Me and the Kids

I had the distinct honor of being able to attend and participate in an amazing event that PLANET (Professional Landcare Network) does on an annual basis. This event is ALL about giving back to a very special place called Arlington National Cemetery. Here lies the men and women who have served their country and fought for the very freedoms that we so cherish. It was a truly moving experience and a treasure to be able to give just a little something back to a place where so many heroes rest. Lawn care, landscapers, irrigation and tree care professionals came from all of the United States to participate, many of whom have been coming here for 10+ years.

I was also honored that my wife and our children were able to accompany me in this event and for the children to see a piece of history and to respect all of these men and women. There is nothing that compares to the ability to give just a little bit of yourself to a great cause or to a great place of honor and I look forward to coming back in the future.

The logistics of the event are significant. Here are some of the numbers:
• 395 adults and 58 children participating
• 101 companies were represented
• 28 states represented
• 30 area captains
• 120 tons of lime was applied to 271 acres
• 30 acres of turf was aerated
• 24 yards of soil was installed
• 24 yards of mulch was applied
• Four trees were installed
• 1,381 perennials were planted
• Six trees were pruned, cabled, and had bracing installed
• Lightning protection was installed on seven trees
• The Columbarium and Receiving Vault irrigation systems were updated

It blows my mind that in three short weeks I will celebrate my six-year anniversary with American Profit Recovery. I have watched this collection agency grow in so many ways; number of employees, number of clients, revenue etc. But I think what I am most proud of is how we have grown our footprint in our industry and in our community. That is why when I stumbled upon a nomination for the ACA Fellow Award I knew I had to nominate APR.
Six years ago we were new … still tying to figure out who to target and what was working for us. As we solidified our business model and grew our internal numbers we were able to start focusing on the fun stuff – How do we make APR a great place to work? How do we make an impact in our association which has over 5,000 members? How do we give back to our communities and potentially change the way people view collection agencies? Our partners knew when they started APR that they wanted to be different … but what did that mean?
We took one more step last week as Jeff DiMatteo accepted the ACA Fellow Award on behalf of APR, his 3 partners, and our 56 employees. This Award recognizes an individual, member company or association unit judged to have made the most significant contribution during the year as an advocate of a foundation program or toward the general achievement of the foundation’s goals.

We were honored for our work promoting the ACA website www.askdoctordebt.com as well as the many other charitable causes we contribute to each year including PLANET Day of Service, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and our annual Adopt-a-Family program.
I have been fortunate to play a big part in planning and fundraising for these causes but what I am most fortunate for is the fact that I work for a company that allows me to do it. Our four partners didn’t just want to say we were different – they wanted to prove it. And each year I’m here I see more and more how right on their goals were.  It’s fun to watch them … us …  achieve them.
I hope you’ll leave your comments congratulating Jeff, Jeff, Barry and Matt on this award and the many more I am sure are to follow.

Many veterinary practices are small, local practices that rely on the community for regular business. Therefore, customer satisfaction and a strong reputation are vital. The prickly situation of having to ask loyal customers for monies owed is an awkward part of any veterinary practice and most could use a little help in better handling overdue accounts.

We understand that with pets, there can be emergencies that come up and the need to rush a pet to the vet on short notice. Most Americans don’t budget for pet health so that leaves many veterinarians going after fees that are unpaid or long overdue.

Below are a few simple tips on how veterinarians can quickly and easily improve their internal accounts receivables while maintaining healthy relationships with those in the community.

• Inform Early and Often: Manage customer expectations regarding your billing practices with written materials in your reception area and on your website.
• Payment at Time of Service: We have all seen the signs but do we really adhere to our own rules? When a client exits your business without paying, your chance of recovering monies owed greatly diminishes. Asking for payment following an appointment keeps your vet practice from having to expend time and resources chasing overdue accounts.
• Send a Reminder: A written reminder to those with overdue accounts can sometimes be all that is necessary to retrieve monies owed. That coupled with a phone call can resolve a bill with no animosity. Only you can decide when to get more aggressive in your collection efforts after that.
• Obtain Third Party Assistance: A reputable collection agency like APR can expedite settling difficult accounts while removing your vet practice from the precarious position of having to ask for money when it’s long overdue.

By making a few minor alterations to in-house accounts receivables processes, veterinarians can easily and affordably boost their bottom line and stay in the good graces of their customers.

Our resident expert in all things Veterinarian, Andy Robinson has worked with countless practices as well as organizations including the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association which has endorsed us. Hear what Andy has to say in our short conversation below.

