Did I Sign That
April 19, 2018
When I first meet people
They always ask…
So… what do you do…
We save companies money…
That normally gets a pretty positive response…
People like to save money…
Time for a quickie quiz…
How many of you have signed a contract…
Thought you got a good deal
And never looked at the paperwork again
Can I see a show of hands…
You…
Yea…. you over there
Is your hand up…
It looks like you wanted to put your hand up
Come on…
Admit it….we all have done it…
I believe that all of us are well intention-ed…
But… we just get busy
We are always putting out fires
The first thing we do with any new client
Is validate what are you currently paying
Are you paying the exact rate you actually signed for…
Believe it or not…
This is not always the case
I have clients tell me….
Yea… we signed a contract and they told me..
I was well below market prices
I am glad to hear that…
I hope you did get a great deal
But…
Do you mind if I see the contract…
And could we get a copy of your latest bill…
I can’t tell you how many times
We find that the client is being charged
More than what they had signed for
Note: there are times
That the state may approve an additional charge
Due to infrastructure upgrades
But this additional charge
Should be clearly noted on your bill
We always direct the client
To call the provider
And clarify…
Why are we paying this higher rate…
Our contract states we should be paying…
Guess what the response normally is…
Oh, we’re sorry
That was billed improperly
Let us correct that…
We can give you a credit
Or send you a refund
Our clients have received refunds for thousands of $$$
This is your money…
Don’t be afraid to ask for it back…
Always know what you are paying…
And if you are not sure
Give us a call
HBS leaves no stone unturned
In our search for savings
We find ways to save you money
Every Day is a Gift…
Thanks for the referrals
It’s a Miracle
March 23, 2018
Sometime last August
I noticed a small lump on my face
It was on my left chin
Right below my left lower lip
I thought
It is probably an ingrown hair
I’ll keep an eye on it
By the end of September
I noticed it was getting bigger
I went to the doctor for my annual physical
I asked…
What is this little lump on my face
Oh…It looks like a cyst
No one knows why you get them
It could get bigger
It could get smaller
Or just go away
I wouldn’t worry about it
Most doctors don’t like to cut in that area
For there are a lot of nerves in that area of the face
So…I went home thinking
Maybe this will just go away
Another month passed
I noticed it was getting bigger
Hmmmm…
I should probably get a 2nd opinion
Hey hon…
Do you know a Dermatologist I can call…
Just google Dermatologists in the area
See if you recognize any names
I see a name I know
I call their office
I’m sorry….
The Doctor is not taking any new patients
Can you at least give me a referral…
Do you have any names I can call…
I’m running blind here…
I can give you a couple of numbers
Try these…
Kathy….my associate says…
We went to a dermatologist in Voorhees
We liked him
You might want to give him a call
Sounds good…
Give me the number
I called and got an appointment
It’s just a cyst
It could get bigger
It could get smaller
It may just go away
If I were you…
I would probably cut it out
You don’t want it getting infected
That will hurt
I would need to make a small incision
It will take about 15 minutes
You will need about 3-4 stitches
See the receptionist out front
I can do it on Tuesday
Do I really want this cut out…
Stitches…
Let me get one more opinion
I call another doctor…
It’s just a cyst
It could get bigger
It could get smaller
It may just go away
Is it bothering you…
If not…
I would not do anything
If it starts bothering you
Call me and we can cut it out
I would have to cut from here to here
And you would need about 6 stitches
You’ll have a small scar on your face
You’ll look tougher
Like you got cut in a fight
Do I really want this cut out…
Stitches…
I think I like when he said…
I would not do anything
Another 2 months pass
It looks like it is getting bigger
But sometimes it looks like it is getting smaller
All of a sudden…
My lower left lip is getting numb
I am having trouble opening my mouth
My left chin is getting warm
The bump is getting red…
The cyst is infected…
I start making phone calls…
The doctor can see you in 2 weeks
You don’t understand
It’s infected
I need to see someone now
Not 2 weeks
I’m thinking…
My friend is a plastic surgeon
If anybody is going to cut my face
I might as well go to the best
I call John’s office…
I’m sorry
He’s in a consultation
Can he call you when he is done…
He gets right back to me
I am going to call in an antibiotic
Stop and see me Friday
I walk into his office on Friday
Ohhhh…That looks pretty bad…
You still taking the antibiotic…
I don’t think I want to do anything today
I’ll just clean it up
And get all the infection out
He gives me a local
And starts working on the infected area
Everything is oozing out
He explains…
You have body oils under your skin
Sometimes they come together and crystalize
Then they grow a small skin around it
Like a lima bean
To protect it
That’s what a cyst is
I can see the top of the cyst
I think I can get this…
You feeling alright…
Just like pulling a tooth
He goes in and…
POP….
