After being hit particularly hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, California seems due for a summer reprieve. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to be the case. Not only are many areas of the state seeing a resurgence of novel Coronavirus cases, we now face another, more familiar yet equally concerning issue: wildfire season. Each summer, wildfires destroy thousands of acres and homes throughout California, and this year looks to be no exception. That’s why residents (particularly those situated in the wildland-urban interface) must be vigilant about maintaining fire-safe conditions on their properties. Consider the following advice for defending your home against wildfires. Read more

Now that Bay Area counties are finally reopening, many residents are playing catch-up with maintenance tasks that normally would’ve been completed earlier in the season. For example, your home’s windows may still be caked with residue from the rainy season. Before you reach for that bottle of glass cleaner, consider a better option: hiring a professional window washer. Here are a few reasons you should leave your panes to the pros. Read more

What’s going to happen after our local economy mostly reopens? Everybody has a prediction, but nobody knows for sure. We can only guess how things will play out during the rest of this year and the next. Your guesses are actually valuable. Organize them to help you think through high, medium and low future scenarios. Then, create strategies for each scenario so you’re well prepared for an uncertain future. Here’s how to do it.

Think in three time periods—we’ll use Red Phase for the time we’re in Shelter-in-Place (SIP), Yellow Phase for an Assessment period and Green Phase for the New Future. Think about each of these time periods and plan your company’s actions based on an Optimistic, Read more

Intense stressors require bold responses. Today we mailed 820,000 Diamond Certified Directories to quality-seeking families throughout the Greater Bay Area. Plus, to deliver a BIGGER BOOST for your company, we’ve started running a record number of TV, radio and digital announcements to amplify the distribution of your full-page profile in our popular directory. “Bold” may be too subtle a word to characterize the more than DOUBLE the number of the previous record of announcements, stations, reach and frequency running during the next 30 days. BIG BOOST indeed!

Diamond Certified companies will always do well. Now more than ever, consumers seek the higher quality, safer choice. Read more

Novato, CA: American Ratings Corporation (ARC), creator of the popular Diamond Certified Resource, is proud to announce the digital release of the 2020 Diamond Certified Plan Ahead Directory. The first-of-its-kind free directory, specifically designed for residents of the Greater Bay Area who are following COVID-19 “Shelter in Place” mandates, features enhanced listings of Diamond Certified companies in a wide variety of service industries (auto, health, home services and improvement, etc.), articles about preparing for life after coronavirus, helpful local resources, planning checklists and more. Read more

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