something urgent comes up while you’re working on something, stop what you’re doing and deal with the urgent situation.  If what you are working on is complex, quickly write down notes about it before stopping.  When you have handled the immediate situation, you can check your notes and continue on with your original task.  This way both tasks are given your full attention and the quality of your work will not suffer.

If you find you are having difficulty focusing on a particular job, stop for five minutes.  Take a quick break.  Walk around to clear your head.  When you return to your desk, you’ll likely have your focus back.

Look closely at yourself.  Are you multitasking without thinking about it?  When you put all your efforts into one job at a time, watch your productivity improve.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

I Am Not a Quitter!

·        Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer.

·        Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. -  William Feather

·        If you quit ONCE it becomes a habit. Never quit!!! ― Michael Jordan

·        It's always too soon to quit! ― Norman Vincent Peale

·        It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. Confucius

I have never been a quitter.  From my very first job working part time at a nursery school while I was still in school (high school and college), I stuck with it for several years.  I held my next job for six years, until I had my first baby. Then, when my children were older, I resumed my career and held one job for 14 years.  I put my best effort into every job I had, because that was what I was being paid to do.  

When I first started working a home business nearly a decade ago, I worked with a network marketing company for a year.  It was a “party plan” company, and I disliked it from the beginning, but I still gave it my all.  When I learned that the company itself was failing, I decided to leave the company before that happened.  After a year with the company, I broke even.  All I lost was time, but I gained great knowledge from the experience.

You see, with that first network marketing company, I did not research the company well before I joined.  Had I done so, I would have known I was joining a faltering company. 

After researching the next company quite a bit, I joined and put my heart and soul into it.  I worked the business full time for over six years.  I earned decent money with that business, but I was not a super star.  I doubt I would have ever left though, because I liked the product I was promoting and it helped many people.  Over the years, that company became greedy.  So, they terminated hundreds of reps, including me.  The termination letter told us we were “terminated without cause.” I was not earning a six-figure income, but whatever I was earning ended up going to the company.

This brings us to my current business with Xpress Healthcare.  Not only did I research the company thoroughly – not finding a single negative comment on the internet, but I also spoke with the founders twice before I joined.  They actually changed their Policies and Procedures, because they did NOT include a statement saying reps could not be terminated without cause.  There is now!  

I have had my Xpress business nearly three years.  I love the company, our products and the founders.  Like most people, I have had my ups and downs, but I NEVER considered quitting!  I am not yet earning a six-figure income, but I am earning a living and growing my business consistently.  

“It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.”  I have watched many new reps come and go, quitting without ever putting in the effort required to succeed.  I have also seen way too many people join my team and quit when they don’t begin earning money immediately.  “Anything worth having is worth working for.” 

For anyone considering starting any home business, remember, “Do. Or do not!! There is no try....”  

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance).  

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle  

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

 

Low Tech. Who Me?

Those of you who know me also know that I am a pretty low-tech person when it comes to computers. 

The router on my computer from which both my husband and I get internet access for our wireless computers has been slowly failing.  It would cut us off the internet at least once a day, and this week it was three to four times a day.  So, it was time to buy a new router.

Whenever we buy any new computer-related equipment, it becomes a major ordeal for us to get everything up and running.  Today was definitely no exception.

The salesman at the office supply store advised us to purchase a mid-priced router that we just had to plug in and it would automatically set itself up.  Yeah, right!

We brought it home, and I loaded the software.  It was no surprise to us when we discovered it did not connect us to the internet.  We did everything we could figure out, disconnecting, reconnecting our modem and router and re-booting our computers.  It still did not work.  We called the store where we bought it, and the salesman advised us to call our internet provider.  Apparently our internet provider had to reset something on their end, and voila!  It worked!

We thought we were good to go until I tried to print something.  Of course, I’d forgotten that the new network would be unable to connect to my wireless printer.  I searched the printer’s support site, and it gave step-by-step instructions on how to connect it to the new network, but when it reached the step to push a button on the router that did not exist, we were stuck again.

I called the support line for the router, and I was told that since the printer was from a third party, it was out of their “scope” of training.  He said he would be glad to connect me to their partner support company that could help me if I signed up for their contract.  No thanks!

