WELCOME

It can be difficult to motivate employees, particularly in a sputtering economy. As an employer, you're in the position of settling disputes. Workplace flexibility can be an affordable way to motivate workers, settle problems and extend a helping hand to employees.

• Flexible scheduling offers employees the opportunity to work from home for part of the week or, to avoid a layoff, take voluntary hour cuts
• Allow employees to donate their paid leave to coworkers with serious health or social issues; helping build solidarity and strenth to your team
• Employer flexibility can be a problem solver; disputes arise but when parties are adaptable, a crisis is averted
• Employees can choose to use a portion of their paid work week to donate time to a local charity. This helps connect your business and the local community

Libby Beatty, Chair
MBA Board of Directors

NEWSWORTHY

Obama Pushes for New Tax Breaks

In preparation for November elections, President Obama is asking Congress to allow 100% write- offs on new capital investments through 2011. The tax cuts would save businesses an estimated $200 billion over the next two years.

The hope is that these savings would allow businesses to keep more cash in hand to boost the recovering economy. The proposal will likely meet resistance as the current partisan climate of Congress halts progress. Republican leaders claim that the plan does not address the main issues of government overspending uncertainty with policies.

If the proposal is passed the cost for taxpayers over the next 10 years would be $30 billion with most of the money lost in tax revenue and being recouped with the strengthening economy.

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MARKETING

Customer Feedback Without the Headaches

Collecting valuable customer feedback is one thing, but organizing it into a useful format is how to reap the value.

Here are some easy-to-use, low and no-cost tools to help you get the most from your customer feedback:

• Get Satisfaction: This site offers your business a place for your customers to access a community to view FAQs, ask questions and get answers. The format offers an open forum setting where one person's questions and comments can be viewed by others. You can direct your customers there via a widget on your site.
• User Voice: This service allows users to ask questions, report issues and submit their ideas. The users can then vote on the ideas they like best. This service offers a free basic plan with limited usage.
• MakeFive: This site allows you to create lists and lets users vote on which items or ideas they like best. They can also make comments and leave their ideas too. The service is free to use, easy to set up and can be easily accessed via a link from your webpage.

What's in a Name?

It's not enough for people to recognize your business - the name needs to illicit some association in the mind of the customer.

Here are some ways to let your business speak for itself:

1. Say Nothing: Donate your service/product to a silent auction that is connected to a non-profit organization - that way the donation stays tax deductible. At the very least, you'll gain one new customer and any referrals they have to offer.
2. Their Say: Give your customers the opportunity to share their opinions. Product or event-naming contests always draw at least some customer input at no cost. Also be sure to use a prize as an extra incentive to participate.
3. Say Thanks: Think of a time when a person or business did a favor for you. Take the opportunity to ask if there is anything you can do in return, and leave a standing offer to keep future lines of communication open.

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YOUR FINANCES

Finding Better Bargains

The Internet is full of great places to find bargains. The problem is that there are so many choices that making the right one costs valuable time. Here are some comparison sites that will help save time and money:

Communications:
For savings on phone plans and systems try: Phonesaver.com and Buyerzone.com.

For cheaper broadband, try searching: Broadband.com, Broadbandbroker.com, Buyerzone.com and EverythingT1.com.

Business Equipment:
Buyerzone.com will allow you to view and compare multiple quotes from various suppliers.

IT:
From hardware to software, sites like shopper.cnet.com and shopper-zdnet.com offer big savings.

Get to Know Your Soft Assets

Crafting the financial success of your business is an exercise in analyzing hard assets on balance sheets, projections and monthly reports - but financial success isn't everything. The value of your business partnerships and the perception of your company in the public eye can be as valuable - if not more, than your business's fiscal standings. Often referred to as soft assets, these relationships and partnerships should be approached with the same strategic and systematic efforts as managing your hard assets.

