SMB Blog

Give New Hires a Great Start

2010-12-09T01:52:00.005-05:00

In a majority of small businesses, new hires are given only the basic skills and information they need to begin their new job. However, if you want your new hires to become more successful in their job more quickly, then you need to go beyond the norm. The key to this is allowing your new hires to learn the organization's policies and customs and to interact with the company's personnel.

The attitude your new hire develops about your company usually comes to fruition fairly quickly, and it can also affect their long-term commitment and outlook of the company. Within the first six months of a new hire's time with a company they decide whether it is a place they want to stick with or not. But the big question is how to turn a new employee's experience into a lasting and prosperous relationship.

Connect with them personally and early on.
By connecting with your new hire personally, you can form a relationship that will cause the hire to want to stay with your company. Get to know your new hires in every aspect of their lives. Ask them about their families, pets, hobbies, past experiences etc... People like to feel special and by making your new hire feel special, they may want to stay at your company longer.

Make the introduction about more than just a handbook.
A lot of small businesses make the initial introduction all about procedures and rules. But a lot of companies that have long standing employees make the initial introduction about the company, the history, the products etc... Company heads will take their new hires out for breakfast or lunch and really give them a feel for what the company is about. By making the initial introduction more fun you will find new hires more willing to stay with your company.

Treat the new hires like equals.
A lot of companies treat their new hires like the bottom of the totem pole. And, while that may be technically true, it doesn't mean you have to treat them like that. Don't put your new hires through a painful probation process or belittle them by displaying your big boss powers. Arrogance is one of the quickest ways to turn a new hire away. A great welcome can make a huge lasting impression, so be sure to treat your new hire like a true equal.

If you follow these steps, then you will be sure to see an increase not only in the amount of new hires your company receives but also in the amount of new hires that remain with your company.

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Cybercrime Doesn't Really Seem to Worry Small Businesses

2010-12-05T23:46:00.004-05:00

It seems as though small businesses do not seem to be very concerned about cybercrime. A recent survey of 1,000 different small business owners conducted by Visa Inc. and National Cyber Security Alliance showed that there was a surprising lack of concern about cybercrime among small businesses.

Most of the small business owners that were surveyed said that they felt that their businesses were “under the radar” and that there was no need to be worried about any computer-based crime. There was definitely a consensus between the survey respondents about the belief that there was not enough cybercrime potential for them to want to invest in the high costs that it would take to properly secure their company’s electronic assets.

An entire 85 percent of those surveyed believed that their business was much less of a target than a larger corporation. Fifty-four percent of the respondents also felt that they were more prepared than larger enterprises to protect their company and customer data. And 84 percent said that they do have certain procedures in place to protect data and keep computers secure.

These were not the only results that the survey found though. Only 25 percent of those surveyed said that they had given their employees three hours or more of security training, and 47 percent said that they hadn’t given their employees any security training at all. More than 50 percent said that they simply did not feel that the high cost of full electronic security is worth it.

The sponsors of the survey say that the results of the survey really don’t seem to match up. They say that there is “growing concern from security experts and law enforcement that hackers and cyber criminals are honing [sic] in on small businesses as their new targets." They note specifically the report of an extremely elaborate scheme in the Ukraine where more than $70 million was stolen from small and medium business bank accounts in the U.S.

The head of public affairs for Visa, Rosetta Jones, said, “Cybersecurity investments are critical to protecting a company’s brand and reputation.” Visa offers information and resources to business owners on how to protect their important data and digital assets at their website VisaSecuritySense.com. “We are focused on partnering with small businesses to ensure that they fully understand the business benefits of running a cyber-secure operation,” says Jones. There is also more information about how to keep your small or medium business secure at the NCSA’s web site StaySafeOnline.org.

So what does this survey show? Well, it shows that small and medium businesses need to step up and take some precautions when it comes to electronic security for their companies. Yes, it can be costly, but there are also some inexpensive precautions that companies can take. It is something that is definitely important and that needs to be taken into consideration. If your small or medium business is not secured, check out the websites mentioned above and make sure that you keep your company safe and secure.

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Should Small Businesses Utilize Online Advertising?

2010-11-27T00:40:00.005-05:00

Sometimes small businesses may not be sure of the best way to advertise and get the word out there about its products or services. Because advertising and marketing strategies are changing constantly to fit society and its needs, it can be difficult to decide which strategies will be most effective for your company.

Web analysts have been saying almost since the creation of the Internet that online advertising was going to take over the advertising world by storm. Online advertising has definitely made a huge impact, but it hasn’t quite taken the world by storm yet. According to years of research on the steady increase of online advertisement, the predicted “boom” in online advertising could definitely be right around the corner.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PwC are releasing some numbers that illustrate that a “boom” could be in store for advertising in the very near future. U.S. online ad revenues have increased 17 percent in the third quarter of 2010, compared to the same period of time in 2009. In just that quarter, ad revenues reached $6.4 billion, which is the highest recorded quarterly mark in history.

According to IAB, online video ads and traditional banners and pop-up ads are still creating an increase in revenues, but text ads that come along with search results represent the largest amount of revenue for online advertising. Their numbers for the first half of 2010 showed that search ads account for 47 percent of all online ad revenues. This is the exact same percentage that search ads had for the first half of 2009 as well.

Until recently, there were two different reasons for small businesses to be reluctant about utilizing online advertising. The first reason that companies were skeptical about adopting it as an advertising strategy was because of the perceived low rate of return for the ads. The second was the expected time commitment that was required to be able to manage an online ad campaign. This skepticism is starting to be relieved as new online ad services are beginning to target small businesses.

Pete Barlas of Investor’s Business Daily said that Google and various other search providers are trying to help small businesses overcome their hesitance about buying Web ads. He said that they are currently making it easier to select keywords and pick up other search engine optimization (SEO) tricks. Another important development is the increase in location-based services that offer customers discounts and rewards when they check in as they visit an establishment.

Recently Google released a new component for its Google Places services. This service was created in an attempt to make it as easy as possible for small businesses to profit from advertising online, and the newest developments really do help out.

Google’s Google Boost service is only available right now in select U.S. markets. It is a service that promises to feature three-line text ads in the Sponsored Links section of Google’s search page when individuals search for terms that have been specified by and for your business. This service is available for a mere $50.

Online advertising is definitely seeing a steady increase in use and profitability. Many small businesses still have concerns with the tactic, but I really feel that it is the direction that advertising is heading in. Everything is going mobile and paperless, and advertising is no exception. Online advertising is a great addition to small businesses' already established advertising and marketing strategies. With the right attitude, dedication, and commitment, online advertising that could really increase profitability for your small business.

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Protect Your Small Business Against Fraud

2010-11-18T14:04:00.005-05:00

Small business owners have a lot of hardships they have to face, but one of the biggest problems that plagues them is business fraud, and small business owners are the ones who suffer the most from it. Businesses with less than 1,000 employees can lose an estimated average of $150,000 in a single fraud case. In comparison, larger businesses only average $71,000 per loss.

The biggest type of fraud that hits small businesses is definitely check tampering which is also the biggest way people get hurt. The reason for this is that many small businesses typically do not watch for these types of things. Most small businesses do not wish to put the money into putting controls in place that bigger companies may have. Most small businesses don't schedule an annual audit. With an audit there is a system of checks and balances which hinders people's abilities to commit fraud easily.

Inventory fraud is another type that hits small businesses hard. A lot of small businesses have inventory being loaded on and off of trucks, but most people don't really pay attention to the people loading and unloading the company's things. Commercial bribery also affects small businesses. If somebody comes into your business often and sees the same employee, they will undoubtedly form a relationship. Your employee could then begin giving the person free things for a split of the profits.

However, there are a few key things small business owners can do to protect themselves against fraud. First, get some type of background screening for your employees. Many small business owners won't spend a lot of money screening a loading dock worker or somebody fresh from college, but they should at least do a criminal check if nothing else.

Credit checks are also very helpful. It is no surprise that people in today's economy are going through financial woes. But you should know if your employees are. Be sure you aren't hiring somebody who is desperate for money. Your employee's resume is also a good thing to check up on. If they say they went to college or worked for another company, check up on it.

Small businesses are a key part to America's economy. Most of them provide invaluable services and give a lot of good people good jobs, but it always seems that the ones out to do good are the ones that get burned the most. So please, be careful if you are an owner of a small business. Do what is necessary to ensure you aren't getting ripped off by some type of fraud.

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Have the Big Banks Followed Through with Their Promises?

2010-11-09T23:25:00.004-05:00

Many big banks claimed that they would increase credit to small businesses in 2010, but have they really done this so far? Are they really lending more money to small businesses or have they fallen through? Well, it’s a little difficult to tell due to the fact that “small business lending” for most banks usually covers a variety of different things ranging from real estate to credit cards, and there are very few lenders that separate their numbers for small businesses. Big banks were under pressure from the White House last year to increase credit. Some of the nation’s largest lenders, including Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and JPMorgan Chase, made some very big promises about increasing their lending to small business lenders in 2010. Four of the companies that set some concrete goals were asked how they were doing so far with their lending, and here is what they said.

Wells Fargo
According to Wells Fargo spokeswoman Sarah Toffoli, the company gave more than $2.9 billion in new loans to small business owners in the first quarter. The bank said that their goal for 2010 was to lend $16 billion, which is about $3 billion more than they lent in 2009, to companies with less than $20 million in revenue. "Based on the seasonality of business lending and the anticipation of an improved economy, we hope to meet our commitment by the end of 2010,” said Toffoli. John Stumpf, the chairman of Wells Fargo, says that the company plans to increase the new small business lending of $16 billion in the company’s annual report.

JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase reported in their first quarter earnings release that so far this year they have lent small businesses over $2.1 billion in new loans. They had said that their goal was to give out $10 billion in new credit to companies with revenues under $20 million. Their goal, which was announced November 9th, 2009, is an increase of $4 billion over last year. Spokesman Tom Kelly said that the bank’s first quarter lending to small businesses has increased 31% over the lending from the first quarter of the previous year.

Kelly also said that since November 9th, JPMorgan Chase has hired 235 new small business bankers, and they plan to hire 325 new employees by the end of 2010. Another interesting fact to note is that Chase has lent more than $110 million in “second-look loans” this quarter. Second-look loans are small business loans that are given to borrowers who were initially rejected but asked for Chase to review their loan application again.

Bank of America
In their first quarter Bank of America has loaned $19.4 billion to small and mid-size businesses, those who have less than $50 million in revenue. When taking out the loans to mid-size businesses, the bank has loaned $3.4 billion to small companies, those with less than $20 million in revenue, during their first quarter.

At a meeting with President Obama on December 14th, 2009, the then CEO of Bank of America Kenneth Lewis stated that the bank planned to increase their lending to small and mid-size businesses in 2010 by $5 billion. As of right now the bank has not released how much money they lent to small and mid-size businesses in 2009, so there is really no way to set a number on how much they will be lending in 2010 or on how much progress they have made this quarter towards meeting their goal for 2010. Spokesman Jefferson George said that the bank is currently running those numbers, and they hope that they will be able to make those numbers available soon.

Huntington National Bank
Huntington National Bank is a regional bank for the Midwest that is currently based out of Columbus, Ohio. In February they set a goal to increase their lending to small businesses, businesses with less than $15 million in revenue, by $400 million. Right now the bank says that numbers documenting progress towards their goal of lending $1.2 billion in 2010 are not available. Their spokeswoman LuJean Smith did say though that Huntington has currently hired more than fifty percent of the 150 new employees that they plan on hiring.

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Ways to Improve Your Company's Customer Service

2010-10-28T12:10:00.005-04:00

Everybody dreads a call to customer service, no matter what company it is. Whatever the problem is, most people would rather take their losses than go through a long, arduous process with a customer service representative. That is why businesses, especially small businesses, should consider improving their customer support in every way possible, because customers are more likely to return to your business if it has good customer service.

In a recent survey 60% of Americans ranked great customer service as very important. However, only one-third of them believe that they are getting it. A vast majority of Americans believe that companies either haven't changed the way they look at customer service or they are paying less attention to it. Only 37% of Americans believe that companies have increased their focus on giving high quality customer service in today's market.

The problem stems from a few different reasons. One reason is that business owners do not always know what will satisfy their customers the most. Owners may think price will satisfy customers, whereas customers may believe it is personalized service. Another reason is that business owners may not have put in place the systems and processes to ensure that they can easily provide ongoing customer service.

One way to improve upon this is to find technology that will help you monitor what customers are saying about you. There are many services you can sign up for that will alert you when someone online is mentioning your company, like Google Alerts or even TweetBeep. You also need to make sure you are reaching out to customers on a regular basis. This allows them to easily tell you how they feel.

If a customer complains, make sure the problem gets fixed and that they are happy. If the owner personally deals with the problem, then the customer usually leaves happy. You also have to communicate to your employees about how important it is to make sure that the customer is as happy as he or she can be before leaving. Consistent, good customer service does not come easily, and you have to train your employees to do so in order to get the best productivity.

One thing you have to do as a small business is make sure superior customer service is a part of your company's reputation. You need to ensure that you are talking about your customer service and selling your services or products on that fact. Encourage your customers who have left feeling satisfied to share their experiences with others.

Good customer service will also get your name out there by customers. Three-fourths of people surveyed said they are more inclined to talk about good customer service as opposed to complaining about bad customer service. People really do like to discuss positive things, so make sure one of those things is your customer service.

Contrary to that, people also say that they are more inclined to believe negative feedback they see online as opposed to positive. This is all the more reason to make sure your customers are satisfied with your customer service. Nobody likes bad feedback, so when you do get some, make sure you address that problem immediately. You may also want to hop on that discussion online and say what you have done to fix the problem.

It goes without saying that customer service is one of the most crucial aspects of an up-and-coming business. If you want your customers to keep coming back and you want new customers to start coming, then you need to make sure that whenever they talk to one of your staff or even yourself that your customer service is as top notch as possible, because it may be the deciding factor in whether your business succeeds or fails.

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The Five W’s of Marketing

2010-10-20T21:00:00.005-04:00

Most people have heard of the Five W’s. They are who, what, when, where and why, and they are utilized by anyone from journalists to detectives to customer service representatives. Now when developing a marketing strategy, it is not only important to use these Five W’s but also to use them in a very particular order. Usually keeping the W’s in a certain order is not necessary, but with marketing it is definitely important.

To effectively formulate a marketing strategy, the best way to utilize the Five W’s is in the order of why, who, what, where and when. By following this pattern, much confusion and loss of precious time can be avoided. Many marketers think of utilizing what or where first, but doing this can definitely cause some issues.

By focusing on “why” first, many issues can be avoided. Companies should begin asking themselves why they are expending their limited resources on marketing. They should decide why they are spending this money on marketing instead of investing it in another area of the company. By asking these questions, it allows company executives to undoubtedly define their business and marketing plans. It also lets people deal with any sometimes unrecognized assumptions that they might have before getting too deeply into the strategy.

Some companies may have unrealistic marketing plans that need to face reality, while others might go in the advertising direction to solve a non-advertising problem. The “why” question can help a person to confront these problems head on before delving deeper into their strategy. It can be challenging at times to start with this question, but it is necessary to fully accomplish your goals successfully.

The second question for marketers to focus on is “who”. Who will help us accomplish our goals? Who will be receiving the message that we will be putting out? Who do we need to convince and win over in order to be successful? By asking this question, a company should then be able to clearly define its target audience. The better that the audience is defined, the more effectively the company will be able in addressing the three remaining W’s and formulating their marketing strategy.

“What” is the next question a company should ask. This question allows the team to figure out what they need to do for their target audience in order to accomplish their goals. This stage will include a variety of different important business decisions. A company will have to decide on things such as products, pricing, packaging, and policy. This stage is also where branding issues and personality dimensions for the brand and the task will be addressed.

“When” and “where” are the final W’s that should be utilized to formulate your strategy. These questions will allow you to figure out where and when is the best possible place to communicate your “what” and your “why” to your “who.” It will be necessary to make many tactical decisions during these stages, but if you have effectively utilized the first three W’s, then this should be much simpler.

Marketing principles can be simple at times and very complex at other times. If you follow the five W’s, I am certain that coming up with your marketing strategy will be much easier than you thought it would be. Who, what, when, where, and why are the perfect way to get things done. You just need to be careful what order you follow. By using them in the correct order, you are guaranteed to discover a much more successful marketing plan. So get started on your plan today and make sure to use the five W’s.

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Small Business Owner Becomes Government Contractor

2010-10-17T23:38:00.004-04:00

Six years ago Jacki Simoni juggled a flashlight, dog leash, poop bags, and animal repellant before her nightly walk and thought to herself, "There has to be an easier way to do this." So Jacki set out to rectify the problem and ended up inventing the
PupLight, a light that attaches to the collar of dogs and makes it possible for the dogs to see in the dark.

Jacki has sold quite a few units at 150,000. Her biggest retailer is Petco. Jacki also sells through Amazon.com. While these figures aren't bad for something she invented for herself, Jacki always thought that her product would sell a little better. Recently, her luck has started to change. Jacki's product got picked up by the Secret Service to be used on their dogs. Even better, a few weeks back Jacki signed a contract with the General Service Administration, or GSA, worth $125,000 and making Jacki able to offer her product to over 1,000 different government departments.

"The process that Jacki had to go through is thorough and substantial. The federal government evaluates the product offering and then negotiates for best pricing from the company," said Rita Haake, program manager of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of DuPage in Illinois, who helped Simoni with her GSA application.

All Jacki has to do is contact government agencies that use dogs and see if they are interested in her product, and then they negotiate for a price they can both agree on. Considering that the PupLight was originally for herself and her two golden retrievers, Jacki Simoni has created a product that can potentially help service dogs, drug dogs, and cadaver dogs do their job to the best of their ability.

Jacki had to do a lot of research for her product to make it work for all dog breeds. Poodles had different necks than dachshunds, and those dogs were infinitely different from something like a Saint Bernard. After 15 prototypes, Jacki had a product she was happy with and made her canine customers happy as well. The PupLight gets rave reviews from its users, and the Petco gave it four out of four stars. Jacki built her small business from the ground up and is now the hero for many government officials, especially those with four legs.

Small Business Loans Jump Despite Unsteady Economy

2010-10-06T22:50:00.005-04:00

It is no surprise to anybody that small business lending hasn't returned to the same glory it had pre-recession, but despite a rocky year, the number of loans backed by the Small Business Administration increased by nearly 30% in 2010.

The Agency, whose fiscal year ended on September 30, reports that it approved $16.84 billion in loans in the past 12 months which can roughly be translated into 54,286 small business loans. This is an increase from fiscal 2009 when the Small Business Administration approved nearly $13.03 billion in loans during the depths of the credit crunch. The agency backed nearly $20.61 billion in 2007.

This boost comes, in part, from measures incorporated into last year's stimulus package. These measures eliminated fees and increased the maximum guarantee of the government to 90% which is up from 75%-85%. Banks make the SBA loans, and not the SBA but the U.S. government provides a guarantee to minimize the risk to the financial institution in case the borrower defaults.

Between the time the stimulus was signed in February of 2009 and the last round of funding for the provisions was exhausted in May 2010, the SBA's average weekly dollar volume was $300 million which is a significant increase from the $172 million weekly average in the seven weeks prior to the Recovery Act.

According to Tony Wilkinson, President and CEO of the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, a trade group out of Stillwater, Oklahoma, "The stimulus provisions work. This is the main avenue for small business lending today. A number of borrowers in SBA programs would have been eligible for conventional lending years ago."

The stimulus provisions, which have undergone four extensions in the SBA's fiscal 2010 year, were shut off in May. However, the recent Small Business Jobs Act allows the program to continue throughout the 2010 calendar year.

The volume of SBA loans fluctuated intensely during the agency's fiscal 2010 year. This is largely due in part to the stimulus provisions' pre-set expiration dates. Each time lenders were notified by the SBA that the program was about to end, lenders would rush to push their loans through. This would, in turn, cause an upward surge in volume.

Loans that didn't make the cut would then queue up on a waiting list until Congress agreed to allocate more money and extend the end-dates. Volume would drop off during this time.

During the summer months, many loan applicants waited for Congress to continue the program. The extension through the Small Business Jobs Act, which was signed in last week, cost taxpayers $505 million and could very well provide a possible $14 billion in loans. On Monday the SBA had cleared the queue and approved nearly $970 million or 1,939 loans.

Mr. Wilkinson is happy that Congress addressed the need to help the program. However, he worries that lenders as well as small business owners will be forced to sit and wait again when this program expires come this January.

"It will be difficult to spend all that money between now and the end of the year," says Wilkinson. "We hope after the election in November Congress will make the funds available until they run out. Borrowers are going to need it."

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Tips to Securing Your Business Network

2010-09-27T18:16:00.003-04:00

There are a countless number of threats out there that are ready to compromise your company’s network, but thankfully, there are plenty of precautionary steps that can be taken to keep this from happening.

SMBs are particularly prone to the plague of cybercrime. Sometimes SMB networks simply do not have the necessary network security. This is normally due to the fact that most SMBs do not have the resources or expertise to ensure their network’s security. In many small office settings, an office administrator with only basic IT skills is in charge of network security. This can leave your company’s network open to numerous threats. Paulette Altmaier, VP of Dell Solutions, has said that 92 percent of businesses suffer some sort of computer attack in any given year.

All of these SMB network threats cause some serious concerns. In response to some of these SMB needs Dell has just recently announced their partnerships with Trend Micro and Juniper. They hope to collaborate in an attempt to present some SMB security solutions. Altmaier stated that Dell has decided to focus on SMB security because they “have the same complexity of security problems as bigger companies but lack the resources.”

One of the huge problems with security threats is realizing how they evolve to attack your network. Threats aren’t just delivered by spam anymore. They are everywhere. There are limitless ways that your network could be compromised. If you’re a small business owner and you don’t have the protection that your network truly needs, here are some tips to keep your business safe and secure.

1.Layered Security
This is absolutely necessary. You must have an anti-virus program running on every desktop in the office, but you must also make sure that every aspect of your network is protected. You must have something that manages and protects data at rest and in transit. Security methods like encryption can help you deal with things like this. You must also make sure to control mobile devices that utilize your network at all. The security simply must be layered.

2.Security Policy
The size of the company doesn’t matter; it is a good idea to have a security plan. Any business with a network could benefit from a security policy. If you educate your employees on your plan and update your plan for the newest technology, many security issues can be avoided.

3.Unified Threat Management (UTM)
These devices can really help with your security layering. A UTM will contain a firewall, content filtering, VPN, and intrusion detection technologies. Many of the UTMs now available are designed for easy use and do not need IT support.

4.Secure Endpoints
This is essential. An endpoint is anything that can attach to your network like a server or a USB drive. Threats can sneak right into your network through these means. There are plenty of different products available that can help secure your endpoints.

5.User Security
Companies must make sure to restrict the content that their users can see and not see. This really cuts down on the possibility of security threats. Don’t allow a free-for-all network at your workplace. If you monitor and control what is being viewed through your network, you can eliminate many security issues.

6.Mobile Device Security
Although security threats are not as serious on smartphones and mobile devices like the iPad, there is no reason that you should leave these devices unsecured. You should treat them like any other endpoint and make sure that they follow any of your company’s security policies.

7.Software Updates
You should always make sure that all of your programs and software are up-to-date at all times. This helps to make sure that you have the best possible protection.

Keeping your company’s network secure should be your top priority. No one wants to deal with the hassle and costs of cybercrime. With these tips you can easily boost your network’s security and keep your computers, information, and network safe.

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5 Ways To Stay Motivated At Work

2010-09-24T00:01:00.002-04:00

Running a small business can be a daunting task for anyone. The pressure to be in complete control and keep a little business above water can wear anyone down. Subsequently, stressed out, overwhelmed workers and bosses can make for an incredibly unpleasant environment for employees and customers alike. With the holidays quickly approaching it is even more important to keep cool under pressure. Here are five tips that anyone from the business owner to the janitor can use to relax a little and enjoy their job.

