How To Grow Your Business During The Holidays

With 24+ years of executive experience in corporate growth and turnaround management, Howard Bienstock founded OneDegreeConnected.com (ODC) out of a practical need to easily share with others the efficiencies of highly leveraged relationship development. In addition to being the architect of this proprietary B2B multiple-referral software, Howard serves as the company's President and is taking a "hands-on" approach with the introduction of ODC to the marketplace. ODC merges existing social networking concepts with the professional's need to network for business. A proprietary, membership-driven, permission-based global online multiple-referral tool, ODC serves individuals across various levels of sales, management and professional occupations. This is a practical application of the power of the internet to efficiently develop and monetize business relationships.

Bienstock also serves as a mentor and executive consultant in his role as President & COO of ROI Consulting II LLC, which is celebrating its eleventh year. While he currently performs in a leadership capacity on various boards, Howard hopes to someday establish and grow a foundation to educate and cultivate innovative business ideas and future leaders.

The holidays can be a positive or a negative for businesses depending upon what you sell.  If you are in retail traditionally the holidays are a great business building time.  However if you sell other services the holidays can mean big competition for you.  There are several ways to combat a declining sales situation during the holidays.

1) You can form alliances with strategic partners or joint ventures with companies who grow and take in a lot of revenue during the holidays.  You can form this alliance with companies and share leads, setup referral systems, or create add-on sales procedures.

2)  You can offer specific promotions to offset slow periods during the holidays.  For example, a housekeeping company could offer post holiday party cleanings for those clients who would normally cancel their cleaning during the holidays.

3) You can also fine-tune your marketing and promotions to ensure that people during the holidays are more receptive to your marketing and promotion approach.

Just remember, just because it is the holidays does not mean that your business has to slow down.

Uninsured Loss Might Be a Tax Deduction

Cindy Hartman is President of Hartman Inventory LLC, a woman-owned business that provides business and home inventory services. She and her husband Mike also own Hartman Inventory Systems LLC, a turnkey inventory package for those who want to establish their own asset documentation business. A how-to manual, hands-on training, marketing package, life/business coaching program and mentoring with the founders are key components of this complete business package. Cindy enjoys networking, which served as the major marketing effort to grow her business. 

January is the month we all begin to pull records together as supporting documents for our income taxes. Have experience a loss from a disaster - flood, hurricane, tornado, fire, earthquake, vandalism or burglary? Those of you that have might have found that once you filed your insurance claim, you were underinsured. Or possibly you had no insurance at all.


All is not lost! You may be able to claim a tax deduction on your federal tax return. Though you won’t recover the full amount of your loss, you might be able to receive a deduction for at least some of your loss. There are hoops to jump through, and verification will be required.

Susie Keaton, CPA with Somerset CPAs in Indianapolis, Indiana, states that you need to support the deduction through a professional valuation of your property before and after the loss or damage. A business or home inventory will strengthen your claim for the loss.

A thorough, professional inventory will include a written report and photographs to support the list of items. This documentation will help you remember and prove ownership. Your tax deduction will most likely be larger than if you didn’t have an inventory since you won’t rely solely on memory.

How much can you expect to be able to claim on your taxes? As Keaton explains, calculate your “adjusted basis" on the property - this is your original cost and additional capital improvements for which you have paid during your ownership, less depreciation deductions and any previous casualty write-offs that you have claimed.

If you have any insurance coverage, subtract anything you have received or expect to receive from your insurance company. Also subtract $100 from each theft or casualty loss, as the IRS disallows write-offs for the first $100.

Lastly, subtract 10% of your AGI (adjusted gross income) for the same year as your loss to reach your final tax deduction.

The process is tricky, but it is good to know that you may not experience a total loss. Many exceptions and complications may apply, and good record keeping will benefit you, because the United States Tax Court emphasizes that it will "bear heavily" against taxpayers basing their loss estimates on personal recollection.

Once you’ve completed your taxes, use this experience as encouragement to compile your personal property inventory before you need the information again. If you don’t like detail work, or there is another reason you won’t do it yourself, seek the assistance of a professional service provider. Before hiring one, though, verify they are bonded and insured. In addition to the inventory service, the provider should also include secure back-up of your records and a process in place to update your records annually. Without the updates, the report will be outdated very quickly.

For more information on the tax deductibility of uninsured personal property, contact your CPA or visit www.irs.gov and download publications 527 and 2194.