The value of soft assets is derived from their ability to secure and bolster the support of business and consumer groups to increase the sustainability of your business. Try creating a balance sheet of your soft assets including brand equity, human capital and strategic relationships. Then when you measure the return on your investments you can include returns on influence, involvement, integration and image - giving you a clearer representation of your business's real condition.

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FOR THE HOME-BASED BIZ

Boost the Credibility of Your Home Biz

Home businesses are more challenged than larger businesses when it comes to proving their legitimacy. Here are some ways to tout your credibility to potential customers:

Testimonials: For every satisfied customer there is potential for a stellar testimonial. Be sure to place the testimonials in plain view on your landing page or on the front of your brochure or mailer. A business blog is another easy way to get your fans to share their kudos.

Visuals: Videos and photos of your business place or your service team members in action help to give your marketing a personal touch. A video testimonial is also strong endorsement that can be placed on your website or social networking page.

Numbers: People like numbers because they are concrete and measurable. The age of your business, the number of years of experience you have and the amount of repeat customers served are all good indicators of your credibility.

Ideas for Growing Your Home Business

If you've been considering expanding your home business, here are a couple ideas to help you get started:

• Hire Help: This could be an intern, an assistant or a contractor. Interns and assistants save you time and can be used as a sounding board for ideas. Contractors could help you fill the gaps in your experience or expertise and can function as a conduit to help expand your social network.
• Franchising and Licensing: If you have a business model that can be standardized and is easy to replicate, you could consider repackaging your business as a franchise. Another option is to license your products to larger businesses or corporations.

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HUMAN RESOURCES

Temp Firms Redefined

Temp firms have become more numerous and specialized. If you're looking for some extra help around the workplace, you have more options than ever before.

Here are some firms that can help you get the job done:

TrueBlue: This company specializes in placing low-skilled general workers but also has skilled workers like carpenters, plumbers and electricians. Placement, however, can take a couple days. Cost: $13 per hour for general unskilled labor, but prices vary depending on local market and local minimum wage rules. Skilled laborers cost more.

SimpleBackOffice.com: This company offers online virtual assistants. These assistants can manage e-mail, take appointments, handle invoices and deal with payroll. To be sure that you don't waste money on lazy assistants, you can view a screen shot of your assistant every ten minutes. Schedules are flexible to meet client's needs. Cost: $35 per hour.

Matrix Resources: Matrix resources supplies businesses with IT staffing and consulting. These employees can design a website or test and develop software for your company. Cost: $65 to $80 per hour; off-site projects are billed as flat fees.

What Employees Want

Employees need more than sweet perks and big paychecks to stay happy.

Here are some of the less tangible things that you can give your employees to help them stay productive:

1. Purpose: Employees want to know that the work they do makes a difference. If you give employees the opportunity to share their ideas and the ideas get implemented, it helps them to feel valued and important to the business. You can even create time specifically for employees to brainstorm about how to improve business.
2. Goals: Measurable goals set at regular intervals keep employees focused and motivated. Also, by allowing your employees to figure out how to meet these goals on their own allows them to work as a team which builds solidarity.
3. Independence: Allowing your employees autonomy when it comes to getting work done can help boost their productivity. This kind of freedom also instills a sense of trust and a chance to exercise their creativity, which typically makes workers happier and more productive.

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IT

Market with Trustmark

Many websites display badges from companies like VeriSign and TRUSTe to let surfers know that the site is safe and secure. The new start-up Trustmarker offers web contributors a variety of badges to tout a wide range of certifications and relationships - even with the option of creating their own distinct badge.

These badges, or "Trustmarks", also function as hyperlinks that allow the owners to direct traffic back to site when embedded on someone else's page. When you license your Trustmarks to another site you maintain control of its usage.

In addition to generating traffic, Trustmarks function as analytic tools that show who is clicking on your site while creating a stream of income. For the moment, Trustmarker is a free service that includes e-mail and phone support.