Break Down Goals Into Smaller Steps
Goals can be hard to achieve, whether it be a goal for the end of the day, week, or year. The knowledge that something must be done at a certain time can drive a person crazy, so naturally a goal that must be completed can cause mass amounts of stress. The best way to complete a goal in a timely manner is to break it down into manageable chunks. It is a bad idea to try and complete something all at once. By breaking down a goal into steps there is time to reflect on the work and make sure everything is well thought out. Keep the steps small and easy to accomplish in the given time frame, but at the same time big enough so that progress is made every day.

Set Public Expectation
The biggest motivator for almost every worker is not falling behind in the eyes of their peers. By making public what you plan to have accomplished, you not only have the pressure of letting yourself down, there is the added facet of disappointing your coworkers. Public pressure can be an incredible motivator because everyone loves praise and dreads criticism. The possibility of seeming less productive than people in the same position can create a drive that was not there previously, and sometimes a little push is all that is needed.

Find Support
Some aspects of a small business can be more overwhelming than others. If your job is to send invoices to other employees, then it is unlikely there is a need for tons of positive support. On the other hand, if the business belongs to you and it is your responsibility to keep it productive, then it is a terrible idea to go it alone. While not necessarily asking other people to help directly in your job, it is always good to have family and friends that support what you do. Let people know when you need help and don't bury yourself with things that are impossible to handle alone. Find support in coworkers, family, and friends. Sometimes an extra set of hands can make all the difference.

Get Away For Awhile
Jobs can be suffocating at times, and it is important to take advantage of little breaks from the workday. Avoid having lunch in the same place as where you work. Don't simply microwave a Hot Pocket at your computer. A new surrounding can lighten the most foul mood. Eat something healthy and enjoyable on your break and stretch your legs whenever possible. Don't overload on caffeine or press too hard throughout the day, or you could become burned out much too quickly. By changing it up throughout the day and making the most of the time away that you have, you can stay productive even at the worst times.

Remain Positive At All Costs
This is probably the toughest tip of all. When things get really ugly, it is almost impossible to keep a positive outlook, but it is essential. When things pile up and begin to weigh on you, you may begin to feel unmotivated and get less done than ever before. To keep positive don't dwell on work outside of work and think of all the good things your business has given you. Keep in the forefront of your mind exactly what made you fall in love with this business in the first place and continuously think of what you want this business to become. Other people will follow your example, and eventually things will again become good.

With these steps and many others it is possible to keep motivated in your work space, at least most of the time. Don't be critical of yourself if you drag some days, just focus on how you will do better tomorrow. Before you know it, you will have a routine based on positive motivation and when you have it down to a science, you can share your personal method with everyone around you.

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Obama Criticizes Republicans Over Small-Business Tax Legislation

2010-09-15T18:07:00.007-04:00

President Obama derided Republicans Wednesday for what he called "foot-dragging" on a legislation that would supposedly extend "billions of dollars in tax cuts to the middle class and enhance lending to small businesses". Speaking from the White House Rose Garden, Obama stated that even though he was grateful two Republicans have sided with the Democrats on allowing a small-business bill to come up to a final vote, "it should not have taken this long".

With November elections approaching fast the battle between the Republicans and the Democrats has only escalated over small-business legislation and extending tax cuts for Americans. Typically, Obama has accused Republicans of holding up work on the two pieces of legislation which he said would hold the economy "hostage".

"For months the Republican leadership in the Senate has said no. All the while, small-business owners kept waiting for help," Obama said. Obama then thanked Republican Senators George Voinovich of Ohio and George LeMieux of Florida for voting to allow the small-business legislation to move forward.

"I want to thank them for their efforts because they understand we simply don't have enough time anymore to play games," Obama said.

Obama also called out Congress telling them to act "right now" on extending tax cuts for the middle-class. Obama has called the debate over taxes a prime example of the differences between Republicans and Democrats in the run-up to the November midterm elections. Most Democrats want tax cuts for the middle class only (real fair for everybody else), defined as individuals making less than $200,000 or families making below $250,000.

Republicans, on the other hand, want tax breaks for everybody across the board saying that raising taxes on anybody during poor economic times could create severe problems. On this debate several Democrats are taking the Republicans' side. Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky stated that "tax hikes aren't good to grow the economy. The good news is that a growing chorus of Democrats, here in the Senate and out on the campaign trail, are opposing the tax hikes the administration is proposing."

Senate Democratic leaders said on Wednesday that they were working to vote on the tax cuts for the middle class only before the November election. The tax cuts, enacted under former President George W. Bush, are set to expire at the end of the year. Obama failed to comment on whether or not he would sign legislation that includes extending the tax cuts across the board. Obama has said the country can not afford extending tax cuts for the wealthy, noting that it would add around $700 billion over a 10 year time span to the deficit.

"It's a tax cut economists say would do little to add momentum to our economy," Obama said.

Somewhere around 97% of Americans make less than $250,000 a year according to Obama. He also stated that the people making more money than that would still get a tax break on their first $200,000 or $250,000 depending on whether or not they are individuals or families.

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What To Give So You Can Recieve

2010-09-02T01:54:00.005-04:00

It is almost that time again. Holiday season will soon be upon us. With that being said, this is the time where many businesses can make the most money of the whole year. To be a successful business during the holidays it is essential to get into the holiday spirit. Decorations and good cheer can only go so far to bring the clientele in, so in order to make your business stand out, the best way is to give away before selling. Now I know product is not cheap, so free samples may sound counter intuitive, when in fact they can be the exact opposite. Here are three ways to turn giving a tiny bit into receiving major profit.

Make it small but useful.

Everyone has been to the store has eaten a free cracker with a touch of fantastic topping, and sometimes you get hooked, landing a jar of some sort of jelly in your grocery cart. The store probably will go through two jars a day max of the spread but sell fifty in the process. A good product will sell, but the consumer has to know that the product exists and how it works. If your business is food-based, then sampling is easy. Cut up one yummy piece of food and offer it to the masses. What about other types of businesses? Take the smallest possible bit of the product that can stand alone and offer it either free or free with purchase. Trying to sell a computer? A free 2 gig flash drive could do the trick. Selling clothes? The perfect necklace to go with the perfect Christmas sweater. Customers love to feel like they're getting a deal. The more expensive the product you want to sell is, the more fun and useful your freebie has to be.

Be clever.

While everyone has had the delicious free food experience, a lot of us have also had the tiny, completely useless sample experience. As a woman, I am familiar with tiny pointless pieces of plastic that are supposed to smell like a certain perfume. What do I smell instead of seduction and raindrops? I smell plastic. Even if I get a whiff of the fragrance, it's not as if I could wear it for a few hours and have it on my wrist to remember later. Recently I went into an expensive lingerie store that was offering perfume samples in an incredibly clever way. There was a sample bottle of the perfume and next to it a bowl of long, black ribbons to be spritzed and tied around the wrist like a bracelet. In a store famous for silk and lace a small black ribbon fit perfectly with the atmosphere and lent the wearers a chic accessory that conveniently smelled of a certain fragrance. Guess what? Later that day I returned and bought a bottle. This is a perfect example of clever advertising that lures the customer in with something free but also serves as a reminder for the store itself even if the customer doesn't buy the intended product. A tangible item is much more effective at getting your point across than an ad in the paper.

Put your best foot forward.

It is easy to set out a tray of stickers that were ripped out of a children's coloring book and call it a free sample, but this will get you nowhere. Sampling is your time to shine. When you pass something tiny into a customer's hand, you don't want it shoved into a pocket. Make your freebie something that connects with your store and displays its absolute best in the smallest, most inexpensive package. One of the best ways to stick in a customer's memory is to make your freebie wearable. A small plastic bracelet will have to be slipped on but at the end of the day at home will also have to be taken off again, therefore reminding the customer of where the bracelet came from. Same goes for things like t-shirts and other types of things that can be worn. The whole point of giving something away is to remind the consumer at least one more time of your store or product. Don't give away gaudy bumper stickers or something that is clearly just an advertisement. Small things that can be used more than once can jog the memory of a customer and bring the bigger memory of the store or product to the forefront of their mind.

They say that the best things in life are free, but usually that isn't true. Because every little thing has a cost, the ability to gain something free of charge is exhilarating for most people. By offering tiny reminders of your business to consumers, it is possible to receive tenfold the cost of whatever little thing you gave away. So this holiday season try to give just a bit before you focus solely on receiving.

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Going Green, Without Going Broke

2010-08-19T22:32:00.005-04:00

The signs are everywhere; green is the new gold. A Prius on every corner, an energy saving bulb in every streetlight. The world is truly changing for the better as people become more and more conscience about their mother earth. As a society we are trying to make the healthiest choices for our plant. We recycle, we reuse, we compost, among many other things, but as a small business owner is it really possible to uphold a green image without going broke? Luckily, the answer is yes. While the prices of hybrid cars might make someone clutch their wallet in fear, a few simple steps can be taken to guarantee that your business will be environmentally friendly, therefore still attracting the nature-conscious crowds, without spending all of your own hard earned money.

Open the window, or light a fire

It may blazing outside, or maybe your toes have gone numb from the cold, but the answer is not to crank up the air or the heat, but instead to utilize a more natural source of temperature control. Open a window and let the breeze blow in, and add a little atmosphere at the same time by hanging a windchime by the open window. Indoor air is oftentimes more polluted than the air outside! Of course there is the chance that the business is in a smoggy, stinky area. In that case there are other alternatives to chill out. A great way to cool off and save energy is to use a ceiling fan. A normal fan will use only as much energy as a 60-watt light bulb, and this averages out to be 98 percent more efficient than an air conditioner. In the winter the problem changes, and you need to keep your customers warm and toasty. The first step is to make sure that the building is well insulated, this is crucial to cut down on your energy bills. Make certain that all windows and doors are sealed, and that there are no places that the frigid air can sneak in. If you really want to cut down the costs, invest in a wood furnace. Oftentimes they cost less than a used car, and can cut your energy costs down to nearly nothing. There are plenty of companies that offer wood burning furnaces as alternatives to gas. Boot up the computer and do a search, the answers are everywhere.

Save a tree, save a dollar

While trees are a renewable resource, the human population clear cuts forests so fast that the trees have no time to recover. There are hundreds of ways to save paper in a small business, most of which are completely overlooked during day to day life. When you use the printer, print on both sides of the paper, and while you're on the computer go ahead and pay your bills online. Keep flash drives or CD's handy to keep your records on. Not only will you save filing space, but you will also save on paper costs. Make sure that all employees have an email address, and email important company news instead of printing and mailing. If your business is food related, use cloth napkins instead of paper. You can wash and reuse cloth napkins hundreds of times without ever having to order replacements. Lastly, offer reusable cloth bags for a small price as an alternative to paper or plastic. These reusable bags not only help the environment, but if they have your company logo, they also act as free advertising for your business.

Get together to go green

A large part of having a successful green company is making sure everyone in the company is participating. Carpooling is a simple measure that has been popular for years, and if done correctly, it can save everyone vast amounts of gasoline and money, while helping to not pollute. Make sure everyone has their tires inflated correctly, as it saves on gas mileage, and have the carpool cars maintained regularly, to prevent emissions. Make a company phone list, and let everyone decide whether or not they'd like be be included. This makes it easier for employees to keep track of schedules and policy changes without having to drive to work.

Keep it simple

Going green isn't all about the hybrid car or solar panel energy. The simplest ways to to be friendly to nature are often the ones that do the most good. Instead of buying cleaning supplies, make your own with ingredients like baking soda or vinegar. When your old computer starts to wear out, recycle it or donate it to your local Salvation Army, don't throw it away. Printer cartridges can also be refilled, instead of buying new ones. These steps may seem new, but there are other things that are encountered in everyday life that can make a difference as well. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, and only use the dishwasher or washing machine when they are completely full. Simple things like this are what going green is really all about.

Going green may seem like a fad at times, just something that everyone does to look cool. In reality, this may be true for some people, but for others it's a lifestyle that will help to save the planet. Small choices can help save the world, and if handled right going green can also help a small business not only be good to the environment, but save money too.

2010-08-13T17:10:00.011-04:00

You want me to buy you what? The Silly Bandz effect.

Today’s economy is anything but silly, but a success story everyone has most likely heard about by now is the Silly Bandz phenomenon. Where did it come from? More importantly, in an economy that is just starting to struggle back to its feet, how does one man make a fortune off of silicone rubber bands? For every genius invention that goes unnoticed, there is another that turns the market on its head with its simplicity. While parents are scratching their heads as their children scream for more rubber bracelets, and other small business owners look on in confused awe, creator Robert Croak is probably smiling smugly. The good news is there are a few simple steps that can be taken to make your small business a success, even if your product is more complicated than a hippopotamus shaped rubber band.

Every smart business owner knows that while the adult is the money maker, it is the child that is the spender. One look from those big eyes, and there is no hope for Daddy or Mommy. With a lip pout and a pleading note in the voice almost any child can coerce their parent into buying whatever they please. No parent wants their child to look less hip or popular next to their peers. Let’s have a look at a few enormous fads of the past few years and their similarities.

• Silly Bandz
o Small silicone arm bracelets, that when not being worn form different shapes. They come in many different colors and shapes, such as: Animal, Vehicle, Garden, and Music. Highly collectible and are traded among children.

• Beanie Babies
o Soft, bean-filled stuffed animals. Beanie Babies were the brainchild of Ty company, and while their popularity has waned, they had a long run, culminating in parents buying hundreds of happy meals to find the specific bean and cloth animal that Junior demanded. Another collectors item that seemed to capture the imagination of children, as well as the imagination of a few not-so-well-adjusted adults.

• Pokeman
o While Pokeman came in many forms, ranging from action figures to computer games, the card game was easily the biggest cash cow for creator Satoshi Tajir. Packs of cards would sell for around five dollars, and the goal was to, by the luck of the draw, garner the much-prized holographic cards. Leagues were formed for the card games, with much of the 1990’s child population claiming to be “Trainers”.

Now after we’re done rolling our eyes about the silliness of all of this, anyone will grudgingly admit that the creators of these products were marketing geniuses. The question is now what do these products have in common, and how can a product-based small business create a product that will capture the imagination of children while also capturing the contents of their parents wallets? As far as uniting factors in the aforementioned products, a few characteristics stick out.

• Collectibility

• Small price
• Possibility of finding the rare card/band/stuffed animal.

With these factors in place, you create not only a demand, but a comfort for parents in the fact that the product, in its singular form, doesn’t cost over ten dollars. It is easier to stomach dumping ten dollars ten times over one month than it is to dump one hundred dollars at one time. The reigning king of fads, Silly Bandz, incorporates all three of these factors. They are easy to collect in enormous amounts, they are inexpensive at three to five dollars a pack, and one child is always going to have a certain shape or color that another child desires, therefore sparking the demand for a certain silly band. When you look at the broad spectrum of possibilities for money making that these little rubber bracelets offer, it suddenly doesn’t seem so silly.
Clearly a few simple factors can turn your product from a dud into the next Silly Bandz. If Robert Croak can make a fortune out of something I find wrapped around my morning newspaper, it is most definitely possible. Any one person is only one incredibly simple idea away from having hoards of salivating children and exasperated parents lining up around the block from the boutique, waiting for the newest release of the latest fabulous product. Good luck!

3 Trends Currently Driving New SMBs

2010-08-06T21:39:00.007-04:00

Let's face it, the American economy is still far from perfect. Even so, people are still starting small- and medium-sized businesses and some of those businesses are still thriving. Why? Simply because there are some business trends that are hot right now, even in this economy. The reasons vary, so let's take a look at a few of them.

1. Going Green. Going green is big business right now. Many companies now include some kind of environmentally friendly incentives in their sales pitch for their products and services. What can this be attributed to? Government incentives are one reason companies are clamoring to be green. From automakers to the electric industry companies are receiving millions of stimulus dollars that revolve around creating and using renewable energy. Also, people are now understanding the importance of clean energy. Overall, the public sentiment about saving the environment has changed over the last decade or so.

2. Senior Citizens. Our population is getting older. Baby boomers are becoming senior citizens. Right now there are over 37 million seniors and in twenty years they'll make up 20% of the United States population. They'll also be looking to spend over $1 trillion. If that's not incentive enough to get into the business of seniors, I don't know what is. From anti-aging cosmetics and senior dating services to nursing homes and technical assistance if you're thinking of starting a business, you may want to turn to your elders for guidance. As a matter of fact, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics says aging-services - home health care, elderly and disabled services, and community care facilities - make up three of the top ten fastest growing businesses.

3. Buying Local. There's a desire to buy locally grown and made products sweeping the nation. That means more mom-and-pop stores. Farmers' markets seem to be at the heart of this movement; there are currently about 5,000 across the United States and over the past five years that number has been growing at a 5% rate. Almost 60% of consumers say they try to shop locally. National chain stores like Wal-mart have tried to gain more business by adding "locally grown" sections to their grocery departments. The USDA has launched a program called "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food," which encourages people to buy locally, and several cities, such as Orlando, Florida have been starting "buy local" campaigns.

If You Can't Find A Job, Try Creating One

2010-08-03T19:22:00.001-04:00

Cheese!

It seems that everyone is trying to stretch a penny these days, and for small businesses that can lead to cutbacks or layoffs. Losing a job in a recession is a devastating thing, especially when jobs are scarce. Unemployment will only last for so long and the bills keep coming in. Statistics show that there are 6 unemployed people to every available job. In small towns it can be as many as 20 unemployed to each available position. So what is a person to do?

If you are one of those many Americans who are having trouble finding a job, how about creating your own? This isn’t a strange idea in the face of a recession. Micro-businesses are businesses that have 10 people or less and over half of small businesses in the United States are home based. According to Startupnation, you can not only survive, but thrive in this economy.

Inc Magazine printed a story about CEO Paul Mann who was looking for a responsible dog sitter in a bind. After taking some observations of the people who responded to his ad, he felt a little discouraged in finding someone he could trust. That is when a light went on in Paul Mann’s head. He ended up leaving his corporate position for the comforts of working from home and started Fetch! Pet Care, a local network of pet sitters and dog walkers. If you asked him today if he would go back out into the world of glass doors and windows, his answer would be a very enthusiastic "no!"

The advantages of a home business include low over-head, tax deductions, shoe-string start up capabilities, and you can work in your pajamas. All you need is a phone line, high-speed internet, a place to keep records and a really great idea for a product or service that people need even if there is an economic downturn. While no one will tell you that starting a home business is easy, with a little research and a lot of hard work you might be able to give yourself a job.

Help for Florida SMBs Affected by Oil Spill

2010-07-26T23:21:00.006-04:00

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing eleven workers and injuring several others. It also caused a sea-floor oil gusher, which has caused a massive oil spill. The spill, which has been called the largest offshore spill in United States history, resulted in hundreds of millions of gallons of oil polluting the Gulf of Mexico. Several governors of states along the Gulf Coast declared a state of emergency, as did the federal government. Marine life and wildlife habitats have been harmed, as have many small businesses.

Fishing was banned in about one-third of the Gulf by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and people canceled their vacations. BP gave the state of Florida $25 million to help promote their beaches, which were said to be unaffected by the oil spill. Hotels offered discounts and free deals and packages. Even so, a University of Central Florida economist called the spill, "the worst disaster in the history of Florida tourism." It is estimated that Florida's Paradise Coast could lose $3 billion in revenue this year.

However, the United States Small Business Administration has announced that it will be helping several of Florida's small businesses. The SBA is offering loans and loan defermention options to fishing-related businesses who were shut down due to the oil spill. Hope is that the loans and deferments will provide temporary assistance to "overcome the loss of revenue" they have experienced this spring and summer.

Many Florida counties are included: Bay, Citrus, Collier, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Monroe, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Taylor and Walton. The adjacent counties of Alachua, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Desoto, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Holmes, Jackson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Miami-Dade, Polk, Sumter, Wakulla, and Washington. Some Alabama and Georgia counties are included, as well.

The program will offer working capital loans for up to $2 million at 3% interest for non-profit organizations and 4% for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loans can be used to make payroll, pay debts, accounts payable, and other bills that have been impacted by the oil spill. The SBA is also encouraging small businesses to file claims with BP.

Fishing, shrimping, crabbing, and oyster fishing who fish in the waters that have been shut down are among the main businesses being targeted. Other small businesses that are dependent on shrimp, crabs, and oysters are included, too. Also, businesses who supply fishing gear and fuel, docks, boatyards, processors, wholesalers, shippers, retailers, and other businesses that rely on recreational and sports fishing can get involved.

If you're a small business in any of the Florida counties mentioned above and you think you may qualify for assistance, contact the SBA's Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955. The deadline to return applications is February 14, 2011.

Check out these related stories:
1. Florida Computer Rentals
2. Independent Oil Producer Leader Says Senate Vote Sends Signal To Political Opportunists

A SMB Life Preserver in an Economic Storm

2010-07-21T19:02:00.003-04:00

The rebound of recovery efforts in today's economy is crawling like a 35g download on a dial up connection. It seems politicians are playing tug o war and in the meantime small business owners are struggling to keep things balanced and seeking new ways to sell to a penny pinching market. Some business owners may even feel that they have no other choice but to hold on and wait out the storm. Although it can be discouraging, you are not stuck in a ditch spinning your tires, you can be proactive in building the kind of life preserver that will help keep your small business afloat.

1. Communication
– Keeping tabs on how everyone is doing from your partners, your venders and others on your team is vital. Also, return information to them as to where the company stands and problems that need to be addressed. Get everyone involved in trouble shooting and the anticipation of hot spots or potential problem areas.

- Resolve conflicts within the company through mediation and compromise.

- Survey areas that can be improved and what is needed to do so as well as simplify areas that are bogged down and non productive. The survival of the company is in everyone's best interest and feedback from others can help clean up areas and prevent other problems.

2. Organization
- Put the mission statement and rules and regulations in writing so your team has a map of where they are going. Positions within the company should also have a written description of duties and responsibilities.

- Make sure that technology is working for you. Is it a good work-flow or is it creating traffic jams within the office or when you travel. For example: it might be helpful to rent technology to cover a big business trip rather than to drag everything with you through customs in the airport. It takes time to check everything in, time to set up and make sure everything is working correctly, and time to tear down and check it all in for the trip back and time is money!

3. Accountability
- Meet complaints head on and compensate for inconvenience. Accidents happen and going out of the way to make things right builds on the integrity of your business and that is going to keep people coming back and recommend your company to others.

4.The Internet
- Social networks and blogging are vital to any company to make connections and to keep your business in the limelight. Writing blogs is a good way to offer information about products and service and link back to your website. Take the time to get to know Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, they are the super highway to advertising and networking. Some companies have departments dedicated to just this alone!

- Don't let your website go stale. Keep adding new information, and keep contact information updated. It is, after all, your company's virtual business card.

5. Pricing
- While price increases across the board might not make a whole lot of sense, it is important to have a good blueprint of finances. Strategically placing small increases can give your company a competitive edge but it takes research and planning.

I hope these tips have offered you some inspiration into a plan to help your company not only stay afloat but to flourish under the pressure!

3 iPhone Apps Every SMB Owner Must Have

2010-07-17T23:15:00.005-04:00

More and more business-owners are relying on their smartphones to conduct business these days and as you can imagine, there are a million apps for that! But how do you know which ones will actually help you run your business effectively? To get you started, here are three that every small- and medium-sized business owner should look into for their iPhone.

1. Scanner Pro - $6.99

With this app, you simply use your iPhone camera to take a picture of a document and scan it into an PDF file. Once you take the picture of the document, you simply mark where the corners are and the app does the rest of the work for you. You can then email the PDF file to anyone who needs to see the document.

