By Alesha Combs

A recent study found that with 26% of Alaska’s businesses being female owned, Alaska now ranks #1 for largest percentage of female owned businesses in the country! Female empowerment has been an ongoing discussion across the nation, but as a woman in Alaska who loves my job, and loves shopping local, I was thrilled when I heard this.

I’m fortunate to work for a company that has a balanced mix of men and women and plenty of opportunity and willingness to advance each person who rises to the occasion. But one of the things I enjoy most about working for RISQ, is that we get to support the success of our local business owners and their employees. Today I want to give a bit of extra support to some of the wonderful female-owned businesses here in Alaska. 

Blogger Wandering Chocobo, aka Susanna Kelly, put together a list of some of Alaska’s female-owned businesses, and notes that, “Every dollar spent at one of these businesses supports the local Alaskan economy and the savvy female entrepreneurs that make it so great.”

https://wanderingchocobo.com/alaskan-women-owned-businesses-female-entrepreneurs-tourism/

By Aimee Johnson

I value myself on being organized and able to manage multiple projects, timelines, and execute to the needs of my clients – with the exception of my dreaded inbox. Email management is my arch nemesis and biggest time suck.

I wish the solution was something as easy as asking my supervisor and peers for their tips and tricks in this area. What I learned from this is that we ALL struggle in this area in some aspect and there is no magical solution.

Why is email management so difficult? We can complete this task from anywhere that we can access our email and it shouldn’t require too much, if any, collaboration or team work. So it should be straight forward, right?  

Hubspot created an article, “4 Unique Strategies for Reaching Inbox Zero”. I plan on implementing and testing these for Outlook during our busiest time of the year – 4^th Quarter. I hope they will provide relief and increase my sanity. Stay tuned for my follow-up on my results and feedback to Inbox Zero.

https://blog.hubspot.com/service/inbox-zero

By Aimee Johnson

Has an email ever rubbed you the wrong way? Do you have to confirm where to pin your name tag every time you head to a networking event? Have you ever listened to your conference line’s tinny music for over 10 minutes waiting for your forever-tardy team to call in? Why does this keep happening, you ask? Is business etiquette a thing of the past?  

If you’ve asked these questions, you’re not alone. As technology changes and cultures clash, the ways we communicate with each other evolve — and during our 9-5 rush, sometimes it can seem like etiquette and simple manners are left in the dust.

Though they may seem small and irrelevant, I believe these small details can be powerful and set you apart in such a competitive market we live in today. There’s a renewed interest in etiquette. If you want proof, head over to YouTube and type in “manners” and you’ll find thousands of results.

Anywhere you go online you’ll find netizens with questions on proper manners, how to handle certain situations, corporate etiquette, and more.

Below are some great resources for various etiquette topics to help you in your personal and professional endeavors:

• Anna Post: Anna offers wedding and lifestyle advise, though you can find tips on language barriers at work and responding to a client’s note of appreciation on her business advice blog.
  
  
• Diane Gottsman: Diane shares insights on everything from table manners to New Year’s resolutions. Here are great tips on professional etiquette and LinkedIn interaction.
  
  
• Jacqueline Whitmore: Check out her thoughts on the benefits of handwritten letters.
  
  
• Sharon Schweitzer: Sharon offers advice for anyone with questions about corporate and business etiquette. Here are tips for writing emails to international business contacts.

Why is business etiquette still important?

Etiquette is respect in action. Manners are a way of showing people we care about them and/or their ideas. This can help break down barriers and start relationship and trust building.

Sending an email or handwritten letter following an introduction or client meeting takes time and effort. Investing time in another person show them that you value and respect them. You’re not just telling them; you’re showing them proof.

Etiquette boosts morale. Think about when you were first starting your career — when the boss stopped by your desk to congratulate you on meeting your goals last quarter or asked for your feedback on a new project, how did it make you feel?

Etiquette allows professionals of all levels to show their employees that their wants and needs are important, and that their hard work is appreciated. The strongest companies are formed when everyone feels a sense of shared respect.

Etiquette is contagious. The great thing about office etiquette is that it’s contagious. By leading by example, one manager can influence others to adopt a new attitude. A single member of a company can completely change workplace dynamics for the better.

When YOU put a value on etiquette you inspire your colleagues to follow in your footsteps. Make it part of your personal brand and culture!

Etiquette reduces stress. There will always be some stress in your workday. If there isn’t, there should be — a healthy amount of stress shows you’re challenging yourself and taking the risks needed to exceed your goals. But if you dread opening an email from the director of marketing or asking the IT department for help with a server issue, that stress can definitely stall your work, sabotage your goals and even derail your career.

