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Gangster and Flapper's Ball Orlando 2010

Put on your pin stripes, get out your flapper dresses and get ready for the first annual Gangsters and Flappers Ball. Gangsters and Flappers ball is hosted by Otown Happy Hour and Brite Girl and supports Project Wings Charity.

Join us at the Dragon Room Saturday June 19th from 8pm-11pm. Receive FREE Vodka Cocktails from 8pm-10pm. Enjoy a fabulous evening with Otown Happy Hour and Brite Girl!  Black Jack tournament, tons of raffle prizes, dancing and more!

Project Wings helps Special Needs and Physically Disabled Families, Parents & Caregivers. Project Wings helps these families find the resources they need to enhance the quality of life of their special needs children and siblings, and celebrate these amazing Central Florida families and its individual members.

Purchase tickets in advance only $15 or $25 at the door.

To purchase advanced tickets go to:

Gangsters and Flappers Ball 2010

About the Family we are Sponsoring for this Event:

Project Wings USA, Inc. as a new local 501c3 Charitable organization that is dedicated to educating Mothers and Fathers on the various Legal and Financial Aspects of Raising Special Needs and Physically Disabled Children through it’s CARE (Compassion, Affirmation, Resilience through Education) program.
Their new program, “Operation Little Warriors”, is geared toward assisting financially challenged families with Treatment, Equipment and Therapy expenses for the Special Needs Child as well as financial assistance for the siblings in the special needs home for life skills and self-esteem building programs.
 
Examples of “Operation Little Warriors”:
A local family has a 2yr old little boy who was struck by a car and has been transported out of state for medical treatment.  Dad has been flying back and forth between work here in Orlando and supporting his son and wife up in PA.  This family also needs their home redone to be wheelchair accessible.  This little boy needs treatment, equipment and his dad by his side.
 
A sibling example:
12 yr old girl lives in a home with 3 severely Special Needs older brothers and a single mom.  With all the treatment and needs of the household, there is no money left for her to do dance classes, join Girl Scouts or play sports.  This amazing little girl needs an outlet all her own.
 
If you’d like to donate or to get involved with Project Wings USA, Inc and it’s programs, please call 407.494.6471 or email us at info@projectwingsusa.org.  Visit us online  www.projectwingsusa.org. 

Special Thanks to our Sponsors:

 

Wardrobe Consulting: A fashionably-fun extra income job

 
Four weeks a year, Etcetera Consultants converted their home to an upscale boutique and tend to the fashion needs of businesswomen, busy moms and corporate wives.

Women with a fashion flair, who enjoy entertaining and/or helping others, are finding working from their own home for a company like Etcetera clothing line from New York City-based The Connaught Group Ltd. is the perfect solution for them!  Four times per year, Etcetera consultants open their own homes for appointments for a personalized shopping session to order the upcoming season’s styles and fashions.  The line offers clothing sizes 0-16, with a beautiful range of casual wear, sleek suits, sassy skirts and darling dresses.

It’s one of hundreds of direct-sales businesses that women operate out of their homes every year, and a small part of the $30.8 billion-and-growing direct-sales industry. And in a different time, that might be the end of the story.  But it seems that despite an economy that has battered the balance sheets of many companies, direct-sales businesses like Etcetera are outperforming their retail counterparts. And it’s not an anomaly.  In an average year, direct sales performance follows the overall economy, but recession years are a boon for the industry, according to Washington, D.C.-based trade group Direct Selling Association.

It’s partly because this form of self-employment requires very little startup funds and involves little risk, which becomes an attractive option when jobs become scarce. It's a great opportunity for moms, women who want to re-enter the workforce, or the professional with an entrepreneurial spirit. Working for Etcetera also allows women to keep their lives involved in their community and social activities.

Women who are busy professionals such as lawyers, CPAs, sales professionals, etc. all find this an attractive option to working long hours without the benefit of spending time with their families or for themselves.  It is an ideal opportunity to start with another professional or friend, too.

Area Development Manager, Lynette Earley said top performers can earn full-time salary, with part-time, flexible hours.  Some women around the country even make six-figure salaries selling the garments, which start at $90 for casual tops and scarves, $150 for skirts and pants and can go up to $225 to $425 for jackets. That means that despite a minimal startup cost, a consultant could recoup her initial investment selling fewer than a dozen items.

“Florida is one of our most lucrative markets,” said Earley, who added that 10 women currently sell the Etcetera line in the Central Florida & east coast beach areas.  "Florida overall has some of the top sellers in the country.”

Etcetera recognizes that an influx of new consultants accounts for much of the recession-year growth within the company, but Earley says their customers find a quality in Etcetera that brick-and-mortar retailers do not have.

“I think customers like the comfort of coming to a home to shop and not having to go to a mall and go store to store to store trying to coordinate their outfits — which can be depressing,” Earley said. “Not to mention, sales associates pressure you and there are sales signs and merchandise everywhere. With Etcetera, you come to a home that is low-key, non-stressful . . . and we make sure you are in love with every piece you buy!”

In addition to the personal attention that many Etcetera focuses on, more consultants are finding that educating the customer on their product, how to wear it, how it is made, and offering general knowledge of the fashion industry is also a big hit with customers.


