The Sacrifices of a Leader

Being a business leader can be a rewarding experience. But it can also be filled with various challenges. At times, people have this false assumption that these individuals can fulfill the ‘hero’ role in various situations. As much as we can believe that, we need to be tangible and understand that a true leader is someone that is able to handle difficult tasks. It is these sacrifices that truly represent a strong business leader. Without it, the success, goals, and overall vision of a company become lost.

Let’s start off by examining the arduous decisions business leaders need to make on the day-to-day basis. For many people, they are unable to conceptualize the risk of putting thousands, maybe millions, of dollars all solely on a deal. For business leaders, especially CEOs, decisions like these aren’t just asked, but decided almost each and every day. To do this, they spend an inordinate amount of time and a tremendous amount of energy making choices between equally attractive options in everyday situations. The main problem of course is the tradeoff, or ‘catch’ if you will. No matter what, you cannot have your cake and eat it too. Because of this simple childish slogan, business leaders need to be well aware of the ramifications their decisions make on their company and their employees. One simple mistake could impact the livelihood of hundred and thousands of people.

Outside of making decisions, business leaders need to be reflective. For many people, they go to their jobs each and every day without a care in their minds. For true leaders within the work place, they go into their companies with the intention to resell their visions to their employees, especially if the company is going through big and drastic changes. For any type of changes, even minor ones, you will always find backlash from some of your employees. The worst mistake business leaders can make is if they ignore it. True leaders acknowledge the problems and weaknesses of their business. They understand the negative perspective of their employees and try to spark that fire once again. While of course it is easier said than done, the task to inspire and reinvigorate your company’s values is something that takes a strong amount of effort.

Now of course, there will always be individuals in the workplace who will always and forever follow you into the dark. As much as business leaders can provide them with more leeway, they, as leaders of a company, should always avoid favoritism. This idea can be particular difficult, especially if family or friends are involved. But for a company to succeed, a business leader need to make sure that everyone is playing their role. While some portion of favoritism can be motivational, other points can be a killer at the workplace. Make sure you are aware of your actions. This itself can provide the overall place you are looking for when cultivating a strong and conducive work environment.

Now a business leader isn’t a true leader if there is no balance within authority. While you may be the boss, you want to make sure that you are respected and open-minded to your workers. At times, many CEOs or supervisors have been criticized to be too authoritative with their workers. This leads to low work morale and a low retention rate. To benefit your company, try and find that balance. True business leaders make sure to listen and respect their employees. Just because you have a higher title does not mean you cannot learn from those under you. Remember, a true leader is one who is humble enough to admit their flaws. To inspire action and success, you need to become more than just the authority. You need to be the voice that echoes their future.

Source - http://jaygotra.net/the-sacrifices-of-a-leader/

Coalition, Alliance team for home protection

WARWICK – The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Alliance Security, a company that installs and monitors home security systems, are teaming up to offer home protection to domestic violence victims.

The nonprofit and the company are introducing a Friends of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence program that provides victims of domestic violence with installation, professional monitoring, and maintenance of Alliance home alarm systems for a year at no cost.

In order to participate, individuals must be a victim of domestic violence and referred by the coalition or one its member agencies (Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center, Domestic Violence Resource Center of South County, Elizabeth Buffum Chase Center, Sojourner House, Sisters Overcoming Abusive Relationships, Women's Center of RI, or Women's Resource Center).

Initially, the Friends program will focus on transitional apartments and homes operated by these member agencies.

“The fact that domestic violence touches so many people has infuriated us,” said Alliance COO Brian Fabiano on the motivation behind his company’s partnership with the coalition. “But we knew that resentment wasn’t enough and wanted to turn compassion into action, so we reached out to RICADV and simply asked how we can help.”

Earlier this year, Alliance made a $10,000 contribution in support of the nonprofit’s education and awareness efforts for Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month in February.

“We commend Alliance Security for making an investment in the RICADV through both financial resources and employee engagement in the work required to end domestic violence,” said Deborah DeBare, executive director of the coalition. “Our foremost goal is victim safety, and through this partnership, we are able to add yet another component to the critical safety net of services and precautions that must be in place for victims of abuse.”