2. Good for Enterprise - Free

If you're looking to sync your iPhone to Microsoft Exchange in a secure environment, this is the app for you. While iPhone normally supports Exchange, this app offers some added security. Features include the ability to keep data exchanged over a network encrypted and the ability to access your email, contacts, and calendar over a secure connection. It's a great way to keep your company protected.

3. Recorder - $.99

For less than a dollar, this little app allows you to record outgoing calls. Ever forget what was discussed during an important phone call? This app can record for hours and provide you with the opportunity to play those calls back over and over again. You can also record voice memos. The best feature of all is that you can send those recordings via email to anyone. So, if your business partner missed an important call or a customer can't remember what you told them, all you have to do is send them the entire phone conversation.

Top Blackberry Apps for SMBs

2010-07-11T17:08:00.004-04:00

Throughout the last decade, the Blackberry has made its mark as the leading business smartphone. E-mail capabilities, robust security, and Blackberry Enterprise Server are just a few of the reasons the device has heavily impacted the business world.

But in the last year, with new designs and marketing, nearly half of 32 million Blackberry users aren't from the corporate world. They are consumers, pro-sumers, and small businesses. The Blackberry App store has over 3,000 apps, but it's hard to know which ones are specifically SMB-oriented. Recently, bMighty.com teamed with Research In Motion to choose the top ten SMB Blackberry Apps. Here is a look at what they chose:

1. Blackberry Messenger - Connect with friends and co-workers by using a secure PIN or barcode password. Chat, share pictures and videos, or even hold a business meeting with the group chat feature. The app is free but it only works if the other people you are talking to have a Blackberry, as well.

2. Google Talk - Another great (free) way to connect but your friends and colleagues won't need a Blackberry to respond. Have single or group chats, use emoticons, customize your status, and set up custom alerts for messages that come through while you're not available. Google Talk is open and allows any third-party client to use its network. It's also compatible with other Instant Messengers.

3. Yahoo Messenger - This one is relatively new to Blackberry but is just as popular as the computer version. It's free, and allows you to check who is and isn't online, customize your status message, create chat areas to talk with several people at once, and personalize your status with avatars, ringtone alerts, and emoticons. Talk with people who have Hotmail, Lotus Notes, and Windows Live accounts, as well as AIM or Google Talk with free account activation.

4. Documents to Go - Considered to be one of the ultimate business apps for Blackberry, this one lets you view and edit documents without changing the file's format. If you like the free trial version, you can purchase the program for $70, but many business-owners say the price is well worth it. Especially if you need to read, create, and edit Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents and PDF files on your Blackberry.

5. Exgis Mileage Tracker - If you travel a lot for your business, this app is a must-have. It makes record-keeping a little easier as it records your vehicle's mileage and locations quickly and let's you record travel time directly against specific clients. You can also export your data in a spreadsheet to send to to your office. The app is easy to use and costs a mere $4.99.

6. Google Maps - This is another great free app for the SMB travellers and it's more than likely something you already know how to use. Get maps, directions and even mileage to and from any destination. Find out where you are with the "My Location" feature, should you get lost. In some areas, you can even get traffic and transit information. Just like with the web version, you can use Street View, to help you get a visual idea of many areas.

7. Intuit GoPayment - Several SMBs need the ability to accept credit card payments but don't always have one. This app processes any major credit card and emails the receipt directly to the handset. Transactions can be transferred into most financial software applications. Security is tight and trustworthy with this app which is free, but charges a monthly service of $19.95.

8. Poynt - Blackberry users have ranked this among their favorites, claiming it's better than the Yellow Pages when looking for a particular place. This app points you to the nearest movie theater, restaurant, or any business or person you're looking for, using GPS and cell tower technology to provide you with the phone number, website, maps, and directions. Book tickets or make reservations, and even use it to invite colleagues to a specific location. And yes, it's free, too.

9. Viigo - This app is a free content gathering tool that lets you access information and content from Twitter to podcasts and everything in between. Get your news, sports, weather, stock reports, movie reviews and anything else you might look for online, in one place. Not only can you customize your content collection, but you will also have access to content from Business Week, and Website magazine, vendor resources such as white papers and from companies such as Oracle and Microsoft.

10. Worldmate Live - This is a free App and a favorite among business travelers (it's even earned a five-star rating at Blackberry App World). Forward your travel confirmation emails to Worldmate and they build your online travel itinerary, making it available to access via your Blackberry. Synchronise your work calendar, to make that part of the database, as well. The app is integrated with Google Maps, Blackberry maps, TeleNav, MapQuest, OAG, Yelp, Expedia, Hotels.com, Flighstats.com and many more.

Security Cameras in Business

2010-07-06T10:00:00.016-04:00

Here's another good tip about placing security cameras: Place security cameras in your document center where records are being copied or documents are being shredded. Do you think I am being over cautious? Well two points if I may: The first point is to refer to my story on March 29 2010: Why you should treat the temp well or the $14,465.63 postage stamp.

Here’s another true story I encountered in my business career. I did not see this one first hand, but arrived shortly after the incident and had this story related to me by people in the know. A few years ago, a local clinical lab had some disgruntled employees. It seems that a well liked employee was terminated for stealing some toilet paper (seriously she was stealing T.P.). This greatly enraged some of her friends. It also seems that this clinical lab was not playing completely by the Medicare rule book. One practice was that doctors (and only doctors) could assign a diagnoses code or ICD 9 code. In order to speed the process, this lab had employees that either rewrote or added missing codes. The disgruntled employees were made aware that the government gave out large cash rewards for cases that it could prosecute for violations. One night under the excuse of “working late to process some claims” a team of disgruntled employees who had been collecting records for a number of months used the companies own copying and mailing facilities to reproduce and send out the “doctored records.” This company lost millions of dollars in fines from the government. The team of disgruntled employees became millionaires including the woman terminated for stealing toilet paper! If you would like to learn more about security cameras for your business try this fine firm for your business security camera needs or call 877-422-1907 to learn more about it.

Camera Secuity for excellent customer service

2010-06-30T10:27:00.009-04:00

Here’s a follow up to John Beagle’s excellent article about closed circuit cameras providing security against theft. Closed circuit TV’s allows, you the owner, to monitor your customer service employees.

I once was privileged to hear a true American success story by a guy known as “Kenney the Printer.” Kenny Fisher was looking to own his own business and had an idea that he might like to start a chain of dry cleaning shops, but was prompted by an idea when his son came home upset about the poor service he observed at a quick print shop where he worked. This give Fisher an idea. He went around scouting quick print shops in his area and found them to be sadly wanting in terms of cleanliness and courtesy. He started his quick print shops with a fanaticism to customer satisfaction. In his first year his shop reached the annual sales average for quick shops and now his revenue is SEVEN times that of a normal quick print shop. One tool he uses is closed circuit TV to monitor customer service. He cites many statistics about how poor customer service can absolutely sink your small businesses reputation. Also Kenny states how many marketing dollars it takes to bring one customer into your shop, a very eye opening figure. If you would like to learn more about what Kenny thinks is a vital tool for your small business, take a look at the site map of this fine business: Camera Security Now Site Map or call 877-422-1907.

Security cameras can not only be a vital tool for anti theft protection but can also be a powerful tool in ensuring that your customers are given world class service each time they enter your establishment.

Protect Your Small Business with Camera Security Now

2010-06-24T14:55:00.005-04:00

Though property crime rates are on the decline, more than 1 in 8 households were victims of property crime in 2008. Small businesses are prone to theft and other property crime like households, because there is the perception that they are more likely to get away with burglarizing a small business than a larger business. There are many ways to protect your business from property crime, like criminal conviction checks, past employment verification, and employee education (more theft protection tips), but security cameras are often the most effective method.

CameraSecurityNow offers surveillance solutions to businesses of all sizes. You can secure your small business with a CCTV or IP system for less than $5000. To learn more, read the full article on camera security.

How sales can help finance in your small business

2010-06-17T10:44:00.004-04:00

Every once in a while many company finance teams evaluate the profitability of your customer base. One of the important criteria is a measure called days sales outstanding or DSO. The calculation measures how long it takes an invoice to be collected once the product is shipped or service is preformed. There are certain customers who gain some measure of infamy with the finance department credit analysts and A/R collectors. If the situation continues long enough, the finance department will ear mark this customer to be dropped. Because this can affect company market share, the marketing department and the sales team generally have adverse reactions to this measure. So how does a good owner or president/CEO resolve the issue?

A good way to assist the finance group is to get the support of the sales team. Give them laptops so that when they are on sales calls they may access the invoices for the customer. If there are any invoices over a certain delta, the sales team should be involved in helping to collect the delinquent invoices. If you business can not afford to buy laptops for the sales team you could consider renting them from a source like www.rentacomputer.com who can assist your business in their temporary needs.

If the sales team works in conjunction with the finance department, then there wont be any surprises when its time to review the customer list. Both departments will have a part of keeping the customer with in financial limits. On the other hand, by keeping the customer within proscribed limits, the sales department keeps its hard earned customer and market share. In this case both departments and the company as a whole wins, and if in the unfortunate event a customer does need to find a new source, then there is buyoff from everyone that this unfortunate measure must be taken.

Have sales and finance view each other as a team and your company’s DSO will drop, and that is a very, very good thing!

America's Return to Financial Greatness-some straight talk

2010-06-15T09:56:00.004-04:00

Ford Motor company in the early 80’s came up with the slogan “Quality is job one.” This statement really evolved out of its production manual called total quality management. It was implemented to combat the foreign car invasion of America as American’s were increasingly put off by the poor quality and highly plasticized cars coming out of Detroit in that time period.

In my last article, I reviewed Stanley C. Allyns extraordinary booklet about his life in Dayton and work career at NCR, rising to be president and CEO. In his booklet, Allyn gave his 4 big jobs for management teams. I would like to look at point number three: Earn the enthusiastic support of all employees. Sounds good right, but the problem is that many companies today have fallen victim to employing Temporaries, Contractors, Casual Hires, and Short term hires, and then expecting that they are gong to get the same attention to quality as the company would receive from an employee. This is pure fantasy!

Let me define each of the categories: Temporary (or temp) a person who comes in to substitute for a permanent employee. These people usually work 8-12 weeks, but some times as much as 6 months. Usually they do grunt work (although many these days are highly skilled and impressively experienced). A casual hire is much like a temp except he or she works directly for the company. A casual hire is not offered benefits or company perks and usually does routine work. Sometimes retirees fill out their income as casual hires. A short term employee does not usually know that they are what they are. These people are fully benefited and work for the company, but the company management knows that they are hired to work a certain project and then layed off or terminated. Sometimes working conditions become so bad that they leave of their own accord (and this is fine with the company). Contractor’s either can work for themselves or a contracting company (you will find Contractors in engineering and accounting very often).

The problem with this group is that they probably are being under paid and looking for the minimum they can do and then go home. The second is that these people are looking for another, better full time gig. If they figure out that this greener pasture is not with your firm, then you only have this employee’s partial attention, and they might leave at ANY time, some times not giving any or little notice. Some temporary agencies, try to tell temps that this job is “temp to perm” but experienced temps know that this is generally “the agency sales pitch to do a good jab and maybe you will get hired (but is rarely true).” Finally some companies still in down sizing mode (or their ridiculous term “right sizing”) even encourage employees to search on monster job or some related site! You will never have what Mr. Allyn states as point three: earn the enthusiastic support of all employees!

If in your small business, quality is job one, then you can not populate your work force with Temps, Casual Hires, Contractors, and short term hires. What you need from your employees is that they do everything that is both explicit and intrinsic to “doing a good job!” Your small business needs people who want to work for your success (and their own).

Timeless Advice-Book Review My 50 years in Dayton

2010-06-09T13:21:00.008-04:00

Book Review: My 50 years in Dayton by Stanley C. Allyn

You probably won’t find this in Google search, I didn’t. It is in booklet form, not perfect bound, and is only 31 pages long, but the business advice from it is timeless. I think the Carillon Park book store still has copies. It is My First 50 years in Dayton by Stanley C. Allyn (former CEO of NCR corporation).

In chapter 4 Mr. Allyn gives his 4 big jobs for management teams (These ideas were written in 1963! They are timeless and far seeing):

1) See to it that the company makes a satisfactory profit.
2) Keep the company's products up to date, whether they are material goods or services.
3) Earn the enthusiastic support of all employees.
4) Make certain that the company is good citizen of the community in which it operates.

Point one is very obvious, a company that can not make a satisfactory profit will not last, and Mr. Allyn states that managers do not have to be defensive about this goal. Frankly, at the end of things, if the company can not make a profit then all members of the company are looking for new work!

Point two is also almost taken for granted and it is given lip service in about every company that is in existence, but far seeing companies never taken this for granted they change and evolve over time, no matter what their form of business endeavor.

Point three is rarely found is today’s business, frankly I have had more than one manager tell me “who cares what the front line employee thinks. If I can get buy off from other managers, so be it, they have to keep their employees in line not me.” Companies that regard their employees this way are doomed to fail. Here is a bit of my own advice, call if prophecy if you wish: “America will not return to economic greatness without 2 important components of American business: One, America will not return to economic prominence as long as its businesses employ in its labor force: temporaries, short term hires, casual hires (throw away employees) and contractors. I will address this more in my next article.

The second is that America needs another technological innovation like the internet or personnel computer.

Point four, doesn’t BP wish they had followed this advice? How many American companies wish they had followed this advice (they are legion!)?

In all, if you are a small to medium business owner spend the $4.00 and 30 minutes of your valuable time and buy the book. It is an interesting read and the business advice is wonderful from a guy that definitely succeeded!

7 Meeting Basics

2010-06-04T19:03:00.000-04:00

Every SMB has meetings, whether they include five or fifty employees, are held weekly or monthly. But does every SMB know how to plan a meeting so that they are effective? if you follow these ten simple tips, your meetings will most definitely improve!

1. Don't hold unnecessary meetings. If you hold meetings all the time, for every little thing, you'll take time away from other tasks your employees need to complete.

2. Make your objectives clear. Again, don't hold meetings just to hold meetings. If you want to discuss new sales goals, hold a meeting and let attendees know what the meeting will be about so everyone can attend with the proper expectations.

3. If your meeting requires discussion of sensitive information, you'll want to invite a neutral party.

4. Inform your employees ahead of time. Let them know when and where the meeting will take place and what they'll need to bring. Understandably, the occasional last minute meeting comes about, but for the most part, preparedness is important.

5. Keep meetings on time. Being them on time, end them on time. It's that simple.

6. Have someone take notes about what happens at each meeting and keep that information archived. Document any decisions that were made or assignments that were given. You never know when you'll need to refer back to it.

7. Reflect on your last meeting and look for ways to improve your meetings or ask your employees what they would suggest.

Keep Your Meetings on Time

2010-06-02T06:04:00.000-04:00

Let's face it, meetings aren't exactly everyone's favorite activity, and a meeting that runs long leaves everyone tired and dragging and behind on the rest of the day's goals. And a meeting that starts late can be just as bad. But if you're planning a meeting for your employees, there are steps you can take to ensure your meeting starts on time and finishes on time.

The first thing you must do is let your employees know you will not tolerate tardiness. Teachers and schools reward and punish students who are always on time or never on time and in a way, you, as the boss, manager, or meeting planner are much like a teacher. If you want to change your attendees' behavior, you must change your own behavior. If someone is more than five minutes late to a meeting, let them know that this will not be tolerated unless circumstances are extreme. When everyone is on time, reward them. You'll set the standard for proper behavior and let everyone know you are taking these meetings seriously.

But before you can punish or reward your employees, you have to make sure they know when your meeting will begin and they are expected to be on time. When you first announce your meeting, make sure you clearly state the time when your meeting will begin; make sure you you state that meetings will begin exactly at this time and that attendees should not be late. You can also send out a reminder, usually via email, about half an hour before the meeting begins.

Next you'll want to follow through with your plan. If your meeting is to begin at 10:00 AM, begin it exactly at 10:00 AM, not 10:15 and not when everyone's finally arrived. That means you must be on time, too. If you've made a big deal about being on time to your employees, you'll be awfully embarrassed if everyone's sitting there, waiting, when you're ten minutes late. As a matter of fact, it's probably best to be at least 10-15 minutes early, and it's probably best to go over your agenda, make sure you know your material and what you need to cover.

So, if you've done all this and you still don't have everyone attending on time, then it's time to let your employees know you mean business. Close the door to the meeting room and put a note on the door that says the meeting was supposed to start at 10:00 AM. Latecomers will most likely be worried about the consequences and try harder in the future. Finally, if you do begin a meeting later than you intended, make sure you end it on time anyway. Chances are, your employees do have other tasks to accomplish and it's wrong to punish those who were on time for your own faults.

And I said to myself-what a wonderful world

2010-05-27T17:29:00.006-04:00

This morning I was sitting in Winton Woods Park watching the silver sneakers crowd walk around the pond known as Lake Winton, watching the professional dog walkers (I wonder if there is a minor league dog walker) walking a string of 4 or 5 dogs through the woods as bicyclists, roller bladers, skateboarders, runners, joggers, and who knows what else zip by them. The park is so very green right now, and I am very thankful. Thankful that I am alive (I almost died around Christmas time). Thankful even though I am starting a bout with Strep or some other “wonderful” malady, even though my computer has contracted some phishing software (just great for a blog writer), in spite of it all, I am very thankful for the little world in which I live. I thought about the upcoming weekend full of celebrations and activities and then I thought about the reason that we are celebrating: Memorial Day.

I don’t know about you but one of my all time favorite movies is Saving Private Ryan. One of the most powerful scenes in all the movies I have ever seen is the Omaha Beach scene. On that day, June 6th 1945 2200 American Soldiers died taking the heavily fortified section of beach in Normandy. I thought about other war movies I have seen like Platoon, or the excellent made for TV movie about Valley Forge-The Crossing. I thought about how I enjoy my little world because of the sacrifices of every American soldier that has ever put on a uniform and honorably worn it-my God, there must be millions all down through our countries short history of men and women who fought and died to make America what it is today. Still today many “kids” that we just watched playing baseball or soccer or maybe marching in the band are being shipped off to places with names like Iraq and Afghanistan. Joining these “kids” are many of Moms & Dads-Husbands and Wives, who are past their prime; they feel the effects of age just like I do, and yet still they serve. While we complain about the market, politicians, the business climate, whatever, they squat in fox holes somewhere to make it possible for us to conduct our business endeavors. Some of them may pray- very soon- that helicopters come over the mountain for a dust off (or provide close air support), or hope some politician somewhere has not cancelled the artillery barrage that may save their lives. They live in very primitive conditions, risking their lives (and their family’s happiness) to provide the freedoms that at least this writer so often takes for granted.

I was going to write about how to handle politics and religious discussion in the office today, but in light of what I thought about this morning, it just pales in comparison. Instead, I am going to seek out a veteran in my little corner of the world, shake his hand, and buy his next round. It’s one little way I can say thank you. I hope you will too!

Have a great Holiday Weekend!

Help Keep Your Employees Healthy

2010-05-27T16:22:00.004-04:00

Encouraging your employees to stay health has a lot of benefits for you as an employer. Not only will you have to pay lower health-care costs, but you'll see more production and less absenteeism. In 2007, a survey revealed that nearly half of all companies were working on some health-related program to benefit their employees and that for every dollar spent on encouraging employee health, companies saved five dollars.

Sure, big businesses and corporations have the money to roll out fancy health programs for their employees but there are things you can do as a small business owner, as well. There are many things you can do for your employees (and your company) on a smaller budget. Here are a few tips to help get you started.

1. Healthy Snacks - Every office has snacks lying around, many times purchased by the boss, but healthier snacks can make healthier workers. Instead of a big bag of M&Ms, go for a big bag of mixed nuts, which are a great source of protein. Instead of chips, get a vegetable platter. Put a water cooler next to your soda machines or keep your break room fridge stocked with bottles of water. If you have a company cafeteria, make sure the meals served are healthy.

2. Promote a Healthy Lifestyle - Hang posters or fliers that encourage exercise or offer advice on making healthy food choices. Maybe your local gym is offering a membership discount this month - put a flier in each of your employee's paycheck envelopes or stick one in each of their mailboxes. Make health-consciousness the norm around the office. You may even be able to work a deal with a local gym or health food store, to offer a discount for your employees only.

3. Help employees make time for their health - Give fifteen minute stress relief breaks each day. If you have the space and money, bring some gym equipment into your office that employees can use during break times. Help employees find a route to walk or jog around your office. Allow health professionals to come in and give your employees health screenings for issues such as high blood pressure or high blood sugar. Or even hire a masseuse to come in and allow employees to pay for short massages.

4. Offer bonuses and incentives - Lots of offices have contests for those looking to lose weight, maybe throw in a prize for the winner. Offer your own discounts on gym memberships or include a gift certificate to a health food store in with yearly bonuses.

How to make your business more appealing to new and existing workers

2010-05-25T11:28:00.006-04:00

Right now the economy sucks; there is no other way to say it. Yes, the political spin mongers are out there telling us about how rosy it is supposedly getting, but I like that old Mark Twain quote “There are lies, damn lies, and statistics,” (thanks to : Mark Twain. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved May 25, 2010, from Brainy Quote: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/marktwain128372.html)

The thing is that this recession shall pass, and American business will go on-changed but persevering. At that time, American employers will need to concentrate on keeping and attracting new workers. One thing the American employee has learned from this recession is that they work far too much and enjoy far too little off time compared with the rest of the world (who view Americans as people who work themselves to death).
Here is a wonderful article on the issue: http://users.ipfw.edu/ruflethe/american.html

A company that I worked for seven years had a great incentive and they really didn’t realize it: Every year the business shut down for Christmas week (the week between Christmas and New Years). In a company that demanded a lot from its workers it was one thing that kept the standard front line employee from wandering off to other endeavors even though the company was very stingy with raises and was not the gold standard as far as benefits. The entire week was paid for by the employer.

Other ideas are comp time, 37.5 hour work week, summer business hours, and flex time. One thing I did when I lead a sales team was stagger the work week. On Monday morning we were in at 7am and generally worked until 6, but on Friday we came in at 8:30 and left at 3; in fact, if I saw Jr. sales reps or sales assistants in their cubical after 3:30, I officially kicked them out of the bull pen turned out the lights and locked the door. As a manager, HR wondered why “my people” were so loyal-gee it wasn’t that hard. Needless to say if I ever needed to ask for overtime from someone, it was cheerfully accepted, and I avoided asking very often and my sales people knew it.

Other things I have seen effective were buying the first round after work on Friday night at the local watering hole, giving a hard working but seldom recognized employee the company business card and saying, “take your wife-sweetheart out to dinner and a movie-companies buying (every thing but alcohol).”

Implement these ideas now, and when the big loosening of the economy comes you won’t find your business trying to lock the door’s to keep everyone from leaving. I have seen it from the other side as well, a company who sort of enjoyed being demanding, when the economy loosened they could not effectively conduct business, they did not have enough front line people. Also the growth of job sites like www.glassdoor.com are becoming a very usual part of a person’s job search, and you don’t want your company to be poorly rated here if you want to attract new employees.

Our friend from the government is here to help us-now we’re in trouble!

2010-05-21T09:36:00.002-04:00

Our friend from the government is here to help us-now we’re in trouble! Washington weighs in on consumer protection-but missed the real boat

Yep, it’s an overly long title, and an extremely serious topic. The president and congress are now taking steps to protect us (God help us) from the “Big Banks.” Well it was about damn time! Let me clue you in, the mortgage –housing problem is only half the problem, the proverbial other shoe is unsecured credit card debt, let me cite you a few statistics: (thanks to www.creditcards.com).

