5 Why Telephone Seminars - Training Resources

Understanding LEED for Sustainable Building BenefitsThis teleconference will help you better understand the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, as it was significantly revised in 2009. The comprehensive introductory materials will prepare you for additional training to receive your LEED credential as an accredited professional or LEED AP. In January 2009, the U.S. Green Building Council  more...

Building Preservation: Preventive Measures to Combat Deterioration BenefitsDo you have an old or historic building and just don't know where to begin with condition assessment and repairs or renovations? This information-packed teleconference will cover the nuts and bolts of repair and maintenance of historic, landmarked and old building exteriors. We will help you understand why certain buildings are considered historic and how to preserve their valued  more...

Estate Planning for the Final Years of Life BenefitsEmpirical evidence and directed studies indicate that the majority of Americans fail to plan for their final years of life. Ironically, this is the time when many people are confronted with their greatest challenges and most stressful experiences. This teleconference will cover why people need to plan, what they need to plan for and how to apply proven strategies for dealing with the final  more...

Maintain and Gain Downtown Businesses in a Tough Economy: Key Retention and Recruitment Concepts BenefitsIt is possible to pursue new growth and attend to those who have already invested in your community. In fact, we believe that it should be a goal of every economic development or downtown to have a balanced 'maintaining and gaining' approach to economic growth. This teleconference will illuminate a number strategies and tactics to consider as you pursue this goal. Learning Objectives -  more...

IRS Guidelines for Good Governance and the Continued Tax Exemption of Section 501(c)(3) Organizations BenefitsGiven continued congressional scrutiny of whether tax exemption is a worthy federal subsidy for any type of tax-exempt organization, proper governance and accountability to the local community are key factors that may distinguish the tax-exempt sector from the taxable sector. The Internal Revenue Service, the press and others have linked the need for good governance to the quest for  more...

Avoiding the Pitfalls of GMP Contracting BenefitsAs owners have searched for project delivery systems that reduce the duration from project conception to project completion, one of the most common approaches has included the use of guaranteed maximum price, or GMP, contracts. However, as the use of these contract formats has proliferated, so have disputes that strongly suggest that the parties using them do not fully understand: (a) the  more...

Public/Private Partnerships and Major Infrastructure Construction BenefitsThe term public/private partnership (P3) has recently emerged as one of the latest buzz words in the development area. States and local governments are struggling with resource limitations and ever-increasing demands of infrastructure. The involvement of the private sector offers an enticing solution for meeting massive infrastructure needs. At the same time P3s provide an opportunity for  more...

Economic Nexus Standards in State Taxation BenefitsA state's ability to impose taxes on a multi-state business is limited by 'nexus' standards rooted in the U.S. Constitution. In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed its longstanding rule and held in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota that nexus requires some form of physical presence in the taxing state. In today's economy, however, states are continuing to push nexus limits farther than ever  more...

Common Pitfalls of Certificates of Insurance Benefits'Trust me, we're covered. We have General Liability Insurance.' This statement is also often times followed by an all too common explanation: 'My company employees are listed as additional insured so we are covered.' Certificates of insurance are meant to evidence insurance coverage for landlords and tenants; secured transactions; and other property, casualty and liability exposures  more...

Utilizing Graphs and Charts in Microsoft Excel BenefitsAny Excel user who needs quick methods to show numerical information in a visual way needs to know the basics of chart creation; how (and why) to use different chart types; and how to alter the look of a chart with layout, color and content changes. Depicting data in a chart may reveal a trend that was not so obvious in the numerical data, which often can be dry and boring. That elusive  more...

Fraud and Embezzlement in Nonprofits: How It Happens and How to Prevent It! BenefitsIt's unfortunate, but the reality is that thinking your employees are honest isn't true! This fascinating and practical teleconference will walk you through actual fraud scenarios: discuss how the frauds occurred; and show profiles of embezzlers, why they did it, how they did it and what internal controls would have prevented them. Additionally, you will be provided a valuable handout to  more...

Strategies for Reducing Unemployment Claims Costs BenefitsMany employers, after terminating an employee, focus on defending against a possible discrimination charge or a lawsuit. Unfortunately, they may pay little or no attention to defending against the ex-employee's unemployment compensation claim. Those employers, albeit mistakenly, believe the ex-employee will be awarded unemployment compensation benefits no matter what they do - so why  more...

A Primer on Social Security Disability Law BenefitsThe Social Security law encompasses the Social Security regulations which span nearly a full volume of the Code of Federal Regulations, many volumes of law reporters, dozens of separately issued Social Security rulings and many volumes of internal regulations. This is why most lawyers do not want to develop an expertise in this area. This teleconference is designed to give you a broad  more...

