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S ER T P X CALL NOW
M A G A Z I N E HELPING YOU ACHIEVE THE MIRACLE OF SUCCESS NOVEMBER 2013
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Bet Shemesh - Jerusalem
E YOU CAN
Helen Abelesz Egert-Cohen Eliyahu Gherman Edo Lavi Tzvi Lefkowitz
Nicole Levin Ariel Levy Shalom Fishhaut Reuven Rosenberg Moshe Wilshinsky
Circulation: 18,000 copies
Subscription: 19.90 nis per issue Register on line www.biznessmag.com or Call 02 999 3939 Michael Freedman
Has he discovered the fountain of youth?
Exclusive Interview with
Jason Sugarman
Helen Abelesz
Coping with a loss Shalom Fishhaut
Cash Back from the IRS!
Never shlep or wait in line again! Your personal grocery shopping service from the comfort of your home!
Rachel Cohen
Why Real Estate deals fall through Moshe Wilshinsky
Your fixed rate mortgage is not fixed! Dr. Reuven Rosenberg
Hyperactive and Impulsive Behavior Menachem Schloss
Dr. Bo’s Diet Clients is fly in from Hunger on our as far as Rare Hong Kong Program CIRCULATION NOW 18,000COPIES!!!
Bizness Magazine is now online WWW.BIZNESSMAG.COM
Adrenaline fueled interview with Mati Ariel from Mati Gym Har Nof Rehavia Shaarei Chesed German Colony New! Ramat Eshkol
Meir Amber
Bringing consumers to your website Arzei Habira Maalot Dafna Minhat Yitzchak Ganei Geula New! Nachlaot New!
Dani Azulai
From protecting our borders to protecting your homes Bayit Vegan New! Baka New! Ramat Bet Shemesh Sheinfeld Nofei Aviv
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M A G A Z I N E HELPING YOU ACHIEVE THE MIRACLE OF SUCCESS
12
Insurance Tip of the Month There was no way
to prove a direct link between Hazan’s negligence and the theft. Bituach Yashir was ordered to pay up!
14
Oh BOI ! The limitations on variable loans and loan terms But before I do
so, allow me to give you a little history in order to better understand the context of the latest announcement.
16
Why Real Estate Deals Fall Through! And What You Can Do to Prevent
it! Topping most real estate professionals’
lists of potential deal breakers is the home inspection.
18
Navigating the Real Estate Maze A few years
20
Educated Patients get the best results Trouble
ago, a father and daughter came into my office.
keeping attention focused during age-appropriate play or tasks.
4
• NOVEMBER 2013
contents NOVEMBER 2013
22
Smiling from Bet Shemesh to Jerusalem with Smile Talk
Invisalign® is a product produced by a California based company called Align Technology.
24
Coping with a Loss A client
once told me that when she lost her sister she was told by a friend who had also had a loss,
26
A New Auto “Service” Center in Bet Shemesh
There are a lot of garages in Bet Shemesh but very few “service” centers.
28
Group 7 Bu il d in g
Website
I have been in the website design and development industry for almost 11 years.
30
Business, Only in Israel Shop-Keepers This (really
tiny) alley is flanked, on both sides, with all types and sizes of chairs.
Bizness Magazine
32
Interview with Miriam Goldshtein from Kitchens We are well-
36
Interview with Michael Freedman Ever since I was
40
Interview with Dr. Bo Rosenblat I recognized
42
Maccabi Top Professionals Series The
known in Jerusalem.
a child, I was interested in
health and exercise.
the need for a weight loss
program that my patients could trust.
program in which I trained
emphasized primary care and community care as opposed to mainly hospital care.
46
Mati’s Secret of Success We listen to the customer and adjust ourselves to his needs
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contents
Editor in Chief Ariel Topf Contributing Editors Roberta Bienenfeld Chief Designer Adam Ram Contributing Writers Helen Abelesz Rachel Cohen Shimon Cohen Tzvia Ehrlich-Klein Shalom Fishhaut Eliyahu Gherman Nachum Kligman Edo Lavi Nicole Levin Ariel Levy Reuven Rosenberg Eva Topf Moshe Wilshinsky
48
Cash Back from the IRS!
There have been positive developments in regard to the child tax credit.
50
A b ir A l ar am s
I supply a variety of integrated solutions for home protection. I install technologically advanced alarms, intercoms and security camera systems.
Advertising Liba Adler Bayla Gamliel Helena Topf Steven Weinstein
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Love Your Customers
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RYB Tech It is exciting to see
Customers are taking their hard-earned money and spending it with you.
our company’s growth. We are happy to see our clients return to us as they expand their personnel.
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M A G A Z I N E HELPING YOU ACHIEVE THE MIRACLE OF SUCCESS NOVEMBER 2013
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Bet Shemesh - Jerusalem
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TS P ER ALL N O W EX CAN C YOU
Helen Abelesz Egert-Cohen Eliyahu Gherman Edo Lavi Tzvi Lefkowitz
Nicole Levin Ariel Levy Shalom Fishhaut Reuven Rosenberg Moshe Wilshinsky
Circulation: 18,000 copies
Subscription: 19.90 nis per issue Register on line www.biznessmag.com or Call 02 999 3939 Michael Freedman
HAS HE DISCOVERED the fountain of youth?
Exclusive Interview with
JASON SUGARMAN
Helen Abelesz
COPING WITH A LOSS Shalom Fishhaut
Cash Back from the IRS!
Never shlep or wait in line again! Your personal grocery shopping service from the comfort of your home!
Rachel Cohen
Why Real Estate deals fall through Moshe Wilshinsky
Your fixed rate mortgage is not fixed! Dr. Reuven Rosenberg
Hyperactive and Impulsive Behavior Menachem Schloss
Dr. Bo’s Diet Clients is fly in from Hunger on our as far as Rare Hong Kong Program CIRCULATION NOW 18,000COPIES!!!
Bizness Magazine is now online WWW.BIZNESSMAG.COM
6
Adrenaline fueled interview with Mati Ariel from Mati Gym Har Nof Rehavia Shaarei Chesed German Colony New! Ramat Eshkol
Meir Amber
Dani Azulai
From protecting Bringing our borders to consumers to protecting your website homes your Arzei Habira Maalot Dafna Minhat Yitzchak Ganei Geula New! Nachlaot New!
• NOVEMBER 2013
Bayit Vegan New! Baka New! Ramat Bet Shemesh Sheinfeld Nofei Aviv
8 Letter from the Editor 10 Inbox 64 10 Experts you can call
On every issue
Bizness Magazine is published by Bizness Magazine Ltd. Bizness Magazine considers its sources reliable. However, reporting inaccuracies can occur, consequently readers using this information do so at their own risk. Each business opportunity and/ or investment inherently contains certain risks. It is suggested that prospective business people, potential patients and clients, and all readers consult their doctors, attorneys and/or financial advisors before applying any of the information that is publish in this magazine. Bizness Magazine makes content available with the understanding that the publisher is not rendering legal services or financial advice, business advice, medical advice or any other type of advice. Editorial content, articles and interviews may be paid advertising. Bizness Magazine does not endorse or recommend any products or professionals. Although persons and companies mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, neither Bizness Magazine or its publisher, parent company, nor any of its employees, sales executives or contributors accept any responsibility whatsoever for their activities. We assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. Manuscripts, artwork and photographs must be accompanied by stamped, self-addressed envelopes. We reserve the right to publish in whole or in part all letters received by us. All letters, sent to Bizness Magazine will be considered the property of the Magazine. All remarks, suggestions, ideas, creative concepts, graphics, or other information communicated through this magazine or otherwise sent to its publisher (together the ‘Submission’) will forever be the exclusive property of Bizness Magazine., who will not be required to treat the Submission as confidential, and will not be liable for any use or disclosure of the Submission, and need not provide any compensation or acknowledgement for the Submission. Under no circumstances shall Bizness Magazine, or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or related companies and web sites, be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, but not limited to direct, incidental, consequential, indirect or punitive damages), harm, or injury that relate to, arise out of, or result from the use of, or access to, or the inability to use, any of the materials of this magazine, or are caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, defect or delay in printing. Bizness Magazine is printed in Israel and all rights are reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.
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Letter from the Editor Dear Readers, We have all heard of the importance of treating employees in a dignified manner. How much effort and feeling employees put into their job is one of the most important things for a company. Companies succeed when everybody is engaged and works diligently rather than just showing up. A new study found that companies that use new-style, “sustainable” engagement practices with their staff have operating margins of 27.4% compared to 14.3% for those that use old-school methods that focus primarily on the company’s sales goals. Companies that ignore engagement showed only 9.9% margins. That’s a huge difference in efficiency and productivity. I happened to be shopping at Super-Pharm (Big Fashion) in Bet Shemesh last week when I was suddenly invited to join a party where the staff was celebrating the birthday of four of its own. Reluctantly, as I did not want to intrude, I was walked into the employees’ eating area. The room was full and the table was beautifully served and decorated with fruit platters, cakes and drinks. Everyone was in good spirits. Suddenly, the manager of the store began reading from a bunch of papers he had in his hands. He read a full-page poem that he had personally written for each of the four “birthday girls.” The poems had details on each employee’s personality, mentioned their relatives, their work ethics, reasons why everyone liked them and other personal details. Looking at the expressions and body language of each of the four employees revealed how appreciated they felt. It must have taken the manager many hours to compose each of the poems. Furthermore, it was evident he really knew and cared for each of them. It was a great lesson on how to treat employees and how to make people feel special. Wishing all a meaningful and happy Hanukkah! Ariel Topf ariel@biznessmag.com Ariel has built several companies in three continents in the fields of internet, retail, wholesale, franchising, direct sales, high-tech, employment, food manufacturing, food supplements, clothing manufacturing, pet nutrition, personal development, restaurant, advertising and publishing. In this process, Ariel has headhunted, hired, trained, managed and/or mentored over 20,000 individuals. Ariel heads BiznessPro, a business consulting firm dedicated to help entrepreneurs who are serious about success (www.biznesspro.com).
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•NOVEMBER 2013
Bizness Magazine
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HELP! My kitchen aid stopped working after 20 years! I took it for repair to Mr. Grabina on Nachal Dolev and he said there will be no charge if he can’t fix it. The following day he called me and said that it was fixed!!!!! For a very reasonable price. He was a pleasure to deal with, very knowledgeable and professional. He can be reached at 052-7171894 for all your small appliances repairs. H.T. Hi Ariel - I recently moved to Beitar from RBS....is there anywhere I can get the latest copy locally or online? I mainly really wanted to see the article about the Dr Bo’s diet but always love reading it regardless. Please advise. Thanks…! K.W. Right before the chag, I called Michael Rose from JBC to see if I could get a certain machzor. He wasn’t sure, but just 7 minutes later, called back to say absolutely ‘yes’ and that he would bring it by himself - which he did that evening. Since coming to this country 19 years ago, my expectations regarding customer service has been majorly reduced. It’s great to see that “real” customer service still exists… R.T. The following is an unsolicited recommendation for Dan Schaeffer, building engi10
• NOVEMBER 2013
neer. Dan Schaeffer prepared an engineer’s report for our apartment, and also helped us through city approvals for an extension. For both services, we found his knowledge, exlanations and talent working with the city system and our contractors to be outstandng. The support he provided us in various stages of renovation and repair have been of exceptional value (more than we paid!). David & Ellen Solomon We moved during the summer and had tons of fixtures that needed to be installed, and other miscellaneous wall drilling needs, in our new place. Meron, Handyman Tzvi’s English speaking worker, spent many hours at our home and was pleasant and smiling, literally, from beginning to end. Meron, like master handyman Tzvi, cleaned up each at location after completing the particular job, and left essentially no mess! Tzvi also stopped by throughout the day to help out and make sure everything was going smoothly. Tzvi will give you a price up front based on the job/s at hand. At the end of the day there was a bit of confusion as to what was originally requested. Tzvi stood by his initial price quote without hesitation – and with a smile. I have used Tzvi’s services numerous times and have always been more than satisfied. Chaim Dani Azulay from Abir Alarams came to install a super intercom system for our building. While in our apartment, I told him that our alarm system was giving us problems. I told him that our alarm company had been here many times trying to fix it and at the end they told us that we had to change the power supply and the battery. Dani kindly offered that he would come back to check the entire system (14 sectors). He came when he said he would come and left the system working perfectly without changing any expensive parts! It’s a pleasure to deal with knowledgeable and honest people. He services the Jerusalem and Bet Shemesh areas. His number is 052 260 0468. A.T. We ordered a Honeybee cake from Devorah Altman of Kosher Cakery for Rosh Hashanah. It was both beautiful and delicious. We had lots of company and it served
Bizness Magazine
SPECIAL THANKS “The article in the July issue about Eddie’s Travel was based on an interview with David Walles that was conducted by ModiInfo Magazine and first appeared in the Winter 2012 edition of ModiInfo - special thanks to ModiInfo Magazine for allowing us to reprint this material.” so many. Kosher Cakery made my Rosh Hashanah planning so easy and saved me so much time and energy. We were so thrilled that we are ordering a cake for Sukkot also. Miriam and David Schwartz Our son Chaim joined Ariel’s “Rock Climbing and Rappelling Course”, and it was no less than AMAZING. Ariel is a professional instructor, a real mench and very devoted to the participants. Ariel gave of his time - considerably much more than expected!. The course was challenging and fun at the same time. I highly recommend this course!! Avigail Rock I highly recommend Devorah Nusbacher-make-up artist for doing a great job for my son’s bar-mitzvah. She was very pleasant to work with and our pictures look beautiful thanks to her. Her number is 052714-3830 R.S. I wanted people to know about Oriela, a wonderful and experienced cosmetologist. I trust her so much I send my teenage daughters by themselves. She has a new place that is very relaxing and conveniently located. She can be reached at 02-999-9954 E.T. Ladies, Eshet Chayil has just received beautiful pre-tied bandanas with non-slip seret incorporated. No more worries that the bandana moves. Her store is under Zol b’Shefa and her number is 0548402950. Miri Z. I bought an original paint from David Avisar. He has his studio in Bet Shemesh bet. I love the painting!!! His prices are very reasonable and I have Bought many items from him for wedding presents. He also sells hand painted challah covers. Call him at 0504123925 or 02-9992034, you will keep coming back to him. L.C.
