Boating Safety Tips

An insurance expert and entrepreneur who has founded several businesses, Gregor Gregory is the president and director at Northernlight and the former owner of AAUG Realty in Hollywood, Florida. AAUG is a real estate firm he established which partnered with a general contractor to build townhouses. He sold the business in 2002. Besides his professional life, Gregor Gregory enjoys hiking, fishing, skiing, and boating.

Watercraft such as sailboats, drift boats, yachts, and row boats are all used in boating. However, this recreational activity has its risks, and accidents are not uncommon with ill-prepared and inexperienced boaters. Practicing the following safety tips will help ensure a safer boating experience.

Get a Proper Life Jacket
Life jackets can serve more functions than simply keeping the wearer afloat. Manufacturers currently produce life jackets designed to help prevent hypothermia. Boats are required by law to have a life jacket approved by the U.S. Coast Guard for everybody on board and in some states, children under 13 are mandated to wear life jackets once they step onto the boat.

Carry a Boat Safety Kit
Because emergencies can happen without warning, make sure to pack a boat safety kit that includes a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, emergency whistle, rope, and flashlight.

Adequate Boat Examination
The U.S. Power Squadrons and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offer free boat examinations to ensure specific safety equipment mandated by both federal and state regulations is present and the craft is seaworthy.

Be Aware of Harmful Fumes
Open all hatches and check for fumes after refueling a boat with a hold. Don't start the engine if you can smell fuel.

 

Calvary Christian Academy of Hollywood Tuition and Scholarships

An avid entrepreneur who founded companies such as AAUG Realty and Northernlight, Gregor Gregory has extensive leadership experience. Gregor Gregory has not only created successful businesses like AAUG Realty, but he is also a community-minded individual, having served on the board of Hollywood Christian School, assisting with capital fundraising and development of long-term strategic plans.

Hollywood Christian School, currently referred to as Calvary Christian Academy of Hollywood, or CCA-Hollywood, is a private school founded in 1960 with the purpose to equip students and families with Christian and Kingdom-centered education. Underprivileged families or those who are unable to pay for tuition can apply for one of CCA-Hollywood’s tuition and financial aid programs. This assistance is valid for one school year only and does not cover technology fee, lunch, aftercare, among others.

Families can also apply for CCA-Hollywood scholarship opportunities, such as the John McKay Scholarship. This option is for students with an active individual education plan currently enrolled in public school.

The Gardiner Scholarship, on the other hand, is for Florida residents currently on a home education program or studying at an eligible Florida private school. To apply, they must be three years old through 12th grade and have been diagnosed with a listed disability, including intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder.

 

Financial Discipline Critical to Success of Construction Entrepreneurs

An accomplished entrepreneur, Gregor Gregory founded AAUG Realty with which he built projects in South Florida. The president of an international underwriter of surety bonds, Gregor Gregory leverages his experience at AAUG Realty to work with construction entrepreneurs.

One of the most important traits of a construction entrepreneur is financial discipline. A developer must have control over his or her cash flow. Before each project, the developer has to map out a list of all the expenses he or she will likely pay then rationalize these with the project’s income and his or her cash at hand. Expenses include licenses and permissions, insurance for workers and the business, employee pay, and construction and safety equipment.

Many developers take loans to meet their cash needs which adds more risk if they get their budgeting wrong since they could go bankrupt and still have a huge loan to pay. It is better and cheaper to rent construction equipment, including employees’ safety equipment, at the start of the entrepreneur’s career, putting off outright purchases until later when there’s enough cash. If there’s still a cash shortage after renting out equipment, the entrepreneur can take short term loans with payment schedules that fit into his or her budget estimates.

Furthermore, this sort of careful planning is required from the start to the end of a project. If a developer has several projects going on simultaneously, he or she should work with an accountant to create a work in progress (WIP) report outlining all active projects, how much he or she has paid out and earned from each, and the gross profits thereof. Deliberate financial planning is what will keep the company afloat.

Understanding Performance Bonds and How They Are Used

Holding more than 30 years of experience in business across a variety of industries, Gregor Gregory founded and served as president of AAUG Realty until 2009. In addition to his time working with AAUG Realty, Gregor Gregory currently serves as director of Northernlight, another company that he founded that specializes in the international construction market. Northernlight provides bond solutions to international clients as a monoline insurance company, and offers a range of products, including maintenance, bid, and performance bonds.

A performance bond can also be called a contract bond, and refers to a bond issued by one party involved in a contract to protect against the failure to meet certain obligations by the other party in the contract. In most circumstances, performance bonds are issued by a bank or other financial institution (like an insurance company) as insurance that a contractor will complete a specified construction project.

Performance bonds are quite common in the fields of real estate and construction. Developers are often required to ensure that project managers and contractors provide performance bonds, usually at the request of the owner or investor, ensuring the value of the project is not lost.

Another common use for performance bonds is in commodity contracts. In this case, the seller is asked to provide a performance bond to the buyer, ensuring some compensation to the buyer if the commodity is not actually delivered to them. In both cases, performance bonds help to protect one party from the failure of the other party to deliver on their end of the contract, offering compensation to cover any financial losses incurred.

Purchasing a Townhouse

The founder and former president of AAUG Realty, Gregor Gregory is a business leader with a background in property insurance. At AAUG Realty, Gregor Gregory led the company’s land acquisitions and townhouse developments. He also oversaw the sale of these townhouses.

Townhouses have found a new popularity in the past couple of years, accounting for 13 percent of all new construction in 2019, according to Bankrate, a consumer financial services company. Townhouses are multi-floored properties that share one or two walls with adjacent homes. Each townhouse has its own entrances and outdoor space. In urban environments, townhomes usually have a uniform look and are maintained by a homeowner’s association.

Townhouses are often less expensive than traditional single-family homes, and they need little maintenance (homeowners’ associations take care of that). However, townhouse owners may have to put up with noise from their neighbors, and older residents may not be comfortable with multi-floor living.

If you decide to purchase a townhouse, consider in-house features as well as community amenities, and find out if there is a homeowner’s association and how restrictive its policies are. During your site visit, evaluate the extent of noise pollution in the house, assess the state of common areas, and talk to neighbors to uncover issues you may want to know about before buying.