Recovery Reader The February 2019
www.bridgefirmrecovery.com (269) 359-0814
FROM THE DESK OF Dan
Many investors get into the ‘landlord business’ after watching how ‘easy’ it looks on TV. Often, they find it is a greater challenge to actually make money. Getting a tenant with the property is great… or is it? You don’t know them, you haven’t screened them, are they really a gift? One landlord recently had us ‘work’ with several problem tenants that he acquired with purchases, assisting them to become current, or move on to other accommodations… (If you know what I mean…) He was able to work with his great new tenants as he built his rental business. While we resolved the rest. His rental manager quietly stated that the tenants selected by using our services were no issue, it was the tenants HE had chosen when he went by his ‘gut’, in-spite of the data, that were a challenge! We have a net worth optimization process we call the Landlord Advantage . Our application prescreening process helps with risk assessment. When there is a ‘bad apple’ we help recover that lost revenue on the money judgments. The next time you hear a landlord mentioning they have tenant issues, let them know I offer a free consultation to bring the Landlord Advantage to their business.
DEFINE ‘QUALIFIED’ Hiring for Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills
HIRE FOR PERSONALITY, TRAIN FOR SKILLS.
This advice is becoming a standard hiring practice across industries. Hiring managers put less emphasis on a candidate’s degree or past experience and focus more on who they are as a person. This change is likely due to the growing trend of companies prioritizing strong internal cultures. According to Forbes, 89 percent of hiring failures are due to poor culture fit. It’s wise for hiring managers to make culture fit a priority. New hires who don’t connect with their team or share the company’s values tend to stick around for only a short period. Considering it costs around $4,000 to hire a new employee, it makes sense for companies to invest in new hires who fit the company culture. However, it’s not always enough to hire someone just because their personality is aligned with your company. For a company to hire the best pool of applicants, the ideal candidates should have a balance of soft skills and hard skills.
Have a profitable month!
SOFT SKILLS
When someone says they“hire for personality,”what they really mean is that they are looking for candidates with certain soft skills. These are nontechnical skills that can’t be measured and aren’t easy to list on a resume. Here are some soft skills companies look for in new hires:
Dan Larson
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Cover story, continued ...
WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT?
a top school and a decade of experience, but that experience won’t make up for the problems that will arise if a new hire doesn’t click well with the rest of your team or isn’t eager to take care of your customers. When a job demands a set of hard skills, your strategy should be to hire for personality and skills. Does this mean it will be harder to find the right person for the position? Absolutely. And while it can be stressful to have an open position for a long time, it’s always worth waiting to find the right person. When hiring managers look only at academic background and technical prowess, they often overlook plenty of promising candidates who need only an opportunity to learn before they can excel. But it is perfectly reasonable to insist that candidates come to the table with certain skills needed to succeed in the position. Be sure your company is bringing in the right people by learning to balance soft skills and hard skills when evaluating candidates.
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Empathy
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Communication
Organization
Flexibility
Depending on the position you’re trying to fill, you may have flexibility when it comes to hard skills. If a dental office is hiring a front desk receptionist, it’s important this person be organized, friendly, self-motivated, and have strong communication skills. They might not have experience at a dentist’s office or know how to use the software, but if they have the right soft skills, they can learn and adapt quickly to the environment. On the other hand, if you are hiring a computer programmer to run your website, you wouldn’t want to spend time teaching the person you hired how to code with HTML or CSS. The programmer you hire should come equipped with these skills. Certain hard skills are essential to the job. That said, proficiency in hard skills should not be ranked above personality and culture fit. A candidate may come with a degree from
Creativity
Enthusiasm Work ethic
Team-orientation
Responsibility Compassion
Self-motivation
Attention to detail
HARD SKILLS
Hard skills are teachable abilities that can be learned through training or experience. Necessary hard skills will vary depending on what industry you work in. An accountant needs hard skills in QuickBooks and mathematics, while someone who works in online marketing will need to be proficient in social media outreach and SEO best practices.
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Foreign languages
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Here are some other examples of hard skills:
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Data analysis
Any certification, degree, or license
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Copywriting
Wild Divorce Settlements 3 Times the Division of Assets Got Out of Control
HERE, MY DEAR’
When you’re untying the knot, it’s important to be specific about the assets you hope to walk away with. These three over-the-top divorce settlements are good examples of what not to do when dissolving your marriage.
In the divorce agreement between the late Marvin Gaye and his ex, Anna Gordy, it was decided that Anna would be paid from the royalties of Gaye’s next album since he had gone broke from his lavish spending. At first, Gaye decided he’d phone in the production, but he quickly discovered an opportunity to make a unique artistic statement: “I’ll give her my next album, but it’ll be something she won’t want to play and it’ll be something she won’t want the world to hear because I’m gonna tell the world the truth.” In the end, the album was a commercial flop, though critics continue to praise its raw, emotional core.