Source - http://pbn.com/Coalition-Alliance-team-for-home-protection,100128

5 Effective Ways to Increase the Employee Turnover

After ensuring that employee turnover is an important factor, in the success of the organization, so here are some of the ways, which can help you in retaining the potential employees in your company:

1. Employee Recognition:

Every employee seeks a valuable recognition. The manager can send the “Thank You” message to the employees or can call a meeting for appreciating the work, which they have done so far for the company. You can also ask for a feedback from them for the company culture or policies.

2. Share personal experiences timely:

It is not possible to have a daily communication with every employee of the company, so that everybody can know each other personally. So the best way is to have timely get together or meetings, where everybody can get the chance to share his likes and dislikes, where one can share what he had for dinner last night. In this way the relationship between manager and peers can be encouraged.

3. Avail them productivity tools:

No job is so easy, this is the reason they are called work. Every employee must have a tool through which he can ensure his productivity. The powerful hardware, software and apps must be provided at no cost to them, where they can track their billable hours easily. Even for a particular project, human resource documents and for sharing the documents, the employees must have the access to all of the utility tools.

4. Offer them the Competitive Benefit Packages:

Since we are here due to our employees, so offering them some of the beneficial and attractive packages can be one of the best ideas to retain them. The health insurance, flexible working hours, disability in life, etc. can make a huge difference in their performance.

5. Volunteer Commitment:

The company can ask to their employees, to stay for a certain period of time at their position in the company. Even by asking for such a favor where you can be assured as the guaranteed employee for at least aforesaid period of time, so as on the other hand the employee can also be ensured for his guaranteed employment without breaking certain mentioned clauses.

Related Article - http://pbn.com/Five-Questions-With-Jay-Gotra,94842

Source - http://providence.storeboard.com/blogs/employment/5--effective-ways-to-increase-the-employee-turnover/658475

Entrepreneurship 101: the Perfect Candidate for Your Team

Henry Ford once said that, “coming together is a beginning, staying together is a progress, and working together is a success.” Whether you are taking a managerial position or embarking on the journey as an entrepreneur, building success from the ground up is not an easy task. To help mitigate any conflicts or problems, it is vital that you establish a team that will support your goals and endeavors every step of the way. At the end of the day, unity is strength. When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. The one thing you can do to control this is the screening process for future employees.

When interviewing candidates, make sure you thoroughly analyze them personally and professionally. Prompt them to speak about their past achievements and professional work experience. In addition, have them highlight their strengths, weaknesses, and future goals, whether that is personal or professional. Do not be afraid to pry. Remember, you are looking for an individual who can work well within your cohesive and goal oriented culture. To make sure that happens, try asking various hypothetical and logical questions so that you can fully evaluate whether or not they possess the personal and professional drive that can lead your company to its goals.

“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.”

Below, you will find five key characteristics a hiring manager should look for when finding the perfect candidate. Looking at these six will help you discovery certain game changers that can adapt, innovate, and drive your company to the next level.

1. Long Term Investment

When interviewing a candidate, try and gauge not just whether the candidate can perform at the expectations of the position, but also whether the applicant is willing to stay at the company for a long period of time. The biggest downfall you can see in any business is the turnover rate on a monthly and annual scale. As much as it can impact the company financially, such as the training cost and time used to coach new employees, it can also affect the company culturally. To prevent this from happening, try and understand the candidate’s professional experience and overall goals. Be sure to ask those overarching questions such as: Where do you see your self in five years? By asking these types of questions, it can make the difference from a person who will stay one year or the next thirty years.

2. Team-Player

At the end of the day, you want your fellow co-workers working as a well-oiled machine. Finding an individual who can represent the collectiveness, vision, and ambition within the workplace can make all the difference in every situation. Even if the position asks for the person to work autonomously, you want to make sure the person is still willing to help out for the betterment of the team. When interviewing a candidate, ask questions of how they worked in groups. Furthermore, dive deeper by asking specific situational examples of a time where they had a problem with an individual and how the problem was resolved. Remember, you want to make sure that the person is willing to put their pride on the side in order for the team to reach their goals. Attaining that, “all for one and one for all,” mentality will allow you to find an individual who can work not just independently, but also within a framework of a team.