Networking Your Way Through the Holidays

With 24+ years of executive experience in corporate growth and turnaround management, Howard Bienstock founded OneDegreeConnected.com (ODC) out of a practical need to easily share with others the efficiencies of highly leveraged relationship development. In addition to being the architect of this proprietary B2B multiple-referral software, Howard serves as the company's President and is taking a "hands-on" approach with the introduction of ODC to the marketplace. ODC merges existing social networking concepts with the professional's need to network for business. A proprietary, membership-driven, permission-based global online multiple-referral tool, ODC serves individuals across various levels of sales, management and professional occupations. This is a practical application of the power of the internet to efficiently develop and monetize business relationships.

Bienstock also serves as a mentor and executive consultant in his role as President & COO of ROI Consulting II LLC, which is celebrating its eleventh year. While he currently performs in a leadership capacity on various boards, Howard hopes to someday establish and grow a foundation to educate and cultivate innovative business ideas and future leaders.

The Holidays are here once again!  What does this mean for your business?  Most of the time it means that business slows down and things don’t get done.  How can you overcome this?  Simple!

Create a networking plan.  What is a networking plan?  A networking plan is just a small guide of who you want to meet!  For example, let's say you are looking to get connections to people in the health care industry.  So you would then write down the people you would most like to meet in the industry, and then go 1 or 2 levels deep of people who know these people.  Do any of your current contacts know them?  (If you are not sure OneDegreeConnected.com is a great way to find out and then get introduced to them in just a couple of minutes).

For the few that may not be connected to your contacts in OneDegreeConnected.com yet, create a plan of execution for meeting either the person themselves or to someone who knows them.  Where are you most likely to run into them?  The holidays can be a perfect time to implement your networking plan because there are holiday parties and charity events practically every day leading up to New Years.  Networking your way through the holidays can set you up to have a very promising 2011.

Help Prevent Burglaries - Tips for Business Owners

Cindy Hartman is President of Hartman Inventory, a woman-owned business that provides business and home inventory services. She and her husband Mike also own Hartman Inventory Systems, a complete turnkey home inventory business package for those who want to establish their own inventory company. She is also an owner of Business Continuity Planning Specialists, which was created with the small business owners' needs and budgets in mind. Cindy writes a blog and is also a freelance writer on topics of disaster preparedness and recovery, small business, product reviews, marketing and networking.

According to police reports, burglaries are continuing at a high rate of occurrence. Continued high unemployment is one of the situations attributed to this statistic. But no matter what the economic environment, we’ll (unfortunately) always face the chance of being burglarized. So, what can a business owner do to prepare – and possibly prevent – this from happening?

I’ve collected information about theft prevention over the years from many sources, including conversations with police officers and victims of burglaries. Here are some simple things that are easy to implement and are not costly. They can, however, be very effective.

Install Lights

- Make sure there are enough lights to illuminate the entire exterior.
- If you own adjacent property, be sure to include that area as well.
- To save on electricity, use a timer to turn the lights on at dusk and off at dawn.
- Install motion-sensor lighting.
- Keep lights on inside so activity can been seen at night from outside.

Install a Security System

- Security cameras inside and out can deter as well as help catch the intruder.
- If you’re a target of shoplifters, cameras stop or reduce these incidents.
- If you suspect employee theft, cameras are a deterrent.
- Install an alarm on your safe or valuable equipment.
- Consider a monitoring service that will contact the police.

Be proactive

- Lock doors and windows when you leave.
- Install solid exterior doors that are equipped with heavy-duty deadbolt locks.
- Use secondary blocking devices on sliding glass doors.
- Secure overhead garage-type doors with padlocks on the roller channel.
- Move trash dumpsters away from the building to eliminate hiding places.
- If you have vehicles on property over night, park them away from the building.
- Trim shrubs and trees to increase visibility of your building.
- Ensure that your ventilation system can not be used to gain access.

In addition to these steps, complete a contents inventory. Having this information will be extremely helpful if you need to file an insurance claim and complete a police report. You’ll be able to provide the necessary information (manufacturer, model number and serial numbers) about the items stolen. The photos will be extremely helpful also. The time, stress, emotional turmoil and potential financial loss can be lessened or eliminated with this document.

Bad Online Info Can Keep Customers Away

Evan Stein is owner of CMIT Solutions of Manhattan, Grand Central. We appreciate receiving his permission to repost this article. Visit his blog for additional technology-related information.

