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Safe driving by the numbers…Plymouth Safe Driving campaign applauds young drivers for improved safe driving statistics.

PLYMOUTH, MA…

Over the past few years, the lay of the land has changed for young drivers—increased driver’s education requirements, stricter rules for new drivers (e.g. six months before being allowed to drive non-family members) and stiffer fines for speeding and other violations. The end result has been a dramatic decline in teen driving fatalities and traffic violations—a fact applauded by the Plymouth Safe Driving Campaign.

“We raised the bar for young drivers in Massachusetts and it’s encouraging that they have risen to the challenge,” said Bruce King, owner of King Collision Centers, who along with the Plymouth Public Schools, Plymouth Police Department and Commerce Insurance has sponsored the Plymouth Safe Driving campaign (www.plymouthsafedriving.org).

Since 2006, when the new laws when into effect, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles reports the number of speeding tickets issued new teen drivers has dropped by nearly 60 percent. Citations for seat-belt violations, passenger restrictions, and other offenses have fallen at a similar rate. Most importantly, the number of fatalities for drivers under 18 during that time has dropped 75 percent, including five out of the last six months ending without a fatal accident involving a driver under 18.

“The numbers don’t lie, the new laws and tougher requirements are working,” said Gary Maestas, superintendent of Plymouth Public Schools. “Yet even though we’re seeing tremendous improvement, reinforcing the safe driving message through vehicles like the Plymouth Safe Driving campaign is key to continuing this trend.”

The Plymouth Safe Driving campaign is a multi-pronged effort to promoting safe driving habits for Plymouth North and Plymouth South high schools. Part of the campaign included a student-parent contract in which young drivers sign an actual contract with their parents agreeing to safe driving practices. School students who turn in a signed contract to their principal at either Plymouth North or South high school were entered into a drawing for In Control’s Crash Prevention Training course (a $350 value).

Another component of the Plymouth Safe Driving campaign has been the donation of a 2005 Mazda 6 by Commerce Insurance to the Technical Studies program at Plymouth South. Auto repair students have been fixing up the crashed vehicle and a drawing to win the car will take place on May 26. Tickets are $10 a piece and are available at both Plymouth South High School and at Plymouth North High School’s school stores. Students under the age of 18 must be licensed drivers in order to purchase a ticket.

In addition, tickets are also available at NAPA Manomet Auto Supply, 21 Robert J. Way in Plymouth, King Collision Centers, 48 Holman Road in Plymouth, and at South Side Cruise Night, to be held every Wednesday night in May at Plymouth South High School (May 5, May 12, May 19 and May 26). The winner will be drawn on May 26 at the South Side Cruise Night at Plymouth South.

Proceeds from the sale of the vehicle will go back into SkillsUSA, the non-profit funding source for the technical studies program at both Plymouth North and Plymouth South High School.

For updates on latest events and activities related to the Plymouth Safe Driving program and additional safety information, please visit www.plymouthsafedriving.org.

Anyone Can Remove Dents – King Collision Centers Removes Doubts

Founded in 1984 by Bruce King, King Collision Centers provides superior collision repair and extraordinary customer care to thousands of clients south of Boston. King Collision is dedicated to earning customers for life and their team of professionals help clients through the collision repair process every step of the way – from coordinating a rental vehicle; providing accurate damage appraisal; assisting with the insurance claim process and ensuring that the vehicle is returned to its pre-accident operation, safety and value.

King Collision Centers was voted “Best Collision Repair” by Market Surveys of America and they have been selected to participate in the Repair Shop Referral Programs of 20 different insurance companies.  That includes being part of Commerce Insurance’s CARES (Commerce Auto Express Repair Service) Shops, an elite program that includes approximately 120 collision shops across Massachusetts.

The company continues to build strategic alliances with auto dealerships, enabling dealerships to offer collision repair services on-site – similar to their alignment with Mastria Auto Group in Raynham.

King Collision Centers are located in Pembroke, Plymouth and most recently, Raynham, MA. For more information, visit KingCollision.com or contact 508-747-2005.

Safe driving by the numbers…Plymouth Safe Driving campaign applauds young drivers for improved safe driving statistics.Read More

New Orleans residents win $50,000 home makeover

DirectBuy of New Orleans
DirectBuy of New Orleans Owners Mike Seiler (far left) and Dustin Morgan (far right) hand $50,000 check to Jerome and Grace Lomba.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA…

When Jerome and Grace Lomba arrived home one day in late February and checked their mail, they weren’t expecting to see a letter stating they had won $50,000 in the Home Makeover contest they entered while attending an Open House at DirectBuy of New Orleans. They had visited the club simply to satisfy their curiosity about DirectBuy’s unique concept, so when they read the letter telling them they had won and later listened to the voicemail left by Mike Seiler, co-owner of DirectBuy of New Orleans, they couldn’t believe their eyes or their ears.