3. Passion

This is often difficult to assess. At times, people have their own volition's of why they want a specific job. Your job, in turn, is to find the truth. When looking for an ideal candidate, try and gauge why they want to work for your company. Ask what excites them about the position and what they are looking forward in the future. Through these answers, try and assess the ones that show a high level of passion and enthusiasm. In any work place, passion and enthusiasm are two key components in developing the overall work culture at the office. People who come in with a positive attitude are often found to be more committed to the company and provide more to the work environment.

4. Drive & Ambition

“The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Every business wants to hire driven and motivated professionals. It is these individuals that are willing to go above and beyond what is asked from them. Finding this type of caliber can be difficult in the sense that they are a demanding brand. Because of this, try and offer strong incentives such as salary or benefits to sway the person. For a business to thrive, you do not just want a person who can work the 9-to-5 grind, but a leader who wants to improve each and every day.

5. Results

When investing in a new candidate, you want to take into consideration the amount of time and money used to develop these individuals to perform the daily task asked at the most efficient, effective, and consistent level possible. Because of this, you want to make sure the person is able to deliver results. This does not simply mean succeeding at the average level. Rather this is the idea of putting skills into action. After the training learning curve, it is imperative that your new employee can meet those expectations. When questioning a candidate, ask about their success. Have them tell you their proudest achievement.

Source - http://jgotra.com/entrepreneurship-101-the-perfect-candidate-for-your-team/

The Mind of an Entrepreneur

Whether you have are launching your own personal venture or expanding on an already existing business, one of the most pressing priorities you will need to do as a business leader is to develop and strengthen your entrepreneurial mindset. As an entrepreneur, building a business takes a large amount of time, work, and sacrifice. While draining as it can be, the end result is always worth it. But for this to be done you need to develop an attitude that embraces the overall risk and initiatives involved when becoming your own boss.

So who do you need to become? What do you have to change when running your own business?

In reality, that question changes on a daily basis depending on the situation. But the overall holistic characteristicand definition of an entrepreneur is an individual who is a visionary leader that believes in the impossible and is willing to risk, aggravate, or influence a market with a passion in creating a new and opportunistic change into an already stale system. Furthermore, entrepreneurs face an innate ability to survive. For them, any decision, any choice takes time. They not only see paths and avenues of how it can benefit them personally, but also their company and their employees financially and individually. Regardless of what the outcome is, entrepreneurs accept and adapt to these challenging decisions and take full responsibility for better or for worst.

This might sound like an ambitious persona, but that is what it takes to a true and successful business leader within your company. Below, you will find five habits that cultivate the overall mindset of a successful entrepreneur. If this sounds like you, great! If not, that is okay. To be at this level takes time. All you need to do is learn from yourself.

Learn from Failure and Move On

“I haven’t failed. I just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ~ Thomas Edison

One of my favorites says is, “Do not look at failure as a disappointment, but as an opportunity for success.” While failure and disappointment can be difficult, see this as a positive. Instead of being ashamed of the problem and mishap that you have made, seek valuable lessons from those events. Use those times as a foundation for you to learn from your mistakes. Bare in mind, many successful entrepreneurs have made the same mistakes as you. The only difference is what you are able to do with them.

Stand Out

No, you do not have to be the verbose extrovert you see with Mark Cuban or Steve Jobs. While those personal skills are beneficial, true successful entrepreneurs stand out by embracing their uniqueness. Celebrate what makes you and your company different. Stand out from the crowd and differentiate from your competitors. Think about Steve Jobs’ journey to success. While Windows already saturated a popular and loyal market, Jobs continued to follow his dreams. He even pushed the limits with the music and entertainment industry. If he did not do that, we would not have the innovative technology that is accessible to the public today.

Embrace Life-Long Learning

“If you stop learning, you stop creating history. Eventually you become history.”

The quickest way to stagnation is to be unopened and close-minded to new modes of thinking. As an entrepreneur, you are defined by your ability to adapt to change. To adjust to change is not accepting and moving on. Instead it is learning the new expectations that can lead to success under the new conditions. This is important because at the end of the day, the public’s interest today will be incredibly different from a year from now (five years from now, ten years from now). To succeed with your business, you need to reinvent yourself and in order to do that you need to be in a constant state of learning. This type of education will allow you to grow both personally and professions as you continue to impact your company in a variety of ways.

