Check out our December newsletter!
DECEMBER 2020
7462 Old Hickory Drive, Mechanicsville, VA 23111
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www.sklartechnology.com
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804-730-2628
YOUR GUIDE TO WINNING CHRISTMAS 6 Gift Recommendations From an Expert
The Ultimate Sous Vide Experience Your spouse is more of an indoor person? No problem. Set them up with everything they need to cook sous vide like a professional chef. The sous vide method is the latest culinary trend and involves vacuum- sealing food and cooking it in a water bath. Using a sous vide for meat yields a tender, juicy, and evenly cooked result every time. For the ultimate sous vide gift basket, I recommend the Precision Vacuum Sealer, Sous Vide Precision Cooker, and Sous Vide Cooking Container from Anova Culinary. Wireless Grill BBQ Thermometer If sous vide sounds too fancy but your friend loves a good steak, this IBT-4XS thermometer from Inkbird will change their life. Most thermometers require you to hover over your grill to check the temperature of your meat, but not this one. Instead, you just insert the probe into the meat and the thermometer syncs to your smartphone. When the meat reaches the perfect temperature, you’ll get an alert that it’s done. Genius! Jackery Portable Power Station Camping and the end of the world have one thing in common: no reliable electricity. To help your outdoorsy family prepare, pick up a portable power station from Jackery. The power stations come in three capacities to store all the energy you need and can be recharged from an outlet or with Jackery’s folable, easy-to-use solar panels. I use my power station to keep my
like a charm! To take your gift to the next level, snag Onite’s portable LED lightbulb, too. It charges from the power station with a USB and can light up a tent through the night. It’s modern-day camping! Revlon’s One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer I bought my daughter Madelyn this combination hair dryer and hairbrush for her 19th birthday, and she absolutely loves it. At just $30 on sale, the brush is really affordable, and it’s great for traveling efficiently. You can choose from five different colors to match the brush to your giftee’s personality. Women’s Self-Defense Kit My fiancée, Halie, loves to go running, but she doesn’t always feel safe on her own. If you have a loved one in the same boat, they’d probably appreciate getting a self-defense kit for Christmas. I recommend stocking it with the SABRE S-1005 pepper spray and stun gun/flashlight set and a Taiker personal wrist alarm. The loud alarm will easily draw attention in an emergency, and
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Every year, I win at Christmas.
I know the holiday technically isn’t a competition, but it still gives me a thrill that I’m known among my friends and family for being a great gift-giver. At this point, I have a reputation to protect, so I go all-in for every white elephant gift exchange. My counterpoint at these gatherings used to be my friend Brad. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you’ll remember him as the guy who once brought nose hair trimmers to a Christmas party. But this last Christmas, Brad actually came through with a nice set of whiskey glasses and a bottle of whiskey for my annual white elephant gift exchange. I was impressed! Brad is off the naughty list, but you could still be on it if you flub your holiday gifts this year. To keep that from happening, I’ve put together a list of ideas you can’t go wrong with.
YETI Trailhead Collapsible Camp Chair During this pandemic, I’ve basically been living outside in the name of social distancing. Do you have a friend or family member in the same boat? Perfect! This camp chair is for them.
you can get a five-pack of them for just $16.
All of these gifts are available on Amazon, so you don’t have to worry about wearing a mask while you shop. But if you want to support a local business, I’ve got one bonus gift idea for you: a case of really good wine. You can split up the bottles and give one to each of your friends. Just make sure you pick a really good winery (Barboursville Vineyards is my favorite) and you’ll be the toast of the virtual party.
It’s a bit pricey, but it’s as heavy duty as chairs come, with an alloy steel
frame, UV-resistant fabric, and a 500-pound weight limit. Even better, it offers great back support and comes with a built-in cup holder.
Happy Holidays!
power tools running in the woods, and it works
–Randy Sklar Security. Availability. Support. .................................................................................... 804-730-2628 • 1 A REFERRAL IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF FLATTERY. WHEN A CLIENT REFERS FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES TO US, IT REPRESENTS AN APPRECIATION OF A JOB WELL DONE. IF YOUR FRIENDS OR ASSOCIATES COULD BENEFIT FROM OUR SERVICES, I’D BE HONORED TO HAVE YOUR REFERRAL!