My idea walking into the palace to watch a “Get Motivated” speech was, to be honest, apprehensive. Sitting through quite a few different speakers that morning, brought us to lunch where all of us sat in a circle and oddly enough smiled and threw our two cents about what the speakers had said. Not one of us talked about how boring it was … because no one was thinking that.  It really was working on all of us; inspiring new ways of thinking, and getting us to feel like pushing harder, faster, and feeling better about our position in life, and where we want to go next.

In summation, I think the major topic as a whole was to “do something” – whether it was called change, we were recommended to turn off that idiot box (The TV), or to do like James Brown and “get up.”  What I took from the day was if we continually go through the motions and doing the mundane, we’re going to end up 75 yrs. old and living on 900 dollars a month and our entire life will have been  lived pay check to pay check.

If you’re ok with average and mediocre, then don’t change a thing. But if you want to break out of the rat race then you got to do something about it yourself … you cant wait for chance or the lottery; it’s about the same odds that doing the same is going to get you to be a “life all-star.”

Quotes for the day that I think were really great:

• If you win the rat race, you’re still just a rat.
• Hire attitudes, develop skill.
• Don’t learn someone else’s how, learn why and do!
• If you know why, any how will do.
• It’s more important to be at a funeral than a wedding.
• Be a leader and you will have followers.
• Have multiple sources of income.

In all I left my house at 5:45am and returned at 7:20pm … it was a long day and lot of time on my butt, but I feel that my path has changed a bit and if I can just keep thinking things like, “what else can I be doing instead of sitting in front of this TV” I think it will be well worth the 14 hour day!

Change is not what you get from your President, not what you need for bus fair, and not mimicking what you did yesterday. Step out of your comfort zone, have a near life experience, and be thankful that you’re on this side of the dirt and have the opportunity to change for yourself.

Like many other employee in MI, on June 29th I went to the “Get Motivated” Seminar. I have never been to a seminar like this before so I didn’t have the slightest clue of what to expect.

I felt privileged to see all these great speakers like Rudy Giulliani, Bill Cosby, John Walsh, Colin Powell etc. I got a lot out of the day and a lot of what was said by these speakers applies to my every day job at APR.

With me being in Inside Sales for this collection agency and prospecting, which is what I do every day, I am supposed to be not leaving as many voicemail’s and instead having people handwrite my messages. The CEO of Southwest Airlines said there is nothing more powerful than a handwritten message.  I guess my manager was right!

Another example of what applies to my daily functions is being “Hard Headed and Soft Hearted”. Which means you have to do what ever it takes to be successful whether it’s uncomfortable or not, but by being soft hearted you have to be in it for other people and their benefits not just for yourself. Which applies to sales.

One thing I noticed with all these speakers is that sitting on their butts didn’t get them to where they are today. Hard work and perseverance got these people to be the successful people they are today. I thought John Walsh’s story was the most interesting and for sure the most heart breaking but he over came odd’s and his hard work from his tragedy turned out to be the result of a successful show called America’s Most Wanted which has been on the air for 25 years and has brought closure to thousands of other peoples lives who have been effected by tragedies.

Overall I thought it was a great experience and I am glad I went.

There seemed to be a few common themes throughout Get Motivated with all of the speakers.  One thing was very obvious, all of them were confident and prepared. You could tell that each speaker had that “IT”  quality about them. Their leadership skills and self awareness were very apparent. 

Most spoke of what it takes to be a leader and a producer. The most common leadership skill was to let your employees know that you genuinely care about them.  Which I took to heart because here at APR I truly believe that this is the case. 

I wanted to state some of the quotes or comments that really hit home with me.  Enjoy!

1) Reinvent yourself during your career.

2) Take advantage of disruption and change.

3) Want to be the best, it makes it more exciting.

4) Be self aware and open to feedback.

5) Be hard headed but soft hearted. (Melissa beat me too sharing that!)

6) Always listen.

It does seem like more and more people are finding themselves in debt. Maybe we are just more aware of it during these challenging times. Maybe you lost your job or maybe car trouble caught you by surprise. Regardless of your situation, one of the most important things you can do financially is to maintain a good credit rating, something that is not difficult to do with some careful planning. Listed are some tips to help you do just that:

• This seems like an obvious one, but pay your bills on time! Even if you have to arrange a payment plan with the creditor. Do what you can to make regular payments.
• Save your credit for bigger investments, like a car or the new kitchen cabinets you’ve always wanted. Don’t charge your lunch or other smaller purchases you can use cash for. Letting all those smaller purchases run your credit down is not a smart move.
• Make sure you’re paying more than the minimum payment on the bill. In the short term, it might seem like a good idea, but if you have a large balance, it could take forever to pay that off.
• And finally, make sure that what you charge is an amount you can easily pay off in a month or two.
• Visit www.askdrdebt.com for a ton of consumer advice. This great resource spearheaded by ACA International is a great source of answers to questions regarding personal credit issues. And one we and other collection agencies support at APR through fundraising and donations.