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Insurance
Insurance
Tip of the Month
1. The Secret Code The story began when Shlomo Hazan wrote down the number of his immobilizer’s secret code on the driver’s door in his car (along with a number of other important phone numbers). One dark night, the car was stolen. When the insurance company (Bituach Yashir) heard that the “kod sodi” had been written openly on the car door, they promptly refuted the claim. In their opinion, it was as if Hazan had left the car open. Judge David Mintz started by calling Hazan to task for negligently writing down the secret code and thereby undermining the whole idea of the immobilizer. However, to make the jump from Hazan’s negligence to saying that it was like having no immobilizer at all was going too far. The Insurance Law (1979) states that damage caused by the negligence of the insured should have no bearing on the claim. It is for this very reason that we buy insurance. The only exception is when someone causes damage intentionally or by gross unacceptable negligence. The judge posed three questions: 1. Was Hazan’s negligence way beyond the normal range of human negligence? 2. Was the insured aware that his action would inevitably cause the damage or theft? 3. Did the insurer prove a definite link between the insured’s action and the theft? The judge summed up: In Hazan’s case, he left the number among other phone numbers. In other words, there was no gross negligence. Regarding the second question too, Hazan had not intended the theft to take place. Regarding the third question, Bituach Yashir themselves concurred that cars are often stolen despite the secret code. In other words, not having the code is no definite obstruction to a “dedicated” thief. 12
• NOVEMBER 2013
Bizness Magazine
The Final Outcome There was no way to prove a direct link between Hazan’s negligence and the theft. Bituach Yashir was ordered to pay up! 2. Important (but Often Misunderstood) Information Have you ever received an insurance claims’ check where an amount seems to be deducted from the payment with the mysterious words “kinun” printed next to deduction? Translated, this means “re-instatement value.” An example: Let’s say you pay an NIS 3,000 annual premium to insure your car that is worth NIS 80,000. You have an accident which costs NIS 10,000. The cost of the repair is covered by the insurance but now you have “used up” NIS 10,000 of the cover and therefore need to “top up” the policy. The amount that you actually pay is dependent on a) the cost of the damage and b) how much longer the policy has to run. In other words, the two extremes are having an accident on the first or last day of the policy. On the first day you would pay maximum “kinun” because you have to “top up” the policy for a full year. On the last day there is no “kinun” at all! When the new insurance year begins, everything starts afresh. When do you not have to pay the kinun? 1. When there is a total loss. In this case, you use your entire premium to pay the total cover. 2. When the accident happens on the last day of the policy. 3. For Bituach Hova claims: There is no re-instatement value on claims of personal injury. 4. Any case where the client decides not to replace or repair the damage. For example, if you decide not to repair your old Subaru, you will be paid out minus the ma’am [VAT] but without the reinstatement clause kicking in. Insurance Policies You and Your Family Should Have: 1. Basic Supplementary Health Insurance (overseas operations, transplants and dications not in the sal briut). Cost (for couple + 3 or more kids): Only NIS 90 per month. 2. Basic Life Insurance: Call us for details: 02-6232546 and ask for Shabtai. Egert and Cohen Insurance - We’re here when you need us!! www.egertcohen.co.il
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In the Yishuv Sdot Michah, 5 minutes from Bet Shemesh in Emek Haela, there stands Tzimmer Haaliza, a bungalow luxury complex with every thing required for the perfect vacation. There are romantic suites for couples to multiple rooms bungalows for large religious families with children. We have beautiful lawned courtyards with trees and ornamental owers illuminated with colorful lights, barbecue areas and plenty of parking space. You can order breakfast, a professional massage and a charmingly designed unit for an extra fee.
-Luxury Tzimmer Everything You Need including a wine gift for our guests Corner Jacuzzi ~ Giant double bed with double mattress ~ Living room sofa ~ Air Conditioned ~ Seating Area ~ Private balcony with table and chairs Kitchen: coffee corner, espresso machine, electric kettle, fridge, microwave, crockery, pots, pans. Bathroom: towels. Multimedia: Plasma 42 inches, Pay TV. Kosher food, Shabbat plate, urn and nearby synagogue.
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Mortgage
A
t the end of August, the Bank of Israel (BOI) issued an announcement limiting how banks can lend to mortgage borrowers. The Bank of Israel website refers to this as “draft guidance for consultation with the Advisory Committee on Banking regarding limitations on the granting of housing loans (mortgages).” In this case, “draft guidance” can be compared to a father telling his five-year-old son not to hit his sister again with his GI JOE toy if he wants to keep it. While not getting into a question of free choice, my analogy is to illustrate my point that “draft guidance” may not be understood in the context that is in fact used, meaning that your mortgage will need to conform. There were three primary “guidelines” (as the BOI website refers to them): A limitation on the amount of monthly payment as a percentage of income, a limitation on variable loans and loan term. In this article, I will focus on the second guideline: a limitation on variable loans and loan term. But before I do so, allow me to give you a little history in order to better understand the context of the latest announcement. In 2010, the BOI issued directives for the first time that directly affected how and what mortgage borrowers could do. It was a wakeup call to the mortgage industry that there was a regulator that was actually going to be reviewing their loan files. Most importantly, non-compliance would not just be a slap on the wrist but would cost serious money (Alas, but that is an article in itself). At that time (and through a few consecutive amendments), the BOI limited an Israeli borrower’s ability to take a mortgage at whatever terms they wanted and limited them to taking no more than 1/3 (many banks adopted a limit of 32%) of their loan amount with adjustable interest rate loan terms. In case you have not taken a mortgage since before then and you do not know what that means, in March 2010, a borrower with a Israeli teudat zehut who took a NIS 1,000,000 loan based on the prime interest rate or based on the 3-month LIBOR, was not able to do that a few months later. Instead, he was forced to take only NIS 320,000 based on a variable Interest rate (e.g.3-month LIBOR, Prime etc) and the rest as “fixed” interest rate loans (again, I use the quotation marks around the word fixed because in this country an interest rate linked to the madad can still be considered 14
• NOVEMBER 2013
OhThe limitations BOI! on variable loans and loan terms By Moshe Wilshinsky fixed and given that the cost of that fixed rate can change every month with inflation, it is not FIXED by the industry definition I have been familiar with for the past 28 years). Until this latest directive was issued, the balance of the loan could have been in a loan with a term of 30 years and an interest rate fixed for five years. It should be noted that in 2002, the BOI forced a standardization of the mortgage banks’ pre-payment penalties. Pre-payment penalties were another ramification that borrowers who wanted short- or medium-term financing had to deal with after the 2010 regulation was introduced (eventually, that was dealt with in 2010 and the regulation exempted “bridge-loans” that had a loan period of a few years or less). Let’s take a look at the actual wording used by the BOI on their press release published on their website: “A banking corporation shall not approve a housing loan where the portion of the loan at variable-rate interest exceeds 66.7 percent (twothirds) of the loan. This limitation shall apply to loans with variable rate interest of all durations and comes in addition to the existing limitation limiting to one-third the portion of a housing loan granted at variable-rate interest for a period of less than five years.” Breaking this down, the first part of this statement says: “A banking corporation shall not approve a housing loan where the portion of the loan at variable-rate interest exceeds 66.7 percent (twothirds) of the loan.”
Bizness Magazine
The term “variable-rate interest” means that the interest rate on your loan changes sometime before the loan term is up. For example, if you have a 30-year-loan and the interest rate adjusts every 15 years, it is called a variable-rate interest loan because the interest rate may vary. “This limitation shall apply to loans with variable rate interest of all durations…” This makes it very clear that the loans with a fixed interest rate for five years or more and loan terms that were much longer (e.g. 15 to 30 years) are variable-rate interest rate loans and are being included in the limitation of 66.7% of the loan amount. “…and comes in addition to the existing limitation limiting to onethird the portion of a housing loan granted at variable-rate interest for a period of less than five years.” This means that the previous legislation regarding 1/3 of the loan amount having adjustable terms without a minimum term still applies. So what this all comes down to is longterm fixed-rate mortgage terms. The BOI is requiring every borrower to take 1/3 of their loan amount with an interest rate that is fixed over the entire term of the loan. My regular readers know that this is an issue that I have written about before. However, the major difference is that I have always favored rates that are not linked to the madad (inflation) over those that are. I have not seen anything in the legislation that recognizes that differentiation. The reason why I am in favor of longterm fixed-rate loans is because I believe that when borrowers are deciding what type of mortgage to take, they need to take into account the probability of interest rates increasing in the future. It seems that the BOI shares this concern and this is part of their new regulation. Is this latest regulation from the BOI conveying a message to those that have their head in the sand by pulling them by the hand and forcing them to hear? About the Author Moshe Wilshinsky is the CEO of Moville Mortgage & Finance Ltd. Contact information: Israel: Dial: 073-796-2226 and then press the special 711 BiznessMagazine extension. In the U.S., dial: 201-377-3418; in the U.K., dial 208-596-4501. Website is at: www.movillefinance.com
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Developing Commercial Areas
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By Rachel Cohen
I
Why Real Estate Deals Fall Through and What You Can Do to Prevent it ?
t is important to remember that the paper indicating your “intent” to purchase a property or the signed contract between the buyer and the seller is not the end of the purchase process but only a beginning. Your deal can still fall through. It is only when the property formally changes hands that you officially become a property owner or have sold your home in Israel. So how do you ensure that your deal does not fall apart during the various stages of the process? There are a number of reasons why deals fall apart: Failed Home Inspections: Topping most real estate professionals’ lists of potential deal breakers is the home inspection. This is where buyers check out the home they intend to purchase. They examine the roof for leaks and the foundation to see if it is safe. They also look at the mechanical systems, structural issues, major insect infestations or mold. When the results are in, buyers then present the seller with a list of items to be fixed. This is often seen as an opportunity for price renegotiations. The haggling over minor items is a sure-fire way to kill a deal. Compromise is necessary at this point to prevent losing the deal. So as a buyer, get the home inspection done early and professionally before you grow too attached to the property. Financing: The second most popular reason for deals falling through is financing. Buyers often put in an offer on a house or apartment and have it accepted before they have even started approaching the banks to check on their zchuyot or how large a mortgage will be available to them and at what rates. Before you start checking out the real estate market, know how much you can afford to spend when you combine the amount of money that you have for a down payment with the amount of mortgage funds available to you. Complications: There are many different complications that can arise during the process. There are title problems. A professional is needed to ensure that the seller is really the owner and that there are no liens on the property. Often second-hand purchases contain home improvements which were carried out without permits or, if a permit was obtained, 16
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For more tips on how to successfully buy or sell your home, contact Rachel Cohen from Rachel Realty at 052-761-7468 or at racheleva@walla.com Property assessment, negotiating and closing deals effectively are Rachel’s specialty.
it may not have been properly closed out. And there is also the possibility of mortgages not being properly recorded or filed. Negotiations: Buying a home is filled with many issues and not just price. A purchase can fall through on some of the other items such as occupancy dates, down payments, whether you’re buying a house “as is” or “subject to.” Buyers and sellers need to agree or compromise on all items in order for a deal to go through. Seller Backs Out: It happens. A seller’s plans change and suddenly the house is no longer for sale or a better offer had been received, etc. There is not too much that you can do about this other than once your decision to purchase has been made, due diligence has been done on the property and the bank has approved your mortgage, then try to close as fast as possible. Paperwork: Real estate transactions are much more complicated than most people realize. A misunderstanding of the contract or a deliberate misrepresentation of the property, can cause confusion and collapse of the contract. Other measures to help guarantee that your deal doesn’t go south: Paying Attention to Contract Dates: Depending on the terms of your real estate contract, deals may be cancelled because the other party hasn’t met a deadline. Sadly, attorneys, lenders and even some real estate agents are not the best monitors of important contractual dates. Do Not Enter a Deal Lightly: Buyers sometimes harbor the misconception that a real-estate purchase contract can be entered into lightly and then easily exited. When you enter a real estate deal, even an oral agreement can be binding so be careful what you say and sign and always use a professional to help you avoid any pitfalls along the way. Don’t Expect Concessions: If you have beaten the sellers all the way down on price, don’t hold out for further concessions in the contract to meet your needs. Bargaining a seller all the way down to his rock-bottom price will generally insure that they will not agree to further concessions for repairs or money to correct inspection problems that are found later.
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Real Estate Legal
Navigating
Maze
the Real Estate By Nicole Levin
M
ost real estate transactions are uncomplicated and easy to complete but when complications do arise, the dry legalese can suddenly take on a life of its own. It’s then that you’re grateful that your lawyer has read and understood the implications of every line of those endless legal tomes. Family Ties A few years ago, a father and daughter came into my office. Adam was a widow, aged 77, whose wife, Danielle had passed away several years before. His 40-yearold daughter, Sonya, was the youngest of eight children and was herself married with children. Sonya had a sibling, Tom, who was living in a home for mentally impaired adults. Many years previously, when Danielle was still alive and Tom was still living at home, her parents had asked that one of their children move nearer to them in order to take care of them and Tom. The parents owned a small house on a large plot of land and there was room to build another house next door to theirs. Sonya was the only one of her siblings who agreed to this. She sold her apartment and with the proceeds built a house next to her parents’ house on the same plot of land. Since the plot of land was registered in the names of her parents, they appeared as the registered owners of both houses. Sonya took care of her brother and her aging parents. She cooked and cleaned for them. She did their laundry and shopped for them. She took them to the doctor when necessary and made sure that they took their medicine. She did all this in addition to taking care of her own family and raising her children. Unable to start a career due to her additional responsibilities, Sonya worked at simple manual jobs to bring in some extra income for her family.
