Archives for October 2019

January 6 deadline for USDOT clearinghouse

October 31, 2019

Employers of commercial motor vehicle drivers should be making final preparations to comply with a federal law set to take effect in January. The U.S. Department of Transportation is rolling out a Federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse – a database to track commercial driver’s license holders who have tested positive for prohibited drug or alcohol use or who have refused to take a required test.

Currently, this information must be requested from previous employers through letters, emails or phone calls. The process can take time and produce inconsistent results.

Effective January 6, 2020, employers must begin populating the database and querying the Clearinghouse for information on new hire applicants. Only violations that occur after January 6, 2020, will be entered in the database. Employers will still be required to contact previous employers for violation information until the Clearinghouse has been in effect for three full years.

Records of drug and alcohol program violations will remain in the Clearinghouse for five years or until the driver has completed the return-to-duty process, whichever is later.

The Clearinghouse is intended to improve highway safety by:

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Keep Halloween a Fire-Free Fright Fest

October 29, 2019

Do you have a great Halloween costume planned for this year? How about for your kids? Or your pets?

Why do I ask? According to the National Retail Federation, 71.5% of Americans plan to celebrate in a spooky fashion. Even if you’re not the dress-up type, that means you’re probably planning to decorate your house in some way, shape or form. Overall, it’s estimated we’ll spend $8 billion on Halloween this year alone.

With all of the money spent on this day, you’ll want to preserve your investment as best you can. Especially when you consider that, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Halloween is one of the top five days for candle fires.

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Security systems: Take the proper steps to protect your home

October 24, 2019

Claims experience shows that theft losses can be prevented when a central station burglar alarm is installed and activated in your home. Improve your family’s security and reduce the potential of home intrusion by knowing the basics for safety and alarm component options:

ALWAYS:

Activate your alarm system when you are away and at night.
Alert your neighbors when you will be away for even short periods of time.
Confirm all accessible openings in your home are protected, including second floor doors and windows. Your alarm consultant can design a system that is best for you and your family.

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Life Sciences Is Rapidly Changing – Is Your Insurance Program Keeping Up?

October 22, 2019

Artificial intelligence (AI) in pharma, personalized medicine and connected devices are all part of the digital transformation fueling growth in the life sciences industry, which includes medical technology, pharmaceutical and digital health. The value of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) market is expected to rise to $158 billion in 2022.¹ Boundaries between traditional disciplines are blurring as science, medicine and technology converge.

From wearables to implantables and from devices to apps, the demand for a patient-centered approach to medicine is leading to a networked ecosystem. Emerging startups are driving the development of next-generation therapies. Established tech giants are expanding into the digital healthcare space, leveraging Big Data and AI to inform healthcare analytics. It’s a time of rapidly evolving markets and business models that also brings new risks.

“Life sciences companies are doing some truly amazing work that has the potential to tame disease and improve well-being,” said Patty Nichols, Life Sciences Practice Lead at Travelers. “Given the pace of change in this industry, gaps can emerge in their insurance coverage that could put their business in danger. They need coverage that helps address risks that they might not even anticipate.”

Fighting fire: Benefits of a residential sprinkler system

October 17, 2019

It takes only minutes for a fire to escalate. Even with the responding fire department’s prompt arrival, a home could be destroyed. To help avoid this, have your home fitted with a residential sprinkler system.

A licensed sprinkler installer can install a system that meets NFPA 13-D residential protection system requirements for an automatic fire suppression system.

WHAT IS A RESIDENTIAL SPRINKLER SYSTEM AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

5 Things I’ve Learned About Dealing With Difficult Employees

October 15, 2019

Every small business has its challenging personalities: The “yeller” is someone in your office who talks loudly and tends to distract and annoy others. The “loafer” is the person who’s known for goofing off. The “meddler” is the nosy gossiper who sticks their nose into people’s personal lives and asks rude questions. These, and a few others, are typical types of difficult employees you’ll have in your office. How can you prevent these problem employees from hurting your small business?As a business owner with 10 employees, I know these people. Really know them. And a few things about how to deal with them—the hard way, unfortunately. But let me share with you five things I’ve learned.

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KSI Welcomes Brian Mahon

October 11, 2019

KSI is excited to welcome Brian Mahon. Brian joins our sales team with a focus on Technology & Life Science.

Welcome Brian!

(301) 302 – 8272

brian@ksiinc.com

How to Protect Your Business Income in 5 Steps

October 10, 2019

As a small business owner, you probably work hard to keep your finances in check, but unexpected events can sabotage those efforts — and these events happen more often than you might think. An estimated 25 percent of businesses don’t reopen following a major disaster. Protect your finances with business income insurance.

