Dovetail Communicator

Something to think about for aging boomers

2011-05-24T15:48:00.003-04:00

Over the past few weeks, I have had several conversations with friends and colleagues about estate planning issues. Why is this? Probably because of my age and the fact that the discussions intrigue me.

A few of my boomer friends are dealing with aging parents and their concern for what happens next. There is great sensitivity around how to approach the "it's time to move out of your house because I am afraid something is going to happen to you when I am not here" or "can we discuss what to do with the family cottage before something happens to you or Dad"?. As a result, the conversation gets put on the back burner and it becomes a white elephant in the room.

If you are in the above category, I invite you to do this sooner than later. Start thinking about the best time to start the conversation. It is difficult and yet you will be surprised at how much easier the next conversation will be.
Best time to plant a shade tree is today. So get planting.

Gayle

Strategic Goal for Entrepreneurs-Create a Business Will

2011-01-14T11:18:00.001-05:00

Well it is 2011 already and it is time to re-evaluate your wills. Both personal and if you have a business, your business will. And if you do not have one, as Nike would say, just do it.
In today's Globe and Mail, January 14th,business section, there is a great article about the lack of business wills and the mess it makes for the family, the employees and the business. I would encourage you to read it. (find: Lack of ‘business will’ leaves big mess by CATHRYN ATKINSON)

Very timely article for entrepreneurs evaluating their 2011 goals to include a business will and a succession plan for their business. So many business owners I have worked with are so passionate about what they are doing, what they are selling and what they have created, that they forget to and do not allocate time to work on their business to ensure all operational areas have succession planning in place in the event of an unforseen what if life event or they want to sell the business and make money.
Most important strategic goal for this year should be a business will that outlines who will get what and who will be responsible for the business decisions as they come up. However that only speaks to the higher level of legal accountability. The rubber on the road is how will the business will be truly implemented to ensure ongoing financial success for the business. Who, What, Where. Why and How. Only 7% of entrepreneurs have a written plan for succession and 71% of entrepreneurs intend to retire in the next 10 years. Plus the stats on how many people let alone business owners who have wills. Close to 50% do not.
So that will create a tsunami in the business world that ultimately impacts the family, the employees and the customers.
There is a great book to read called The Business Transition Crisis by Wayne Vanwyck.
Start the conversation with your family, your advisors and your business team to get your head into thinking about how to best position your family and business in the event you can't come to work tomorrow.

Business Opportunity for Sale

2010-08-04T14:20:00.007-04:00

Dovetail Inc. is Canadian owned and is eight years old. It was established with the creation and development of an organizational stand alone software to provide an easy system to store all vital information and documents digitally. Our research showed that individuals and professionals were looking for an easy way to track, store and access information quickly with a secure portable method. The digital shoebox concept is what has resonated best with accountants, financial advisors, insurance agents and lawyers.

What is the business opportunity? Moving the software from a stand alone program to a web-based environment with an on-going revenue stream. Partnering with organizations that offer value add services to their clients such as Simply Accounting, Microsoft, Google, and so much more. The software dovetailorganizer was developed in Java script with the vision that the next stage of business would be to move it to cloud computing. Software is moving to a service model. Dovetail is set up so that it would be very easy to move it to a web based environment with real potential earnings for someone with marketing and strategy experience to make this a winner.

The software addresses six significant area's of a person's life to co-ordinate and support legal, financial and personal information and documents. The potential for further development would be to separate the sections and offer to clients one or two of the sections such as Personal and Financial. The sale would be to the professional such as an accountant or financial advisor for their clients. The goal would be to upsell the client to buy 1 or more of the remaining sections to support all aspects of their lives.

There have been three versions of dovetail released all pc based. Dovetail Planner 3.0, dovetailorganizer version 3.1 in both English and French and the latest version dovetailorganizer version 3.2 in both Canadian and American English.
Version 3.1 and 3.2 were developed and programmed in java script with the ultimate potential of moving this stand alone application to a web-based service with easy accessibility by the client/customer and with an ongoing revenue stream.
The approved Canadian and American registrations for Trademarks include the ability to move the stand alone storage software to a web-based interactive storage environment. We also have trademarks for the tagline and logo "your digital safety deposit box".

The website www.dovetailorganizer.com is an education site with videos of how to use the software, tutorials, FAQ's, testimonials,an e-commerce store and a client database.

If you are wanting to take an established turn key operation with future business potential with huge revenue opportunities,and are serious in finding out more, please contact gayle@dovetailorganizer.com