Here’s a quick, easy way to enhance your business’s profile online: make sure people have access to the right contact information.

Out-of-date or just plain incorrect information can keep customers from finding you. And often, all it takes is one phone call to a wrong number, or one drive by a vacated office,  for a prospective customer to sour on your business for good. If they found you online, chances are that’s because they do a lot of their research online – and people who are used to finding businesses on the Web expect information to be accurate and up-to-date. An out-of-date Web page or phone number is a big hint to those people that your business either isn’t operating or doesn’t care how it comes across online. Either way, they probably won’t be very interested in becoming a customer. (One recent survey found that “One third of searchers give up on a business when they can't quickly find the information they're looking for.”)

To make sure your information is up-to-date, type your business name into a few popular search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Make sure your Place Page is correct on Google Local Business Center. (To find out how to register for an account so that you can correct that information if it’s wrong, go here.)  Check your contact information on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Yelp. And while you’re at it, look for reviews for your business on Yelp and a few other user-generated review sites. If somebody’s complaining, address their concerns. If they’re saying something nice, thank them. Reviewers like to know they’re being heard.

And what about those places on the Internet where you’re mentioned and it’s not particularly easy to fix the information by yourself? Find the “contact us” section for the site you need to correct and try writing to them directly.

The more certain you can be that your business is represented consistently and accurately on the Web, the more professional you’re going to look. And that’s always good for business!

Don't Put Your Boxes By The Curb

Cindy Hartman is President of Hartman Inventory LLC, a woman-owned business that provides business and home inventory services. She and her husband Mike also own Hartman Inventory Systems, a turnkey inventory package for those who want to establish their own asset documentation business. A how-to manual, hands-on training, marketing package, life/business coaching program and mentoring with the founders are key components of this complete business package. Cindy enjoys networking, which served as the major marketing effort to grow her business.

Drive through any neighborhood on ‘trash day’ and you’ll see empty boxes showing what new items people have just purchased or received as gifts. Whether it is a birthday, anniversary, Christmas or something they bought for themselves, there will be boxes that used to hold desktop computers and printers, laptops, televisions, appliances, and more. A box showing a picture of a jewelry armoire will state something quite loudly: there is a lot of jewelry in this house! What a perfect opportunity for burglars to decide which house will be their next conquest.

One way to discourage theft is to conceal what items you now own. Break the boxes down and put them into trash bags (not the see-through ones). If the burglars have to guess what’s in your bags, but the neighbor has his boxes out for all to see, which house do you think they’ll choose? This won’t protect you completely, but it certainly will not invite these unwelcome intruders in, either!

You have all of these nice, new gifts; could you remember each item and prove ownership? What happens if you do have a burglary, or a fire, or a natural disaster?. Take photos of these new belongings before putting them away. Individual photos should be taken of high-end items. Don’t forget about clothing. A photo of a leather jacket is important if you need to file an insurance claim.

For your written report, record the manufacturer, serial number, model number and other identifying information. Also record the date and purchase price. Keep the receipts and put them with your inventory record.

If these new items were received during the holidays, while you have your camera out, take pictures of all of your holiday decorations. Think of how much money you have invested in creating this festive atmosphere. How many ornaments are on your tree? With each one costing an average of $3 to $5, it adds up quickly.

If you have high-value items, such as a Christmas Village, take pictures of the entire display. Then also record each building, including the name, model number and other pertinent information. Many collectibles have identifying marks; take a picture of those as well. Do you store your items in their original boxes? If so, and they show pricing or the manufacturer, photograph the items next to the boxes.

Since you just received new items, you might be disposing of others. Be sure to remove those items from your inventory listing. Delete the photos of these discarded items as well. This will ensure that the record of the contents of your house is completely up to date.

If you don’t have an inventory, now is the perfect time to create one. Or, if you choose not to do it yourself, contact an inventory service provider near you. The cost of this service will quite often be less than just one gift you recently purchased or received.

Building Credibility in Business

With 24+ years of executive experience in corporate growth and turnaround management, Howard Bienstock founded OneDegreeConnected.com (ODC) out of a practical need to easily share with others the efficiencies of highly leveraged relationship development. In addition to being the architect of this proprietary B2B multiple-referral software, Howard serves as the company's President and is taking a "hands-on" approach with the introduction of ODC to the marketplace. ODC merges existing social networking concepts with the professional's need to network for business. A proprietary, membership-driven, permission-based global online multiple-referral tool, ODC serves individuals across various levels of sales, management and professional occupations. This is a practical application of the power of the internet to efficiently develop and monetize business relationships.

