D & L Awards provide trophies and awards at reasonable prices

D & L Awards provides companies, schools, sports teams, churches, and other organizations with all their trophy and award needs. Whether you are trying to get custom trophies for a youth sports team, an acrylic employee of the month award, or ribbons and medals for a special event or competition, D & L Awards can meet your needs. Locally owned and operated, high quality and unique awards should not have to cost a fortune.

Locally owned and operated by Dale Andrews, was born and raised in Redlands CA and has spent his entire career involved in the trophy and awards business. Dale is not only a supplier to all the organizations mentioned but is also active in community softball leagues, golf tournaments and prides himself on fair pricing and great service.

D & L Awards offer custom engraved awards in a variety of materials. Wooden plaques, metal plaques and plastics are the most common. They can customize any trophy for any need. Whether your kid’s youth baseball team needs a set of trophies for the entire team, or you are in the market for an elaborate championship size trophy for a special tournament, their trophies our the finest quality and will last for years.  The experts at D & L Awards can engrave on almost anything, and have a large selection of awards to choose from including gavels, wall plaques, and desk organizers.  If you can’t find it in the store or don’t see it on line they can order it for you.

Located at 10444 Corporate Center Dr. Unit L, they are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.  For more information about the awards and trophies offered log on to www.dandlawards.com or call them at 909 264-1175.

In a continuation of our Newsletter series on preparing for disaster this edition will focus on the workplace plan.

Depending on your circumstances and the nature of the disaster, the first important decision after an incident is whether to shelter-in-place or evacuate. You should understand and plan for both possibilities in advance by developing well-thought-out plans.

In any emergency local authorities may or may not immediately be available to provide information on what is happening and what you should do.

Some disaster will require employees to leave the workplace quickly if able. The ability to evacuate workers, customers and visitors effectively can save lives. If your business operates out of more than one location, establish evacuation procedures for each location. If your business is in an industrial park, or even a small strip mall, it is important to coordinate and practice with other tenants or businesses to avoid confusion and possible gridlock.

There may be a situation when it’s necessary to stay where you are to avoid any uncertainty outside. There are other circumstances where how and where you take shelter is a matter of survival. You should understand the difference and plan for both possibilities.

Providing for co-workers well-being is recognized as one of the best ways to assure your company’s recovery. Communication with employees is the key before, during and after a disaster. Use all the tools available to you to accomplish clear lines of communication, inter-office memos, staff meetings, social media, to communicate emergency plans and procedures.

Detail how your organization plans to communicate with employees, local authorities, customers and others during and after a disaster. Include relevant information for employees, top company executives, the general public and your customers as well as local, state and federal authorities.

Frequently practice what you intend to do during a disaster. Conduct regularly scheduled education and information meetings. Identify and develop preparedness skills, include disaster training in new employee programs.

It is possible that your staff will need time to ensure the well-being of their family members, but getting back to work is important to personal recovery of people who have experienced a disaster. Work place routines facilitate recovery by providing an opportunity to be active and to restore social contact. Re-establish routines, when possible.

An investment in planning today will not only help protect your business investment and your livelihood, but will also support your employees, customers and stakeholders, the community, and the local economy.

Redlands Executive Suites, located at 1255 W. Colton Ave. will host the Chamber’s first Business After Hours event in 2014.

Each Quarter the Chamber selects a  member host a Business After Hours program from 5 – 7 PM, bringing together members to network, share and grow in an engaging environment that fuels business connections. The host business also has an opportunity to showcase their facility, products and services.

On Thursday, February 20, Redlands Executive Suites will open its doors to welcome Chamber members for an evening of casual connecting.

Redlands Executive Suites is committed to providing complete professional services to support your business. Their offices and business solutions are at your disposal so that you can reach the next level in your business,  whether upgrading from a home office or just streamlining your expenses. Offering Executive Suites that fit any budget, you tour the facility and learn more about the opportunities available at Redlands Executive Suites.

Admission to Business After Hours is $5.00 per person, reservations are needed.  Come prepared to network, enjoy good friends and food and make important connections. Call the Chamber office to make your reservations 793-2546.

Every business should have a plan. How quickly your company can get back to business after a disaster of any kind often depends on emergency planning done in advance. You should plan in advance to manage any emergency. Be prepared to assess the situation, use common sense and available resources to care for yourself, your co-workers and your business’ recovery.

Risk assessment is a critical component of preparation. Start by reviewing your business process flow-chart, if one exists, to identify operations critical to survival and recovery. Assess your internal and external functions to determine which staff, materials, procedures and equipment are absolutely necessary to keep the business operational. You should establish procedures for succession of management.

Make a list of your most important customers and proactively plan ways to serve them during and after a disaster. Also identify key suppliers, shippers, resources and other businesses you must interact with on a daily basis.

Plan what you will do if your building, plant or store is not accessible. Talk with your staff or co-workers and frequently review and practice what you intend to do during and after an emergency.

When preparing for emergency situations it’s best to think first about the basics of survival; fresh water, food, clean air and warmth. Encourage everyone to have a portable emergency supply kit customized to meet their personal need. Recommended emergency supplies include; water, food, both a battery-powered radio and a NOAA weather radio with an alert function, extra batteries, a flashlight, first aid kit, whistle, wrench or pliers, filter mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape, moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties.

Keep copies of important records such as site maps, building plans, insurance policies, employee contact and identification information, bank account records, supplier and shipping contact lists, computer backups, emergency and law enforcement contact information along with other priority documents in a waterproof, fireproof portable container. Store a second set of records at an off-site location. [1]

Over the next several months the Redlands Chamber will provide you with essential survival information to keep you and your business on track in the event of an emergency.