Wow… look at this thing
That’s been in there for awhile
I think we got everything
Just keep Neosporin and a band aid on it
What….No Stitches…
No… I think it is going to heal fine
Come see me next Friday
It’s a Miracle
No stitches
No cyst
And…
1 week later
There is little evidence
That anything was ever done
Thanks John…
Your hands have been blessed by God
Every Day is a Gift
We find ways to save you money…
Thanks for the referrals
Thank
Ode To March
March 16, 2018
Okayyy….
I’ve had enough of this winter weather…
After teasing us with some above average temperatures
During the end of February
March came in roaring like a lion
Below average temperatures
2 Nor’easters last week
1 Nor’easter just missed us this week
And slammed the New England states
Flooding rains
Whipping winds
7 inches of wet snow
(The trees didn’t stand a chance)
Branches and trees were falling all over the place
We even had thunder snow…
I just heard they are tracking another Nor’easter
Heading towards us next week
Tell me when we can start having fun again…
The snow was so wet and heavy last week
I walked out my back door and…
You could hear the trees cracking
I said a quick prayer….
Please God…
No surprises
I called my wife and told her
You better start heading home
And please
Do not pull your car all the way up
To the top of the driveway
Park down by the end of the driveway
Next to my car
Good thing she listened…
I walked out later
And a big branch had fallen
Right in the driveway
Where she normally parks
The guy down the street was not so lucky
As I drove to work the next day
I saw a large limb had fallen
Right on the front hood of his car
Ouch….
Living in New Jersey
We are used to the cold winters
When I say cold winters…
I’m thinking December, January…February
By March…
We’re tired of all this stuff
After all…
We sprang forward last Saturday night
The 1st day of spring is next week…March 20th
Even Easter is early this year…April 1
So how about some warm weather
P…L…E…A…S…E…
Let’s see March go out like a lamb
Every Day is a Gift
We find ways to save you money…
Thank you for your referrals
Back to Reality
February 16, 2018
What a whirlwind
The last week and a half has been…
For all you lifelong Philly fans…
The Eagles finally hit pay dirt
What a game….
It looked like a shoot out
Tom Brady played one of his best games ever
And lost….
Nick Foles was in a zone….
Rather than succumbing to pressure of the moment
Foles took it to a whole new level….
And brought the Super Bowl Trophy
To Philadelphia
My wife and I ran out to Dicks right after the game
And bought shirts for our kids and grand kids
It looked like they were giving away free money…
Hundreds of people making their way
Thru a maze
To the table in the center of Dicks
That held all the shirts
Shirts were flying in every direction
Excuse me…
Where does it say what size this is….
I don’t need that size
Where’s the women’s medium
Are the men’s large over there….
Do you see any youth small anywhere…
We need 3 of them
Now that we have the shirts….
It is hurry up and wait….
Oh….We have to pay for all this fun
$400 later….
We didn’t get home until right before midnight…
Then I said to myself…
It is way past my bedtime…
I should probably go to bed…
Go to Bed….
How could I just go to sleep…
The Eagles won the Super Bowl
And there is going to be a big parade
Anybody else have that problem….
Going to sleep that night…
I was wide awake till about 2:30…
I got a text after the game…
Coming up for the parade
Do you have an extra bed…
Flem was flying in from Florida
This is going to be fun…
The parade went off without a hitch
We took the Speedline over
And watched the parade at 15th and Market
Right by City Hall
Brent hooked us up….
The crowd loved it…
The players loved it…
The police loved it…
We all loved it…
It was a Philadelphia lovefest
People could not stop smiling
And yes…
There were a lot of Eagle chants and singing……
Fly Eagles fly…
Thousands of people singing at once
E A G L E S…..
You could feel the energy all around you
So now what…
It’s……Back to Reality…
Sports radio is a buzz…
Will the Eagles repeat…
What do we do with Foles…
Hour by hour they go on…
We will be hearing the same conversation
For the next couple of months
Hey…
Did you know the Phillies Pitchers and Catchers
Started practicing Feb 14th…
Valentine’s Day
Is this the sign for another lovefest…
The full team starts practicing Feb 19th
It’s Phillies Spring training…
That should help fill the time
Every Day is a Gift
Thank you for your referrals
BICO
January 15, 2018
Baby it’s cold outside…(BICO)
It all started last week
Weather forecasters were calling for a…
Bomb Cyclone
That’s a new name….
Who do they pay to come up with this stuff…
El Nino, La Nina, Polar Vortex and…
Last summer they came out with Dew Points
Now it’s a Bomb Cyclone
An artic blast dipped into the south and came up the coast
It was snowing in Jacksonville and Tallahassee
It snowed in Savannah and Charleston
The storm was 800 miles out at sea
Yet it dumped from 12 – 18 inches along the NJ coast line
While the Phila area got 4-6 inches
I was out shoveling in 2-inch intervals
Easier on the back…
Winds were howling at 30- 40 miles an hour almost all day
Then….
The Bomb Cyclone was officially listed as a blizzard…
The National Weather Bureau defines a blizzard as a storm
which contains large amounts of snow OR blowing snow,
with winds in excess of 35 mph and visibilities of less than 1/4 mile
for an extended period of time (at least 3 hours)
I will say it again….
