WELCOME

The days grow shorter with the end of daylight savings time and there is an increased sense of being in full swing with regard to our business activities. I hope you take a look at every AR Online newsletter we e-mail because there will always be something in it to cause you to think or plan differently.

I have a sense of restored balance now as our elected representatives come to grips with the fact that small business and small individuals can make themselves heard and felt. While the issue of taxes and health care reform compete with the need for new markets in the mind of most small business owners, we should also give thought to ways in which we can support this economy. First by adding at least one employee to staff. After all, we employ America…but also by expanding, taking advantage of any tax breaks to acquire capital assets and welcoming the chance to do business in an economy that seems to be starting to improve.

This is not a time for despair but rather one for proactive participation in your markets, your communities, and your Midlantic Business Alliance.

I look forward to continuing to receive your comments. The nice ones are reinforcing and critical ones are enlightening.

Libby Beatty, Chair
MBA Board of Directors

NEWSWORTHY

Pennsylvania's First Decennial Filings Coming Due in 2011

In 2001, the Pennsylvania State Department required the filing of an initial report under the Act by all domestic and foreign profit and nonprofit corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and business trusts (Affected Entities).

Given that filings are required every 10th year, the next decennial filing will be due between Jan. 1, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2011, unless a party is exempt from filing. The legislative intent of the Act is to identify business names or marks that are no longer in use so that they may be reissued and placed back into the stream of commerce. The decennial report must set forth the Affected Entity's name, its registered or other office address, a statement that it continues to exist and such other information as the Department specifies by regulation.

The Department will give notice by mail of the decennial filing requirement to all Affected Entities, which notice will be accompanied by the appropriate forms. These notices will be sent by the Department on or after Nov. 1, 2010. The filing fee is $70, and blank forms (once prepared by the Department) will be available under the "Corporations-Forms-Miscellaneous Forms-Decennial Report of Association Continued Existence" headings.

Source: Stradley, Ronon Attorneys at Law

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MARKETING

Seasonal Tune-Up for Online Sales

With the holidays heralding an influx of traffic to your website, now is the time to make sure that it's in top form.

Here are some ideas for fine tuning your site to turn browsers into buyers:

• Be Seen: Three out of four online shoppers use search engines to find what they want to buy. If you're not a pay-per-click advertiser, this would be the time to try it out. If you are, try changing or adding additional keywords and revamping your ads. Local search engines are another avenue to explore.
• Product Info: The more valuable content you offer about a product, the greater the chances of making the sale. This means adding photos, videos, reviews and size charts where appropriate.
• Convenience is Key: Convenience is the prevailing reason people shop online, so offer tools that save time. On-site product search tools and quick check-out options for return customers are great services to offer. Customer service tools like live answers to questions can be implemented with instant messaging services or by posting a number for a Q&A hotline during peak hours.
• Cart Confidence: Some shoppers are put off when they see that the initial price quote did not include tax or shipping, leading many of them to abandon their purchase. Get all your prices up front and offer as many payment options as you can. Also be sure to show that shopper's info is safe and protected by posting your privacy policy in a highly visible location.

Marketing Impressions that Stick

Getting you and your business in the public's mind is about how you make an impression.

Here are two ideas to get people asking and talking about your business:

1. Word-of-Mouth Stickers: Invest a small amount of money to buy some eye-catching stickers, and ask friends, employees or customers to wear them to events or conferences. By using a three-letter acronym you can incite curiosity about your business: Stranger: What does SAF mean? Answer: It means Shop at Fred's (get the idea?).
2. Where are the Testimonials: Reviews and testimonials carry a lot of weight with potential clients, so be sure that they are placed or linked in a visible spot on your landing page.

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YOUR FINANCES

Save Time & Money with a Mail Room

Your business may not have the space to create an entire mail room, but you can equip your business with the tools of a mail room in order to save time and money on shipping items and documents.

Here's how to reap the savings:

The Service: Postage meters and online mail services offer small businesses the ability to ship from the office. Postage meters can be filled and refilled, and some come equipped with scales. Online mail services can print postage from your computer, alleviating the need for equipment.

The Equipment: A functioning printer will suffice for online mailing services and postage meters are usually leased on a monthly basis. Beyond that, equipment like letter folders, shrink wrappers and bundling machines all help save time and boost productivity. Be sure to check around for second-hand equipment to reduce costs.

What You Might Not Know About Fraud and Identity Theft

There's a lot of obvious information out there about how to protect your business and the interests of your customers from fraud and identity theft.

Here are some tips that are less obvious but integral to protecting your interests:

• Beyond Pop-Ups: Pop-up ads that request personal and financial information are common ploys to gather your data. Aside from withholding information, be sure not to click on any links as they further increase hackers' opportunities to infiltrate your system.
• Compute with Caution: Reduce your vulnerability by turning off your computer when it's not in use, and avoid doing financial or business work on unknown computers in public locations.
• Monitor Your Credit: There are plenty of free and fast credit reports available on the Internet. Use these services regularly to check your credit rating and uncover any suspicious activity. Also, review your account statements often, and report strange activity immediately.
• Out of Their Hands: By opting to receive statements and banking online, you reduce the chance of having physical data like receipts and reports falling into the wrong hands.

