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NOVEMBER 2022
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DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME COULD BECOME PERMANENT
It Wouldn’t Be the First Time
Between March 13 and Nov. 6, Americans across the country recognize daylight saving time. A few states don’t follow the practice, like Arizona and Hawaii, but for many of us, it’s simply that time when we lose an hour of sleep in the spring and gain an hour in the fall. However, daylight saving time may become permanent over the next few years. The Senate approved the Sunshine Protection Act this past May, which would make daylight saving time permanent. There have been many questions and misconceptions surrounding the idea of daylight saving time, so I figured now was the perfect opportunity to look at it a little closer. Daylight saving time was first enacted in the United States during World War I. In 1926, Germany began following the practice in an effort to conserve fuel. The rest of Europe joined Germany later that year, but the U.S. waited until 1918 to completely adopt the practice. The original daylight saving time period began on March 31 and ended on Oct. 27. After the war, Congress abolished the practice, even though it was still supported by President Woodrow Wilson. Certain cities continued to follow daylight saving time, including New York City, but it wouldn’t be re-established nationwide until World War II. President Franklin Roosevelt instituted year- round daylight saving time called “War Time,” which lasted from February 1942 until September 1945. One of the most common misconceptions relating to daylight saving time is that it was enacted to help farmers with their harvest. In reality, farmers were vocally opposed to the idea of the practice. They claimed it disrupted their schedules. It made it more difficult to milk cows and get their crops to market. Some farmers even claimed the change took them off God’s time. The practice was so unpopular with farmers that Congress was forced to sign a repeal of the practice before the signing of the Versailles Treaty.
Another misconception is that Benjamin Franklin was responsible for creating daylight saving time. Since Franklin passed away in 1790, over 100 years before daylight saving time was ever enacted in the U.S., it’s clearly a myth. This rumour stems from an essay that Franklin wrote to the editor of the “The Journal of Paris.” He argued the time change could save Parisian’s candles since they could use natural morning light instead. The essay was written more as a joke than a real proposal, and nothing ever came of it. Remember at the beginning of this article how I said that the Senate passed a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent? This is not the first time we’ve tried this as a nation. In the mid-70s, Congress enacted a trial period of year-round daylight saving time. It didn’t last long, as public support for the practice dropped by over 30% between the months of December and March. The permanent change would eventually be amended after several fatal traffic accidents involving children and the Watergate scandal. Personally, I don’t let the time change affect me much, regardless of whether we’re springing forward or falling back, but I do think we would be better off with a consistent schedule that didn’t require us to change our clocks. Arizona and Hawaii seem to be surviving, but we’ll have to see if the House or the president agrees with the Senate’s decision to make daylight saving time permanent going forward.
–Brad Johnson President, Risk Services of AR
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3 SELLING STRATEGIES TO AVOID OR YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENTS WILL AVOID YOUR BUSINESS Have you ever walked into a business, talked to a salesperson, and left annoyed or angry? You may have even claimed that you would never return to the business again. It’s a situation that happens fairly often and proves certain sales strategies just don’t work. It’s important for business owners and salespeople to be aware of these strategies so they can avoid using them and upsetting their customers. You want your customers to enjoy working with your business so they return or refer people to you. If you’re using the wrong strategy, you’ll miss out on referrals and repeat customers. Here are a few selling strategies to avoid in your business. Failing to Focus on the Customer’s Main Problem When a customer steps into your business to purchase a product or service, there’s a good chance they’re trying to find a solution to a particular problem. Many salespeople make the mistake of explaining the bells and whistles of their product or service instead of listening to the customer’s main concerns. When you can provide a solution to the customer’s problem, you will be much closer to making a sale. Overpromising and Underdelivering Plenty of salespeople like to promise the world to their customers but there’s a limit to what they can actually offer. When salespeople overpromise, they are essentially lying, and it will come back to bite them. Customers don’t like being lied to and will be quick to share their experiences with others. A great way to avoid this is by offering a free trial so your customers can experience the product for themselves with no strings attached. They’ll know exactly what they’re buying, and you’ll be there to answer their questions and explain all the features and benefits without having to overpromise. Arguing With Customers Sometimes customers will respond to your product or service with unrealistic or unreasonable
Back in August 2021, Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 storm, hit Louisiana shores, causing billions of dollars in damages. Typically, when a storm makes landfall, it dissipates soon after, but Hurricane Ida did not. It remained a major hurricane for nine hours and continued to work its way north over several days. It even made its way to New York City, which required the city to declare its first-ever flash flood. According to insurance broker Aon, Hurricane Ida caused $75 billion in damages and was the sixth costliest global tropical cyclone ever recorded. Hurricane Ida brought with it a surprising change to the insurance industry. Because storms are growing stronger, appearing in unexpected places, maintaining their core energy further inland before dissipating, and lasting for longer periods of time, Americans who did not need certain types of insurance in the past now need to consider adding certain policies to their coverage.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, floods are the most
common and costliest natural disaster, but only 27% of homes carry flood insurance, as many people not living on the coast are unlikely to need it. While flood insurance is only required by those who live within areas of greater risk, others should consider adding flood insurance to their coverage because Hurricane Ida proved flooding can happen to anyone, anywhere. Many people assume their homeowners insurance will cover their losses in the event of a flood, but this isn’t usually the case. If floods from a hurricane damage your home, you could be in for some trouble. When a homeowner does not have flood insurance, they may have to pay for all of the damages out of pocket. Don’t let yourself experience this situation firsthand. Add flood insurance to your coverage and give yourself some peace of mind.