Decisions, Decisions
Imagine this: A man doesn’t go to the dentist for a year. Then when he finally does, he finds out that he has 15 cavities. We’ve all heard these horror stories before, and the moral is always the same: Visit the doctor for your checkups before it’s too late. However, that’s easier said than done. If you’re not a medical professional, it can be tough to know which doctors you need to check in with and when it’s time to make certain age-specific appointments, like colonoscopies. Here at Sklar Technology Partners, we want our clients to stay healthy, so we’ve put together a guide that gathers all of the information you need in one place. Keep this list handy when you’re scheduling your appointments for 2021. YOUR 2021 CHECKUP CHECKLIST Give Yourself the Gift of Better Health!
Tactics for Making the Best Business Choices
From ages 20–40, book ... An annual screening with your primary physician An annual dermatologist appointment Bi-annual cleanings with your dentist An eye exam (every 2–3 years) For women only: an annual visit to your gynecologist For men only: a trip to the urologist (at age 40)
As a business leader, you’re likely well-versed in making decisions, but in the midst of a global health crisis, a political minefield, and environmental disasters, planning for the upcoming year is different territory for even the most seasoned business professionals. So, how do you make the right decisions for your 2021 plans? Start with these three steps. No. 1: Look at the data. Data has never steered you wrong before, so don’t stop using it now. However, you have to use the right data and contextualize it with today’s lenses. For example, when choosing a new marketing campaign or direction, continue looking at the cost, revenue, potential errors, and risk factors. Use those to make an informed decision about which step to take. For example, is the campaign empathetic to the needs of your clients, or will it come off as tone-deaf? ( Hint: Try split testing in 2020 before fully deploying a new campaign in 2021!) No. 2: Don’t go with the status quo. “This is how we’ve always done it” will kill your business. Nothing is the same as it was just one year ago. The entire world has transformed, and attempting to continue with what’s “normal” will only cause you to miss what could be . As you plan for 2021, consider the abnormal. Look at options you would have never considered doing and test their efficacy. If one fails, move on. But there’s a big chance that you may stumble into something that is totally unique and completely worth your time. No. 3: Embrace change. You’ve set your course. You have your team in place. You’re excited to begin. Now, get ready to change everything. Sounds exhausting, right? But it can happen. Rather than being resistant to what isn’t working, admit defeat and move on. If there’s one benefit of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that we were all given a crash course on how to adapt quickly. Take those lessons and apply them to your 2021 plan. Be prepared to admit when your original plan isn’t working because staying on an ineffective course can do more harm than good.
From ages 41–60, book … An annual screening AND immunization check-in with your primary physician An annual dermatologist appointment Bi-annual cleanings with your dentist An eye exam (every 2–3 years) A colonoscopy (at age 50 and age 60) For women only: annual mammograms from age 45–55, mammograms every other year from age 55–60 For men only: a trip to the cardiologist (every 4–6 years or more, depending on your risk) and urologist (every 5 years or more, depending on your risk) When you’re 61 or older, book ... An annual screening with your primary physician An annual dermatologist appointment Annual ear and eye exams Bi-annual cleanings with your dentist A colonoscopy (every 10 years) Appointments with a geriatric doctor or orthopedist (as needed) For women only: mammograms every other year For men only: a trip to the cardiologist (every 4–6 years or more, depending on your risk) and urologist (every 5 years or more, depending on your risk) To make sure that you don’t miss any necessary appointments next year, cut out this checklist and stick it on your fridge. Then, when you’re all booked, pass it along to a friend or family member. After all, there’s no better Christmas gift than good health!
2 • www.sklartechnology.com .................................................................................... Security. Availability. Support. Don’t avoid it. Planning for 2021 is necessary — even if you need to change course quickly.
ARE YOU HIRING THE WRONG SERVICE PROVIDERS? 5 Things to Consider Before You Commit W hen you’re in the market for a new phone service, internet provider, or caterer for your office lunchroom, how do you decide your system, internet, or food order is goofed for a large group, how long are you going to want to wait? 4. Personal Relationship Is a personal relationship possible? According to the
Temkin Group, “lack of speed in interaction with their suppliers is the number one pain point” for businesses. This communication problem comes up twice as often as complaints about price. For this reason among others, it’s smart to partner with companies with whom you can create a personal connection, either with the business owner, a particular representative, or both. 5. Affordability Finally, it’s time to look at the price. Consider what you can afford and whether the products and services offered are worth the cost. If they are (and the other four boxes are checked), you may have a winner! If you’re debating on a service provider in a field adjacent to ours, we’re happy to provide advice and referrals. Reach out to us today at 804-730-2628.
