Home Inventory Professional Forum

Digital Camera and Camcorder Source

Rick — Thur, 06 Nov 2008 20:44:04 GMT

Great source and prices on Digital Cameras, Camcorders, Computers, Printers and supplies at Tiger Direct:

Home Inventory as add on

ebrsecurity — Thur, 30 Oct 2008 10:18:02 GMT

Hi everyone my name is Eric and I am from Staten Island NY. I have been thinking about getting into Home Inventory and I have been reading this forum etc. I presently do Home Security Systems such as burglar alarms and cameras but I was thinking about adding home inventory to my business. What is your take? Do you think it is a smart move to add or would it be better to do it on its own as a different business. Thanks again.

Eric

Forum: Starting your business

The Inventory Standard

JoeBastion — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:11:55 GMT

Hello everyone. Wanted to let you know that The Bastion Beat will now be known as The Inventory Standard, effective 11/1/08.

The press release announcing the change can be viewed at http://www.prlog.org/10132631.html. Thanks to everyone that voted on the new name and for the overwhelming support that has enabled the monthly newsletter to be such a success! November will be the 8th issue and counting!

Thanks,
Joe

Forum: Other Miscellaneous Topics

Video camera

mousey — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 23:35:57 GMT

I am looking to get a new video camera. It will be for a variety of things but mainly for my construction business as well as taking home inventories. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I need to look for? My 8MM is outdated.

I am looking for a hard drive with flash drive as well. Any other suggestions?

Forum: Equipment

Advertising Tips

Alec08 — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:07:31 GMT

Dear forum members,

I would like to get more ideas on how to best marketing my home inventory service especially on today's changing economy.

Please join me on providing tips for the best traditional marketing tools such as website, flyers, brochures and business cards are they effective? or what should be the alternative advertising tools that real can make inventory known to the public,

What about TV shows and commercials/Radio adverts?

Please share with me ideas!!!!

Please let me know which areas need some changes, I understand this site is still on its construction stage before I release my final version sometimes on first week of October.

Thanks

Alex

Forum: Introductions

Hi

Yuma08 — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:31:42 GMT

Hi forum members. Personally, I have been inboth corporate many years as well owned and operated my own franchise business. Hard work any way you slice it. The advantage for me in this business is no strict schedules, freedom to work as hard as I wish. Thanks, Mike

Forum: Introductions

Successful traits of Professionals

Gina — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:45:43 GMT

I keep this list with me, I found that it helps keep me focused.....

Ever wonder why some people seem to quickly rise to the top, constantly receiving accolades, while others seem to be overlooked and under appreciated? What are the traits that truly impress the people around us? And most importantly, are they traits you possess or can cultivate?

1. Seriousness

One of the foundational characteristics of true professionals is: we must be serious about our occupations. In other words, we must understand that our occupations are challenging, and we must be dedicated to succeeding. We all know people who make light of this requirement. The job is only a job, they say. A means to an end. If you feel that way, thats fine. But thats not a sign of a true professional.

2. Wanting to Do Better

Better than what? Better than we did before. Professionals exhibit a never-ending quest to improve their performance in every variable, every project, every relationship and every detail. This the characteristic of personal discontent. Thats not to say we cant enjoy our success. But after weve congratulated ourselves for our excellent performance, we need to recommit to doing it even better next time. Professionals always strive to improve.

3. Dealing with the Unexpected

If everything at work always went smoothly and as hoped for, that would be great. But it would also be a miracle. Stuff happens, things change, and the true professional rises to the occasion. They make a new plan, change their direction if necessary and never look backbecause thats the only road to success.

4. Communication Skills

No matter what the industry or job description, communication skills are critical to todays workplace. Real professionals are clear, concise and confident in their communication skills.

5. Enthusiasm

Our mothers told it to us when we were young, and its still true today. Attitude is everything. Those who exhibit enthusiasm for what they do and greet each day with a positive attitude inevitably become our leaders.

6. Helpfulness

Our mothers were right again. Professionals understand that real success in the workplace requires teamwork. So theyre always ready to lend a hand, make a suggestion and offer a compliment when its deserved.

