A Study in Restraint

GRASSROOTS

The Doylestown Food Market’s annual dinner pays homage to the growers at the heart of its mission.

By Kendra Lee Thatcher

IMG_0799(1)To me, the only thing sexier than a classy crowd of farm-loving, loca-gastro-vores is a classy crowd of farm-loving, loca-gastro-vores dripping in sweat.

Saturday’s relentless heat index of 106 was no deterrent for the Doylestown Food Market’s supporters, who gathered around communal tables under tents at the Bucks County Audubon Society’s Honey Hollow preserve in Solebury for the market’s annual farm-to-table dinner, proceeds from which help support the cooperative grocery.

Responsible for the night’s menu were twins Keith and Kevin Blalock. Keith is the chef at PA Soup and Seafood and Penn Taproom, both in Doylestown. Kevin is the chef at Lookaway Golf Club in Buckingham.

The star of the cocktail hour was a decided underdog, given the stylish offerings. The Dublin-based Sole Kombucha’s watermelon lime kombucha mixed with Rushland Ridge Vineyard’s Trimonette was a refreshing respite from the stifling night.

Mushroom risotto croquettes and horseradish-crème filet mignon toast points were passed around. I stood at an out-of-the-way high top and took it all in—honey-colored beams crisscrossing in an architectural web above a fluid, mingling group.

Dusk cast its evening twilight over us and, mercifully, reduced the humidity to a comfortable level. Twinkly lights and filament bulbs, strung above our tables, gave the setting a quintessential summer glow. Almost right from the start, the conversation around my table flowed effortlessly, rife with gardening advice, recipe swapping and updates on a host of other grassroots movements.

The dinner was studded with the fruits of nearby farms. An heirloom tomato salad with Blue Moon Acres microgreens. A vegan ratatouille with Roots to River squash.

And then there was the porchetta, made from a heritage breed hog raised in Lancaster. The chef placed a healthy serving atop my plate, but I didn’t budge. He looked at me. I looked at him. Our eyes dropped down to the carving board together and I asked, “Would it be weird if I requested a helping of the skin?” A wide smile spread across his face. “Are you kidding? Do you hear that crackling,” he said, as he crushed and snapped the skin in one hand. He piled several large pieces onto my plate, and finally I moved on.

The pork was not disappointing, succulent and seasoned deftly with garlic, rosemary, sage and thyme. But my table, the tent, the world went mute when I bit into the skin—crispy, caramelized, savory, fatty perfection.

The menu was not especially innovative. But, then, we weren’t soaking through our clothes in anticipation of witnessing any culinary feats. This audience and the chefs shared a fondness for the ingredients, harvested a day or two earlier at the peak of their ripeness. We were there to taste purity, which may actually be a kind of culinary feat.

Do Not Let Legal Fears Hold You Back

Small businesses face many challenges, and the potential for liability issues or small business litigation often prevents many entrepreneurs from taking the leap. They perceive that we live in a “sue-happy” culture in which someone is always at the ready with an expensive legal claim. This makes them feel like financial risks are often not worth taking the chance to follow their passions. At Doyle Schafer McMahon, LLP, we understand these feelings of trepidation, which is why we are a firm of business litigation lawyers who want to support small businesses on their roads to success.

First and foremost, we believe that the best way to handle business litigation is to minimize your risk from day one. Small business start-ups always look for the most cost-effective ways to get their operations up and running. However, building your infrastructure with a strong legal foundation not only helps you now but also gives your business the protection it needs to safeguard against costly legal battles later.

When you consult with our legal team, we will help you identify all the necessary avenues that apply to your business. For example, many small businesses start out as cottage industries among friends, but as they grow, partnership disputes can quickly form. We want to believe that personal relationships can be separated from the inner-workings of our businesses, but history teaches us that this is rarely the case. Financial entanglements without proper legal support often undermine even the most promising entrepreneurial endeavors. With our help, you can build a strong foundation from the very beginning.

However, if you are already facing a business litigation issue, know that we provide the assistance you need to ensure that your interests are protected and your voice is heard. We believe that small businesses drive our economy and that they should never let fear or threats prevent them from reaching their potential. Whether you need a consultation or legal help now, we encourage you to contact our office at (949) 727-7077. Let us help you make your mark while remaining confident that you are protected.

Why Empathizing With Your Patients May Reduce Malpractice Risk

As a medical professional, you know that patients often have no idea what goes on behind the scenes in your practice. As such, patients’ expectations do not often mesh with the reality of modern medical care. While you can understandably become frustrated with noisy, less-than-satisfied patients, one of the easiest ways to head off malpractice claims is to put yourself in their shoes. As a firm that is passionate about the representation of doctors, Doyle Schafer McMahon, LLP also wants your patients to get the best healthcare possible, and as we all know, an ounce of prevention is certainly worth a pound of cure.