“We didn’t believe it at first,” said Mr. Lomba. “We thought there was some catch to it – it wasn’t until we had the check in hand that it really sunk in.”

 “This whole event has had a great effect on the staff in the club,” said Seiler. The club employees were able to attend the champagne ceremony on March 13, 2010, where the check was handed over to the couple. “It was a very nice ceremony,” said Mrs. Lomba. “We really appreciated the club doing all that for us.” 

The Lombas’ home had been damaged by Katrina in 2005, so they had already rebuilt and refurnished their home by the time they attended the DirectBuy Club Open House. But they still found a way to put their winnings to great use. “We regret that we found out about DirectBuy after we rebuilt our home,” said Mr. Lomba. “But even after taxes, we have used the winnings to pay off our mortgage and some lingering credit card bills, and we are holding the rest in reserve to pay for our two sons’ student loans.”

Over the past few years, DirectBuy has distributed more than a million dollars in prize money to both members and non-members as part of their Home Makeover Program, designed to help consumers create the home of their dreams.

DirectBuy of New Orleans, located at 520 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Suite 190 in Harahan, LA, offers consumers thousands of items including kitchen cabinets, flat-screen televisions, and major appliances from more than 700 manufacturers or their authorized suppliers.

To assist members with their home renovation projects, DirectBuy of New Orleans employs product specialists who are specially trained in one of five areas of merchandise: Home Furnishings, Home Improvement, Flooring, Entertainment/Outdoor, and Accessories. Additionally, members benefit from the use of a children’s play area, café, and a members’ lounge to relax in while shopping.

About DirectBuy Club

Consumers who are interested in joining DirectBuy are encouraged to attend an exclusive Open House event, which is designed to educate families about DirectBuy’s unique business model. The Open House also helps consumers better understand how DirectBuy members avoid traditional retail markup when purchasing brand-name merchandise.

Since 1971, DirectBuy Club has been showing hundreds of thousands of consumers unparalleled ways to save as they shop for virtually everything for in and around their homes – from furnishings, home improvement and flooring, to entertainment and outdoor products, accessories, and much, much more. With more than 150 locations in North America, DirectBuy offers its members access to more than 700 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in the US, and more than 500 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in Canada.

For more information on a DirectBuy Club membership, visit http://www.directbuycares.com.

Consumers interested in seeing DirectBuy Club’s savings, service, and selection up close may obtain a Visitor’s Pass to attend an Open House by visiting www.directbuy.com or www.directbuycares.com.

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ActionCOACH’s “Business is Booming” tour comes to Baltimore, Maryland on May 13.

ActionCOACH Founder Brad Sugars

Double-digit unemployment rates. Corporate bailouts. Foreclosures and slumping residential and commercial real estate markets.

So how can anyone truly say, “business is booming”?

Brad Sugars, founder and Chairman of ActionCOACH, the world’s number business coaching firm, says exactly that, and tells both why and how when his North American “Business is Booming” tour comes to the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel on Thursday, May 13.

“History tells us that more money is made during economic downturns than during booms and that for every 10-month downturn is a 50-month boom,” said Karen Boyd, ActionCOACH master licensee in Maryland. “Brad’s message is that the companies can prepare for the next boom by cutting costs, developing good lead generation strategies and implementing effective marketing programs that deliver A- and B-level customers that will thrive in any economy.”

In addition to an explanation of why business is indeed booming, Sugars will also discuss 28 proven strategies to massively grow any type of business during his three-hour presentation.

Widely acclaimed as the world’s number one Business Coach, Sugars founded ActionCOACH in 1993 after successfully owning and or running more than 30 businesses in his native Australia. Today, ActionCOACH is ranked as the world’s leading international business coaching firm, with more than 1,000 offices in 26 countries.

A best-selling author of 14 highly acclaimed business books – including four international best-sellers – Sugars has taught nearly a half-million people worldwide how to create business, real estate and financial success.

“Brad Sugars is to business coaching what Tony Robbins has been to the personal development industry,” continued Boyd. “With his ‘Business is Booming’ tour, he’s literally giving away his years of successful business knowledge and expertise. It’s a message every small business owner in the greater Baltimore should want to hear.”

To register for the May 13 event at the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel (located at 101 West Lafayette Street in Baltimore), simply visit http://businessisboomingtour.com/ and use code KBM001.

