Friday, April 22, 2005

Our thanks to



For more information, click here.

for sponsoring this issue of Member Update!


In this issue:

Association News

Thank You to Our Golf Tournament Sponsors

NBFAA and AIREF would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support of the 2nd Annual AIREF/NBFAA Golf Tournament. Their support not only makes the tournament possible, but it also defrays costs to ensure that the maximum amount of funds go to AIREF research projects, which benefit our industry.

Please join us in extending a hearty "Thank you!" to all of our Tournament sponsors!

WEINSTOCK AWARD LEVEL SPONSORS

                    

JACKSON AWARD LEVEL SPONSORS

                     

                                                              GOLF CART & EVENING
            LUNCH SPONSOR                       EVENT BAR SPONSOR           

                                                                 

                 POST PLAY COCKTAILS SPONSOR                      PRIZE SPONSOR

                                                

DRIVING RANGE SPONSOR                     PUTTING GREEN SPONSOR

                                                                                 

Please join us in extending a hearty "Thank you!" to all of our Tournament sponsors!

Hole-in-One Sponsors: Brinks Home Security, Buchanan Ingersoll, SageQuest, Sedona Office

Hole Sponsors: California Alarm Association, Connecticut Alarm and Systems Integrators Association, GE Monitoring, Louisiana Burglar & Fire Alarm Association, New York Burglar & Fire Alarm Association, North Carolina Burglar & Fire Alarm Association, Pennsylvania Burglar & Fire Alarm Association, Rapid Response, Safeguard Security and Communications, Security America Risk Retention Group, Smoky Mountain Internet Services, Vector Security, Washington Burglar & Fire Alarm Association

Gift Sponsors: ADI, Altronix, Aramark, Bosch, Honeywell Fire, NAPCO, OzVision, Paige Electric Co., Pelco, Security America Risk Retention Group, Sedona Office, System Sensor, USA Central Station

In Kind Sponsors: SDM, Security Dealer, Security Sales & Integration, Security Systems News

Be sure to join us for the 3rd Annual "Golf without Guilt" event on April 4, 2006!!

Upcoming NTS Classroom Courses - Mark Your Calendar

The following is a listing of upcoming NTS courses scheduled for next month around the country. For more information on a course, contact NTS at 866-636-1687 or by e-mail at nts@alarm.org.

Complete course schedules for 2005 are also available at www.alarm.org/nts/. These schedules are updated regularly, so be sure to check back often.

Don't forget that online NTS training is also available! Alarm Technician (Level 1) and Fire Alarm Installation Methods (FAIM) are online, with Advanced Burglar Alarm Technician (ABAT) coming later this year.

Advanced Burglar Alarm Technician (ABAT)
May 14-15 - Lafayette, La.
May 19-20 - Milwaukee, Wis.
May 19-20 - Pittsburgh, Pa.

Certified Alarm Technician (Level 1)
May 4-6 - Long Island, N.Y.
May 5-7 - St. Louis, Mo.
May 6-8 - Del City, Okla.
May 13-15 - Montevallo, Ala.
May 13-15 - Chattanooga, Tenn.
May 17-19 - Wichita, Kan.
May 17-18 - Kansas City, Kan.
May 20-22 - Bossier City, La.
May 24-26 - Little Rock, Ark.

Electronic Access Control (EAC)
May 6-7 - Cromwell, Conn.
May 18-19 - Beltsville, Md.

Fire Alarm Installation Methods (FAIM)
May 6-8 - Del City, Okla.
May 11-13 - Rochester, N.Y.
May 17-18 - Pittsburgh, Pa.
May 19-20 - Greensboro, N.C.

Life Safety Code Course and Workshop (LSC)
May 6-8 - Del City, Okla.
May 7-8 - LaPlace, La.
May 20 - Nashville, Tenn.

Practical Electronics (an NTS Level 2 course)
May 6-8 - Del City, Okla.

Security Networking Institute
May 13-14 - Nashville, Tenn.
May 17-18 - Jacksonville, Fla.

Member News

Brink's Home Security to Open Second National Customer Contact Center

NBFAA member company Brink's Home Security, Inc. has selected Knoxville, Tenn., as the location for a new alarm monitoring and customer care facility. The 50,000-square-foot facility will be built on a 9.6-acre parcel of land in the Pellissippi Corporate Center.

The new facility will complement the company's Home Security National Support Center, located in Irving, Texas, and will provide additional capacity and enhanced disaster recovery capabilities. When the center is fully staffed, it will accommodate more than 400 monitoring operators and customer care specialists to provide quick response to alarm signals and inquiries from customers throughout the United States and Canada.