Set Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”

Goal setting is another way for you to both inspire and challenge yourself in the future. But remember, for this to be beneficial, you need to set quality and tangible goals for both you and your company. Do not settle for simple goals you know you can hit. As a business leader, settings various goals or projections can only be beneficial because there is absolutely no downside to doing so. Yes, it can be disappointing to not hit them, but to see the passion, drive, and push from your workers can be almost everything. In reality, long-term goals and set visions can innovate your products, inspire and drive your workers, and enhance consistency all across the board.

To learn more about creating long-term beneficial goals, take a look at this article here.

Follow Through with your Goals

“If something is important enough, you should try it even if the probable outcome is failure.” ~ Elon Musk

No matter what the goal or the dream is, make sure that you always follow through. For millions of Americans, many people veer away from entrepreneurial field because of the high amount of risk that goes in to owning your own business. If you have an idea or you want to change direction for your business, do it! Just make sure that it is purposeful and beneficial for your company. Yes, there will be some hesitation in the decision. But that is normal. Just accept it and see where it can take you.

Source - http://jgotra.com/the-mind-of-an-entrepreneur/

Pro Tips for Securing Your Home While On Vacation

When you're getting ready for vacation, most of the time your family is planning what to pack, the activities you want to do when you get there, and the other exciting parts of getting away for a few days or so. What you might forget to think about is how secure your home and possessions will be while you're laying on the beach.

A burglar's goal is to get into a house, steal valuables, and exit as quickly as possible without being seen. A family away on vacation is a perfect opportunity. Instead of stressing about your home being burglarized, enjoy your travels in peace by following these pro tips for securing your home:

Talk to Your Neighbors

Communicating with your neighbors is key to making the neighborhood a fun and safe place to live for everyone. Get to know the people living around you so that you feel comfortable calling them before you go away to let them know. Create relationships where, if one of you goes away for a few days or so, then the others can keep an eye on the house. Here are a few other tips for how you and your neighbors can help each other out:

• Let them know that they can park in your driveway or have friends park there. This will make the house look lived in, and the more you can make it look like there are people coming and going, the less likely your house will be targeted.
• Grab the mail - A full mailbox indicates to burglars that there is no one home. Offer to get your neighbors' mail when they're on vacation, and they'll be likely to do the same for your family. A second option is to ask your post office to hold your mail for the days that you'll be gone, but sometimes it's easier to ask a friend or neighbor.
• Pay someone to plow your driveway or mow your lawn - An overgrown yard or snowy driveway tells potential thieves that no one has been home in a while.
• Ask a friend to check in - Have someone you trust stop by the house a few times while you're gone to check on everything.
• Report any suspicious behavior - Always have an open line of communication with each other. If anyone sees something shady in your neighborhood, have a system for telling each other and possibly notifying the police. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Tricking a Thief

There are a few other ways you can trick a burglar into thinking someone is home. Remember that burglars aren't looking for a confrontation - they want an easy job with little chance of getting caught.

• Set automatic lights - Put your lights (inside and outside) to go on and off a few times throughout the night and day, or install a motion sensor exterior light. Bonus tip: Check to see if any streetlights are out near your house. If so, contact your electricity company for a repair.
• Don't change too much about your home - A yard that normally has a hose, toys, tennis balls, and other things lying around should stay that way when you go on vacation. A would-be burglar might notice if suddenly your yard looks empty, the blinds are drawn, and the cars are out of the driveway.
• Hide all cash and valuables left at home - You should never leave anything valuable around the house where it's visible from the outside, but this is especially true while on vacation. Check out some of these unique secret safes you can test out.
• Install window break alarms - This won't necessarily make a burglar think you're home, but it will make them think twice about entering your home.
  
  

Keep Quiet on Social Media

Tempted to post a Facebook or Twitter photo of you and your family at the airport en route to Mexico? Or post a status update about how you're currently sitting on a beach in Spain with a strawberry daiquiri? Don't do it. Burglars use social media too.

Even if your photo doesn't explicitly say you're away from your house, anyone can look up the GPS coordinates of a posted photo. Try it out on one of your own photos to see for yourself. 

Set Your Home Security System

If you don't already have a home security system, you might want to think about installing one while you plan for your vacation. Even if you forget to do all of the above, and it's obvious that your family has left for the week, a security system can deter burglars from targeting your home. On the other hand, houses that don't have a security system installed are 300% more likely to be broken into. Don't give burglars the green light to break into your home.

