Table of Contents

• COMMITTEE REPORTS
  • MEMBERSHIP REPORT
  • SOCIAL REPORT
  • SPEAKER COORDINATOR REPORT
  • TREASURER REPORT
• LEADS
• NOTABLE MENTIONS
• MAIN SPEAKER

Committee Reports

Membership Report
(Click here to go to the Membership page)

None.

Social Report
(Click here to go to the Social Event page)

None.

Speaker Coordinator Report
(Click here to go to the Speaker Schedule)

Main Speaker

• 10/06/06     Carole Weishaar
• 10/13/06     Jim Bache
• 10/20/06     TBD
• 10/27/06     Special Program

Spotlight Speaker

• 10/06/06     Joe Hesch
• 10/13/06     John Passante
• 10/20/06     Dave Lathrop
• 10/27/06     Special Program

Treasurer Report

4th quarter dues invoices were emailed to members on September 1st.  If you did not get yours please contact Melissa Matthews (melissa@mabe-online.org).

Leads Report

38-32, 09-17, 16-45, 14-15, 47-45, 18-03, 13-06, 13-34, 26-52, 37-28, 10-26, 10-32, 46-16, 46-30, 42-31, 42-06, 43-03, 43-53, 48-29, 48-22, 06-10, 34-15, 15-34, 15-14.

This week's leads focus...

• Mike Tanner
• Greg Stewart
• Dave Spiess

Notable Mentions

Please keep Gus Dekavallas and his family in your thoughts and prayers.  His mother had heart surgery and will soon get a pacemaker.

Stop by Gary Nelson's store this Saturday morning between 8am-12pm.  The Rosie Romera KTAR program will be there doing a live feed.  There will be drinks, food and prizes.

The Past President list still being constructed. Your help filling in the blanks would be greatly appreciated.

Jana Greene is moving her shop this weekend. Please give her your support.  Visit her new place at 2160 N Alma School Road Suite 118 in Chandler. 

Happy birthday Mark Howard!

(1) Health insurance - am i the only one affected by increases?  (2) WHAT DO YOU DO THAT IS A WASTE OF TIME?

Health insurance - am i the only one affected by increases?
This is the question Mike Tanner had.  His health insurance increases 30 percent every year. He can't afford not to have it. The biggest reason for bankruptcy is lack of medical insurance.

• Joe Zingale - We have 50 people on our plan.  Its a PPO.  Our rates are in the $500-range and that is after a 50% increase.

• Mike Whalen - Before switching to Nick's company, we were with an employee leasing company that provided the coverage.  The payroll processing was more expensive but we saved on health insurance.

• Nick Mawrenko - There is a perception that these employee leasing PPO companies are a cure-all, and they used to be.  But that is no longer the case.  Their rates are climbing too. 

• Mark Dreher - One of the things we did was go to an HSA.  We offer two options and most choose the savings plan.  It is like a retirement fund for the healthy employees that don't use it much.  I have seen large companies employ a nurse practitioner and conduct pre-employment screening/exams.  This has provided an enormous savings (just one fixed cost for the nurse to be on staff) for them and employees love it because they don't have to wait in lines at the doctor's office.

• Roman Okonowski - Years ago we tagged on to our independent agents association group.  We also see large increases each year and wonder how we will continue to fund them.  But if you can find a group through an organization like Nick's, that is going to be your best bet because you are working with larger numbers than you are with a smaller group...the costs are spread out.  Home Depot, believe it or not, is now selling insurance.

• Andy Jensen - CitiGroup is a large company and we experience the same problems with rising costs. A large portion is getting passed to employees.  Not just the small businesses are getting hit with this.

• Jim Bache - Don't price shop.  Go with a company that you know will be around next year.

• Mike Tanner - Also watch for those fly-by-night companies that take your premiums but don't pay claims.

• Nick Mawrenko - Health care is truly driven by utilization.  If you hire young healthy employees you can drive down utilization.  You can take advantage of a new product that fits that place in the market where you are not using your health insurance but this product for the incidentals.  You use this plan and take out a higher premium on your regular health care plan.  This approach typical costs less than paying the higher deductible.  There is no money out of the employees pocket and it saves the employer.  (Talk to Nick if you would like to know more about this product.)  They have tried plans many times for associations but, because association members are not a stable group of people, the insurance companies cannot price it in a way to make money so they have to price it high.

• Jim Crossman - I hear this ad on the radio all the time that small business should join this small business association and they will save a ton of money on insurance.  Guy Sawyer called on this ad.  He wasn't impressed with it at all. 

• Denver Johnson - The government plan only covers the basics.  You need to have supplemental coverage.  I paid from $650-900 on premiums even with the government program.

WHAT DO YOU DO THAT IS A WASTE OF TIME? - Nick Mawrenko

• Mike Whalen - I go in back and hang out with the guys but don't work.  It's know it is not a good use of my time.

• Guy Sawyer - I am motivated by time.  I consider free time a bonus.  A waste of time for me is to start in on a project not communicate something correctly and have to start it again.

• Steve Chilton - Time behind the wheel making pointless sales call.  It's worth it in the long run but my time behind the wheel gets longer and longer. 

• Joe Zingale - I am the "fixer".  I could spend half a day fixing problems.

• Roman Okonowski - I am "SAKU" (source of all knowledge in the universe).  I have always had an open door policy for everyone.  But at a seminar I learned that you sometimes have to put a sign on your door that says "SAKU has left the building" and make time for yourself.

• Dave Crissman - My shirts used to say "I'm the guy".  I'm going to handle it in the end if no one else can handle it.  But over the years people hate walk through my "open" door because I don't do that source of all knowledge stuff other than I am going to teach you how to handle the problem that you have.

• Lisa Wolfe - Telephone calls...I have an overwhelming need to answer them.  When I do accounting or something requiring focus it never fails that the phone will ring.  But I am getting better.  I have caller ID and only answer client calls and let the rest go to voicemail.

• Nick Mawrenko - On your voicemail message tell people when you return calls.

• Greg Stewart - I find that at the top of my to-do list are the things I don't like to do and  I procrastinate.

• Chuck Hultstrand - I was told by an employer to do those first.  They don't go away and you will usually find they were not that bad to deal with and you are relieved that they are done.

• Mike Whalen - Outlook has a calendar.  I make a list of everything I have to get done each day and I take great pleasure in checking that stuff off.  It is different from a day timer in that tasks automatically roll over to the top of the list for the next day if you don't get them done.

• Nick Mawrenko - Having systems in place are key to removing stress and strains from the things you have to do. 

There is an incredible wealth of knowledge in this group.  If you are having a problem, pick up the phone and call one of us.