BICO
I went on retreat last weekend
While there…
I decided to venture outside for a walk
On Saturday the temperature was 8 degrees
With feels like temperature of -4 below
On Sunday…
I woke up and it was 0 degrees
Yea…You got that right…
Zero (0)
The feels like temperature was again -4 below
The rooms were having problems
Keeping up with the frigid temperatures
So…. I just threw on an extra blanket
I drove home from work on Monday
The roads, sidewalks and my driveway were…
One big sheet of ice
It may look nice and shiny from a distance
But it was a real mess
After all this
My wife has just about had it with this cold snap
She walked into our office and said…
“It’s freezing out there
I can’t take this cold anymore
When can we go to Florida”…
She didn’t have to ask me twice…
I booked a flight that afternoon
We’ll just have to tough out the cold
Till mid-February
Every Day is a Gift
Thanks for the referrals
Welcome 2018
January 5, 2018
Who knows where the time goes…..
When we were younger and in school
We had units of measure we used to live by
There was always a holiday in waiting
It helped to pass the time
Knowing that the long Thanksgiving weekend was coming….
In less than a month….
We would be on Christmas break
Now…..
Every year seems to go a little faster
We have become…… beyond teens….
Time just seems to mesh
Just like that….
2017 is in the books
Will 2018 be different
That is up to us
I will be heading to Malvern this weekend
For our annual retreat
This will be 34 years
What a great way to start each year
Taking time to reflect on what happened in my life during the last year
Praying for the wisdom to guide me thru the next year
I will also be Praying……
That time slows down
Helping me to live more in the moment….
It is easy to get caught up in the day to day hustle…
Easily distracted….
Projecting thoughts…
Always looking forward…
Not paying attention to the now…
It is in the now……That peace is found
I pray to ground myself in the now
Welcome 2018
Merry Christmas
December 19, 2017
The spirit of Christmas is in the air
The kids are home from school
Families are making plans to get together
The excitement builds
As you are buying presents
Looking for that one special gift
That will bring a smile to their face
Love is in the air
No matter how your day is going
Many find…
They are lifted by the Christmas spirit
I was speaking with a client recently
And asked how they were doing….
They responded….
“Great…. I wish it was always December.”
Let’s make a special toast….
May your everyday be a December….
Let us take time
To celebrate and give thanks
To the many things
We take for granted
May we always remember…
Every Day is a Gift
Merry Christmas to All
Happy Dance
December 6, 2017
How was your Thanksgiving…
Long weekends are great
Though… they seem to be few and far between
Over the past 39 years
My wife and I have hosted
Thanksgiving Dinner
Christmas Brunch
Christmas Dinner
Just about every year
Except for maybe 4 or 5 times
Not that I am complaining
We love hosting
It is always about getting the family together
Which is increasingly difficult to do…
Everyone has their own schedules
And sometimes it can take several months
To get everyone synced up
Just to sit down and have a meal together
That is what makes the Holiday meals so special
Everyone tries to be there
This year my wife’s brother… Collin
Moved into a new townhouse
A couple of months ago he said
I think Lindsey and I would like
To host Thanksgiving dinner this year
I’m talking…
Music to my ears
Maybe it is time to pass the torch…
That would be great Col
Can’t wait to see the new townhouse
We walk into their townhouse
And the first thing I see
Is a new roasting pan…
With a turkey in it
Janet…
I think Collin and Lindsey are in this for the long haul…
They made an investment
Look at that roasting pan
Janet starts with the compliments…
Love this townhouse…
What a great kitchen…
This meal looks great…
I can’t wait to eat…
This food is delicious…
You guys are doing a great job
Are you guys interested in doing this again….
Lindsey smiles…
I’m glad you like it…
We should make this an annual tradition
Janet starts a happy dance across the floor
Collin says wait a minute…
Do I have any say in this…
No…
I don’t think so….
It looks like you bought a new roasting pan
I would hate to see it go to waste
Love this townhouse…
There’s a big hill in the back
The kids can have a great time
Running up and down that hill
Did I tell you we had a Great Thanksgiving…
Thanks Collin and Lindsey
I heard Elizabeth and Evan are planning to do Christmas
What time should we be there…
The Competitive Advantage
November 9, 2017
Many of the people I talk to
Admit to budgeting by….
How much did we spend last year?
How do you know what you spent last year;
Was the correct amount?
It may be your comfort level amount…
Do not take what you paid last year
As the cost of doing business.
In today’s market….
The competitive advantage belongs
To businesses that find smart solutions
To the challenges they face.
One way to keep this edge is….
By taking control of your expenses.
HBS validates what you are currently spending
Identifies sources of additional revenue
That increase your company’s bottom line.
HBS leaves no stones unturned
In our search for savings.
We find ways to save you money…
How do we do it?
We know where to look…