• Average credit card debt per household with credit card debt: $15,788*
• Total credit cards in circulation in U.S: 576.4 million, as of yearend 2009 (Source: Nilson Report, February 2010)
• Total debit cards in circulation in U.S: 507 million, as of yearend 2009 (Source: Nilson Report, February 2010)
• Average number of credit cards held by cardholders: 3.5, as of yearend 2008 (Source: "The Survey of Consumer Payment Choice," Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, January 2010)
• Average APR on new credit card offer: 14.10 percent (Source: CreditCards.com Weekly Rate Report, May 2010.)
• Average APR on credit card with a balance on it: 14.67 percent, as of February, 2010 (Source: Federal Reserve's G.19 report on consumer credit, May 2010)
• Total U.S. revolving debt (98 percent of which is made up of credit card debt): $852.6 billion, as of March 2010 (Source: Federal Reserve's G.19 report on consumer credit, March 2010)
• Total U.S. consumer debt: $2.45 trillion, as of March 2010 (Source: Federal Reserve's G.19 report on consumer credit, May 2010)
• U.S. credit card 60-day delinquency rate: 4.27 percent. (Source: Fitch Ratings, April 2010)
• U.S. credit card default rate: 13.01 percent. (Source: Fitch Ratings, April 2010)
Total bankruptcy filings in 2009 reached 1.4 million in 2009, up from 1.09 million in 2008. The vast majority were personal bankruptcies -- Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Business bankruptcies made up 6 percent of all filings. (Source: AACER, the American Bankruptcy Institute, January 2010)
Clearly the American Consumer is in trouble, but why?
Americans at least the vast majority of Americans are decent hard working extremely giving people, just take a look at charitable giving, the world has never seen, nor will it ever see again, a people so enormously generous. According to the National Philantropic Institute 89% of American households give. (Thanks to http://www.nptrust.org/). This is part of the American psyche hardworking and giving, so it is extremely unlikely if you buy off on my presupposition of the American psyche, that Americans would be ducking their obligations. The reason is that Americans are not able to pay.
This brings me back to primary theme of this blog, small to medium business, entrepreneurship, and jobs. What America and Americans needs are jobs and they are not going to be provided by big business or labor unions. What is needed is a leg up for the small to medium businesses of America not another regulatory commission for greedy bankers. The main idea is that Americans should not need credit cards in the first place and if there were enough decent paying jobs, the need for credit cards and it’s new regulatory commission would be moot.

Under the Gun: You’ve been written up twice or been told-you’re next-what do you do?

2010-05-19T11:44:00.014-04:00

It is truly something that most of us do not want to think about; “you’re not cutting it here and we are giving you fair warning.” I know three people that were in this situation in the last few years, and I was in this situation early in my career. What do you do?

Case one) a professor has been told that his contract will not be renewed. This person has taught at the same place for very many years and is just three years from retirement. A new chairperson (who is not returning) has decided that this person has got to go.

This entire situation is insane from both perspectives. The professor is shell shocked, is over 40, and has taught at this particular school for over 20 years. His evaluations have been very sketchy and not well followed up on by the new chairperson; in fact, the chairman has only visited his class room once! This situation cries out for an unjust firing/age discrimination suit. The school is extremely exposed! On the other hand, the professor has been in denial. He has not sought out legal representation nor has he asked for a job reference (this is a negotiation tool). He has asked for another assignment but that request has been denied twice.

Case two) a long time employee (purchasing agent) is being pressured and has received a second warning about job performance. This person is most meticulous and cares deeply about giving excellent service, yet this person is experiencing extreme pressure from his boss and HR.

Case three) a very average customer service agent has been told that his job performance over the last few years has been lacking (and he has had confrontations with sales staff), and his supervisor has decided that if another reduction in force (staff reduction) should happen, that he will be the first person laid off (and will not be eligible to be rehired-in the very unlikely event this might happen). This does not exempt him from being terminated for cause if his performance should drop any further, but if it remains the same, he is advised that he will be first in line to go.

Let’s face the facts; it does not get any worse than this. Frankly all situations are similar in that none of these situations are salvageable. One might say couldn’t the person in the second example save his job with superior performance? Again sadly the answer is no.

Let review what might be done:

In situation one, the person has the beginnings of an age discrimination suit. He is over 40, and the school has done very shoddy due diligence. At this point in time and in all the situations, you need to start negotiations for what you can salvage, and face the fact that none of these negotiable items are your current job! In situation one this person definitely needs to consult with a legal professional! What should he go for: A good work reference and maybe his last 3 years salary as a payout with full benefits? He might also threaten to take the suit “public” as most schools hate bad publicity.

Situation two differs) the organization has dotted its “I” ‘s and crossed its “T” ‘s. Earlier I stated the employee is very professional (I have worked with this person before), and this does not describe her work. Frankly, this situation does not seem to be about job performance although job performance is being cited. There is something about this person her boss does not like, and frankly she will probably never know what truly was the problem. She has very smartly re-done her resume, contacted recruiters, and started to network both socially and professionally. The last thing she should do is gain some references from people inside the company who are allies, and should do this at the appropriate time.

Situation three) this person has been found wanting by his boss, not enough to be terminated but enough to be expendable. The company is contracting and another reduction in force will come at some point. If this person was well regarded in this company he might try to transfer departments, but he is not well liked and has had confrontations with other departments, nor will his boss recommend him for another post inside the company; further, many of his old allied have left the company for various reasons. This person really has no choice, he must depart the company. What he does have is time; time to look for a new start or maybe continue his education at the current company’s expense. If the company is paying for his education, he might prove to be an unappealing target if the company has sunk $20,000.00 into his education and bought his masters! Will this save him, probably not, but it does make him a more unappealing target at least to high level personnel people!

So if you find yourself under the gun, here are some positive ways to handle the situation: if you are immediately in danger of losing your job and you think its unfair at least speak with a labor attorney. If you are well thought of inside your company consider a lateral move if you are eligible. If you are not able to move inside the company, recruit allies (you can trust) and get references. Become an unappealing target, have the company start buying your education, a masters, or an appealing professional certificate. Mostly importantly plan your next move, keep your resume up to date, network both socially and professionally, and contact recruiters.

Most of all good luck!
(situations have been altered to protect the parties involved)

Time to get involved

2010-05-14T11:20:00.003-04:00

If you are like me, the prospect of more election commercials elicits only one thing from me: An oncoming migraine! There was one fact that did catch my eye in the Cincinnati Enquirer: Since Ted Strickland took over being Governor, Ohio has lost 430,000 jobs, ouch! But is this all Strickland’s fault, probably not?

According to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Ohio lost 236,000 jobs from 2000-2007. http://www.amtacdc.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/Ohio-jobs-AMTAC%20%282%29.pdf

So this can’t all be laid at Ted Strickland’s doorstep, however; unemployment in February was 10.9 percent, personal income declined from 4Q 2009 from $33,289 to $32,467-clearly Ohio is going in the wrong direction!

http://jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?a=Files.Serve&File_id=1f3c128c-8d97-4bde-b866-12d33291880c

So let me just lay out the “elephant in the room” that everyone seems to want to ignore: There are millions of Americans that are unemployed, underemployed or are “discouraged workers.” (Here’s a discussion of what a discouraged worker is and how it affects unemployment).

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-01-09/shrinking-u-s-labor-force-keeps-unemployment-rate-from-rising.html

Did anyone else see the true unemployment rate of 17.3 %? That is a staggering figure! Its great how all, and I mean all, the politicians want to talk about having high tech green energy (Can we throw in another political hot button word here?) jobs for young people-great I am all for that, but there are millions of people in the 17.3 %, that are still of working age, that want and frankly need jobs!
Many of them are accountants, bankers, computer programmers, purchasing agents, copy writers, and research analysts, these are skilled educated people who have been victims of outsourcing and off-shoring just as much as any union factory worker, what about them? Truly what about them!

So it might greatly behoove us all to get involved in politics. Its time to start asking the right questions, demand town hall meetings and real answers to real questions! Our careers are on the line here, whether your lefty or righty get involved, and by all means vote, but vote for people who truly want to serve our interests whether owner, manager or employee-I implore you, get involved! It at least cured my headache, and by the way, I have a State Representative that I need to register a complaint-there migraine averted, better than aspirin!

What to look for in hiring a recent college graduate

2010-05-12T09:24:00.003-04:00

At some point, a small to medium businesses may want to hire a recent college graduate, a person that they might be able to fast track into management. This is also a person that you can “mold” and may not have to break any previous habits that they may have acquired from working at other companies. But since the person you’re looking at may have zero or very limited work experiences, you have no track record with which to judge them. Beacause you are going to sink a good deal of time and money into their training, you want to make a wise choice. What do you look for?

One thing some employers look at but for the wrong reasons is grade point average. They use GPA as a way to evaluate intelligence, but grades actually are not a very good indicator of intelligence according to a University of Dayton Survey. What GPA is an excellent indicator of is motivation. People that have high GPA are extremely motivated according to the same University of Dayton survey, so if you are looking for a “can do” type of person, this is a good place to start.

Another thing to look at is involvement in and leadership in groups or teams. Is this person multidimensional and have a wide variety of interests? If this person is eventually going to help lead your businesses, they will have to relate to peers and subordinates. A person with limited people skills might be an excellent employee in the right circumstances, but will make a very poor leader. People involved in groups probably know how to communicate and get things done.

Is the person willing to “pay their dues?” One of the biggest mistakes any organization can make is to put someone with limited work experience in authority over seasoned professionals. At best this can cause resentment, and at its very worst it can cause excellent employees to look for employment elsewhere. When this situation happens in a large group, it is disastrous for your business. Look for a person who is willing to learn your business from the bottom up. If this person is to be “fast tracked,” it should not be well known by front line workers.

Following these tips should help your business in hiring a recent college graduate be a great success!

If you live in Cincinnati Vote no on Issue ONE!

2010-05-04T09:42:00.004-04:00

Yes, yes, it all sounds so good and it cites the old and really true principle that in order to make money you have to spend money-all correct! But one interesting and disturbing fact remains-south west Ohio particularly the Cincinnati area lags very far behind in awards for this program. Don’t believe me? Take a look at this publication issued by the state of Ohio:

http://ohiothirdfrontier.com/Documents/RecentPublications/Third_Frontier_Annual_Report2009.pdf

Let me direct your attention to page 22 where the distribution by county is laid out in pie chart form. The Cincinnati area is woefully under represented in this important area. Frankly we should all get on the phone with our local state representative and he or she needs a good chewing out session. Aren’t these people supposed to work in our best interests? Frankly from these results it seems that either they are lazy or inept-neither is acceptable for a public servant!

Here is where you can contact your state representative to register your angst:

http://www.house.state.oh.us/index.php?option=com_displaymembers

I emailed mine today letting him know I am demanding a few more wins in this area or I will work to find someone who can bring back some dollars to our area, I implore you to do the same.

As for Issue 1, I can’t vote for it because of the funding inequity by county, and the simple fact that it addresses nothing for millions of Ohioans from ages 25-65 who remain unemployed or underemployed.

As for the driving point of this blog, I think we all need to make some chamber of commerce meetings and town hall events as small business people. The state swears up and down that taxes will not increase, and I am sure we all believe that one, right?

As for me, I can say with a lot of heart –Show me some money!!!

3 Vital Links for your business as you think about a computer purchase

2010-04-29T10:23:00.004-04:00

At some point your business will begin to generate orders, and you and your sales, customer service, and accounting personnel will need to be able to track each order. There needs to be an inseparable link between 3 documents: your sales order (and its unique sales order number), your invoice (and its unique invoice number), and your packing list (and its unique pack list number). When you invest in a computer system and software for your business this is an absolute necessity!

The sales order must have a unique number so that sales and customer service personnel can track the customers order-by their purchase order through your computer system. This is very important in manufacturing type environments where orders can go on a variety of different holds. The computer system that you purchase should be able to accommodate items line item identification numbers or part numbers. The customers purchase order should be double verified for accuracy and prominently displayed on every document. There should also be a free form field for plant codes or blanket order release numbers.

All of the sales order information (including the sales order number) needs to automatically populate into the invoice. Information such as the pack list number also needs to be generated through the computer system and linked to the invoice and backwards into the sales order. Invoices need to be automatically generated overnight and mailed or electronically sent the next morning after shipment.

The pack list is a very vital document as most large companies are now paying from the pack list by the pack list number. This is the number that is most often showing on the customers check advice of remittance and the only way for your internal accounting department to determine how funds are to be applied when you receive a check from your customer.

Follow these ideas when your company is planning a computer system purchase and you will save many hours of aggravating mental labor.

A great way to impress new customers (and keep your business covered).

2010-04-27T10:07:00.006-04:00

A good way to make a great first impression is the new customer packet. This should be printed on business grade paper (not copied-go visit you local quick printer-and get at least 3 quotes), and sent in a good looking envelope. What should be in your new customer packet? Here are some ideas.

1) A credit application. The credit application allows your business to legally pull a commercial credit bureau and should outline your company’s terms and conditions. It should ask for 3 trade credit line lenders, and a commercial bank check (on a separate form) both of which should be signed by an officer of the customers company. This document obligates the customer to pay invoices in the terms that you permit.
2) A sales tax exemption form or reseller certificate from the appropriate state. This is an absolute must for any company in any business but retail or retail food service. If your company is doing business to business commerce you must obtain this document!
3) A request for a freight guide. This is especially crucial for your small to medium business if you are conducting business with a Fortune 1000 type company. Other wise, your company’s invoices maybe delayed by the freight auditing department or your company fined for not following the customer’s guidelines (or probably both)! This also creates more expense as your company’s accounts receivable department (or yourself if you are just starting out) must now pursue the deduction for pay back which will most often be denied.
4) A welcome to your company. This is a sales and marketing document. It thanks your new customer for their order, and lists appropriate contact people. Who should be included: the main sales contact, customer service lead, credit representative or manager, and yourself-the owner. This document should include all appropriate business cards (included in packet)!

Follow these steps, and your company can reinforce your excellent first impression and ask for new orders. This lets your customer know that they are dealing with a classy organization no matter the size. All customers appreciate class, and this is a way to let them know that your company values their business. Remember to request that the packet be sent back complete if at all possible.

Sales Tax exemption certificates: Yes, you must keep track of it!

2010-04-26T11:57:00.005-04:00

Sales Tax exemption certificates: Yes, you must keep track of it!

In my business career I have seen this happen three times: Once I was a credit manger, once as a major account sales rep, and once as a financial consultant, companies that sold products out of state and did not keep exacting records of sales tax exemption certificates. In two of the three cases, the result was devastating for the business. The state sales tax commission team audited the business and heavy fines were imposed along with sales tax in arrearage including hefty late fees. Then it seemed all the neighboring states-through some miracle of unhappy coincidence sent their sales tax audit teams in as well (although they swore they never tipped off the other states, yeah right!). It was a major contributing cause for two of the three businesses to end operations!

So what to do? If yours is a new business, include a sales tax exemption certificate with every new account package which should include a signed credit application and a request for a freight guide. If you are the owner of a small business make this part of your day before your employees start working! I have found sending the new account package works best if you send this to your customer’s controller. This is generally a very visible person of director level who will know where to route this very important paper work. Also, if the controller has any questions about your businesses policies and practices, he or she will generally call or have an appropriate person call to “iron out” any details. Send these out by mail since most will require a signature and request that the packet returned complete (so you only have to handle it once). For the record, I am a huge fan of “if you touch it, you scan it” (if it comes to you in paper form). Many of these tax certificates will come to you via email-save them to a CD and store a copy off site. The same holds true for the certificates that are mailed or faxed, scan them then save them to a CD, and store a copy of the CD off site. Keep a log of every packet that your business sends out (an Excel worksheet should be sufficient), and check them off as they return. Later as your business grows you may delegate this to a trusted employee like an office manager and later the company controller.

Following this simple practice of keeping sales tax information up to date can keep you company in good standing with the state and prevent costly and heartbreaking audits for your small or new business.

Yottaquest- an American small business success story!

2010-04-14T11:12:00.009-04:00

Let's start by saying thanks to Matthew Fay, the owner of Yottaquest, for his time in answering some questions about his shop and his success story.

YottaQuest, LLC
7607 Hamilton Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio
45231
513-923-1985

1)Today we hear a lot of economic gloom and doom, and most of it frankly has good reasoning behind it; However, America is still the land of opportunity even for small retailing stores for owners who work both hard and smart. One of these in the Cincinnati area is Matt Fay owner of Yottaquest, a specialty retailer, dealing mostly in games.

Matthew Fay: Our store is a specialty retail store, but it is also very much a service business. Our customers actually refer to Yottaquest as” their” game store; they have taken “ownership” of the experience here. This is a community where they belong.

2)Tell about some of your store’s prestigious awards:

Matthew Fay: Yottaquest won Goodman Games award of being
“America’s Favorite Game Store.” The City of Mount Healthy has declared a Matthew Fay day.

3)What was your idea for the store?

Matthew Fay: One day I just wanted a game store-How hard can it be? I made many mistakes, but I learned from each one of them very quickly; I had no choice. . I talked to all sorts of people, other game store owners, distributors, game designers, and gamers/customers. I asked, “What did they like about a store.” I also drew on my prior experience. I worked at a White Castle and I learned about customer service there. From my time in the US Navy, I learned how to lead people.

4)Let’s go back to the beginning; one thing every prospective new business owner wants to know is how did you raise the initial cash to launch the store?

Matthew Fay: I used a home equity loan to raise the initial capital, but that went pretty fast. I also had signature loans and things like that to help get me through. Mostly, I had help from my family, my parents, who helped me when I was at the store a great deal of the time and my children who began as “unpaid labor.” Yottaquest truly is a family store.

5)The first 6 months to a year is vital when did you know that “Hey, I think we’re off and running?

Matthew Fay: Part of the success is when I learned to say no. Some times I said no to things repeatedly. If I wanted or needed something, then I did the research, and then went out to purchase game lines or equipment, anything.
I really think our 5 year anniversary was the day that I thought,” we are up and running.” Our sales tripled our best day ever, but I put all that money back into the business.

6)How important is networking for your business?

Matthew Fay: Well, I am President of the Mount Healthy Business Association, President of the Northwest Kiwanis, Active in American Legion, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Free Masons, A mentor in GAMA (the Game Manufacturers Association) , and Co-Leader of Celebrate Mount Healthy, and a member of the Better Business Bureau. Being a member of these groups is like taking a college class in business, I have learned a lot and continue to learn.

6)You seem to have a specialized clientele, what is your approach to customer service?

Matthew Fay: This business is a service industry. You are servicing the gaming community. Another group I sponsor through meetup.com is the local gaming community in our area. This store provides a place for like minded people to meet, and meet and play, that’s what this is all about. One of the biggest hurdles in playing games is finding people to play with, Yottaquest fills that need.

Recommended reading:
Professionals Prefer Phones to... Everything

The first voice on the phone matters!

2010-04-09T09:09:00.003-04:00

Probably the least paid person in any organization is the company receptionist, but having a good person at this post is vital to your business. We have all heard the old adage that “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” If you are hiring a receptionist for the first time here are some things you might want to consider.

Is this person polite? I don’t know about you, but politeness always works with me. A person could probably tell me to go jump off a cliff, and if it was said with a smile and polite demeanor, I would probably at least take a look at the ledge. Politeness includes good grammar and pleasant respectful tone of voice and demeanor.

Is this person technically adept? There is nothing more irritating to me than a receptionist that mistakenly hangs up on me, or leaves me on hold for more than 1 minute. Another receptionist sin is sending a potential customer call to the wrong person. Doing any of the above wastes your sales and marketing efforts and can cast your business in a bad light.

Does the potential receptionist know the area? This is a very important skill when potential customers are trying to find your business. A good interview question for a receptionist might be “describe to a lost but important potential customer how to arrive at our location.” If he/she can do that, you have a potential winner!

Finally, many customer service trainers will counsel new customer service representatives to smile while they are on the phone. Some companies like GE buy mirrors for representatives, so that customer service people can check to see if they are smiling. It helps to keep a pleasant attitude especially if they are primarily on the telephone which is a main job function of the company receptionist.

Try these tips next time you are looking for a potential receptionist and may your find a winner!

What not to tell a banker (or other financial institution)

2010-04-06T09:24:00.002-04:00

The big day has finally arrived for your small business, and you are to meet with “financial people.” It hardly needs to be mentioned that this is probably one of the most important meetings you will ever attend. Of course the financial institution will have copious paper work for you to fill out and have verified by accountants and lawyers. These people (accountants and lawyers) are great assets and can help a great deal, but you as the business owner will have to carry the day. I have been in a great number of these meetings, and I have seen some of them go very well, but I have seen other business owners sink themselves. It was almost like they were piloting the Titanic and went looking for ice bergs! Here are some mistakes that you as a business owner do not want to make!

Do not lament your business situation! I had set up a meeting with a banker for an asset based loan. This owner had rolling stock and mineral rights as assets; these were very valuable and well secured assets. As soon as we were on the conference call, the owner went on to lament his business situation-how his competition had increased (going as far as to name off his competitors whose situation was so much better than his), how the last season was very poor and the outlook for the next season was much the same or maybe a little worse! I could not even walk out of the office before the bank was on the phone advising me that they wanted no part of this deal! The business owner was stunned when I told him the bank was not interested. I gave him some advice (again-I told him the same thing before the call) just tell the bank, “I need capital to meet rising competition and the changing business environment.”

A second idea is not to be overaggressive. I set up a meeting with a venture capital association. The owner was hard charging –maybe it was the many years in retail sales. He was ready to make a buying trip to Madagascar, but he had very little of his own money invested. I had set up a meeting with two of a Venture Capital company’s officers (it was a restaurant meeting), and one took an immediate dislike to owner, stuck the business owner with the check, and walked out. The other, the more analytical of the officers, patiently listened, courteously asked for the financials, but called me right after saying he had no interest in the deal. He didn’t think the owner was analytical enough to succeed. He said, “This guy is so aggressive he will go from hunter to hunted in a very short time!”

Lastly, don’t appear needy. If you are asking a rich relative for seed money, you might be able to appear with hat in hand asking for money, but for business dealings you have to sell your businesses success! It’s all right to be nervous, most financial people expect that you might be a little nervous. Business lenders lend money as a business, and they are concerned with two things-getting their money back (it’s their only commodity to sell), and making a profit. You as a business owner have to show them how they can participate in your businesses success.

Avoid these three pitfalls: lamentation, over aggression, and neediness, and you will go a long way in securing your companies first big loan package, and good luck!

How to get paid for the products you sell

2010-04-02T09:50:00.005-04:00

Many business owners bemoan the situation that they have made many sales but have little money to show for them. They then continue that it takes forever to be paid for their product. When this happens, it is good to question “are my invoices going out correctly, and do they match what is on the customers purchase order?"

Professional commercial credit people call this controlling the front end of the accounts receivable. This is how you can trouble shoot like a senior commercial credit analyst and get your small company paid in a timelier manner.

When you take on a new customer, you as the small business owner need to read the purchase order. Make special note of things like freight, terms of payment, billing address, part identification numbers, and purchase order numbers. Persons not directly involved with procurement in their companies might tell your company sales personnel a great many things (well meaning), but these practices will only slow your invoices from being paid, or may get the invoice sent back to your business for correction and clarification (this restarts the payment clock). If the practice continues, this makes your accounts receivable department work harder and eventually expand, making the business less profitable! Here are some simple ideas to help your business avoid the pitfalls:

1) On freight, always offer collect the customers carrier-not pre-paid and add (this can trip an audit from the customers freight department).
2) On terms of payment, make sure they match or call the buyer to get them changed if possible.
3) On part identification numbers, make sure they match.
4) On the billing address, if this does not say attention accounts payable begin to question sales and customer service people.
5) On the purchase order, check the number to make sure it’s correct. If it is a blanket purchase order number, It will need a unique release number.