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FOR THE HOME-BASED BIZ

Affordable Event Locations for Home Businesses

Hosting an event for a home-based business is a great way to get public exposure, but finding a venue that won't break the bank can be a big challenge.

Here are some inexpensive venue suggestions:

1. Restaurants: More and more restaurants are offering private rooms as event venues. They can offer a variety of atmosphere, convenience of food and beverage service and a wide range of affordable options.
2. Theatres: Movie and independent theatres offer a unique setting for presentations like speakers and films. Check with your local theatres to see what holes they may be trying to fill in their schedule.
3. Museums & Campuses: Educational settings like these are great places to spark creativity and learning. Both facilities are usually equipped with presentation material like tables, easels and connections to catering.

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HUMAN RESOURCES

Green Office: Transportation

Here are some tips for getting to work that help conserve environmental resources while helping us save money and work happier less stress-filled lives:

Car: By keeping your tires inflated to their proper pressure, you will save money on gas and extend the life of your tires.

Public Transportation: If more people participated in public transportation, we could avoid excessive hours in traffic; save money on gas; and enjoy more free time.

Telecommute: There are already 44 million people who work from home some part of their workday. The amount of gas and money that this saves is astronomical. Imagine how much more could be saved by finding alternatives to the way we already work.

Managing with Mastery

Masterful managing means knowing what you want and how to get it from your employees.

Here are some tips for how to lead and mold your ideal workforce:

• Lead by Example: Your behavior helps dictate the behavior of your employees. Be sure that you are fair and available to everyone, whether you're giving compliments or being available for questions.
• Guide with Suggestions: Suggestions instead of orders tend to make employees more receptive. It also gives them a sense of freedom to do the job their way, making them feel trusted and creative. Freedom and creativity lead to happy productive workers.
• Flowing Feedback: Giving feedback often lets employees know you are keeping an eye on them. Even if the input is negative, it allows workers to correct mistakes which lead to more positive feedback in the end.

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IT

Splash Pages Don't Make a Splash

A splash page is an animated or multimedia page used to excite and grab the attention of web users. Although the idea seems good, many users immediately click on the "close" option as soon as they see a splash page.

The reason is that splash pages sidetrack visitors from going directly to the content. Remember, the Internet is used because it helps users get information fast; slowing down surfers can turn them away from your site.

Also, search engines commonly have difficulty making sense and, as a result, they are often left out of search results. Bottom line: get rid of your splash page and take your users right to the meat of your site.

Web Tools

Here are some free and inexpensive web tools that can help you build your website and turn it into a money maker:

Free Graphics: Don't waste time with other sites that claim to have free graphics because this one actually does. The only catch is you cannot claim the images as your own or use them on sales material.

Domain Search: Some domain search engines take a while to check for your request - GoDaddy's does not. It quickly shows you a list of results that have your search in the title and shows you available variations. You can purchase the domain name right there too!

Build Memberships: This site is a resource full of articles and free tools to help you build membership to your site or online service. The cost for a month of access is $19.95, a small price to pay if you can score even a few sales off your site.

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COMMENTARY

A Blow for the Small Business Community

By Stephen Markowitz

The votes are in and ordinary Americans have once again shown that we continue to exercise our rights to change the direction of our government in a peaceful and orderly manner. (See Thailand and Myanmar for examples of how not to do it.)

Americans provided an over-whelming vote which clearly warned our elected officials that we expect measured thought and action going forward. Now it is up to the factions to come together and compromise on the issues of (to name just a few things):

1. Who is rich and who isn't…who gets tax relief and who doesn't'. America spoke loud and clear on their feelings on this matter. No more pandering by politicians trying to drive wedges among the populace. You can be sure that 'soak the rich' diatribes are now considered to be not so PC by the Blue Factions.
   
   
2. Who makes decisions about how our health care and financing of same; no more grand and eloquent unfunded strategies for hope and change that leave neither hope nor change in anyone's pockets.
   
   
3. Whether unions direct the efforts of this administration or the people do. The concepts of eliminating elections in union organizing as well as removing teachers and other unions from the noxious elements of health care reform were anathema to the equitable distribution of the burdens this Administration wants to put on the small business owner.

And a clear message was sent to both parties. Time to clean up your act and get it right. We are only two years away from doing this again.

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.

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

Breakfast Networking Event

Spend the morning networking with a group of businessmen and women who want to meet new clients and contacts like you.

Bring along your business cards, brochures or whatever else it takes to showcase your company to fellow business professionals.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010
8:30 AM to 10:30 AM

Generations Restuarant
9 State Road, Media, PA

$5 for members,
$10 for non-members to attend,
$30 for non-members to attend and join MBA

Click here to register.

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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.