WELCOME

Ho Hum…Another Office Party

If you’re anticipating your company’s holiday party and feel like it’s going to be just another day, maybe it’s time to give this year’s occasion a merry lift. Here are some tips gathered from a quick Internet search (and my own personal experiences!):

First, be responsible. There are many drink selections that are not alcoholic. Think about the stories we all have heard about office parties gone bad because of alcohol.

Set up an area of the party for charity giving. Maybe canned goods for a food bank would work. People typically enjoy giving to a charity at this time of year.

Depending on your event’s time of day, inviting employees’ families would go a long way toward maintaining office peace and harmony.

With some extra thought and planning, your warm and festive office gathering will be long remembered and appreciated.

Libby Beatty, Chair
MBA Board of Directors

INSURANCE

The Administrators, Inc., Midlantic Business Alliance’s endorsed insurance administrator, has supplied the following article.

Aetna
Stay Healthy Outside the Doctor’s Office

Save on staying healthy! You get the discounts below with your Aetna health benefits and health insurance plan to help make it easy.

Save right away on:

Gym memberships
Weight-loss programs
Dietetic counseling
Home exercise products & equipment
Eye care, eyewear and accessories
LASIK eye surgery
Over-the-counter vitamins
Massage therapy
Chiropractic visits
Acupuncture
Hearing aids and exams
And more!

If your health plan covers any of these discounts, use your plan first. Your out-of-pocket costs could be lower.

These programs are not insurance. So there are no claims, no referrals, and no limits to how often you can use your discount. Its on-the-spot savings that your family members on your health plan can use, too!

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MARKETING

Brands, Brands, Brands

Whether it’s your brand or the brand of another business, marketing through branding is a powerful tool to get your business noticed. Here are some ways to get the most out of your efforts:

Logo Logic: Make sure that your logo is applied to any surface that can take print – business cards, letterhead, envelopes, packages, bags, stationery/forms, receipts, e-signatures, etc. The more people that see your brand, the more familiar they become with your business, and familiarity breeds brand confidence.

Publish a Book: A short book based on your business gives you an excellent opportunity to share the story behind your brand. Being a published author also affords you media perks like interviews and guest appearances. It also gives the perception that you’re an expert in your industry/field.

Tasty Brands: Team up with a favorite local restaurant for a joint marketing campaign. Besides the benefit of swapping customer information, you can gain the trust of loyal restaurant patrons when they see that your business is affiliated with their trusted eatery.

Marketing Missteps

It can be easy to get carried away with marketing our businesses, but there are ways to nurture our contacts without suffocating them. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

Explicit Permission: You can easily spoil new business contacts by placing them on e-mail lists without asking their permission. Let them know exactly what you would like to send them and get their explicit permission to do so.

Thumb Rest: There are so many ways to stay current with clients thanks to social networking sites and Twitter. Give your fingers a rest and use discretion when sending direct messages to contacts. Inundating contacts with messages is a good way to get ignored – on and off line.

Bum Rush: Last minute sales announcements and incentives are obvious methods used to pressure sales. Besides being pushy, this method is disrespectful as it belies a lack of consideration for the client. Announcing sales and promotions early gives clients a chance to plan ahead without feeling pressured.

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YOUR FINANCES

Why Outsourcing Debt Collection Makes Sense

If you ever considered outsourcing your debt collection but decided it wasn’t cost effective – think of all the time and stress involved in collecting your current debts.

Debt collection agencies use their experience, professionalism and efficiency to get you your money fast, increasing the cash flow of your business. Sending letters to delinquent account holders may get their attention, but in most cases it won’t get you your money.

On the other hand, collection agencies carry a reputation that strikes fear into late-paying customers. Studies on debt collection have showed that notices of debt are taken more seriously when they come from agencies rather than the business itself. The reason is that agencies are poised to take legal action and report delinquent actions to credit agencies.

Finding Financial Freedom

Operating a business on a tight budget can make you feel trapped. Try the following strategies to find some freedom from financial anxiety and get a new perspective on your spending habits:

Weekly Budget Meetings: Use this time to discuss and review your budget, or create one if you don’t already use one. Challenge your employees to find new ways each week to create savings and be sure to award their efforts. This is also a good time to study the turnover of late-paying customers and possibly offer them discounted rates on interest.