Doing these small inspections can help your small business collect its receivable more quickly. It can make your invoices go through your customer’s accounts payable with a minimum of inspection, and your accounts receivable not have to collect it. This means more profit for your business!

Is your business behind the money curve?

2010-03-31T09:21:00.004-04:00

Does your business have a nice sized A/R but little money to show for it? Is your company accounting manager always ducking collection calls? You may be behind the money curve. Here’s how it happens:

You may have a few large customers that name their own credit terms or just pay slow. The key ratio that every business owner should know is days sales outstanding or DSO. DSO measures how long it takes for an invoice to be turned into cash. Your accounting manager can calculate this number for you or you can find the formula here:

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dso.asp

The idea as the business owner is to turn your receivable into cash as fast as possible, the larger the DSO number the longer it takes. All business have creditors and suppliers and the problem is when your business pays out faster than your finance department can collect the receivable, in consumer terms, you’re upside down. How can you speed up the process?

1) Motivate the collection staff-If you really want to know where the problems are with your business, take a trip to the credit/collection department. Good credit people will usually have a solution as well. I know it’s not in vogue in these economic times, but offering a bonus for cash collected is not a bad idea. In fact, it’s a very good idea.
2) Offer a cash discount-This is giving some of your profit away but it motivates your slower paying customers to pay, it may be worth the 1 or 2 percent discount.
3) Factor your invoices-Selling your invoices to a factor also takes away profit, but you get your cash over night. Factors are great financial advisors since they are in “the money game” every day.
4) Transfer some of your risk to someone else-This strategy is probably for a medium business. Some business set up a dealership network to service certain accounts. They sell their product to a middle main who then deals with the slow paying account. The middle man then charges a premium for the product or service because he knows he’s going to wait to be paid.
5) Try to get some of your money upfront as a down payment (medium to large companies will resists this strategy so be prepared)
6) Take credit card payments-this is another strategy to get paid in a very short time, just make sure you read the agreement very carefully.

Why you should treat “the Temp” well or the $14, 465.63 postage stamp

2010-03-29T09:51:00.004-04:00

To borrow from an old TV show, the story you are about to read is true; the names were changed to protect the innocent (and guilty). As you hire people as your business progresses from small to medium, some times you make hiring mistakes. One of these can be the person who brings all their personnel baggage with them to work. Let me say, from the bottom of my heart, you can’t get rid of these people fast enough! They bother co-workers, whine at supervisors, bully subordinates, and treat temps or contractors with distain which leads us to the story of the “14,465.63 postage stamp."

Many years ago (over 20) I worked (as a contractor) for a company we will call “Ramshead.” Ramshead had let its receivables run amuck for a while and when they were audited, the HQ gave them a marching order of “clean this up!” Ramshead contracted with a major accounting temporary firm to have 4 A/R specialists come out help them: Big D (me), Billy Bob, Steve, and Jill. We were escorted to a back office to tables (no desks), set up with phones and an aged trial balance, and told to collect all the past dues. We were in the same office as Tracy T (nicknamed tsetse fly-by the company’s founder-Mr. Jones)-the “A/P girl” whose goal seemed to be making everyone else’s life miserable by taking/ making many personal calls from the office and by bothering co-workers, whining at her boss, she had no subordinates, but she did treat the temps with obvious contempt.

Over the course of the 6 month project Jill was married and moved out west, and Steve became a cost accountant in Louisville, so for the last couple of months, it was just Billy Bob and I. Billy Bob had a great deal of experience with the auto industry and some good contacts. Billy Bob had taken on a special project to get about 15K of hopelessly messed up invoices paid. This was something that Ramshead personnel had little knowledge, but Billy Bob had succeeded in getting “buy off” to pay from a big 3 automaker. Our last day there, Billy Bob and I went to lunch and we when returned (and were going to pack up and leave early) there was Tracy T (TseTse) with a sour look on her face. “I understand that Anna in the mail room is letting you send in your time cards through the company postage meter,” she said flatly. We answered “yes,” she extended that courtesy to us. Tracy then proceeded to state that she was “revoking that courtesy,” and stomped off to “speak with Anna,” adding that if we were going to run our time cards through the postage meter, to “either leave 22cents, or go buy a stamp.”

Billy Bob and I stood there in stunned silence, but then Billy Bob spoke. “I had one thing left to do before we left here, mail the packet of big 3 invoices (there were about 20), but I am not going to do it now.” Instead Billy Bob flipped on the company’s paper shredder and proceeded with great delight to feed each corrected invoice into it. We then walked out the door; shook hands, and drove off. I never saw Billy Bob again; he had spoken of moving back to Atlanta.

About a month later, I received a call from the agency asking me if I had seen or heard from Billy Bob. I replied no, and related that he had spoken of moving back down south somewhere. I inquired why. Well, Ramshead was under the impression that they were going to get a large payment from an automaker and it never showed up. Snickering in my coffee, I said, “well, you will have to talk to Billy Bob, he was working it."

The high maintenance employee had cost the company fifteen thousand dollars! I later heard from one of the sales people at Ramshead that it was rumored that Mr. Jones the company founder suggested to human resources that they find a reason to “swat the tsetse fly” and that she was finally terminated.

I know the in vogue thing in HR theory is to constantly rotate your bottom 20% employee, but for me if you have a high maintenance employee, get them on the express train out of your business, or your company too might buy a $14,463.65 postage stamp!

Sales-Networking is King

2010-03-26T09:18:00.006-04:00

Sales-Networking is King

Before I entered the world of corporate finance, I was a more than pretty fair salesman (I made the million dollar round table). I learned outside sales the hard way-I started hauling around copiers in Oklahoma City in the back of a Chevy Chevette hatchback-yippee! I learned the basics of "prospecting," "cold calling,” "the demo” and "closing" the deal."

The sales game has changed however, salespeople no longer go business to business-I remember one time on a Friday there were 5 different sales guys (I was one) going up a skyscraper from different copier companies. Building security rounded us all up, and threw us out about 3:30-we all shook hands and went to a bar down the street to tell war stories. Frankly, that bit of networking was the most positive thing any of us did all day.

Networking gets you by the gate keepers who frankly are a waste of your time. So how do you find a decision maker, Try trade societies or clubs, sometimes large entities (like school systems or business incubators) hold vendor meetings (complete with food) and many are free. As a factoring broker, I met some of my best banking contacts at chamber of commerce meetings. My line was simple, send me who you don't want or can't work with (known in banking as "not bankable"). I will factor them, and in 18 months to 2 years, I send them back to you. When I speak with any client that you send me, I will only speak about your bank and your bank products. This was a promise I am proud to say, I always kept. After a while, the bankers I interacted with knew they could trust me. It worked both ways, when I found a client that I was ready to “graduate.” I always kept those bankers who gave me leads in mind if they had the right banking products.

That way my network grew and so did sales leads. It’s easier and far more effective to meet a friend (networking contact) or perspective new friend (from networking contacts -giving you a "warm introduction") than to be on the phone “prospecting.”

So What Does Obama Care Mean for Small Business?

2010-03-24T09:21:00.004-04:00

Be careful little hands what you do!

Congress last night enacted President Obama’s sweeping healthcare plan, but like many things congress didn’t consider all the details. The idea was to assist small business and individual Americans in purchasing healthcare, what it will end up doing is slow and reduce hiring in the future.

The president’s plan is number driven: business from x amount of employees to y amount of employees pay z much toward healthcare, or if they do not, they are fined w amount. This was a fair idea if American company’s personnel strategy was still to hire employees, but frankly, they missed the boat. Instead of hiring marginal employees, companies will either do without the marginal hire or use temps and/or contractors to do the job. Furthermore, with all of the job quota entanglements (and they still are out there), a business owner will have to consider if he or she is going to break a certain healthcare number threshold. Business owners are going to pay very close attention especially if they are near the 50 employee point and this creates a very discomforting scenario.

Suppose a business is at 49 employees and it needs to hire a transportation manager. Looking through the list of employees, there is the transportation secretary who has been a very good employee, but is a secretary. What should the business owner do? Well, the smart thing (but brutal thing) to do is fire/layoff/RIF the secretary and hire the transportation manger; addition by subtraction is going to be rampant! Who will get hurt? The people the president was most trying to help, average hard working Americans! Of course, the secretary might be advised that she can “contract” her old job back with xyz temporary service. What a crock! Of course, xyz temporary service will also have to consider the numbers game, but that leads to some brutal consequences as well. How long can you be a contractor/temp before you are automatically switched out (again to duck the numbers game)?

Also, just how hard is it to start a company as a separate legal entity? A business owner can start an LLC in about 2 days, and a small corporation, like a chapter S, does not take much longer. Remember each of these legal business entities are totally separate “persons.” Therefore the employee counter starts all over again. So too, cost center accounting has been around for years, and each department bills other departments for the work it does. For example, customer service bills sales for processing its orders. How hard would it be to create separate companies, each one under 10 or 25 employees?

Lastly, some companies are just not going to go through the aggravation of the numbers game, and will move some parts of their company off shore. More jobs lost for more Americans, I seem to be recalling which road that it is that’s paved with good intentions…

What Kind of Employee Are You?

2010-03-23T07:56:00.002-04:00

Usually this blog has a viewpoint from an ownership perspective, but in the final analysis we all work for ourselves-no matter the deal we’ve cut with our employer. So, it’s good from time to time to evaluate just what kind of employee are you? There are certainly some very fine lines being drawn (even though HR managers and agency counselors tend to deny it). I think for myself I have narrowed it down to 5 types of employee, and only one of these types is desirable. The five types are: highly valued employee, temporary employee, contract employee, casual hire employee, and disposable (planned short time) employee. In these uncertain economic times, it’s good to figure out just where you stand.

The highly valued employee is someone who may have been recruited off campus or military. The company might have gone through an executive search firm and paid big money to bring this person into the business. These people are expected to provide leadership, management, and specialized skills. If recruited out of school they might have been offered top wages and the “fast track.” If this is not you, I must sadly ask you to read on. If this is you, terrific and congratulations!

The temporary employee has really only one advantage, they know that they are temporary. This gives a “temp” a lot of flexibility. Turn over for temps is extremely high and work quality is usually fair at best. (Yes, I know there are some temps that get in and do a superb job, but they are the exception to the rule-and this is becoming more prevalent). Agency Counselors have tried to improve the level of work by often stating or insinuating that this job is/could be temporary to permanent (temp to perm), but experienced temps have become very inquisitive about this situation. Before I started a new assignment I always went over this with the company when they asked if I had any questions. “Is it correct that this job could become permanent?” Boy, listen to the company back track! If they do, you should suspect that your counselor might be engaged in a little “puffery.” If however, the company lays out a plan for your hire (assuming all goes well both for yourself and the company-and it is budgeted), then you just might have a temp to perm position, if this is not the case, keep sending out your resume’ and doing interviews, (even during work time), because your life expectancy is short as a temp.

Contract employees generally fill a very specific niche in a company’s employment structure, and are generally contracted to do a certain job function for a certain length of time (the due date). Almost always these personnel contribute specific business expertise or knowledge. These people are generally treated fairly well (unlike temp’s who can really be treated poorly). Unlike temps, contractors generally do a very professional job, but most “have been around the block a few times.” Contractors will sometimes speed up or slow down a particular job to suit their own needs (I know, I did it-and I was not alone, in fact very far from being alone). This happens especially with a “soft due date.” On the other hand, there can be problems if a “hard due date” is assigned, and then it is extended since contract employees are always looking for their next contract position. Companies have had contractors leave right before a huge project is due!

The casual hire is a person that generally works for a company part time with limited benefits. They must not exceed a certain number of hours or be considered full time (and offered health care benefits and retirement plans). Since these employees are offered very little, turn over is very high. The goal of most casual hire employees is to find a full time job somewhere (else). From the company’s viewpoint, these employees can be added or subtracted as business dictates.

The most recent type of employee is the short time hire (or disposable employee). These people work directly for the company, but what they don’t know is that they have a limited shelf life. What the company gets is more loyalty and better work quality, but they pay more for it-briefly. This situation usually happens when a part of a company-say the credit /collection/AR department is moved from one part of the country or another. Millions of dollars of receivables are transferred to a different location, and more personnel are hired to handle the in flow of receivables. After this business is mastered (and it might take 18 months to 2 years), there wont be a need for so many A/R type people, so the company may (or may not) keep the best, and lay off the rest.

It’s good to know who and what you are to your company. Going back to the macro-view of this blog, America has lost some of its appeal around the world for producing the best quality and most innovative products at the lowest possible prices. President Obama has stated many times that it is his great desire to return this prestige to America. Well, Mr. President let me clue you in on one thing. America is never going return to prominence as long as we remain a nation of temps, contractors, casual, and short time hires.

Smart Business Guys-What Goes Around

2010-03-22T09:33:00.006-04:00

I have used the same auto-mechanics since 1986 when my wife and I arrived in Cincinnati. The two men, I‘ll call Dan & Dave are famous for giving courteous, excellent, and honest service. Furthermore, they don’t “go looking” for problems, but point out any need for maintenance, but you as the customer always feel in control. I was bragging about them to a friend who was telling me about his excellent auto mechanics, and we found out we were talking about the same place!

These guys know more than just about cars. They know a good deal about business. I found this out when my son total my Toyota Echo, and I started looking for a car with the settlement money. Wow, what a nightmare dealing with used car lots, and I am not talking about the large auto-mall type dealer, I am talking a couple of tiers down. I finally blurted out to Dan and Dave do you guys have anything? They said, "actually we do." We take cars from time to time and fix them up to sell, but we’re not really looking to make much money off them. What we are really doing is keeping the guys in our shop working during some slow times. That way they keep their hours (and pay) up, and we don’t have them out looking for a new employer. It costs a lot to recruit, test out, and retain a good employee. If that guy walks for a better deal, it hurts our shop. Plus it keeps good customers coming back to us when they know we’ve serviced a certain car for years.

This is pure HR-PR genius! By treating everyone right: their customer, their employees, and themselves, Dan & Dave have created a win-win-win scenario! They balanced HR with PR. There’s an old saying, "what goes around comes around." I truly believe in business this is a basic fundamental truth. Dan & Dave have been doing it right for a long time, and it is no coincidence that their lot is always full of cars and their office full of satisfied customers.

The business Outlook: It’s Starting to Look Better

2010-03-21T12:25:00.005-04:00

Sorry to spoil President Obama’s parade but the most important issue for average Americans is not healthcare. It is very important but it not number one. Number one is the American economy and more importantly job stability. Can you find or keep a job? Some of the economic news is depressing. American’s still aren’t spending much money on durable goods, and soaring credit card debt is the proverbial other shoe to drop on the economy.

It’s not all gloom and doom however. An important but little known index is rising and that it is good news-the index is the Baltic Dry Index. What this index does is measure how much it would cost to ship basic raw materials and the Baltic just hit a two month high according to transportationweekly.com. This is especially good news since it measures what might be in pipeline for the future to affect other indexes like the PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index) which measures new orders, inventory, supplier deliveries, and production levels amongst other things.

So is it time to go out and invest in growth stocks or buy a new sports car? I wouldn’t go that far, but it might be all right to go ahead and send your kids to camp. Before orders can be produced, and people brought on to work those orders, someone in purchasing has to buy the raw materials to start the process, and nothing is final until the product ships. Well, good news, basic raw materials are shipping and its time to look at some of the other reports with a little more optimism!

So You Think You Need a Business Angel? Not So Fast

2010-03-18T08:48:00.003-04:00

Many companies who are just starting out need start up capital (some people called it seed money). Unless you have rich (and patient) relatives this can be a very difficult commodity to acquire. So too, going to a bank and getting a small business loan is a pretty daunting task and some business (restaurants and construction companies) are not very appealing to bankers in general; restaurants because the failure rate is so very high, and the construction business because of all the intricate workings of the business. What many beginning owners tend to look for is either a Venture Capital company or a Business Angel. Before you start your search (it might even be rightly termed a quest) here are some things to consider.

Venture Capital companies tend to look for “hot” industries or industries that have very high payback potential. In the past few years industries like Bio-Med, Medical Robotics, and the like have been very popular. Most Venture Capital companies avoid investing in stage one or the seed money stage. From their long experience, they’ve seen can’t miss products, miss. In fact in some cases they have watched the product fail miserably, and they lost their investment. Another thing very important to venture capital companies is their exit strategy. A VC companies business is much like a bank, loaning money (and over sight) for a project, but while they are willing to give a promising business a leg up financially, they are not wanting to own that business long term-usually they like to be involved for 3-5 years and then be bought out by the owner. This is called the exit strategy, and every Venture Capital company has one and a general time table target for payback.

A business angel can vary; many business angels these days have an association (and a front man) to screen potential businesses. Like a Venture Capital company, they provide funding and over site, but might be willing to be a long term partner of your business, or be willing to buy the business from you at a certain stage. As the entrepreneur, you must fully research the particular business angel and decide if this is a long term partnership that you are going to be compatible and consistent with you long term goals. Make sure you have a trusted lawyer read the contract!

Projector Rentals for Business Presentations

2010-03-16T23:49:00.004-04:00

When you have to make a big business presentation, you know you have to sell something to your audience, whether it's a service, topic, concept or product, and you've probably worked tirelessly to put it all together. You need the right pitch, you need to know everything there is to know about what you're selling, and you need it to be perfect. With so much on your mind, what sort of equipment you're going to use to make the presentation or how to set it up, should be the least of your worries.

That's where RentOurProjectors.com comes in. If you're planning to make your presentation in your own office or on the road, we can deliver any projector to any location in the United States. Without having to worry about picking up equipment or carrying it along with you when you travel, you'll have extra time to work on the presentation. And because you'll only need the projector for a short period of time, you'll save money by renting a projector instead of buying. We have some of the most competitive rates in the business.

Remember, next time you need a Projector Rental for your Business Presentation one visit to Rentacomputer.com and you can book the highest quality Projector Rental. Together with your informative and engaging slideshow or multimedia presentation, a quality projector rental will help you leave a lasting impression with your employees, clients, customers, bosses, and co-workers.

Now you’ve taken an order but your supplier does not want to extend a credit line.

2010-03-14T23:03:00.004-04:00

This is one of the more frustrating things that you can encounter as a business owner. You or your sales person has gone out and “won the battle” by bringing back a good sized order, and now the credit person on the other end of the phone does not want to extend terms or enough credit line to cover the business. The first reaction is to call up and vent on the credit person, but this, as we have discussed earlier, is not in your company’s long term best interest. The first question many business owners want to ask is “why,” but it is probably more important to ask “who.”

Why is a question that leads to debate and confrontation while who gives a business owner what he or she might need-more information to get a review or reversal. Was the decision made by a credit manager, senior credit analyst, or accounts receivable clerk? If it was a clerk, they might be following a strict set of guidelines and are not encouraged to think “out of the box.” Same thing for a junior credit analyst, they do not have years of experience to draw on to get the deal done or be experienced enough to offer creative financing. Your first step is to call your liaison with your suppliers company-your sales person. Make sure you get the name of the person making the decision and ask the sales person their job title. Your sales representative should be able to convey how much clout the person making the decision has within their organization. Many sales people (who want the sale) might make a visit back to the credit department for you. A few hours later the deal might show up totally approved! (By the way, even finance people have a heart; I approved a deal that I knew I should not have. The sales rep told me,” Without this deal my kids won’t get Christmas.” What would have you done, probably what I did-approved. Boy was I hating life about March when the company could not pay-the key thing- this deal was approved and it was nothing about business or credit analysis).

If the deal is quashed by a Senior Credit Analyst or Credit Manger who is much respected inside their own company for years of prudent judgment, then make them your ally-ask them to draw on their experience to help you get the deal done. Remember without A/R these people don’t have jobs, so present yourself as a cooperative potential customer needing their expertise. They will begin to like your approach immediately. They might offer to finance half the deal with the other half on American Express. If after 5 deals-paid with in terms, then they will offer a total credit line of x amount. Also ask them if they report to D & B or TRW business reporting, and if they would do this for your company. Most will be glad to help!

How to improve your businesses commercial credit appeal

2010-03-10T08:29:00.003-05:00

How to improve your businesses commercial credit appeal

So how can your business increase its credit appeal to other business from which you want trade credit terms? The best way is simply to make it easy for the Credit Manager or Credit Analyst to say yes. As was mentioned before paying your invoices on time is an important step, but there are other factors as well. Part of these relate to how important a particular supplier is to your business. Let me give an example:

Suppose you set up a small manufacturing business selling (you hope) the world famous “Whoitz.” In order to make the “Whoitz” you must have parts for it which mainly consist of the “Whatitz”, the “Wigget”, and the “Watchyamacallit.” Suppose a freight company who you contacted to ship your “Whoitz” wants to do investigate your credit. If all you list on your trade references are such businesses as office supply, quick printers, and the like-these are called weak references. They are not major or vital business partners and could be fairly easily changed if there was a problem. The person analyzing your credit wants to know how you pay your major suppliers-this is called the payment hierarchy and for your business, the suppliers of “Whatitz”, ” “Wigget,” and “Watchyamacallit” will stand first in the payment line because their products are vital. A company supplying paper and pencils will be at the end of the line and seasoned credit people know this. A perspective supplier will try to predict where his company will stand in the payment line, so when its time to pay bills, make sure your major suppliers, and other vital services like power and light, stand first in line. This makes financial sense.

You may also have a sheet of credit references prepared: printed, faxable, and E-mailable. As was mentioned in another article, you have already started building a business relationship with your major trade credit people and your business banker. Everything from a credit standpoint is in order and easily found, and in a professionally provided format. This makes your business appealing to a credit person, and makes it more likely that they will grant your credit terms request.

So Now You Have A New Customer!

2010-03-10T07:46:00.004-05:00

So now you have a new customer!

So now you have a new customer, congratulations! You or your sales person has now taken an order; you have not necessarily made a sale because a sale isn’t a sale until the invoice has been paid. Which beings us to the point, especially if your company is being asked to extend credit terms, how do you know that your new customer is going to pay or pay within the terms that you set? If your company is going to extend credit terms, you should develop a credit application which your customer should fill out in detail and sign! (Many large businesses already have a form, just ask them to attach the form and sign your credit application).

If you don’t have one-you can get one here.

There are some things you need to add, most importantly is a bank reference and a Dun’s number.

A bank check allows your business to talk with your potential client’s banker. This form will need to be signed by a company officer, not merely a purchasing agent or buyer. This form should include the checking account balance, long term notes or loans, and/or a revolving credit facility (and how much is being used at this time). Unfortunately, bank checks are becoming more difficult to do and some banks are insisting that they will only do this with other banks, so you may have to get your banker to do this for you.

If you are given a Dun’s number, your customer is expecting you to run a Dun and Bradstreet report (this is called the Business Information Report, D & B insiders call it a BIR (like beer)). This is great information (usually) but do you know how to read the report? Here is what to look for (without becoming a Commercial Credit Analyst) without going through it in fine detail. At the top of the report, the BIR will list the address and contact numbers-verify them-this means CALL THEM! Next it will list the year the business started, how many employees, last financial date (which might be blank), net worth (which could negative-warning sign), Sales, and History. History is important, it can be clear (this is what you want), business (which means that there has been a business failure in the past by one of the businesses principles), or personal (there has been a personal financial failure in a principles past). Also there will be financing which will either be secured (this means a bank or banks, or a entity holding a senior debt instrument (like a corporate bond) take precedence over trade credit-what your company is being asked to grant), unsecured, or both

Also at the top will be a number called a PAYDEX. This is a measure that Dun & Bradstreet developed to measure how promptly a business pays. A rating of 80 is pays on time. D & B will also give you the trend: toward promptness or tardiness.
D & B will also show all the trade reporting and you can see for yourself if the company is paying on time. If D & B has a financial statement it will give the Current and Quick ratios which measure the ability to turn assets into cash (these should be 2:1 and 1:1 respectively).