Practical tips for Windows 7 and dovetail organizer clients

2010-02-05T15:33:00.004-05:00

Listening to the news this week about the breakdown in the Toyota communication trail of customers concerns and issues relating to their cars, we thought it would be timely to proactively address what are we going to do about the new Windows 7 release as it relates to compatability with dovetail organizer software.
As many of you might know the software has been upgraded by three different versions over the past few years in response to new releases of Microsoft programs. Our latest upgrade has been with Vista which our programmers are still working on dealing with the bugs inherent in the Vista program.
We also released last year 2009, a U.S. version of the dovetail organizer software and also opened up an office located in Florida.
Presently the dovetail organizer version 3.2 has been tested on Windows XP and Vista platforms.
For those of you who have upgraded to Windows 7, we understand a few of the features in dovetail do not behave as well as they should. We recommend first of all, if you have a dovetail organizer completed, print out a full copy of your completed dovetail package. Secondly, save the file using the selective export feature to a secure read only file of your dovetail information. You will have to give it a username and password so that it can be opened on any pc computer to view.
If you have any questions on how to do this, visit the home page of http://www.dovetailorganizer.com to view the demonstration with tutorials on each aspect of the software including the selective export feature.
For the majority of our clients, the main purpose of using this product has been for estate planning purposes and being prepared with knowing all of your information has been located, discussed, updated when needed, and all together in one spot for easy sharing with family, executors, and professional advisors.
As we get closer to having a patch or upgrade dealing with Windows 7, we will let you know. In the meantime, thank you for being a loyal dovetail user and keep using it.
Best Regards, Gayle

Holiday Gift Idea from dovetail organizer

2009-12-07T15:49:00.004-05:00

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Valued Clients
Wishing you every happiness this Holiday Season and many graces in the New Year.
As we approach the holiday season, it is always a good time for reflection. My husband and I just spent two weeks on a trekking holiday in Thailand and Laos. It was a really great experience and it also was a good reality check on what is really important.
80% of the people in Thailand are Buddhists. What I gathered is that one of their core beliefs is modelled on the theory of doing good work and doing good deeds for others.
How refreshing to be exposed to this type of lifestyle and fundamental core values that are practiced. And children feel very responsible for looking after the well being of their parents as they age.
Coming home made me realize how much we have and how our focus is on materialistic goods and accomplishments. It is time to reassess. I am sure I am not alone.

For this Christmas, if you haven't finished all of your shopping yet, consider dovetail organizer as the perfect gift for boomers or for their parents. So many times we talk about taking the time to get our life information together or to have a conversation with a partner or a parent, and it just doesn't happen. Something else gets in the way. Use this Christmas time to start those conversations and to really understand what is important and what legacies we want to leave. Do it for your family and who knows what interesting information you will stumble across. What a great way to spend time with adult children.
For month of December, 2009, Special includes: CD Version (CDN) of the software, Christmas wrapped along with 512 memory stick (gift with purchase) for $47.77 including taxes and shipping within Canada.
Put some security in your stocking or someone you care about. Call us at 1.888.920.3683 to place your order. All orders received by December 16th will be delivered by Christmas.

All the best to you and your family this holiday season.
From the Dovetail team.
http://www.dovetailorganizer.com

Dovetail Communicator: Estate Planning Testimonial from a happy dovetail organizer client.

2009-10-22T18:09:00.000-04:00

Dovetail Communicator: Estate Planning Testimonial from a happy dovetail organizer client.

Estate Planning Testimonial from a happy dovetail organizer client.

2009-10-22T17:05:00.005-04:00

When we hear good things from our customers, we want to record them. That is exactly what I did this week with a happy dovetail organizer client. A woman named Evelyn. Evelyn is a savvy highly educated and engaged woman who purchased dovetail a few years ago. I had a chance to visit her to sort out some technical questions she had and while I was with her, she showed me what she has stored in her dovetail. What really interested me was how much she loves the software and how easy it has been for her to use it. Evelyn has used the Estate section to scan in all of her parents birth and death notices, newspaper clippings, information on the castle in Ireland that has family significance, and tons of pictures that are such artifacts that tell the story of her and her husbands family tree. Quite honestly, it was awesome to see her so engaged and so pleased with our product. It was exactly why I started this process to begin with. A communication tool that allows the users to track and store all the inportant life information they want to share with others. For Evelyn, it was a system that allowed her and her husband to consolidate their information including financial, legal, estate and medical history. Each of their children will receive a copy of their completed dovetail information. As Evelyn put it, she now has peace of mind knowing it is all together and will be the go to file, when she or her husband or children need it. And Evelyn, bless her heart, was receptive to a video. My first attempt at using a flip video and I would have to say, it is as easy as they say. The uploading to YouTube was not as easy. Kinda cool to learn something new. So check out MultiDovetail on YouTube to view our video. This will be the first of many to come. Once I get the hang of it. Thank you Evelyn for sharing your dovetail story. Gayle www.dovetailorganizer.com

National Preparedness Month Tip to Get Prepared

2009-09-09T16:17:00.006-04:00

We are pleased to announce a recent partnership with Fujitsu Scansnap and dovetail organizer. We see this partnership as a nice fit for our product and their clients who have already purchased a scanner. Dovetail is all about gathering all of your important life information into one spot and storing it digitally. You can scan in any document or important record of information and attach it into the dovetail and everything is organized, secure and easy to share with others.

Recently I read a blog called unclutterer.com
This is a great blog to follow which is all about getting and staying organized.
Erin writes about her recent purchase of the Fujitsu Scansnap and she highly recommends this scanner. It is easy to set up, easy to use and the quality is great.
Some of her readers have added great comments as well. So I urge you to check out this site and read this blog which is titled "Scanning Documents to Reduce Paper Clutter".