7. Taking the Initiative

One of the great strengths of a real professional is taking the initiative to get things done. Words like, thats not my job are not in their vocabulary. They recognize what needs to be done and they take on the task, great or small.

8. Cool Under Pressure

If there werent pressure in the workplace occasionally, they wouldnt call it work. But true professionals never point fingers. They remain level headed and calm, with a cheerful demeanoreven under stressful times.

9. Remaining Focused

True professionals remain focused on the task at hand and the goal ahead. They navigate through obstacles or setbacks but never lose sight of where theyre going.

10. Dont Follow, Lead

It isnt always easy to stick your neck out, but true professionals arent faint of heart. They analyze the situation and are willing to take new paths and try new solutions. Thats why they call it leadership!

Forum: Business Structure

Why having a Home Inventory is supported by Insurance Industry

Gina — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:14:52 GMT

My insurance agent shared this Insurance Industry article with me, so I'd thought I'd share it here. Business has been good, I find that most of my customers realize that this is something that they need to do but just don't get around to doing it themselves. They are very interested when I let them know that I provide a Home Inventory Service and book an appointment with me.

Here's the Article:

When taking out household insurance the insurer will do their best to work out the most accurate policy that they can. This will make sure that the premiums are best suited to cover the value of your home and your much-treasured possessions. Insurance companies - particularly in regards to home insurance - can be quite difficult; they dont want to be defrauded, so it is important that if you are making a claim you have the evidence to back that claim up.

One of the best ways of ensuring that you are properly insured is to have a home inventory. This is a list of each and every one of your possessions, preferably as exhaustive as possible. It is unlikely that you would be able to remember everything that is in your house, particularly if you were under the trauma of having suffered a large-scale burglary or lost some of your possessions to a fire.

While keeping a home inventory is relatively simple, if you want to make sure that you are completely covered there are some other steps that you should take. Firstly, keep more than one copy of the inventory, and ensure that at least one copy is kept somewhere other than the house. Its not much use if its been reduced to cinders. Leave a copy with a lawyer, or with a bank if you can, or with a trusted friend. Without wishing to cast aspersions on insurance companies it is possible that if they have a copy of your inventory they may have lost it when they most need it, it is best to be on the safe side.

Secondly, it might be a good idea to take an alternative form of inventory. While a list is useful, (particularly if it is comprehensive and involves all the details like receipts, contracts, serial numbers, and valuations), there are other methods that you can use that may save time and also help you save money. One possibility is taking a lot of pictures all around the house, so that aside from the inventory you have added proof that the items that you claim you own were actually in your possession. Alternatively you could keep a video record stored away somewhere, anything that can prove the veracity of your claim will allow the insurance company to pay out quicker once they are satisfied that the claim is accurate.

Getting home insurance can be a long and difficult process, but a comprehensive policy is vitally important. With so much value tied up today in housing and worldly possessions, one accident could have a devastating impact. Its best to make sure that you are protected against it as fully as possible.

Forum: The Need for Home Inventory Service

Dangers of online storage solutions

Alli321 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 11:02:28 GMT

Hi everyone,

I've always been a little leary of storing my personal data online. Seems to me the more personal information that you put online makes you that much more vunerable to someone finding it and misusing it.

I found this article that I'd thought I'd share. I don't recommend online storage of my customers home inventory information because you can't ever be confident that they'll indeed be there when you really need them the most.

Hotmail incinerates customer files

CNET News

Alexandria logged on to her Hotmail account last month and was shocked to find that all of her saved files were gone.

At stake was years' worth of personal and business correspondence, photos and the itinerary for a recently purchased trip, the San Jose, Calif., health care worker said. Frantic, she called the Microsoft-run e-mail service, only to get worse news: Due to "system events," the files were gone forever, and there was nothing to be done about it, a technical support staffer eventually replied.

"It's scary," Felton said. "These services are easy and free, so people don't even think about using them. But they should know there are risks. I won't store so much stuff on Hotmail again."