So if the PAYDEX is close to 80, Current & Quick ratios are in line, trade reporting is mostly solid, and the bank and references checks look good, your business stands a good chance of being paid, and paid mostly on time for the invoices that you send to your new customer.

Dealing With Dun & Bradstreet - Part Two

2010-03-09T11:22:00.000-05:00

As was mentioned in part one, a new business owner will eventually encounter the good people from Dun and Bradstreet who can be quite aggressive in trying to get information on your business. Some small business owners consider this “none of your business,” but viewing D & B in this way is to immediately start heading down the wrong road. Instead, a better view point is to view your Dun & Bradstreet report as a marketing tool for your business, produced at D & B’s expense!

What this does not mean is giving Dun and Bradstreet everything that they want (or falsifying information which is actually a crime). It does mean giving D & B the information you want them to have! For example, if you have opened an auto repair service, have worked many years in the field before at a major garage, and sponsor a racing team, this shows a commitment to automotive industry both for work and leisure, that’s excellent press! This is a part of what D & B calls the ownership antecedents (your work history).

Continuing with the auto garage theme, if your company pays an auto aftermarket supplier like Jasper or Target like clockwork, list them as trade references (although large companies like this probably report via electronic trade). Know who the credit manager or credit analyst is and have their phone, fax, and e-mail ready. In fact, have a credit sheet prepared that you can give the D & B reporter, or fax or email in to D & B. Also have a bank reference with a business banker who is willing to talk to either D & B or your potential supplier’s credit department. This makes your new business look professional. Know what these people are going to say before you hand this information out by building a good relationship with them as was mentioned in part one. (When I was a senior credit analyst for a Fortune 50 company, I had a medium size business owner who called me every month to make sure that his accounts payable was paying within terms, and that I could in good conscience speak well of his company).

If your company has financials that are solid (ask your accountant how your companies balance sheet and income statement would look to a potential supplier), submit them to D & B who will then run some ratio analysis, and then tell the world how financially solid your small company looks. If your financials do not look that strong at the time, politely defer them for a later time.

Taking these steps can help your small company grow and add to its financial prestige, and the best part of it, Dun and Bradstreet helps you pay for it!

Dealing with Dun & Bradstreet, Part One

2010-03-07T13:37:00.002-05:00

As a new small business owner, one generally starts out with a great idea for a product or service, a lot of drive, and hard work. Sooner or later, however, your business, a supplier, or a customer is going to “run a Dun & Bradstreet report” to find out your company’s financial standing. This inquiry is generally generated by your customers purchasing department to make sure that the partnership will financially be able to smoothly continue, or a supplier’s credit department to ascertain if it should extend credit terms.

Its is becoming routine for your potential customer to request (from their own in house credit department) a Dun and Bradstreet report (or D & B) because they want insure that your company will be able to deliver goods and services in an ongoing business relationship in a timely manner. It is very important for many customers, who rely on “just in time” deliveries to know that their supplier is not going to be placed on credit hold and thus collapse their supply chain, perhaps shutting down their production lines. This can cause late deliveries to their own customer and an unhappy work force (who might have been sent home early do to lack of parts or production materials).

If your company is applying for trade credit from a supplier, looking up a D & B report is routine. In a medium to large company, this is usually done by a Credit Manager or Senior Credit Analyst. In a small company, it might be done by an accounts receivable clerk. In any case, the first item looked at will be the composite credit rating. The rating has two components: the Financial Rating Classification and the Composite Credit Rating.

The Financial Rating Classification is the financial size of a given company based on its Net Worth reported on its balance sheet. These ratings start at HH for a very small company to 5A for a huge company like Microsoft. This rating helps the analyst to determine a company’s ability to pay its obligations. There are other ratings but these are most routine.

The Composite Credit Rating is a measure of a company’s willingness to pay its bills. This is information is gathered from your company’s suppliers who report to Dun & Bradstreet (and very many companies do). This is a rating from 1 to 4, one being the best and four being very limited.

As a small business owner, you want to cast your company in the best possible financial light. The simplest way to start is to pay your invoices on time and when you can’t, you need to make an ally of your supplier’s credit person. These people can grant your more time to pay and might even consider the invoice paid on time if approached in the right way. The best way to do this is to be pleasant and communicate with them in a timely manner, and not wait for them to call and “collect” on the invoice.

Continued In Part Two.

SMBs are Hiring

2010-03-07T12:43:00.005-05:00

New data suggests the smallest businesses in the country are beginning to add new jobs and some experts say that's a great sign for bigger companies. This info comes despite a March 5th report from the Labor Department that suggests the United States is still losing jobs.

Intuit released some information on March 1st that suggests companies with less than 20 employees have been adding new jobs since June 2009. That's based on the 50,000 customers using their online payroll service. Also, after two years of decline, the average paycheck amount for someone working for a company of less than 100 employees is beginning to stabilize over the last three months, and in some cases, is increasing. This includes data from salary, hourly, and contract workers. That information came out on March 3rd from a company called SurePayroll.

The numbers look like this: since June, employment at small businesses as been growing at 1.1% annual rate. With that information, Intuit suggests 150,000 jobs have been created by companies with fewer than 20 employees since June. That includes 40,000 last month alone. Granted that's a long way from re-employing the 8.4 million who have lost jobs since December 2007, but it's still a start and it's left some people pretty hopeful.

Brian Headd, an economist at the Small Business Administration says this is a potentially good sign. He says that in 2002, recovery began when small businesses began hiring before larger companies did and in some cases when larger companies were still losing jobs. According to census data from 2006, companies of 20 or less employees make up 89% of all businesses and 18% of the private workforce.

Meanwhile, Congress is working on a number of different bills in an effort to put people back to work and one way they're trying to do that is tax incentives. Last week, the House passed a bill that gives employers who hire people who have been out of work for two months a year free from paying the Social Security payroll tax. John Bishop of Cornell University has proposed a hiring tax credit that he says could will encourage about two million jobs in the next year. But a lot small businesses don't wait on the government to pass bills before they hire and don't sit around, waiting for incentives.

For example, Michael McKean, the CEO of the Knowland Group in McLean, VA told Business Week he has already hired ten people this year and hopes to hire about six more. The company makes sales, marketing, and lead generation products to help hotels attract conferences and events. He says he believes the industry is due to pick up soon and knows he can increase his credit line

Official data from the Labor Department about hiring won't be available for several months, but if history is any indication, this data is good news. Companies with less than 500 employees have made up 64% of new jobs created between 1993 and 2008 and it looks like that trend will continue.

The South Financial Group Recognized for SMB Banking

2010-02-25T11:49:00.004-05:00

The South Financial Group, headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, has won 2009 "Excellence in Small Business Banking" awards from Greenwhich Associates. The company won in both the regional and national categories. The bank was also one of nineteen national banks to be recognized for "overall satisfaction."

The South Financial Group is actually a bank holding company, that focuses on serving SMBs in North and South Carolina (12% and 45% of customers) respectively, and Florida (43% of customers). At the end of 2001, it had about $11.9 billion assets and 177 branch offices. Its known as Carolina First bank in the Carolinas and Mercantile Bank in Florida.

Ernie Diaz, president of the Florida branches of the bank had this to say about the award, "These awards illustrate our commitment to understanding the needs of business owners and working together to meet their specific needs."

The Market President of Carolina First Bank, David Lominack, added, “Delivering on our relationship banking model continues to be our goal, and these awards reflect the value our bankers place on exceeding customer expectations.”

The company won three awards overall: "Overall Satisfaction" in the National category, "Relationship Management Performance" in the National category, and "Overall Satisfaction" in the Southern Regional category.

SMB Tips for Exhibiting at Trade Shows

2010-02-22T11:52:00.004-05:00

You've worked hard to start your small or medium business and establish yourself in the marketplace. Whatever product or service you sell, you're ready to reach more customers, get your name out there, and do more business. A great way to do that is by exhibiting at a trade show. You'll see as many potential customers in just a few days as you might during several months with your store or office. But what do you need to know before getting involved with one?

First of all, you need to know what type of trade show you're interested in, which means you need to really know who your customer is and what types of shows they attend. Sure, networking is great, but in addition to making contacts, you'll want to expose yourself to people who are going to buy your product. Make sure the trade show you attend is not "industry-only" and make sure attendees are the people who would want to shop with you. Talk to someone who is in charge and ask if they have demographic information from past shows - many do! You can also get information about various shows from a number of wesbites including Tradeshow Week and the Trade Show News Network.

You'll also want to make sure you stand out from other booths. If you're looking at larger trade shows, think about how you can make an impact. Often times, smaller businesses get lost in the sea of larger companies. Make your booth unique by using items such as audio visual rentals to attract attention or focus on the aspects of your product or business that are unique and promote them to stand out above the rest.

Make sure you reach buyers before the actual event. A great way to do that is with social networking websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. If your company doesn't already have an account on these pages, what are you waiting for? Let your buyers know you're going to be at the show and encourage them to come. Most people don't attend alone and friends and family members may turn into new customers. Also, you might even find yourself in contact with other people in you business who can give you tips about the trade show and what you can expect.

Finally, after a trade show, you're more than likely to see an increase in business. Be prepared for this! Make sure you have the inventory and/or staff or be prepared to hire them. Also, make sure you hold on to contacts and follow up with both other people in industry and customers after the event is over. Remind them that you exist and your product is worth remembering!

Carbonite Launches Carbonite Pro for SMBs

2010-02-17T12:58:00.004-05:00

Carbonite has launched an online data backup service, aimed specifically at small and medium businesses. Carbonite Pro allows your SMB to back up-data automatically but without the per-PC fees other businesses charge. It's compatible with external hard drives, priority support, and according to the company, "any office manager" can use the administrative tools.

The dashboard at the heart of Carbonite Pro makes system management super easy. There, you can see important information, including the back-up status of every computer in your office, how much data is backed up and which computers are not backed up. It's also easy to install. An automatic invitation feature allows you to invite which users you want to join and they can click through email instructions to install. You can choose to back-up your files automatically or manually. If you do find yourself in a situation that causes lost or damage files, the Restore Wizard will guide you, step-by-step through the recovery process. And you won't lose time as you do it because your computer is still usable in the meantime.

Add as many computers as you want or need to your account. You'll receive access to unlimited phone, email, and chat tech support. Also, the program will not slow down your computer or internet connection.

You don't have to be a security or encryption expert to use it either. Just like online banking, Carbonite encrypts your files before they are copied to their servers and transmitted over encrypted lines. This means that while being stored at the company's data centers, no one can view them. Using an online server is much safer than using external hard drives or tapes because there are no gaps that leave your data vulnerable, it can't be damaged or lost, and you can't lose data due to human error.

Carbonite is currently offering a free one-month trial at their website, http://www.carbonitepro.com/. Simply sign up for a free account and start inviting your employees. If you like it, enter your payment information and your service will continue, without interruption, with monthly billing. How much you pay will depend simply on how many GB of storage you need, ranging from $10 a month for up to 20 GB to $250 a month for 300-499 GB of data.

McAfee's New Products for SMBs

2010-02-07T11:14:00.003-05:00

For the first time, McAfee has announced that it will be marketing new services for SMBs. McAfee Seurity Quickstart Services will deliver "full life cycle support from implementation assistance, to user training and ongoing maintenance, to optimization of security management best practices."

Darrell Rodenbaugh, senior vice president of global midmarket for McAfee said in a statement, "This is the first time we have offered a broad array of services like this in the SMB space. They are designed to overcome the challenges faced by SMB organizations, at an SMB price, and also will allow them to get up and running fast."

The online training package includes one year of unlimited access to the McAfee video training library. SMB's can use it for training their IT people or departments or to just learn about various products and methods available for securing their business. Rodenbaugh said the library is very "rich" and will help businesses get up and running quickly. He said the company wanted to target SMBs who may not have full-time security specialists on staff.

McAfee Security Quickstart HealthCheck is designed to assess the security of the SMB with the simple click of a button. It interprets policy settings and compares them to a selected baseline, providing metrics based on at-risk settings. With it, SMB owners can upload security policies and find out just how secure they really are and where they might need to make changes.

The McAfee Security Quickstart Experts-On-Demand includes sessions with the company's remote expert consultants with enterprise level expertise and can be recorded for future playback use. Through the sessions, SMB owners will learn to implement, optimize, and configure security solutions including the McAfee Security Quickstart Pack for Endpoint Protection, the McAfee Security Quickstart Pack for Total Protection for Secure Business and the McAfee Security Quickstart Combo Pack for total wellness of ePolicy Orchestrator.

Rodenbaugh said McAfee has the best products on the market, "But if our products aren't installed and managed well, customers can't take advantage of them." The products are available in the United States and Canada and prices range from $700 to $5995 annually. They can be purchased only through the channel, but cannot be rebranded at this time. Rodenbaugh hopes that will change in the future.

3 Mistakes Every Entrepreneur Must Avoid

2010-01-24T14:28:00.000-05:00

It's a new year. Time for making changes, starting over, and attempting to reach goals both new and old. Maybe you've decided to start exercising more or maybe you decided to go back to school. Or maybe you think you're ready to take the big plunge and start your own business. After all, you've had that great idea in the back of your head for months, maybe even years and there are some small signs that the economy is improving.

Before you even decide to start your business, there are a few basic things you need to keep in mind. While you need to be confident in your idea, being too confident can become a problem. If something seems like it's too good to be true, more likely than not, it is. Look over the list below and make sure you're not falling into one of these traps before you so much as think about getting that big loan.

1. Sizing Up the Competition. You've come up with a brilliant idea and upon Googling it, you can't seem to find any competition. This has got to be a future business-owner's dream come true, right? Wrong. Every business has competition; it's what makes the world go around. If you don't think you'll have competition, you'll need to look further and if you still can't seem to find any, well, there's probably not a market for your idea.

2. Maybe it's not so cool after all. If you find yourself in a position without any competition, maybe you need to rethink your idea. Just because you think it's awesome, doesn't necessarily mean it is. Or maybe it's a neat idea, but it doesn't necessarily translate into a big business venture. The easiest way to find out is to understand the market. Ask around, ask people what they think of your idea.

3. Marketing. Don't assume your product is so great it's gonna speak for itself. Successful marketing campaigns come by putting money and hard work into advertising your product. Once you've done the work, it's possible word of your company will spread like wildfire, but that's not going to happen if you don't ignite the flame.

Read more about the mistake business owners make by visiting MSNBC's Small Business section.

Must-Reads for Marketers

2010-01-22T10:46:00.000-05:00

There are so many business-oriented books out there; how do you know which one is what you're looking for? How about turning to someone who has read not all, but a good many of them. When author and president of McKee Wallwork Cleveland Advertising, Steve McKee, was starting out as a field marketing manager for Pizza Hut, he found himself unable to earn an MBA. Instead, he developed a love for business books and began reading everything he could get his hands on to help him with his career. Today, he is often asked which book is his favorite. Unable to pick just one, McKee put together a list of branding, marketing, and advertising books that have made an impact on his life. See the list below:

Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy by Thomas Sowell - According to McKee, "Sowell presents practical concepts about how incentives, trade-offs, and other dimensions of the economy really work" and the book is more interesting and more relevant than any economics course you could take in college.

The Marketing Imagination by Theodore Levitt - McKee says this book made the concept of marketing "come alive" for him. Written by a late Harvard Business professor, the book is somewhat dated, but still a great read.

Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors by Michael E. Porter - According to McKee, this book takes a long time to digest and he finds himself referring back to it as he works with his own clients. This is a popular book that is really helpful in any industry.

Positioning: The Battle for your Mind by Jack Trout and Al Ries - This book is all about branding and making a complex subject easy to understand.

Profit from the Core: Growth Strategy in an Era of Turbulence by Chris Zook and James Allen - This book is the result of a 10-year, 2,000-company study. McKee says it won't make any top marketing book lists, but it does a great job of explaining why all companies seek sustained, profitable growth but only a fraction of them actually achieve it.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Jack Trout and Al Ries - The second book on the list by Trout and Ries.

Hitting the Sweet Spot: How Consumer Insights Can Inspire Better Marketing and Advertising by Lisa Fortini-Campbell - McKee says this is the best resource he's found for account-planning. He says, "Following the disciplines in this book can lead to truly groundbreaking marketing and advertising efforts."

A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young - This isn't exactly a book, so much it as it is a booklet. Originally developed for University of Chicago students in the 1930's, McKee says the the information in this book is helpful and quaint, and explains how process of creativity works.

Feeding the Media Beast by Mark Mathis - This book explains "how the news business works, the pressures journalists face, and the predicaments in which they often find themselves." McKee says this book helped him overcome his fears of talking to reporters or appearing on television.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White - McKee says much of the business world's problem is understanding that the written word is still important. No matter how great your idea is, crafting it and presenting it poorly can hurt your cause.

According to McKee, reading just these ten books will put you ahead of most of the business world. You can read more about what he says about the books here: Essential Reading for Marketers

"Buy Local" Campaigns Help SMBs Through Holidays

2010-01-19T10:27:00.000-05:00

As numbers and analysis of the 2009 holiday retail season are pouring in, there is a glimmer of hope for small and independent, locally-owned businesses. According to a survey of over 1,800 businesses, they saw an increase in holiday shoppers this year. While the United States Department of Commerce says overall retail sales were down 0.3% during December, 2009, the survey found that independent retailers' sales were up an average of 2.2%.

So what helped these independent retailers? According to the survey, it was in part, cities with active "buy Local/Buy Independent" campaigns. Simply put, the cities with such campaigns enjoyed higher sales than those without. As a matter of fact, independent retailers in these 100 cities and towns with active campaigns actually saw a 3.0% increase.

Almost 80% of the businesses surveyed said they believed public awareness of buying locally had increased over the last year, while 16% said it stayed the same. Many business owners, including a shoe store owner in Michigan, a retailer in Maine, and a bookstore owner in Oregon, attribute everything from their ability to stay in business to through the recession to their growth in sales to the campaigns. One even said they had customers look up an item online or in a chain store and come back to their stores to make the purchase.

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance conducted the survey in partnership with a number of business organizations, including the American Booksellers Association, American Independent Business Alliance, American Specialty Toy Retailers Association, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, and National Bicycle Dealers Association.. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance is a non-profit, research organization. Surveys conducted about the 2007 and 2008 holiday shopping seasons found similar results.

"This survey adds to the growing body of evidence that people are increasingly bypassing big business in favor of local entrepreneurs. Amid the worst downturn in more than 60 years, independent businesses are managing to succeed by emphasizing their community roots and local ownership," said Stacy Mitchell, a senior researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance told the American Independent Business Alliance.

Super Bowl Means Big Business for SMBs

2010-01-17T09:52:00.002-05:00

When you think of the Super Bowl and business, you probably think of large, well-known companies who sponsor and vie for commercial time during the game. But in recent years, the NFL has been reaching out to SMBs, particularly those owned by women and minorities, and incorporating them into the bidding process for the big game.

The Emerging Business Program, which is coordinated by the host city's organizers, helps SMB leaders win contracts for the Super Bowl, by providing them with information about the process and opportunities. According to their website, the goals of the program are to:

• Maximize and inform minority- and woman-owned businesses of available business opportunities surrounding the Super Bowl
• Encourage the pursuit of on-going business opportunities within the local community and to further empower vendors in the pursuit of future large scale events
• Provide access to industry leaders for the purposes of business development, education, training, and dialogue
• Provide business development programming that best reflects the needs of the local business community.

The program is win-win for both the NFL and SMB owners. It provides big, experienced contractors who work with the NFL the chance to meet their business needs by utilizing smaller businesses. The NFL puts together a database of SMBs based on information provided by civic groups, government agencies, and the host city's Super Bowl committee and turns it into a "Business Resource Guide" for the larger contractors, sponsors and other Super Bowl-related groups. And it gives the SMBs an opportunity to make a name for themselves and grow their business like never before.

Tico Casamayor, the president of AC Graphics in Hialeah, Florida, told CNN he landed a contract to print media guides for 2007's game, "The printing that I do for the game I don't make much money on. You're not going to become rich through the contract, but the fact that I do work for the Super Bowl has made it that much easier to get work with others."

So, how can you get your business involved? Well, you have to act early. The application is generally available online up ten months before the actual game. This year, for the Super Bowl that will take place in South Florida on February 7, the application was available in March 2009 and contracts were being awarded in as early as April 2009. For more information, visit
South Florida Super Bowl.

Small Business Survival Index 2009

2010-01-09T23:41:00.005-05:00

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, a nonprofit, nonpartisan small business advocacy group that works to promote entrepreneurship, has released its Small Business Survival Index 2009, which ranks each of the 50 states according to their "climate for Entrepreneurship." This is the 14th consecutive year the Council has done such a study.

According to the Council chief and author of the study, Raymond J. Keating, "It’s hard to find any good news at the national level for entrepreneurs, small business and their employees. The U.S. economy slipped into a recession in December 2007, with matters getting far worse late last year. Congress and the White House have not offered positive solutions to help the job-creating sector. In fact, most of their actions will hurt, not help, small businesses. But what about the states? The ‘Small Business Survival Index’ helps business owners and investors understand the public policy burdens placed on entrepreneurship and small business, with the states ranked accordingly.”

So why does this matter? According to Keating, politicians often talk a good game when it comes to small businesses but don't follow up with action. The Small Business Survival Index shows what costs and trends affect entrepreneurship and small businesses. "These measures should matter to everyone because small businesses, of course, drive innovation, economic growth and job creation. If we want to get our economy back on a solid, robust growth track, then we need pro-entrepreneur policies at the federal, state and local levels," he said in a press release.

The Small Business Survival Index basically shows which states are most friendly to small business in regard to public policy. This includes taxes, regulatory costs, government spending, health care, property rights, and energy cost among other things. In 2009, the study covered 36 major government-related costs that affect small businesses. South Dakota and Nevada came in at the top, while New Jersey and Washington D.C. rounded out the bottom.

Here is the list in its entirety:

South Dakota
Nevada
Texas
Wyoming
Washington
Florida
South Carolina
Colorado
Alabama
Virginia
Ohio
Alaska
Tennessee
Utah
Indiana
Arizona
North Dakota
Missouri
Mississippi
Georgia
Oklahoma
Kentucky
Michigan
Illinois
Arkansas
Kansas
Pennsylvania
New Mexico
Louisiana
Wisconsin
Montana
Idaho
New Hampshire
Nebraska
Delaware
West Virginia
Maryland
Oregon
North Carolina
Connecticut
Iowa
Hawaii
Minnesota
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Maine
Vermont
New York
California
New Jersey
Washington D. C.

You can view the entire report here: Small Business Survival Index 2009

Make Your Customers Pay

2009-12-15T11:42:00.003-05:00

When you are a small or medium business, a few customers not paying for their products and services could be very detrimental. Unlike larger companies who can afford the occasional delinquency, every penny counts, especially at a time when many SMBs are struggling to stay afloat. And with the economy still trying to improve, chances are your customers aren't paying or are requesting extensions on payment deadlines.

As a matter of fact, according to the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor, at least 60% of business owners are currently experiencing cash-flow issues and about 26% are worried about customers paying bills on time. There are ways to handle this that involve collection agencies and attorneys but those can be costly and just as much a hassle for you as they are the customer. Before you hire a third party or seek legal action, there are a few other things you can do.

First of all, you should probably start checking a customer's payment history. So many businesses do this these days and for good reason. For a reasonable price (as little as $3.00), you can get some credit and payment history information on a customer before you agree to do business with them. Even if you don't want to check the credit history, ask around. See if your customer has dealt with other people in your industry and find out what their experience was like. This method allows you to weed out anyone you might see as a high-risk and gives you more information about just who you are dealing with.