As allot of you know, September is National Preparedness Month. This is a good time to make sure you are organized for emergencies. Have a first aid kit, have digital backups of all of your documents, pictures, health records, personal I.D. and family mementos. Scanning these documents is a great way to have them as backups just in case they get destroyed or lost. And saving them into the dovetail organizer gives you easy portable access for quick data retrieval in any life emergency.
Be prepared. Know what you will need if something happens and have a plan to secure this information in a way that gives you protection and peace of mind.

Money Tips for Women- dovetail organizer

2009-08-30T20:35:00.003-04:00

Recently, I read a Magazine called City Woman. One of the first articles in the magazine really spoke to what we believe in here at Dovetail. The first message was by Colette Southam and she says "One of the best investments you can make is in your own education...You can it slowly over time."
When we developed dovetail organizer, it was exactly for that reason. A very easy comprehensive tool to help you understand what you have, what your partner has if you have one, where the information is kept and if you need to make any decisions on what you have and if it is up to date. As you uncover information, you learn and you grow. And you are much more prepared for dealing with your information because you know what it is. You are empowered by the knowledge.

The checklist that appears in this magazine is to the point and is a follows:
All women should:
*know their current net worth
*have a solid grasp of their household's monthly cash flow and expenses
*have an understanding of their retirement plan
*understand the risk in their investment portfolio
*know where important documents are kept (which includes investment statements, life insurance policies, wills) *****all this in included in the dovetail organizer***
*ensure they have enough life insurance on their partner or their own life
*plan for the unexpected death of their spouse, or divorce
*understand their tax situation and ways to save taxes today and in retirement (i.e. income splitting)

Spend sometime on yourself in the next few months and work through this checklist. You will be glad you did. And I bet you will learn more than you thought you would.

Gayle White-Malloy
www.dovetailorganizer.com

Six easy tips to focus on wellness

2009-08-10T16:37:00.003-04:00

Last week I focused on financial health.
This week, my #2 tip is to focus on personal health.
As Dr. Jonathan Kerr, a member of the College of Family Physicians of Canada,said "The healthiest people are the ones who do things on a regular basis".
Even making small choices throughout the day, he adds, leads to better health because they turn into positive habits. Sounds easy.
The following six easy tips can make a big impact on your health and they will not take long. Promise.
1- Review your annual health appointments. When was the last time you had your teeth checked, had your annual physical exam, or had your eyes checked? Set up the appointments based on your schedule and make sure you keep them.
2- Brush your teeth at least once a day and floss daily. Taking care of your mouth can help prevent cardiovascular disease, and fight infection and tooth decay.
3- Check your smoke alarms and ensure you test alarms monthly and replace the batteries twice a year. Smoke alarms save lives.
4- Take time to recharge your battery each day. When you are mentally calm, you make better decisions and have a clearer head.
5- Be an informed consumer of everything you put in your mouth. Make healthy choices and check labels of food you purchase to know the percentage of calories, fat and sodium in particular. Some food seems healthy on the surface but really aren't. Remember when a can of soup was the lunch time choice?
6- Educate yourself on heart attack and stroke symptoms. And washing your hands is one of the simplest ways to prevent spreading of cold and flu germs.
Enjoy and live well.
www.dovetailorganizer.com

"5 Key Things to do to help you sleep at night"

2009-08-04T15:25:00.002-04:00

If you are anything like me, life is just moving too fast. Some days it feels like I cannot catch up. And yet, alot of it is self inflicted. Saying yes to too many things that all sound good on their own merit, and yet it is the cumulative effect that can get tiring. And at the end of the day, I ask myself did I take care of what I really needed to? Some days yes, and alot of days no.
So the following list is where I am starting to help me stay on track.

#1- Is my financial house in order? Are my bills paid, what expenses are coming up this month, and how much income do I have coming in to match the black with the red. The more I know about my day to day numbers and long term needs, the more informed I am. It makes it alot easier to know what to say no to. So I am taking the time to really understand the dollars and cents of every decision I have made or am considering both personally and professionally. What will give me the best return on my investment. And it is not always money.

Till next time, enjoy today, remember what gave you joy and what you can let go of.
Tip #2 to follow!

Gayle White-Malloy at www.dovetailorganizer.com

Up-date your Medical History

2009-07-10T13:39:00.003-04:00

This week a very close friend of mine has been diagnosed with cancer. Along with the shock and roller coaster of emotions, it really has caused me to revisit my own situation including when was the last time I had an annual check-up, what should I be focusing on to keep my health as optimal as it can be, do I have the right health insurance in place just in case and finally how would I mentally deal with this if it were me?
It is fair to say that the greatest amount of stress comes from the lack of control over the process, the not knowing, and the questions that don't have answers yet.
And the waiting......
We do have control over a few things. The first which is the biggee. Our mental attitude. What goes on between our two ears. We do have control over that. We can choose to view the glass half empty or half full. And we can review our health insurance situation with a qualified financial advisor to determine what the options are around health insurance such as critical care insurance.
Plus I would be remiss if I didn't suggest you complete the Medical Section of the dovetail organizer. In going through the checklist of this section, you can track your prescriptions and dosages, the medical history of your family including your father, mother and siblings, your own medical history, your views on the organ donor card, your hospital registration cards,your health care team and more. By going through this process, you will have time to reflect on the information you are accumulating and if it is accurate and up to date. Document this information in your dovetail and take copies of your medical records, health cards and family history. It will save time if and when you ever need it. This exercise itself will give you a sense of control over your personal information.
And on a final note, may strength, wisdom, health and many graces be with you Susie.

www.dovetailorganizer.com

Six Easy Steps to Get Your Personal Information together.

