October 2009 Bulletin
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Celebrating 10 Years of Business!
Thank you for all your support! |
Just a Reminder,
As independent brokers we have the ability to go to any insurance company to get insurance quotes. If you are looking at your group benefit plan (or know of another company who is) and are wondering if you are using your dollars in the most efficient way possible please contact us and we will be happy to discuss this with you.
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ARE YOU HITTING HOME RUNS IN YOUR BUSINESS?
By Denise Baril
CEO, Marketing
Matters
If you think
about your business as a game of baseball, are you in control of where the
business ball is landing or are you still just hoping the next strategy swing
you take will knock it out of the park? more...
"CRASH TEST" YOUR RETIREMENT ASSETS:
WILL YOU SURVIVE?
By
Kevin Wheeler, CFP, EPC, FMA
President,
Living Benefit Solutions Inc.
Many
Canadians today are blindly driving down the road to retirement unaware that a
very likely scenario is going to take place. That scenario is a head on collision with our struggling
Canadian healthcare system. more...
IMPORTANT NOTICE- Flu Vaccines in Alberta Jennifer Creighton, TBSC
Considering getting the flu shot this year? The Alberta government has
recently released new information which may help you make your decision. more...
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Any Questions, Suggestions?
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or ideas you may have, we would love to here your feed back!
Just click the link below www.beneco.ca
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ARE YOU HITTING HOME RUNS
IN YOUR BUSINESS?
By Denise Baril
CEO, Marketing
Matters
If you think
about your business as a game of baseball, are you in control of where the
business ball is landing or are you still just hoping the next strategy swing
you take will knock it out of the park? "I
tried investing my marketing dollars, and I just don't get the returns I was
banking on." "I spend money on different
types of ads but the results are always short term." "There are only so many hours in a day and I
can't seem to do it all".
If this sounds
like you, it is time to reflect on your approach: what could you use more of,
time or money? Is business slipping away because you do not have time? Or does
your business need more activity to increase your cash flow? Can you do it all?
What are you sacrificing by wearing all the hats in your business?
Most
entrepreneurs have ideas coming out of the ying-yang, so to speak, and know
opportunity exists to grow their business to reap unlimited levels of
success. They have thought it through
and formulated a great business that has the potential to grow nationally and
internationally. They are committed to get what needs to be done. So why is it that all of these entrepreneurs,
though passionate about what they do, are not hitting home runs? Why are they running the race of having hit
and miss game of success?
I can tell you,
that there is a secret that will bring you a home run with every ball you hit. It is the reason why we see some companies
rise and others fall. It is the reason why people are getting their business to
new levels of growth. It is a system that
is bringing overwhelmed entrepreneurs back in control and feeling they are on
track personally, professionally, and spiritually. The secret is this:
FOCUS ON WHAT
YOU ARE GOOD AT AND OUTSOURCE THE REST.
I was the
youngest of 9 children, and learned early on from my entrepreneurial parents,
that the key to success in life and in business is to do what you are good at. Delegate the rest.
As you open
yourself up to focusing on what you are good at, you will find that you get
more done and feel more accomplished.
Instead of feeling like a slave to your business, you will feel alive
once again. Kind of like the rush effect
of a double cappuccino racing through your body at warp speed. When was the last time you experienced this?
In the book Good to Great by Jim Collins, he
identifies a few key factors that take a company from being good to great. It
doesn't matters if you have high profile players on your team. It doesn't matter if you have people who can multitask
and do whatever you throw at them. What
does matter is this: realizing that people are not your greatest asset. The right people, in the right position in
your company are your greatest asset[i].
Take a look at your company and ask
yourself "Do we have the right people sitting in the driver's seat in all the
key areas of our business? What business
potential is lost by having the wrong people in the wrong seats? Ask yourself what do I need to delegate in my
business so I can create the change I am looking for?
Take the time to
question where you are at and what benefit would result in your business in
time, money, or renewed passion, if you focused on your strengths and
outsourced the rest.
Not only will
you see business differently, you will create a flood of activity in your
business that you could not have imagined.
Having more time, more money, and more energy for achieving your
personal and professional goals. Take
the time today to look within and imagine the possibilities. It matters!
If you have a
story to share or wish to get more information, contact us at
Phone:(403)
620-5010
e-mail: marketingmatters@me.com
web: www.marketingmatters@me.com.