Felton's story offers a new twist on the ever-present danger of data destruction in the digital age, throwing a spotlight on the responsibilities of online service providers. Meanwhile, consumers are being bombarded with promotions for vast amounts of free storage--up to 1 gigabyte's worth in the case of Google's new Gmail Web-based e-mail and a slew of copycat services.

Consumers have been burned in the past. For example, service providers hosting customer files online folded suddenly at the end of the dot-com boom. Online storage providers such as Myspace.com and I-Drive.com that collapsed at the time gave scant notice, and some customers complained of lost files. Online photo site PhotoPoint closed down with no notice at all, although it later offered to return files to its 1.25 million customers if they paid a fee.

In a statement, Microsoft said "issues" have occasionally beset its Hotmail service, although the most recent case appears to have affected only Felton's free account.

"We put many precautions in place to protect our network and assure against customer data loss, which includes regular system backups to prevent file storage issues," Brooke Richardson, product manager for MSN and Hotmail, wrote in an e-mail. "That said, we recognize that issues can arise...In this case specifically, it appears to be an isolated incident that is not recurring within our customer base. We are working to understand how the customer's data was lost, but we are not able to recover the customer's files."

Legal experts said there is generally little recourse for consumers in the event of data loss on services such as Hotmail, which are typically covered by terms-of-service agreements that provide broad liability exemptions.

"In general, consumers are out of luck," said Ira Rothken, an attorney based in San Rafael, Calif., who has litigated such cases in the past. "Frankly, it's understandable. There are always going to be glitches that lead to data loss."

He said consumers can protect themselves by ensuring that valuable files are adequately backed up. Some Web-based e-mail services, such as Yahoo Mail, allow customers to download e-mail to their desktops and retrieve them using a PC-based e-mail client such as Microsoft's Outlook. Online storage services such as IBackup, Xdrive and Connected also provide file backup services for a monthly fee.

Raghu Kulkarni, a spokesman for IBackup, said demand for online storage services is growing. The privately held company serves thousands of customers who subscribe to service packages that run from $3 to $800 a month. The most popular plan costs $14.95 a month for a 4GB backup plan.

But he offers a sobering note: Online storage companies don't guarantee customers a fail-safe backup system.

"We do not provide a 100 percent guarantee that the backup will take place," he said. "That cannot be guaranteed by anyone. That's just because of the nature of the Internet--it's very difficult to provide a 100 percent guarantee."

Forum: Online Storage

Bonding Together to Garner Media Attention

JoeBastion — Thur, 07 Aug 2008 17:27:31 GMT

I'd like to solicit everyone's support for a campaign that Bastion and Long Island Home Inventory have begun: ProjectInventoryBuzz. Details are available in the August issue of The Bastion Beat. (If you're not a subscriber, please feel free to contact me for specifics on ProjectInventoryBuzz - joe@bastionhbs.com).

We are asking everyone to help us in contacting several major publications across the US to garner media attention for the importance of a home inventory as part of overall preparedness, in addition to the fact that there are professionals (all of us!) out there to help.

If we all bond together, I'm confident that we can make the impact we're intending that will benefit us all!

Thanks in advance for your support!

Joe

Forum: Other Miscellaneous Topics

Ideas

A911medic — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:57:01 GMT

I am about to venture into this business but this is not my first venture. I have had other start-ups before and I thought I would share some insight and ideas that may help some of you. A good quality business card is key. Not one you can do from your computer. It should be of good grade paper with quality printing. Your presentation package should have the same quality.

Since this is a business that is in business to protect the customer, it might be heopful to offer other items that will protect the customer. You might consider offering the customers a "package" deal that might include a safe (find a wholesale supplier), a percenatage off first inventory, bird dog fees for references who also use your service. Insurance companies that may give a discount for having an up to date inventory. I have been talking to a insurance salesman that is a friend of mine and we are going to offer renters insurance in one of my packages at a discount and I will get a percentage of that as well.

Like I said, have a good inventory of business cards. Pass them out to friends, leave them in doctors offices, flea markets, safety fairs conducted by police depts. and by the way, make friends with them. They take hundreds of burglery reports a month and they make suggestions to home owners how to better protect their assets. Let them suggest you. They won't be allowed to hand out your card but they can tell the owners where to look them up in the phone book.