Bienstock also serves as a mentor and executive consultant in his role as President & COO of ROI Consulting II LLC, which is celebrating its eleventh year. While he currently performs in a leadership capacity on various boards, Howard hopes to someday establish and grow a foundation to educate and cultivate innovative business ideas and future leaders.

Of course YOU know you are honest and do a good job of what you sell in business, but do your prospects know that? This is the question we need to analyze in our business. The simple fact is that most salespeople or business owners don't build credibility before, during, or after the sale. Here are several strategies that will assist you in building this credibility.

First, you must be congruent in everything you say and do. Incongruity is when you say one thing, and then your actions don't line up with that. People can instantly spot incongruity.

The key is to realize that you probably have blind spots.

Second, what are the reasons WHY people don't buy what you sell? Make a list of these reasons, and then figure out how you can remove them. The key is to realize that you probably have 'blind spots' and don't realize every reason why people don't buy what you sell. And here is an important key: It doesn't matter if the reasons your prospects don't buy are logical, reasonable, or valid. If they don't buy, they don't buy. So just because they don't make sense to you, doesn't mean that you don't have to acknowledge these.

Third, what are all the things you can do to build credibility? Can you present expert credentials? Can you provide a lot of relevant references? Can you give your product or service a guarantee? All of these things can help build your credibility when done consistently.

Holidays Are The Time To Take Pictures

Cindy Hartman is President of Hartman Inventory LLC, a woman-owned business that provides business and home inventory services. She and her husband Mike also own Hartman Inventory Systems, a complete turnkey business package for those who want to establish their own inventory company. Cindy enjoys writing and speaking on her industry, networking and small business. Read her blog here.


Holidays – Birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Anniversaries, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years Eve – these and all other occasions bring opportunities to ask people to say “Cheese!”. Open houses, school programs, parties, dinners and family gatherings all encourage people to capture the events on camera. While you have the cameras out, use this time to photograph all of your holiday decorations, too.

If you don’t have a personal property inventory already compiled, this is the perfect time to start one. You’ll have holiday and seasonal decorations on display that are normally boxed and in storage. Depending on the size and value, take photos of each individually, or as a group. For example, once the Christmas tree is adorned with the lights and ornaments, you can capture all by taking pictures from 2 or 3 angles. Do you have a collection of Santa Clauses or Snowmen? Take a group photo of all once they’re out of the boxes and displayed.

Many people have the popular Christmas Villages. After the village is set up, take photos of the entire village. This will capture all the accessories in one or two pictures. You’ll want to take individual photos of the more costly buildings. Some cost $100 or more, so they should have their own photo. If the building or a special accessory has an identifying mark, such as “Department 56”, take a photo of that as well. This proves the manufacturer and your claimed value can be proven.

In addition to the photographs, include a written report. You can list the general category of “Christmas Decorations” and state the total price of all decorations. You will have the photos to back up your stated dollar amount. For the higher end items, such as the Village buildings, it’s best to list each one separate, noting the year purchased, manufacturer, name of the building, and cost.

The same is true for new gift items received. Take the photos just prior to putting them away. Record the manufacturer of the tools, jewelry, electronics and appliances. Don’t forget leather or suede jackets or other clothing items that have a high value. Additionally, you’ll want to record the serial number and model number of any electronics or appliances. If you experience a theft, the first thing the police will ask is if you have serial numbers of the items that are missing.

Are you too busy, or just don’t want to bother with creating your home inventory? Call a service provider; you will find that the investment in this service is approximately the cost of one lost or stolen item.

Enjoy the holidays, and don’t forget to take photos of your family and friends, too – because they are your most valued assets!

Are You A Responder or A Reactor?

Kevin Eikenberry is a speaker, trainer, consultant, author, and entrepreneur. Kevin is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that provides a wide range of services, including training delivery and design, facilitation, performance coaching, organizational consulting, and speaking services. Kevin has worked with Fortune 500 companies in the areas of leadership, consulting, customer service, teamwork, creativity and developing potential. His client list includes, the American Red Cross, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, John Deere, Purdue University, Shell, Southwest Airlines, and the U.S. Marine Corp.

In a recent leadership workshop a participant asked me:

"How can I get staff to think about choices or decisions and not just react?"