As you approach patient care, you have to understand that you are already facing an uphill battle in terms of patient satisfaction. Many are struggling under the ACA changes, paying more for insurance policies that cover less and less. They do not read the fine print of changing policies, and often get nasty financial surprises when they realize that once-covered services no longer apply to them. They have no idea of the costs you bear; they only see themselves struggling to pay their own bills while also getting the most basic healthcare. How can you combat the growing climate of patient disillusion? You may be surprised to discover that a few simple steps can help maintain goodwill, thereby reducing your malpractice claim risks:

  • First, help train your staff in customer service principles. Inevitably, you will always deal with patients who cannot be satisfied no matter what you do. However, your staff can still cultivate a culture of courtesy and compassion. For example, if a nurse cannot return calls until the end of the day, let your patients know this so they are not waiting by the phone. If you are experiencing a rough day and anticipate delays or wait times, telling your patients at check-in can help them reframe their expectations and promote understanding. While you can never make promises, you can help them understand the whys and show that you value their time.
  • HIPAA exists for a reason, and as HIPAA lawyers, we know well how a seemingly innocent exchange can put your practice at risk. Your staff and service providers need adequate training, as well as an understanding that you have a zero-tolerance policy for violations. Your patients need to know that your staff values privacy more than the gossip they may unwittingly share. Even the simplest slip can be a gross violation of your patients’ rights, which puts your practice at risk.
  • As with any service-oriented industry, medical practices face similar levels of disenchantment and burnout as law enforcement or social services. Your staff can easily become numbed to the individuality of each patient. Watch for warning signs and provide your staff with the support they need to avoid this situation.

As medical license defense attorneys, we appreciate the difficult balance between successful practice and patient satisfaction.

However, we also believe that a significant way to reduce risks starts with remembering who your patients are and empathizing with their own experiences.

 

About Author: Doyle Schafer McMahon, LLP  Let us help you be the best medical practitioner you can be.

In Your Server Room It’s Always the Dog Days of Summer

Summer at its hottest and most humid is still better than the most forgiving winter day. Still, it’s downright oppressive out there. Seeing the heat rise up from streets and parking lots, it’s hard to shake the feeling that we’re being cooked. Welcome to life as a server.

It’s easy to sit there at our comfortable desks and on our even more-comfortable sofas marveling at the wonders of technology—all of that horsepower, all of that storage space. Meanwhile, there’s a server working at full-gas to make sure that your project, in all of its beautiful intricacy, isn’t slowed down by shifting constantly between a half-dozen, memory-devouring applications.

For servers, it’s always the dog days of summer. Which is why it’s critical to house them in network cabinets that maximize their airflow.

The Enterprise cabinets, the strongest among our inventory of server enclosures, constructed with a fully welded steel frame and capable of housing a 2,500-pound load, may look uncompromising, but look a little closer and you’ll see fan tops and perforated front and rear doors. (Split, perforated rear doors are also available.) Together, they’re meant to carry out the hot air that’s being expelled by the servers within. Think how much cooler your house feels when a breeze pushes through the windows in the front and out the ones in the back. That cross-ventilation is the difference between refreshing and suffocating.

Size makes little difference here. It’s not just the large networks that run warm-blooded. That’s why even our small, freestanding server cabinets are designed with perforated walls and front and rear doors.

If it’s getting a little too hot in the shade around your server room or office, think about upgrading your network storage before you reach for the thermostat. A little ventilation goes a long way, which is something we can all appreciate right about now.

About Author: TechRack Systems, founded in 1997, has become a leading internet based supplier of quality computer cabinets, server racks, LAN work centers, printer stands, data cabinets, computer workstations, wire racks and KVM switches to IT centers

Off-site Construction Projects Are Gaining Popularity Around The Nation

Tomāto, Tomăto. Two ways of referring to the same thing.

No matter how you slice it (ha!), everyone envisions a highly delicious, extremely versatile, and incredibly nutritious fruit loved by millions. The same applies to certain types of buildings being built in rather non-traditional ways – inside controlled manufacturing facilities rather than at the actual job site. Whether you prefer to call them prefabricated buildings or modular construction, buildings with a majority of their shell manufactured off-site have been gaining popularity with contractors and developers around the nation as an alternative to traditional building methods.

Why?

The primary benefits include: reduced construction time, reduced waste materials, and increased cost effectiveness. This is occurring because many construction companies are still struggling to adequately staff job sites with competent workers while being able to stick to rigorous project constraints. As a result, some companies have turned to modular construction as an option that offers more stability and certainty.

The Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development (CREED LA) proudly supports environmentally-responsible construction projects throughout Los Angeles that not only have a positive impact on the local community, but support LA’s working families as well.

About Author: CREED LA is a non-profit organization that supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA .

Why Your Home Business Need Business Owners Insurance

A Homeowner’s Policy Falls Short For Home-based Businesses

Business Insurance is necessary for all types of businesses, including home businesses. Many home business owners don’t realize that their homeowner’s policy may not cover incidents that occur in the normal course of running a home business.

For instance, if there is a fire in the house and the equipment in the home office is destroyed, the homeowner’s policy may not provide coverage for that damage. If your home is the base for your small business insurance it is an absolute must to make sure that you’re fully protected. A home business rider to your home owner’s insurance may or may not provide all the protection you need.

An in-home business policy provides even more protection than a home insurance rider add-on. In-home business polices cover contingencies such as employee theft or the loss of important documents. It can also provide liability if employees are coming in and out of the home as well as coverage for business equipment.

A business owner’s policy (BOP) is probably the best bet to make sure that all the bases of a home business are covered. If a delivery person brings a business package to your door and falls on the steps, the homeowner’s insurance will not cover the injury. Small business liability insurance is part of the coverage of most business owner policies and help provide the peace of mind you need for your home-based business.

Because a business owner’s policy offers a higher amount of protection than an in-home policy or a homeowner’s policy rider, it provides greater protection against possible lawsuits in addition to better coverage for other business aspects.  If your product causes any injury to a customer, a BOP may offer protection against any resultant lawsuit.

Another important aspect of insuring your home-based business is the liability of your product. If you produce a food product for a product that has packaging that could cause injury—like a glass bottle, for instance—you may need a special policy in addition to the basic BOP.

About Author: When Peter established Peter Green Insurance Agency LLC in Orange County CA his goal was to build an insurance agency that would approach insurance coverage from the policy owners point of view. Understanding your concerns and risks to find the right insurance protection is primary to protecting your assets.

How Can Benchmarking Improve My IT Contractors Business

It’s a curious problem: You worked your way through the corporate maze, amassing experience, expertise and praise to the point that one day, the confidence swelled inside you and you realized, I could do this better on my own. So you ventured out into the world as an IT contractor, a scary proposition, the lack of a safety net and all. But you found your first clients quickly. Rather, they somehow found you. And your instinct was right; you could do this better on your own. Some of those very satisfied customers referred you to friends’ companies and opened up inside tracks to a few open contracts. The pieces are falling into place so easily, much easier than you ever had a right to expect. Yet, you have no idea just how well you’re doing. Your attention was honed on building your business, so much so that you never paused to consider what you were building it toward

Because of the nature of the work, IT consultants and contractors are especially prone to isolation from their industry, much like a Michelin-star chef. Gastros and peers may be in awe of her ability, reservations a logjam for the foreseeable future, but her world, for all practical purposes, is contained to that kitchen. Success, to her, is measured by perfect execution and a depleted inventory at the end of the night. Not to imply that they’re insignificant, because they by no means are, but they are shortsighted. By not knowing her audience or her peers (friendly and otherwise), she’s missing opportunities to capitalize. And, worse, she could also be blindsided by inevitable shifts in taste.

What Is Benchmarking?

All of this is to say, it’s critical to know where you stand. It was a blind spot that we began noticing soon after our start, over 25 years ago, as we nurtured a client base largely comprised of small businesses, a large share of which became IT contractors and consultants as tech took over our lives. In response, we developed a process we call Benchmarking. Basically, we take a snapshot of a your particular segment of the industry to establish revenue and expense baselines. From there, we can tell you where you fall and even if this surge in business is a result of your practices or a budding need in the region. In other words, is it sustainable?

Where accounting advice can feel like a one-size-fits-all template, as accountants for IT contractors, we’ve learned to anticipate your particular needs and craft relevant, nuanced strategies for filling them, because the trickiest part about knowing where you stand is that the ground’s always shifting.

Author: CA4IT has  30 years of experience supporting IT professionals, independent professionals and project managers

The Vengeful Ex-Employee—Why You Need to Plan for The Worst and Hope for The Best

They are every employer’s worst nightmare: the disgruntled or terminated employee who is determined to inflict as much harm as possible to your company. Maybe they want to build a case for discrimination, or maybe they are threatening to sue for unlawful termination. Whatever the allegation, you can never underestimate the lengths an unhappy employees will go to when they feel like they have nothing left to lose. At Doyle Schafer McMahon, LLP, we are a group of employer representation lawyers who believe that you should never feel like your business is being held hostage by that bad-apple employee. If you need help, let us show you how we can safeguard your reputation and financial security.

