The Bastion Blog

Doing your part to save the economy

It goes without saying that for many of us, this economic climate is unlike anything we've ever seen or at least been old enough to understand (1982 - was a rough economic year according to research).

There has been a lot of talk about change and there seems to be a wave of government intervention/help on its way.  But should we rely solely on that assistance or is there something we can individually do?

President Obama made a call to Americans to do their part and volunteer but many are wondering how that can actually help the economy.

I read a great article in the New York Times that is very similar to a plan that we're rolling out here at Bastion HBS.  It's certainly worth the read and reminds us of our own accountability.

Volunteer To Save the Economy

What will 2009 bring for you?

Yesterday was a day of mixed emotions for me.  I was truly touched by the shear number of people showing their support for our 44th President.  I was motivated by the spirit of forward movement that seemed to be displayed.  I was impressed by the amount of technology associated with the connection to the inauguration.

It seems such a contrast to the dismal news coming from the market and those that aren't happy about the new administration.

One thing is certain. No matter which way you lean from a political perspective, and that is, if we want to reverse the downward spiral that we're facing as a country, we have to put petty differences aside and work together to make things right.

A valuable piece of information that was shared with us, I'll share with you.  No matter how bad things get, don't let the fear paralyze you into inactivity.

I received what I thought was one of the best emails from our Director of Video/Photography in our commercial video production division (Visual Alliance Media) where he said:

"If you sit back and do NOTHING, you reduce the possibility of achieving EVERYTHING"

How healthy is your website?

In the interests of our mantra - preserving and protecting, we wanted to share a valuable link for our fellow business owners.

Since many businesses are struggling with the current economy, it's always good to have a firm understanding about the effectiveness of the tools currently being utilized.

Either click here or copy the following URL: http://website.grader.com and paste it into your browser.

It's a free tool to grade your website and give you suggestions for improvement where needed.  It's a good idea to incorporate utilizing the application on a fairly regular basis as the internet landscape is forever changing.

'Must-Have' List for Florida Residents

Although the 2008 hurricane season is a distant memory and somewhat tame in comparison to some years past, we stumbled across some information from the Florida Insurance Council that is a Florida resident 'must-have'.

The list contains the 800 numbers (hotline) of all of the insurance providers in Florida that have set them up to assist policyholders with claims.

Although we have a good 4 months and some days before the 2009 season starts, this is good information to print out or store someplace safe should it be needed.

Access the list here: Hurricane Hotline Contact Numbers