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Over time, she grew closer to her parents and they trusted her implicitly. Where There’s a Will…. Both parents had made wills ten years previously. The wills were drawn up by another lawyer and each stipulated that upon the death of one of the spouses the entire estate would pass to the surviving spouse. When the surviving spouse passed away, the estate would pass to Sonya and her husband. The estate consisted of the plot of land with the two houses and some money in a bank account which Sonya was to use for Tom’s needs. The other brothers and sisters were not mentioned in the will and the parents did not tell their other children that the wills even existed. Both wills stated that Tom was to be allowed to live in his parents’ house as long as he lived. Danielle passed away several years after these wills were drawn up. When it became increasing difficult to care for Tom at home, he was placed in a group living situation at the request of his father. Making Changes When I met with Adam and Sonya, Adam asked me to register the plot of land with the two houses in the names of Sonya and her husband during his lifetime. Since Danielle’s will was never probated, I first needed to get a probate order for her will and then register her rights in the property in Adam’s name, since Adam was the sole heir to her estate. After the property was registered in Adam’s name, I would be able to complete the transfer of rights in the property to the names of Sonya and her husband. I prepared all the documents for both the probate of Danielle’s will and the transfer of rights and signed Adam, Sonya and her husband in the relevant places. I worked on both legal issues simultaneously, submitting a request for the probate of Danielle’s will with the Registrar of Estates and starting the
Bizness Magazine
process of transferring rights in the property by submitting the requisite reports to the tax authorities. I also took care of the purchase and capital gains tax issues. The Problems Begin The Registrar of Estates granted the probate of the will but unfortunately made several typing errors in the probate order and it had to be corrected several times. After the final corrected version of the probate order was given and the tax issues were settled, I was ready to complete the process of the registration of Danielle’s rights in the apartment in Adam’s name under the provisions of the will and the transfer of rights from Adam to Sonya and her husband. The above transactions needed to be completed in two places — first in the Israeli Land Authority and then in the Land Registry Office. I submitted the documents to the Israeli Land Authority for their approval and, to my surprise, ran into the first of a series of problems. This was due to an elementary mistake by the lawyer from the Israeli Land Authority who handled the file. She called me to ask how I could sign Adam on the documents transferring the rights in the property if Danielle’s portion in the property was not yet in his name. According to her understanding, Adam had not yet inherited Danielle’s portion since there was no probate order for her will yet. Knowing the legal issues in microscopic detail was definitely to my advantage and that of my clients. I showed the lawyer the relevant clauses in the legislation stating that an heir is an heir from the moment the person dies. The probate order merely has declarative value. She was convinced and I was given the approval of the Israeli Land Authority. But, her lack of understanding of basic inheritance law wasted valuable time. I didn’t know it but the clock was ticking on this deal. The Problems Get Worse I submitted the documents to the Land Registry and ran into a major problem. The Land Registry Registrar did not like the language of the probate order. Instead of writing a simple probate order, which is what is usually done, the Registrar of Estates had added a line in the order about Tom being incompetent. The Land Registry Registrar took issue with this statement because it was worded in a vague way. I applied to the Registrar of Estates to
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change this sentence in the probate order or take it out completely, but she refused. I tried to explain the issues to the Land Registry Registrar but she did not agree with me. I even went to consult with a lawyer who used to be the Registrar of the Land Registry to see if there were any other solutions he could suggest. His solution was to try to convince the Registrar of Estates to correct the problematic sentence in the probate order and this she refused to do. I finally got the Registrar of the Land Registry and the Registrar of Estates to meet to discuss the problem. This they did. And then they found a solution. It was one that I had suggested when the problem first arose. I had suggested that since the will stated that Tom could live in the parents’ house, we would register a notation about this in the Land Registry. This is what was finally agreed to and the property was to be finally registered in the names of Sonya and her husband. However, before the property transfer was confirmed, Sonya’s father passed away suddenly. Family Feuds About a month before Adam passed away he told his other children about the two wills. The other siblings were hurt and angry at not inheriting anything. When Adam passed away and I submitted his will to the Registrar of Estates for probate, they filed an objection. The case was sent to the family court. The trial was held simultaneously with my efforts to register the property in Sonya’s name. I was able to do this since Adam had signed an irrevocable power of attorney empowering me to do so and he had signed all the documents before his death. In any case, Adam had left the property to Sonya and her husband in the will. However, there was the additional issue of the sum of money in the account. Sonya could not touch this money without probate of the will. This was a very stressful time for Sonya and her husband. Her beloved father, with whom she was very close, had just died. Her sisters and brothers were very angry at her and, at every court appearance, she had to endure their wrath and hurtful comments. She feared that for some reason the property would not be registered in her name and she would lose her house. She feared for her brother Tom as well. The money was for him and her brothers and sisters wanted this money. They threatened to have Tom re-
moved from the home that he was in, even though this was not in his best interest. A Successful Resolution Towards the end of the trial, I managed to register the property in the names of Sonya and her husband. The court eventually ruled in Sonya’s favor. Sonya was able to free the money set aside by her father for Tom and she is now able to cover any expenses needed to take care of her brother Tom. The above process, which should have taken a few months, took two years. This case shows that when things become complicated, a dedicated lawyer with an under-
standing of the law and the power of persuasion, who is willing to take the time to search for the solutions, can overcome the difficulties which can arise from time to time. Note: All names in the article and some details have been changed in the interests of client confidentiality. About the Author Nicole Levin is an American born, Israeli trained, real estate attorney with 28 years of experience in the field. She has law offices in Bet Shemesh, Jerusalem and in Modiin. Her website can be visited at www.levinlawoffices.co.il Tel: 02-9915687.
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Health Dr. Reuven M. Rosenberg
Chiropractor and Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist The Integrative Health Center, Ramat Bet Shemesh, Jerusalem, Ramat Gan 052-761-6793, www.DrRosenberg.net
The Integrative Health Letter Your Comprehensive Guide to ADHD
ADHD Awareness Month: By Dr. Reuven M. Rosenberg
ADHD
is a condition characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. To be diagnosed, the condition must cause significant impairment in daily functioning in at least two settings. While all children experience these symptoms occasionally, a child with ADHD will experience these symptoms to such a degree that they interfere with his or her ability to function at home and at school on a recurring basis. The disorder is NOT a result of bad parenting. ADHD has three subtypes: 1. Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive 2. Predominantly inattentive 3. Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive Below is a checklist of signs and symptoms to help you determine if your child’s inattention and impulsivity are behavioral or if they could indicate ADHD: Inattention: • Failing to pay close attention to details or making careless mistakes when doing schoolwork or other activities • Trouble keeping attention focused during age-appropriate play or tasks • Appearing not to listen or hear when spoken to • Failing to follow instructions or finish age-appropriate tasks • Avoiding tasks that require a high amount of mental effort and organization, such as school projects • Frequently losing items required to facilitate tasks or activities, such as school supplies • Excessive distractibility/forgetfulness Hyperactive and Impulsive Behavior: • Excessive fidgeting with hands or feet or squirming in seat • Leaving seat often, even when inappropriate • Running or climbing at inappropriate times • Difficulty in quiet play • Frequently feeling restless • Excessive speech • Answering a question before the speaker has finished
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educated patients get the best results
• Failing to await one’s turn • Interrupting the activities of others at inappropriate times Diagnosis: It is important to remember that while all children experience inattention or hyperactivity occasionally, ADHD is characterized by the excessive presence of these symptoms so that they impair a child’s ability to function in everyday life in more than one setting. A diagnosis is generally made only if a child has experienced six symptoms from the above categories for at least three months. If your child’s long-term issues with inattention, hyper behavior and impulsivity are preventing his or her success, I invite you to consider the Brain Balance Program. Clinical research indicates that neurobehavioral disorders like ADHD have an under-connectivity of electrical activity in the brain in common called Functional Disconnection Syndrome. After a comprehensive assessment of your child’s brain and body function is completed, I integrate physical, sensorymotor, and cognitive exercises with simple dietary changes to correct the underlying connection issue and reduce or eliminate negative symptoms and behaviors. Each student’s program is unique! In future articles I will explain Functional Disconnection Syndrome and discuss the exercises and diet. I will also begin to explore the emerging science of functional and genetic lab testing and the field of epigenetics. This new science is opening windows into functions like never before. That gives us the ability to intervene with precision like never before and achieve amazing things. Remember, you can’t fix the problem until you can identify the problem! *Portions of this text were copied and edited with permission from the Brain Balance Achievement Center website, http://www. brainbalancecenters.com/ There is no BBAC in Israel. Dr. Rosenberg is educated in the same post graduate program which gave birth to the BBAC concept. To learn more, check out the website as well as the book, Disconnected Kids by Dr. Robert Mellilo. Dr. Rosenberg offers a free one-hour consultation -- in person or by phone, to discuss your health issues. Call today to begin getting real answers to your health questions!
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Orthodontics
Smiling from Bet Shemesh to Jerusalem with Smile Talk Dr. Lavi and Dr. Gherman
by
“The best part is that they are invisible!”
What is Invisalign®? Invisalign® is a product produced by a California based company called Align Technology. Align Technology was founded in 1997 and received FDA clearance to market Invisalign® in 1998. The Invisalign® System is a technologically advanced esthetic approach to treating malocclusions or bad bites. It uses three dimensional graphic imaging and CAD/CAM technology to create a virtual model of the patient’s teeth. With special software, this model is then manipulated by your orthodontist to form an ideal bite. There are many stages go through to get from a bad bite to a good bite. In between, the teeth will be at different positions until they reach their final stage. From each of the virtual model’s stages, Align Technology creates an aligner, a clear, nearly invisible appliance that
BEFORE
AFTER
gently moves teeth to the desired final position. How long does Invisalign® take? Each aligner is worn for two weeks and then changed to the new aligner. Typically the treatment will take 5-12 months. However, this will vary based on your bite. Is Invisalign® better than braces? As we have emphasized in previous articles, there is no one orthodontic system that is the best for all patients. Your orthodontist must determine if Invisalign® will be best for you. We have been using and studying the Invisalign® system for over ten years. Dr. Gherman is a premier provider of Invisalign® and we can tell you if Invisalign® is right for you.
Invisalign® does, however, have many benefits over braces: They are easy to use and hard to break. You can remove them for special occasions, for cleaning your teeth, or to eat some of your favorite foods that you can’t eat with braces. Of course the best part is that they are invisible! Invisalign® recently came out with a new material called Smart Track which is faster and even more comfortable than the previous material. O.K., so how do I know if I am a candidate? Call us to set up your free consultation. We are looking forward to helping you achieve the smile you always wanted in the best way possible.
Dr. Eliyahu Gherman’s office is located at 15 Ibn Gevirol, Rechavia. The phone numbers are: 02-561-9770 and 02-561-9780. Now in Ramat Bet Shemesh too! Dr. Edo Lavi’s office is located at 1 Nachal Tamar, Ramat Bet Shemesh. The phone number is: 02-992-3363. 22
• NOVEMBER 2013
Bizness Magazine
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Life Coach
Coping with a Loss
By Helen Abelesz
W
hen we lose a loved one, we can often feel very alone. This is especially true for young people whose peer group finds it difficult to relate to their loss. Grief is a very different experience from anything else you may have encountered in your life. A lack of support and not having someone understand what you are going through seems to make everything worse. A client once told me that when she lost her sister she was told by a friend who had also had a loss, “Welcome to the club.” Someone who has not lost anyone cannot imagine what it’s like, while someone who has, is going to have to live with that loss forever. She told me that there is definitely a feeling of relief at finally being understood when speaking to someone who has also experienced grief. Sara* lost her father when she was 29. She had young children and her family lived
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abroad. She was a stay-at-home mother who was very busy with her children. She naturally found herself becoming more and more isolated as she just stayed at home with her kids and rarely left the house. None of her friends had ever lost anyone and she didn’t want to burden them with her heavy feelings. If and when she tried, they just didn’t understand her. Despite being surrounded by friends, Sara was all alone and had no one to talk to. She was becoming depressed and losing her ability to function properly. The slightest mishap would make her snappy and tearful and she began to experience awful headaches. But the worst was how impatient she was with her children. Sara knew she was in a downward spiral but she had the strength to know that she had to break out if it. And so, she gave me a call. We discovered that Sara kept pushing all her sad feelings away so that she could be
“happy” for her children. She was denying her feelings and refusing to express them. But this made her much worse. Her emotions eventually forced their way out. This explained her sudden mood swings, her headaches and her impatience. Pushing away her feelings had drained her of all her energy. Sara and I worked on trying to change her focus, on giving herself time to herself, giving her permission to think about her father, and finding some “alone” time. Once she allowed herself to feel sad and to give herself time to grieve, she was able to be more “present” with her children. Sara also talked about the fact that she didn’t know how she was supposed to feel or behave. Sometimes she was happy and laughing with her children and then suddenly she would feel terribly guilty -- how could she be happy when she had lost her father! We worked through the grieving process. When we
grieve, we go through every emotion. However we feel at any specific moment is how we are supposed to feel. There is no right or wrong way of feeling. The important thing is just to let yourself feel these emotions. Sometimes, we think it is easier to push away our sad feelings but in reality this takes up much more energy. Slowly but surely, Sara began to feel a little stronger. She allowed herself to sometimes feel sad and weepy and sometimes to feel fine and happy. Most importantly, she began to grieve for her father in a healthy and meaningful manner. She was happier, had more patience with her children and was feeling relief from her headaches. If you have experienced a loss and need help to grieve healthily, give me a call for a free first consultation. Life Coach Helen Abelesz at 054-482-9815. *Not her real name and all identifying features have been changed.
The Sewing Machine Center Under the management of Menachem Babad Over 20 Years of Sales Experience and Service in the Field of Sewing Machines The thousands of clients who have bought from us or received service over the years are the proof that fair trade, the marketing of quality merchandise and great service after purchase is the right way to prosperity and success. Our locations: Bet Shemesh: RBS A (under Yesh): 02-625-0184 Jerusalem: Rechov Hamelacha 2, Corner of Baharan (Mea Shearim): 02-654-2040 Bnei Brak: Rechov Dessler 15: 03-579-1036
OUR CLIENTS INCLUDE:
seamstresses | institutions | kibbutzim | matnasim and of course private clients with both industrial and home sewing machines.