There’s no charge to register, admission is free. The event will begin promptly at 6 p.m. with a 30-minute networking period prior to Sugars’ presentation.  

To find out additional dates and venues for the “Business is Booming” North American tour, please go to http://businessisboomingtour.com and use code KBM001.

About ActionCOACH

ActionCOACH is the world’s #1 business coaching firm and executive coaching firm. Operating in 26 countries, the franchise has more than 1,000 offices around the world. That includes locations in the five states (and Washington DC) that make up the Gulf Atlantic region: Alabama (Pelham); Delaware; Louisiana (Baton Route, Loranger, Mandeville, New Orleans and Shreveport); Maryland (Baltimore, Freeland, Fallston, Manchester, Rockland, Silver Spring); and Mississippi (Madison).

Founded in 1993, the ActionCOACH has received numerous awards including Fastest Growing Franchise, Franchisee Satisfaction, Best Overall Company and has been named the number one business coaching franchise for more than five years running.

For information on ActionCOACH Founder Brad Sugars’ 2010 “Business is Booming” North American tour, please visit http://businessisboomingtour.com and use code KBM001. 

To learn more about working with an ActionCOACH or the ActionCOACH franchise opportunity, contact Karen Boyd, www.karenboyd.actioncoach.comwww.karenboyd.actioncoach.com, (410) 374-3536.

ActionCOACH’s “Business is Booming” tour comes to Baltimore, Maryland on May 13.Read More

Five feat… DirectBuy of Knoxville celebrates fifth anniversary.

 KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE…

For five years, DirectBuy Club has been offering consumers in the greater Knoxville area a new way to save on home improvement projects, furnishings and accessories.

“Being in business for five years really is a milestone worth noting,” said Todd Sandberg, owner of DirectBuy of Knoxville. “There have been some rough spots with the economy but through it all we’ve seen growth both in memberships and the number of manufacturers who want to sell their products through DirectBuy Club.”

The leading home improvement and furnishings club with direct insider prices, DirectBuy of Knoxville offers products ranging from light fixtures to televisions to kitchen cabinets, from more than 700 manufacturers or their authorized suppliers at direct insider prices. DirectBuy Club also offers design and delivery services to its members, as well as a listing of local contractors who offer installation services, many times at a discounted rate.

“Families have always needed their dollars to go farther, but the economy of the past few years has made that even more important. That’s why what DirectBuy Club has to offer is so critical to homeowners looking to save money on their home improvement projects and home furnishings,” said Sandberg. “With five years under our belt, we’re truly looking forward to what the next five years will bring.”

Since 2005, DirectBuy of Knoxville has helped consumers enjoy enormous savings on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products, flooring and accessories, by providing an avenue to purchase directly from manufacturers and their authorized suppliers. Conveniently located at 431 Park Village Drive, Suite E in Knoxville, DirectBuy Club offers consumers a comfortable setting where they finally have the financial control of buying direct.

About DirectBuy Club

For more than 39 years, DirectBuy Club has been showing thousands of consumers unparalleled ways to save as they shop for virtually everything for in and around their homes – from furnishings, home improvement and flooring, to entertainment and outdoor products, accessories and much, much more. With more than 150 locations in North America, DirectBuy Club offers its members access to more than 700 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in the U.S. and more than 500 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in Canada.

Consumers interested in seeing DirectBuy Club’s savings, service, and selection up close may obtain a Visitor’s Pass to attend an Open House by visiting www.directbuy.com or www.directbuycares.com.

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How to hire sales people who can be a force…Business coaching franchise offers simple steps to avoid bad hires and make quality additions to your sales staff

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY…

The success or failure of your organization literally depends on the success or failure of your sales team. Yet for a position so important, many business owners don’t know where to begin when it comes to hiring quality sales people, the folks who literally butter their company’s proverbial bread?

This question takes on an even greater impact when you consider how much a bad hire—a sales person who leaves your company within three months—actually costs you. One leading sales training firm estimates a bad hire can cost nearly $27,000 in initial hiring expenses and just a few months of a modest salary/commission ($4000 per month) and benefits.

“The actual dollars are probably a fraction of what a bad sales hire can cost,” said Dr. Keith Winfree, founder of Winfree Business Growth Advisors. “The damage to your firm’s reputation may take quite a long time to recover and lost sales can cost a company up to $250,000.”

How to hire sales professionals is one of the areas that Winfree Business Growth Advisors counsels its small business clients on. Adds Winfree, “Most firms employ the same approach in hiring sales reps that they use for other positions. As we all know, sales professionals are a different animal altogether and hiring staff requires a different approach.”

