Business Etiquette by Sam Black

To know Sam is to love her.  She's a sassy straight talker from NY, who really knows her stuff.  I've had Sam work with my staff in the past on marketing our services.  I was amazed at how quick she is with responses to help overcome objections.  Anyway, here are some thought provoking Tips from Sam on  Business Etiquette.

Brain Exercises

Most of us know how to exercise our bodies, whether we are diligent about it, or not.  But how many of us exercise our brains on a regular basis?  Dr. Pascale Michelon and The Memory Practice are a great resource.  Let me know what you think.  Read more........

China Takes on Its Alzheimer's Problem

(Source: New York Times) - Last year, an expensive, red-brick residential complex opened in Shanghai, equipped with a hair salon, cinema, game rooms and a karaoke suite offering the latest in pop music.The residents are not Chinese yuppies, they are older patients with Alzheimer's disease or dementia in a nursing home that is on the forefront of a new effort by China to deal with its exploding elderly population.

http://www.nytimes.com

"This is the best place we could imagine," says Miao Yuqiang, who helped his 81-year-old mother enroll. "By the time we found this nursing home, we were desperate."

While many countries are struggling to cope with rapidly aging populations, in China there are forecasts that within three decades there could be nearly 400 million people over the age of 60 and, partly because of the one-child policy, a declining number of working-age people to care for them.

Go to full story:

Great Design Makes a Difference: Bartels

Bartels is a door and hardware manufacturer that understands, not just good design, but great design.  Imagine the difference these products can make in your commercial or residential environment.  Be sure to watch the video.

Bartels

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO GET OLD? SEE HOW YOU CAN WALK A MILE IN SHOES OF THE AGING POPULATION

In a Graying Population, Business Opportunity
By NATASHA SINGER
Published: February 5, 2011
C.J. Gunther for The New York Times

IT’S not easy being gray.

For the first time ever, getting out of a car is no picnic. My back is hunched. And I’m holding on to handrails as I lurch upstairs.

I’m 45. But I feel decades older because I’m wearing an Age Gain Now Empathy System, developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Agnes, they call it.

To read on, click here....
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/business/06aging.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1

JANUARY IS ALZHEIMER'S AWARENESS MONTH

GOOD HEALTH BEST WAY TO REDUCE RISK OF ALZHEIMER'S
(Source: The Record)


WATERLOO REGION — The best protection against Alzheimer’s disease is good health through a balanced diet, regular exercise and community engagement, says a Hamilton geriatrician.

“There’s no magic pill,” said Dr. Irene Turpie. “It’s really your own efforts.”

Basically, she said, living a good life offers the best protection against Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.

Go to full story: http://www.therecord.com
or Alzheimers Daily News http://alznews.org/

BEST PLACES TO WORK: How to get there?

Setting your goals? Thinking you would like to see your business on the next list of BEST PLACES TO WORK? There are several benefits that accompany this honor, besides the extra visibility.  

Here are just a few:

• Improved productivity, which yields an improved bottom line
• Improved employee morale, which means less absenteeism and turnover
• Greater ability to recruit and retain good employees
• Prospects like to be associated with "winners"

So now the question is...How do we get there????

White Christmas in St. Louis

Well, we really did it! We had a beautiful snow for Christmas and luckily it was nothing like the blizzard in the Northeast. Just enough to make you want to stay in, all warm and cozy around the fireplace. There is just something fascinating and comforting about the blanket of silence that covers the ground. You can tell it's out there before stepping one foot out of bed.

Our office is closed through New Years, but we will be checking in for messages in case you need us. For those of you who have your own business, I'm sure you understand when I say "you can't turn it off". Regardless of vacation or a special time to relax, I love what I do, so business and clients are still on my mind.

I hope your holidays have been satisfying and that your New Year is filled with good fortune and everything else you wish for yourself. I look forward to working with you in 2011.

Special Matching Gift Challenge

Please support the St. Louis Chapter Alzheimer's Association Matching Gift Challenge. Don't miss out on this opportunity to have your gift doubled through January 15, 2011. Help in the mission to eliminate Alzheimer's disease. Send your donation to:

Alzheimer's Association
St. Louis Chapter
PO Box 96011
Washington, DC 20090-6011

Preventing the Spread of Bacteria...By Design

Recent statistics show that approximately 90,000 people die each year from nosocomial (hospital-born) infections. What you may not know is that there are revolutionary products available to reduce the spread of bacteria, not only in healthcare facilities, but schools, offices and homes as well. I’ve been following several of these products over the years and don’t understand why they are not used more extensively. It’s understandable that even though there is a hospital boom, budgets are tighter due to the poor economy. But does that outweigh the cost of lives and, from a business standpoint, the legal ramifications?

more than good design...improving the quality of environments and helping businesses thrive

What do St. John’s Rehabilitation Hospital, Safety National Casualty Corporation and Go!Spa-Creve Coeur have in common?

These facilities are just a few among the many commercial interior projects I have designed. As a seasoned, hands-on business owner, I take the same great care and pride in the designs of these companies as I do with my own firm.

Safety National Security Corporation – St. Louis, MO
This project, designed in affiliation with ACI Boland Architects, is the new, five-story corporate headquarters for the insurance company, which has been named one of the Best Places to Work in the insurance industry by Business Insurance magazine .

The stately building includes a two-story lobby clad with dark cherry paneling, natural stone floors and columns. It was important to management that the staff was able to share all of the natural light, so sidelights or clerestory windows in perimeter offices and conference rooms allowed the light to flow freely into the open space. There is a state-of-the-art conference facility on each floor, a fitness center complete with a Yoga Room, as well as multi-purpose dining and training facilities. With wellness encouraged, a walking track winds around gardens and a lake behind the building. Interior design responsibilities included programming, space planning, interior architectural details, custom cabinetry and stone work, specialty lighting and interior finishes.

Welcome

This is very exciting and there is so much to tell you. What’s on the agenda? Well, it will change all the time, but you can always count on learning something new.

Included will be information we hope will interest you about both Myra L. Katz & Associates and Aging-In-Place Home Solutions. You will find out what we’re working on currently as well as special points of interest about past projects…photos too.
When new products are introduced at NEOCON (the World’s Trade Fair in Chicago and largest market for the commercial interior design industry), you’ll find the Best of NEOCON in our Blog.

Do state-of-the-art technology introductions in furniture, lighting, floor, wall, window treatments, etc. peak your interest? We’ll keep you on the cutting edge. That goes for our aging-in-place and baby boomer followers too, and includes health and safety updates that affect all of our lives.


If you have a family member with Alzheimer’s Disease, there will be regular updates and tips on how to keep them safe and independent for as long as possible. Hopefully that will make your life easier too. Features will be written by our staff in addition to providing noteworthy articles and links to other sources.

We’ll always include tips for our commercial readers, as well as those that may apply to you on a personal level. If there is a new hot spot in town (or out of town) that screams “good design”, we’ll give you the scoop. Of course, we welcome questions about products, trends and design advice. We look forward to hearing from our followers.