Let your alarm company know that you'll be away. You should also check that you have a sign outside your home or in your window advertising that your house is protected by a security system.

Implement these pro tips and strategies the next time you go on vacation. Whether you're getting away for a weekend or a two week vacation, enjoy your trip worry-free!

Source - http://blog.alliancesecurity.com/pro-tips-for-securing-your-home-while-on-vacation

AllianceCARES: Securing A Brighter Future for Children with Books

This is the second of a series of posts about Alliance’s CSR by Jake Murray, Vice President of Operations and leader of our employee-driven AllianceCARES initiative. Follow along our journey of building stronger communities.

True, National Reading Month came and went. But that shouldn’t stop any of us from continuing to embrace its essence.

Besides, we’d all agree that rules are sometimes worth breaking — especially when it concerns a child’s access to learning.

And that happened to be the case on Wednesday when we delivered books to Carnevale Elementary School students in Rhode Island’s capital city. This was all made possible through working with an amazing local organization called Books Are Wings.

Books Are Wings

This is a tiny nonprofit with a huge purpose: putting free books in the hands of children. 

Our culture at Alliance Security centers around learning, teaching, and growing. And this needs to be alive — inside out, head to toe among our 500+ employees. After looking into it, Books Are Wings’ tremendous work and focus on empowerment immediately caught our attention.

Later, we discovered that we shared something else in common: we both officially began our work in 2003 (a random fun fact).

A totally relevant fact that we should all know is that children who read at home have higher chances of doing better in school. For more on child literacy, the National Education Association nicely bullets it all out here.

Sadly, huge disparities exist. And they’re pretty upsetting. According to one study, two-thirds of kids in America are incapable of reading at grade level by the 4^th grade. Research shows that this leads to poor school performance in later years.Helping 1 Is Enough, But 400 Is Better

We knew we had to do something. Thankfully, Books Are Wings coordinators Jocelyn White and Kim Nelson showed us how — helping us directly connect 400 kids with books.

Jocelyn and Kim inspired us to run a two-week book drive in March. A huge box in our lobby served as a daily visual reminder for employees to get involved.

Dozens of books later, the next step was to deliver them. A big thank you goes out to Alliance’s Cindy Miranda, Jaime Lee Bunton, and Nathan Brown for making this happen.

This was much more than a drop-off, too. The trio took the time to help the students choose books to take home with them. During the process, happiness and excitement filled the air. I was told that some kids were even in shock because they couldn’t believe all of those books were for them, and for free!

Cindy, Jaime Lee, and Nathan had their hands full with the students — helping out with the book selection process. Requests ranged from books about Spiderman to ones by Dr. Seuss. A picture book on sign language also ended up in the hands of a student with autism who’s learning this form of manual communication to enhance his ability to connect with others.

An elementary school is just one of the many places that Books Are Wings helps. Others include early learning centers and local libraries, as well as Boys & Girls Clubs throughout Rhode Island.

This incredible experience is part of the Book Party Program — a way for Books Are Wings to reach children from low-income families, a group that experiences the largest gaps in reading. To do something and help, go here.

At Alliance, a focus on people in need especially touched our hearts because we’re always looking for ways to help. However we can. For instance, we donate clothes and toys to kids every year during the holidays.

A Special Thanks to Our Partners

This all wouldn’t have been possible without the passion and commitment from certain individuals. One is Michelle Durrance, Carnevale Elementary School's English Arts Language Reading Coach — who coordinated this experience.

Last but not least — on behalf of our family at Alliance — I’d like to once again salute Jocelyn White and Kim Nelson. We truly admire your unrelenting commitment to motivate children to learn through reading.

Thanks for allowing us to be part of your mission at Books Are Wings!

Source - http://blog.alliancesecurity.com/securing-a-brighter-future

What We Can Learn from Elon Musk

When it comes to the vision, mind, and innovative spirit of Elon Musk, we cannot help but stand in awe of the possibilities that he has created for the world. The South African-born Canadian-American business and engineering entrepreneur routinely exceeds the expectations placed on him, and raises the standards for others in his respective fields. Musk’s vision behind the possible colonization of Mars, his role as a driving force with Tesla Motors and his revelations on renewable energy sources have transformed the public’s perception of the near future. Through each venture, Elon Musk seems to harness a heady goal into a tangible objective or plan of action – that will ultimately better the global community.

