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Business News & Trends

Mountain Views News Saturday, December 27, 2014

MVNews this week: Page 13

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 27, 2014

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett

HOW TO BUY LIKE A SELLER

If you're in the market to buy a home, take a counter-intuitive tip and imagine the day you'll be selling
it. That's right - whether you're a first time buyer, or relocating, this home probably won't be your last,
so look for features that will pay off when the day comes to move again.

North, south, east or west, the biggest amenity the next buyer will look for is central air conditioning.
In the Deep South, over 90% of buyers rank central air as critically important, and three-quarters of
buyers everywhere else put it high on the list.

Another often-overlooked feature is storage. Over half of buyers desire a two-car garage and a walk-
in closet for the master bedroom. Ample closets and storage space just can't be stressed enough.

If at all possible, avoid costly upgrades and offer incentive down the road by purchasing an energy
efficient home with newer windows, pervasive insulation, and Energy Star appliances. If the home is
already wired for cable, satellite, and high-speed Internet, so much the better.

Finally, it�s still all about location, location, location. It's the one thing you can't change about the
home you buy, so look for good schools (even if you don't have children) and proximity to shopping
and recreation. Just ask your agent about the most popular features in your area and take heed!

WHAT�S YOUR NEW YEAR�S RESOLUTION?

My wife started a �tradition� our first New Year�s
Eve as a married couple. We each wrote down our
resolutions for the coming year. That was in 2003.
On New Year�s Eve in 2004, we pulled them out to
see how we�d done. New Year�s resolutions are not
something I would have ever done on my own, at
least not in so formal a manner, but that�s just one
of the countless ways my wife has broadened my
horizons.

We�ve done this now each and every year for
eleven years � writing our resolutions for the
upcoming year and reviewing our resolutions from
the previous one. And each year our resolutions
always center on being better spouses to each other
and better parents to our children. I love looking
ahead to how I can improve in those areas over the
next year. But even more, I love looking back at
how well I was able to accomplish my goals during
the prior year. It�s always an opportunity to reflect,
learn, grow, and have an honest and intimate
conversation with my wife.

This year again, my resolutions will certainly
be focused on making things better for my family.
And even if you�re not as formal about New Year�s
resolutions as my wife and I are, I�m willing to bet
one of your major goals for 2015 is to make things
better for your family, too.

I can tell you from personal experience that
if getting your estate planning in order is one of
those things you�ve been putting off for years,
you�ll feel incredible actually getting it done.
It�s one of the best things you�ll ever do for your
family. And believe it or not, it�s also one of the
best things you�ll ever do for yourself. The sense of
satisfaction, peace of mind, and accomplishment
are deeply fulfilling.

I�m not telling you this simply to try to get your
business. To be honest, not everyone who needs
estate planning is a good fit for my firm. And my
firm isn�t always the right fit for everyone who
walks into my office. I don�t take every client
who�s willing to pay. The right fit is much more
important than money.

I am telling you this because if estate planning
is something you�ve been putting off, there�s no
better time than the present to take care of it. Your
family will thank you (if not now, they certainly
will later when they realize you�ve given them the
gift of making things as easy as possible for them
after you�re gone) and you will have lifted a great
weight from your shoulders.

To encourage you to not only make estate
planning a part of your resolutions this year,
but to help you follow through, I�m offering a
complimentary Family Estate Planning Session to
the first five people who mention this article when
making a January appointment with my office.

A Family Estate Planning Session is a no
pressure, no obligation conversation designed to
educate you about your options and answer all
your questions. If there�s a good fit between you
and my firm, great. If not, we�ll be glad to refer you
somewhere that may be a better fit.

If you have a family like I do, I know getting
your planning handled weighs on you each year.
But it doesn�t have to any longer. Make this the
year to get it done. Resolve to do it in 2015 and
count it as already accomplished before the end of
January. I know you�ll be thrilled you did.

Happy new year to you and yours,

A local attorney, father, and CASA volunteer
(Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children),
Marc Garlett is on a mission to help parents protect
what they love most. His office is located at 49 S.
Baldwin Ave., Ste. G, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Call
626.355.4000 to schedule an appointment to sit
down and talk about ensuring a legacy of love and
financial security for your family or visit www.
GarlettLaw.com for more information.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY SCAMS:

INFORMATION? PUH-LEEZ.

By Lisa Lake

Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Listing your business in a directory can be an
effective way to advertise the products or services
you offer potential customers. But be sure you
know what you�re getting for your money... and
that you even asked for the listing in the first place.

The FTC recently filed a case against Your
Yellow Book, Inc. (YYB), a company that marketed
an online directory to businesses and nonprofit
organizations nationwide. According to the FTC,
YYB charged businesses nearly $500 for listings
they never agreed to. They created realistic-
looking invoices � even using the well-known
�walking fingers� logo. Because the invoices
looked so legitimate, some businesses paid them,
despite never buying a listing. In all, YYB racked
up over $700,000 by deceiving businesses and
nonprofits with these bogus charges.

What�s more, says the FTC, actual paying
clients of YYB got next to nothing for their money.
Directory listings were not featured prominently
in online search results. And if people found the
directory website, the FTC says it was difficult
to navigate. The so-called prominent placements
were virtually useless to the businesses who paid
for them.

If you run a small business, here are some steps
you can take to protect yourself from scammers:

Read the FTC�s information on small business
scams, which outlines how con artists target
businesses. Share it with your staff, including
receptionists and administrative personnel, to
help them spot and stop a business scammer.

Designate a point person for office supplies,
directory listings, subscriptions, and other things
you buy periodically. Tell your staff that all
purchasing calls should go through that person,
and keep a central file of your usual suppliers.

Use your company�s social networks to educate
others about the telltale signs of a business scam.

Encourage professional associations or local
business groups to issue a warning to members.

Take a minute to share this information in your
community � fraudsters often target churches
and other nonprofits that depend on volunteers.

And, be sure to report business directory and
other scams by filing a complaint with the FTC.

A 12- STEP PROGRAM FOR YOUR 2015 MARKETING

People generally need to visualize and get
organized before they can implement.

Baking a cake takes a recipe and a cupboard of
ingredients. Building a house requires a blueprint
and a crew of skilled craftspeople. Marketing your
business requires a plan plus the tools and know-
how to make it happen.

With 2015 steps away, it�s time to embrace the
clean slate offered by the New Year and create a
month-by-month marketing action plan for the
entire year.

That may sound overwhelming, but let�s start
with a few easy steps:

- Review your previous marketing efforts and
list what worked well and what could stand some
improvement or needs to be shelved

- List and prioritize your goals for the coming
year

- Divide those goals and place them into 12 bite
size actions � one for January � December

- Print out a blank calendar for each month and
write down your plan to promote the goal for each
month.

Tip: Leave some room on your calendar or use the
back of the page to make notes and jot down ideas
for email marketing campaign subject lines and
social media content. This will help you develop
an editorial calendar and spawn ideas for your
supporting content.

Adding your social media posting and email
marketing dates to the calendar will help you
stay focused on your goals, upcoming events and
milestones.

This simple road map for the coming year will
help you stay focused and on track. Remember it�s
a basic guide and will most likely be adjusted as
you move forward, but it will provide direction.

About MJ: MJ and her brother David own
HUTdogs, a creative services business that
specializes in Internet Marketing strategies and
Social Media. They offer social media management
services and help their clients build a strong on-line
presence. �Like� them on Facebook for trending
news in social media, internet marketing and other
helpful tips, www.facebook.com/hutdogs.