In picking quality sales professionals, Winfree advises:

  • Identifying your ideal sales rep – Write down all the qualities and characteristics you’re looking for and set up benchmarks. Look to either best sales reps in your industry or the best one in your company as a model. Make sure you include those qualities and characteristics in any classified ads or job descriptions you post. Document the behavior agreement and stick to it.  They don’t do what they said they would do get rid of them.  Hire for values and your culture not just sales skills.  You need to know what it takes or the formula to close one deal per month.
  • Tailor your interview process for the sales rep – A traditional interview goes over previous job experiences, career objectives, etc., but doesn’t do much to identify a high-quality sales candidate. Set up a portion of your interview process for role playing to see how a candidate conducts themselves in a situation similar to one they will face on the job, e.g. approaching a prospect.
  • Forget your instincts during the interview  – Do not go by “gut” feelings or instincts during the interview process. Go by what you hear and see. You’re not only looking for the qualities you wrote down earlier, but potential weaknesses that might impact their selling skills. That can include such simple, relatively common characteristics like: a need for approval or to be liked; becoming emotional in the “heat of the battle”; or discomfort in discussing money as part of a negotiation
  • Buying habits – How the candidate goes about his/her own purchases can greatly determine dealings with prospects; candidates who shop around based on price may be vulnerable to prospects with the same approach.
  • Any signs of self-doubt – Self-limiting beliefs can figuratively be death to a salesman. Keep your ears open and read the body language during the interview process for these indicators.
  • Make your sales staff part of your recruiting efforts – Offer generous incentives to your employees for referrals who become part of your sales force for six months or more. Involving your employees in recruitment can improve the retention of current staff and the people they refer.

“Perhaps the most important thing you can do is never hire out of need,” said Winfree. “While replacing sales staff that leaves your company is important, you still want to fill openings with people who meet your standards. By consistently recruiting excellent sales professionals—whether there’s an “opening” or not—you can greatly minimize the possibility of bad hires and foster a healthy, competitive environment for your current sales force.”

About Winfree Business Growth Advisors

Located across the United States, Winfree Business Growth Advisors coaching franchises help sales professionals and small business owners maximize growth potential and take their respective businesses to a higher level through cutting-edge sales coaching, business coaching, sales training, and seminars featuring Winfree’s signature Black Belt System™ Five Phases and 12 elements covering everything from initial marketing efforts to customer retention.

Winfree Business Growth Advisors currently runs coaching franchises in California (San Francisco and Los Angeles), Illinois (Chicago), Kentucky (Louisville), Massachusetts (Boston), New York (Manhattan), Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth) and Virginia (Hampton Roads) as well as in Canada (Winnipeg, Manitoba).

In addition to coaching small business owners, Dr. Winfree speaks to many business organizations. Those interested in having Dr. Winfree for speaking engagement can call 800-616-9260. To purchase a copy of Winfree Rules of Surviving the Sales, Marketing and Business World, an e-book which sells for $9.95, visit Winfree Business Growth Advisors Web site at www.winfree.org.

How to hire sales people who can be a force…Business coaching franchise offers simple steps to avoid bad hires and make quality additions to your sales staffRead More

Sponsors & Auction Items Needed for Golf Tournament Benefiting Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield

The fifth annual Golf Classic benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield will be held on Friday, June 25, 2010 at Crosswinds Golf Club, 424 Long Pond Road in Plymouth. Sponsors and live/silent auction items are needed.

The presenting sponsor for this year’s tournament is BuyTheCase.net of Pembroke, an online retailer that takes the hassle out of warehouse shopping, and owned by Marshfield residents Jack and Beth Griffin. Hole sponsorships are available for $150.

Raffle and silent auction donations are also needed.

Those interested in sponsoring a hole or donation an auction item should contact Kathleen Newcomb at the Boys and Girls Club directly at (781) 834-2582 or by email Kathleenn@marshfieldboysandgirlsclub.com.

The 4-man best ball Golf Classic costs $600 for a foursome, $300 for half foursome. The cost includes 18 holes of championship golf, a golf cart, driving range, boxed lunch and an awards dinner. For more information or to register for the Golf Classic, visit www.marshfieldboysandgirlsclub.com.

The Boys and Girls Club

The Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield provides a safe haven for recreation and fun, which includes a variety of supervised activities for the 1,300 current members and is available to youth (between the ages of 6 to 18 years old) within the town and surrounding communities. The Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield has five Core Areas: Character and Leadership; Education and Career; Health, Sport Fitness Recreation and Life Skills; The Arts; and Technology. These Core Areas serve as the foundation for all programming.