It’s no secret that our economy has not been in the best shape over the years. We all know family members or friends who have been taken pay cuts or lost their jobs. It is for this reason that we offer these tips. Not everyone can, every month, follow these tips but you can certainly try to take away a couple of them and stick to it.

Your credit score will thank you and as we’ve discussed before, improving your credit score is certainly worth it for yourself and your family.

In most schools across the country, classes have been dismissed for the summer. As kids lather up with sunscreen and hit the beaches, educators and administrators are utilizing the warm months to review and regroup. That includes getting paid for a whole host of fees that could go unpaid.

Many might not be aware but in fact, educational institutions of all types are using the services of collection agencies. But not just any collection agency. A relationship is created between a student, their parents and the educational place they are attending. That could be a college, a private school, karate or gymnastics school or a daycare center. Attention to a diplomatic touch is critical in these settings to maintain a good relationship with these students and the parents who may be ultimately paying the bill.

A few tips:

Educate Parents and Students on Billing: Clearly stating your billing policies not only in the admin office but on all official documents such as contracts and flyers for programs such as meal plans and lab fees will help to educate parents and students on the importance of keeping up to date on these fees. As they sign up for certain programs also remind them verbally of the need to stay on top of these additional expenses.

Obtain Outside Help: Utilize the experience and knowledge of a third party collection agency to settle stubborn overdue accounts. A reputable debt collection team removes educators and administrators from the precarious position of having to ask for overdue school fees when things get too far behind.

Plan for the Future: A well devised internal plan can boost a school’s bottom line, improve your budget and lay the foundation for a successful financial future. A third party collection team can also help schools prepare a plan to better improve the handling of future overdue accounts. With a solid foundation and both an internal and external team working on accounts receivables, things can only improve.

I had a chance to have a short conversation with our own Andy Robinson who works with a number of educational institutions and organizations and he has a few thoughts on what we can do to help out both internally and as an extension of your accounts receivables department.

I had the opportunity to attend the Get Motivated seminar that took place in Auburn Hills, MI on Wednesday June 29^th. What initially got me excited about the event was the list of “big name” speakers that were scheduled to speak like Rudy Giuliani, Colin Powell and Bill Cosby. However it turns out a speaker named Rick Belluzzo (who was at one time the president of Microsoft) I feel summed up perfectly the whole day’s lessons into 5 simple key lessons to being successful.

Rick Belluzzo @ Get Motivated!

Strive to make a difference in all you do. Every job/task matters and believe that every task you are given; you can do it better than anyone else. 

Take on tough assignments. Big outcomes often come out of difficult tasks. 

Be self aware & open to feedback. Be humble and a good listener. 

Perseverance can pay off. It may take several attempts to achieve the success you are looking for.   

Always maintain integrity in everything you do. Be hard headed but soft hearted.

These lessons stuck out in my mind because not only are these great lessons to apply here at American Profit Recovery; but also great values to apply to your everyday life as well.

It’s a fact we all know (Or should know…) – maintain a good credit score. It’s something we’re taught by our financial planners and others. But why exactly is it so important? What can a good credit score do for you?

Your credit score indicates to lenders and creditors your past credit interactions and how likely you are to pay them back. Essentially, are you a good investment? The answer should be yes but sometimes, you have items on that credit report that can bring that number down.

Your credit score can say a lot about you and can cause you to be refused a home mortgage, apartment rental, car loan and others forms of credit you may need. When it comes to looking for a new job, employers may look into your credit score. Your credit score should indicate that you are responsible and reliable.

There are plenty of resources out there that will provide you with your free credit score report. Scores range from 300-850 and the higher the better!

What a good credit score can do:

• Help you appear financially responsible and therefore a good investment to employers and landlords
• Get you a better rate on your home mortgage or refinance
• Receive better loan terms for a whole host of other loan products
• A good credit score can even help you earn better auto and home insurance.

If you find yourself being contacted by a collection agency, don’t fear. A good collection agency will do their best to work with you and resolve the debt, not just collect it. There are cases when installment plans are offered so that your credit rating will suffer minimal impact.

I’ve been working at collection agencies for almost 20 years now, and I’ve seen the value of a good credit score. I have also seen what happens when you let it slide. Take my word for it when I tell you, it’s something to keep an eye on and it is certainly worth your time to make sure you preserve a good score. Especially in these uncertain times.