Questions? Call Menachem Babad at 050-589-4918 We have a centrally located laboratory where we repair all types of sewing machines with expertise & responsibility Come and check out our personal and family atmosphere
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Sales and Rentals Licensed Agent
Car Mechanic
ARIEL’s TIP of the MONTH:
A New Auto
“Service” Center in Bet Shemesh By Ariel Levy, expert car mechanic
I
have some exciting news. I will soon be opening a new auto service center called AutoKING. It is located across from the BIG Fashion Mall near the Bet Shemesh train station. My Tip of the Month is to tell you what you, as a customer, should expect from a service center. There are a lot of garages in Bet Shemesh but very few “service” centers. My partner Aryeh Deverett, explains it best. ARYEH: I recently made aliyah. When I needed my car serviced, I went to a couple of the current shops and I felt that I was taken advantage of. I found out later that they overcharged me. The quality of work was mediocre at best and the level of “service” was very bad. One time, I was even yelled at by the owner of the garage. I know that many people have share that same bad experience when having their car serviced. Then I met Ariel Levy. He worked on my car and did a very good job. He spoke to me in my language and charged me a fair price. He was honest, fair and friendly. I was very impressed with him -- except he didn’t have his own shop. He was the best mechanic I had met but he just needed a shop to properly service his clientele. And so, to make a long story short, we became partners in a brand new service center called AutoKing. My background is in service, creating a good experience for customers. I believe
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that customers want to be treated honestly, fairly (low price), and with respect. I have lots of experience from the retail world on how to create that type of environment. In Israel, it seems that every sector is becoming more focused on providing good service and a positive customer experience. The shopping malls are becoming clean and bright and offer American/European style service and merchandise. The restaurants are modern and exciting and provide excellent cuisine at reasonable prices. However, the auto garage industry is still very behind the times. The service is poor and customers get taken advantage of. That is about to change. AutoKing is the first in a chain of American-style “service” centers. In the auto industry, REAL service means honesty, fair price, respect for the customer, cleanliness and systemization. Customers deserve to be treated that way. AutoKING
Bizness Magazine
will provide the best service at very reasonable prices. In fact, we are going to do maintenance (oil changes) service at close to the lowest price in town. And we offer a lifetime brake promise for as long as you own your car. ARIEL: I have always believed in being totally honest with my customers and giving them the best service at the best price. Now that I have a brand new shop, I’ll be able to service you even better. I personally guarantee that at AutoKING, you will enjoy having your car taken care of. Looking forward to seeing you soon. About the Author Ariel Levy’s new car garage is located across from the BIG Fashion Mall near the Bet Shemesh train station. Ariel is Bizness Magazine’s car mechanic expert columnist and offers a free 15-minute consultation to all our readers. He can be contacted at 054 205 0389.
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WEBSITE BUILDING
“We offer a free preview or mockup of how a client’s website will look within 24 hours. No strings attached.”
Meir, where are you from? I was born in Houston, Texas but I spent much time in New York where I attended Pratt Institute, one of the most prestigious design schools in the world. How do you define yourself professionally? What do you do? I have been in the website design and development industry for almost 11 years. I would best describe my skilled team of designers and programmers as perfectionists. As the CEO of the company, I am also involved in every single project as I like to see the perfectionism achieved. What’s the main objective in website design? As a company, my team strategizes each and every project quite thoroughly. The design phase is the hardest part of the process because we need to achieve favor in our clientele’s eyes, as well as the consumers’ eyes. It is the most crucial step in building a website. But nonetheless, we are always able to satisfy our clients and build them the websites just the way they envisioned them.”
Interview with
Meir Amber, CEO of Group 7 Why is it important to have your website built professionally from the start? Today, there is this whole hype about SEO -- Search Engine Optimization. In layman’s terms, from the beginning we use targeted marketing in order to attract consumer traffic to a website. There are many techniques implemented by my coding team to achieve this. This implementation includes call-to-actions for consumers to actually stay on the site and get in touch with the company. My coders have also developed an algorithm intended to attract Google, Yahoo and other search engines which they place in the background of the sites. This avoids future costs that one may incur after completing the website in order to re-enter the background of the site and insert coding snippets and certain keywords crucial to having a site search engine optimized. But doing this is not a quick fix because SEO is a very tricky and somewhat mysterious challenge. Explain SEO and why it’s so crucial? SEO is essentially the method of marketing a website. As I have stated above, SEO is a very tricky field to work in. Google constantly changes its algorithms that affect the ranking of websites on Google pages. The higher you are on Google rankings, the greater the amount of hits that arrive at your website. If you are not on the first page after a search for your product or service, you are not reaching your target audience. And that is the most important part of SEO --being in your target market’s face! Is “Do It Yourself” website software good for SEO purposes? Absolutely not. Without proper knowledge and experience, you may have a beautiful looking website but no ranking with search engines. This varies from link building and the organic growth of a website’s ranking. The present hype for SEO is for a reason. It is an extremely difficult field. Could you suggest some effective ways or points to increase website traffic? After extensive research and case studies, we have concluded that Facebook, 28
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Bizness Magazine
Twitter and Pinterest are the three most important gateways into social network marketing in Israel. We offer a service that is pinpointed to increase traffic with social media marketing. How can you help an on-line business make more money? This is a very simple answer. There is an old acronym in business: “K.I.S.S.” This means Keep It Simple, Stupid. With over a decade of experience, my company utilizes each and every stage of creating a website and maintaining it. We stick to the plan. Build the site. Optimize it for SEO. Bring consumers to the site. Once the consumers are on your site, we keep them there until they contact you through the use of call-toaction buttons and other means of having a customer stay logged on to your site. One of our chief ways to keep visitors in your site is thinking out of the box. Lately, we have been utilizing moving images which automatically draw in the consumer. Studies have shown that the brain processes images in less than 500 milliseconds. On the flip side, text has a much slower response rate to the human eye and brain. How are you different than other firms? Our prices are lower. Our quality is not compromised. And best of all, we offer a free preview, or mockup, of a how a client’s website will look within 24 hours. No strings attached. How can our readers contact you? We will be delighted to hear from anyone regarding our vast array of services by calling our office at (02) 625-1007. Or you can e-mail us at info@ group7.co.il Please also take a look at our website, www.group7.co.il
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y friend Sara W. was out shopping the other day, and, among other things, she also needed some ribbons, buttons and other sundry sewing items. Since she was in Geula, she went into a sewing/ notions store which she knew about, which was nearby. Now, please note, if you didn’t know that this “store” existed, you would never, ever just bump into it. It’s, well, on the street of Yehezkiel, just at the back of a very small alley. Kitchen chairs of various descriptions are laid out and piled up in front of the entrance to this small alley and it is only by walking between these chairs that a person can reach the alley. This (really tiny) alley is flanked, on both sides, with all types and sizes of chairs. A couch, piled on top of another couch, lines part of the left wall. Between two dining room chairs on the right side of the wall is a door that leads into the sewing store. It appears that this “furniture” store and the sewing store both belong to a husband and a wife team. The chair store, run by a small Sephardic man who is constantly sitting on one of his chairs reading Tehillim, opens around 9:00 or 9:30 a.m. The sewing store is supposed to open around 10:00 a.m. On this particular day, Sara went to the sewing store, but it was closed. Undaunted, she returned later, but all was still dark and the door to the store was still closed. This time, however, the owner of the furniture/chair store looked up from his sefer and said to Sara, “Go right in and turn on the light. Take what you want, and give me the money.” Sara was pleasantly surprised, since she did need those ribbons and buttons, and so she opened the (unlocked) door to the dark store and searched for the light switch (which she soon found). Turning it on, she began roaming around in the two rooms of the notions store, comparing colors of the myriad rolls of ribbons adorning the walls, and opening and closing little doors to the many different button drawers. The little man was nowhere in sight.
By Tzvia Ehrlich-Klein, Jerusalem Picking out the buttons she wanted, Sara jotted down the price of each butReprinted with ton on a little piece of paper she found in permission from On Cab her pocketbook. She knew what the price Drivers, Shopkeepers of the various buttons were because each and Strangers by Tzvia individual price was written on the front Ehrlich-Klein. of each little plastic button-drawer. Additional stories by Scrounging around, Sara found the the author of On Cab scissors, and proceeded to measure out Drivers, Shopkeepers the different ribbons against the measurand Strangers, On Bus ing stick that was attached to the counter. Drivers, Dreidels and Here again, the price per meter of each Orange Juice and On of the different types of ribbon was writBus Stops, Bakers and ten on the spool, and she thus did some Beggers Feldheim). quick calculations and added together Editor of To Dwell in the the entire amount. Palace, an anthology Proud of herself and of her accomon life in Israel. Tzvia plishments (Sara had never measured Ehrlich-Klein made aliya and “professionally cut” ribbon before), in 1971 and lives in she counted out the exact change which Jerusalem. she owed the owners, closed the lights and the door, and went outside to make an accounting to the chair-store man. Looking up from his Tehillim, he accepted her money and never even asked what she had taken. Nor did he ask to see the accounting she had made! Sara was astounded, and called me soon after she returned home from her outing. “I’m not even a regular customer there,” Sara exclaimed. “The man doesn’t know me at all! And I must have been wandering about in the empty store for at least 20 minutes! Can you believe it?!” What a country, and what a people! And, as I write these lines, I suddenly realized that there was also a cash register on the counter in the store (I’ve been in there) ... yet neither Sara nor I even thought about mentioning that fact when the story was told to me! What can you say!?!
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Interview with
Miriam Goldshtein from Kitchens
“Almost everyone who comes to the showroom buys their kitchen here”
W
hy did you decide to open a showroom and an office in Bet Shemesh? Tons of new construction on one side and people deciding that it’s about time to build their dream kitchen in their current homes, on the other. How do you divide your time with your Jerusalem business? We are well-known in Jerusalem. We have built many large residential projects as well as privately for the “rich and famous” there. People know how to reach us in Jerusalem. What’s the secret for making people buy from you? We treat them like a VIP from the moment they step in the showroom. They feel we are genuine and they want to deal with us. How would you describe the materials you use? Best of best. Period. We provide a life warranty on absolutely everything. 32
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We couldn’t offer a life warranty on mediocre materials or parts. Do people really buy from you because of the materials you use? Not really. That gives people a certain peace of mind. People buy our experience and knowledge. What’s that experience? Fifteen years of satisfied clients in the home building industry. We heard that almost everyone who comes to your showroom ends up ordering their kitchen from you. Is that accurate? Yes. How do most people learn about you? Brought by a friend who has bought from us in the past. What’s the proof that people enjoy dealing with you? They keep coming to visit after their kitchen is installed. Soon after, they bring their friends.
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What do you see is your role? To match every client with exactly what they need and want. I help them materialize their concept or vision into their actual dream kitchen. What do you feel about people considering buying a package deal? A kitchen is not something you buy as a package or “on sale.” The kitchen must be exactly what you need, 100% tailored to you. What advice can you give to people considering a new kitchen? Come meet me before you buy. Whether you went shopping already or not, once you leave my office, you will notice a big difference in the way we do things here. KITCHENS showroom: Tchelet Mordechai 1, Bet Shemesh. Phone: 02-624-3773. Hours: Sun-Thurs: 10:30-13:30; 17:30-21:30. The designer is at the showroom from 11:00 - 14:30.
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The most convenient way to shop
Interview with Jason Sugarman
Never shlep or wait in line again for your groceries! Where are you from Jay? I am originally from America, the Philadelphia area. I attended yeshiva in Israel and instantly fell in love. I made aliyah and have been here ever since. How did you get into the supermarket business? Through a friend from yeshiva. Originally, I started with two partners. We acted as drivers, shoppers, administrators, bookkeepers and whatever else was necessary. I quickly saw how important it was to the customers to have a service that no one else provided. A real top-notch, Anglo-Saxonrun, grocery delivery service. Now I am the sole owner and take pride in the quality service we give every customer of ours! What have been your main accomplishments so far? We started the business with maybe 50 customers using someone else’s small makolet. I saw the need to grow and moved to a large grocery store. Now I have over 2,000 customers with new customers being added every day. After quickly realizing that the main issues people had with grocery stores in Israel, the main focus of my business became, and has been, excellent quality customer service. The customer is always right. We bend over backwards to get/give/ deliver to our customers just what they ask for and at the time they request it. What has been the most difficult obstacle to overcome? It is a good problem to have…growth. As we grow, there needs to be adjustments in the company. For instance, more shoppers means more drivers and more inventory, etc. There’s never been a problem that we haven’t been able to deal with. The biggest obstacle was when we decided to move into a larger supermarket with better prices. We had to adjust our entire website, shopping procedures and order processing techniques, while, at the same time, maintaining our current services at the expectations our customers had grown to expect. B”H, in the end, we had a new website with better features, better prices, a better butcher and fresh fish department, and, all-in-all, a much happier shopping community. To what do you attribute your success? Our willingness to put the customer first. We value our customers’ business and offer incentives for consistent shoppers, such as no delivery costs or even regular discounts.