We searched the printer’s support website and “Googled” for help.  After hours of struggling, we finally found a way to set up the printer using a cable.  Whoopee!  It worked! 

We now have a new router that is connecting us to the internet just fine AND my printer is communicating with my computer!

So, other than this blog, I have gotten no work done today.  Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Those of you who know how to work with all these electronic gadgets easily likely are laughing right now.  I have come a very long way with my technological knowledge over the past few years, but I still have a very long way to go!  You can stop laughing now!

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

Do You Qualify to be a Home Business Owner?

So, you have been thinking about starting a home business for a while.  Perhaps you just can’t bear to go back to work after having your first baby.  Maybe you have a full time job, but you are struggling to pay the bills and want to supplement your income.  Or, is it that you are just sick of fighting the traffic every day and you really don’t like your job anyway.  There are innumerable reasons why people want to work from home.  Whatever your reason may be, I suggest that you “interview” yourself first to see if you “qualify” to be a home business owner.  To determine whether this is a realistic option for you, here are a few questions to ask yourself before you quit your job or pay a single dime toward any business. 

·        Why do you want a home business?  This is important.  Write down your reasons, your goals and what you hope to accomplish.

·        Have you done lots of research on a variety of businesses and found one you would be proud to represent?  If so, have you checked out the company on the internet on third party sites to see what those outside the company say about it? 

·        Are you passionate about the product or service you would be promoting?  If not, it is unlikely you will be successful.

·        Have you compared the products you will be offering and why they are better than those of their competition?

·        Have you thought about the target market to which you will be marketing the business?

·        Have you looked at all of the costs involved in starting the business?  I’ve seen companies that have a very low start-up cost, but once you get into the business, you learn there are a variety of “hidden” charges.  Even those companies that claim to be “free” will have some kind of expenses to operate.

·        Can you afford to pay the monthly fees and other expenses required to operate the business out of pocket for at least three months?  Many companies say you’ll be earning a six-figure income in a very short period of time.  A six-figure income is rare even after a year in business with any company.  Expect to be paying out of pocket until you reach profit mode.

·        Do you truly have the time to work a home business?  If you have an outside job, how much time will you be able to devote to your business?  Even if you are a stay-at-home parent, will you be able to work around your children’s schedule with their soccer games, band practice and orthodontist appointments?  Are your children old enough to know they cannot disturb you when you are working?

·        Do you have a space in your home where you can work without the background sounds of the TV or the kids playing?  You’ll need a space dedicated to your “home office.”   

·        Are you self-motivated?  Working at home, you’ll have no boss setting your work schedule or telling you what to do.  Will you be able to create a work schedule and stick to it?

·        Have you discussed the idea of a home business with your family?  Without your spouse and children supporting your efforts, you’ll be under greater pressure to succeed quickly.  That simply may not happen.

·        Are you willing and able to make the sacrifices that a home business requires?  You may have to work harder and more hours than you have ever worked on any job.

Answer all these questions honestly.  If you try to fool yourself, you will suffer the consequences. You will end up losing money and time, and you will add stress to your life that will affect you and your family.   There is no shame in not being a good candidate to work and operate a home business.  If the answers to these questions make you a good fit to be a home business owner, be prepared for it to be the hardest job you have ever loved.  I wish you great success!

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle  

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com.  

Overcoming the Time Management Challenges with a Home Business

So, you think you finally have your “dream job.”  You no longer have a boss to whom you must answer.  You no longer have to work 8-5.  You are free!  Well, not quite.

After a couple weeks with your new home business, you notice that you’re hardly spending any time with your family, the house is a mess and you are exhausted!  Now you’re wondering if your dream has become a nightmare. 

Time management can be a huge challenge for home business owners.  If you don’t learn time management skills, it is very likely you will be unproductive, earn little or no money, and you will be unhappy – not to mention your family’s displeasure. 

A large percentage of people want to work from home so they can be home with their children.  Realization sets in after a short time and they feel as though they have to choose between working their business and being with their family.  However, if they have a schedule, they can “do it all.” 

A work schedule takes planning ahead and communicating with your family.  First look at your family’s schedule.  When does the baby nap? When are the kids in school?  When does your spouse return home from work?  Next, determine how many hours you want to work each day or each week.  Although it need not be written in stone, write down when you will start work, when you will take breaks and when you will stop work for the day.  It is easy to get so involved with your business that you lose track of time.  This is one I have been guilty of doing.  