Think of proper corporate etiquette as the grease that keeps your productivity train rolling. When you practice etiquette in all of your interactions, you maintain healthy relationships with, leads, clients and colleagues and your lines of communication retain a healthy hum.

Etiquette raises your brand image. “So honey, how was your day?” When you’re asked this question, is your answer usually positive or negative? How do you think others would respond?

If you think about it, people are talking about your brand every day — and they’re doing it around dinner tables and happy hour menus. Putting an emphasis on etiquette can ensure the picture others paint is a positive one.

By Ashley Snodgrass

What do you do when you get a bill from your doctor or an Explanation of Benefits from your insurance company that doesn’t look quite right? Maybe you have been asked to pay more because a service wasn’t covered, or the claim was processed out-of-network (even when you know your doctor is in-network)? If you’re like most people, you likely grudgingly pay the bill and move on.  Before I worked in the health insurance industry, I did the same thing. Primarily, because as a young adult I had no idea how insurance was supposed to work. I also didn’t know what to do if something was processed differently than I anticipated.

I recently stumbled across an article written by an owner of a healthcare advocacy company, where she detailed issues she had trying to sort out an issue with an insurance company for her father. She shares valuable recommendations to help readers get better results when trying to sort out issues with your own insurance company. I encourage you to check it out to learn more about how to work with your health insurance company:

Recommendations for Managing Your Insurance Company

By Dena Lythgoe

Mining is one of the toughest industries in Alaska with some of the toughest Alaskans running and operating these endeavors. With over 4,500 direct mining jobs in Alaska and 9,000 total direct and indirect jobs attributed to the Alaska mining industry it is surprising to know the majority of the operating mines in Alaska are considered small. There are countless small placer mines throughout Alaska with few employees and seasonal operations and no matter how large or small, there are always risks associated with operations.

The initial process for a startup mine is primarily related to exploration which in some instances may not be that much different when compared to placer mining from a risk standpoint. The exploration phase can consist of operating equipment and commercial autos, hauling fuel and hiring employees. The size of the operation will determine the amount of risk that can be financed through insurance in order to provide adequate protection. Below you can review simply worded insurance descriptions based upon standard risk exposures that can be associated with operating a mine.  

1. General Liability: this coverage provides protection for the policy holder against third party property damage and bodily injury. This is the policy that will defend your actions should a third party (not an employee or volunteer) become injured due to your business operations. A standard commercial general liability policy should have no less than $1,000,000 per occurrence.
2. Commercial Auto: a commercial auto policy is different when compared to a personal auto policy. Typically, the limits are higher and the policy is set up to include multiple drivers which are listed on the policy. For proper protection the business should own or be included on the title of registration. The limits recommended for a commercial auto policy should be no less than $1,000,000.
3. Workers Compensation: mandated by state law, each operation that has employees must have a workers’ compensation policy providing protection for the employee for work related injuries. Workers compensation also has protection for the employer. Should the employer knowingly have the employee perform an unsafe operation, the employees’ family has the ability to file suit against the employer. The Employers’ liability portion of the policy will provide defense for the employer.  The limits for this coverage can be as low as $100,000 for employers’ liability. For a minimal increase in premium the limits can and should be increased to $1,000,000
4. Inland Marine: every mine has heavy equipment used to extract natural resources from the ground. Don’t let the name of the policy confuse you. Inland marine is property insurance for property in transit over land i.e. backhoe, loader, scraper, dozer, etc… The inland marine coverage is for the physical damage of the property. Vandalism, theft, and collision are all covered types of losses associated with the majority of inland marine policies. If you have a bank holder lien on your property (equipment) the bank will require physical damage coverage for the property and the inland marine policy is where you will find this coverage. This is an optional coverage as it is a property coverage for your equipment. Varying risk factors associated with each business will help make a determination if coverage should be purchased.
5. Pollution: where do you get the fuel for your seasonal operations? If you have on site storage for fuel a pollution policy may be something to consider. If a spill of fuel or any non-native contaminates occur to the site, a pollution policy can be in place to provide protection. Be prepared to fill out information associated with the types of fuel containers and safety procedures associated with the fueling operations as well as operations associated with the maintenance of equipment on site.
6. Property: a property policy will provide coverage for property listed at a specific location. This policy protects items such as buildings and can be extended to business personal property including coverage for tools within a certain distance to the covered location/building. Depending on the location of the building certain coverages may be limited. For instance, a building without any fire protection equipment may be very expensive, if coverage can even be provided. Should this policy be something of interest make sure to contact your broker and advise the safety features that are in place to avoid the risk of loss.
7. Umbrella/ Excess: this policy is an extension of limits over the underlying policy. For instance, an underlying general liability policy has limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and a loss occurs of $1,500,000. The standard underlying policy will only pay up to $1,000,000 and no additional coverage would be provided unless an umbrella policy was also in place. The additional $500,000 would then be applied to the Umbrella policy which would provide additional limits of coverage. Umbrella or Excess policies cannot extend property limits therefore it is imperative the limits on property insurance are fully insured to the correct insurable value.

