Summertime and the storms are a coming
Greetings one and all. Can you believe that SUMMER is here? now I know i have friends in Colorado where they had sleet just two weeks ago. but we have been baking here in Florida. Being on the West Coast of Florida we are also paying very close attention to the fact that hurricane season is now upon us and of course the major story of the last 70 days, the horrific environmental catastrophe in the Gulf with the oil spill that just keeps on giving. I know that we all have our opinions on the handling of the oil spill so will not address that directly here. I just want everyone to be vigilant in what you do and how some of the least expected action can have lasting repercussions.
Now for those who live in the land of Hurricanes, I realize that it has not yet been quite a month. But it doesn’t take long for the tropical storm to turn to a hurricane make a blip on that weather radar and then you are SOL.
There are some necessary protective measures that you should do before you need to do them.. Get your hurricane survival suitcase(s) and backup plan together. Do you have an elderly person living with you that has home health care that needs constant supervision, oxygen, monitoring of different sorts. Check with your doctor, your social worker, your county, your home health service. They can assist you with the paperwork so you can have a plan in place. What shelter or hospital will they need t o go to in an evacuation? Will you or another relative, or caregiver be allowed to accompany then? Remember your animals. Even if you go to a medical shelter or hospital you will not be able to take your pets unless they are a guide dog. Find a temporary home where they can go so your furry children won’t be lost, stranded or perhaps killed due to lack of planing and horrible circumstances.
Make sure you have copies of your insurance information, medical information and identification in a zip lock bag. Also include your medications-30 days supply is great but if it is only a week’s worth that is better than nothing. Include bottled water-gallon size is good, canned goods, perhaps if you have space , your grill with an extra container of propane. That may be the only way you will be able to get hot food for a few days. Don’t forget your toiletries, a couple of changes of clothes, Not to be forgotten-an EXIT PLAN.
Do you know where you are on the evacuation map? Are you in an area of mandatory evacuation? Level 1 or is your number higher say 5 or 6.? Important information to know. Also pick up your hurricane guide at your local market or ACE Hardware store. You can also download them. All the major media networks put one out . If you have seen the weather alert radios they aer an excellent source of information when a storm is coming your direction. It will alert you and tell you what the alert is. You can get those at the local grocery stores now as well as home Depot, Lowes, Target and many other business locations.
Some insurance companies are now offering a preregistration form for use during the hurricane season at no extra charge. With your written permission they can have adjusters to your home site as soon as possible. Sure it take a couple of minutes to fill out the form, but in the event that your home suffers damage, do you want 5 minutes of form filling to be replaced by 5 days of waiting for an adjuster of some sort to show up? Water is the worst damage followed but wind, smoke and fire. I am not going to lecture anyone but say just be prepared and let your family know the plans, where are you goingto meet if you live in the same area, how are you going to communicate? Make sure that your car’s gas tank is filled. Check the oil, air in your tires. You would do this if you were going on a motor trip for vacation just as a safety precaution. Why wouldn’t you do it on a regular basis for your family’s safety and yours as well.You don’t want to wait in line when you could be loading that same care and heading out of dodge. The same for preparing your home. Get the plywood and any other protection that you would need to prevent glass damage to your home. Your favorite orchid plants and hanging plants need to be brought in to the garage or home. Remove items that could become flying weapons through your windows. That includes bird feeders and other such feeders as well. Have a swimming pool? Dump your patio furniture in it, No harm to the furniture or the pool and one less flying object.
If you are going out of town, let a neighbor , friend or hire a service to check on your home while you are away especially should a storm come up while you are gone. We never expect these things to happen but mother nature sometimes has a strange sense of humor and really does get a laugh by throwing you off guard. There are some concierge services and others that will look after your home while you are away for a minimal cost. OH MISS does a house/pool/mail/plant check. Do you know if your lawn service is cutting the grass as they should? What about the pool? Is that where anything green is growing? Peace of mind can be a wonderful thing. If there is no time to get ready-where is the saferoom in your home? Don’t forget to fill the bathtubs and sinks with water. You may not have water service or electrical service when you first get back to your home. So as I go to start taking my own advice with Alex out in the Gulf, I hope that you will as well.
