Business Expert Offers Tips for Capitalizing
on Unpredictability

As we pass the five-year anniversary of the start of the economic recession in December 2007, many observers focus on what was lost:

• 8 million jobs
• 146,000 employer businesses
• 17.5 percent average individual earnings

But the businesses that survived the Great Recession and are thriving today didn't focus on losses then - and they aren't now, says Donna Every, a financial expert who has published three non-fiction business books and recently released her first novel, "The Merger Mogul," (www.donnaevery.com).

"The entrepreneurs who are successful during times of uncertainty are so because they don't rely on the standard approaches they'd use in predictable times, and they look for opportunities - the positives -- in situations that would have been considered negatives five years ago," Every says.

"It's similar to how we deal with the weather. In places where it's sunny most of the summer, we wouldn't leave our house each morning packing coats and umbrellas just in case. The weather's predictable. But in the winter and other seasons when the weather can quickly change, we head out with a different mindset."

For businesses, switching gears to deal with inclement economic conditions involves adopting new perspectives and practices, she says.

"I incorporated some of these in 'The Merger Mogul' because it's set during the recession and my protagonist, the mogul, had to adapt," Every says. "He used many of the strategies I teach my business clients for thriving during economic uncertainty."

What are some of those strategies? Every outlines them:

• Build on what you have, not toward what you want: Instead of setting goals and then seeking out the resources you'll need to meet them, assess what you have available and decide what you can achieve with that. This not only saves you the time and expense of pulling together resources you may not have, it also gives you the advantage of working from your business's individual and unique strengths.

• Follow the Las Vegas rule: Tourists planning a weekend in Las Vegas will often set aside the amount of money they're willing to gamble - and lose -- on cards or the slots. That way, they won't lose more than they can afford. During an uncertain economy, entrepreneurs should calculate their risks the same way. Rather than going for the biggest opportunities as you would in prosperous times, look for the opportunities that won't require as much of your resources. Calculate how much you can afford to lose, and always consider the worst-case scenario.

• Join hands and hearts: Competition is fine when things are going well, but when times are tough, you need allies. Explore forming partnerships with other entrepreneurs so you can strategize to create opportunities together. With what your partners bring to the table, you'll have more strength and new options to work with.

• Capitalize on the unexpected: Surprises can have positive outcomes if you handle them nimbly by finding ways to use them to your advantage. Instead of planning damage control for the next unexpected contingency, look at it as an opportunity. Get creative as you look for the positives it presents.

• When life is unpredictable, don't try to forecast: Focus on what you can do and create now rather than what you can expect based on what happened in the past. In good times, that information can be a helpful and reliable way to make predictions, but savvy entrepreneurs don't count on that in uncertain times.   

"While the U.S. economy certainly is improving, there's still too much uncertainty both here and abroad to go back to the old ways of doing business just yet," Every says.

"If you've survived the past five years, you've probably been relying on many of these strategies - maybe without even realizing it," she says. "Don't abandon them yet, and if there are some here you aren't using, work toward incorporating them, too."

About Donna Every

Donna Every is director of Arise Consulting Inc., a company that offers business training, and consulting services. She is a Chartered Certified Accountant with a master's in business administration. She is the author of "What Do You Have in Your House?"; "The Promise Keeper"; "Arise & Shine"; and her first novel, "The Merger Mogul."

Daisies:

• Ocean Commotion: February 16, 2-5 p.m.
  Watch out for the Giant Octopus! Come join us as we go through the Museum and dive into hands-on ocean activities, crafts, and demonstrations. Take a tour of the exhibit Ocean Experience and see live sea life right here at the Putnam. Want to feel like you are in the ocean? Come and watch a 3D documentary about ocean life in the National Geographic Giant Screen Theater. An afternoon of ocean fun!

• Global Girls Jr.: April 13, 2-5 p.m.
  It's Global Girls for Daisies! Scouts will visit the mummies of Egypt, the Fu Dogs of Asia, and the wildlife of Africa as they travel the Exhibit Halls to play games, make crafts, and learn about cultures from around the world. Along with the exhibits, they will learn about one culture in depth as they watch a movie in our National Geographic Giant Screen Theater. Travel the world right here at the Putnam! No need for passports or packing bags here.