Another way to ensure prompt customer payment is to make it easy for the customer to pay. Offer variety and let the customer choose what payment method he or she is most comfortable with. Maybe you offer Paypal but you don't Google Checkout. Consider signing up for that, too. Bill Me Later is another great option that customers can use. And whatever outlets you decide on, make sure a customer can pay via credit card, checking account, or any other method they may need to use. Also, don't forget to make your payment options clear. Feature them on the homepage of your website or talk to your customers about them up front.

One last idea you can use to prompt your customers to pay on time is using mobile devices. Equipping whomever will be accepting your payments with a cell phone or Bluetooth device that will swipe credit cards is a convenient idea for customers who aren't always carrying cash with them.

10 Ways to Make Your SMB "Green"

2009-12-15T03:56:00.006-05:00

1. Adjust the AC. Once you've adjusted your office temperature to where you want it, turn it back a couple of degrees. Two-three degrees won't really make a whole lot of difference and will definitely save your company money in the long run.

2. Check your light bulbs. When it's time to change the light bulbs, it's recommended you opt for more energy-friendly ones. They may cost slightly more but in the long run, they'll save you money as they last up to ten times longer and work just as well.

3. Choose furniture wisely. Invest in furniture that's going to last and won't have to be changed every time you redecorate or get new technology. Good heavy duty, neutral furniture is yet another money safe.

4. Turn Your Computer Off. Lots of people leave their computers on over night and let them go into standby mode. This means your computer is using as almost much power as it did when you were using it throughout the day. Turn it off and better yet unplug it. Do the same for printers, copiers, and monitors, too.

5. Don't over-light. If you have large windows in your office, take advantage of sunny days. Forego large overhead lighting for practically placed lamps. Don't leave your office in the dark, but there's not need for your lights to be so bright they're blinding.

6. Look for the energy star. Most appliances have an energy-efficiency ratings these days. Always ask about that when purchasing new equipment. Some computers even turn themselves off after certain bouts of inactivity. Laptops are also cheaper to use as they can consume up to 90% less power than desktops.

7. Turn the lights out when you go. Make it a habit to turn the lights out whenever you leave a room, especially if you're going to be gone for a while. No sense in wasting electricity and it really does make a difference on your power bill!

8. Motion Detectors. Another way to save money and not waste electricity is to install motion detector lights that turn on when someone enters a room and goes off when the room is free of motion for a certain period of time. These are great for bathrooms!

9. Control your outside lighting. If you have signs or lights outdoors that you forget to turn off or that run for long periods of time, have a time installed so that outdoor light doesn't stay on on a 80 degree sunny day.

10. Find other ways to keep your office cool. Have a fan installed or make sure you have blinds or screens over your windows. These can knock a room temperature down several degrees and keep you from blasting the AC before you need to.

Best Small Business Books of 2009

2009-12-10T23:09:00.000-05:00

The editors at Small Business Trends, along with a 27-member advisory panel have put together a list of the Best Small Business Books of 2009. According to the website, the decisions were difficult to make due to the "quality of this year's business book releases." Here is a look at the books they chose.

Anatomy of Buzz Revisited by Emmanuel Rosen: Learn how to build "buzz" into your marketing strategy with this sequel to Rosen's best-seller. According to Small Business Trends, you can use this book to "build a community of experts and then let them speak freely about the advantages and disadvantages of your product or service."

Escape from Cubicle Nation by Pamela Slim: This guide for aspiring entrepreneurs helps get you out of the corporate world and into your own business. This proves that you have to make the change to be successful. If you aren't happy in the corporate world, chances are you never will be.

Greening Your Small Business by Jennifer Kaplan: According to this book, being isn't just trendy, it also saves you money. This book shows you how to become "green" and proves that consumer are going to see eco-friendliness as a reason to purchase your service or product.

Me 2.0 by Dan Schawbel: This book is all about personal branding and how your brand will determine your ultimate success. Here, you'll get ideas, resources, tips and on how to find your personal brand and use it for new opportunities, from registering your own website to finding a field to become a known expert in!

The New Community Rules by Tamar Weinberg: Everyone is using social media these days and it can be a great tool to help you build and grow your business. This book, written by a social media consultant, will help you use various social media to market your business online. The best thing is this book doesn't just teach you how to use the general Facebook and Twitter, it shows you the way to other, lesser known tools, as well.

Outrageous Advertising by Bill Glazer: This book points you in the direction of tons of direct marketing and advertising campaigns that will help you grow your business and build a larger customer base. The website calls it an encyclopedia of how-to and advertising ideas and tips.

Talk Less, Say More by Connie Dieken: There can be many ways to communicate with customers but this book shows you how to cut to the chase and eliminate the excess. Get your message across and get things done with lots of tips and tricks.

Super Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner: Small Business Trends describes this book as "fun and engaging." It shows how the world works and proves there is a solution for more than you think, unconventional as it may be.

Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith: Another social media-oriented book, this one helps you learn social media quickly and use it to help with your brand.

Upstarts by Donna Fenn: This book looks at 150 different businesses started by Generation Y'ers. Get inspired as you read how a younger generation overcame challenges to make something of themselves.

Viral Loop by Adam Penenberg: This book tells the story of some of the most successful viral marketing campaigns and then shows you how to implement some of it into your own company!

You are What You Choose by Scott de Marchi and James T. Hamilton: Make decisions based on more than just demographics, such as time, risk, altruism, getting information, meToo status and stickiness or loyalty with this book. Once you understand how to do this, you can implement it into your own business.

Hewlett-Packard Unveils New Products for SMBs

2009-11-30T20:54:00.003-05:00

In an effort to get a bigger share of the IT budgets of the 7.9 million American SMBs, Hewlett-Packard has unveiled a new line of products and services. The new products for small and medium-size businesses include everything from computers to servers. In addition, they've introduced new financing options, also aimed at SMBs. They are providing over $1,000 in software and services, and up to $2,000 in rebates for SMBs that make hardware purchases.

As far as computers go, the Pro 3000 series desktop and the ProLiant ML110 and DL120 G6 servers are all new and aimed at SMBs. As is the ProCurve 2520 Switch series which is great for SMBs looking to deploy voice, video, and wireless applications requiring power over ethernet. There's also a new printer for SMBs, the LaserJetP2055D which costs about $299, along with two low-power monitors, the Compaq LE1911 and the Compaq LE1711.

A number of new storage products including the StorageWorks DAT 320 Tape Drive, the StorageWorks D2D backup system, and the LeftHand P4000 storage area network, were introduced, as were bundles of hardware and software that help SMBs introduce virtualization to their IT departments. They are built on ProLiant, ProCurve and StorageWorks products, as well as Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2.

In addition to the new products, HP also introduced a number of new online services. They allow users to communicate with employees and contacts and make it easier for IT employees to access, view, and control other computers to help with troubleshooting and fixing problems. HP is also offering Huddlenet which allows for easier collaboration, project management and document sharing. A 30-day trial with 20 GB of storage and that's big enough for 20 work stations is available.

According to Interactive Data Corp, SMBs will spend more on IT than larger businesses as the economy continues to recover. HP is just one of several companies hoping to tap into that business and they could use it. Their profits fell 19% and revenue 2% in the quarter that ended on July 31st.

SMBs: Drive Sales & Get Noticed This Holiday Season

2009-11-23T18:27:00.005-05:00

According to the Constant Contact Annual Holiday Survey, 52% of small businesses, who participated in the Small Business Holiday Outlook Survey, expect their holiday season sales to improve over last year. Last year, only less than a third of business owners were as optimistic. Constant Contact, a leading provider of marketing and survey tools for small organizations, said that many respondents expressed overall optimism about the state of the economy.

If you own a small or medium-sized business, chances are you are anxious about your own holidays sales, regardless of what your outlook on the economy is, here are some tips and recommendations for improving your sales and getting your company noticed, this holiday season:

1. Get Your Customers Involved - Survey your customers to find out what they'd like to see go on sale and use social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook to reach customers and potential customers. If you decide to let a popular vote determine your sale products, chances are customers will pass the word along to friends and family who can also vote, in turn, getting the word out about your company.

2. Brand Yourself - Make sure you have a good company logo and use it everywhere, along with your name, message and tone. Consistency in communication is key and will help reinforce your brand.

3. Link Yourself - Have a company website? Company Blog? Company social networking accounts? If not, consider getting them and putting a little time and effort into them. Customers will use them to find out more about your company.

4. Host a Holiday Event - Show your customers how much you appreciate them by hosting a holiday-themed shopping event with discount incentives. Make sure you market and promote your event via social networks and other outlets.

5. Don't Forget Last-Minute Shoppers - They're out there. Don't stop marketing a few days before Christmas. Many people wait until after the holiday to their shopping, in hopes of getting great deals and customers are usually loaded with Christmas money or gift cards after the big day.

6. Remember Why You Stand Out - Do you customers return because of your excellent customer service or because you offer services that other businesses do not? Remind your customers of that every chance you get, through emails, your website, and any other marketing tools you use. Remember, not every customer is looking for the best deal.

Small Businesses Are Borrowing Again

2009-11-23T17:20:00.004-05:00

SMB owners are borrowing money again, or so says a study conducted by PayNet Inc for Reuters. The study found that smaller "microcompanies" are gaining confidence in their business and enjoying an overall improved financial health, which is good news for the economy. These businesses are often thought of as the best hope for job creation during economic recovery.

According to the study, which examined loans, leases, and lines of credit activity, businesses with less than $100,000 in outstanding debt are borrowing cautiously to invest money into their own companies. Financing originations are still down but they are no longer failing faster than the originations for larger small businesses (or those who have debt totalling above $100,000). This is an improvement over the last three years.

"This looks like an inflection point," William Phelan, the president of PayNet, said of the study. "These little businesses are a leading indicator and the signals they're sending are improving."

Another encouraging sign is that delinquencies among these companies peaked at some point during the spring of this year, but have since began to improve. Phelan says a correlation can be made between microbusiness borrowing delinquencies and GDP and that makes for another encouraging sign.

Currently, most recovery efforts have come from a government stimulus effort, including the auto industry's "cash for clunkers" and $8,000 tax credits fro first-time home buyers. But experts say a true recovery must come from private industry and customer demand, particularly small businesses.

And while critics have blasted banks who received government bailout money for not turning around and investing the money into the economy, several big banks have recently announced plans to do more small business lending. These institutions include Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, and Goldman Sachs.

PayNet provides risk management tools to the commercial lending industry. The company collects real-time loan information, including orginations and delinquencies, from over 225 leading U.S. capital equipment lenders and its proprietary database encompasses more than 16 million old and new contracts worth about $700 billion.

Busy SMB Owners: Beat Stress with Your iPhone

2009-11-15T17:08:00.000-05:00

If you own or manage a small or medium business, you probably don't get a lot of time to yourself. After seeing to it that your company is running smoothly, taking care of your family, and tending to other mundane daily chores, there is not a lot of time to relax or beat stress. These days, there's an iPhone app for everything (and in some instances, hundreds for everything) and beating stress is no different. People are turning to their cell phones for everything from job hunting to cooking, so, why not take a few minutes out of your busy day and let your iPhone help you relax? Below you'll find a list of great apps that will help beat stress in a variety of ways.

If you are simply looking for quick stress relief that you can take advantage of in you car, at your desk, or while you're sitting in an airport, here are a few great apps to take advantage of.

1. Massage Me - Allows you to use your phone's vibration to give yourself a quick massage.

2. iHateMyJob - Vent about work, but don't be surprised if you get some good advice in return.

3. Fracture - In the mood to break things? This app lets you break your iPhone...virtually, of course!

4. Stress Shaker - Watch a boat sail the ocean as the app provides you with thought provoking quotes. If you're really stressed, shake your phone. The more you shake your phone, the more appropriate the quotes become to your stress level.

5. Stress Relief: Smash Edition - With this app, you can "smash" everything from electronics to food to coffee mugs.

Maybe you don't have time to exercise and would like to squeeze in a quick workout at lunch, while you're traveling, or anytime. Here are some of the top apps that will make it easier for you to get in a little stress-reducing workout each day:

1. iPump and Fitness Builder - provides you with a variety of workouts and you can narrow them down based on your location (ie: hotel room)

2. FitDeck - this app offers you instruction on a number of basic exercises that can be done anywhere, using only your own body weight.

3. Yoga Relax - offers soothing music, simple poses, and workouts for 1-36 minutes.

4. Run Keeper - if you want to go for a job, this app will track your pace, speed, and elevation, as well as track your run on a map, which is really good for new and unusual locations

5. Yoga Trainer Pro - customize your own workout with hundreds of poses that can be done anytime, anywhere

If you think being more organized would help relieve you of some of your daily stress, you're right! Maintaining home and business life isn't easy, and there are also apps to help you organize the rest of your life:

1. To Do's - does exactly what the name says. Create your "to do" list, and move items up and down according to priority.

2. Grocery IQ - This app allows you to jot down your grocery list as you think of it. Remember you need milk while in you're a meeting? Just type it into your iPhone and let the app categorize your purchases.

3. Flight Track - This is pretty self-explanatory. Have to pick up a relative or business client at the airport? Track flight times, departures and more.

4. The Weather Channel - There's nothing worse than showing up to work in a sweater when it's 80 degrees outside, or forgetting your umbrella when your day requires you to travel across town on the rainiest day of the year.

5. Evernote - By far, the most popular app for note-taking. It ranks highest on almost every "top" list on every website across the web.

Guide to Choosing Passwords for Your SMB

2009-11-11T07:10:00.000-05:00

Security is becoming more and more important these days, especially when it comes to protecting your business. Good passwords can make or break your computer systems, but how do you know what a good password is? And one you do, what else can you do to take further steps to protect your passwords from hackers, untrustworthy employees, and others who are up to no good? Here are a few easy guidelines that SMB owners can use to protect their companies, employees, and their own personal information:

Password Length - According to David Campbell, a security consultant, passwords should be made up of 12 characters. It would cost a criminal approximately $1.5 million of hacking with an application to successfully break a a 12-character password. Some recommend using a mnemonic device so you can easily remember a longer password, even repeating one if need be.

Don't Mix Business & Pleasure - You don't want your entire company to know your dog's name is your password for your work email system, as well as your Facebook account. This could cause all sorts of problems. Chances are, no one in your company will ever need to know your passwords, but if they are able to uncover them, do you want them snooping around your personal life, as well as your professional life?

Never Write Your Password Down - If you keep a log of all of your passwords at your desk, or the information is stuck on sticky notes all around your cubicle, it wouldn't be hard for a an employee to sneak over and glance at your information. As a matter of fact, most SMBs tend to have employees located in close quarters, making this an easier way for someone to get a hold of your password information.

Never Give Your Password to Anyone - No one in your company should ever ask for your password. Administrators should be able to reset your password without knowing what it is. If someone from your IT department asks for your password, no matter how small your company is, something is probably up.

Remind your employees - They may get tired of hearing you tell them to "be careful" but ultimately it is your duty to protect your business. Remind your employees of these tips and any others you cant think of, often. One wrong move and it could cost your company thousands of dollars.

Microsoft Targets SMB's in Windows 7 Push

2009-11-08T13:41:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year Windows started a program called The Windows 7 Small Business Ignite Program, which allowed SMB's to test out the new operating system and provide feedback to Microsoft about how well it would work for them. Now Microsoft is taking that information and using it a campaign to get many small businesses to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7.

After all the trouble Microsoft had with Vista, many SMB's are reluctant to upgrade. And since there isn't a direct XP-to-Windows 7 upgrade path, Microsoft is announcing that there is a more streamlined instillation process. Microsoft hopes that SMB's who upgrade to the new operating system will notice the immediate increase in productivity, and that the simplified user interface and the increased speed which will quickly translate into cost savings.

One of the main features that Microsoft is hoping will be selling point for many SMB's is its dramatically faster start up and shut down speeds. Which will translate into less time waiting for your computer to load or shut down when you're in a hurry. Another feature which will be helpful for XP users, there's an XP mode which maintains backward compatibility with legacy apps through a virtual Windows XP SP3 environment running under Windows Virtual PC.

With all the new features, and especially the increased speed, Microsoft is hoping SMB's looking to save money in this trying economy will look at Windows 7 as a way to make that happen.

Throwing Your SMB Holiday Party on a Budget

2009-11-06T19:41:00.000-05:00

With the economy slowly climbing out of a recession and the holidays right around the corner, many SMBs are debating what to do for their annual holiday parties, or even whether or not to have their parties at all. According to Newsday.com, only 62% of companies plan to have some sort of celebration this year. That's down from last year's 77%.

But even if you're on a tight budget, you don't want to do away with your company's holiday plans. A little creativity goes a long way and a it's always a great idea to let your employees know how much you appreciate them. Some companies are allowing their employees to have their parties, if the employees will pitch in. For example, having a potluck luncheon, where every employee brings a different dish.

At Super Enterprises, a company based in Melville, New York, the company opted for a lunch instead of an extravagant party. Managment cooked the food in rented ovens for the entire team. As a matter of fact, keeping your office party on-site is a great way to save money. You can let your employees decorate the office and hand out gifts instead of renting a facility for a night.

Another way to keep your holiday party relatively inexpensive is to switch up your menu. If you usually serve steak or fish, try grilling hamburgers and hotdogs or even a breakfast buffet. Or maybe even skip the real food all together and just have dessert. A sundae buffet is a fun idea for your employees. Any kind of buffet verses a full course meal is sure to help save money.

If you do end up renting an off-site facility, there are still a few ways to safely stay within your budget. Forego the full bar and serve wine or a smaller selection of drinks. Also, you can limit party guests to employees only, or insist employees bring only one guest.

No matter what you end up doing for your holiday party, just keep in mind that the important thing is to have fun and let your employees know how much they mean to you throughout the year.

SMBs Using Twitter and Facebook

2009-11-04T13:10:00.000-05:00

Recently, Internet2Go analyst Greg Sterling conducted a survey of over 2,400 small business owners about the subject of social media such as Twitter and Facebook. The survey was aimed at members of the business social network MerchantCircle, who publish content frequently. His findings were that 45% of small companies, with less than 100 employees, confirmed that they do use Twitter and Facebook to promote their businesses, but Sterling also found that many businesses were not sure how effective their online promotions were due to their lack of knowledge of how to measure the effectiveness.

In an interview with eWeek.com, Sterling said he was surprised at the high percentage, considering many of the companies surveyed do not have the money or resources to spend on sophisticated marketing plans, "For these guys, costs was a big factor. They either need to hire a dedicated person or need more resources and don't have it."

80% of businesses surveyed had four or fewer employees, while 79% had annual marketing budgets of less than $5,000. 44% of the businesses said they actually spend less than $1,000 on advertising. 26% of participants said online marketing simply costs too much and another 16% said they just don't have the time to partake in it. Facebook and Twitter are both free and setting up an account is simple and not at all time-consuming.

So what does this mean? Sterling seems to think that in the future, more and more small businesses will fore go traditional, more competitive forms of advertising such as search engine marketing to focus on social media. "We are going to see more and more of this behavior from other small businesses because it's free and you don't have to have expertise to set up these pages," he told eWeek.

The downside to using Twitter or Facebook is the lack of ability to measure how many visits your account page is getting, but if the social media phenomenon holds up, it's almost certain some sort of social media marketing measurement tool will become available.

Best Business Apps for iPhone

2009-11-02T13:38:00.000-05:00

These days, cell phones are becoming an important part of many different businesses. If you own an iPhone, there are even more ways to put your phone to work; the App Store has over 2,000 business apps! Below is a list of some of the must-haves:

Oracle Business Indicators: The Oracle Business Indicators app provides real-time business performance and information. Customize your financial, HR, supply chain, and customer relationship management analytics for free, as long as you own a version Oracle Business Intelligence Suite Enterprise Edition Plus or Oracle Business Intelligence Applications.

LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com fans and users can access the website anytime, anywhere with the LinkedIn iPhone app. Send and receive invitations, messages, post status updates, and find contact info. The best part is, it's free.

Thomson Reuters: The Reuters app keeps you up to date on breaking news, global market information - including deals and mergers - and allows you to personalize lists of stocks and companies to watch. Browse in-depth company profiles with business descriptions, contact information, and employee profiles, and search relevant location-specific news. There is also technology, sports and entertainment news.

FedEx mobile: With the FedEx mobile app, you'll find up to date information on the status of your shipments by creating a watch list for important packages or inputting tracking numbers to track packages individually. Info can be personalized and all tracked FedEd packages appear automatically in the system.

Salesforce.com: This app allows business users to view and edit Salesforce.com records, accounts, opportunities and leads, as well as access account activity as needed. The app comes in two versions: Mobile Lite provides you with a stripped down version of the website, to all customers with Professional, Enterprise, or Unlimited Edition licenses; the full version allows you to create, edit, and delete capabilities and requires you to have the Unlimited Edition or Mobile license.

Huddle: The Huddle iPhone app allows you to share files, manage projects, organize virtual meetings, access your data on the go (including tasks, discussions, spreadsheets and presentations) and so much more.

Adobe LiveCycle: This one is also free, but you must have Adobe LiveCycle Process Management ES2 configured. The Adobe LiveCycle app allows you to connect to your lists of pending tasks and process, and approve or reject them directly from your phone. You can also view PDF files, call or email task initiators and share task lists with colleagues.

RSA SecurID token: If you need to access sensitive networked information that is protected by RSA SecurID, this app allows you to do it directly from your iPhone, with your phone becoming a software authenticator. You can import a software token that will generate a SecurID password and eliminate the need to carry an authenticator. Again, this app is free but you must already own RSA Authentication Manager and RSA SecurID Software Token Seeds.

Cisco Mobile: This app provides you with access to your company's internal phone system, allowing you to join meetings, answer business calls and check your voicemail. It also alerts you to missed calls, redirects business calls to your iPhone and allows you to dial via the office. You may also join Cisco Unified MeetingPlace via your phone. While the app is free, you must have a Cisco Unified Mobility Advantage server to use it.

Various Airline Apps: Many airlines offer free apps that provide you with up-to-the-minute information on flight arrival and departure for that particular airline. Browse flight schedules, plan your itineraries, or book and manage flights, and check-in online with these apps, depending on what airline you fly.

NetSuite: This one provides mobile access to NetSuites business management suite. Access real-time dashboards, financial and customer data, including sales orders, support cases and opportunities, and task management. Free to all current NetSuite users.

Wyse PocketCloud: User can manage their entire Windows desktop, data, and applications with this app. It offers secure Remote Desktop, VMware View, Thin-Browser and automatic keyboard activation when users install the free PocketCloud Windows Companion on their desktops.

Citrix Receiver: This app allows you to access any Windows app or document directly on your iPhone so that you may open documents, update reports, approve expenses and join webinars. You can also use the app to zoom, pan, click, scroll and type. All of your data is saved on your company's network. It uses Citrix HDX technology to deliver multi-media content. This is another free app, but it requires you to have a wi-fi or 3G connection, also XenApp Web Services and Citrix XenApp 5 or Presentation Server 4.5.

iAnywhere Mobile: With this app, you can have access to Lotus Domino and Micrsoft Exchange, and supports email, calendars, tasks and contacts, as well as providing email push notification. It includes several great security features such as password protection, data encryption, and on-demand data wipe.

Skype: Call anyone with a skype account or send instant messages with this app - as long as you have a mobile data connection or wi-fi access. You may also use it to call landlines worldwide at cheap rates and send cheap texts.

Evernote: This app allows you to create text, picture and audio notes and then synch them with a Mac, PC, or the internet. You may also access them offline. Each note includes geo-location information for mapping and search.

Protecting Your SMB From the Swine Flu

2009-10-29T12:01:00.000-04:00

It's getting to be flu season but this year there is more than just the regular flu to worry about; there's also H1N1 (or the Swine Flu). According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a flu pandemic can leave a business without 40% of its workforce - something many SMBs can't afford to have happen. And with the potential for H1N1 outbreaks on top of that, federal and health care officials are urging business owners to be prepared this winter. That means preparing for operating with an unusually small number of staff.