[i] Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap
and Others Don't. (New York,
NY: HarperBusiness, 2001).
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"CRASH TEST" YOUR RETIREMENT ASSETS: WILL YOU SURVIVE? By
Kevin Wheeler, CFP, EPC, FMA
President,
Living Benefit Solutions Inc.
Many
Canadians today are blindly driving down the road to retirement unaware that a
very likely scenario is going to take place. That scenario is a head on collision with our struggling
Canadian healthcare system. This is going to be no minor accident.
It is going to be a massive pile-up that will end up wiping out the
retirement savings of countless Canadians.
This
retirement catastrophe has already started. Rates of personal
bankruptcies for those ages 65 plus are skyrocketing and more Canadians than
ever are entering retirement with some form of debt. The question is,
"What happens to your investment portfolio when you suddenly require homecare
or need to enter a long term care facility?" The "sub-compact" retirement
vehicle that most Canadians are driving, will crash and burn when they collide
with the "Cement Truck" of our over-burdened healthcare system. Thousands
of Canadians currently spend in excess of $3,000 per month in additional care
costs to keep themselves or a family member at home. Facility care is becoming increasingly more
expensive. Even in Alberta, which has the lowest price for a
government subsidized facility care bed in the country, the government is
off-loading more and more care costs to their constituents. For example, Alberta increased the
long term care facility costs in each of the past two years, 5% in 2007 and 7%
in 2008. This trend will undoubtedly continue and at a more vigorous
pace. Our population is rapidly aging, healthcare costs are rising and
the baby boomer generation hasn't even got on the retirement road yet.
So what's the answer? How can you protect
your retirement assets if you're involved in this "crash"? One of the best
safety features for any retirement portfolio is Long Term Care insurance.
Like airbags in a car, Long Term Care insurance will increase your chance of
financial survival. Long Term Care insurance benefits can last a lifetime
and the costs are virtually insignificant when compared to the price people pay
when they don't have any other funding in place. Speak with your
financial advisor and ask them to inform you about the available options.
There is only a handful of Long Term Care insurance companies in Canada, so make
sure you're dealing with someone that can provide a solution that works best
for you. Remember, drive safe. |
IMPORTANT NOTICE- Flu Vaccines in Alberta
Jennifer Creighton, TBSC
Considering getting the flu shot this year? The Alberta government has
recently released new information which may help you make your decision.
Having to pay for the vaccine can hurt more than the jab in the arm, but
there's good news. An Alberta Health and
Wellness news release dated July 23, 2009 announced that the common influenza
vaccine would become free in October. This vaccine is offered to all Albertans,
aged six months and up and is available through public health clinics, some
pharmacists and some doctor's offices. According to the Minister of
Health and Wellness, Ron Liepert, this is a project that has been in the works
for several years and "...is a valuable investment in strengthening the
public health system in Alberta..." [i] Furthermore, in response to the pandemic H1N1
influenza virus, the government is now working on a publicly funded vaccine
that is projected to be available in November 2009.
Health and Wellness
recommends that individuals who are considered 'high risk' receive this
vaccine. These individuals are:
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Children 6 to 23 months
of age;
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People 65 years of age
and older;
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People of any age who
live in an assisted or chronic care facility, nursing homes and lodges;
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Women who are pregnant
or breastfeeding;
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People with chronic
medical conditions, such as:
o Heart or lung conditions;
o Diabetes or other metabolic diseases;
o Cancer or weakened immune systems- including those who are
HIV positive;
o Kidney disease;
o Anemia or hemoglobinopathy.
However, do not get the
vaccine if you have a severe allergy to eggs, or have had a severe reaction to
this vaccine in the past.[ii]
For more information on
the seasonal influenza and pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccines, please check the
Government of Alberta Health and Wellness website at http://www.health.alberta.ca/health-info/imm-influenza.html.
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Tell your friends!
The Benefit Specialists Corp. is more than willing to answer any questions you or anyone you know may have. If you know someone who has questions regarding the insurance industry or anyone who wants to join our mailing list please contact me, or forward this email to them and get them to click the join our mailing list button below.
Thanks!
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Sean Murray
The Benefit Specialists Corp. sean.murray@beneco.ca
403-547-5236
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The information contained in
this bulletin is for general information purposes only. The articles published
in this bulletin have been collected by The Benefit Specialists Corp. (TBSC) and
we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about
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