What’s Your Bed Bug Business Plan?

Bed bugs were one of the top news topics in 2010, biting businesses across the country. Unlike many pests, the bed bug brings baggage – questions about employee policies, privacy issues, risk management and litigation. Bottom line: bed bugs have business implications.

Orkin Commercial Services, along with representatives from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA International) and National Apartment Association (NAA), worked to uncover the biggest challenges businesses face surrounding bed bugs.

Join “What’s Your Bed Bug Business Plan?” on Wednesday, April 20, when those partners will share insights into addressing the practical matters of bed bugs in your business in a free 2-hour webinar. Breakout sessions will be led by topical experts Susan Gross Sholinksy, employment law attorney on HR issues; attorney Clifton E. Slaten on protecting yourself from litigation; and Michael Weis burger for an overview of mitigating the risk to your business and brand.

If you’ve been bitten by bed bugs before, or if you’re interested in finding out more, this workshop will uncover key business threats posed to your industry by bed bugs. Attendees will gain practical knowledge to address bottom-line impacting business issues and take away tools to help put a bed bug business plan in place.

“What’s Your Bed Bug Business Plan?” will be held on Thursday, April 20 from 1-3 EST. Register for the free virtual conference and find out more information here.

Break Through Your Challenges

By Terri Norvell

Have you ever broken a board with your bare hand? No? Most people believe they can’t do it because a wooden board appears harder and stronger than your hand.  It looks intimidating. Many don’t believe that the feat is possible and have a hard time focusing on that outcome.

Well, the board is actually a tangible analogy for whatever might be holding you back. Just like it seems impossible to break the board, it often seems impossible to overcome other challenges. We often feel that same level of apprehension when trying to effect change, when we feel stuck or at an impasse.

However, the power to break through any obstacle is within you at all times. It will be there when you are ready to trust in yourself and call on it. It takes a keen focus on what you want to achieve versus what is standing in your way. (Go back and read the previous sentence again…it’s very profound!)

Now imagine you are facing that wooden board, you take a deep breath, you raise your hand in preparation of striking, you can feel all of your energy, concentration and focus, you have nothing in your mind other than going beyond that board—going right through it like butter! And when you succeed, you feel the exuberance of success, the adrenaline rushing through your body, the thrill of victory! You did it!

And then, that quiet calm comes over you. You sense the meaning of what you achieved by doing something that only minutes ago you thought impossible. You just gained proof. Proof that you can also break through whatever challenges seem insurmountable in your life.

In a board-breaking exercise, the moment your hand connects with the wood is your touch point, your moment of truth.

If you are ready, willing and focused on going through that wood, then you will successfully break through! If however, you simply meet the wood or deliver a half-hearted attempt, you will not break through. You in effect have chosen to stop yourself, to not trust yourself at the moment when you are so close to reaching beyond what has previously seemed impossible.

When you are committed and more focused on what you want to achieve than what’s in your way, you will easily break through.

In my most recent surveys, findings indicated that the fear of failure is one of the most notable obstacles that people feel limit their success. This fear of failure shows up in many forms. It includes lack of self-confidence, holding back rather than speaking up, feeling insecure, and dealing with too much change.

Certainly our economic fluctuations are cause for challenges, many times our work and our families help us to see personal challenges, and with any new beginnings you may be anticipating challenges. Each of these concerns is like a board, an obstacle in the way of becoming who you want to become, performing how you want to perform and achieving what is desired.

Do you have any mental obstacles and challenges you are facing in your life right now? The physical process of breaking through that board with your bare hand gives you the inner trust and proof that nothing is impossible! How exciting to know that you have the personal power within you to accomplish anything you focus your mind on. You are very powerful indeed!

Warning: Do not attempt a board-breaking exercise on your own. There is more to this process than simply a piece of wood. To achieve the outcomes you want for yourself and your team plan to attend “Break To What Really Matters” on May 18, 2011. It’s one of the most powerful experiences you will have. Promise!  Register for this event today on www.charlestonapartmentassociation.com.

Terri Norvell is a break through expert and success master. She assists individuals and teams to be their best... to thrive with change, overcome obstacles and take targeted actions to achieve their goals. Participants in her sessions gain proof and confidence that they can achieve whatever they focus upon! She has a proven track record of success as vice president for a $1.2 billion property management and development firm, general manager for a $9 million temporary housing company and with many business start-ups. To learn more or to schedule a performance session for your team go to www.TerriNorvell.com or contact Terri at 303-439-0077 or terri@TerriNorvell.com.

Guest Speaker Announced for the April Dinner Meeting on April 19, 2011

Mike Gorman, Chairman of the National Apartment Association, is our guest speaker for the April dinner meeting on Tuesday, April 19, 2011. Gorman will provide an update on current industry trends and the state of the multi-family industry. You will not want to miss this very informative event! Currently president of Rose Property Group, a division of Edward Rose Building Enterprise in Indianapolis, Gorman has nearly 30 years of experience in the apartment management industry. He was elected to the Indiana Apartment Association’s Board of Directors in 1995 and served as its president in 2001 and 2002. Gorman has served on NAA’s Executive Committee since 2007 and was NAA chairman-elect in 2010.   Time: Registration opens at 5:45 p.m. Dinner served at 6:30 p.m.   Location: Crowne Plaza 4831 Tanger Outlet Boulevard North Charleston, SC   Price: Advance price of $35 for members through April 15th.

What is the NAA Community Site & Online Resource Center?

The NAA Community Site & Online Resource Center, NAA’s newest member benefit is an online network for professionals in the multifamily housing industry. NAA members can network and connect with other NAA members, discuss critical apartment issues in the Discussion Forums, join interest-based communities and blog about the industry. The Online Resource Center is an ever growing collection of apartment-specific resources including market reports, best practices, sample forms for members to access, or submit their own resources for sharing.

Never been to the site before? We’ve posted a comprehensive instructional video to show you the tips and tricks of every feature on the site!

http://community.naahq.org/NAAHQ/NAAHQ/Home/

Group Discount for Maintenance Boot Camp April 12, 2011

Get Ready Soldiers!

 

Maintenance Boot Camp is coming to Charleston on Tuesday, April 12, 2011.  We have top-notch instructors Mark Cukro (Service Team Training) and Donna Hickey (Donna Hickey Presents) presenting this fun-filled one-day seminar for the Charleston Apartment Association.

 

In our Maintenance Boot Camp session, you will learn how to foster relationships, influence renewals and create a more effective and efficient service department.  We will discuss new and proven ways to save money the minute you get back to the property!

• Learn techniques to manage your service teams more effectively
• Reduce the amount of time on tasks and projects
• Build new ways to reduce costs of make readies
• Reduce vacant utility costs
• Identify the root cause of an issue and methods that will reduce stress

 

Send three (3) or more employees and receive a 20% discount - only $79 per person!  Send your teams and prepare to become inspired!   Register online at http://www.charlestonapartmentassociation.com/