Newspaper Page Text
Business
Uneventful hurricane season leaves some businesses hurting
%ROB[N ROGER
e Herald
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP)
_ With the 2006 hurricane
scason over, some business
owners say the lack of big
storms this year has cut their
revenues in half,
“There was such an unusu
al demand before,” said Roger
Smith, owner of 50-year-old
Bradenton Window.
“It 1s back to normal what it
was three years ago, just like
the real estate business.”
Demand for Bradenton
Windows hurricane protec
ton systems dropped off by
50 percent, Smith said. His
average monthly sales this
Prevent debt during holiday shopping season
Take charge America offers five tips to help keep your spending in- check
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Nov.
27, 2006),.. Millions of
consumers may find that
their open hearts will lead
to empty wallets this holi
day scason.
Mike Sullivan, director of
education for Take Charge
America, a national non
profit credit counseling
agency, says shoppers don't
need to go broke in order to
spread some holiday cheer.
“Many Americans have a
misconception that the best
gifts have to cost a lot of
money,” he said. “You can
show your love and affec
tion without driving your
self further into debt.”
Consumers are expected
to spend an average of
$791.10 each on hnliday
merchandise this year,
according to the National
Retail Federation. Sullivan
says shoppers who charge
Don’t let stress make a mess of work and home life
By EUGENE BAKER, PH.D.
(NAPS])-Statistics don't lie.
The facts are in and research
suggests that stress is making
Americans sick. According to
the Natonal Institutes of
Healdh, 80 to 90 percent of all
illnesses are either direcdy or
indirectly caused by stress.
In another study conducted
by the Center for the New
Amencan Dream, rescarchers
found that more than 50 per
cent of Americans would be
willing to take a day off work
without pay in an effort to feel
less stressed and have more
ume with their families.
And ongoing public opinion
rescarch finds that the majority
of stress that people feel is
directly related to work issues
such as time management,
deadlines, and dealing with dif
ficult co-workers. Fortunately,
there are action steps that peo
ple can incorporate into their
daily routines to help them
regain control of their lives.
Here are some tips for reliev
ing workplace stress,
* Ear Right. Avoid eating
unhealthy snacks. Eating
healthy food can increase your
energy.
* Drink Less Caffeine.
Drinking lots of coffee and
sodas can increase your stress
levels. If you can't cut out caf
to alternate your caffeine intake
with hultri)cr beverages or
snacks.
hurricane scason were in the
sloo,ooos. Last years were
double that.
Despite all the carly noise
about a heavy storm season,
hurricane-related businesses
have experienced a quiet few
months. A Colorado State
University professor predicted
17 named storms this scason.
Only nine named storms
came, and not a single hurri
cane hit the state of Florida.
“It was as if somebody hit a
switch and our phones didnt
ring anymore,” said Steve
Johnson, owner of Tropical
Storm Shield in Sarasota.
“Not having a threat with
hurricanes didn't make for
urgency. If theres a hurricane
their holiday purchases will
ultimately pay much more.
“The interest alone on
credit card purchases can
become a huge burden,” he
said. “I've scen many peo
ple get credit-card-state
ment-shock when they
examine just how much
money theyve accumulated
in interest — all money they
originally hadn't planned to
spend.”
Sullivan has five tips to
help shoppers stay out of
debt:
Make a List - C()mpi]c' a
list ()f all the h()liday gifts
you plan to purchase, and
stick to the list. This can
prevent you from purchas
ing extras, both big and
small. Remember, all those
trinkets can add up to big
bucks. Your list should
also include your max
spending limit for every
* Exercise. Exercise is a great
way to relieve stress, so try to
take a brisk 10-minute walk
during the day, even if it means
a walk around the office or
building. Walking will help to
get your blood moving and
give you a mental break from
)’()Ur mbk&
* Stretch. Stretching can help
to relieve suff musdes, which
can hold tension and make you
feel more stressed.
* Simplify the Moming, Get
ung up 15 minutes earlier, and
packing lunches or laying out
dothes the night before, can
help create a routine and get
you organized.
* Think Positive. Take a few
minutes to reflect on the good
things in life. Taking stock of
what you have can instandy
improve your mood and out
look.
* Breathe. When we are
stressed, we have a tendency to
take shallow breaths, which can
result in feding more tense.
Start by inhaling deeply
through the nose for a count of
cight, then exhaling slowly for a
count of 16. Concentrate on
your counting and breath.
* Rest. Be sure you are get
ting enough sleep at night. Not
feeling rested can add to your
stress level and make you feel
more overwhelmed. If you
have been experiencing recur
ring sleepless nights, consult
your physidan for guidance.
* Do Things You Enjoy. Try
to do something you love every
AUGUSTA FOCUS
out there and its scaring the
ht‘” out us pcuplt‘, we proba
bly would get a lot more busi
ness.
Despite the slowdown,
Johnson said the company
has enough business to take it
through March.
“We have a lot of business
to do because we were so
backlogged,” he said.
The hurricane shutter
industry has also taken a hit
from the cooling local hous
ing market, Johnson said.
Between 25 and 30 hurricane
shutter companies have
cropped up in the past two
years, he said, and he expects
many of them to fa.i].
“I think most of those will
item. If you have to ship
gifts to pc()pl(‘ on your list,
be sure to consider the size
and weight of gifts as you
make your list.
