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Commercial auto insurance is an essential expense for a large number of businesses. This type of coverage protects a business from potential lawsuits if any of their vehicles are involved in an accident, no matter who is at fault. Many people believe this coverage is only needed for shipping or transportation businesses. Here are some businesses that can also benefit from commercial auto insurance.

Catering Companies
These businesses often have employees traveling to and from worksites daily. A chance of something happening during the drive always exists. The company could face a lawsuit if the driver was deemed at fault in an accident. This coverage helps pay the costs of any damages or litigation.

Driving Instructor
If you are a driving instructor who uses your own car, especially if the vehicle is an instructor car with two brakes, you should consider extra coverage. Many insurance plans do not cover incidents that involve an unrelated driver operating the vehicle. If vehicle has been written off as a business expense for tax purposes, it may not qualify for simple coverage.

Pizza Delivery
If a driver uses a company-provided car, then the business may be liable. However, many delivery businesses protect themselves by requiring the drivers to use their own cars. This places the burden for obtaining insurance coverage back on the individual drivers.

At-Home Care or Education Professionals
If you are required to travel regularly while transporting job-related equipment or materials, it may make sense to have commercial auto insurance. Whether you represent your own small business or are a contracted employee, this type of coverage can help reimburse the cost of lost equipment following an accident. Plus, it may prevent a job-related claim from affecting the rates of any personal coverage plans.

With a proper plan in place, any accidents or injuries that occur involving a company vehicle should be covered by the insurer. This shields not only the driver, but also the business owner from facing a large lawsuit or major claims for damages or medical expenses. When purchased by a well-known or large corporation, these plans become relatively inexpensive on a per-vehicle basis. You may need to contact the local department of labor or DMV in order to determine if you are legally required to have this kind of plan.

Even if it is not a requirement, commercial auto insurance can give both the drivers and business owners some peace of mind knowing that they are covered if the unplanned should arise.

To learn more about commercial auto insurance in Texas, visit http://www.americantruckinsurance.com/texas-coverage/.

As a freshman in college, I’d come in from the pool, bikini still on, open my account my and poof! There would be an email from a crush back home, or a health article from my mom, a vibrant, goofy animated Thinking of You card, a just-writing-to-say-Hello note. I remember how fun emailing was. I hadn’t associated it with anything other than socializing (yet!) Today, emailing has whole new connotations.

Emailing- can’t live with it, can’t live without it.

Let’s see… I now have 5 working email accounts. Two of those are work accounts, one is the same one I’ve always had, and two are for my blogging lifestyle. Although, one of the blogging ones I don’t check regularly (it’s sort of an understudy). Unlike my freshman year of college, now when it’s time to check an email, my mindset changes. I enter “profresh” mode, never knowing if things as intense as a rejection letter or a publishing announcement is going to show up on my computer screen.

I could have an email announcing a new publication of my last poetry submission, or it might be an email from my boss with her third reminder of an upcoming deadline. It might be my mom reminding me of three family events approaching this month, an interesting article I should read, an invitation to a reunion, a donation request to save the Florida manatee, a rejection letter from a magazine, a comment on the blog, some kind of email drama or birthday you forgot about announcement…

I’m sure you can relate. Emailing is now a balancing act that requires grace, wit, timeliness, neutrality, proper grammar, technology skills, social appeal and who knows what more. As email entwines into our daily routines almost as much as snacks and meals (perhaps even more so), mastering the art of emailing is no less necessary than mastering the art of small talk or schmoozing etc.

Recently, I encountered some email drama associated with work, and I was flabbergasted to read a message claiming incorrect statements. We will leave it at that. This person’s email was forwarded to quite a few people, including superiors. I ruminated, wondering how a person could make these comments in a documented setting.

Hence today’s post: what not to write in emails at work.

1. Do not spill out emotions, even if something is unfair, or if you’re overwhelmed etc. Convey as little emotions as possible. Use straightforward, literal and polite logic.

2. Do not use sarcasm; tones don’t cross without components of sound and facial gestures.

3. Never say never or always. Exaggerations via email can be alarming, implying an extreme situations. They can also be biased, inaccurate and misleading.

4. Do not convey any doubts or insecurity. For example, don’t use phrases like “I think,” or “personally.”

5. Don’t misspell or use poor grammar.

6. Do not slander or imply slander based on he-said-she-said. It is unprofessional, but also it may get back to your colleague or boss.

