By the way - this is actually old news. KMBC9 in Kansas City did a segment on this May 23, 2006. Click here to watch the video. There are a number of Caller ID spoofing services cropping up on the Internet. I Googled “caller id spoofing” and came up with over 77,000 links to services, articles on the topic, and how to use it. For as little as $10, I can purchase a service which would allow me to call an 800 number, enter in the number of the party I would like to call and enter the number that I want to show up on their Caller ID and the call is dialed. When the party looks at their phone’s Caller ID, it shows the spoofed number. Scary. By the way included in that $10 service is also the ability to have you voice disguised as male or female plus you can have the call recorded. Some might ask why I publish this information? There are people using this for illegal purposes. You need to know and be aware of it. You need to have this in the back of your mind when you’re doing business with anyone over the phone, especially someone you have never met.

So here’s the take away. If you get a call from your bank or insurance company and they begin asking you questions about your personal business - do not simply rely on Caller ID to prove their authenticity. Ask for a number to call back. Tell them you’re busy and have to get the information together. If it is a legitimate call, the caller will understand your caution and be happy to let you call them back. If the caller becomes pushy saying that it will only take a minute or some other forceful tactic simply hang up. I would then call the institution to report the attempt. This is referred to as social engineering and the growing use of Caller ID Spoofing is just another way to trick you out of your information.

If you have any questions regarding this practice or would like more information, please contact my office and we will get you in touch with the right resource. Until then - keep your information to yourself and keep save.

Warm regards - hopefully it will stop raining soon!

While our reason for being there was to introduce our service offerings to a market which we already serve, we were also there to gain a better understanding of the Small Agent’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) from the Agent’s perspective. As a small business owner myself I can empathize with your challenges. From an outsiders view here is my abbreviated SWOT on Small Agents-

• Strength
• Being small has its advantages. You can implement changes quickly to adapt to changes in the industry
• As a Small Agent you can provide the level of personal customer service that all of us as consumers desire
• Weaknesses
• The fear of change (you are not alone)
• Difficulty finding a balance of working on your business and in your business
• Opportunities
• Your prospects don’t know they’re being under-served
• You can develop new processes and services to create differentiation
• Threats
• Competition
• Rising operating costs

I formed this very short list from walking around and visiting with many of you, listening during the technology panel discussion, and visiting with those who stopped by our booth. I’m sure they’re are dozens more however I’m trying to illustrate a point. The point is in order to be your technology partner I need to understand your business and not just how many computers you own and whether they’re running the latest version of media player.

I was surprised to hear from so many agents who were being under-served by their IT Partner. It is a growing problem. Repeat repairs followed by repeat charges. Lack of follow through. Lack of professionalism. Unpredictable support costs. Too many to list. Let me ask you this - "When you meet with your IT Partner to discuss your business goals and exchange ideas are you excited with the vision that you have created?"

Brad and I will be at the MAIA Leadership conference in July. Make a point to come by and say hi. We enjoy seeing our old friends and making new ones. See you there.

Next time you’re in a restaurant make a quick observation. Look around and notice how many people are talking on cell phones. Either talking, texting, or emailing. Two of the three are quiet and not distracting (unless of course it is your date) - but how many times have you sat next to someone who is talking on their phone and you somehow get the feeling that they are trying to talk over the entire restaurant? Worse yet, it’s a 20 minute conversation.

I had dinner with my wife tonight and listened to a gentleman who was obviously in town on business just eating his evening dinner. His first inbound call was from home. I could pretty much tell you that his family missed him and he sounded like a kind, caring husband and father. The second call that he made was to someone at his company. This is where it gets interesting. He proceeded to discuss HR issues including sexual harassment topics. The disciplining of employees and general office politics. I was in awe. This guy was actually wearing a company logo’d shirt too! I would imagine that his company would be none-too-happy to know their dirty laundry was being aired in a restaurant filled with patrons.

What can we as business leaders do? I think we need to remember some basic general courtesy and pass those reminders to our employees. Simple steps like avoid discussing company issues in open public areas. And for safety - use hands-free calling or bluetooth headsets while driving. Many GPS units and newer cars have built-in pairing for most cell phones. Another great idea - turn your phone off or to vibrate while you eat. You will enjoy your meal so much better.

I thought it would be fun to Google Cell Phone etiquette and I found this article that was funny and pretty much spot on. Best part - it was written in May 2000. The Ten Commandments of cell phone etiquette by Dan Briody.

Gotta go, my phone’s ringing.

I have worked with clients in the insurance industry, banking, agriculture, manufacturing, CPA’s, and education. From small 5 user networks to multi-site, several hundred user networks. A single server to server farms. Each of these environments have unique requirements and applications. Often times best practices from one segment compliments another. I use this knowledge to help clients, vendors, and peers. I have been very fortunate to work clients, vendors, and peers who have as much passion for this industry as I do and I am very thankful for that.

I will update this blog with news and updates about my business, ideas, and best practices. I hope you find it interesting.