Keep the Plastic at Home
— If carrying your credit
card presents too much of a
temptation to over-spend,
Icavc it h()mc. ls you d()
bring your card, charge only
gifts:you can afford to pay
off when the statement
arrives. Just remember that
you will be charged interest
on any balance you can't
pay off immediately.
Gifts from the Heart — A
thoughtful gift doesn't have
to empty your wallet.
Loved ones are often
touched more from gifts of
the heart. Create a scrap
book, recipe collection or
CD of special songs. You
can also volunteer your
time helping those less for
day to give yourself something
to ](x)k fnrward to.
Most stress arises due to feel
ings of life being out of control.
By taking time to get yourself
organized, and taking care of
yourself, you can begin to gain
control and ensure that your
workday is as rlaxed as possi
ble.
e E-mail Swess-out. E-mail
has become one of the most
common forms of communi
cation but it can also be one of
the most stressful. Opening a
full e-mail box can be over
whelming, not to mention
time consuming,
Learn how to use your e-mail
software, so you can organize
your in-box and file away all
those important messages in a
way that makes them easier to
access. Also, don't forget to
trash any spam or useless e
mails.
Change your habits so that
instead of leaving a message in
your in-box unal it's complet
ed, try placing the task from the
e-mail on your task list along
with the contact information,
then filing the e-mail away
until you are prepared to reply.
Eugene Baker, Ph.D., is the
vice president for employee
assistance programs for United
Behavioral Health, a United-
Health Group Company. The
company provides behavioral
health services to more than 43
million members to improve
their total health and well
being. To learn more, visit
be gone if they aren't already,”
he said. “They dont have
enough business.”
Home improvement stores
also experienced fewer sales
this hurricane season com
pared with last season.
“It doesnt compare dollar
for dollar,” saild Shane
Sawmiller, assistant manager
at a Home Depot.
Items like generators, gas
cans and batteries did not fly
off the shelves like they have
in years past, but the store
does not have items left over.
“When there’s a threat of a
hurricane, our corporate
office will react and ship
where it needs to be,” he said.
“They don't ship hurricane
tunate in honor of someone
you love.
It's Better to Give than
Receive — When you are
hnlida)' sh()pping. d()n‘t
squeeze in unnecessary pur
chases for yourself. These
items can add up quickly.
Remember to stick to your
list.
Go Online First — Scope
out priccs online before you
head to the stores. This
way, you'll know where to
go for the best deals. If you
purchase your gifts online,
remember to calculate addi
tional shipping and han
dling costs into your holi
day budget.
About Take Charge Ameri
ca Founded in 1987, Take
Charge America, Inc. is a
nonprofit organization head
quartered in Phoenix, Ari
zona. TCA offers a variety of
services including financial
www.unitedbehavioralhealth.c
om.
According to the Natonal
Institutes of Health, 80 to 90
percent of all illnesses are
caused by stress cither direcdy
or indirectly.
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"There's TWO SIDES toeverystory’, (TS
Listen to "CHAMP" Walkeps
very weekiay@ 2.
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merchandise untl we're in the
threat of a hurricane. We
always have generators and
gas cans, water, basic supplics
as part of our stock mix, but
nothing excessive.”
So what does the corporate
office do about the extra
inventory?
“We had markdowns on
things like generators, but at
this point in the season its
timc to move ()n." said D(m
Harrison, a regional
spokesman for Home Depot.
“We'll sell through the extra
invcntnr_\'. We wont have to
order as many resupplies as
we would normally when you
have a very aggressive hurri
cane season.
education, credit counseling,
and debt management. To
learn more about TCA or its
Serving the '
___investment needs of
the community.
*s " kT ‘Financial Planning
L ;*35 ' > ‘Money Management
A s ‘ ‘Estate Planning
) &; "tfl? ‘IRAs and Pension Plans
B o
? - ‘Government Securities
» ‘Tax-Free Bonds
‘ *Corporate Bonds
Constance L. Woods ‘Stocks and Bonds
Financial Planning Specialist
Financial Consultant ‘Mutual Funds
In Management Speciali :
m Pl:nn Cmsg‘lan:”m . ‘Annuities
One Tanth Street Suite 800
Augusta Ga. 30901
(706) 823-8144
www fc smithbarney com/woods
THIS IS WHO WE ARE. THIS IS HOW WE EARN IT."
\
SMITHBARNEY
crtigroup )
©2004 Cigroup Giobal Markets inc. All nghts reserved. Member SPC Savth Barney 18 3 diwsion and serviee mark of Citgs g
Gishal Wartieis s, ot o fiintas 04 I st o segbatpendt Mumnghvent e siarll, CITIROUP soul e Listhiretia Dovies Mo
December 7, 2006
Sales this scason were off in
Florida, he said, but he
declined to provide specific
amounts or volumes.
Harrisnn Chn,\'c to lnnk on
the sunny side, pointing out
that hurricane commodites
plywood, generators, gas cans,
chain saws, cleaning supplics
and rtarps _ make up the
bread and butter for a home
improvement store.
“Overstocking of plywood
in stores is not a bad thing
because you have adequate
supplies of plywood on
hand,” he said.
Plus, he added, people may
now buy more products with
Sec Hurricane, pagc 8A
programs please call 1-800
823-7396 or vist
www.takechargeamerica.ong.
7A