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February 2023 The Contractor’s Advantage
HarrisonLawGroup.com (410) 832-0000 jwyatt@harrisonlawgroup.com
SCRAPPING TRADITION
Our Valentine’s Day Tradition
February is known by many as the month of romance, with Valentine’s Day as a popular time for couples to celebrate with gifts, sweet messages, and sometimes even a special holiday tradition. My wife, Celeste, and I used to subscribe to the traditional Valentine’s Day agenda when we were younger with reservations at a restaurant. It was never as enjoyable as we expected. The servers were always stressed, the restaurant was always packed, and the food never tasted as special as it should have for the occasion. However, we wanted the other person to feel loved, so we also tried the typical Valentine’s gifts for a while, but those, too, felt lacking. So, my wife and I decided to start our own tradition in an effort to make the holiday more enjoyable, something a little more our style and more memorable than rushed reservations or cliche gifts. We created a Valentine’s Day competition where we try to buy each other the most obnoxious and low-quality gifts we can find. My favorite place to hunt for these gifts is 7-Eleven because the selection there is just awful. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can find things like tie-dye stuffed gorillas or a box of terrible-tasting chocolate roses. Some of the best gifts we’ve gotten each other include a teddy bear filled with plastic roses and a wooden rose saturated with cheap perfume. The wooden rose was a gift from my wife to me, and the smell was so awful that we had to throw it away as soon as I opened it because it was making us sick. But one year, I managed to find the worst gift imaginable. You may remember candy jewelry was very popular when you were a kid. Kids would wear these necklaces and bracelets to school and crunch on them throughout the day. Well, I managed to find a top made entirely of candy, and I knew it would make the perfect gift for our competition. So, when it came time to exchange our gifts, I handed over the candy top with pride; I knew I had totally won. However,
that year, my wife cheated. Instead of a gaudy gift, she handed me a pregnancy test and told me she was pregnant with our son! Needless to say, there was no topping that incredible gift, and my wife won our competition with a present that was better than anything I could have imagined. Since then, we haven’t really celebrated Valentine’s Day. Not because we have no reason to, but because we actually have something else to celebrate that month — our wedding anniversary. Celeste and I were married on Feb. 27, so every year when February rolls around, we focus more on the special gifts we already have, like our daughter and son. I hope this month, you too can enjoy your special gifts, like your significant other and wonderful children, or even just spend some quality time with the ones you love. But, if you’re looking for a new tradition to spice up
your Valentine’s Day, our obnoxious gift competition is a fun way to add a little humor to your holiday. My advice to win: Check out 7-Eleven!
-Jeremy Wyatt
jwyatt@harrisonlawgroup.com | HarrisonLawGroup.com | 1
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SHOW YOUR EMPLOYEES YOU CARE! Through Recognition and Appreciation
Valentine’s Day is a great time to recognize those you care about — your employees included! Employee recognition and appreciation are some of the most essential elements of creating a positive work culture. Not only does recognizing employee efforts boost morale, but it also creates higher levels of trust between employees and their managers.
If you’re running a remote company, Zoom or other virtual platforms can make for a stellar party too! A small gathering this Valentine’s Day could be just what your employees need to bond and improve their overall performance. If it continues to be a big hit, it may become an annual tradition everyone looks forward to! CATER A MEAL. Who doesn’t enjoy food as a gift? Picking up a catered lunch or buying the staff dinner is highly appreciated. Like they always say, the way into someone’s heart is through their stomach! Not only are you showing your appreciation, but you can keep your employees performing at their best with some fuel! When your employees feel valued, they’re more likely to be engaged in their work and feel more driven and satisfied while performing their duties. It’s important to recognize the connection between well-being and performance in the workplace. If your employee feels valued and sees that their well-being is being considered, you may find that they’ll perform to the best of their abilities. Employee appreciation can be easy to show, and even small changes in your company culture to focus on recognizing your workers can increase productivity significantly. So, consider taking time to make your employees feel loved and valued this Valentine’s Day.
Check out these ways to show your employees that you care!
GIVE GIFTS OF APPRECIATION. Sometimes, employees deserve more than a simple “thank you.” It can be as simple as giving handwritten cards expressing gratitude or even a small gift of their favorite candy or snacks. By learning what your employees like and how they like to receive recognition, you can be sure to put a smile on their faces. Whether you’re working in a fast-paced warehouse or a small boutique, distributing the gift appropriately will vary. For example, you may want to email a virtual card or mail on to an employee if you don’t want to interrupt them with a physical gift. However, a small gift or hand-delivered card may be more beneficial if they have the time to handle it! HOST A PARTY. A company party is a great way to gather all your employees in a casual setting. This way, they can interact, relax, and celebrate holiday festivities with one another! It also makes it easier to promote higher morale, tighter social cohesion, and stronger relationships between managers and general staff.