Above are the most common and basic coverages for the many types of businesses including mining operations. As with any industry, there are variations to risks. A small placer mine would potentially have less catastrophic exposure than an underground mine that also has blasting operations. The operation descriptions provided to your insurance broker will help determine the type of coverage, stability of operations and risk associated to the operation. All insurance carriers want to know what they are insuring and the more information provided regarding the operations the higher the likelihood the business will have adequate protection.

Risks associated with hard rock, drilling, blasting and underground mining have specific risks that have specific coverages. Some of the policies associated with the ‘riskier’ exposures can be expensive, minimum premiums of an individual policy can be $5,000 or higher annually. In order to keep cost down the insurance carriers want to know types of loss control in place such as training, continued education, safety meetings and occurrence of safety meetings, length of blasting experience and education associated with mining. It is advised prior to beginning any physical operations each business owner speak with an insurance professional and educate themselves on the types of risk as well as the types of policies and associated costs.  With each policy provided there could be limitations and/or coverage enhancements that could provide additional protection.

By Joshua Weinstein

Luka is our family’s Siberian Husky.  I have many adjectives to describe him, but in short, he’s a friendly dog who rarely barks.  He prefers dirty over clean and sheds to no end. He also has allergies that make his vocal chords reverberate as though he and Chewbacca are related.  Like most huskies, he howls; however, Luka’s howling has always sounded more like a frantic and panicked guttural scream.  My daughters enjoy getting Luka to yell, and sometimes he just goes off without their advance prompting.  Concerned passerby outside our duplex have even wondered if someone were getting hurt, and I literally brought Luka outside to assuage their worries.

One afternoon, my eldest daughter, Valerie, was in her room doing homework and Luka started his ritualistic howl.  She grabbed her iPhone, recorded the performance, posted it to Twitter, and the rest was wildly unanticipated.  Over 5 million views and retweets later, Luka went viral.  At first, it was cute and fun.  Then, the monetization and royalty offers came.  At 18, Valerie was legally able to sell the rights to her 30-second clip, and fortunately, she consulted with me on the legitimacy of the company and proposition.  After researching the topic, I became fascinated by the evolution of what was once just TV viewers watching “America’s Funniest Home Videos” hosted by Bob Saget.  (Incidentally, the show has been renewed through its 31^st season.)

Valerie sold the rights to Luka’s video, and the money started rolling in.  For a freshman in college, the funds provided respite on tuition and car payments and afforded her some extra cash to save and spend.  I was fascinated and gently encouraged her to upload more content.  Valerie will be 22 soon, and she’s netted over $10K from the British media rights company that periodically sends “Luka money” her way.  The classic Luka videos have been remixed, and the YouTube comments show his fan base is alive and well.

Needless to say, the ability to share video content carries abundant risk and raises privacy concerns, but this Luka business seemed innocent enough.  There are just so many clips that have become staples of our current generation.  Of those, just a minority go viral and even fewer are culled and selected for being licensed.  I’m still sorting through my emotions of having my dog’s wailing propagated as media rights property.  Advertisers and algorithms benefit from swarms of online content consumers.  In the meantime, and years later, Valerie still receives periodic deposits into her account – her cut of the revenue that’s been generated.  All I suggest in return is that she set aside a portion for taxes and give Luka a well-deserved bone.

What do you think about monetizing cute home videos on behalf the world’s internet community and the advertisers that support it?

Here’s the YouTube version of the viral Twitter videos- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_CUrv0aezI

By Joshua Weinstein

I don’t know about your headspace, but mine can race, get easily distracted, and go way too fast.  The world moves and changes so quickly, and quite frankly, unless I get a dose of mindfulness on a regular basis, I become a disservice to those around me.  The consequences of not slowing down and opening my eyes to what’s really important are numerous, and I gather you know they’re not good.  A tech-infused remedy is meditation on tap, via an app for your mobile device called Insight Timer. 

The health benefits of meditation are scientifically proven, and better yet, the app is free to download and use.  There are hosted meditations of varying durations and topics, timed periods of silence concluded with your choice of ending “bells”, and a variety of ambient background sounds.  There are also courses for those committed to their personal path toward enlightenment and self-realization. Those brand new to the practice, or with years of experience, will find one of the most highly rated downloadable apps, one that claims to be voted as the happiest app in the world.  So, might I suggest taking three slow, deep intentional breaths and then checking out this community of meditators?

https://insighttimer.com/