A LIFE RENT IN TWO
YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDNEY ME
When Moeun Sarim and Vat Navy decided to divorce after 18 years of marriage, Moeun apparently decided that, to keep the split equitable, he and his wife should divide their assets in half — literally. Moeun and his relatives cut the home down the middle, dismantled his portion, and hauled it away. Vat’s half was left standing with one wall missing.
Back in 2001, Dr. Richard Batista donated his kidney to his ailing wife, Dawnell, to save her life. Sweet, right? It was — until Dawnell filed for divorce in 2005 and Dr. Batista demanded she give back his kidney or compensate him for $1.5 million in damages. In the end, his request was thrown out in court because the kidney was a gift — and because removing it would be potentially fatal to his ex-spouse.
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The Most Important Job 3 Ways a Bad Receptionist Can Ruin Your Company
If you have a receptionist in charge of answering phones and greeting people who walk through the door, you need to know they’re making an excellent first impression. This applies to every company, from dental offices to law firms. A great receptionist can make your life easy, while a bad receptionist can lead your company to ruin. Here are three important red flags to watch out for.
1. THEY PUSH CLIENTS AWAY.
client’s file goes missing in a messy filing cabinet? A receptionist with poor organizational skills can increase stress around the office and anger clients.
As your gatekeeper, part of your receptionist’s job is to filter the lines of communication and make sure no one’s time is wasted. However, a receptionist should never treat clients like intruders interrupting their workflow. You want people to feel welcome at your company. Otherwise they won’t want to keep doing business with you. This attitude should also extend to the rest of your employees. If your receptionist treats their coworkers like pests, there’s a chance they will treat clients the same way.
3. THEY’RE NOT TECH-SAVVY.
As your company’s jack-of-all-trades, your receptionist should be able to learn whatever software the company uses, from word processors and Excel to industry-specific software. Your receptionist should also be able to easily learn new skills to facilitate system improvements and new technology. The last thing you want is company-wide changes to halt because your receptionist insists on doing things their way.
2. THEY’RE DISORGANIZED.
Your receptionist is responsible for relaying information to the rest of your company. What happens if a client calls while you’re in a meeting, and you never call them back because you weren’t informed? What if a
When you are hiring a receptionist, take the time to find a candidate who will make life easier for everyone at your company. You won’t regret it.
Take a Break!
TIRAMISU
Ingredients
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2 teaspoons dark rum
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6 egg yolks
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24 packaged ladyfingers
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3 tablespoons sugar
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1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish
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1 poundmascarpone cheese
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1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
Directions
ladyfingers at the bottom of a walled baking dish.
1. In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to beat together egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. 2. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth.
5. Spread half of the
mascarpone mixture on top of the first layer of ladyfingers. Top with another layer of ladyfingers and another layer of mascarpone.
3. Fold in 1 tablespoon of espresso.
6. Cover and refrigerate 2–8 hours.
4. In a small, shallow dish,
combine remaining espresso with rum. Dip each lady finger into mixture for 5 seconds. Place soaked
7. Remove from fridge, sprinkle with chocolate shavings, and serve.
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Being healthy is at the forefront of many Americans’minds. The nutrients you put into your system are critical to keeping your mind and body healthy. Everyone knows that staying away from junk, fried, and sugary foods is a good start, but knowing what to add to your diet is equally crucial. Leafy greens, such as kale, mizuna, and spinach, are rich in dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, and iron. They also contain vitamins C, K, and E. Adding these greens into your diet can support weight loss and reduce your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. To make sure you’re eating enough greens, divide your plate up between fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats. Vegetables or fruits should take up half of your plate. One- fourth should be lean proteins, and one-fourth should be whole grains. This guarantees that you’re eating a well-balanced meal and not INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Dan PAGE 1 When Personality Isn’t Enough PAGE 1 3 Wild Divorce Settlements PAGE 2 Is Your Receptionist Chasing Away Clients? PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Tiramisu PAGE 3 Getting Important Greens on Your Plate PAGE 4
ADDING NUTRIENTS TO YOUR MEALS The Importance of Green Foods
The more you eat leafy greens, the more you’ll develop a taste for them. Who knows? Before long, you might find yourself reaching for the broccoli instead of the potato chips when you’re craving a snack!
overloading yourself with large portions of unnecessary calories.
When you eat a well-balanced meal, you provide your body with the right nutrients and the calories it needs. If you’re unsure how many calories you should eat to maintain your current weight, multiply your weight in pounds by 12. If you want to lose weight, start by subtracting 500 calories per week to lose approximately 1 pound per week. You can start adding greens into your diet by adding them as side dishes. For dinner, serve a bowl of steamed broccoli or green beans. Instead of grabbing a burger at lunchtime, pack a leafy green salad topped with protein, such as nuts or chicken. This time of year, soups and stews that contain leafy greens will warm you up. If you don’t enjoy eating greens, hide them in smoothies and juices.
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