2009-06-30T11:27:00.003-04:00

More often than not, participants at my presentations have commented, Great Product but how do I get started?
First thing I would suggest is to print out the six checklists of Personal, Medical, Financial, Property, Business and Estate.
Decide which section or sections you want to tackle first. What is important to you right now. Are you going on a trip, or are you meeting with your financial advisor or accountant, or are you simply wanting to get a handle on organizing your personal information?
What might be the easiest way to start is to work through the Personal section first.
Locate your passport, social insurance card, social security card, driver's licence, citizenship papers, birth certificate, marriage certificate, tax nformation, military experience, pet documents, education records, and documented work and address history.
As you locate this information, you can input the information into the various fields within the Personal section of dovetail organizer. You also can scan in each paper oriented piece of information. What this will do for you is to give you a digital back up of each important piece of information. When you scan or attach anything into dovetail, it is secure and encrypted. What this means is everything your store in your dovetail cannot be accessed by anyone else unless you give your username and password to open up the program.
If you do not have a scanner, you can take your cards, paper based information to a business that has a scanner or go to your financial advisor or accountant and ask them if you can use their scanner. Simply save these images onto a memory stick, thumb drive or cd. You can attach each of these images into the dovetail where you want to place them.
There are a few ways to skin the cat, so to speak.
Let us know how this works for you.
Visit our website at www.dovetailorganizer.com

Identity Theft Prevented and Data Recovery Made Easy

2009-06-12T12:53:00.006-04:00

Identity Theft can happen to any of us at any time. Identity theft has become one of the fastest growing crimes in Canada and the United States. In the United States, identity-theft complaints to the Federal Trade Commission have increased five-fold in the last three years, from 31,117 in 2000 to 161,819 in 2002. In Canada, the PhoneBusters National Call Centre received 7,629 identity theft complaints by Canadians in 2002, that reported total losses of more than $8.5 million, and an additional 2,250 complaints in the first quarter of 2003 that reported total losses of more than $5.3 million. In addition, two major Canadian credit bureaus, Equifax and Trans Union, indicate that they receive approximately 1,400 to 1,800 Canadian identity theft complaints per month, the majority of which are from the province of Ontario.
One reason for the increase in identity theft may be that consumers often become victims of identity theft without having any direct contact with the identity thieves who acquire their personal data. Simply by doing things that are part of everyday routine – charging dinner at a restaurant, using payment cards to purchase gasoline or rent a car, or submitting personal information to employers and various levels of government – consumers may be leaving or exposing their personal data where identity thieves can access and use it without the consumers' knowledge or permission.
Last week my husband who is a new email user received an email from the bank he uses regularly. The corporate look of the email looked like it had come from his bank and indicated that his account and bank card were under investigation for a security breach. All he had to do was enter his password and the number on his interac card he uses for withdrawals and on-line banking. Fortunately this was at breakfast time, and as he was reviewing his emails he remarked out loud "this is weird". Earlier in the week, coincidentally, we had a call from our bank for real indicating they had an issue with one of our cards we use regularly. So for all purposes, it would have seemed quite normal for the bank to send an email requesting verifation of password and card number. All I can say is thank god for common sense and the fact that this happened when I was there. He did not give the information and acted on contacting his bank to ask why would they send an email requesting this confidential and secure information. Long story short. The email was a bogus email and had all the look and feel of the brand our bank has.
This is how easy it would have been to have had a different ending. All too many times we are too busy or distracted to really pay attention to what we do and who with. This is how easy it could happen to anyone of us.
In this case, pay attention, don't give your password or identification number to anyone unless it is a trusted source, shred all of your documents before putting out in the garbage and lastly, Store all of your life's most important information and documents into the dovetail organizer. Data Recovery made easy. Never be Missing Personal Information again! Secure software that gives you the ability to save to a USB drive for "pack-and-go" access to vital information when you need it.
www.dovetailorganizer.com

Need a gift for Fathers Day?

2009-05-24T16:39:00.001-04:00

DOVETAIL ORGANIZER, A GREAT TRAVEL COMPANION FOR DAD ON FATHERS DAY

With Father’s Day nearing, dovetail organizer™ has bundled a special offer for Dad’s who travel whether for business or pleasure. Pack and Go with the dovetail organizer™ software and a memory stick at limited time low price.

Along with the excitement of travel comes increased risk of losing key documents, credit cards, passports and identity theft. Dovetail organizer™ is a very welcome travel companion. It is a great bon voyage gift for Dad to ensure he’s prepared for medical emergencies or other life crisis situations, at home or away from home.

Dovetail organizer™ helps him retrieve information immediately, anywhere in the world at any time. The software lets him store and share vital information with loved ones in a secure digital format. Think of it as a portable electronic safety deposit box. Carry it with you on a memory stick to access information on credit cards, passport, medical history or other critical information when the need arises.