which company makes the cut? If your instinct was to say, “I go with the lowest price,” you’re not alone! However, that’s not the only deciding factor. As a service provider, we have an inside track on this issue here at Sklar Technology Partners. Not only have we heard from our clients about the issues they’ve had with other services, but we’ve also hired plenty of service providers ourselves. To ensure we make the right choices, we’ve developed a list of five things to ask about a company before contracting with them. 1. Responsiveness How responsive will they be to your requests? We have a two-ring or less phone answering policy. We do our best to direct connect to a support engineer every time, immediately. If we call you back, we do it in 15 minutes or faster. Our clients require fast, friendly, and accurate support. When
2. Quality Is their product or service high
quality? This question is extremely important, particularly if the service provider you’re researching will be a big part of your day- to-day business. Before you hire someone new, ask for and call five to seven of their references. Then consider this: How much will it cost you if your phones go out? Or if your printer jams regularly? If the answer is “a lot,” you don’t want to sacrifice quality for price. Remember, you get what you pay for.
3. Availability Are the products on the company’s website often listed “out of
stock”? Do they have unusually long shipping windows? This could indicate supply chain problems and mean trouble for you down the line when you need a product quickly.
Russian Tea Cakes
Make your tea time extra special with these tasty cakes that are easy to make.
Ingredients •
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2 cups flour
1 cup butter, at room temperature
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1/4 tsp salt
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2 tsp vanilla extract
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1 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
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1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (plus extra for rolling cookies)
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 325 F. 2. Using a mixer, cream butter in a large mixing bowl. 3. Add the vanilla, then gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. 4. Sift flour, measure, then sift again with the salt. Add gradually to the butter mixture, then add nuts and mix well. 5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On an ungreased baking sheet, place tea cakes 2 inches apart. 6. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. 7. Let cool slightly, then remove cakes from the baking sheet and roll in powdered sugar. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely. 8. Before serving, roll cookies in powdered sugar again.
Security. Availability. Support .................................................................................... 804-730-2628 • 3 Inspired by FoodAndWine.com
7462 Old Hickory Drive Mechanicsville, VA 23111 www.sklartechnology.com 804-730-2628
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Inside This Issue
1 2
Your Guide to Winning Christmas
Tactics for Making the Best Business Choices
Give Yourself the Gift of Better Health!
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Are You Hiring the Wrong Service Providers?
Russian Tea Cakes
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How to Eat (Responsibly) During the Holidays
Without Sacrificing Your Favorite Foods or Your Waistline How to Eat During the Holidays
H ave you ever stood on a scale at the end of the holiday season and wondered how the extra pounds crept on? It’s no secret that a sugar cookie here, a slice of pie there, and a few glasses of eggnog in between can lead to a few pounds gained. When you’re surrounded by Christmas goodies, how can you resist? Luckily, there are a few ways you can protect your waistline this holiday season without completely cutting out your favorite treats. BE CHOOSY When you see a regular buffet of your favorite holiday treats, don’t immediately start scarfing down everything that looks remotely tasty and sweet. First, scope out the food — without a plate — so you won’t be tempted to start eating without really looking. Then, find the treats that are your absolute favorites and choose one or two of them to eat. You don’t have to give up sweets during the holidays; instead, eat with discretion. DON’T GO HUNGRY To ensure that you don’t overeat at a party or buy junk food that you don’t need when shopping, eat a healthy snack before going out. Before you head out to a party, eat a snack chock-full of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and unsaturated fats. Apple slices with peanut butter work, as well as lean meats and cheeses. If you’re headed to the grocery store,
eating a filling snack before you go will make you less likely to impulsively scoop up those sugary cookies and pastries in the bakery. DRINK RESPONSIBLY (AND JUDICIOUSLY) If you drink alcohol,
keep in mind that each drink will probably be
somewhere between 150–225 calories. A glass of eggnog can have as many as 500 calories. Alcohol decreases your self-control when you’re eating,
while also increasing your appetite. Make sure that if you’re drinking, you’re not doing so on an empty stomach. And to decrease the number of high-calorie drinks that you consume, drink a glass of water in between alcoholic beverages. The holidays are a minefield for any healthy diet. But with the right tools, you can ensure that by Jan. 2, your waistline won’t be worse for wear.
4 • www.sklartechnology.com .................................................................................... Security. Availability. Support.
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