Prevention Starts With Good Policies and Procedures

The time to address problematic employees is before they ever walk through your door. Your company needs clear executive and employee contracts so that you have explicit expectations from the start. Likewise, you need to craft aboveboard policies for employee counseling and discipline so that you have your human resources’ bases are covered. When employers face conflict with exiting or terminated employees, those issues typically arise from poorly-written or enforced HR policies. The most common employee complaint is one of discrimination or some “unfairness” that they perceive, so your company needs flawless training and documentation to always show that above all else, you are following protocol explicitly.

However, even if every cog in your proverbial wheelhouse is functioning correctly, you will most likely still face a claim from an ex-employee. Some unhappy person will honestly believe his or her own accusations and take the situation way too far. If that happens, know that our firm can help provide you the most comprehensive and vigorous defense possible. We know how these situations are both a nuisance and a threat to your company’s good name.

About The Author: Doyle, Schafer, McMahon LLP a firm of Orange County California lawyers experienced in litigation and trial work is uniquely positioned to assist its clients with resolving claims and matters likely to be litigated

Mind Your Beeswax!

Humans have been using wood to make various types of furniture since before recorded history began. Anthropologists have discovered examples of ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Chinese furniture that proves these artisans possessed both the skills and imagination to turn trees into useful, beautiful objects. As cutting a tree down kills it, emphasis must be placed on preserving the wood once it has been crafted into its desired finished product. Although linseed and cedarwood oils were popular early protectants, it was beeswax that became one of the oldest and most well-known wood protectants in history. Dating back almost 800 years to the 14th century, beeswax had become a very popular wood polish, but it was quite a chore to use as it had to be applied with hot irons and then hand-buffed. Despite this drawback, beeswax remained the predominant form of wood polish until the late 18th century.

Though still used today, beeswax is more of a nostalgic throwback – rather than the industry norm – as carnauba waxes and various petrochemical compounds have supplanted it.    

Regardless of the century, wood furniture needs to be protected from the effects of aging, which includes cracking, staining, and drying out. That’s why the professional office cleaning services available through Eagle Building Maintenance and Janitorial Services (Eagle BMJ) means hiring a full-service cleaning service with the expertise  to use the right products for the job each and every time in order to keep your furniture and your entire facility looking its best!

About the Author: Eagle BMJ offers a wide range of professional cleaning services performed by trained professionals who will properly clean and care for your facility. Making the decision about who cleans your business doesn’t have to be difficult, and we’ll gladly prove it to you. Contact Eagle BMJ today at (888) 730-1123 to arrange for a FREE, no obligation, on-site consultation.

11 Signs That You Are In A Codependence Relationship

11 Signs That You Are  In A Codependence Relationship

The word co-dependence was first used in the 70s to describe the pattern of coping behavior in the partner or family member of an alcoholic. I like Melodie Beattie’s simple definition:   “A codependent person is one who has let another person’s behavior affect him or her, and who is obsessed with controlling or manipulating that person’s behavior or feelings.” Melodie Beattie from Codependent No More

In relationships where there is no issue with substances, co-dependence occurs and always becomes a source of confusion & guilt because of blurred boundaries.

Can you relate to having any of these codependent behaviors?

  • think and feel responsible for other people – their feelings, thoughts, actions, choices, wants, needs, well-being or lack of well-being.
  • feel compelled to help a person with a problem such as offering advice, suggestions or changing their feelings.
  • Find yourself saying yes when you mean no
  • feel sad because you believe you spend your life giving to others, and nobody gives to you
  • believe deep inside that other people are somehow responsible for you
  • think and talk a lot about other people
  • have lived through events and with people that were out of control, causing sorrow and disappointment
  • become afraid to let other people be who they are and allow events to happen naturally, with natural consequences
  • think you know best how things should turn out and how people should behave
  • try to control others through helplessness, guilt, coercion, threats, advice giving, manipulation and domination
  • look to relationships to provide all your good feelings

These traits/behaviors show up often in therapy and are at the root of many confusing conflicts that people have. Statements like “he makes me feel guilty” and expectations of what the partner needs to do to make them happy indicate a quagmire of co-dependence that needs to be explored.

No one can make us feel guilty without our permission and behavioral prescriptions demanding change from others are not ways to improve any relationship. Clearly seeing what is and what is not our responsibility or within our control relieves stress and frees us from the trap of guilt at taking over-responsibility for others and their feelings. It also saves frustration when others do not comply with our demands. I’m not sure where it came from but I like the visual of the statement: What’s in my hula hoop?

About the Author: Angela Winslow specializes in marriage counseling and couples therapy in San Diego. Affairs, infidelity, communication skills, sex therapy and parenting are areas of expertise.