I am a paramedic for a large fire dept. in the south. I see many apartment fires and the renters lose everything. 98% do not have renters insurance so it might be helpful to them and your pocket to offer that in your package. Sorry for jumping around. I am typing it as soon as I think of it.

Anyway. Hope this helps some people. Good luck

Forum: Other Miscellaneous Topics

Allstate urges preparation

Rick — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:03:01 GMT

Approaching Hurricane Dolly Could Mean Evacuations

Important Preparation Information

BROWNSVILLE, Texas, July 22, 2008 -- Hurricane warnings are posted for areas of coastal Texas. With Dolly approaching it is important to listen to instructions from local authorities and take preparation steps now. Allstate Insurance Company recommends five easy steps that if done now, can make hurricane recovery easier on you and your family.

    Five Steps to Preparedness ...

    1. Many Coastal Texas homeowners have insurance for different structural
       perils, like wind and flood, covered by separate policies with
       different insurance carriers. Take note now of your insurance carriers
       and policy numbers to make it easier for you to initiate a possible
       claim process after the storm.

    2. If you don't have an up-to-date home inventory, walk through your home
       with a video or still camera. At the same time, make a list of what
       items you may want to take, and have room to take, during a possible
       evacuation.

    3. Trim dead or weak branches from trees on your property.

    4. Know your town's preparedness plan and evacuation routes and if you
       leave, tell neighbors where you will be going and exchange contact
       information.

    5. Respect law enforcement decisions on when you are allowed to return
       home and what areas are safe following the storm.

Forum: Insurance

American Family Survey!

Rick — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:52:47 GMT

With foreclosures rising and more homeowners becoming renters, Allstate survey points to need for better personal property protection, home inventory check lists and education NORTHBROOK, Ill., July 22

NORTHBROOK, Ill., July 22 -- As the number of
Americans renting homes increases with the current housing foreclosure crisis,
a new survey released today by Allstate finds most renters are inadequately
prepared to protect their belongings.

While homeowners coverage is required as a part of most mortgages, renters
face no such insurance requirement. As a result, just 40 percent of survey
respondents said they have renters insurance, meaning that over 50 million of
the approximately 87 million Americans living in rental housing do not have
insurance to cover their belongings in case of loss.

The share of rental households jumped by about 1 million in 2007 and this
group is likely to expand further if foreclosure trends continue, according to
Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. Now more than ever, it
is critical for renters to be prepared to protect their possessions in case of
a loss.

Allstate's survey also found more than two-thirds of renters say they have
not done a home inventory check list, or tried to estimate the cost of
replacing everything in their home in the past year or two. Fewer than one in
five renters say they have taken photographs or videotaped their possessions
during the past two years to help document what they own.

The survey found most renters underestimate the threat theft poses to
their belongings. Nearly half (49 percent) of renters surveyed estimated the
number of annual burglaries and other property crimes in the U.S. at less than
100,000, while the actual number of burglaries alone is 20 times that.
According to the FBI's most recent Uniform Crime Report, there were more than
2 million burglaries in the U.S. in 2006. Only one in 20 renters guessed the
number was in this range.

"This survey highlights the importance of educating American families who
rent about the risks facing their possessions," said Jeff Deigl, assistant
vice president of specialty product lines for Allstate. "It's a wake-up call
to increase awareness of the available options to manage these risks."

The survey found that the biggest reasons renters don't purchase renters
insurance are: 1) they haven't made the time to look into it (43 percent) or
2) they believe the coverage is too expensive (33 percent). Various other
reasons such as not owning enough valuables to justify having the insurance
and believing landlords are responsible for insuring renter's personal
property were given by 23 percent and 10 percent of respondents, respectively.

Misperceptions about the price of renters insurance were particularly
telling. Three out of ten respondents thought renters insurance cost at least
three times as much as its actual price tag, an average of $15 per month.
Another 20 percent had no idea how much it cost. When polled, six out of ten
renters thought renters insurance was worthwhile, even at an average of $20
per month.