• Teddy Bear Tea: May 11, 2-5 p.m.
  Come join us for a spot of tea! Bring your Teddy bears and tea cups for an afternoon of tea and activities. Scouts will decorate cookies while they drink tea and juice, then go through the Museum to make crafts and play games just like girls from the early 1900s. A wonderful way to enjoy a day at the Putnam!

Brownies & Juniors:

• Brainstorm: January 11, 6-9 p.m.
  How do you build a machine to throw a marshmallow across the room? How can you protect an egg from a two-story fall? Work out your brain muscles at our annual Brainstorm event. Scouts will participate in science experiments, inventions, and creations all night long!

• Oceanfest: February 22, 6-9 p.m.
  What covers two-thirds of the Earth? Oceans! Come learn about the mysterious deep with hands-on activities, crafts, and demonstrations; including water experiments! Watch a 3D documentary in the National Geographic Giant Screen Theater on ocean life and feel like you are swimming with the fish; this evening is sure to be a splashing good time.

• Global Girls: April 26, 6-9 p.m.
  Visit the mummies of Egypt, the Fu Dogs of Asia, and the wildlife of Africa all right here at the Putnam. Scouts will travel the exhibit halls where they will play games, make crafts, and learn about cultures from around the world. Then they will learn about one culture in depth as they watch a movie in the National Geographic Giant Screen Theater. No need for passports; your trek around the globe begins and ends here.

Visit girlscoutstoday.org/calendar to register. $13 per Girl Scout (includes badges), $10 per adult.  For more information, please contact Jen Ong at 563-324-1054 ext. 206 or ong@putnam.org.

STEM for Cub Scouts at the Putnam Museum - 2013 Schedule

NEW this year at the Putnam, you can earn your NOVA Awards! Join as we explore STEM topics (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), activities, experiments, and films!

Cub Scouts in 2nd-5th Grades:

• Simple Machines: January 25, 2013 6-9 p.m.
  Simple machines aren't so simple anymore! We will invent our own machines that use a lever, earn a belt loop, and go on the Putnam Museum's own Simple Machines Scavenger Hunt! This fun event will help you earn your "Swing" NOVA award.

• Math Maniacs: March 8, 2013 6-9 p.m.
  Math is everywhere! Can you calculate the height of the Putnam Museum? Can you figure out how much you would weigh if you were on the sun or the moon? We will learn all about math and how mathematicians use cryptography to design secret codes! This fun event will help you earn your "1-2-3 Go" NOVA award.

• Health Matters: April 2013 Time to be determined.
  What do you need to be ready in case of an emergency? Learn to be ready as a scout when we meet medics from the Red Cross and complete the Nutrition belt loop. This fun event will help you earn your "Science Everywhere" NOVA award.

For more information or to register, contact Alice Loff at 563-324-1054 ext. 266 or Kara Fedje at Fedje@putnam.org. Advance registration is required. $13 per Cub Scout, $10 per adult.

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Bettendorf, Iowa.  Thirty-five students from 10 Quad City area high schools will grant $10,000 to charitable organizations serving Rock Island and Scott counties. Grant applications should be submitted online at www.cfgrb.org/t4t by March 1, 2013.

The students are members of Teens for Tomorrow (T4T), a philanthropic initiative of the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend.

"The T4T program teaches high school students about the important work nonprofits do and valuable lessons about leadership and philanthropy that will last a lifetime," said Susan Skora, President and CEO of the Community Foundation.

During the nine-month T4T program, students from high schools in the Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities learn about the role nonprofits play in the community. They work together to identify community needs and explore the grant making process. At the end of the year, they distribute T4T grants to local nonprofits.

"Each year, as they get more involved in the application process and make the site visits to local nonprofits, the teens begin to see the good that nonprofits do in the community, and they begin to care more than they expected when the school year began," Skora continued. "We love to see the growth these teens experience every year, and we look forward to seeing the decisions they make about the grants."

Teens for Tomorrow became a permanent program of the Foundation thanks to an endowment created by Herb and Arlene Elliott in 2010. T4T now grants $10,000 annually to local nonprofit organizations.

Grant applications must be submitted online at www.cfgrb.org/t4t. For more information about Teens for Tomorrow, contact the Foundation's Youth Initiatives Advocate, Kodie Wittenauer at (563) 326-2840 or kodiewittenauer@cfgrb.org.