7. Do not press blame; you run the risk of sounding “whiny” or irresponsible.

8. Don’t make assumptions or guesses. When in doubt, don’t. The last thing you want to elicit is inaccuracy.

9. If you missed some info at a meeting because you zoned out or because your boss skipped some details, never point out anyone’s deficiencies. For example, don’t say, “I must have been distracted… ” or “You forgot to mention… ” Just ask for the info politely and leave it at that.

10. Don’t mention other priorities on your plate. Your aim should be to make your email’s reader feel like a priority.

To read more of Nicole’s work, check out: http://www.pinkcurlers.com & http://www.productiveprofessor.wordpress.com

Women can sometimes find it hard to search for sports stuff designed especially for them. Even runners, who basically require shoes and clothes, may have trouble finding their needs. For this reason, some women settle for other alternatives. However, just like finding a partner, if Mr. Right is elusive, you don’t settle for Mr. Right Now. So here are important reminders why women should wear the right running stuff.

Shoes: Leave the Men’s Shoes Alone!

Do you know the saying “if the shoe fits, wear it?” If you’re going to take that literally, make sure it’s a women’s shoe. Because some women prefer wearing men’s running shoes because that extra space can be quite cozy. But remember that it’s a shoe, and not a sofa. Despite the comfort, men’s shoes are not anatomically designed for women. It may not seem like it, but you may be opening yourself up for a potential injury if you continue to wear men’s shoes. Wearing footwear either than running-like sneakers or walking shoes-also puts your feet in danger.

Running shoes are engineered to take the beating from regular runs and marathons. Walking shoes or sneakers lack the cushioning to keep your feet safe in the long run. Take the Antares VII for example. The Lotto women’s shoes has the cushioning and fit specifically designed for women.

Clothes: It’s No Longer the 80s

In the 80s, sweats were the norm. Sweatpants, sweatshirts made mostly from cotton were worn by runners. Guess what, that was light years ago. So if you’re wearing that or plan to wear it, you may need a time machine or you belong in a museum. Seriously ladies, ditch the sweats and cotton. Sweats are heavy and get heavier as you perspire. Cotton soaks up sweat and the moisture takes a lot of time to dry. This is the era of technical wear, and it’s not bad. Technical clothes are light and wick sweat away from your skin, leaving you feeling fresh and cooled off. Compression clothing is also categorized as technical wear, so you can choose between it and typical technical wear. Whatever you decide on wearing though, make sure you’re comfortable.

Another upside of technical wear is its design. It actually looks like something you would wear if you want to hang around town. It has that stylish ‘lifestyle wear’ looks. So yeah, not only are you staying fit as you run, but you look glamorous as well.

Accessories: Not jewelry, but “Active Accessories”

Several years ago, accessories meant things like a choker or bracelets. In running, accessories have taken a whole new meaning. A high tech meaning, at that. Activity trackers are the ‘flavor of the month’ when it comes to accessories. Why bother with an activity tracker? The gadget has several benefits, which includes GPS, heart rate monitor and pedometer. Some even have sleep monitors.

The drawback is activity trackers can be expensive. But if you really want to take fitness to another level, then go for it girl. You can also buy a sports watch, like the ones from Soleus, which also has GPS, heart rate monitor and other features. Anyway, you can get the gadgets at a more affordable price at online shops. It just takes a little patience and timing when it comes to spotting sales and offers, which of course, you’re really great at. So settle for the right stuff.

Baburaj Devi – E-commerce Manager
For more fitness, sports and health articles please visit
https://www.sportscorner.me/index.php?route=blog/post

Jude had his little league placement last Sunday and did great! He was one of the younger people trying out for the oldest age bracket, and I was actually surprised at how well he did! Two coaches wanted him to play for their teams and another recognized him for his pitching. It was really cool to see.

We then went on to his game for his travel baseball team. Jude had an awesome game catching, with throwing someone out at third and chasing another down at home. It was FUN! We chatted with his coach after the game about what catching drills he could do to practice. The coach then let us know that Jude was slotted on the bench for tournaments! I was taken a little back to be honest, as all of the boys seem pretty evenly keeled. The coach advised Jude was currently second string for both catcher and third base. Jude was disappointed but took it well. His coach said he was real close and to keep practicing.