It helps to speak with your spouse about your work schedule.  If your children are old enough to do household chores, hold a family meeting and involve everyone.  Ask for volunteers or assign tasks to each family member that will help reduce your household responsibilities.  A rotating task schedule can help prevent arguments between siblings.  Joshua clears the table and loads the dishwasher on Monday and Wednesday, and Lisa does it on Tuesday and Thursday.  Alternate the days when each child folds the laundry.  You get the idea. 

Be sure that your family members understand that during your work hours, you are not to be disturbed unless there is an emergency.  Ask your family and friends not to phone you during those hours.  Here is one of the most difficult things I had to do… Accept the fact that your house will not be as clean as when you did it all yourself.  

Your weekly schedule should include family time, work time and some “you” time.  If you don’t allow time for relaxation – time to read a book, have lunch with friends or go to the hair salon, you will simply get burned out.  My own work schedule includes completing certain tasks daily, weekly or monthly – both for my business and my home. Mine has a place for tally marks so I can check off tasks as I complete them.  I find it helps me stay organized.  

To help reduce your time in the kitchen, plan out a menu each week and buy and prepare meals in bulk.  Then freeze them.  Buy rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to save time cooking.  They are already cooked, inexpensive and can be used in a variety of different recipes.   

Use your time wisely.  Sometimes work time, “you” time and family time can be combined.  While you’re waiting for your daughter in her dance class, check your email of return a call to a prospect.  Bring a book when you take your son to his orthodontist’s appointment so you can take a few minutes to relax. 

You can use an online planner or write your schedule down with pen and paper, but have it in print!  Do not keep your schedule in your head.  You must be able to look at it. 

It may take some time to plan out your family and work schedule and a little time for you and your family to adjust to it, but once that happens, you will discover that it was well worth the time.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance).  

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle  

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

On this Date in History…

Source:  http://news.yahoo.com/today-history-050206767.html 

Today is October 26, 2013, the 299th day of 2013. There are 66 days left in the year.

On this date:

·        In 1774, the First Continental Congress adjourned in Philadelphia.

·        In 1825, the Erie Canal opened in upstate New York, connecting Lake Erie and the Hudson River.

·        On Oct. 26, 1861, the legendary Pony Express officially ceased operations, giving way to the transcontinental telegraph. (The last run of the Pony Express was completed the following month.)

·        In 1881 – The legendary gunfight at the O.K. corral took place in Tombstone, Arizona.  It was between the Earp brothers and J.H.Halliday on one side and two Clinton brothers and two McLaury brothers on the other side.  [Tidbit:  I live about 30 miles from Tombstone, Arizona.]

·        In 1942, Japanese planes badly damaged the aircraft carrier USS Hornet in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands during World War II. (The Hornet sank early the next morning.)

·        In 1949, President Harry S. Truman signed a measure raising the minimum wage from 40 to 75 cents an hour.

·        In 1958, Pan American Airways flew its first Boeing 707 jetliner from New York to Paris in 8 hours and 41 minutes.

·        In 1972, national security adviser Henry Kissinger declared, "Peace is at hand" in Vietnam.

·        In 1980, Israeli President Yitzhak Navon became the first Israeli head of state to visit Egypt.

·        In 1984, "Baby Fae," a newborn with a severe heart defect, was given the heart of a baboon in an experimental transplant in Loma Linda, Calif. (Baby Fae lived 21 days with the animal heart.)

·        In 2001, President George W. Bush signed the USA PATRIOT Act, giving authorities unprecedented ability to search, seize, detain or eavesdrop in their pursuit of possible terrorists.

·        Ten years ago: Thirteen deaths in Southern California were reported as wildfires fed by hot Santa Ana winds flared into gigantic waves of flame that devoured entire neighborhoods.

·        Five years ago: U.S. military helicopters launched a rare attack on Syrian territory, killing eight people in a strike Damascus condemned as "serious aggression."

·        One year ago: After leaving more than 40 people dead in the Caribbean, Hurricane Sandy headed toward the eastern United States, with forecasters warning that it would merge with two winter storm systems to create a megastorm.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com.