Your documents and other key information are organized in six categories: Personal, Financial, Business, Property, Medical and Estate. It is password protected and encrypted for security.

Losing personal information impacts families on a daily basis.

Dovetail developed this solution for quick recovery using secure software that give users "pack-and-go" access to vital personal information.

Buy online at www.dovetailorganizer.com or call 1-888-920-3683.

"It's all about protecting your personal information"

2009-05-15T12:53:00.004-04:00

Did you know that 19 people a minute become new victims of identity theft due to data breaches? Did you know that a Social Security Number can be purchased on the market for a mere $98 or a Birth Certificate for $147?
If you visit a site while searching the web, and it is not a safe site, what potential harm will that have for you, and your personal information? And what are you leaving behind?
The program we came across recently is called McAfee Site Advisor which is a free download. The program once installed on your computer shows the McAfee Site Advisor icon on your tool bar. This program adds safety ratings to your browser and search engine results. When you google a site or visit any web address, once you have installed this program, you will see a safety rating icon showing the status of the site you are entering or checking out. Just like traffic lights, the green checkmark means GO or good.
Check out www.siteadvisor.com for your free download.

More than ever we need to be vigilant about how we protect our information, who we share our personal information with and what steps we need to implement to ensure quick data recovery when we need it.
Get on the path to protect your vital information.

www.dovetailorganizer.com

What is your online presence?

2009-04-29T11:45:00.004-04:00

Last weekend I attended my first PodCamp. I viewed this experience similiar to being involved in open source software where everyone who is interested can enhance, develop, share and leave with something better than what they started with.
That is what this PodCamp experience was like for me. I left at the end of the day feeling empowered by knowing so much more about Social Media, what twitter is, how it can work for a business, how to create a meaningful blog, how to use podcasts, and on and on. Plus I met some fabulous young and engaging minds. Everyone involved in a PodCamp is all about sharing knowledge.
A few of the hundreds of facts that surprised me from this event were:there are over 500 million searches a day online; 90 people managed President Obama's online campaign; and 394 million have watched a video online.
That got me thinking about what do we or should we do to protect ourselves and our personal information when we enter the online arena from our desktop, laptop or blackberry? How do we know we are on a safe site when we check out information about a company, a product, or going further, purchase something?
I am presently reviewing what I think is a great product to help us determine when we are on a safe site. In my next blog I will update you on my findings, how it works and how to get this free software.
In the meantime, be vigilant about protecting your personal information and documents.
Gayle White-Malloy
www.dovetailorganizer.com

National Organ & Tissue Awareness Week

2009-04-20T16:39:00.005-04:00

April 19th to April 26th, 2009 is National Organ and Tissue Awareness Week. For alot of us, this is a worthwhile discussion and yet, it is hard to start the conversation with our parents, our chidren, our partners, and our friends. Why is that you might ask? Part of it is the thought that we do not want to think about death or what will happen to our body after we die. We do need to be motivated and pushed to have this conversation and we need to realize the difference we can make. Our signed donor card has the possibility of saving up to 8 lives.
I challenge you this week to start the conversation over the dinner table. Visit two sites to find out more about the impact of you signing your organ donor card.
One is Recycleme.org and the second one is OrganDonations.ca

dovetail organizer will donate $1 towards this association with each purchase of a dovetail organizer until the end of April, 09. It is all about the conversation and what better place to store your organ donor and tissue card in your dovetail and share it with your family. I challenge you to start the conversation tonight.

What our customers are saying about us!

2009-04-17T13:05:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we were cc'd on an email sent by one of our customers and we would like to share it with you. Thanks Ev.

"Hello Mr Smith,
I just heard your column on The Early Shift concerning estate planning. I am a regular CBC listener and a Professional Organizer.
There is a terrific Canadian-developed tool for exactly this purpose. dovetailorganizer.com

Developed by Londoner Gayle White-Malloy, this inexpensive piece of software allows you to record everything needed for an executor to easily deal with your estate. You can attach scanned documents in a read-only file. It's not only good for 'end of life' issues. Dovetail is an excellent tool to keep your life secure. Having it backed up on a memory stick allows you to carry your travel documents electronically, password protected, encrypted and readable on any PC computer.

As a personal story... my husband and I recently purchased dovetail and spent a couple of days rooting through our personal and financial papers. It was a good exercise for us as a couple who have been married for over 30 years. We shredded half a file cabinet drawer of outdated papers. We scanned in every important document and card in our wallets suggested in the software. dovetail helps you know what is important. When our financial advisor came to visit last week, we were able to show him and clarify our investments. We now have a backup off site and available for our children, our executors. Speaking as a woman, it was very empowering.

