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Daily Hampshire Gazette Features Jamie Caplan
February 22nd, 2010
Jamie Caplan
Job title and company: Founder and president, GivingPreparedness, Northampton, www.givingpreparedness.com [1]
Age: 43
Your duties: My favorite part of the job is working with customers. I like discussing people’s risks and helping them to understand how they can mitigate those risks. I’m proud that I can offer a product to meet their needs. I also love to research and experiment with new products as we develop additional gift boxes. In terms of my day-to-day work, I do a bit of everything – from customer service, to product development and marketing. I surround myself with a great team of local experts who provide support for shipping, Web design and bookkeeping.
How did you land your job? I have two kids, six pets, aging parents and a business. I began to realize that, like me, many people have these responsibilities as well as a desire to get prepared. GivingPreparedness is the answer for busy people and businesses who know they should prepare for disasters but don’t have the time or the know-how to get started. I created this job as a way to use my expertise in emergency management to help small businesses and citizens prepare for disasters.
What’s most challenging about your work? I have my hand in everything, which is challenging. Yet, it is also what I most love about being an entrepreneur. Because I juggle many aspects of the business, I take the time to keep the big picture in mind. That seems to help.
What is your key to success? I sell a unique and quality product in three sizes: safe, safer and safest to meet the needs of a large customer base. I am honest with and respectful of customers, vendors and co-workers and I combine this with a strong work ethic and a ton of persistence. It all adds up to a chance for success.
Why did you choose to do business in the Valley? We cannot stop winter storms from creating hazardous conditions, nor can we prevent hurricane strength winds from knocking down trees and power lines. However, we can prepare our loved ones and our customers for these and other disasters that may come their way. For example, we can post the Poison Control Number (1-800-222-1222) near telephones and we can have first aid supplies on hand to treat minor injuries.
Who has helped mentor you professionally? I have the pleasure of working with many national experts in the field of emergency management. Several of them have mentored me professionally. My mom is a great role model. When I was growing up she ran her own business and raised two kids. She seemed to juggle everything with incredible efficiency and a good sense of humor.
Name a few of your goals for the coming year: GivingPreparedness is not just about sending emergency supplies such as flashlights, energy bars and emergency stickers; it is about education. Each of our boxes comes with information about how to prepare for and respond to a disaster. This year I want to expand the reach of GivingPreparedness and document success stories detailing how our products have helped those who use them. I would like to see GivingPreparedness Gift Boxes sold in veterinary offices and I would like to see real estate agents and automobile dealers give them as gifts to their customers.
Tell us a little-known fact about you: I do the Daily Jigsaw Puzzle on the Addicting Games Web site every morning before I start work.
What is your advice to others seeking business success? The Valley is full of resources. Utilizing these resources benefits our entire community. I recently joined the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce and I’m taking advantage of all it has to offer.
Links:
[1] http://www.givingpreparedness.com
We Joined OpenSky
February 19th, 2010
OpenSky is an online marketplace. They call it Modern Main Street. Basically, it’s an online mall of unique products recommended by some very well respected bloggers and professionals. We now have a shop at OpenSky which you can visit at http://givingpreparedness.theopenskyproject.com. And we have become a supplier to OpenSky, which means our gift boxes are in other shops on the site as well.
I encourage you to take a look. We’re happy to have joined and view it as a unique opportunity toward our quest to get safety supplies into the hands of as many people as possible.
Do You Need to Become a Survivalist?
February 9th, 2010No. Absolutely not.
You do need to prepare for disaster. But, do not try to prepare for the world to end.
The best way to accomplish preparedness is to understand your risks. Ask yourself these questions:
1. What natural hazards occur in my area? (For example, floods, earthquakes and ice storms.)
2. Who am I responsible for and what are their special needs? (For example, infants, seniors, people with disabilities.)
3. Does my lifestyle include travel to an office or school?
Use the answers to these questions to begin determining what you need toward preparing for disaster.
For instance, if you live in an area with the possibility of earthquake you should know how to shut off the gas in your home and office. You will probably need a gas shut off wrench for this. We include one in the Ready Home Gift Box.
If you are responsible for people who require medication on a regular basis then you should make sure their medications never run out. You should also document the names of their doctors and the names and doses of their medications.
If you and your family head out in different directions for work and school, you should have a plan of where to meet if you can not return home. You also should have an emergency contact person out of state who can take calls from your family during a disaster. Frequently land and cell phone lines become jammed in an area affected by a disaster, it can be impossible to make local calls.
I encourage you to be reasonable and prepare for what is likely to occur. And, I remind you to never become complacent about preparedness.
Listen to Craig Fugate’s Message and Read Between the Lines
February 3rd, 2010
San Antonio, TX, August 29, 2008 -- Gerry Stoler, FEMA Operations liaison, talks to cab drivers who are participating in the evacuation program in Texas. FEMA is working with State, local and other Federal agencies in a joint operation in preparation for Hurricane Gustav's land fall. Photo by Patsy Lynch/FEMA
I just finished watching and listening to Craig Fugate, FEMA’s top administrator, on the Washington Post’s On Leadership section. You can view it here. The video clip is about five and half minutes long. It gets good just before the four minute mark so hang in there. If you listen closely you will hear that the federal government knows that they can not meet all of the needs of individual citizens immediately following a disaster. Mr. Fugate gives the example of handing out food and water post disaster. Governments don’t hand out food and water on a daily basis. Private industry serves this role by maintaining big and small markets and working with elaborate supply chains. At a federal level, this administration, according to this video clip, will work to assist private industry in maintaining their supplies and opening their doors following a disaster. In the past, federal government has nearly competed with private industry and lost. Mr. Fugate gave an example of government handing out food and water following a disaster in the parking lot of a supermarket that was already open for business because they had gotten a generator.
I listened to the video several times. I listened with the ears of a FEMA consultant who is always curious about the direction and priorities of FEMA. But mostly I listened as a person who is passionate about spreading the message that we have to take responsibility for ourselves and our communities. We need to help people and businesses do what they do best, like supermarkets supplying food instead of government agencies. And, we need to take it a step further and take responsibility for ourselves.
Who keeps your house stocked with food and water and who makes sure that everyone in your house has the medication they need? Has this person prepared to keep the house stocked during a blackout or storm.
Is your business ready to withstand the impact of a flood, hurricane or pandemic? Are your vendor and client files safe? Are your employees prepared at home so they can return to work?
I could ramble on with pages of thought provoking questions. But, the answer to them all is we need to be ready today for what may happen tomorrow. We can’t wait. Preparedness is absolutely the key.
Understand that you will be impacted by some form of disaster and what you do beforehand is what will determine how you survive that disaster. Disasters come in all shapes and sizes. The disaster may be a catastrophic earthquake or it could be a five hour traffic jam. It doesn’t have to be the “big one” for you, your family and business to suffer catastrophic losses.
What did you do today to protect the people you love?