Who is David Allen? Getting Things Done

Who is David Allen, Getting Things Done from BNET.com

“Since publishing his best-selling book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity in 2001, David Allen has attracted hundreds of thousands of professionals to his personal-productivity system, which he calls simply GTD ("Getting Things Done”). According to Allen, today’s workforce faces unprecedented stressors. Rather than producing the same widget over and over, managers at all levels—from the boardroom to the frontline—must now juggle multiple, and often conflicting, projects and priorities; master highly varied tasks; and successfully negotiate across departments, from HR to IT. Meanwhile, the drumbeat of mergers and reorgs—together with constantly morphing products and services—requires constant learning and adaptation. According to Allen, GTD addresses exactly these kinds of stressors, and his fans seem to agree. With some 450,000 copies in print, Getting Things Done is gaining traction as a business-management classic…..“ GTD, getting things done

US House expands health insurance to cover mental illness

Today the House of Rep, passed new legislation that will require Health Insurance to cover mental illness….

“The House of Representatives voted to require equal health insurance coverage for mental and physical illnesses when policies cover both.

The 268-148 roll call was cheered by advocates who have been fighting more than a decade for what has come to be called mental health parity.

Supporters said the measure passed Wednesday night would help end the stigma of mental illness in the United States and create greater access for people needing mental health and addiction treatment.

Opponents warned it could drive up health care costs and force some employers to drop insurance coverage.…..” Health Insurance Coverage for Mental Illness

Hopefully this will not cause health insurance rates to increase to cover this additional benefit .

RV Insurance Free Pet Injury Coverage and new discounts now available to Progressive RV customers

Free Pet Injury coverage for Progressive RV Customers

“Do you travel with your dog or cat when RVing? Is your pet not just a companion, but a member of your family? You’re not alone. Most of the 8 million RVers — according to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association — bring pets along on trips. If this includes you, new Pet Injury Coverage from Progressive is for you. RV Insurance Quote
Today, RV insurance policies cover the people but not the pets… inside RVs. Beginning March 31 in most states, Pet Injury Coverage, free with Collision and Comprehensive, pays up to $500 if a dog or cat is hurt or dies because of a crash, fire or flood….” from ProgressiveInsurance
Free Pet Injury Coverage with Progressive RV Insurance with Comp/Collision
Call Mike Watts at Watts Insurance 502-245-3625 for a free RV Insurance Quote
visit Kentucky-Insurance.com

6 Ways to Save on Auto Insurance

6 Ways to Save on Auto Insurance from Smart Money

“GOOD NEWS, DRIVERS: insurance premium hikes have hit the
breaks. The Insurance Information Institute (III) projects a 0.5% decrease for
2007, bringing average annual costs to $847. This marks the first decline since
1999.
But just because prices aren’t breaking the speed limit doesn’t mean
you should be complacent about costs. With a few relatively painless steps, you
can probably find yourself a cheaper policy. Here are six ways to save:
1.
Shop AroundYou’ve heard it before: When looking for a new policy, get at least
three quotes. And if you really want to save, gather several more than that.
According to a 2004 survey of more than 100,000 consumers across the country,
conducted by Progressive
Insurance, rates for comparable coverage can vary by
more than $500 for six months’ worth of coverage…….Smart Money Auto Insurance Savings

Facebook Essentials

“Facebook is a website where you may upload personal information, including photos and videos, and share this information with a network of friends of your choosing. The purpose is to keep in touch with your network of friends by using Facebook’s "applications” to send messages to each other, share photos, videos, files, and interact in other creative ways.What you must know about using Facebook for your business:

1. Facebook offers direct marketing toward anyone in your list of “friends.” Your “friends” are automatically updated whenever you update an item in your profile. These updates may contain notifications of sales, company information, new product releases, etc…..“ Facebook Basics