I urge you to check out the website. dovetailorganizer.com

I laughed when you said that pets are always a concern when closing an estate. dovetail even covers that one!
Evelyn Ward de Roo
Interior ReDesigner/Professional Organizer
(division of SoftTouch Solutions Inc)"

dovetail organizer is on the Shopping Channel

2009-04-13T18:49:00.002-04:00

We are excited to announce dovetail organizer is for sale on The Shopping Channel website. Their promotion for our product is fantastic and you can buy it for a mere $39.98 along with a 512 MB memory stick. Pretty sweat deal and the beauty of this package is that once you store your information such as passports, medical information, prescriptions and dosages, health care history, marriage certificate, work and education history, insurance policies, pension information, credit cards, investments, mortgages, wills, power of attorneys, letters to family and more…….all you need to do is save your dovetail information to a secure read only file on the memory stick. Now you have your life information secured with a username and password ready to give to a family member, advisor or your executor. All of the information that matters, all together in one spot.
In today’s Business Section of the London Free Press, Peter Walsh the expert in reducing clutter discusses how clutter is anything that gets between you and the life you want to be living. In addition to toys, paperwork, clothes, it is also the stuff in your head. Like bad ways of communicating.
That is how dovetail organizer was birthed. A communication tool. So take this opportunity to buy dovetail for yourself, a family friend or client to start the process of dumping what you have in your head into our software. Easy to use, secure and portable.
Send this link www.TheShoppingChannel.com to your friends so that we can illustrate to the Shopping Channel, dovetail organizer is a need to have tool in every household.

Scan it- Save it- Secure it- and Tell Someone!

2009-04-06T15:34:00.002-04:00

In today's Globe and Mail, there is an article by a young woman by the name of Karen.
She is in need of a kidney. It will be the second one for her and hopefully it will be ready when she needs it.
She talks about getting a second chance at life and what she has done with her life since receiving her first kidney transplant. She has lived life, taken chances and learnt along the way. She now is wondering did she do enough. Did she say thanks enough for the gift she received.
As Karen ponders her future, and her health situation, the essence of the message I read is to sign your organ donor card. Then tell someone you did it and if something happens to you, your family or friend know exactly what your wishes are. That way if some unforseen event takes you out, your familiy do not have to contemplate this decision for you and your organs. You already made it.
When we created dovetail, it was all about communicating your information to loved ones and this is a perfect example. Scan your organ card into the dovetail organizer along with any other pertinent health information like blood type, medical history, and prescriptions and dosages. It is now in a secure spot for you to give multiple copies of your dovetail organizer to a friend, family member or advisor on a memory stick. For those what if life situations.
Read Burden of Guilt on the Globe and Mail website: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090406.wfacts06/BNStory/lifeMain/home

www.dovetailorganizer.com

Identity Theft is Real!

2009-04-02T12:12:00.002-04:00

As some of you know, when I give presentations or speak to individuals about what they can do to protect their information, dovetail organizer is one of the solutions.
Well last week, I got a call from my bank of choice, and they indicated my visa card had been compromised and put on hold until they had an opportunity to speak with me. The bank had determined that there was some suspicious activity on my card. So they suspended it.
You can imagine my surprise. I am very careful with my card, who I give it to, what sites I use for on-line purchases, and closely monitor my visa statements for activity.
What this has made me realize is how easily we can be targeted as victims. Someone somewhere had accessed my visa number without my consent. It is an unsettling feeling.
I am extremely grateful to RBC and the monitoring they do which is totally under the radar. I had no idea the bank did this as a service to us as their clients.
When I spoke to the bank representative, I needed to verify which of the recent transactions on my card were mine and which ones were suspicious. The bank removed the suspicious items from my statement.
What I learned from this, is how dead easy this type of theft can happen. I also learnt the importance of checking your statements with a fine tooth comb to ensure the transactions on your statement are all yours. If not, report it right away. Also to question each and every time you use your card: is this site safe; is there a lock symbol on the site to ensure security; who are you releasing your card number to when involved in any transaction, is it by phone or in person; and never let the card out of your site.
My advice, be vigilant, be aware and always trust your gut.

Colours for Dovetail

2009-03-24T16:06:00.004-04:00

At an early morning yoga class today, we started by sitting very quiet and the instructor walked us through the visualization of the seven chakras. I had an eureka. I admit I drifted away from the notion of relaxing to think about what she was saying. It is hard to turn off your business mind totally somedays.
Over the years as we perfected our brand, the two colours that have evolved to be dovetail organizer colours are blue and green.
My eureka came from the description of what the blue and green chakras are. The blue chakra is located at the throat. It is the ability to verbalize. Dovetail is a communication tool. That is why I developed it. To find a simple method to accumulate information that can be shared with family members after a loss.
The green chakra is located at the heart. It is the Soul/Consciousness. Dovetail is the safety deposit box that stores every bit of information deemed important to be shared, passed on and kept. It is the heart of who that person is. After a loss, having a base of information is so important to keep families together and working through their loss collectively as opposed to against one another. The goal is to keep families together after a parent, partner, close relative passes away. It is the heart of the matter.
As they say, Information is Power. So share it equally!

What's New at Dovetail?

2009-03-09T16:21:00.001-04:00

Over the past few months, we have been busy at Dovetail setting up a U.S. office, releasing a U.S. version of the software, and hiring a U.S.Vice-President of Sales.
Welcome to the dovetail team, David Luckey. Dave will be focusing on the development of sales opportunites for dovetail in the U.S. marketplace.

Our goal this year is to develop strategic partnerships with organizations where dovetail will be recognized as value added. As a result of some new business opportunities, we have presented several times over the past few months and the response has been terrific. We demonstrate through testimonials, product demo and features, benefits and advantages the reason why people choose dovetail as their digital safety deposit box. Easy...Portable...Secure.