“I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary.”

During his adolescent years, Elon Musk always showed a propensity for making the impossible dream a reality. At the age of 10, he became obsessed with computers and eventually taught himself how to program. By age 12, he sold his code for a BASIC-based video game called Blastar to a magazine for approximately $500.00 USD. At age 19, Musk continued his studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, only to transfer to the University of Pennsylvania.  While at the University of Pennsylvania, Musk would eventually earn two bachelor’s degrees; a Bachelors of Science degree in physics and a second in economics. While he decided to further his studies at Stanford University with a PhD in applied physics, Musk’s ambitions and aspirations for entrepreneurship in areas of the Internet, renewable energy, and space eventually forced him to leave his program and begin his journey to the man he is today.

The Big Break

With only $28,000 dollars loaned by their father Musk and his brother launched Zip2, a web software company in 1995. The company developed and marketed a city guide for the newspaper publishing industry. After the immediate success from Zip2, Musk used the money to co-found and establish his new venture, X.com. X.com, now commonly known as PayPal, is an online financial service and e-mail payment company. For many people during that time, the idea of transferring funds was unheard of, especially for everyday purchases. The growth was driven by a viral marketing campaign and was eventually renamed and sold to eBay for $1.5 billion in stock, leaving Musk $165 million dollars for a buyout. Even with this financial success, Musk’s interests in space and technology pushed him to forego early retirement and dive into the unexplored world of Mars.

“If something is important enough you should try, even if the probable outcome is failure.”

Mars, the Red Mystery

Driven by the desire and fascination of space, Musk founded SpaceX in 2002. Even though the idea to colonize on Mars had been discussed for decades, the resources, manpower and overall endeavors of his predecessors were always obstructed by the financial burden. For Musk, the cost was not seen as a financial risk, but as a necessity to reach a critical point that would one day change the course of human history. Thus began his work of revolutionizing space transportation equipment. After a holistic view of the materials, production cost and assembly methods with aerospace industry and years of engineering and manpower, SpaceX was successfully able to launch its first rocket in 2008. Since then, SpaceX has tested various ways to create reusable rockets and has also partnered with NASA for transporting astronauts to the ISS.

The Road to the Future

While Mars was in itself a mission for Musk, creating a fully functional electric car was also on his agenda. Martin Ederhard and Marc Tarpenning incorporated Tesla Motors in July of 2003. Musk led the Series A round of investments in 2004 and took active roles within the company during the production and design of the Roadster. During the 2008 financial crisis, Musk decided to assume leadership of Tesla as CEO and product architect. Because of this decision, Tesla Motors was able to build its first electric sports car, the Tesla Roadster. Like Steve Jobs and the first generation Macintosh computer, Musk wasn’t done. He saw the Roadster as the key to unlocking new and innovative ideas that, today, have changed the design and functionality for cars for the future.

Oil and Gas, Uncharted Territory

With Musk already knocking on the door of renewable energy through his electrical cars, it seems like his work is not yet done. Since the early 2000s, oil companies in the United States have invested a large amount of money on wind, solar, and biofuel technologies. With Musk’s new ventures; SolarCity and Hyperloop already making great strides with the public, it will only be a matter of time before we see the new wave for standard transportation and energy. For SolarCity, the mission is to accelerate a mass adoption of sustainable energy. Musk’s work and focus on solar panel energy will eventually produce the necessary resources for the entire human civilization. While it is still in its development phase, one thing we can note for sure is that whatever the end result is, we will definitely see a significant impact on our lives.

Lessons to Learn from Elon

Whatever skeptics have said it cannot be done, Elon Musk has gone out and made the fantasy into a reality. His ideas, drive, and mentality for innovation and business still goes beyond the status quo of a CEO within the private and tech sector of the world. For any leader, you cannot dream yourself a character; you must hammer and forge yourself into one. As a CEO of a security company and mentor to my community, strong culture relies on a single vision, a single belief. Once that belief is intact, it will take a nation of millions to hold us back from our goals. Similar to Elon, our goals should not be just about financial gain, but rather the betterment of our future. It is like what Elon has said, “some people do not like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is a disaster.” For every business leader out there, we hold the keys for success. We can change the world.