Our success has been mainly due to positive experiences that are naturally passed along by word-of-mouth. How long did you have a store before you launched MyMakolet.com? It’s funny you ask that. In fact, I own a mini-market but we don’t even use that store to shop out of. Most companies that have on-line services like Supersal and Mega, to name a few, first had their grocery stores and then started their on-line services. We actually started the opposite way. We realized many of the flaws of these other companies were mainly due to this order and sequence of events. While they focused on all the extremely intricate details of running a grocery store first, and their “delivery services” second, MyMakolet has, from day one, solely focused on the customers’ experiences. Customer service, quality goods, timely delivery and packaging are just some examples. Every day, our only focus is on how we can perfect a personal shopping experience for every one of our customers (whether orders were placed by phone, fax, or through our website), so they can feel as if our service was here to solely serve them as an individual. Tell us about MyMakolet.com. MyMakolet is much more than just another on-line grocery store. As one of our customers put it, “MyMakolet is an oasis of lush green in the middle of a dry desert of grumpy, rude and obnoxious alternatives.” Our goal is to allow busy parents, hectic workers, students, elderly and the like, a convenient, quick and affordable way to get their shopping done for them. We offer the exact same prices as the supermarket, as if you were to shlep to the store and do the shopping yourself. Another customer blogged, “This is just unbelievable, it’s like I have my own full-time personal shopper that is always at the grocery store.” That’s exactly what we love to hear. A personable and friendly environment is a given, being that our staff is highly experienced in customer service. MyMakolet is more than just lip service. We actually care. We always call our customers the day the order is due to be delivered in order to give them an extra opportunity to order items that may have been forgotten. We also like to let our customers know, in advance, what items are out of stock, so if it is something important, they can quickly stop
on the way home from work and pick it up or substitute it for another item. We also like to double-check that the customer’s schedule has not changed during the course of the day and that they are available during the indicated time to receive the delivery. Our service totally and completely caters to each individual’s needs. The next day we make a follow-up phone call to ensure 100% satisfaction. We care about our customers and we care about improving. At first, people find it hard to believe. Could there be such a thing that exists here in Israel? There is!! What’s the smartest way to shop through the website? I would like to point out that many of our customers call or fax in orders. If this is the preferred method, we are very used to accommodating such orders as well. If you prefer the website, it can be used in three basic ways. Search engine, browsing, and use of old orders. • Browsing is self-explanatory. • Search engine: Many customers like to make a list before, hand on paper, and then use our search engine to look up items that they have on their list. • The “old orders” feature is our customers’ favorite. Any order a customer places is saved to their account. In seconds, these orders can be pulled up, items chosen for “quick re-order” will be added to a current shopping cart and then additional items are quickly added from the website to make a finished order in a matter of minutes! Who is your typical on-line client? We service small businesses, yeshivas, shuls and other such institutions. However, the majority of our customers are private individuals of various backgrounds. Students, elderly, busy workers and families love to take advantage of not having to waste time, energy and money going to and from the store. Typically, we have our “regulars” who shop with us weekly. We also get very busy with our repeat “chagim regulars” who come to Israel for the chagim and order from us before they arrive. We are able to accommodate them and they love the fact that there is food in their fridge and freezer upon arrival. How can I control the quality of fruits and veggies I buy online? Our customers are encouraged to use our “comment box” function. This function allows shoppers to give strict and precise instructions regarding items or other matters in their order. In addition, our staff knows how important good quality fruits and veggies are to our customers. Size, ripeness and
quality are always discussed with our customers during the standard phone call we make during the day, so they can make the decision as to whether they would like the items we have that day or not. In the past, we have gone so far as to send a picture via sms or e-mail, to ensure satisfaction ahead of time. Time and again we have heard horror stories from customers detailing their horrible experiences with moldy or inadequate fruits and veggies from other services they have used in the past. We take pride in the fact that our scrutiny sets us apart from the rest. When I order an avocado, how do I know if it’s ripe for today or for a week later? We give the customer what they request. The “comment box” is a great function to take advantage of. For example, one customer may want large pears and another small ones. Another customer may request 2 bunches of bananas--one green and another slightly turning yellow. We look at the comments of every order. We aim to please. How do I ensure I get my order when I need it? There is a place during checkout to request the time of delivery. There are multiple two-hour slots that can be chosen. We are very accommodating when a customer makes a special request or has a special need and we always encourage customers to give us a ring if they have a specific time they NEED their order by. Are the online prices similar to the store? They are exactly the same! We update our website weekly. On a very rare occasion there may be a change before we can update our website. We always honor the lowest price. How about refunds or exchanges? If there is ever an issue with items that a customer has received, we encourage them to immediately contact us to rectify the matter. We stand firmly behind our policy that everything is 100% returnable and refundable--whether that means switching an item received for the one desired or just picking up the mistaken item and giving a refund within 24 hours. We ensure rectification of the matter assuring our customers 100% satisfaction, often taking care of the issue on the spot. Which areas do you currently deliver to? We deliver to all of Jerusalem and Greater Jerusalem--Neveh Yaakov, Tel Stone, Efrat (and surrounding yishuvim), Ma’ale Adumim, and Beitar. We have delivered special requests to just about everywhere in all of Israel for an additional fee as well. What are your plans for the future? Aside from expanding to all of Israel for a normal 20 shekel delivery fee, we would like to create a “one shop stop” type of experience with the best customer service around. We have already started moving in this direction with the addition of catered food and a music and pharmacy section on our website. We hope to add various Judaica items, a flower section and book section in the near future. How can people place their first order or contact you for more details? It’s simple. Go to MyMakolet.com and start to shop! At the end, during checkout, you will create an account and simply follow the directions. As an option, customers can always call me or one of my friendly staff. All of our contact info, including my own, is listed on our website.
Interview with
Michael
Freedman A MUST Read If you are Over 50…and Getting Older
Where are you from? I am originally from Monsey, New York. I have been in Eretz Yisroel for over 17 years and I am living in RBS A for over ten years. How did you get involved in the fitness industry? Ever since I was a child, I was interested in health and exercise. I have had much personal experience and decided that I wanted to expand to be able to help others rather than just sit and work in front of a computer. What made you decide to become a personal trainer? I felt that many people who suffered from chronic pains didn’t need to suffer. Many of the intervention methods are unnecessary or produce totally different effects than those desired. In addition, older people’s capabilities are grossly underestimated. I felt that I could help with these issues in addition to enabling people to regain or maintain good health. What’s your formal education in the industry? I have certification as a personal trainer from the American Council on Exercise and as a Nutritional Education Trainer from the Nutritional Educational Institute of Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D. I have been a trainer for over thirteen years and have very good experience with healthy individuals, the elderly population, people with chronic pain and people with arthritis, cp, Parkinson’s and other degenerative neurological or structural conditions. I see a lot of training equipment I have never seen before. Do they have a common foundation or fundamentals? I use a wide variety of equipment to target different dimensions and levels of instability. My approach is based on the assumption that the brain and body must work together to develop superior coordination, reflexes and functional strength. Most of the equipment you see is not available locally. I am constantly on the lookout for equipment. When I see something that I think will help even one of my clients, I order it. How is your approach to fitness different than that of other trainers? I believe that exercises must be very challenging and encompassing. Isolating muscles or single motion exercises are counter to the way the human body works. For example, being able to lift heavy weights in the gym does not make a person healthy and many times could be damaging. Although walking, running (properly) or using aerobic equipment benefits the heart, lungs and circulation and 36
•NOVEMBER 2013
brings m a n y other benefits; it is not necessarily sufficient to keep the overall body in top shape, especially as we start to get older. I do things that exercise all the muscles in a VERY functional way. Strength and aerobic exercise go together. Many trainers do exercises that the client can do alone but people are willing to pay the money for the extra motivational push. My exercises are very interactive, challenging and difficult to do alone. How do you apply your nutrition expertise into your program? Proper (real proper) nutrition is the master key to avoid and many times reverse most chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, macular degeneration, arthritis and many others. Clear scientific evidence shows that following the “perfect” diet can make a person virtually “disease proof.” My clients come to me because they care about their health. I feel I must make them aware of this and offer guidance. Following these nutritional guidelines will also bring a person down to their own “ideal weight” without requiring a person to starve. Life on the healthy track can be quite enjoyable. What’s the reason healthy aging people progressively walk slower and lose balance and flexibility? As people get older and become less active, their coordina-
tion and balance is not properly challenged. Even a person in their 80s or 90s can maintain optimal function when properly challenged. It is instability and a lack of coordination caused by a lack of “very challenging” activities that makes a person seem weak. As the years go on, the person becomes less confident — even while walking or standing — and starts to fear doing even simple things. They start to walk more carefully which makes walking even less challenging and this snowballs on until many times a person can’t walk or stand without assistance. This does not have to be the effect of aging! At what age should people start working on their bodies to avoid “older” age typical problems? The older one gets, the more of a problem it will become if not dealt with. While degeneration and the lack of very challenging activities can be reversed; it is MUCH easier to take a person in their 50’s and enable them to maintain their abilities into their 90’s than it is to bring a person in their 90s, who was showing signs of aging, back to their 50s. We know your clients include ex-professional athletes and over 90 year olds, but who is your typical client? Some people just want to be able to concentrate, function and feel better. Some people just want to lose weight. T h e most com-
mon type of clients are the “middleaged,” those who suffer from various pain and skeletal problems such as knees, back, shoulder, feet, etc. These problems have developed either recently or over many years. They want to get rid of their chronic pains. Then there are those who start to worry what things will be like if they push things off for too long. And there are those who have pushed things off a bit too long who now suffer from all kinds of different health problems including signs of a lack of balance and stability. What facilities do you make available for training clients? I have a gym in Har Nof and train some people in my home in Ramat Bet Shemesh. But most of my work takes place at the home of my clients. How often does your average client train with you? In most cases, three times a week is optimal but not everyone is able to do that either because of time or budget constraints. There is a clear difference between two and three times per week and between once or twice a week. Continuity is important to strengthen muscles and treat pain. Too much time between sessions can reduce the desired effect. For how long does your average client stay with you? Most of them stay with me for the long-term after seeing just how much it benefits them. What plans do you have to accommodate your growing clientele? Is there an inheritor of this advanced training methodology? I have a twenty-year old daughter, Hadasah, who is my student. While I work with both men and women, some women are less comfortable working with a man. Hadasah works under my supervision using the same principals as I do, meanwhile people can take advantage of her lower fees. Who should really contact you? Anyone who finds short- and longterm quality of life of prime importance and is willing to put in a strong effort. What’s the best way to reach you? By calling my cell phone: 054-843-9541.
Clients Testimonials “I have been training with Michael Freedman for four years. I am walking (and even hiking) better now at the age of 67 than I was 15 years ago. The most amazing benefit that I feel from Michael’s exciting and interactive exercise sessions is the feeling of constant improvement. I can honestly say that as time passes and I age, I keep getting stronger and my reflexes keep getting sharper.” —Yechezkel Goldfield, Attorney Har Nof “I have been training with Michael Freedman for almost a year now. I feel younger and younger all the time in my sixties. My strength and abilities are literally improving from week to week. These exercise sessions are much more beneficial than I had ever imagined. The side effects also include getting rid of knee and back pains (including sciatica) that I’d had for decades.” —Aryeh Zelasko, RBS A “I was in a car accident and had terrible pain in the neck, back and shoulders. I tried physical therapy and everything else I could think of but things only continued to get worse. I was so worried that this would become a chronic problem. I did not want to use medications if I could avoid doing so. There was just no medical solution for me. Then I found Michael Freedman. After just one or two training sessions, I felt 90% better. After a short time, all the pains were gone, including some chronic pains that I’d had before the accident and my case of rotator cuff syndrome. With ongoing exercise with Michael, I continue to feel great and work and function with much better concentration and energy. Finally, I can offer a solution to so many of my suffering patients.” —Lia Merril M.D., family medicine RBS A “Words cannot describe what Michael Freedman did for my father. His work was mamish lifesaving. In the last years of my father’s life he learned better, focused better and functioned on a much higher physical level. He remained more active then I could ever have imagined. Michael kept him going on his feet right up until the last day. I personally know of cases of healthy older people who are functioning on extremely high levels, to the credit of Michael.” —Akiva Newirth, Har Nof “My mother had a very debilitating fall on her back and her situation was deteriorating rapidly because of the pain. She was hardly moving and reached the point that I couldn’t get her to walk at all. I was very frustrated that she seemed to be heading toward being wheelchairbound. I discussed this with my cousin and she heard how distressed I was about the situation. She phoned back and said, ‘There is a man named Michael Freedman who does phenomenal things with older people. My husband goes to his gym and he has observed old men who could barely take a step and within three months they look totally different.’ We connected with Michael and it was like Hashem sent us this unbelievable and unique shaliach. He knew how to relate to my mother and get her to respond and cooperate with his exercises. “He has a unique system. There is no comparison between him and any other trainer or physical therapist. He believes that older people are capable of doing a LOT more than people (including physical therapists) realize. He has an amazing mixture of genuine caring and a very pleasant manner with his clients plus a very disciplined routine which they just cooperate with and do! “My mother was so impressed with his devotion and consistency that she made this a top priority in her life at that time. Little by little, she started to improve and the progress continued steadily. She had more energy and stamina than she did in ages. From being practically immobile, she was walking the streets of Ramat Bet Shemesh with him (including up some hills!). We felt we were witnessing her getting younger and stronger by the week and it was unbelievable. “She also looked forward to her sessions with him, even though it was such hard work. Her balance improved as well as her energy and stamina. It was a wonderful experience and we, the children, felt that providing these sessions was the best thing we could have done for our mother at the time. “We are so grateful to Michael and wish others would benefit from his extraordinary work. His treatment is one of a kind and a ’wonder therapy’ for his clients! There are no words for us to describe our satisfaction with his work!” —Linda Jacobson RBS
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Who David Sharett Experience 38 years His clients
Dallas Cowboy football players, Jerusalem Technology Park, Great Synagogue, Proctor and Gamble, Wells Fargo, Frito Lay, TGI Fridays‌ and their CEO’s.
Projects in Israel
Residential and Commercial
Goal
On time and within budget
David Sharett 054 550 2395 sharetts@gmail.com www.sharettcontracting.com
Interview with
Dr. Bo Rosenblat Chief Physician for Dr. Bo’s Diet Center Hi Dr. Bo. Your program has really taken off over here. Can you tell us the history behind Dr. Bo’s Diet? After many years of practice in Emergency Medicine it became evident to me that obesity is a major contributor to many disease processes such as diabetes, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, heart disease and back pain. We have become so focused on putting out the fires of disease, we often forget to treat the root of the problem and prevent these diseases from ever emerging. I recognized the need for a weight loss program that my patients could trust. So I created a diet that utilizes the latest in medical and scientific advancements for obesity-related disease and weight management, while simultaneously catering to my patients’ needs for clarity, support, and instant gratification. How does the program work? Dr. Bo’s Diet is a five-phase weight management program. Each phase varies in length and has its own unique objective. The average patient completes the first four phases in 10-16 weeks, with significant weight loss occurring in the Any success stories in Ramat first 20-40 days, often exceeding 30 Bet Shemesh? pounds! Patients will experience We’ve had lots of successful continued weight-loss beyond that patients so far, but don’t take point but with a greater focus on the my word for it. The following long-term objective of keeping the quotes are from real patients weight off forever without having to who’ve done our program in diet forever. Ramat Bet Shemesh: What happens during the free “This is not ‘another diet’, initial consultation? this is a way of life. I lost The main objective during a pa40 pounds, feel great and tient’s complimentary initial concan still enjoy all the foods I sultation is education. We learn love.” about each patient and then the “Dieting without results patient learns about us. was frustrating. But seeing We look at three broad-stroke catthe weight come off fast is egories -- the physiological, psychomotivating and you want to logical and nutritional components continue!” of each patient’s individual struggle. “This program is brilliant.” During a comprehensive and thor“Totally worth the ough in-take process, a profile is crechallenge!! Exceeded my ated for each individual including expectations and goals! age, gender, weight, height, body fat Really taught me that if you percentage, body mass index, sleep stay focused and motivated schedule, occupation activity level, you can do anything!!” basal metabolic rate and more. Once
“Hunger is Rare on our Program but it has a Simple Solution: Eat food!”
