Three Ways to Save Money Your First Year In BUSINESS!

People ask me all the time what the secret to success is or how to start a business. What they fail to ask me is how to save money the first year of business, which is very important. So, this said, below are three ways to save money your first year in business.

1. Don't have offices if at all possible. I mean cubical farms or inner-offices where people can close doors on one another. You should promote and open work space where everyone can look at, talk to and see what others are doing. This promotes less slacking off for your employees and also generates better communication skills and sales results.

2. Don't buy t-shirts and other branded items for customers or employees to wear or use outside the office. This is a huge waste of money. Make sure you are spending as little money as needed on things that are not actually needed. In other words, don't buy into the hype of owning a business. Know what you can and can't spend.

3. Don't listen to your customers. If you know what you have will sell, and it isn't selling, change your marketing strategy- not the product / services based on the opinions of those who aren't buying. Change your marketing, change your market, but don't change your entire product or services. You will find your customers, you just have to stay consistent with your branding.

Running a business is going to be one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, things you can do. Make sure you stay focused, on budget and strong.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla Garrett

The 411 on Disasters

My business is working to help prevent and recover from disasters. Sure, this is the simple definition of it all- there is more to my job and what my company can do. However, I often get asked about the types of disasters, if there are warnings, and what to do during a disaster.

Below is a simple guide on the types of disasters that can occur (at least the most common).

Hurricanes

Hurricanes are violent areas of low pressure forming in the tropical Atlantic Ocean from June to November. Hurricanes have winds of 75 miles per hour or more and are accompanied by torrential rains and along coastal regions storm surge.
Hurricane Classifications
Hurricane strength is classified using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Damage Potential Scale. This scale correlates hurricane strength to barometric pressure, windspeed, and storm surge as shown in the table below. The Scale can be accessed by clicking here.

Tornadoes

Tornadoes are powerful, circular windstorms that may be accompanied by winds of 200 or more miles per hour. Tornadoes may range in width from several hundred yards to more than one mile across. Parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida are at highest risk of tornado strike.
Tornado Classifications

Tornadoes are classified using the Fujita Wind Damage Scale. You can view this Scale by clicking here.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes are a shaking or trembling of the earth, caused by underground volcanic forces or by breaking and shifting of rock beneath the surface. Although the area of greatest earthquake risk is the west coast, where tectonic activity occurs along the San Andreas fault, other areas of the United States are also at risk of earthquakes.
Earthquake Classifications
Earthquakes are classified as small, moderate, major, or great based on the Richter scale (a measure of energy released during the quake). The Richter scale has a logarithmic base, so each increment on the scale is multiplied by a factor that is 10 times larger than the previous factor. To view this Scale click here.