Kall8

If you are considering the management of your business communications from a fully-integrated, toll-free service, Kall8 may be for you. Kall8 offers tons of enticing features including: real-time call management, tracking, forwarding, caller ID, conference calling, virtual calling card and the ability to analyze the results of online ad campaigns.

You can monitor and modify your account entirely online, choosing from a variety of options like detailed call reports, invoice viewing and account management. Kall8 is pay-as-you-go, with no hidden fees and no monthly minimums to maintain your account and number.

Rates vary according to your needs, but, overall, it's affordable starting at just $2 per month. To learn more visit Kall8.com.

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COMMENTARY

An Interesting Congressional Race in the PA 7th CD
Your right to elections is at risk…

By Stephen Markowitz

The race between Pat Meehan (R) and Bryan Lentz (D PA State Dist. 161) epitomizes the nature of the culture clash that will, in one way or another, determine the outcome of so many contests in America this November. It is Meehan the "business advocate" v. Lentz the "business-abuser."

For business, and particularly small business, it seems very clear that Pat Meehan understands the issues that burden this community, our employees and families. One critically important issue that is perhaps flying under the radar is the Employee Free Choice Act.

In case you are in the dark regarding this issue, the Administration wants labor to be able to organize your employees without having to go through an election for union representation.It calls for certification of a union as soon as union officials collect signatures of a majority of eligible employees. Signature cards are not votes and you have no way of knowing under what duress they may have been signed. Right now a secret ballot protects against that very situation.

The Act further mandates that within 10 days of collection of the signatures, collective bargaining must begin and a collective agreement must be reached no more than 120 days subsequent to that. If it doesn't happen there are fines…for you not the union. You are at risk no matter how small your organization is.

Meehan opposes the Act and Lentz supports it. That tells you all you need to know about them. Meehan supports your right to be in business; Lentz supports the loss of control of your assets to unions. Meehan understands that small businesses must be a part of any union process that can change a business permanently. Lentz is apparently not worried about your right to have a say in the future of your business. He wants your assets to be at least partially controlled by union leaders. They have invested no time or risk in your business, but the state Democrat thinks they have a right to control it. Are you sanguine about this attack on your business? Do you want him casting a vote on this in Washington?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) and Vice President Joe Biden (D) have both come to town to support Lentz. Need I say more? This Administration owes its life to organized labor. We don't need to let them pay for it with our autonomy. What business owner or manager can accept this lunacy? Let's put Meehan in office in an election and avoid having Lentz give away your employees' rights to elections in your own companies.

Stephen Markowitz is chief executive officer of The Administrators, Inc. His column, Commentary, appeared for 15 years in The Alliance Report, MBA's printed newsletter. His comments reflect his views and not necessarily the opinions of the board and staff of Midlantic Business Alliance. Contact him at SMarkowitz@TheAdministratorsInc.com.

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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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MBA EVENTS OF INTEREST

It’s Not Impossible to Have a Paperless Office...
We’ll Show You How

Going "paperless" may seem a daunting task. It’s easily achievable when you break down your goal into manageable steps. It’s often best to achieve a "semi-paperless" environment before eliminating all paper from your office.

The average organization makes 19 copies of each paper document, spends $20 in labor to file each document, and spends $120 in labor searching for misfiled documents. And this does not include the cost of distributing documents via mail or express delivery.

Going "paperless" (or using "much less paper") offers clear benefits: higher productivity, less storage space, fewer expenses, better customer service and increased profits.

Seems overwhelming right? Well...it doesn’t have to be.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

MBA Conference Room
867 Sussex Blvd.
Broomall, PA

Click here to view a full description for this seminar.

About Our Presenter:
Brooke Grubb is an Account Manager with Excel Business Systems, an office technology company in Newark, Delaware. Her focus is helping organizations increase the value and efficiency of their copy / print device
configurations, as well as offering hardware, software, and consultation to support organizations with their “paperless” initiatives and streamline their workflow. Brooke is also Secretary of MBA’s Hockessin Delaware Business Connections Group.

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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.