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we have identified the specific set of challenges, we will recommend the most appropriate course of action to reach the goals outlined in our comprehensive fivephase program. We explain in great detail all about our program, what your target weight should be and what you can expect so you can decide if our program is right for you. Do people “go hungry” with Dr. Bo’s Diet? Hunger is a physical response to a deficiency in energy where there is a signal from the brain that the body requires more food. Hunger is rare on our program but it has a simple solution: Eat food! There is a big difference between hunger (which isn’t what gets us to the point of obesity), and experiencing the more common symptoms of boredom, cravings, stress, anxiety, environmental challenges, etc. The key lies in understanding the difference between these symptoms and recognizing that the true solution differs depending on the specific challenge. What kinds of foods are on the diet plan? Since our core focus is long-term “real world” weight-management, we do not advocate meal replacements such as shakes, bars or pre-packaged meals. We provide each patient with a well-balanced, structured and customized nutritional plan based on types of foods chosen, portions consumed, methods of preparation, schedule of eating, dietary restrictions, allergies, preferences and lifestyle, that are sustainable both in the short-term and long-term. Is there a support infrastructure in place during the program? During the first four phases of the program (usually 16 weeks), patients meet privately with a member of our nutritional staff on a weekly basis. At these private consultations we monitor progress, make any necessary adjustments to the patients’ plan and provide coaching and support that is crucial to any weight loss endeavor. After completion of the program, we offer six complimentary visits over the course of a year to gradually wean patients off the program while still providing the right balance of accountability, focus, and support crucial to maintaining a healthy weight. To learn more about how you can lose weight with Dr. Bo’s Diet, or to set up a free no-obligation consultation with a member of our nutritional staff, call 077-228-5877 or e-mail details@drbosdiet.com
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02 999 3939
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When did you make Aliyah? I made Aliyah with my wife and four children from the US in 1995. Where did you train? I was an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and earned my medical degree from the Chicago Medical School. I then did a residency in internal medicine in Chicago, and a geriatrics fellowship at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, NY. I am board-certified in both internal medicine and geriatrics. I had an office in West Orange, NJ, for several years before coming on aliyah. Why did you choose to specialize in internal medicine and then geriatrics? Internal medicine is more of a cognitive specialty (as opposed to a procedural or technical specialty) dealing with adult illnesses. The program in which I trained emphasized primary care and community care as opposed to mainly hospital care. Geriatrics focuses on the care of the elderly but has a functional approach, not just a diagnostic approach. Geriatrics is more holistic, which seemed to me to be a logical extension of primary care medicine. What is most exciting about primary care medicine? What makes it unique? I have learned to look at the whole person, to relate mind and body and to understand that one affects the other in all that we do. In addition, I believe strongly in preventive care, exercise as medicine and good nutrition. But, I also have a good foundation in diagnostic evaluation and the appropriate use of medication. I have done extra training in geriatric psychiatry, end-of-life care (palliative care) and have gotten certified in cognitive behavioral therapy. I have been practicing medicine as a primary care internist/family doctor in Bet Shemesh for 16 years. I took over an office from one of the original Bet Shemesh doctors. I also have an extensive panel of patients that are home-bound. I visit them in their homes on a periodic basis. This is also part of holistic care. As an internist, I see patients from age 18 to 88. (I don’t see babies or children in my office.) As a geriatrician, I have been working in Bet Shemesh, as well as out of Bet Shemesh. I have been the Regional Director of Geriatric Medicine for Maccabi Health Care and am currently the Medical Director of the Home Care Program for the Shfela region. I also completed and received a Masters Degree in Health Care Ad42
•NOVEMBER 2013
Interview with Dr. Zvi Buckman ministration from Ben Gurion University. Geriatrics is unique, as I mentioned, in that it has a functional approach to patient care. This means, that, unlike my work as an internist, a geriatrician looks first to see how the medical problems affect the function of the person in his day-to-day activities. If diagnosing and treating a problem that a patient has will help improve his functioning and thereby improve his quality of life, then the time performing those activities is well spent. If the patient’s function will not be altered, then perhaps that problem should be left for another time. Further, geriatrics has a multi-disciplinary approach. Most geriatric evaluations make use of nurses, social workers, occupational therapists and even physical therapists, dieticians and pharmacists, as well as the physician. And finally, there are many unique syndromes that affect the elderly which don’t affect younger adults such as dementia (progressive forgetfulness), incontinence, chronic pain syndromes, walking and balance difficulties and other problems related to aging. What are some of the myths about geriatrics and geriatric patients? One of the things that I like to teach is that aging does not have to mean degenerating. Our goal as we get older is to age successfully. This can be accomplished by good exercise, diet, maintaining friendships and social interaction and continuous cognitive stimulation. Is there a difference in the treatment of adult patients in Israel compared to other western countries? Health care in Israel is very advanced compared to many other western countries. We are more well-organized in Israel, more computerized than most other countries and have welldesigned protocols for care. Because of this, we have one of the longest life spans in the western world, with low infant mor-
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tality and lower rates of death from other causes. Interestingly, because of our still high birth rate among various populations in Israel, the percentage of elderly is lower than in most western countries. Israel is unique in that we place much more emphasis on caring for our elderly in the home, with far fewer nursing home beds and long-term facilities. On the other hand, we have many of the same problems that other countries have in terms of cost control, recurrent hospitalization, expanding medication and technology use and development. We have several levels of health care. One of the continuing problems is ensuring that care is equally distributed and available to all. How is a first-time appointment of a geriatric patient different than that of other adults’ appointments? In my office, each person gets the time that is needed to understand his health-related problems. As a younger person has fewer problems, he possibly needs less time but an elderly person, with a longer history, may need more time. On the other hand, a younger person with many family, social, or work related issues may need twice as much time as a healthy elderly person. When a frail elderly person is evaluated, as I mentioned, it may be by an entire team or the geriatrician himself may need to spend extra time going over many aspects of care, possibly in more than one office visit. What should patients look for in selecting their primary care doctor? One is looking for the personal relationship, for the empathic listener but also for the well-trained and certified primary care specialist. The doctor needs to keep his eyes and ears on the patient and not on the computer screen nor on the clock. The doctor who is interested in seeing as many patients in as little time as possible is not going to be able to practice effective medical care, is not going to give an empathic and concerned feeling to his patients and, in the long run, will not be practicing good primary care medicine. At what stage should a person decide if he needs to see a geriatric specialist? If the person begins to feel that his day-to-day function is deteriorating due to cognitive, emotional or physical reasons, then he should ask his family doctor for a referral to a geriatrician.
Are you seeing an increase of elderly population in this area of the country? The population of Bet Shemesh and the surrounding area is aging, particularly the original population. Also, the younger population that has moved into the Givah and Ramat Bet Shemesh are bringing their parents to live near them. Many of these people have long-standing medical problems. They may find adaptation to Israeli life difficult and this may exacerbate some of the previously well-balanced illnesses. Change in diet, weather and environment — both socially and physically -- can take their toll on overall levels of health and well-being. Is the system prepared to provide the necessary care for this growing sector? Each kupah is attempting to deal with the problems in different ways. It is important to find out what services each kupah provides, how extensive their home care services are, whether they have geriatric physicians in Bet Shemesh or whether they will need to go out of the area or out of the kupah for services that they need. Maccabi, for example, has several geriatricians providing services in Bet Shemesh, as well as a well-established home-care service with all of the necessary home-care staff — physicians, nurses, dieticians, physical and occupational therapists and social workers. Kupat Cholim Clalit has what is called “Home Hospital Care,” which is more intensive care but for a shorter period of time. They also have a geriatric consultation clinic in Bet Shemesh. What are your professional personal plans for the future? I continue to split my time between being a regional geriatric doctor for Maccabi as well as a primary care internist for Maccabi and Clalit in downtown Bet Shemesh. Where do you see patients? My office is at Hanasi 1A (in the building with Chabad) in downtown Bet Shemesh. One can make an appointment by calling my secretary. The office number is 02-991-5008. BIZNESS MAGAZINE
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Interview with Menachem Schloss Where are you from? Originally from England. I grew up in Stamford Hill, London and later spent several years learning in the Gateshead Yeshiva. Once married, I settled in Israel and have been living in Ramat Bet Shemesh for five years. What techniques do you use for therapy? Many people ask me this question. I suspect what they are really asking is what can they expect from the session. More importantly, can this therapy really help real emotional or behavioral issues that have been going on for a while?
Prior to seeing any client, I speak to them on the phone after which I will send them client notes. This set of notes contains crucial questions including the following: What do you want from a session? What makes the problem better or worse? Many clients have discovered that just the act of filling in the form often has a useful effect in itself! Sessions are up to one and a half hours. How is your therapy different from traditional psychotherapy? People will often see therapy as their time and space where they can talk about
“I’m Not the Therapist to Hold your Hand – I’ll Help you to Move Beyond your Problem” The therapy techniques that I use are primarily based on NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and Dr. Milton Erickson’s work with “Brief Therapy.” What personal experience brought you to this field? I’m not sure. I think I used to think that I could help everyone. It must have taken me over 500 clients to realize that I was quite mistaken. What’s your formal training? My background training is in Neuro Linguistic Programming, Clinical Hypnotherapy and Integral Eye Movement Therapy. Due to Israel’s hypnosis laws, I do not practice hypnotherapy in Israel. What is your approach? NLP is based on the proposition that all behavior has a structure and that the structure can be learned and changed. NLP is, therefore, the study of patterns in behavior and what can be calculated from them, or as someone once said, “It’s about how you do, what you do.” 44
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anything, gain quality insight into their lives and make sense of their issues. A person may come out of such a session feeling as if they were getting to the ”root” of the problem, with a certain brief feeling of relief. While that can be useful in certain contexts, my personal view is that therapy is not about establishing residency in the treatment room; its intention is to help the client live a meaningful life in the real world. Who are your typical clients? Children who suffer from anxiety, fear, anger and behavioral problems and adults who have anger, claustrophobia, agoraphobia, social anxiety, phobias, public speaking fears, depression, general anxiety, panic and OCD issues. Where are your clients from? Mostly Israel, the UK and the US. I have had clients who have come to see me due to my affiliation with a clinic in Harley Street, London, and others who have actually flown in from as far as Hong Kong.
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Tell us a success story. The success stories that I personally treasure the most are the ones where significant changes were made by children. Here is a part of a recent feedback I received: “We went to Menachem with a child that seemed to be in serious trouble. We were very worried and considered a psychiatrist but decided to go to him first and see how it would go. In two sessions the whole situation was turned around. He was no longer depressed and behaving in a worrisome way. We wound up never needing a psychiatrist.” 100% Therapeutic Success? Every client is different and no therapist can guarantee 100% success when seeing clients. However, I will always give you my best attention at all times. In addition to your private sessions, what type of events do you organize? Currently I have a number of events organized, including some overseas presenters. The confirmed ones are on my website. For more information, check out the events page (on my internet site listed below) or subscribe to my mailing list. Who attends these events? I recently organized a four-day training event in Tel Aviv. We had 60 participants. Most attendees were professionals from around Israel and some who travelled in from overseas. What type of question should people ask themselves to know if they could benefit from this type of therapy? If you are looking for someone to hold your hand, I am not the therapist you are looking for. If you are looking for help to move beyond your problem… I await your call. Menachem Schloss can be reached at 076-541-0080, 054-743-8109. Visit his website at www.menachemschloss.com.
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Mati’s Secret of Success
Bet Shemesh finally gets the sport club it deserves; a large and modern gym equipped with highend machines and a large women’s studio that works entirely separate.