Additional Survey Stats

-- A majority of renters (54 percent) say that if they could protect only
one of several types of possessions from burglary or fire, they would choose
personal items such as photographs or letters. Sixty-eight percent of women
said they would save photos and letters compared to 40 percent of men.

-- Three in ten respondents would save a personal computer, while almost
one in ten would save other personal electronic devices such as an MP3 player
or digital camera.

-- A mere 15 percent of respondents have a security or alarm system in
their home and only 67 percent lock their windows when they leave. Fifty-four
percent of those surveyed own a fire extinguisher.

Today's survey release kicks off a comprehensive effort by Allstate to
encourage U.S. renters to better prepare for personal property losses.

The national survey was conducted online from May to June 2008 with a
sample of 1,000 renters nationwide. Additional surveys were conducted online
during this period with 500 renters from each of the following 13 states:
California; Colorado; Connecticut; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; New Jersey;
Ohio; Oklahoma; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia; and Washington. In New York State,
200 renters were surveyed in each of four upstate areas: Albany; Buffalo;
Rochester; and Syracuse. All surveys were conducted by Opinion Research Corp.
for Allstate.

Forum: Home Inventory in the News

networking at golf scramble

john — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:42:53 GMT

I have the same insurance agent for auto and home insurance so naturally I came to him for business insurance. After telling him about the business he was very excited and gave me some some advice from and agents prospective. He also invited me to a golf scramble in August with him and many major insurance agents and Realtors from all around the area. I'm really looking forward to this because I love to golf and I think I could do some great networking there. I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience and if so how it went.

Forum: Other Miscellaneous Topics

Nearly Half of Americans Unprepared for Disasters, New NAIC Survey Reveals

Rick — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:21:30 GMT

Nearly Half of Americans Unprepared for Disasters, New NAIC Survey Reveals

What You Need to Know About Insurance Before Disaster Strikes

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, July 8 -- As the nation braces for the hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and floods that accompany the spring and summer disaster season, nearly half of U.S. consumers are insufficiently prepared - in terms of their insurance coverage - to deal with potential losses, according to new research by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

The NAIC's national survey revealed a significant lack of preparedness among consumers in documenting their belongings. Nearly half - 48 percent - said they did not have an inventory of their possessions. Of those consumers who reported having a checklist, 32 percent had not taken any pictures and 58 percent had no receipts validating the cost of their possessions. In addition, 44 percent of respondents acknowledged that they had not stored their inventory in a remote location.

"A comprehensive list of your belongings and their value will help you file an insurance claim after a disaster," said NAIC President and Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger. "Creating an inventory and storing it in a safe location away from home is one of the most basic - and most effective - disaster preparedness steps anyone can take to help protect themselves and their financial future."

The NAIC survey also found that 43 percent of U.S. adults with homeowners or renter's insurance owned policies that provided a replacement cost payout. Of the remaining consumers, 27 percent indicated their policies insured their homes for the actual cash value, while another 28 percent did not know which type of coverage they purchased.

Actual cash value is the amount it would take to repair or replace damage to a home and its contents after depreciation. Replacement cost is the amount it would take to replace or rebuild a home or repair damages with materials of similar kind and quality, without deducting for depreciation.

"Many consumers are not able to recover after a disaster because they don't realize how depreciation can impact their assets," Praeger said. "It is important that consumers understand the implications of purchasing an actual cash value policy vs. replacement cost insurance. In the event of a disaster, the difference could mean thousands of dollars in payout."

The NAIC survey also found that the majority of consumers do not have the coverage necessary to protect themselves from specific types of losses that are not reimbursed under standard policies:

-- 69 percent do not have earthquake insurance.

-- 65 percent do not have flood insurance.

-- 56 percent do not have insurance for a water line break.

-- 55 percent do not have insurance for a sewer line break.

"Many homeowners and renters are vulnerable, especially if they live in disaster-prone areas," said NAIC Executive Vice President and CEO Catherine J. Weatherford. "Consumers should review their insurance policies yearly with their agent or company to make sure they have the coverage needed to protect their family and their belongings."

Forum: Home Inventory in the News