We are working on adding an Affiliate program to our site. And we are excited to announce we will be seen on the Shopping Channel soon. Details to follow.

Check back with us for more updates at Dovetail.

Gayle W-M

Tips for Preventing Identity Theft

2009-01-28T12:35:00.003-05:00

In today's London Free Press, there is an article on a situation happening in Stratford, Ontario where over sixty people to date have been impacted by a scam targeting their bank accounts in the amount of $30,000. How can this happen to them and to you and I? They were probably redrawing money from what they thought was a reputable ATM machine and low and behold, there was either a device inserted into the ATM machine to read the debit card information or a camera was located close to the ATM machine to read the PIN as it was keyed in.
First of all, in this situation, the Canadian Bankers Association says no one will be out of pocket because the banks will refund their accounts.
Debit card scams are becoming increasingly prevalent and there are some tips you can do to protect your own information.
When you withdraw money from a ATM machine, make sure it is reputable. Best Scenario is a bank.
Next is shield your hand when you are entering your PIN.
Don't give your PIN out to anyone. Let alone put it on a sticky note to remind yourself what it is!
Figure out a PIN that can not be easily guessed if your card is lost or stolen.
Change your PIN regularly.
Credit card scams are more prevalent than debit card scams at this point in time.
Never let your credit card out of your sight.
Have two credit cards. One for your regular purchases and one for occassional purchases. The occassional purchases should have a low limit and can be used for ordering on line or over the phone. Purchases where you do not have the same opportunity to keep your card always in your sight.
Change your credit card numbers after a reasonable length of time. Cancel old numbers and set up new ones. This can be a pain when you have autowithdrawals and need to contact each of these accounts with the change, however it is well worth it.
Don't give your number out to anyone unless you know the source or it is a protected and secure website.
Think about all of your credit cards and personal information like your SIN, drivers license, passport, birth certificate, etc and what would happen if lost or stolen. How do you start the replacement process?
When you get a minute, take scanned copies of all of your personal information just in case. You never know when you may need it.
visit our website at www.dovetailorganizer.com

How I used my dovetail organizer today

2009-01-15T14:54:00.003-05:00

I have been getting ready for a few presentations this month and needed to update my material. I decided rather than use my own dovetail organizer info, I would make up a persons' life and the information they would store in dovetail. Sitting at my computer I was steps away from a file that held alot of my mother and father's estate information. Why not, I thought. This is a real person and real information.
I started going through the file that quite frankly had sat in a desk drawer after I completed both my Mom and Dad's estates. What I found was alot of information I didn't know or didn't remember. Their Marriage Certificate with a list of the guests that attended my parents wedding. A wedding invitation that is 60 years old. Two separate letters of achievement my Dad received from employers. One from Prudential Insurance recognizing him as the top sales person 7 years in a row. One from the Ministry of Consumer Relations for his role in Chairing the United Way Campaign. I found pictures. I found my Dad's Record of Service with the Canadian Armed Forces.I found his certificate he received from his training after the war.
I found my mother's list of prescriptions she took every day. I found my mother's school diary that had little poems from friends with lots of love attached to them.
I called one of my brothers to tell him what I had found. And what I had found out. I took each of these precious documents, letters and more and scanned them into one of the six sections they belonged in. I now have a historical record of alot of the information of my parents I can pass on to my brothers and also to my children. I'll create a few of these secure files on memory sticks and stick it to ever wants one. And when they, or I want to do another memory lane, we will know where to start.
Plus I have a great presentation now!

Who will be your Health Care Advocate?

2009-01-07T13:06:00.003-05:00

As you may know, one of the sections of the dovetail organizer is Medical. With our latest version we focused on adding additional information about your health care team, prescriptions and dosages, health history present and past, family medical history, health cards, prescription insurance, and more.
We recognized that in today's environment, knowing how busy we are and how busy our health care providers are, it is up to us to manage our health care and our health care information. There is no central spot that holds the information about us that we need for communication purposes other than what we create. Plus,let's face it. We need to manage our own health care and not assume our Doctor is or will. It is up to us to put ourselves at the top of the list.
Watching Oprah's show on Tuesday with Dr. Oz, some of the main points I took away were: organize your health records, get updated copies of your medical records yearly, decide who will be your health advocate (someone who will be with you at every stage of your health journey), and at the beginning of each year particularly this one, focus on your health. You are the beginning of the circle.
In the dovetail organizer, you can input your medical history, scan or attach all of your medical informaton/cards/prescriptions into the program. You can save your information with digital images to a secure read only file on a memory stick and take it with you to share with others. It can open up on any pc computer with your password and username. Your life on a secure stick for sharing your health care story. Give a copy to your health care advocate.
Think about who will be your health care advocate. Someone you trust and can depend on. Someone who will attend appointments with you and be your ears and logical adviser.
Add that to your New Years Resolutions.