My first thought was of a classic Zig Ziglar story that talks about the big difference one word can make. Zig said (and I`m paraphrasing):

Imagine going to the doctor for medication and returning for a follow-up visit. In one case the doctor says you are reacting to the medication, in the other case the doctor says you are responding to the treatment.

There`s a big difference between responding and reacting.

That difference is the key to answering the question; my participate is looking for a thoughtful response rather than an immediate reaction.

So, my answer comes in two parts: first, how to respond rather than react; then how to support that choice and habit in others.

How to Respond Rather Than React

Think big picture. When you think about how this specific situation fits into your overall goals and objectives it will be easier to respond.

Put the situation in context. Always consider the context - what is happening and how the next step will best serve you, the organization and everyone involved.

Blend logic and emotion. The best decisions are both informed by facts and infused with emotion. The goal isn't to deny your emotions, but to balance those immediate emotional responses with thoughts and facts to fill in the blanks. This is the essence of responding.

Ask yourself the key reaction question. The key question is: Am I reacting? Simply asking yourself that question can ground you and give you a quick mental break to perhaps choose differently.

Recognize choices. Often reacting comes when you don`t know or think you don`t have any other option. When you realize that you always have choices, you can remember to consider them and the consequences they bring before moving forward.

Create 20/20 vision. You know hindsight is 20/20. Your goal in the moment is to mentally move yourself into the future and look back with imagined 20/20 vision to determine your best response to the current situation.

How To Help Others Respond

Once you understand the differences, the best way to help others is to follow this three step formula:

Expect. The first step always is to make your expectations clear and help people understand when and where you expect response rather than immediate reaction.

Model. It is hard to encourage or inspire others to respond if you aren't modeling it yourself.

Coach. Once you are responding rather than reacting, you are in a better position to coach others based on your experience, citing examples and more.

Some Final Thoughts

While responding seems like the prudent choice, you may be wondering how speed plays into this equation. Clearly in a crisis or emergency situation it may seem that you would logically need to react or operate in a split-second decision mode.

The reality is the best crisis managers (ER doctors, emergency management officials, firefighters as some examples) actually are trained and practice a variety of scenarios precisely so they can respond rather than react.

The difference is in preparation and thought.

In other words, response (versus reaction) doesn't mean you will be slow, just thoughtful.

Zig is right - there is a big difference - you and your team will reach better decisions and make better choices when you respond rather than react.

Should You Send Your Boss (Or Former Boss) A Holiday Card?

DETROIT, MI (November 30, 2010)

Five (5) Reasons Holiday Cards Endear You To Bosses and Former Bosses

Thinking about sending the boss (or a “Boss of Christmas Past”) a holiday card? Reference checking firm Allison & Taylor says you probably have a good idea: a 2008 survey quoted 50% of holiday card recipients as indicating they were more likely to do future business with a company (or individual) that sends holiday greeting cards.  And with your co-workers vying with you for the boss’s favor, your holiday card might prove to be a small, but decisive, differentiator.

Here are some reasons why your greeting card is a good idea:

1. Connecting with your boss (or former boss) will help keep you top-of-mind in their awareness, translating to possible future support or opportunity. 
2. Sending your boss (also former bosses, colleagues, suppliers, etc.) a card demonstrates a personal touch to accompany your business relationship.
3. Staying in touch with bosses and colleagues via a holiday card is a subtle yet highly effective form of networking.  (It’s also less expensive than taking them to lunch, and won’t violate corporate edicts if sent via personal mail.)
4. Staying in the favor of your prospective employment references (particularly former bosses) is critical to your future employment success. The reference-checking firm of Allison & Taylor notes that approximately half of all reference checks they conduct reveal negative input from the references.  Consider that a greeting card could prove to be a small, but critical, investment in your professional future.
5. Developing and maintaining positive relationships with your boss, co-workers and former bosses will ultimately be a cornerstone of success in your career.  Besides the use of greeting cards, there are a number of effective etiquette tips that may be appropriate for those who may ultimately become your professional references ( click here for more tips).