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AN APPROACH TO LONG-TERM INVESTING Reach Your Financial Goals
Benjamin Graham first published “The Intelligent Investor” in 1949, and the book has been acknowledged globally as the most significant investment guide of the 20th century. It has taught and inspired people worldwide, including Warren Buffett, who described it as one of the best books ever written on investing! According to Graham, those willing to devote energy and cultivate a specific mindset have the opportunity to generate profitable long-term investments. He was able to gain wealth by precisely evaluating companies in the stock market without taking any significant risks.
This can help you better understand how your investment could appreciate or depreciate over time. Just as Graham did, precisely evaluating versus guessing could make you a more successful investor. DON’T LET BIAS LEAD YOU TO BAD DECISIONS. One of the significant risks when investing is when investors allow bias to lead to wrong investment decisions. The news, economic forecasts, and others’ views can alter a decision. It seems as though investors become attached to information that tends to have little to do with the long-term value of their investments. That is why it is essential to prioritize your research over impulses. FOCUS ON THE FACTS. It can be easy to follow what the majority are doing. Still, you must rely on something other than the herd mentality to buy or sell your holdings. If you’re looking to invest long term, you must analyze your preferred stocks. This will help you make informed investment decisions rather than selling or buying based on what everyone else is doing.
Here are three lessons from “The Intelligent Investor” that can help you invest successfully!
HAVE A Laugh Some important questions to ask are: • Is it worth the market price it trades at today? • Is it overvalued? • Does it have potential growth in the future? UNDERSTAND THE VALUE BEHIND THE BUSINESS. Whatever stock you are looking to invest in, it is essential to know that it isn’t simply an asset. There is a real business behind it, and if you’re looking to invest long term, you must understand how much value the company has.
With Graham’s long-term investment strategies and understanding the basic do’s and don’ts of investing, you’ll be better positioned to become an intelligent investor yourself!
In July 1518, a strange mania seized the residents of the French city of Strasbourg. Hundreds were struck with the sudden and uncontrollable urge to dance — seemingly for no reason. The plague began when Frau Troffea entered the streets and began to twist, twirl, and shake. She seemed unable to stop and danced until she dropped from exhaustion. However, once she rested, she resumed the compulsive, frenzied dancing. She continued for a week, and other residents eventually joined her. Many dancers would collapse from exhaustion, and some even died from heart attacks or strokes! Dance Until You Drop — Literally! When French Residents Had the Uncontrollable Urge to Dance
The most widely accepted theory is that the plague was a mass psychogenic disorder, which can occur under extreme stress. During this time, a series of famines and diseases tore through Strasbourg, which may have triggered the hysteria.
Whatever the cause of this strange phenomenon, the dancing plague remains one of the world’s most interesting mysteries.
jwyatt@harrisonlawgroup.com | HarrisonLawGroup.com | 3
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Jeremy Wyatt jwyatt@harrisonlawgroup.com HarrisonLawGroup.com (410) 832-0000
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Inside This Edition
1. 2.
The Worst Gift Wins on Valentine’s Day
Celebrate Your Employees This Valentine’s Day
3.
‘The Intelligent Investor’ by Benjamin Graham The Dancing Plague of 1518
4.
Ways to Disconnect From Technology
Return to Work Recharged TAKE TIME TO UNPLUG!
CHOOSE A SECOND IN COMMAND. Suppose you’re dedicated to checking out now and then. In that case, it can be beneficial to have someone handle anything that may arise. Consider someone trustworthy and reliable, and give them an overview of day-to-day operations. You can explain what can and cannot be done and alert other employees that all questions and concerns be directed to this person.
Though technology makes everyday tasks a bit easier, sometimes, the best thing a business owner can do is unplug and recharge! Running a business is a time-consuming and stressful effort. But by stepping back, you can reset and get a fresh perspective on your work. START SMALL. Create small habits if you can’t go an entire day without technology! Try starting your morning completely unplugged until you get into the office, or step away from your devices for an hour or two during the day. When you start small, you can build from there! SCHEDULE EMAIL TIME. We are all too familiar with an overwhelming email stream. We wake up and fall asleep to it, and if we’re not careful, the constant interruptions can run our entire day! If you want to cut down on screen time, schedule email checks. You can make a commitment to address them in the morning or maybe the late afternoon. But during after-hours, establish a hard cutoff time! Inform your employees and clients of your available time frame — set an expectation for more productivity and communication.
MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF. When you’re at work, your main priority is to focus
on your business and clients. But when you pack up and head home, you must take time for yourself! Do activities you love, spend quality time with family and friends, and put away your laptop and phone. That email or call can wait until the next business day begins. Pulling the plug on technology can feel intimidating as a business owner, but give it a try! You may be surprised at how refreshed you feel returning to work.
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