Seeing the Glass Half Full- Resolutions for 2009

2009-01-05T09:40:00.004-05:00

New Years Day is my absolute favourite day of the year. It is a day of reflection and also of hope. Knowing that this is the first day of a whole year ahead that is yet to be charted is exciting. I have control for the most part of how this year unfolds. Like a new beginning. So how do I choose to fill this year?
I have two lists. One for business and one for personal.
My business list includes getting more organized(and I sell organizational products), growing the business, focusing on sales,developing strategic business partnerships, and to create a buzz about who we are in North America.
My personal list includes simplifying my life, saying no more often so I can do the things I want to do, maintaining emotional and physical health, keeping in touch with people I care about, having fun, learning something new each day and being with people I love. Whew that is alot to balance.
Yesterday I heard our minister Ken Anderson deliver his sermon called "So Far, So Good". The essence of the sermon was about how we choose to respond to what is going on around us and to us. Do we see the glass as half empty or half full? Are we an optimist or a pessimist?
Ken suggests that while there are life events that happen that we do not have control over, we do though however have control over our spirit, our soul and our determination.
I choose this year to see it as half full and I will spend the year 2009 working on filling the other half. And work on balancing my two lists.
Happy and fullfilling New Year to each one of you.

Simplifying 2009

2009-01-05T08:30:00.004-05:00

Not sure what to give as a Christmas gift?

2008-12-11T14:48:00.002-05:00

I heard Bill Clinton speak in London, Ontario a week ago and he was fantastic. His core talk was on the economy and gave some facts on how Americans are being impacted by the current financial state. One of the facts he gave which resonated with me was that Wal-mart showed an increase in sales of home safes by 30%. All other sales are decreasing while purchases of home safes are increasing. What does that tell me? People are scared and want some sense of control over their lives.

Our mission statement speaks to protection and peace of mind. We offer a choice to individuals to secure their important information and documents digitally in one spot for easy access. For travel backup, estate planning and data retrieval in the event of a life changing event. Preparation is the key to recovery. Information can be saved to an encrypted read only file on a USB that can be read on any pc computer with username and password to open it up. All your information and documents can be read and shared with anyone you choose. An advisor, executor, family member or simply digital backup of your information just in case.
Put some security in your stocking or someone you care about. So what are you waiting for?
Buy a dovetail organizer today at our Christmas price of $39.95 CD or $29.95 download. Shipping and Handling included.
Easy to use, secure and portable. Your very own portable digital safety deposit box.
visit us at www.dovetailorganizer.com

And may I wish you contentment, good health and prosperity in this coming year.
Gayle

Generation Differences

2007-07-24T10:23:00.000-04:00

Jonathan Chevreau, of the Financial Post, writes in his blog The Wealthy Boomer, 70% of young Canadians aged 25 to 34 have begun a savings plan.
link to Jonathan's blog
Jonathan suggests that the Generation X and Generation Y's put the Boomers to shame on retirement savings. Yet his point close to the end of his blog is to reflect on what are the savings for?
Short term or long term goals. Although evidence and my personal experience shows that this group of x and y's have more balance with their work and life goals than the boomers have.
Following up on this topic, in today's London Free Press, P.J. Hartson writes about Boomers must plan retirement.
So this leads me to wonder what is the vision boomers' have for retirement. Is it when we are pink or blue haired and living in a retirement home, is it when we make a career transition from the corporate world to a life passion, or is it when we downsize our life possessions and wants to a more "civilized lifestyle"?
Great conversation for a hot summer night.

Sandwich Generation

2007-07-21T09:28:00.000-04:00

I just had a chance to read the article by P.J. Hartson in the London Free Press Business Section about "The Perils of caring too much". The link is http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Business/2007/07/12/4333197-sun.html
What strikes me in reading this is how my generation is very much the caregivers of the world.
We look after our children, we look after our parents if they are still living, we look after our social responsibilities, we look after our business obligations and when there is a new cause that needs our involvement because we "care" we do that too!

Take some time to care for yourself.
Gayle

Executors! Get Involved Early.

2007-07-10T10:31:00.000-04:00

When the dovetail organizer was first developed, it was as a result of my experience mediating family estates and finding so many times, the conflicts came from lack of information or the same information shared by all parties. Agreeing to become executor of a will has many responsibilities and so many of us see this as a huge honour. Unfortunately, most people have no idea what's really involved until something happens.

Executor Task Full of Perils written by Linda Leatherdale, a business editor at the Toronto Sun, brings forth details of a BMO study that may surprise you. There are many misconceptions of what executor responsibilities are and how best to manage them.

When you agree to the executor role, you should inform yourself what the exact responsibilities are so that you are not left wondering what to do, how to do it and where to locate all of the missing pieces of information you need to do your job. Spending time in advance with the person who has asked you to be their executor will eliminate or mitigate a lot of the stress relating to unresolved issues and lack of information. Educate yourself so that the learning curve is a little less steep. We get trained to drive a car and yet who trains us to be an executor?

Knowledge is power, information is key and access is critical.

Sincerely,
GWM

Let's Get Started

2007-06-18T13:17:00.000-04:00

Every journey begins with the first step. Sometimes, a little step forward is all it takes and that is what we offer. A little step towards better communication with your family, advisors and customers too.

The first step can be the most difficult though. We all have very busy lives and have to make decisions and prioritize often. Planning for the future is often done out of necessity as events come to pass but we must know where we are to determine where we are going.

We look forward to sharing tips about how to continue to grow with the dovetail and keep your life information ready for action!