Brink's anticipates the new site will be operational in early 2006.

We want to hear from you. If you have a story you'd like to share with other NBFAA members, contact us at 301-585-1855 or by e-mail at communications@alarm.org.

Member Benefit Spotlight: Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc.

Without a doubt, health insurance is one of the largest expenditures for any business, and costs have risen substantially over the last few years.

NBFAA recognizes that finding affordable health insurance can be especially difficult for its members. Through a partnership with Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. (MMIC), NBFAA members can receive personalized health insurance-needs analysis from an impartial consultant.

Because MMIC has no ties or obligations to any one insurance company, its representatives are free to represent NBFAA members without any restrictions.

Among the benefits NBFAA members receive through MMIC's service are:

  • Choice of plan designs
  • Choice of deductibles
  • Choice of doctors, specialists and hospitals
  • Choice of doctor office co-pays
  • Choice of prescription drug card co-pay
  • Choice of co-insurance options
  • Choice of optional benefits

Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc's. service is just one of the many benefits available to NBFAA members. For more information and a customized quote, contact Ed Sturcek at 800-349-1039 ext. 15, or visit www.mmic.com. A complete list of exclusive NBFAA member benefits can be found at http://www.alarm.org/members/resource/discounts.html.

Industry News

FCC Establishes Sunset Clause for Analog Cellular Networks

For technical, service and business reasons, the FCC has decided to terminate the requirement for cellular providers to continue to support Advanced Mobile Phone Systems--AMPS--(analog) networks on February 8, 2008. This "sunset clause" was established in order to provide enough time for AMPS service customers to find wireless alternatives before the service can be discontinued.

Cellular carriers are generally motivated to terminate their AMPS cellular service for cost, service and efficiency reasons compared to the newer digital cellular networks. While some providers may continue to offer AMPS service, there is no guarantee that they will. And because this deadline has already been extended once before, it may be extended again at some point.

So how does this affect you and your business? Ultimately, the decision will impact whether product changes will need to be made now or later. Should the FCC maintain its decision to cancel AMPS networks, many of the systems you now install may need to be replaced to comply with these changes. NBFAA is investigating this issue and will keep you informed of any updates either in future editions of Member Update or on our website, www.alarm.org.

Business News

The Secret to Success? It's in Your Mind
Courtesy of SCORE

You have probably heard the story of the little train engine that used its own will power to climb what, at first, seemed to be an impossibly steep hill. The same power of positive thinking can also help you tackle the challenge of becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Your attitude toward business directly affects what you achieve. The moment you become a business owner, you represent yourself, the business and expectations for success. Your attitude and manner convey your confidence and commitment to small business. Be sure both represent a can-do outlook.

Many entrepreneurs confess that they get a charge from the desire to succeed combined with the hard work of the real world. If you never underestimate the competition, you never underestimate your ability to rise to the occasion. Small business is dynamic and your energy level, both real and perceived, influences how successful you will be in the marketplace. In the small business world of modest profit margins, fierce competition and time constraints, don't be guilty of the four cardinal "can't do it" ways of thinking.

  • I can't. I have no time-I'm busy handling what I have now.
  • I can't. There is just not enough money to do everything.
  • I can't. My competitors are making the market too tough.
  • I can't. Technology will only complicate my business.

Of course, not every opportunity can be seized, nor are there always funds available to pursue goals. Competitors will always be there. You will constantly need to learn new things to stay in business. Yet, those people you most admire in business look not at obstacles but at opportunities. That spirit of can do - what can we do today, what will we do tomorrow, and how we will succeed - is the essence of success.

Successful business people know where their businesses are going. They have a plan that they follow to the letter to achieve their clear goals. Mentally prepare for success. Develop the "can do" outlook. Be the motivator, the dreamer and the real world implementer. Commit yourself to balancing the world of possibilities with the business realities. You set the tone for your business. Customers, colleagues, employees, and lenders all look to you to gauge the value and strength of your business. Your positive attitude and energy signal the vitality of this small business.

Every entrepreneur should have a sounding board outside the business-be it a colleague, friend, or business counselor. Get different perspectives. Gain energy from other's ideas as well as your own.

SCORE is a non-profit organization of more than 10,500 volunteer, business counselors provide free and confidential to veteran entrepreneurs and those just starting out. (this sentence reads funny…like it is missing a period or a word) For the SCORE chapter nearest you, call 800-634-0245, or sign up for email counseling at www.score.org.

For Member Update Sponsorship information contact
NBFAA Director of Business Development Tonja Jenkins.

If you have questions, comments or concerns about Member Update, please contact the Communications Department.
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