objections. Stay silent or ask questions to further understand where they’re coming from because if you start arguing with a customer, you will lose the sale. There’s no foolproof way to sell to everyone, but by avoiding the above selling strategies, you will have a better chance of closing more sales.
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How One Man’s Life Was Saved
BY HIS SMARTWATCH
missed five calls from the hospital shortly after his ECG scan. They informed him that he had a third-degree heart block and was at risk of sudden cardiac death. David returned to the hospital, where he underwent life-saving surgery to fit a pacemaker. His heart had stopped 138 times in 10-second intervals over a 48-hour period. His new pacemaker will be able to sense any abnormal rhythms and help both heart ventricles pump blood in sync. He is feeling much better and is thankful to his wife for buying him the Apple Watch that ended up saving his life. “My wife keeps saying she saved my life, and she’s not wrong. If she hadn’t bought me my Apple Watch for my birthday, I wouldn’t be here,” said David.
Over the past few years, smartwatches and fitness trackers have become incredibly popular. It’s difficult to walk through a store without noticing a handful of people wearing these devices. They monitor how many steps you take, keep track of your heart rate, and can even pair with your phone for music and messages. One man recently learned how valuable these devices can be because his Apple Watch helped save his life. In April 2022, David Last received a new Apple Watch from his wife for his birthday. He immediately put the device on and was surprised to see that his resting heart rate was only recorded at 30 beats per minute (bpm). The average resting heart rate for an adult male is usually between 60–100 bpm. David’s wife wanted him to visit a doctor, but he presumed the watch was not functioning properly. Eventually, he gave in and saw a cardiologist, where he received an MRI scan. After two months had passed, they referred him back for an ECG scan. David continued to live his life until he saw he had
David’s experience proves fitness trackers and smartwatches can help us live healthier lives — and sometimes even save them!
Solution on Pg. 4 Have a Laugh!
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INSIDE This Issue
The Future of Daylight Saving Time page 1
3 Selling Strategies Customers Hate Flood Insurance and Powerful Storms page 2 How an Apple Watch Saved a Man’s Life page 3
3 Ways To Improve Your Work-Life Balance page 4
Add More Life to Your Work-Life Balance
With These 3 Tips
your work phone or email. Set an alarm for yourself for a time when your work day comes to a close — and put everything away so you can focus on your home life.
One of the biggest concerns employers have with remote work revolves around employees finding distractions at home that will take their attention away from job duties. While this is certainly true for some remote workers, it doesn’t apply to everyone. Certain individuals will even be drawn back into work at home when they’re supposed to be spending time with their family or doing hobbies they enjoy. In fact, when remote workers don’t unplug from their work, they are much more likely to burn out.
Establish a workspace. Our environment can play a large role in how we feel each day. If you haven’t established a workspace in your home, you might struggle to separate work from home life. Think about it; if you work from your living room, you will probably find it more difficult to relax there later in the evening. You don’t have to turn an entire room into an office, but dedicating a corner as your workspace will come with benefits. Wear work attire. What we wear has an effect on how we feel. If you’re wearing sweatpants while you work, it can be difficult to unwind when you’re off the clock and wearing the same clothes. Switch it up and wear professional attire while you’re working. When the workday comes to a close, you can shed your work clothes for something comfier, which will help you relax and focus on what’s going on at home.
If you or your employees are currently working remotely, it’s important to establish a proper work-life balance. Here are three ways to include more personal time in your daily routine. Set boundaries. After you clock out for the day, it can be easy to get dragged back in if you get a text or email relating to your job. That’s why it’s important to set boundaries for yourself. Once you reach a certain time in the day, turn off
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