White-Collar Defense Strategies and Developments BenefitsWhite-collar criminal defense is very different from the defense of other criminal cases. It must be approached uniquely from the time an attorney first learns of a client's target status in an investigation through trial. Failure to understand these differences and nuances can be fatal. This teleconference will examine some of these most important distinctions, and discuss the proper  more...

Getting Advice from the IRS: Letter Rulings, Pre-Filing Agreements, TAMS and GLAMs BenefitsMany times clients must have certainty as to the federal tax consequences of a proposed transaction - and while tax opinions are helpful, they do not provide the certainty of qualified advice from the IRS. This teleconference is designed to discuss how, when and why to seek qualified written advice from the IRS, normally in the form of a private letter ruling request, a review of the  more...

15- Minute Expert Adult Patient Assessments: Practical Strategies, Tips, and Updates for Health Care Professionals BenefitsEverything seems to move faster these days and patient care is no exception. The patient's clinical acuities and complexities are increasing and the amount of available time to be hands-on with each patient seems to be decreasing. That is why every health care professional needs to be proficient in assessment skills. This teleconference, '15-Minute Expert Adult Patient Assessments:  more...

Drafting Clear and Enforceable Contracts BenefitsCommercial contracts have become increasingly complex in our litigious society. Why can't contracts just be written in plain language with the common words (and sentence structures) we use in everyday conversation? The truth is - they can! This teleconference is an introductory course on drafting clear and enforceable contracts in a business environment - using language that everyone can  more...

Prevailing Wage Law--An Understanding of The Davis-Bacon Act BenefitsWage and hour laws have become the principal source for the new wave of employment class actions, which often result in hundreds of thousands of dollars, and in many cases millions of dollars, of recoverable damages and attorneys' fees awarded to the successful litigants and their attorneys - in addition to the substantial amount of legal fees and administrative costs incurred by  more...

Medical Identity Theft: Why You Must Prevent and How to Minimize Its Occurrence BenefitsMore and more patient information is being captured electronically, both within the provider setting and remotely from the patients themselves. Additionally, an increasing number of myriad touches of this data occur on a daily basis by various known and unknown entities, not all of whom are authorized or have a specific need to know. In this environment, ample opportunity exists for  more...

How Letters of Credit Work and Why Sometimes They Don't BenefitsThis teleconference will walk you through the steps in the life of a letter of credit, identifying pitfalls along the way. The teleconference will review and illustrate fundamental principles using real-life examples. Our presenter will explain how these principles apply to both commercial and standby letters of credit and how these two types differ. In particular, you'll learn why letters  more...

Collection Techniques for Landlords BenefitsFor many commercial landlords, consistent receipt of rent and other tenant charges is the key to their business. However, as a result of the recent economic downturn, fewer commercial tenants are making these payments on time and in full. Most leases specifically outline collection techniques and security mechanisms (such as security deposits and guaranties), but landlords are finding that  more...

New Rules and Formats for International ACH Transactions nInternational commerce is rapidly growing but with that growth comes challenges, the most significant being the need to track transactions to ensure funds are not being disbursed to or from individuals that are threats to the U.S. The Office of Foreign Asset Control is the government organization that tracks this information. Their regulations require that all international transactions comply  more...

Construction Site Hazard Prevention nSerious injuries, fatalities and citations issued by OSHA tend to involve the same violations over and over again. Penalties can be quite severe and may also result in lost business. Although most companies have detailed safety programs, translation of requirements to field activities may not be consistent. The most difficult aspect of establishing an effective safety plan involves the  more...

Preventing Workers' Compensation Abuse nNationwide, workers' compensation abuse costs the insurance industry billions of dollars each year. It is sometimes called "The Hidden Tax" because each of us absorbs these monies in the costs of goods and services each year. This teleconference will give you a better understanding of workers' compensation abuse, keys to a successful investigation and how to avoid claim pitfalls. This  more...

Understanding the Language of Mold Assessment Reports nLaymen and professionals who do not deal with mold assessment reports on a regular basis are likely to struggle with understanding the language presented in a mold assessment report. They may be prone to accepting the written word of the consultant at face value, without question. This would be a mistake for anyone. For others it could be considered negligent and result in liability. Far too many  more...

Why Is This Guy Still on My Health Plan? nThis teleconference will cast light on an area many employers overlook but which has the potential to create significant exposure - that is, failing to coordinate a company's leave policies with the eligibility and termination provisions of its benefit plans. This results many times in inactive employees (inactive usually because of a disability or other leave of absence) lingering on employer's  more...

7 Questions to Ask When Establishing Cause for Disciplining and Terminating Employees nThis teleconference will focus on understanding and implementing a simple, yet comprehensive approach to investigating and documenting potential disciplinary and termination actions. You will learn seven questions to establish cause for discipline or termination, as well as why proper investigation and documentation minimizes potential for the filing of discrimination claims, decreases settlement  more...