Progressive Insurance 502-245-3625 goes Paperless

Progressive Insurance goes Paperless:
“The Progressive Group of Insurance Cos. introduced Paperless Policies, a feature that will allow customers who buy a policy directly from the company or through independent insurance agencies, the ability to drastically reduce the amount of paper documents they receive. Having policy-related documents delivered electronically saves trees, expedites delivery of the documents and reduces the opportunity for misplaced documents, the company claims.
This new initiative is an extension of a Paperless Billing feature introduced in early 2007 that allowed customers to opt for an electronic bill versus a hard copy bill delivered by the U.S. Mail.
The Paperless Policies launch coincides with the company’s "70 Years, 70 Trees” anniversary events being held in six call center cities. The first event, in which 70 large trees are being planted in city parks to celebrate the company’s 70th year writing auto insurance, is being held today in Luke Easter Park in the company’s headquarter city,…..“ Progressive Insurance goes Paperless . Progressive Insurance will plant a tree for every customer that opts for the paperless option…..Call Dick Watts Insurance 502-245-3625 for a Progressive Auto Insurance Quote….

New Advertising Revenue for Bloggers

New Advertising Services for Bloggers to generate revenue:
“

If you’re not making money off your blog, 2008 might be the year.

As more people see potential in earning money off the Internet, there is a quickly expanding array of advertising services and tools for bloggers that go well beyond the standard pay-per-click text ads or display ads.

Many of the most widely used programs are adding features to allow users to customize the appearance and placement of ads on their sites. Some also are introducing newer money-making mediums such as audio and video ad
"There’s going to be a lot of new business models in 2008 that are geared toward more monetization,” says Pete Blackshaw, executive vice president of strategic services for Nielsen Online, the Web analysis unit of the Nielsen Co.

Blog publishers could certainly use the help in making money. The vast majority of publishers make less than $10 or $20 a month through advertising, according to Internet-advertising experts. How much money is made through advertising on a site depends much on how much traffic a site gets, the trustworthiness of the content and how relevant the ads are to the visitors.

Starting Feb. 1, San Diego-based V2P Communications is offering five-to-eight-second audio ads, called NetAudioAds, that will automatically play when a visitor lands on a blog or Web site. Publishers sign up for the free service and V2P then lines up advertisers, who bid on rates they will pay to have their ads played on a given blog. Bids generally start around $14 per 1,000 plays. Blog publishers get a 25% cut of the ad revenue….“ Career Journal

What is Qik?

What is Qik?

“Qik enables you to share moments of your life with your friends, family and the world - directly from your cell phone!

Keep your world in the know, share a laugh, tell engaging stories. Just point your cell phone and stream video live to your your friends on Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc. OR use your cell phone like a camcorder and stream hours and hours of video without worrying about storage on your cell phone…..” from Qik

Why SEO needs Small Business

Why SEO Needs Small Business,
“Here’s the primary thing on my mind as we begin 2008: If we, the search/online marketing industry, don’t do a better job of helping the small business owner understand and adopt the best practices of search marketing, we are doomed to irrelevance.
"Oh, but there’s no money in small businesses,” you say. Or, “small business owners are too busy to be good clients, they have too many other things on their minds.” I know it’s easy to dismiss small business clients as a “good fit for someone else,” and I know small businesses aren’t always good for your company’s bottom line. But before you disagree with me wholesale, let me explain why I think we need small businesses to understand and appreciate SEO and search marketing…..“Search Engine Land

Top National Insurance Stories in 2007

Top National Insurance Stories in 2007 :
“The debate over climate change captured the world’s attention, including the insurance industry’s, in 2007, while major hurricanes spared the United States’ coastline. The soft market took hold of virtually all segments of the insurance market and even buyers in catastrophe-prone regions saw some rate relief. The sub-prime mortgage meltdown seems to have spared much of the industry but the directors and officers market is likely to feel the heat. The safety of products made in China and elsewhere was called into question and manufacturers and parents dealt with hundreds of product recalls. Agency compensation was again a topic of concern as a handful of carriers banned the use of contingent commissions at the beginning of 2007 while a few carriers introduced new supplemental incentive plans to reward profitable agents. One of the world’s largest insurance brokers made headlines for producing less than stellar results, while wildfires, floods and other natural disasters prompted several legislative initiatives in states and on Capitol Hill. And in the last days of 2007, the renewal of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act became reality.
The following are the top 10 news stories of the year, Top Insurance Stories:

2008 Top Safety Picks Vehicles

“Thirty-four vehicles earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick award for 2008. The award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, and rear crashes based on ratings in the Institute’s tests. Winners also have to be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC), which research shows can significantly reduce the risk of crashing…..” From the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety

11 NEW WINNERS FOR 2008

Midsize cars
Audi A3 Honda Accord

Small car
Subaru Impreza equipped with optional electronic stability control
MinivanHonda Odyssey

Midsize SUVs
BMW X3BMW X5
Hyundai Veracruz built after August 2007Saturn VUE built after December 2007Toyota Highlander
Small SUVHonda Element
Large pickupToyota Tundra

Ford Motor Developing Child Crash Test Dummies

Ford Motor Developing Child Crash Test Dummies:
“A high-tech insert, similar in size and shape to a 6-year-old’s abdomen, is being developed for crash test dummies to help improve vehicle safety for children.
The prototype is part of an effort to make pediatric crash dummies and crash tests more real world, leading to better vehicle restraints, according to a Ford Motor Co. release.

Call Dick Watts Insurance 502-245-3625 for a free auto insurance quote

The Dearborn-based automaker is developing the prototype. Partners in the collaboration include Wayne State University in Detroit, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Takata Corp., which makes automotive safety systems…..” Insurance Journal

Foreclosures jump 30% in 3rd Quarter

“Foreclosure actions were reported on more than 446,000 properties the three months ended Sept. 30, up 30 percent from the second quarter and double last year’s third quarter. That brings the overall foreclosure rate to one in every 196 U.S. households…..” Foreclosures Increase

visit: kentucky-insurance.com

Progressive Unveils Industry's First Web 2.0 Site

“ Quick … which major auto insurer is the first to recognize that how people use the Web has changed and has responded by introducing the industry’s first Web 2.0 site? Why, Progressive, of course. The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, the first major insurer to introduce a Web site in 1995, today unveils the industry’s first Web 2.0 site.
“This is about watching and reacting to trends to keep our site relevant to all users. It moves progressive.com content from static to interactive,” said Toby Alfred, general manager, customer acquisition, Progressive “The redesign lets users get more from their visits; share their experiences; and have their progressive.com experience delivered to them in blogs, RSS readers and personal home pages.”

call Dick Watts Insurance 502-245-3625 for a Progressive Drive Insurance quote

The new site features easier navigation, more personalization and customization, easier-to-use video content (and more of it) and more visuals throughout. The site also features content channels – www.progressive.com has joined forces with industry experts to bring exclusive content to the Web. …..Progressive’s New Website

Why Renters Need Insurance

Why Renters need insurance:

“ACCORDING to the Insurance Information Institute , renters are 50 percent more likely than homeowners to be victims of burglars.

But while 96 percent of homeowners have homeowner’s insurance, which covers theft, only 43 percent of renters have such insurance, said Jeanne M. Salvatore, a spokeswoman for the institute. “And that’s a shame because a basic renter’s policy not only provides coverage for theft, it also provides coverage for personal property and liability coverage for personal injury to others,” Ms. Salvatore said.

Robert Owens, the president of the Owens Group, an insurance brokerage in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., says many renters who do not have their own insurance believe they are adequately covered by the building’s insurance policy. “The renter’s personal property is not going to be covered by the building’s policy,” Mr. Owens said…….. Kentucky Insurance info

Renters can choose between two types of coverage. “Actual cash value” coverage pays to replace damaged items after taking depreciation into account. “Replacement cost” coverage pays to replace the property at today’s cost. The premium for replacement coverage is typically about 10 percent higher…….” Renters Insurance