As a privately-funded, non-profit organization, the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield relies tremendously on the generous philanthropic support of individuals. Financial gifts assist in providing the financial strength necessary to continue the club’s mission “to enable and inspire all young people to realize their full potential as productive and responsible citizens, as well as become tomorrow’s capable leaders.”

For more information about the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield, please contact (781) 834-CLUB (2582) or visit the club in Library Plaza or the website at MarshfieldBoysAndGirlsClub.com. The club’s mailing address is P.O. Box 311, Marshfield, MA 02050.

Sponsors & Auction Items Needed for Golf Tournament Benefiting Boys and Girls Club of MarshfieldRead More

Area realtors are invited to “Lunch and Learn” on April 27 at Advanced Mortgage Services in Plymouth, MA.

DATELINE: PLYMOUTH, MA…
What realtor isn’t interested in generating new leads? Area realtors who are curious about discovering a different approach to lead generation are invited to learn while they lunch on Tuesday April 27, compliments of their hometown lender, Advanced Mortgage Services. This informative lunch session will begin at 11 AM at Advanced Mortgage Services’ Plymouth office, located at 25 Main Street in downtown Plymouth.

Attendees will be introduced to a proven lead generation system that will manage their marketing dollars more effectively while making the numbers game work in their favor.

About Advanced Mortgage Services LLC
Advanced Mortgage Services LLC was founded as a mortgage lending company in 2005 by Michele Comer and her husband Brian Thomas Comer who is a financial services professional with more than 13 years experience in the South Shore real estate market.

Advanced Mortgage Services is a full service mortgage company that values and nurtures long-term customer relationships. The company is an active participant in community events and organizations throughout the South Shore. For additional information on services offered by Advanced Mortgage Services please call 508-747-9520 or visit www.ams-loan.com .

A Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Lender, Advanced Mortgage Services is a fully insured and licensed Massachusetts Mortgage Lender and Mortgage Broker (license #MC3702.)

Area realtors are invited to “Lunch and Learn” on April 27 at Advanced Mortgage Services in Plymouth, MA.Read More

Avoiding a sticky situation – many MA homeowners with oil heat will need an upgrade under new law.

WAKEFIELD, MA…
Imagine striking oil – in your basement! Under normal circumstances, you never actually see the fuel oil that heats your home. To keep it that way, Massachusetts homeowners who heat with oil will need to upgrade their home heating system equipment to prevent leaks from tanks and pipes that connect to their furnace under the provisions of a new law that takes effect on July 1, 2010.

This law has two major provisions:
• Fuel supply lines or return lines in direct contact with concrete, earth or other floor surfaces shall have a continuous non-metallic sleeve installed to enclose the fuel line, or have an oil safety valve installed at the tank end of a fuel supply line.
• Insurance companies that write homeowner policies are required to offer elective coverage for leaks from heating systems that use oil.

Installation of oil safety valve devices or the installation of a protective sleeve must be performed by a licensed oil burner technician. Heating oil systems installed on or after January 1, 1990 are most likely already in compliance with the new law since state fire codes started implementing these requirements on new installations at that time.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), “The typical cost of installing either an oil safety valve or oil supply line with a protective sleeve ranges from $150 – $350 (including labor, parts, and local permit fees).” Compare that to the cleanup cost for a “simple” leak which MassDEP claims, “can be as much as $15,000. In cases where the leak impacts the groundwater or is more extensive, the cleanup costs can reach $250,000 or more.” This new law makes both good financial and environmental sense for homeowners who will spend a little now to potentially save a lot later.

Homeowners who have been certified to be in compliance with the leak prevention measures will also be qualified to purchase new insurance coverage that:
• Provides “first party coverage” of at least $50,000 for the cost of cleaning up a leak to soil, indoor air, or other environmental media from a home heating system at the residence itself and reimbursement for personal property damage, AND
• Provides “third party coverage” of at least $200,000 for the cost of dealing with conditions on and off the insured’s property if the leak has or is likely to impact groundwater or someone else’s property. The coverage also includes costs incurred for legal defense, subject to a deductible not to exceed $1,000 per claim.

About Commonwealth Tank
Commonwealth Tank, founded in 1994 and located at 84 New Salem Street in Wakefield, MA, specializes in the removal and installation of above and underground storage tanks and site remediation, including emergency spill response, site assessment, excavation, and site closure.

Commonwealth Tank’s services are available Monday through Saturday, with emergency service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Commonwealth Tank’s service area includes most areas of Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, and Maine. For further information please visit www.commtank.com or call 1-800-628-8260.

Avoiding a sticky situation – many MA homeowners with oil heat will need an upgrade under new law.Read More