Bankers & Insurance Agents: Ask your banker for advice on small investments or tips on how to make the most of the money you have invested. Also ask if there are ways to reduce the fees of banking with your financial institution. Insurance agents can give you updates on your policy and possibly help you find ways to trim it, too.

Payroll: Consider extending your payroll cycle. This will help free up your cash flow and if you use a payroll service - extending your pay period may actually help you save money.

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FOR THE HOME-BASED BIZ

Home-Biz Success Requires the Right Space

The challenge of creating an effective home office is about finding ways to lower stress and distractions while creating a highly productive environment. Here’s how to make your work space work for you:

Go Wireless: Wireless technology is plentiful, reliable and affordable. Wireless monitors, phones and printers/faxes can all be utilized to minimize the amount of wires and the restrictions they impose.

Organize Upwards: You create more workspace by using shelving systems to utilize wall and vertical space. Wireless office equipment makes stacking easier than ever and modern equipment can be found in smaller sizes. Be sure to put heavier items closer to the bottom of your shelving system and remove any doors on the shelving system to keep equipment from overheating.

Sound Decisions: Distracting noises really affect productivity, so take time to create an environment as free from noise pollution as possible. The addition of carpeting, office dividers, plants and smart placement of office equipment can greatly reduce distractions.

Lose the Lease: If you lease office or storage space, working with the preceding tactics could help you create a more functional home office or even enough additional space to store your products at home. If that’s the case, you may be able to leave your rented space and gain the savings.

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HUMAN RESOURCES

Employees:
Your Greatest Asset in a Recovering Economy

A recovering economy sounds like a good thing but it carries the risk of employees wandering off to greener pastures. A recent survey reports that a third of employed Americans say they will look for a new job when the economy recovers. The following techniques can help you retain your flock:

Give Feedback: By clearly stating expectations and giving regular feedback employees become instilled with worth and direction. This also means sharing your plans about the future and direction of your business.

Reward Feedback: By requesting employee opinions and ideas you give them value and inspire them to contribute more. You can offer incentives like bonuses, titles or added responsibilities.

Instill Community: Picnics and social excursions can foster solidarity. Being part of a group will make employees think twice about moving on.

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IT

Make Your Site Mobile Friendly

With the rapidly increasing amount of web browsing done on mobile devices now is the time to make sure that your website is viewable on the go. Here’s how to get your site seen anywhere:

Testing and Creating: Sites like Enom.com and MobiReady are two sites that show you how your website translates into multiple mobile formats. Also check your competition’s mobile page to get inspired and to find way to create a unique page of your own. Remember your mobile page needs to cater to people on the go, so be sure that store locators and contact information are easy to find.

New Domain: Registering your mobile webpage with DotMobi will help with optimization and getting your site noticed. The only downside is that DotMobi wants you to use two separate versions when you register, so you may just want to rework your current page to save.

Mollom Increases Manageability and Profitability

Some business websites and blogs rely heavily on contributor’s comments and opinions. Unfortunately spammers and crumby contributors can eat up your time and distract your attention from worthy contributors. With the help of Mollom, you can filter out the spam and get evaluations to help you save time and create a quality site. Mollom has a free version that lets you try out all it has to offer:

Mollom Community: Mollom uses info from participating sites to learn and improve its ability to weed out time wasting and unwanted messages.

Security: Since many of the time wasters out there are automated spambots they render traditional detection methods useless, but Mollom uses a content analysis to significantly reduce the risk.

Increases Traffic and Ad Revenue: Since content and comments are closely monitored it allows you to spend time creating a quality site that attracts more traffic which makes your site more desirable to advertisers and search ratings.

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NEW MEMBERS

When our member base increases there is more of everything: more creative networking, more benefits and more experienced, enthusiastic business owners. All move our members toward growth, success and the entrepreneurial spirit.

Click here to meet our newest small business partners.

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Unless specifically indicated, MBA does not intend mention of companies, products or services discussed in this publication to be construed to be endorsements. The information in this publication is offered as examples that may be useful to our small business readers. Please consult with an industry professional before implementing any of the tips or subscribing to any of the services described above.