Category Archives: Business/Business idea

House Considerations When Building Green

When planning for the construction of a new home, every family prioritizes its own wants and needs. However, today’s consumers are inclined to put environmentally progressive features at the top of their lists; green assets not only save money in reduced energy costs but also increase home values. Though the list can seem endless, consider fueling your dreams with at least the following green home construction features.

Solar-Panel Power

Homes in most regions of the country would benefit from being fitted with solar panels New Jersey. Using the sun’s energy for even some of your power needs will benefit the environment and cut down on your monthly utility bills. Additionally, the federal government, along with many states, offers tax credits for solar panel installations,

Energy-Efficient Windows

Homes that retain heat in the winter and cool air in the summer offer two benefits: First, heating and cooling costs remain relatively low; second, interiors do not suffer from cold drafts or hot-air pockets. Double-pane, low emittance windows are the single best source for keeping a house’s climate optimal. They both reflect the sun’s rays and provide a thermal barrier against the cold.

Small-Footprint Structure

Large homes with a great number of rooms can provide value to growing families. It may be worthwhile to consider how much home is too much, however, and choose one with a smaller footprint. Building a structure sized to meet a desire rather than a need is an inefficient use of resources. Wood and other natural items are finite; artificial materials may be made using polluting manufacturing techniques.

The options for building a house that uses energy efficiently abound. In addition to incorporating climate-friendly structural elements, sustainably crafted homes will encompass efficient appliances and lighting. When everything comes together, the environmentally-sound house will make the neighbors green with envy.

What Is Crisis Negotiation?

If you like suspenseful television shows, you have probably watched at least one episode with a dramatic hostage situation. With your eyes glued to the screen, you anxiously waited for the police detective to convince the offender to let the hostage(s) go. Although this might be entertaining for a television series, crisis negotiation is very serious in the real world. In addition, crisis negotiation is not limited to law enforcement. Businesses are sometimes taken “hostage” as well.

Photo by Harri Kuokkanen on Unsplash

Crisis Negotiation in Law Enforcement

Perhaps the most common type of crisis negotiation is within law enforcement and disaster relief agencies. These are the kinds of situations that involve human hostages and risks to physical safety. From police and sheriff departments to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to SWAT teams, law enforcement officers use crisis negotiation tactics to de-escalate potentially life-threatening situations. This kind of crisis negotiation involves the use of special crisis negotiation equipment and substantial safety training. By utilizing these resources, the goal is to save lives while avoiding unnecessary risk to officers, citizens and victims.

Crisis Negotiation in the Business World

In a world full of rapid change and uncertainty, no one knows when a crisis will occur in the business world. Whereas law enforcement crisis negotiation involves physical safety risks, crisis negotiation in the business world can involve company and financial risks. For this reason, it is becoming increasingly common for organizations to adopt crisis management plans that include crisis negotiation. As with crises found in law enforcement, crises in the business world can be high stakes. With any kind of high-stakes situation, is important to remain calm and to keep one’s emotions in check.

Crisis Negotiation Tips 

Whether you are dealing with crisis negotiation as a law enforcement officer or as a business owner, there are things you can do to make things smoother. First and foremost, prepare your team for disaster. Preparation can eliminate significant stress. During a negotiation, practice empathy and active listening skills. Putting yourself in the other person’s shoes can help build a relationship, and, in turn, help build trust.

4 Financial Benefits of Captives

Captive insurance companies are created and controlled by the businesses they insure. This self-insurance is used to mitigate risks that cannot be or are difficult to insure, including product liability, litigation fees and malpractice. Any of the claims made against these businesses for their covered risks are paid by the captive, protecting corporate assets.

Tax Benefits

Captive insurance, including group captive insurance, has several tax benefits. For example, company premiums are not considered taxable income for the captive, but it is also a tax-deductible expense for the parent company. In addition, as the captive’s assets increase, they can be distributed to the company’s owners as dividends, which have a significantly lower tax rate than income.

Cost Reduction

Not only do companies accumulate (and protect) assets through captives, but they also reduce their costs. They have reduced operating and administrative costs for the captive. In addition, companies are able to tailor their coverage, so they are not paying for coverage they do not need. They determine their deductibles and incentives for loss control. Finally, they gain access to the reinsurance markets, which would have been unavailable without the creation of the captive.

Risk Reduction

Not only do captives provide policies that protect the company, but the underwriting process identifies corporate risks and their probabilities. This allows companies to create new processes that improve safety and reduce risk. As businesses focus on risk management, they reduce their premiums. This focus may then spread to other areas of the business, improving safety and risk  throughout the entire company.  

New Income Stream

Because captives are businesses, any company that starts a captive is actually starting a new business and entering a new industry. This process distributes corporate risk among industries. In addition, as they grow, captives can become full insurance companies, offering insurance services to clients outside the parent company and creating a new revenue stream.

Because of the capital investment requirement of captives, consider researching all your captive options prior to investing.