Plan ahead and take action today – get business insurance and maximize your business’s chances of survival. Here is a five-step plan you can put in place now to protect your business against any potential loss of income in the future:

1. Evaluate Potential Threats

The first step to protect your business income from unexpected threats is to consider where potential threats may arise. Natural disasters, power failures, theft and vandalism are possibilities. Lawsuits and data breaches also pose a significant threat to businesses today.

Think carefully about the type of business you have, the location, your leadership team and the key factors critical to your business’ operations. Brick-and-mortar businesses will face some different threats than online businesses, for example. Some things to consider:

Do customers visit your physical location?
Is your home, office or store in an area that is exposed to unfavorable weather conditions, prone to floods or at greater risk of crime?
Where do you keep your inventory?
Do you employ staff?
Do employees work on-site or virtually?
What might prevent employees from showing up to work?
Who are your suppliers and what kind of threats might they be exposed to?
Do you rely on large data servers?
Where do you keep customer information?
How do you process payments and account receivables?

These are all important questions to ask as you examine what might halt your business operations and result in a loss of income.

What To Do When an Employee Spends Too Much Time on Their Cell Phone

October 8, 2019

Cell phones are driving many of us to distraction—and taking a toll on productivity in the workplace. Nineteen percent of employers think their workers are productive for less than five hours a day, and more than half believe that cell phones are to blame.

Indeed, every beep, buzz and glow emanating from our personal devices are designed to lure us in while hijacking our time and disrupting our concentration. A short call or text message here or there may not harm productivity in a noticeable way, but excessive use can become a big problem.

Download Our Free eBook 21 Days to Be a More Productive Small Business Owner.

How to Deal with Overuse of Personal Cell Phones in the Workplace

Due to the habit-forming, ubiquitous nature of cell phones, small business owners must address their inevitable presence and intervene when employees are loath to put their devices aside — just as they must take action with the employee who always calls in sick. Below are a few tactics to help you exert some measure of control over cell phones in your workplace.

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Where to Find Great Construction Workers to Hire for Your Small Business

October 3, 2019

Hiring any new employee for your small business is hard. Hiring good construction workers is an even tougher job. But you can work smarter by looking for your new employees in the right places.

When you need to hire construction workers, it’s not enough to simply post on a general job board. A January 2018 report by the Associated General Contractors of America found that 75% of construction firms plan to hire in 2018, but about half of contractors are having a hard time filling open positions.

You can up the odds and beat your competition to the best employees if you look in the right places for your next hires. While it’s a good idea to place an ad on a general job board when you need to hire laborers, also consider looking in these 10 places:

10 Places

How annuity maximization could benefit your heirs

October 2, 2019

Many people struggle to understand annuities and wonder if they really need one or not. To help shed light on this situation, let’s look at one example.

“Tom,” a 60-year-old widower, purchased an annuity 20 years ago. Should he re-purpose or replace the annuity with a more tax-efficient asset such as life insurance?

THE DILEMMA

Most individuals who purchase a deferred annuity find that, at retirement, they no longer need it for income purposes. In many cases, the intent is to pass the funds to their beneficiaries. While a deferred annuity can be a great way to accumulate funds for retirement, it generally is not an efficient vehicle for wealth transfer because it has the potential to be taxed twice at death.

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The Ultimate Guide to Creating an Employee Handbook

October 1, 2019

So, you’ve just crossed the finish line in the hiring process and now you’re ready to welcome your new employee into your small business. There are critical steps you need to take both to onboard and retain employees. A key link between these two is your employee handbook.

Your manual not only sets the stage for your company’s culture, vision, vibe, and rules of the road, but it also establishes your intention to communicate clearly. Also, certain elements within the handbook—such as perks, compensation, benefits, and a safe work environment—are essential for the retention of employees.

We’ll explore why you need an employee handbook as a small business owner (and the heartache and dollars you’ll inevitably save), what to include, how to create one, and how to make sure your employees make it one of the first documents they read on day one.

The Purpose of an Employee Handbook

An employee handbook is the operating playbook and communication tool you and your team need to codify the rules of the road for working at your small business. A well-written handbook offers a breakdown of the standards, expectations, and processes you expect your employees to follow, while also signaling to them how you’ll manage situations that arise.

Great handbooks are documents that will excite and empower your employees, while reinforcing your culture and values. The employee handbook provides clarity and context—should any problems arise—so employees know precisely where to turn. New hires are given a copy of the employee manual with a form to sign, confirming they’ve read through it and understand its contents.

While the manual doesn’t guarantee compliance (and it’s not a formal employment contract), it does give all parties clarity on how to operate, and it can protect small business owners from legal action or even be used as evidence in an anti-discrimination lawsuit, for example.

Archives for October 2019

January 6 deadline for USDOT clearinghouse

Keep Halloween a Fire-Free Fright Fest