"All businesses should be prepared for the upcoming flu season. They should have a pandemic plan that has the flexibility to adapt to various scenarios from fairly mild to severe," Dr. John Halpin of the Center for Disease Control said in an interview with Newsday.com.

One of the first things a business can do to prevent a flu outbreak is focus on prevention. Advise sick employees to stay home and insist they not return to work until at least 24 hours after having a fever. Some business owners may even want to encourage their employees to get a flu vaccine. And as is good practice any time of year, encourage your employees to wash their hands often, and cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. A lot of prevention comes down to just plain common sense.

But even the most preventative measures may not work and for this reason, business owners should have a plan in place for keeping things running smoothly when a large percentage of employees are sick at the same time. Make sure employees are cross-trained to handle various positions within your company. Keep the number of an employment agency handy, in case you need temporary workers.

And of course, there's always the possibility you or your managing staff could become ill. In that case, documenting general operating procedures is a must, along with keeping a list of important contact information for anyone who might be taking over operating procedures. Make sure you have someone who is knowledgeable and whom you can trust to oversee your business in the event that you do sick. And one of the most important things you can do is to be flexible.

Should your company become affected and become part of a flu pandemic, there are a few things to remember. First of all, have your plan handy and refer to it. If possible, enable your employees to telecommute or work remotely. Make sure you sanitize any affected areas and something many business owners may not think about it letting an employee bring their child to work in the event schools are closed.

A little planning and flexibility can go a long way when it comes to a flu pandemic and taking the time out to make a plan can save your business thousands of dollars.

TD Bank Tops Small Business Satisfaction

2009-10-22T07:58:00.000-04:00

According to a summer study done by J.D. Power and Associates, TD Bank ranks as the top national bank for small business satisfaction. Of over 7,200 nationwide small businesses with an income of $100,000 - $10 million, TD Bank scored highest on a 1,000 point scale. TD Bank scored a 740. This is the third consecutive year the bank has ranked at Number One. The businesses surveyed indicated that they are more satisfied with a bank when a manager is dedicated to their account, understands their business, and is a thorough communicator with the business owner.

“The highest-ranking banks perform well in customer service and relationship management with their small business customers, particularly the in-branch experience,” said director of banking services at J.D. Power and Associates, Michael Beird. The average score for other banks was about 696. BB&T and Huntington National Bank tied for the number two spot with 725 points.

TD Bank is based out of Portland, Maine and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and offers banking, insurance, brokerage and investment banking in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and Washington D.C.

KnowEm: helping SMB stake claims in the social media world.

2009-10-20T21:11:00.000-04:00

KnowEm is a new site designed to help small and large businesses stake their claim in the social media world. The site offers ways for your brand to have a place on various social media websites and offers a way for you to track and manage your brand on numerous sites in one central location.

You can check the availability of user names and branded key words on 330 different sites for free. KnowEm also offers a few different services for companies, fees range from $49 a month for KnowEm to keep watch for any newly launched social media sites and automatically stake your claim on that site. For $349 KnowEm will insert relevant profile information into the top 150 social media sites for you.

With new social media sites popping up all the time and more large and small businesses creating an online presence, KnowEm seems to be the way to easily manage all the sites in one spot. The site can easily be used to make sure your brand is consistent across the internet so your customers can easily find you and your business. And the fees are worth it and could made a huge difference in how your company is seen online.

Huntsville, Alabama Named Top City To Launch SMBs

2009-10-18T14:25:00.000-04:00

Huntsville, Alabama has been named the top medium-sized city in which to start a small business by Fortune Small Business Magazine. The magazine's November 2009 issue contains a "Best Places to Launch" feature and rounding out the top ten cities are Lafayette, Louisiana; Omaha, Nebraska; Clarksville, Tennessee; Peoria, Illinois; Lexington, Kentucky; Killeen, Texas; Des Moines, Iowa; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Lincoln, Nebraska.

According to the magazine, Huntsville's beautiful surroundings and low cost of living are just a few of the benefits the city has to offer, as well as less competition (the city is dominated by government contractors instead of venture capitalists). Huntsville is located in northern Alabama and its metro area has a population of 395,645. The city was once known for its cotton and railroad industries but in the mid-1900's, it became known as "Rocket City" as it became an important city for developing space technology. Home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army's Aviation and Missile Command, and Cummings Research Park, it remains a huge influence on the country's aerospace and military technology with a thriving engineering community. The magazine calls it a "breeding ground for tech entrepreneurs."

Jerry Gabig, the CEO of Q-Track Corporation, said of his own experience starting a business in the city, "The cost of living and running a business is also relatively cheap here. My property tax is about a third of what I used to pay in Massachusetts. State gas taxes are relatively low, and the cost of electricity is below the national average. Land is also cheap, which makes it easy to expand."

Huntsville Chamber of Commerce CEO and president, Brian Hilson, told the Huntsville Times that a number of national publications have had their eye on the city for years. He says it's the result of the city's successful image marketing. "Our story is more credible when someone else says it."

The rankings were based on a study done by Fortune Small Business along with the Kauffman Foundation (the world's largest foundation devoted to entrepreneurship). The study showed which cities scored highest based on per capita income, hourly wages, work force quality, crime rates, taxes, and foreclosures. The entire article can be found at Money.CNN.com.

Dell Lowers SMB Registration Threshold Deal

2009-10-05T20:28:00.000-04:00

Computer manufacturer Dell has announced that it will be lowering the threshold for its SMB partner deal registration from $50,000 to $15,000, effective immediately. Dell says it wants to better protect those solution providers and expand the number of products and services that can now be registered. In the past, only EqualLogic products and opportunities could be registered below $50,000, but the changes are no open to all Dell products and services.

Paul Shaffer, director of U.S. marketing and operations for Dell's global commercial channels, said in a statement, "We see this as a great opportunity in the SMB space. We heard from our partners that doing $50,000 in sales was a lot for customers to be buying. We hope that lowering the threshold to $15,000 will create more opportunities for channel partners."

Many Dell resellers are already excited about the change, claiming it will make the company easier to work with. As a matter of fact, the changes come from feedback given to Dell from many solution providers, along with watching the positive response to Dell's European channel program's dropping its own threshold from $50,000 to $25,000.

Dell is also seeing a high number of registration approvals - 85% - and has already started adding more staff to help deal with what they hope will be a much higher demand in the future.

Before announcing the decision, Dell tested the program with a small number of pre-certified partners and say they were pleased with the results of the soft launch.

This is just the latest of several moves made by Dell in an effort to improve both locally and abroad. "We are committed to continuing to respond to the needs of our partners globally, as our decision to lower deal registration for our partners who serve SMBs in the U.S. and EMEA proves," Vice President and General Manager of Dell Global Commercial Channels Greg Davis said in a statement.

Microsoft Courier - An SMB Must?

2009-09-23T17:03:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the new Courier tablet from Microsoft, all things tech considered cool have now been bumped up a notch. This double-screen tablet is your day planner digitized. The Courier has yet to be 100% confirmed by Microsoft who says that this is just one of many prototypes in the tablet platform for them. But throw in some rumors of Apple's tablet and Asus' E-reader/netbook and we may be closer to seeing this baby in action than we thought.

Courier appears to be the next wave in personal business devices. What little we know about Courier tells us that this device is a side-by-side dual screen tablet that works like a book. Each screen is 7inches in size and Courier has a built in camera as well as Wi-Fi. Information input varies from multi-touch gestures like pinching and flicking to using a stylus for things like writing and drawing.

Details are sketchy on how Courier will handle things like e-mail or if it comes with things specific for video conferences and VoIP like a microphone. But Courier does look like an outstanding replacement to the traditional pen and paper way of planning your schedule. It takes everything we love about pen and paper planning and combines it with the ease and speed of a computer. Courier has two pages as well as large writing spaces to make it easy for you do work.

With access to the web Courier seems designed specifically for use by businesses, managers, sales people etc... For the first time ever you have a fully digital day planner right at your fingertips. Users can take advantage of data mash-ups like taking your contacts and flicking them onto a map to find their location, which would come in handy to people and businesses that have to go on appointments or make deliveries. Note taking is easy with the reasonable screen size and stylus which makes it a perfect tool to take into meetings or even school and you also have web access at your fingertips. Courier, it seems, will have nothing to do with the Windows 7 or Windows Mobile Operating Systems. Instead it will use an operating system specifically designed for the Courier.

This innovation is the perfect device for any business owner, worker, or anybody that needs to keep their daily plans at the ready. It allows you to get rid of the messy pen and paper which means you will never loose your plans again. This tablet is up against a similar device from Apple. However, the Apple tablet seems to be geared more towards entertainment while Courier is presented more towards the business aspect of life. It is still undetermined whether or not Courier, or even Apple's tablet, will come out but you can bet they both will be popular products if they do.

Health Care Reform: 3 Things for Small Businesses to Watch

2009-09-22T09:29:00.000-04:00

Republicans and Democrats have had their political disagreements and fights in the past but none have been such a death match as the fight over health care reform. With the battle growing each day, some small business owners are beginning to worry that their priorities will got lost in the chaos.

Todd McCracken, president of the National Small Business Association states that "Congress hasn't approached health care from a small business owner's standpoint." Whatever the outcome, there are three important health care issues to keep an eye on come this fall.

1.) Is hiring one extra employee worth your business having to pay tens of thousands of dollars in federal fines? According to the legislation before the House, if your business has a payroll as low as $250,000 then you are required to pay a 2% tax if they did not provide health insurance. This tax would raise to 8% as payroll grew to $400,000. In early drafts of Senate legislation, firms that have 25 or more employees would be required to insure them all or face a penalty per-employee. However the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has amended this problem. The bill now excludes a business' first 25 employees and not only the businesses with 25 employees or less which would have resulted in a $750 fee per worker over. So if you add a 26th man to your work force you will only face one $750 fee instead of 26.

2.) Some people want to see the Government put a limit on the value of tax-deductible insurance. In concordance with the current uncapped system, big businesses are allowed to offer premium insurance tax-free which is a good way for them to recruit and keep employees. If you put a tax on this premium insurance, it may generate the funding required for the health care reform. In addition it may also limit plans which cover unnecessary procedures consequently leveling the playing field for small businesses.

3.) It is no surprise that people who own a small business or are self-employed don't have the bargaining prowess that the corporate giants do. But, if Congress allows entrepreneurs the ability to form insurance purchasing pools, all that could change. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced in 2008 and 2009 SHOP, Small Business Health Options Program, which allowed bills such as this.

We can only sit back and wait for the fall to arrive to see how this health care reform unravels. Needless to say the epic battle between the Republicans and Democrats will rage on until then and no matter the outcome, this will definitely be something to keep tabs on as it affects all Americans.

New Q3 SMB Survey Findings

2009-09-12T07:12:00.000-04:00

Even though small and medium businesses (SMBs) are trying to save every penny in the current economic climate, a new survey from Spiceworks, Inc. - a developer of network and systems management software and market research company located in Austin, Texas - shows that a majority of businesses intend to purchase hardware and software within the next six months. The Q3 survey was designed to look at technology purchasing and staffing trends among SMBs all over the world. The survey took place over the months of July and August by Spiceworks' Voice of ITTM market research program. Of the 1,130, the majority were IT professionals that support companies with fewer than 500 employees and with annual technology budgets of about $108,000.

Here are some of the findings from the survey:

SMBs are letting their desktops, laptops, and servers last them ten more months than normal before purchasing new ones
68% of SMBs plan to add new hardware to their networks in the next six months; this includes 56% buying desktops, 55% buying laptops, 45% buying new servers, 31% buying new printers, 27% buying new network devices, and 13% buying notebooks
The average new order consists of 13 desktops, 10 laptops and two servers
At 37%, new hardware makes up the largest part of SMB IT budgets
51% of businesses are planning to buy new software. 32% of that will go to security and anti-spam solutions software. Of those, about one third plan to buy cloud-based security and anti-spam offerings.
44% of SMBs are using virtualization solutions. 21% of SMBs' total server capacity is currently virtuatlized, but over the next six months, 30% plan to expand virtualization in their networks.
25% plan to purchase backup and recovery items within the next six months. Of those, 75% plan to store date on-site and the remaining 25% plan to utilize cloud-based storage. 42% of date will be stored on network-attached storage or storage area network devices; 38% will be stored in local and direct-attached storage; 7% will be hosted off-site; and 13% on tape or other media.
57% of SMBs currently use a cloud computing service. The three most popular include anti-spam, hosted email, and online back-up.
As expected, budgets shrank in 2009. 39% cut their budgets (averaging cuts of 22%), 31 kept their budgets the same, and 30% grew their budgets (averaging growths of 27%).
60% of SMBs had to cancel at least one planned 2009 project due to the economy
As far as hiring goes, 22% of SMBs plan to hire additional full and part-time staff. Only 3% plan to reduce their staff size.

In a statement, Jay Hallberg, co-founder and vice president of Marketing for Spiceworks, said it's good to see SMBs showing signs of growth and spending, "Most are clearly ready to buy and it will be interesting to watch how these plans play out among different geographies, industries and company sizes. We will track these and other technology trends of interest in future studies."

Mint Money Management on the Move

2009-07-16T20:12:00.000-04:00

I hesitated writing a review about Mint.com because when it comes to money in times like these you simply cannot afford to fall prey to another internet fly by night; but after researching my little review, I have discovered that Mint.com is a quiet and steady freight train that could completely evolve the way we handle our money.

Mint is a money management website where you can view all your accounts in one spot. All you have to do is answer a few questions and give information for each account that you have and then Mint connects to all your accounts and brings all that information to one place where you can generate reports, plan a budget and access where all of your money is going and where to make cutbacks. I know what you’re thinking, giving all your personal account information to a website does sound like a security risk. However, after Mint gathers all your account information and creates a secure, encrypted connection to your account, they no longer keep that information on file.

Mint.com has also partnered with Yahoo! to give you at-a-glance views of your spending, budgets and investments, plus timely alerts, delivered right to your My Yahoo! personalized homepage; and for privacy reasons, your actual account balances are never displayed.

Mint has a little ways to go before its concept is fully functional, for example not all banks or creditors have joined mint yet; but for the most part I do recommend checking it out. We just might be seeing a development that is going to change the way we handle our finances online.

Why SEO is important for SMB

2009-07-09T17:05:00.000-04:00

Search Engine Optimization is so crucial to small businesses and yet so few even try SEO. When a customer wants to find a product in their local area their first instinct is to Google it. If your website does not appear on the first page of Google for their search query then you are probably going to miss out on that sale.

With the help of SEO your business will be able to reach a countless number of customers from the web. The problem with SEO though is people want results right away. Most businesses will try it for a couple of months and when they see no results they give up. SEO takes time to build up your website and make it turn from nothing into something that will show up in Google’s search results.

SEO doesn’t have to break the bank either. There are thousands of ways to promote your businesses website for free on the internet. Whether its creating a creating a blog, using websites like Twitter, Myspace, Digg, Youtube, Facebook, and Linkedin. Using social media websites for SEO is a cheap and cost effective way to get your business out their and help establish your keywords.

The key part of it all though is making sure you have a great website. Your website needs to be top priority. Whether it’s doing it yourself or paying someone to help, it is crucial to make sure your website is setup correctly so that it looks good to customers and that it is designed so that Google will have it show up in the search engines.

The entire goal here is to draw customers in using search engines. It may seem at first impossible to climb to the top of Google’s search results for your keywords, but if you stick to it you can attract a giant customer base just by using the web. The fact is if you are not doing it your competitors are.

Top 11 SMB Trade Show Do's and 10 Don'ts

2009-06-30T17:00:00.002-04:00

Trade Shows are a great way to market your product. Trade shows help increase company visibility by putting your audience in a place that you can directly connect with them. You also are able to direct contact your manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers.

A trade show though can be expensive with costs including plane tickets, shipping your supplies, equipment costs, and booth cost. With costs being so high return of investment is crucial. If done right a trade show can be the perfect opportunity to catch the attention of a wide audience of customers and can prove to be less expensive at reaching your customers than other alternatives like billboards, television, and newspaper advertising.

To help you here is a check list of 11 do’s and 10 don’ts:

Do List

Pick a good spot for your booth around the front or center to get better traffic.
Invite clients to stop by your booth via blogs, email, postcards etc…
Be alert and inviting. Stand near the front of your booth and be friendly.
Survey your prospect. Ask what do they want and or need.
Be able to state what your unique selling proposition is within 10-20 seconds. Focus on what your product or service can do for the prospect.
Booth Layout is Key! You have about five seconds to capture the trade show attendee's attention before they are gone. Have a featured discussion display or plasma flat screen with a presentation in an easily accessible area where several people can hear and see what you are presenting.
Lead Follow-up: Work out a system for capturing, qualifying and following up on leads.
Properly Staff your Booth. Have sufficient staffing to allow for rest and eating breaks.
Make a Lasting Impression: Make prospects glad that they stopped by and met you and your company.
Dress appropriately for your company and the target of the show.
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Don't List

Don't sit at your booth when prospects are present. Stand, be ready to engage all potential customers.
Don't eat, read or otherwise be distracted at your booth.
Don’t engage in conversation with your fellow workers when attendees are present.
Stand in a friendly manner that is welcoming to attendees.
Do not use the phrase "Can I help you?" -- The nearly automatic response to this question is "No thanks, just looking."
Do not hand out brochures to everyone. Until you have qualified the lead and they have expressed an interest, keep the marketing material in your own hands. Handing out brochures at initial contact may inhibit a deeper conversation.
Do not fail to assess the client's needs before providing a solution.
Do not fail to be impeccably dressed and groomed. You only have one chance to make a first impression.
Do not leave the booth unattended and do not take your stand down before the exhibit ends.
Do not fail to follow up on requests for information. It is imperative that you do what you commit to in the booth.

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New Cisco Products for SMB

2009-06-19T09:46:00.000-04:00

Cisco Systems recently launched a line of new products and services for small businesses. The company says these new products and services will help Sisco fit the needs of smaller companies and increase profitability. This comes after the networking company put $100 million into SMB initiatives, rebranded its Linksys products as "Cisco Small Business," and wrapped its Linksys small business partners into the Cisco channel.

According to Andrew Sage, vice president of worldwide small business sales for Cisco, "Fiscal Year 2010 is the year of execution for sales and the channel, the product suite and services for the SMB. Last year we were as committed, but now it's more concrete."

At the Cisco Partner Summit, the company unveiled several new services for the SMB market, including ESW 500 Series Switches, switches that integrate with other Small Business Pro portfolio products to build solutions for small businesses. The product comes in 24 and 48 port models, has optional PoE, and a five year warranty and is available starting at $659 to $3,299. For transitioning SMB clients to VoIP, Cisco has launched the SPA8800 IP Telephony Gateway. The box allows small businesses to connect their open-source IP PBX to their current analog phones and fax machines. This product will cost around $600.

Cisco also launched the PVC300 IP Camera, an IP surveillance video camera that captures live video that can viewed anywhere, including on mobile phones. The camera includes software with the ability to manage up to sixteen cameras at once, has pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities, and sends alerts when any motion is detected, integrating with alarms, doors sensors, and security systems. The camera is available for $794.

Version 1.5 of the Cisco Smart Business Communications System was also debuted at the summit. The new version has WebEx Phone Connect for getting to an online meetings in one click, Cisco TimeCard View, and single-number reach and third party networking monitoring and management applications. This system starts at about $450 per user.

In addition to the products, Cisco added several new services as well, including the Small Business Pro Service - a three year technical support coverage plan with next-day hardware replacement and extended support center access. The company also offers community-based support via a virtual community. Rebates for Select certified partners that participate in the global Partner Development Funds program will offer up to $15,000 until July 25. Partners can also leverage extended channel financing for 90 days or six months. Cisco will also be adding a "Buy Now" button on their website for certain SMB products, new smart designs for small business. They are also offering more customer incentives including migration strategies from Linksys gear, discounts of five to seven percent and price reductions of up to 25 percent on the SBCS system.

Partners are encouraged about Cisco's focus on SMB. "It's going to make it easier for us to sell products," Robert Betzel, president and CEO of Infinity Network Solutions told CRN.

CodeRED Emergency Communication Service

2009-06-12T16:55:00.000-04:00

The CodeRED emergency system is keeping the country safe, one phone number at a time, through its high-speed notification process. CodeRED utilizes unique internet mapping together with a rapid telephone system capable of delivering millions of phone calls per day. The system calls businesses and residents in the effected geographical areas, leaving recorded emergency messages with either the person who answers the phone or an answering machine or voicemail. If there is no answer, the service will attempt to call the number up to three times.

CodeRED subscribers can broadcast emergency messages from anywhere in the world via a secure website. The website allows users to monitor progress of their placed calls in real time, noting the disposition of each call and allowing users to initiate another round of calls to those that were not answered, either by a live human or an answering service. Also, once a calling job is complete, the user who initiated the call may received a summary at any email account, cell phone, or blackberry. If for some reason, the user cannot access a computer or internet service, calls may be executed from any phone with proper access codes. There is also 24/7 emergency technical support available to all CodeRED clients.

CodeRED offers their service with the highest levels of security, robustness, performance, and makes it easy to use for government agencies, communities and businesses who need to deliver emergency messages to large numbers of residents in record time. Unlike other telephone notification services, messages do not have to be truncated or looped, allowing full messages with complete instructions to be delivered to their recipients and subscribers do not need to purchase any type of equipment.

CodeRED is a part of Emergency Communications Network Inc. (ECN) based out of Florida. Originating in 1998, ECN specializes in high-speed communication services to government agencies, businesses, and the private sector.

Blackberry small buisness software

2009-05-29T00:36:00.000-04:00

"Over 21 million people use BlackBerry® smartphones on over 375 wireless networks in 140 countries around the world.", according to Blackberry. What was once considered a business professional's phone because of its complexity and intricate software is now a simple to use device that is gaining more popularity. Including Blackberry® and its easy to use software into your small business not only instantly brings you and your employees up to speed but keeps you up to speed with the rest of the world. BlackBerry® Professional Software is designed for use with up to 30 employees. It offers features to keep everyone linked such as: email, contact sharing, internet, and calendar information.

Easy Set-up
The instillation and set up is virtually pain free with Blackberry® Professional Software. The software is compatible with Microsoft® Exchange or IBM® Lotus® Domino® email servers. A pre-install assistant is run prior to set-up to inform you of any potential issues before you install. You simply run the set-up wizard and you're done. It also automatically defaults to the recommended configuration, which simply adds to the ease of set-up.

Features/Management
The software also features more controls over the devices of your employees so you, as the business owner, can have a better handle on how the device is used. You can block the browser, if you choose or simply just block sites you don't want your employees to access. You can also pre-program data back-up schedules. There's also an option to block long distance calling or calls to certain numbers. It provides easy to use IT policy templates along with technical support options.

Security Features
Security features include:
* End-to-end Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) or Triple Data Encryption Standard (Triple DES) encryption
* Industry-recognized security certifications
* Local encryption of all data

Pricing
Blackberry® offers two "bundles" for purchasing options.
-BlackBerry® Professional Software – 5 users --- $499
-BlackBerry® Professional Software – 10 users --- $849

You can purchase any number of bundles up to 30 users. If you need to add more than 30 users in the future, updating to BlackBerry® Enterprise Server is made simple and pain free, you simply need to purchase a Trade-Up key through your wireless service provider or online.

BlackBerry® is the #1 smartphone in the country right now, and for good reason. Many small business owners are looking to streamline their businesses, and provide a cost and time efficient way to do that, BlackBerry® Professional Software is the way to go. The technology provides be best options for connecting your employees not only with one another but with the rest of the world.

BlackBerry.Com