While sending out holiday cards is almost certainly a good idea, even this generous gesture can backfire if the proper protocols aren’t observed.  Here are some additional guidelines to ensure your card is well received:

1. Choose a high-quality holiday card that allows no possibility of offending its recipient. Remember that not everyone celebrates Christmas – be mindful of religious and cultural nuances, particularly with your international recipients.
2. Choose a design that is appropriate for your business associates.
3. Include one of your business cards inside the greeting card. This small insertion ensures that your recipients have your most current contact information and will reinforce your name with the card’s recipient. 
4. Be sure that your inscriptions on the outside of the card are both legible and attractive.  Consider using a form of calligraphy to make your recipient’s name and address visibly pleasing.  Also, be sure to include your return address on the mailing envelope.
5. Sign each card personally. It only takes a moment to sign your name and write a short greeting, and your business associates will notice and appreciate this more personal gesture.
6. Check the spelling of your contacts and their corporate name. Any good points you'll score with a holiday card will be lost if you misspell your contact's name or corporate information.
7. Keep your contact list accurate and up-to-date. Make sure you're not sending a card to someone who has left the department or the company.
8. Don't be late. In life and in business, timing is everything. Remember that many companies close during the holidays and people take vacation to be with family, so send your cards early. Also note the possibility that a recipient of your card may want (out of consideration or guilt) to respond with a card back to you prior to the holidays.  Aim to have all your corporate holiday cards in the mail no later than December 15 if you're sending them within the U.S., or earlier if you're sending them via international mail.

In short, a professional greeting card can go a long way in making a good impression on all your business contacts. Cultivating good relationships this holiday season, will help ensure your professional success tomorrow.

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About the author: Alexandra Garrett  is a professional resume writer and consultant of Allison & Taylor, Inc. a firm in the business of checking references for corporations and individuals since 1984.  

Allison & Taylor, Inc. is headquartered in Rochester, MI.  For further details on services and procedures contact www.AllisonTaylor.com.

8 Tips For a Safe Holiday Season

Cindy Hartman is President of Hartman Inventory LLC, a woman-owned business that provides business and home inventory services. She and her husband Mike also own Hartman Inventory Systems, a turnkey inventory package for those who want to establish their own asset documentation business. A how-to manual, hands-on training, marketing package, life/business coaching program and mentoring with the founders are key components of this complete business package. Cindy enjoys networking, which served as the major marketing effort to grow her business. 

Unfortunately, the holiday season claims the highest number of fires than any other time of the year. Fireplaces give warmth and a relaxing atmosphere, strings of lights help provide a festive look to your home or business and candles fill the air with your favorite holiday scent.

But all of this can be gone in minutes. When I was 8 years old, I heard someone yelling outside in the early hours of the morning. Jumping out of bed to see what was up; I saw our neighbor’s house on fire. It was a 2-story house and the mom and two sons were sitting on the roof while the father was banging on our back door, hollering for an extension ladder. He needed to rescue his family!


Their house caught fire because of a faulty string of lights on the Christmas tree. They had been in bed only 3 hours when they smelled smoke. Luckily, they were OK, except for the father’s frostbitten feet as a result of running in the snow seeking help. I can remember the impact that loss had on them – even at that young age. The pain they felt wasn’t just that one night, but for months and months because of the effort spent trying to remember their belongings so they could provide a list to their insurance agent.


And for a business, there is the question of when and if you'll ever recover. And if you do recover, will you be able to remain in business, considering the time you were "out of business" and the financial loss you're likely to face.

The Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) offer these safety tips to help ensure that you have a safe holiday.

1. Look for the UL Mark on light strings, electrical decorations and extension cords. The UL Mark means that UL engineers have tested representative samples of the product for foreseeable safety hazards such as fire and electric shock.
2. Ensure lights, decorations and extension cords are rated for outside use. Lights intended for indoor-only use bear green UL Marks. Light strings intended for indoor and outdoor use bear red UL marks.
3. Read and follow the manufacturer's instructions for electrical decorations.
4. Carefully inspect each electrical decoration - new or old - before plugging it in. Cracked sockets, frayed, bare or loose wires can cause a serious electric shock or start a fire. Replace damaged items with new, UL-Listed decorations.
5. Don't use staples or nails to hang light strings. Instead, purchase hooks or clips designed for hanging light strings.
6. Check packaging to determine the maximum number of strings that may be connected or use this rule of thumb: Connect a maximum of three midget (push-in bulbs) light strings or up to 50 bulbs of light strings with the screw-in bulbs (C7s and C9s).
7. Don't overload extension cords by plugging in too many decorations.
8. Turn off all electrical lights and decorations before leaving the office, home or going to bed.

Take precautions. The cost of new strings of lights, an extension cord or the proper hooks or clips could be the difference between a safe holiday or one remembered because it was the year you had a fire.