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Change your salty ways in only 21 days

American Heart Association/American Stroke Association launches Sodium Swap Challenge on Jan. 7^th

(DES MOINES, IOWA) - Sodium - the everyday meal offender that might make your face feel puffy and your jeans look, and feel, tighter.  Did you know that by reducing your sodium intake during a three week period you can change your sodium palate and start enjoying foods with less sodium?  On Jan. 7, step up to the plate, re-charge your taste buds and give your heart-health a boost with the new Sodium Swap Challenge from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

The average American consumes about 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day - more than twice the 1,500 milligrams recommended by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.  Changing your salty ways may be difficult, especially since you have acquired a taste for salt, but don't worry - making the swap or taking the challenge doesn't have to be hard.  With the help of the Salty Six (common foods that may be loaded with excess sodium that can increase your risk of heart disease), you'll be able to identify, and keep track of, top food culprits.

"To get started with the association's challenge, we ask that consumers get familiar with the food labels and nutrition facts for  the foods they eat  and track their sodium consumption over the first two days to get an  idea of how much they are eating, which I'm sure will be surprising to  many people." Says Interventional Cardiologist at the University of Iowa, Phillip Horwitz, MD "Then, over the course of the next three weeks, consumers will use the Salty Six as their guide to help lower their sodium intake."

Here's an outline of how you can kick-off your own Sodium Swap Challenge:

-         Week 1 - Start by tackling your consumption of breads and rolls as well as cold cuts and cured meats.  For example, one piece of bread can have as much as 230 milligrams of sodium while a serving of turkey cold cuts could contain as much as 1,050 milligrams of sodium.  When your recommended daily intake is kept to 1,500 milligrams or less, it's amazing how fast it all adds up.  Check your labels on these items, look for lower sodium items and track your sodium consumption each day and log how much you've shaved out of your diet. Portion control does make a difference.  Foods eaten several times a day add up to a lot of sodium even though each serving is not high.

-         Week 2 - Keep that momentum going!  This week's foods include pizza and poultry.  If you're going to eat pizza, try to aim for one with less cheese and meats or lower sodium versions of these items or try something different and add veggies instead.  When cooking for your family this week use fresh, skinless poultry that is not enhanced with sodium solution rather than fried or processed.  Keep your eyes on the 1,500 milligrams of sodium each day and, again, log your results.

-         Week 3 - As you round out your challenge and embark on the last week of your challenge, your focus includes soups and sandwiches.  The two together typically make a tasty lunch or dinner duo, but one cup of chicken noodle or tomato soup may have up to 940 milligrams - it varies by brand --and, after you add all of your meats, cheeses and condiments to your sandwich, you can easily surpass  1,500 milligrams in one day.  This week, when choosing a soup, check the label and try lower sodium varieties of your favorites and make your sandwiches with lower sodium meats and cheeses and try to eliminate piling on your condiments.  Be sure to track your sodium and try to keep your daily consumption to less than 1,500 milligrams.

By the end of the challenge you should start to notice a change in the way your food tastes and how you feel after you eat. You might even start to lean towards lower sodium options and will be aware of how much sodium you are consuming in a day - keeping that sight on the goal of only having no more than 1,500 milligrams in a day and controlling the portion sizes of your meals.

As you start jotting down your grocery list, or planning your next meal out, be sure to keep the Salty Six in mind and look for the Heart-Check mark on products in your local grocery story and menu items in restaurants.  Products that are certified by the Heart-Check Food Certification Program meet nutritional criteria for heart-healthy foods and can help keep you on track during your challenge.  (www.heartcheckmark.org)

Making an effort to reduce the sodium in your diet will help you feel better and will help you live a heart-healthier life.  Take time to educate yourself and lean more from others.  Explore links to tasty recipes, get shopping tips, access tools and resources and share your personal Sodium Swap successes on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/americanheart and click on the Sodium Swap tab.  For further sodium tips, resources and encouragement during your own Sodium Swap Challenge visit www.heart.org/sodium.

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About the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Sodium Reduction Efforts

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is committed to improving cardiovascular health of the whole population as part of its 2020 impact goal.   Successful sodium reduction is just one of the contributing factors to this goal and requires action and partnership at all levels?individuals, healthcare providers, professional organizations, public health agencies, governments, and industry.  The association urges a renewed and intensive focus on this critically important public health issue. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is actively working toward a population-wide reduction in sodium intake.  For more information on the association's sodium reduction efforts, visit www.heart.org/sodium