One of the things I missed the most when we moved from New Jersey to Texas is the change of seasons and opening the windows in our house.

In San Antonio, the air conditioning is on for 9 or 10 months. Of course, we're grateful to have AC in the steamy months. Still, I miss the change of seasons and cracking the windows in the house to enjoy the breezes and crisp air. It's refreshing and brings a new energy. 

The same is true with work...businesses need to re-energize and take advantage of the many windows of opportunity that are often right in front of our faces.

[RELATED: Stuck for Fresh Content? Create 30 Topics in 30 MINUTES IN ANY NICHE. DOWNLOAD THE FREE #30/30 GUIDE HERE] 

For entrepreneurs and professionals who want publicity, there is a HUGE window of opportunity to get media attention and "free press"---right now!

NewsFlash: The next 3 months are fresh with topics and timely subjects for interviews and stories in print, radio and TV news (traditional) and online media wit...

"This kind of thing never happens here."

How many times have you seen and heard that line in the midst of a breaking news story?

Business leaders who think a publicity crisis is "for someone else" are likely to get caught short when something unexpected happens. Hopefully it won't be a massive incident that the networks cover. Still, we must be realistic because a local story can negatively impact your brand reputation, hiring and revenue for years to come.

If a plane or truck crashes into your building, you may find yourself scrambling to craft a statement or press release. A white-collar crime or violent incident can also attract unwanted media attention. 

[GUIDE: HOW TO BUILD LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH REPORTERS AND GET YOUR STORY COVERED. CLICK HERE FOR FREE PDF DOWNLOAD] 

The following 10 points will help you be proactive when dealing with reporters and the public.      

1. Have a crisis management plan in place and update it once a quarter. This includes assigning a designa...

The days of B2B and B2C sales models never existed, according to business author Seth Godin.

During a recent interview, Godin told me that behind every business is a human being who makes purchasing decisions.

Transcript: (Seth Godin) “When you’re selling to a business, you’re not really selling to a business. Businesses don’t buy anything; people buy things.

The person at Ford buying brake lines, doesn’t need brake lines. They need a story to tell their boss. Because they’re not actually on the assembly line, they are the purchaser.

We sell stories. The shift now is that there’s way more people to connect with, which is good. But, those connections are way more difficult because there are way more people to connect with. So, we have this challenge. Which is stop being bureaucratic and understand that people are going to buy a story that increases their status based on what’s important to them.”

Godin says the key is to understand your audience and their frustrations so that you c...