What is the secret of your success? Our success is comprised of a few parameters that I will gladly share with you: 1. We listen to the customer and adjust ourselves to his needs and not the other way around! In order for us to succeed, we employ a large “service” team which is orientated solely to listening and thus improving the services we provide. 2. Our professional team is hand-picked and must maintain the highest standards of instruction, charisma and responsibility. We go to great lengths to keep our team ahead of the game by employing the best instructors and sending them to professional courses. 3. Innovative and innovation! We are constantly improving the quality of our classes and equipment by bringing in new ideas from the gym world. There is never a dull moment in our club. Service, Professionalism, and Innovation. These are the secrets to our success! Our motto is simple: “If an individual has decided to put his or her spare time at our disposal, then we must provide him or her with a smile and excellent use of the time.” With a motto like that, how can our employees fail to transfer a positive attitude to our clients? Tell us the story behind the Mati Gym Mati Studio & Gym Club was something I dreamed of opening for a long time. Finally, seven years ago, I decided to make my dream a reality and opened my first studio at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. Before that, I managed the Philip Leon Community Center in Kiryat Yovel, Jerusalem. I 46
•NOVEMBER NOVEMBER2013 2013
Adrenaline fueled interview with Mati Ariel, founder of Mati Studio & Gym Club. opened a women’s-only studio there which quickly became the leading studio in Jerusalem. When I left Phillip Leon to open my own gym club for men and women, it, too, became highly successful. I believe that I owe the success of the Studio & Gym to my belief that the client and his needs are at the core of my business. We now run one of the best and highly advanced sport centers in the country, containing Israel’s biggest and busiest women’s studio. But, putting that aside, I am pleased to say that we have a sports club which places high-end service and professionalism as its top priority! Our success is measured by the satisfaction of our customers. Why did you choose to expand to Bet Shemesh? There is something very appealing about Bet Shemesh. The city bears some similarities to Jerusalem -- the topography, the population and the atmosphere. When we first came to look at the area, we noticed straight away that the city needs a serious sports club which would respect the people of Bet Shemesh. We therefore built a club of the highest standard which easily competes with sport clubs in TelAviv and Herzliya. What are the services that the Club offers? The sports club is divided into three sections--an excellent gym comprising the best equipment available on the market, two dance and workout studios and a spinning center with two dozen original brand bikes. We have a fixed schedule posted on our website which assists our members in finding the classes which best suit them. A member can also sign up for a class from a computer giving him the flexibility to change classes at will. Do you have separate areas for women? We designed the club in such a way that woman can enter the studio section and walk between the studios without being seen by men. The women’s section includes a lobby, showers and restrooms which are entirely separate. This is very important for religious women who want to maintain
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their modesty and privacy. We help our customers find the membership deal which best suits them, whether it’s studio only or a combined studio and gym membership. When there are mixed spinning and body power classes, the studio is opened for men and the entrance is closely monitored. What activities does the women’s studio offer? We have a large selection of classes including spinning, pilates, zumba, kickboxing, yoga, aerobics, toning and many more. We currently have more than 60 classes a week and we are constantly adding more classes in accordance with our members’ wishes. As a rule, we listen to our members and improve accordingly. Women who purchase a combined membership may also use the gym in order to complement their training. A Wingate certified instructor will assist them in the use of the machines, build a proper training program and advise on healthy nutrition and living. Our instructors are always available during the operating times of the gym. They are there to serve, assist and direct in order to create a positive and meaningful workout experience. What’s the difference between Mati and other gyms? We respect and encourage the success of other gyms. We believe that the high standards we have implemented cause them to improve thus creating healthy competition which ultimately benefits the public. We want the field of sport leisure to succeed. The more people who train and lead healthier lifestyles, the healthier and happier the community. Less sickness will lead to less pressure on health services, more production in the work place and so on. I can go on and on about the benefits of healthy living but frankly I just want people to get up from their couches and get on a treadmill! I don’t care if it’s at Mati’s gym or anywhere else -- as long as they are active! It’s what we want for the people of Bet shemesh and all of Israel. Where is the new gym located? Our club is located at the Naimi Mall on the third floor with a panoramic view of all of Bet Shemesh For further enquiries you may contact us at Mati Bet Shemesh 02-5874747 or at Mati branch Jerusalem 02-6481144 . For further details visit our website www.matistudio.co.il
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by the IRS due to a plethora of ue to recent By Shalom (Steven) Fishhaut, CPA (US) inaccurate tax returns filed by developments unscrupulous and unethical “tax and enhanced preparers” in the recent past who levels of IRS attempted to take unfair advantax enforcetage of the refundable child tax ment in regard credit. to U.S. citiEducation Credit zens living outside the U.S., it is now Many U.S. taxpayers living a well-known fact that U.S. citizens in Israel may feel quite anxious living abroad, who earn income above when their children reach age 17. minimal thresholds, are required to file Not only may the parent be worU.S. individual income tax returns. ried about their child registering We would like to address two types of for the army or leaving home but credits that have less well-known pothe child has become ineligible tential benefits which are available to for the parent to claim the child U.S. taxpayers living abroad. Claimtax credit. However, you will ing these credits could result in actual be encouraged to know that the refunds from the IRS. U.S. provides various education Updates and Changes to the Child credits which may be claimed Tax Credit on one’s tax return. Under the There have been positive developAmerican Taxpayer Relief Act ments in regard to the child tax credit. of 2012, the “Hope Scholarship Originally legislated by the Taxpayer Credit” (within the American OpRelief Act of 1997 (at a $500 credit portunity Credit) which has been approved through 2017, entitles per qualifying child), the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 proyou to receive up to a $2,500 credit for qualified expenses paid in vides that the current $1,000 child tax credit amount (per qualifying connection with your child’s post-secondary (college or univerchild) will be permanent for years subsequent to 2012. Of course, we sity) education. In order to obtain the maximum credit, a taxpayer would be remiss to mention that Congress could repeal that in the must have incurred over $4,000 of qualified expenses during the future, but for now, it has been made permanent in the law. calendar year. Qualified expenses include tuition, course materials In addition, Congress has extended for five years (from 2013and textbooks, supplies and equipment but not living expenses. A 2017) a lower threshold for computing the refundable portion of the portion of the credit is actually refundable — 40% of the credit child tax credit. This change makes more taxpayers eligible to reup to $1,000, with the remainder available to offset tax liability. ceive a portion of the credit. The refundable portion of the credit (if The major universities in Israel are recognized by the IRS as elia taxpayer is not phased out because of high income levels) is 15% gible institutions and you may claim tuition expenses for up to of the earned income over the threshold level. Congress has lowered four years per child. The credit is subject to income limitations this “floor” above which the refundable credit is allowed and has and begins to phase out for married taxpayers filing jointly with extended this provision. The new, lower floor is now $3,000, thus an adjusted gross income above $160,000 ($80,000 for others). It allowing more low-income taxpayers to qualify for the refundable phases out completely for married taxpayers filing jointly with an portion. The non-refundable portion offsets any tax liability while the adjusted gross income above $180,000 ($90,000 for others). refundable portion can be (as its name implies) refunded to you. In order to claim the credit, you must be able to claim the child as Let us take an opportunity to explain an important facet of the a dependent on your return. The child may claim the credit on his/her child tax credit. In order to claim the child tax credit for the qualifying own return if the parents can no longer claim the child as a dependent. child, the taxpayer must be able to claim the child as a personal exThe various rules are somewhat complex so it would be advisable to emption. In other words, the child claimed must be a dependent of the first consult with a tax advisor about claiming the credit. taxpayer. Many people don’t realize that not only direct offspring but I wish to thank senior managers Devorah Saban, CPA (US) other relatives (including grandchildren, siblings, step-children and and David Barkai, CPA (US) for assistance with this article.IRS step-siblings) might fall under the definition of a “qualifying child.” CIRCULAR 230 DISCLOSURE: To ensure compliance with reThese relatives must meet certain requirements; one of which is that quirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. fedthey must live with the taxpayer for more than six months during the eral tax advice contained in this communication (including any year. There is also a support test and of course the age test for the attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be child tax credit (under age 17 at the end of the calendar year). used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Given the factors mentioned above increasing the eligibility for Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to taxpayers to claim the child tax credit, be sure that your preparer is another party any transaction or matter addressed herein. knowledgeable of the rules and related tax positions for taxpayers I may be reached at the WeiserMazars (Israel) Ltd. Office phone: living abroad. Of course, you must also choose a reputable tax pre02-9922-212 or by e-mail at: shalom@weisermazars.co.il One can parer or US CPA. Unfortunately, tax returns emanating from Israel learn more about our firm at www. weisermazars. com claiming child tax credits have been subject to additional scrutiny
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k c a B h Cas the from
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What products and services do you offer? I supply a variety of integrated solutions for home protection. I install technologically advanced alarms, intercoms and security camera systems. The systems are enabled for off-site monitoring of the safety of a customer’s home through an internet connection. Where did you learn the trade? I am a qualified electronics’ technician. I honed my skills and accumulated extensive experience during the five years I spent in a special army unit that was responsible for highly sophisticated monitoring technology of the Israel/Jordan fence in the Bekaa Valley. How many years experience do you have in the field? I have been working with such systems for over 30 years. I have been vetted for security clearance as I have done extensive work with a number of government offices as well as banks and other financial institutions. Who should have an alarm system? Everyone!!! Especially people who live in private homes as well as ground and penthouse apartments which are more exposed to potential burglaries. Why is it so important? Because it gives people an increased sense of security and lessens the risk of burglars attempting to break into a property. Also, a properly installed alarm system can reduce the cost and widen the options for a cost-effi-
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cient home insurance policy. Are there statistics about robberies in homes with alarms vs. no alarms? Statistics demonstrate that the occurrence of break-ins occurs more frequently in homes without alarm protection systems. What are the latest developments in home alarms? We specialize in state-of-the-art wireless systems which minimizes the need for messy wiring connections during installation. Also, mini security cameras, which are integrated into the sensors, can be accessed via the web should the customer choose to monitor the safety of his home off-site. How about Shabbat? We work with excellent and reliable wireless systems that meet all halachic and technical requirements for use during Shabbat. One of these products is Visonic PowerMaster, manufactured in Israel by Tyco which provides services to over 100 countries. The product has the approval of Machon Hatzomet for Shabbat use. What can you tell us about your monitoring services in general? The systems can be connected to a number of either the customer’s mobile or land lines as well as to a central monitoring service. What are the right questions people should ask before buying an alarm system? The questions should address the individual requirements—whether one prefers a
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Dani Azulay
Interview with
Lowering the Risk of Burglars Attempting to Break into your Home
wireless or a cable system. The planning and installation of the system will be according to the type of property and the position of windows and doors. It is also essential to coordinate with your insurance company in order to comply with the requirements of your customer’s home insurance policy. Which areas do you service? I service the greater Jerusalem area and the towns around, such as Bet Shemesh and Givat Zeev. Why should people call you instead of another alarm company? 1. We are an established company in the field of home protection systems with over 30 years of experience. We are very reliable and professional. 2. We sell the most up-to-date equipment in the country. We prefer to work with systems made in Israel. Only when a specific product is not available locally do we source it from abroad. 3. We carefully select the systems and products to best fit a client’s needs. 4. We have a long list of clients who have been very happy with our services and can provide recommendations upon request. 5. Our fees are reasonable and we charge only according to the work done. 6. We make an effort to be available by phone 24 hours a day, all year. How can people contact you? People can call me at: 052-260-0468.
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Te l : 0 2 - 9 9 1 6 5 2 0
The Ninth Commandment:
(Part 1)
Love Your Customers By Nachum Kligman
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• NOVEMBER 2013
C
ustomers are your bread and butter and are the direct success of your business. Take really good care of them. Without them, you have no business. The Ritz Carlton Because of their son’s food allergies, a family vacationing at the Ritz-Carlton, Bali, was always careful to bring its own supply of eggs and milk. In this particular instance, however, the food was ruined en route. The Ritz-Carlton manager couldn’t find any of the special items in town but his executive chef recalled that a store in Singapore sold them. The chef contacted his mother-in-law who lived there and had her purchase the items, fly to Bali (about 2.5 hours) and deliver them. Customers are taking their hard-earned money and spending it with you. So take care of them, nurture them and make them happy. Make them want to talk about you; make them fans of your company. Do whatever it takes to make them speak highly of you. “Customers who have had a bad experience with a business will tell an average of 23 people about it, compared to telling ten people if it’s a good experience.” (From a survey taken by the American Express Global Customer Service Barometer in March 2011 of thousands of people across ten countries.) You want to give as many positive experiences to customers as you possibly can. You
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want them to always be happy and share their positive experiences with others--especially if there is somebody who is looking for a similar product. If you want to differentiate yourself from your competitors, treat your customers like gold! Zappos A customer’s mother had medical treatment that left her feet numb and sensitive to pressure which also rendered most of her shoes totally useless. The daughter ordered six pairs of shoes from Zappos, hoping that at least one of them would work. After receiving the shoes, they called Zappos to get instructions on how to return the shoes which didn’t fit, explaining why they were returning so many shoes. Two days later, a large bouquet of flowers from Zappos arrived wishing the mother a speedy recovery from her treatments. Two days later, the daughter, the mother and a sister were all upgraded to “Zappos VIP Members,” which gave them free expedited shipping on all orders. Still, the customer is not always right. While it rarely happens, in some cases it is better to cut some of your customers loose and not do business with them rather than to try to keep up with them. When is this case? If they are a huge time drain, bring stress to you or your staff or hurt your business in other ways. If you have a client that seems to always complain and is never happy with your product or service, send him a nice e-mail explaining how you can no longer do business with him since you just cannot seem to make him happy--which is your goal. Then list the names and phone numbers of three of your competitors that he can call and sincerely wish him the best! I guarantee that just sending this e-mail will put a smile on your face and make you feel great! Of course,
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if he is your only client, then perhaps you should wait a bit. But you get the idea. If you are growing and can afford to cut the bad clients loose, it is often worth doing. There is no reason for you to ever have to take abuse from a client. Thankfully, you don’t have to. When it comes to making your customers happy, there are many things you can do: Follow-up after the sale: After you make a sale, your job is not done. You should follow up with the customer a few days later. Ask how his experience was and if he is happy with the product or service. Explain that you are always looking for feedback so that you can improve your company. If the client gives you very positive feedback, then it could be a good time to ask for one or two referrals. If he gives you negative feedback, do whatever you can (within reason) to make him happy. This is important no matter what business you’re in. Do you think that just because you sell pizza that you shouldn’t randomly call your clients? When was the last time your local pizza place called you and asked how you enjoyed their pizza and what you thought the company could do to improve? Never, right? So if you did, don’t you think you would stand out? What if you also offered a discount coupon if they sent you their e-mail? Not only will you get their e-mail address, which you can add to your mailing list, but for sure they will come back to you and most likely will tell their friends. You will often have customers who were not happy but who will never tell you that they weren’t happy. Do you know how they tell you? By not returning to buy from you. By following up with your customers, you will get a good feel of what the perception is on the street about your business and give you a chance to make it better. Send personal cards In America it is common to send greeting cards signed by a secretary (in the CEO’s name) and even more common is the amount of e-mail cards that are sent from companies. All of these e-mails are deleted and are considered a waste of time. Do you know why? Because there is a zero personal connec-
because
you never know INSURING YOUR: Home | Health | Life | Auto | Business | Travel
Egert & Cohen. Always by your side. t XXX FHFSUDPIFO DP JM t FHFSU!FHFSUDPIFO DP JM
BIZNESS MAGAZINE
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ALL TYPES OF ELECTRICAL WORK
... at a totally brighter level
From Small Installations to Wiring an Entire Home PHONE LINES FIXTURES/OUTLETS CEILING FANS PANEL CHANGES TROUBLE SHOOTING COMPUTER NETWORK CABLING LIGHTING CONSULTING
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• NOVEMBER 2013
Bizness Magazine
tion in them. You are one of hundreds, if not thousands, of people getting the exact same thing. The cards with the photographed signature get thrown in the garbage and the e-mails get deleted. This doesn’t create good will! It is just crass advertising. So what should you do? Write a personal hand-written note. Don’t wait for the holiday season when your card will get lost among the others. Send them out at different times of the year when they will get a greater focus. Send them a card, and not an e-mail. Buy some nice cards with your company’s logo on it and write, “I was just going through my client list and wanted to let you know how important you are to me. Thank you for being my client.” Make sure you hand write it and include your business card. Let them know that if they ever have any questions or issues, they can contact you directly. You know what he is going to do the next time he is looking for a product that you are selling? He is going to come to you. Not only that, but he is going to tell other people about you and your product and suggest that they go to you. This kind of personal attention and connection sets you apart from the crowd--the purple cow principle. This is treating your clients like they are real people that matter, because they are real people, not just a source of money. They have real emotions and plenty of options. If you are servicing them, thank them. Send a personal card. Make this message a personal one, not a businessrelated invitation. This reminds me of a wonderful story about a 3 ½ year old girl who wrote a letter to a local bakery. Here is their response to her as reported in the “Daily Mail” in the UK: “They say the customer is always right. But not many can claim to being so right [that] they forced a supermarket to change one of its products. Little Lily Robinson can, however, after the three-year-old got Sainsbury’s to rename its tiger bread after writing a letter saying it looked more like the markings of a giraffe. Lily, who gave her age as ‘3½,’ fired off her comments to the company last
02 999 3939
May suggesting the name be altered. She received a reply two weeks later from customer manager Chris King who wrote: ‘I think renaming tiger bread giraffe bread is a brilliant idea. ‘It looks much more like the blotches on a giraffe than the stripes on a tiger, doesn’t it?’ He went on to explain that the bread had got [sic] its name because the first baker who made it a ‘looong time ago thought it looked stripey like a tiger. ‘Maybe they were a bit silly,’ he added before signing off with his age ‘27 1/3’, just as Lily did. The girl’s letter and the supermarket’s reply has now gone viral eight months later with over 150,000 ‘likes’ on Facebook after her mother posted them online. Sainsbury’s last night said it had given in to popular demand and started selling the new loaves from yesterday. A spokesman said: ‘In response to overwhelming customer feedback that our tiger bread has more resemblance to a giraffe, from today we will be changing our tiger bread to giraffe bread and seeing how that goes.’ The supermarket said that Mr. King, who has been widely praised by Twitter and Facebook users for his impressive reply, has left the company and is training as a primary school teacher. Tiger bread is typically made by brushing a rice paste onto the surface of a bloomer loaf prior to baking, with the pattern forming as the paste dries and cracks. Next Issue we will continue the second part of this very important topic. About the Author Nachum Kligman is a serial entrepreneur, consultant and speaker. He is the founder of Ideago.com and is the Co-Founder of SportsFan.me. He is also the founder of ViewBix Inc. and the co-founder of KidsOutlet.com & BabyAndMeGifts.com, among many other startups. His most recent launch is Mianzi (www.mianzifashion.com), a luxury fashion line that keeps the special needs community in mind. He is also the owner of KosherVend Ltd. which is the exclusive importer of cotton candy vending machines in Israel (www.cottoncandy.co.il) as well as a partner in Cellar 18, a boutique wine store located in Ramat Bet Shemesh.