Source - http://jgotra.com/what-we-can-learn-from-elon-musk/

Warwick home security company donates alarm systems to victims of domestic violence

WARWICK, R.I. — Feeling safe at home is a luxury for most victims of domestic violence — even long after they have cut ties with their abusers.

Knowing that, a national home security company based in Warwick recently partnered with the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence to give victims that peace of mind.

Alliance Security is donating home alarm systems to clients referred to them by the coalition.

“Feeling secure in your own home is an incredible feeling, and until you’ve lost it, it’s a feeling that most of us take for granted,” Deborah DeBare, executive director of the coalition, said last week.

“I know that firsthand from talking to the families in our shelters,” she said. “Even [when someone] may not want to be in a shelter, we hear people say that they got the best night’s sleep they ever had because they felt safe.”

DeBare said that the idea came from Alliance, which approached the coalition late last year.

“We’ve always believed in giving back to the community, and now, as we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary, we felt we were in a position to do something like this,” Brian Fabian, chief operating officer for Alliance, said Friday.

The company’s executives, he said, felt that providing an added sense of safety for victims of domestic violence was a good fit with their company’s professional mission, particularly because it’s a societal problem that affects so many people.

“It’s a good cause that hits close to home,” he said. “We protect people’s homes and families for a living.”

Alliance has about 100,000 customers in 35 states, Fabiano said, with most of its customer base consisting of residences and small businesses.

The partnership with the Coalition Against Domestic Violence is still getting off the ground, and the first step is to install security systems for families that are just getting back on their feet by moving into “transition apartments” after living in a shelter, DeBare and Fabiano said.

Alliance, Fabiano said, will treat the clients who are referred to the company by the coalition just like any other customer — inspecting their residence and determining what security system is best for them.

Right now, he said, the company has not placed a limit on how many security systems it will be able to donate, and will assess the program as it progresses.

“Actually, our commitment is to see if we can continue this commitment beyond Rhode Island,” Fabiano said. “We’d like to help as many people as we can.”

Alliance this year also made a $10,000 contribution to the coalition to support some of its education and prevention programs.

“This gives us great satisfaction,” Fabiano said. “We want to do the right thing … and that’s part of the culture we breed for our employees.

Source - http://www.providencejournal.com/news/content/20140929-warwick-home-security-company-donates-alarm-systems-to-victims-of-domestic-violence.ece

Alliance Security on State of Mind

(WPRI) — Dan Yorke State of Mind is a television program on myRITV that will tackle the issues affecting everyday Rhode Islanders – from the economy to education, local politics to the lighter side of life – this half hour show promises to be informative and entertaining.

Alliance Security, a local company that helps support victims of domestic violence with RICADV, joined Dan Yorke State of Mind on Monday, October 13th.

Dan Yorke State of Mind airs every weeknight at 7:30 p.m. and will be posted on WPRI.com each night.

Source - http://wpri.com/2014/10/13/1013-alliance-security-on-state-of-mind/

Home security company helping domestic violence victims

WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) – The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence is teaming up with a home security company to help victims of domestic violence feel safer.

The advocacy group has partnered with Warwick-based Alliance Security to offer a free year of home security service to victims moving from a safe home into transitional housing.

“What we found is that clients don’t always feel safe in their home,” said Linda Impagliazzo, Executive Director of Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center In Pawtucket.

The security system goes into the transitional unit where victims live before they move completely on their own.

“It’s something that we’re very proud of.  We feel like it is something that is necessary. It’s something that’s gone way too long without being noticed. I know it’s in the news these days but we want to do whatever we can to help,” said Jay Gotra, CEO, Alliance Security.

The first security system was installed two months ago and several have been installed since.

Source - http://wpri.com/2014/10/14/home-security-company-helping-domestic-violence-victims/

10 Unique Secret Safes to Keep Your Valuables Hidden at Home

You might already have a home security system, but an extra layer of protection from burglars can never hurt. Burglars spend less than 2 minutes breaking into a home, and more often than not, they get away with it. If you can put some effort into concealing valuables in your house, you won't have much to worry about when you're away at work or on vacation.    