Stay tuned for some exciting news about OHMISS and the growing butterfly population right here at home.
BayBiz & OH MISS
I had the priviledge of being a guest on the Malcolm Out Loud radio show on BayBiz AM 1470 this past Tuesday. What a terrific experience! As they say in the “biz” the show is in the can. As soon as OH MISS gets the copy of the show you will find it here on our website.
For all of you in business, this is an excellent show with tips being presented daily by local well know business people on how to have a small business as well as starting one and what to look forward to in the next few years. It is a “good” news radio show as we certainly can hear enough of the negative on radio and television. I have heard from so many of you that the television news is not even on in your homes anymore. Did you know that small business owners are some of the most optimistic people you will meet? There is no greater time than the present for excellent customer service. That is what a good small business can do for you.
Which leads me to what OH MISS can do for you. We have been called “lifesavers” by so many of our clients as we assist them in crunch times, times of stress, times when they are overwhelmed with what is going on in their business or the office and what needs to still be accomplished on the home front just to “live”. Don’t allow yourself to become totally frazzled, overwrought, despondent or fearful of making a bold move. Let OH MISS give you that boost in your step so that the job of living can be less of a burden to you. The benefits, a clear head, less stress which in turn leads to a healthier you, more joy and happiness in your life and the lives of those that surround you. Let us handle the little things while you take care of the “stuff” that really matters.
August exciting news
Wow, can you believe that August is half over already? Where did the summer go? Children will soon be headed off t o school and some attending colleges have made their trek to the school of their choice. The tropics are starting to get active as we head in to the strongest part of the hurricane season. For those of you new to our area the peak of the hurricane season usually hits in September and then wanes as we get closer to December 1, the official end for the year.
Now to share some exciting news from OH MISS! Some of us we able to attend the eWomenNetwork national conference in Dallas that ended just a week ago. I must say that we have come back with great information and some fabulous contacts to assist you in whatever way we can. If you need a speaker for your organization, more shopping tips, new ideas in business and communications ,just ask. We can assist in putting you in touch with some terrific individuals. Social media is all the buzz, did we get an earful on that. Learning the do’s and don’ts. Social etiquette is not just writing thank you notes any more or as they used to say minding your p’s and q’s.
We were so lucky as we were able to meet and talk with Debbie Meyer of Green Bag fame. Be on the look out as she is not finished yet. We also had the privlege of meeting Judge Glenda Hatchett, the juvenile court judge of tv fame. If you want to meet someone passionate about the foster care system just spend 10 minutes with her and you will be on the band wagon to get involved. We met Joe Gonslaves of the Homes for Heroes organization, His charitable organization makes it possible for our seriously wounded returning vets to have homes that will accommodate their needs. These are accessible homes to keep families together. Hurray for Joe! Needless to say we are enthusiastic about the future of small business in the US and all the good that is happening that doesn’t always make the news.
Speaking of news, if you are reading this entry today August 17,2009 or tomorrow the 18th before 12:30 p.m. tune in to AM 1470 for the BayBiz program with Malcolm Out Loud. This is going to be one of the best shows in the bay area very soon. It is going to be a good news program featuring the good things that are happening in our area in the business community as well as our communities in general. Isn’t it about time we had some good news in our day? I have been privileged to be asked to join Malcolm on his radio show tomorrow as we speak to women entrepreneurs and some local charity organizations. It is going to be exciting and I look forward to sharing what I can about what it takes to succeed as a woman entrepreneur.
Come back and check us out as we are going to be announcing some news of global proportion very soon. OH MISS will not just be your little home town concierge . Stay tuned.
Give me your feedback or ask questions and I will get to them within 24 hours. We want to be there for you. What can we do to help you today?