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Ezrat Achim Knows I
בס”ד בס”ד
Them
They see right through me! X-Ray and Medical Imaging Center at the “Beit Ezrat Achim” on Nachal Lachish 2, Ramat Beit Shemesh Telephone: 02-636-9225
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Shabbat Clinic RBS-A
Doctor: Friday - 5pm to 7pm; 11pm - 9am Shabbat Day: 1pm - 3pm Motzei Shabbat: 7pm - 11pm EMT: Friday 5pm - Motzei Shabbos 11pm
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Special Needs The Ezrat Achim Moadonit Center for Special Needs Children in RBS is the pride of the organization’s services. The love and chessed that emanates from the Center influences all the activities of Ezrat Achim as well as the people involved. They are open 365 days of the year during the afternoon and evening hours, when no other day care is available for these children. If there is a holiday where the kids are off from school, the center opens from the morning, giving parents the time to care for the rest of the household. Pure chessed. Call to Sponsor a Child For a Shabbos Getaway
Chinuch
All You Need to Know About:
The Mesivta of Beit Shemesh Q: How many years has the Mesivta been around? A: This coming Elul (5774) will IY”H mark the fifth year since the founding of the Mesivta. Q: Who are the members of the hanhala (management)? A: Rav Avishai Braun is the Rosh Yeshiva and Rav Raphael Willig is the Menahel Ruchani/Mashgiach. Rav Netanel Shnitzer, the Menahel Tichon, runs the intensive bagrut program. Other members of the highly experienced and dynamic staff include Rav Yossi Rudensky, Rav Tzvi Teichman, Rav Shimon Feder and Rav Moshe Goldstein. Q: Who are the boys who currently attend the Mesivta? What elementary schools did they go to? A: There are currently close to 50 talmidim at the Mesivta. Most of them come from the local RBS area. There are also boys from
Beitar and Jerusalem. The boys from RBS previously attended a range of local elementary schools including: Magen Avos, Bais Shalom and Toras Eliyahu. Next year, we anticipate welcoming talmidim from the first graduating classes of Darchei Noam and Toras Moshe. Q: What is the learning like at the Mesivta? A: Talmidim at the Mesivta learn three high-level sedarim of gemara each day (iyun, bekiyus, and night seder -- a review of the iyun shiur), in addition to tanach, machshava, and halacha. Aside from the regular shiurim, there are guest speakers, visits to rabbanim, mishmar nights, Shabbatonim, etc. Q: Do you offer a full bagrut degree? A: Yes. All students will receive a full bagrut degree under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. The Mesivta boys take the bagrut classes seriously and are, Baruch Hashem, doing very well on all of their examinations. As an example, on the English bagrut test last year, (5 yechidot), the class average was over 90%. Q: What is the daily schedule like? A: The boys arrive at the Mesivta by 7:30 a.m. for Shacharis and go home at 8:30 p.m. on Sundays-Thursdays. Fridays begin at the usual 7:30 a.m. and the boys are dismissed at 11:30 a.m. Q: How do the boys start off their day at the Mesivta? A: There is a short “shmooze” or inspirational thought that is shared by Rav Willig or one of the other rebbeim every morning before Shacharis. The talmidim take turns davening for the amud, leining, serving as gabbai, etc. Morning seder followed by iyun shiur rounds out the morning. Q: Will you be having an Open House? A: Yes, there will be an opportunity for bachurim and their parents to come to the Mesivta and have a chance to meet the talmidim and the rebbeim. For more information, please contact our office at 02 560 6438.
RYB
Tech is a recruitment company specializing in placing English speakers in the hi-tech sector in companies both in Israel and abroad. We have been watching RYB Tech since its establishment in 2011. We met with the founders again in 2012 and were impressed with the company’s accomplishments. Now, at the end of 2013, we have returned to check on RYB’s success and growth. What have been your main developments over the last year? It is exciting to see our company’s growth. We are happy to see our clients return to us as they expand their personnel. We are also glad to see that new companies are turning to us for their placement needs. When we started out, we worked primarily with companies in Bet Shemesh. Now, we have expanded to working with companies in Jerusalem, Modiin and Tel Aviv. We are helping to place more job seekers and feel satisfied that we can help people find work here in Israel. What is RYB Tech’s current focus? Our focus is the hi-tech sector. We place software developers, systems analysts, content
“We Help People Find Work in Israel” writers and marketing/social media managers. Recently, a well known Jerusalem nonprofit asked us to serve as its placement consultants alongside its Board of Directors to find candidates for an open position. It was gratifying to help a non-profit and we are looking forward to doing similar work in the future. Now that your company is already a few years old, what is your vision for the future? We are happy that we have been successful in our placements. We would like to expand to connect with more English-speaking companies throughout the country. It is also a goal of ours to place for more US companies so that more outsourced positions will exist and more olim can find work in Israel. At the same time, we would like our company to remain small enough so that we can personally meet the needs of our clients and make great placements. You can reach RYB Tech founders Mia Weiss at mia@rybtech.com and Miriam Schwartz at miriam@rybtech.com
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58
• NOVEMBER 2013
Bizness Magazine
02 999 3939
Bizness’ Best
C hurros
Ingredients • • • • • • • • • •
1 cup water 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup butter/oil 1 cup flour 3 small eggs 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon Oil for frying
Directions • Boil water, sugar, salt and butter. • Remove from heat, add flour and mix until a ball forms. • Transfer to mixing bowl and add eggs one at a time while mixing. Add vanilla. • Put batter into baking bag with large star tip. • Heat oil in pan. • Holding baking bag above the oil, squeeze out batter bag into oil (about 4 inches long). Fry until golden brown and flip. • While still warm, roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture (¼ cup sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon) or dip into chocolate sauce.
Enjoy! Happy Chanukah!!!!!
Greiff & Koven
ATTORNEYS AT LAW & NOTARY Israeli, American, and Cross-Border Legal Services Business Law, Corporate & Bankruptcy, Trademark & Copyright Secular, Halachic & Dual-citizenship Wills Civil, Criminal & Commercial Litigation Real Estate Development, Administrative & Municipal Law
Park Center, Nachal Dolev 19, Ramat Beit Shemesh 9962125 Tel. 02 991 4522 email: greiffkovenlaw@bezeqint.net
DOG FOOD
Pro Dog 15 Kg - 99nis Royal Canin 15 Kg - 299 nis Premier Club 3 bags of 3 Kg -
Treats for Dogs - 5 for
99 nis
49 nis
Dog Houses all sizes - from
299 nis
Dog Clothing for winter
Book your dog for general grooming!
BIRD FOOD
6 kg - 75 nis 20 Kg - 149 nis
Aquarium Heaters from 69 nis Hand Raised Birds Cockatiels Parakeets Love Birds
18 HaMasger St., Bet Shemesh Industrial Area
HELP CHAIYANU PERFORM MIRACLES FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER!
Chaiyanu volunteers will be making this Chanukah miraculous for over 400 children, by fulfilling their wish for the Chanukah gift of their choice! iPads, bicycles, Wii’s, clothing, board games, doll houses, you name it.
Their beaming smiles and the sparkle in their eyes is worth every shekel. Be a part of the excitement that will help relieve the pain and fear from these precious children!
TO MAKE A CHANUKAH DONATION OR TO VOLUNTEER, PLEASE CONTACT CHAIYANU TODAY:
1-800-22-22-11 | WWW.CHAIYANU.ORG.IL | Chaiyanu/Chai Lifeline Israel offers support to families of children who are battling cancer. When a child is stricken with cancer, each member of the family becomes a victim of the pain and upheaval of their daily life. With over 20 programs, Chaiyanu provides help and hope to the entire family.
Bet Shemesh Office:
Nachal Sorek 31, RBS A www.mikolhalev.org.il For Donationsand callfor 02 donations 532 3335 To volunteer call 02 532 3335
¦£ £ ¨ ¡ £ £ န
Elbaryo, a magical Italian dairy restaurant that brings you, with love, the magic of an authentic Italian kitchen. Winning gourmet dishes, indulgent culinary perfection, and magical hospitality, together become the perfect concept of rened taste and a fascinating experience.
1
2
Life Coach
Real Estate Law
Helen Abelesz Background: Helen is a life coach who specializes in working with women who are feeling overwhelmed, lack selfconfidence, dealing with stress or not achieving their potential. Helen will help you pinpoint your insecurities, set goals for you to achieve and empower you to take control of your life. She works in both Hebrew and English. Call her today. 02 992 0263, 054 482 9815.
Nicole Levin Background: Nicole Levin is an American born, Israeli trained real estate attorney with 28 years of experience in the field. She is a Mediator and Notary as well. She has offices in Beit Shemesh and in Modiin. Nicole Levin can be contacted at 02-9915687 and her offices are on the 2nd floor of the BIG Shopping Center office building. Website because www.levinlawoffices.co.il
5
3 Technical Services TZVI LEFKOWITZ Background: Handyman Tzvi has many years of experience in general contracting and home renovations. He made aliya from New York where he built multi-unit projects and custom homes. Air conditioning happens to be one of his passions. Tzvi is a licensed Electra technician who provides care and maintenance service as well as sales for all major brands. He can be contacted at 054-498-5298, www.HandymanTzvi.com
you never know INSURING YOUR: Home | Health | Life | Auto | Business | Travel
6
Egert & Cohen. Always by your side. t XXX FHFSUDPIFO DP JM t FHFSU!FHFSUDPIFO DP JM
4 Orthodontics Dr. Eli Gherman Dr. Edo Lavi Background: Both Drs Gherman and Lavi are American trained orthodontists, and are active members in the American Association of Orthodontists. Dr Gherman attended NYU Dental on full scholarship, and Montefiore Medical Center for his orthodontic residency. Dr Lavi graduated from UMDNJ, was chief resident of general dentistry and received his orthodontic degree from NYU College of Dentistry. Dr Gherman’s clinic is in Rechavia, 02561-9770 Dr. Lavi’s clinic is in RBShemesh, 02992- 3363
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Integrative Health
Mortgage
Insurance
US Tax
Reuven Rosenberg Background: Dr. Reuven M. Rosenberg is a Chiropractor and Clinical Nutritionist. He runs The Integrative Health Center with offices in Jerusalem and Ramat Bet Shemesh. He can be contacted at 052-761-6793, info@DrRosenberg.net or through his website at www.DrRosenberg.net
Moshe Wilshinsky Background: A 27-year veteran in the mortgage industry, Moshe is the CEO of Moville Mortgage and Finance LTD. To contact Moshe, call their main line at 073 796 2226 and press their special 711 Bizness extension. For US callers dial 201 377 3418 and UK 208 596 4501. Email him at questions@ movillefinance.com or visit their website at www.movillefinance.com
Egert-Cohen Insurance Background: Egert-Cohen is a Jerusalem-based brokerage that specializes in helping Englishspeaking Olim with personal family insurance solutions. They are also experts in travel insurance and incoming tourism. Contact Shimon Cohen at 050-5482192 or Yona Egert at 050-5363897 or visit their website at www.egertcohen.co.il
Shalom Fishhaut Background: CPA (US) - Provides services for Israel-based clients with U.S. tax and consulting needs. Graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in economics and an MBA in finance/accounting from New York University (NYU). Certified Acceptance Agents of the IRS in Israel. Office number is 02-9922-212, shalom@weisermazars.co.il
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Car Mechanics
Business Growth
Ariel Levy Background: Ariel Levy is a car mechanic with over 13 years of experience. Ariel own Ariel Car Services, a full service car garage in the Industrial area in Bet Shemesh. They service all makes and models and specialize in French and Japanese cars. The garage is located on Rechov Hamasger. Ariel can be reached for any consultations at 054 205 0389.
Ariel Topf Company: Bizness Magazine
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• NOVEMBER 2013
Background: Ariel has built several companies in 3 continents in the fields of Internet, High-Tech, Retail, Franchising, Food Manufacturing, Clothing Manufacturing, Direct Sales, Wholesale, Personal Development, Restaurant, Advertising and Publishing. In this process Ariel has headhunted, hired, trained, managed and/or mentored over 20,000 individuals. He can be contacted at ariel@biznessmag. com
Bizness Magazine
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Experts You Can Call
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