This invoked many great lessons. First, I needed to tame down my own competitive spirit and realize, this is 10 year old baseball and we really just want him to develop and have fun. Second, this created the space for a great conversation with Jude. We let him know we love him no matter what string he’s on or sport he plays, and just want him to have fun. He then admitted he wasn’t giving it his all and said he didn’t want to be on the bench. He went on to devise a practice schedule consisting of 330 catches a night regardless of whether or not he has practice on those nights – plus 25 pitches and 25 bats on the nights he doesn’t have practice. This all commenced that night – after a practice and a game. His spirit amazes me – he is all in when he makes a diction. We’ve also been talking about our goals and writing them out for 2017 and his big dream is to be a professional baseball player. We have talked a lot about what he needs to do each year, month and week to make that happen if he really wants this to happen.

This is what it takes. Dreams do not happen over night. If you’re serious about wanting to grow your business to the next level for 2017, then this is it. You must be willing to practice, and practice what works! You have to continuously put yourself out there and keep trying. Whether you’re currently on the second string or first string in your field – keep improving, don’t go stagnant. It can be easy to take your foot off the gas once you’ve reached a certain level, and this can be detrimental for your business later and bigger vision. You must continuously put the time and effort into the things that you love AND that have proven success – mindset and sales. Practice over and over again, and improve. We never stop growing. We never stop evolving and creating.

Jude has already improved a ton after 6 days of doing this. Our relationship has strengthen as an unexpected result, because we chat and spend time together while I’m throwing him balls. His mindset has improved because he feels accomplished, and he’s excited because he’s taking action and doing what he loves.

There are multiple ripple effects for your business and everyone in your life when you make the commitment to master what will bring you the success and lifestyle you’re wanting.

Take the first step and write your goals out. I read the other day that almost 80% of people don’t think to set goals, only16% actually have goals, only 4% write them down AND only 1 % percent of people write down their goals and regularly review them. The 1% achieve them! Let’s get you in the 1%

From there, map out what you can see as your next steps monthly and weekly. AND then watch what the universe shows you as your next steps as well. Create the space to let the diving guidance in and be received. Someone mentioned pitching to Jude twice over two days. It was a great concrete example to share with him about listening and paying attention to the guidance that shows up. It also gave him the confidence to want to try pitching, when he had just said the day earlier he didn’t want to. The universe will support you always.

Much Love

Nigerians should start to think of having a female president for our country in the nearest future.

This is because from all indices, which are available to the public, it seems our male leaders have failed the country.

Nigeria, with an estimated population of 180 million people, spread across 35 states and Abuja and 774 local government areas, is a big attraction to local and foreign investors. It is a big and potentially booming market.

But, regrettably, since 1960, when the country became an independent nation, records shows that 80% of Nigerians, especially in the rural areas are living in abject poverty, while less than 10% are swimming in wealth.

My intention here is not to rubbish my beloved country in this article. Far from it. But, in truth, corruption, poverty, lack of social amenities, etc, are some of the challenges Nigeria is presently going through.

This is the reason why I endorse the recent moves by WARDC and Voices-4-change to groom female students from tertiary institutions in Nigeria for political positions in future.

This may sound like a promotional article for the two non-governmental organizations. But, in reality, it is not.

We must drum up supports for a female president in Nigeria, since our male leaders seem to have failed us.

I stand to be corrected; women are open, transparent, sincere and honest in their dealings with themselves and others.

The likes of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigerian former minister of finance comes to mind here.

Contrary to what some of her critics say, she performed creditably to fix the economy of Nigeria.

If a woman is elected president in 2019, I am optimistic that she will clean-up Nigeria of corruption, fix the economy and deliver democracy dividends to ordinary Nigerians at the grassroots.

Recently, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center, (WARDC) and Voices-4-Change, held a 3-day retreat for young women from tertiary institutions in Lagos state, south-west Nigeria.

Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, executive director, WARDC, disclosed that it is unfortunate to note that in Nigeria, women are made up about 50 percent of the estimated 180million people.

According to her, regrettably Nigerian women are presently occupying less than 10% of political positions and offices across the three tiers of government in the country.

Dr Akiyode-Afolabi however disclosed that her non-governmental organization with supports from Voices-4-Change, have vowed to groom women to rise beyond the various obstacles posed by culture and economy which has prevented them from vying for political positions at the local, state and federal levels.

This is true even as Nigerian president, Muhammed Buhari is wagging an anti-corruption war, where monies, running into millions of naira have been collected from suspected looters of our collective treasuries.

After Buhari, Nigerians should think of voting a woman to rule the country in 2019. This is my take on this issue.

Emmanuel Udom is editor of http://www.vicnuel.blogspot.com.ng. He is a teacher, journalist, researcher and private investigator. Udom is also a senior correspondent with http://www.independentnig.com