Effective Exit Interviews nMost employers are always looking for ways to improve employee relations, attract new employees and retain the ones they have. But how do you know what to do to improve if you don't know what employees are looking for or why they are leaving? n nImplemented properly, a good exit interview program can provide an employer with a host of valuable information that can be used to improve its employee  more...

Mitigating the Impact of Construction Projects: Hurdles to Project Success nAll construction projects have impacts on their surroundings, including neighbors, businesses, communities and the physical environment. These impacts frequently are the center of controversy surrounding a project and can lead to unnecessary delays, lost productivity, added project costs and bad public relations. This teleconference will provide you with practical strategies for identifying and  more...

Paycheck Calculation Basics nThis is an excellent teleconference for those new at withholding payroll taxes or for those who need a refresher course. You will learn tips on how and why to determine if the worker is exempt or nonexempt. We will cover the calculation of and the maximum deductions for Social Security and Medicare taxes in 2009. n nThere are multiple methods of calculating federal withholding, which one should  more...

Roundabouts: Planning, Design Principles and Current Practices nAlthough roundabouts have proven safety and operational benefits, proper planning and engineering design is essential for roundabouts to function correctly. This brief, yet practical, teleconference is your opportunity to better understand modern roundabouts and their installation, learn specific design skills and current practices, and apply roundabout design principles to projects in your  more...

Updating and Maintaining Wills, Trusts and Estate Plans for the Evolving Client nThis teleconference has two primary focuses. The first part will highlight issues and opportunities for a drafting attorney to revisit and update an existing client's estate plan or prepare an update for a new client with existing documents. This part will focus on when and why clients need to review and revisit their estate plans and how to spot those issues for existing and potential clients.  more...

The Streamlined Sales Tax Project - How and Why It Affects Your Business nThe Streamlined Sales Tax Project is an effort by state representatives to implement a national uniform, simplified system of sales and use tax compliance. After more than five years of their efforts, the Simplified Sales and Use Tax Agreement came into effect on October 1, 2005. The SSTP now includes 19 full member states and three associate member states. Although initially taking effect as a  more...

What You Need to Know About Section 404 Permits nAny proposed project involving wetlands or other waters of the United States is likely to require some type of permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As the federal agency responsible for regulating impacts to wetlands, the Corps' regulations and the permit process can represent a significant part of a project's development. The identification of wetlands or other waters on a project  more...

Preparing a Winning Closing Argument n"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we will now hear closing arguments." Even the most experienced trial lawyer may inwardly quake when the judge utters these fateful words. But what makes for an effective closing? Do closings even matter? When should you object? Should you really start preparing your closing the day you get a new case? These are questions that are not addressed in law school, and  more...

Overcome Your Competition: Stand Out in a Crowded Marketplace nYear in and year out, sales professionals invest their time and their organizations' money along with leveraging high-priced resources in sales pursuits, but walk away with no fruit for their labor. This percentage varies from company to company, but on average the percentage of opportunities pursued and not closed is well over 50 percent! Extensive studies have proven this excessively high  more...

The Complete Closing Checklist nMany individuals involved in commercial loan transactions never fully understand all the steps and details that go into closing a real estate loan transaction. They understand their participation in the transaction, but do not comprehend everything else that is involved before a transaction can actually close and fund. This teleconference will provide an overview to understand the entire process  more...

Return on Investment for Wellness Programs nMounting evidence indicates that worksite wellness should be part of every strategic health plan. These plans can offer a valuable tool for employers to promote a fit and health-conscious work force that will save employers money by keeping health insurance premiums down, reducing workers' compensation costs, and by increasing productivity and decreasing lost time. Implementing a plan takes time,  more...

Estate and Gift Tax Audits nThe first question the executor asks when the estate tax return is selected for audit is "why this return?". What was it about the return that caused it to be selected for IRS examination? n nThis teleconference answers that question and many more related to the subject of estate and gift tax return audits. Learn about the characteristics that trigger audits and why some estate and gift tax  more...

AIA and ConsensusDOCS Contract Documents: Comparison and Contrast nHardly a business day goes by in the construction industry when the parties involved in the construction contracting process encounter standard form contract documents. Two of the principal sources of such standard form construction contract documents have both recently issued the 2007 editions of their respective families of contract forms. The long established family of documents published by  more...

From Contact to Contract: The Ladder Approach to Managing a Sale nMost salespeople follow a chaos theory of managing a sale - whatever happens, happens. Consequently, after leaving an initial meeting with a prospect they wonder how, when and why they should reconnect with the prospect. Not only does this lead to lost opportunities, even with prospects who do become clients the process is difficult, fraught with worry and uncertainty, and wastes a great deal of  more...