To learn more about how to join the Etcetera team, contact Area Development Manager Lynette Earley at 407.222.8397.  For a sneak peek at the designer sketches and to learn more about the company, visit Etcetera's public web site at  www.etcetera.com.

photo credit: Linda Shulman, etcetera salewoman

Memorial Day Weekend Fashion and Brite Tips

Here are some "BRITE" tips for the weekend - Don't leave home without them....

Beauty: We LOVE the new e.l.f. cosmestic loose powder Studio SPF 45 it is UVA/UVB and when wet, acts as a foundation...and get this...it is only $6.00!!!!

Resourceful:

Pack a lunch...or a snack!!!  For most of us, "Stay-cations" are the rave this weekend.  With that being said, our second priciest expenditure is food.  Be cognizant of this, especially alcohol...restaurants make around 66% profit on a bottle of wine and up to 300% profit on beer!

Intelligent: Suncreen - lots of it!

Thoughtful:

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." — General George S. Patton

Emotionally-connected:

Scribble a drawing that reflects this weekend.  Add words, symbols, pictures, etc. - allow yourself only 10 minutes to create it.  Relfect on it, share it, save it.

The Low-Down on Life Insurance

 The three "S's" is a great mind trigger for your finances: Save, Spend and Share.  I think most of us have the second "S" down, so let's explore some of the ways to ensure we can still apply the second "S" in the future by educating ourselves about the first "S" - SAVE! 

Life Insurance is something we come across all the time when learning about savings.  Most of us put it off or don't even consider because, well, quite frankly, we don't like thinking about the fact that we won't live forever.  HOWEVER, the horror stories and hindsites that exist within families by NOT having life insurance are overwhelmingly a disruption in the lifestyle and course of the family. 

The following questions will educate you on how easy it is to be proactive and save for your future at the same time....

1)Obviously life insurance is good to have in case something unexpected happens to a loved one.  However, what other ways can it benefit me now?

The most important thing to remember about Life insurance is that it’s primary purpose is PROTECTION! If you are looking for an investment tool that will provide large gains for future use, there are much better “vehicles” out there for reaching those goals.

 
With that said, it can be used to supplement other investment strategies.  Depending on the product used, it can provide a very conservative and safe investment opportunity that, over time, may help provide a secondary source for emergency funds, income, loans, collateral, down payments, etc…  While at the same time having the added benefit of providing a tax free gift to your loved one(s) should the worst happen to you.

2) How does is life insurance similar to other savings plans and how does it compare?

 
Depending on the product used and the funding strategy adopted by the insured, Life insurance can be manipulated to operate much like a savings plan.  If funded correctly, the Cash Value that the insured has accumulated over time may serve as a supplemental income during their retirement years, as well as still providing a benefit to their loved one(s).

 
3) Explain the difference in specific policies: term vs. whole, etc...

 
The simplest way to explain the difference between term vs. whole would be as follows:
 
Term vs Whole = Renting vs Owning

With most Term products it’s like renting a home. You pay the rent each month, but you build zero equity.  The same goes for Term…you pay your premiums, but you accumulate zero Cash Value in the policy.  And just as if you decided to move out of the home, once the Lease (Term) is up or cancelled you have nothing to show for it  (There are some Term products that offer a Return of Premium rider, which allow you receive the accumulated premium at expiration or cancellation of the policy).  The trade off is that the Term product is less expensive than a Whole Life product.

 With Whole Life it’s like owning the home. As long as you don’t default on your payments, the policy remains in force for life (or to maturity).  It also has the added benefit of accumulating a Cash Value within the policy (you are building equity).

 
There is also what is called a Universal Life product (Very popular).  This is somewhat of a hybrid of the two fore mentioned categories.  It doesn’t provide the guaranteed premium rate that the Whole Life and Term do, but it is much more flexible.  As long as you fund the product properly in the beginning of the policy’s life, you can then begin to adjust your payments as you see fit.  It is much like a Whole Life policy in the respect that it grows in Cash Value, BUT if not funded properly could lapse.


4) What are the steps to get a life insurance policy?
 

The first step is the realization of the important role life insurance can play in you and your family’s lives.  Contact a professional and start a dialog to determine what your needs may be.  What is it that you’re protecting your loved one(s) from and providing for them upon your death? Debts (mortgage payments, car payments, etc..), income, child care, education, taxes are all things that your family will have to bare once you’re gone.  The most important step is to begin the process.  After you have determined you needs, you and your agent will decide on a product that most fits you.  From there you will complete an application with your agent and he will send in the request for insurance.  Usually you will be required to do a quick physical (15 mins), which will be ordered for you and completed at a time and place of your choosing (ie. Your home, office, wherever is comfortable).  Once completed, your information is then submitted to underwriting for approval.

 
5) I am having to watch my expenses lately, how affordable is life insurance?

Your rates depend on multiple variables; Age, health (history), occupation, family health history.  The most significant is your AGE.

LIFE INSURANCE IS NEVER CHEAPER THAN TODAY!  Every day you get older the cost goes up.

 
If money is tight, it would probably be best to go with a Term policy.  It is the least expensive and most can be converted to a Whole or UL product during the term of the policy.  Also, you do not have to go through underwriting during the conversion.  Therefore, you lock in a life insurance policy, that you may not be able to receive in you later years.

For more information contact Kevin Joyce: kjoyce@iaafl.com or Ryan Joyce: rjoyce@iaafl.com or visit Insurance Affiliates for more information.