We put together a list of the most interesting secret safes that are on the market or can be made with a few materials from around your house.

1. A Floor Safe in the Kids' Room 

Or really anywhere in the kids' playroom or bedroom. A burglar is unlikely to waste his or her time searching the playroom for valuables. Their goal is to get in and out of the house as soon as possible without making a lot of noise. Just make sure it's hidden well enough so that your child won't find your important documents or cash either!

If you choose to go with a floor safe, this can easily be concealed in the playroom closet. A burglar probably won't try to get to a floor safe - even if they find the safe, it can be heavy and difficult to open without making a lot of noise. 

2. Hidden Wall Socket Safe

Image from amazon.com

This wall socket safe is one of the more unique security solutions for storing valuables. No burglar is going to unscrew every outlet in your home to check if it's secretly a hidden safe. You can buy one of these genius designs or make your own for less than $8. 

The only negative is that it will not actually function as a light socket. 

3. Hollow Book Safe

 The classic hollow book safe is a fun DIY project that you can take on this weekend. Hide valuables or other items you don't want to keep out in plain sight. For extra security, place the book on a bookshelf - only you'll know which book is secretly a safe.

Check out the video below for easy steps on how to make your own:

4. DIY Secret House Key Hiding Spot

Image from diyncrafts.com

Not necessarily a safe, but an outdoor stowaway spot for your house key. This is arguably more important than any of the secret safe solutions because you're preventing the burglar from entering your home in the first place. If I had to guess where you leave a spare key, it would be either under a doormat, in a garden pot, or under a garden gnome. Sound familiar? Eight percent of people leave their house keys under their favorite garden gnome. An increasing number of burglars enter through the front door using homeowners' hidden house keys. In fact, about 6,000 burglaries in 2014 did not require the intruder to break in.

Stop making it easy for burglars to access your house. One solution that will allow you to still keep an emergency key outside is the secret rock safe. You may have seen the plastic rocks that have hidden compartments. These are easily spotted as fakes. Instead, create a safe by gluing a real rock to the top of a container. Prescription bottles work great for this - just make sure it will fit your key and be waterproof. 

5. Behind the Television

Image from viralhomes.com

What looks like just a flat screen TV mounted on the wall doubles as a secret storage safe. This is an attractive way to hide other electronics or valuables in plain sight.  

6. Quick Fix Planter Safe

A potted houseplant is an easy way to use something you already have to conceal cash and other valuables. Simply take a prescription bottle or other airtight container and bury it in the planter. That way you won't have to worry about soggy cash when watering the plants. You can also use a rock or decorative pinecone to cover the top of the makeshift safe.

7. Safe or Household Good? 

Image from BeWild.com

The company BeWild takes authentic brand name, everyday items and turns them into secret safes. They are even filled and weighted to feel like unopened containers. You can choose from a container of Dentyne Gum, a Baileys Irish Cream container, and a variety of other household items. 

8. Inside Your Pillow

Image from privacypillow.com

Keeping cash underneath your mattress is an old trick, but what about storing valuables in your pillow? The Privacy Pillow double functions as a comfortable pillow for your bed. An inner pocket allows you to conceal passports, cash, jewelry, and other items. 

9. Secret Stash in the Garage

If you have a garage, this can be a great place to conceal valuables. Most garages tend to be crowded with things that we don't use very often, and a burglar is much more likely to head to the master bedroom than the garage. 

A few ideas for hiding valuables in the garage:

• Cardboard storage box - You can even label it something like 'Holiday Decorations' to make it look even more unobtrusive.
• Empty paint can or cleaning canister
• In a potted plant

10. A Realistic Looking Lettuce Head

Image from bimbambanana.com

One of the last places a thief would think to look for valuables is the fridge. The absolute last place would have to be a head of lettuce inside your fridge. This clever secret safe looks exactly like a head of iceberg lettuce. Definitely one of the more obscure security products out there. The fake lettuce safe is being sold for $99, so while it's not the least expensive solution, it's sure to deceive any unwanted visitors. 

One of these unique secret safes hopefully stood out to you as an interesting solution for storing your valuables while away from home. You might even have a DIY project planned for this weekend!

Source - http://blog.alliancesecurity.com/10-unique-security-solutions-for-your-home