Annual Report: Does Your Business Need To File One?

Once you’ve formed an LLC or a corporation for your business, your operational and administrative obligations are going to be higher than a sole proprietor’s. While an LLC involves significantly less paperwork and formal administration than a corporation, both business entities generally need to file an annual report with the state.

Here’s what you need to know about this important filing to keep your small business in corporate compliance.

What is an Annual Report?

Also known as a Statement of Information, the annual report is typically required by the state so they can keep up to date with your company’s vital information. For example, you may be asked to submit information about directors and officers, and the registered agent and office address of the company.

In most states, there’s also a small filing fee associated with the report.

All states except Ohio and Alabama require some kind of annual report.

When is the Annual Report due?

Specific due dates vary from state to state. In some cases, the deadline falls on the anniversary of your business’ incorporation/formation date. In other cases, it’s when your annual tax statements are due and in some cases, it’s at the end of the calendar year.

Be sure to know your specific filing deadline by checking with your state’s secretary of state office.

What Kind of Information Do I Need to Include in the Annual Report?

The annual report will generally ask you for basic contact and operational information. The type of details you provided when you first filed to form your corporation or LLC. The specific details will vary by state and business type.

For example, an LLC in California will need to provide the following details in its annual report:

• Business address.
• Member names and addresses.
• Business officers: President, secretary and treasurer.

What is an Initial Report?

In some states, LLCs and Corporations are also required to file an initial report shortly after the LLC/Corporation is formed. Like the annual report, the initial report contains basic information about business activity (registered address, directors, etc.).

At present, the following states require an initial report filing:

• California
• Connecticut
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Missouri
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Washington

What Happens if I Don’t Turn in My Annual Report/Initial Report?

These reports may seem like a trivial paperwork, but they’re actually quite important. Missing the deadline can result in late penalties and fees (and there’s no reason your business should pay a dime more than it ought to).

In the worst case scenario (i.e. if you’ve skipped your annual report for multiple years on end), your company can be suspended or dissolved.

In addition, you need to think about keeping an LLC/corporation in good standing in order to maintain its “corporate shield.”  One of the biggest advantages of these formal business structures is that they minimize your personal liability (shields you from the activities of the business). But if your business happens to be sued and the plaintiff can show that you haven’t maintained your LLC/corporation to the letter of the law (i.e. your annual reports aren’t up to date), your corporate shield might be pierced and you can be personally liable.

As a small business owner, I know just how hectic your schedule can be. But be sure to set aside some time to address your business’ administrative obligations. Know your deadlines and get your paperwork in on time.

It’s a relatively easy task and will make sure your business stays in compliance (and you won’t have to pay any hefty fines).

Report Photo via Shutterstock

Sponsored Content

Annual Report: Does Your Business Need To File One?

Once you’ve formed an LLC or a corporation for your business, your operational and administrative obligations are going to be higher than a sole proprietor’s. While an LLC involves significantly less paperwork and formal administration than a corporation, both business entities generally need to file an annual report with the state.

Here’s what you need to know about this important filing to keep your small business in corporate compliance.

What is an Annual Report?

Also known as a Statement of Information, the annual report is typically required by the state so they can keep up to date with your company’s vital information. For example, you may be asked to submit information about directors and officers, and the registered agent and office address of the company.

In most states, there’s also a small filing fee associated with the report.

All states except Ohio and Alabama require some kind of annual report.

When is the Annual Report due?

Specific due dates vary from state to state. In some cases, the deadline falls on the anniversary of your business’ incorporation/formation date. In other cases, it’s when your annual tax statements are due and in some cases, it’s at the end of the calendar year.

Be sure to know your specific filing deadline by checking with your state’s secretary of state office.

What Kind of Information Do I Need to Include in the Annual Report?

The annual report will generally ask you for basic contact and operational information. The type of details you provided when you first filed to form your corporation or LLC. The specific details will vary by state and business type.

For example, an LLC in California will need to provide the following details in its annual report:

• Business address.
• Member names and addresses.
• Business officers: President, secretary and treasurer.

What is an Initial Report?

In some states, LLCs and Corporations are also required to file an initial report shortly after the LLC/Corporation is formed. Like the annual report, the initial report contains basic information about business activity (registered address, directors, etc.).

At present, the following states require an initial report filing:

• California
• Connecticut
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Missouri
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Washington

What Happens if I Don’t Turn in My Annual Report/Initial Report?

These reports may seem like a trivial paperwork, but they’re actually quite important. Missing the deadline can result in late penalties and fees (and there’s no reason your business should pay a dime more than it ought to).

In the worst case scenario (i.e. if you’ve skipped your annual report for multiple years on end), your company can be suspended or dissolved.

In addition, you need to think about keeping an LLC/corporation in good standing in order to maintain its “corporate shield.”  One of the biggest advantages of these formal business structures is that they minimize your personal liability (shields you from the activities of the business). But if your business happens to be sued and the plaintiff can show that you haven’t maintained your LLC/corporation to the letter of the law (i.e. your annual reports aren’t up to date), your corporate shield might be pierced and you can be personally liable.

As a small business owner, I know just how hectic your schedule can be. But be sure to set aside some time to address your business’ administrative obligations. Know your deadlines and get your paperwork in on time.

It’s a relatively easy task and will make sure your business stays in compliance (and you won’t have to pay any hefty fines).

Report Photo via Shutterstock

Sponsored Content

Four Benefits of Adding a Website Visitor Survey to Your Site

Customer satisfaction is everything in business. But understanding what customer’s want and how they would react to any changes in pricing, product, promotion and packaging (Phillip Kotler’s 4 P’s of marketing), can be unnerving for any new business owner.Traditional survey methodologies like customer-interviews or panel discussions can be time-consuming and expensive. And while social media is a great platform for engaging with customers, it may not give the specific insights needed to make a business decision.

On the other hand, surveys embedded on your website are an affordable, prompt way to collate views from existing and potential customers. Website visitor surveys can be used by growing businesses to:

• Collect information on website usability, content and design.  While website analytics is great for understanding origination of website traffic and on-site visitor preferences, website survey can help you really understand who is visiting, why like your website and what they would like to change.
• Gather customer feedback on new product launches, seasonal promotions and overall customer satisfaction. Although the one disadvantage of using website surveys for broader purposes is that you have a restricted audience (visitors to your website). As you expand your business, you can always supplement website surveys with other collection methods such as emails, telephonic interviews and panel discussions.

A website visitor survey offers the following benefits: 

1. You capture feedback from target customers. People visiting your website are either already buying from you or at least have an inclination to do so. For content driven portals like Small Business Technology, it’s a tool for gathering feedback from readers on what we are doing right and what we need to better.
2. Feedback is gathered real-time. Users are asked to submit their feedback at a point of time when they are actually exploring information on your business. 
3. Website surveys are less time-consuming and more cost-effective. Survey tools like Google Consumer survey are conducted over short duration and provide visually analyzed results, at affordable rates.
4. Since website surveys are easy to design and execute, questions can be easily modified to meet business requirements. 

Tips on Creating an Effective Website Visitor Survey

Website visitor surveys may be perceived as irritants to the surfing experience. This is often due to surveys being enforced or too lengthy and complex. The online audience is unlikely to spare more than a few minutes to give feedback and therefore website visitor surveys are most effective when designed with a singular objective. Here are some tips on designing website visitor surveys :

1. Pick one topic for feedback.  Keeping it simple will help your audience understand the intent in the least possible time. 
2. Word questions in clear, straight forward language.
3. Restrict the number of questions to under 10; don’t be afraid to keep it under 5 if it serves your purpose
4. Restricting access to content on your website conditional to a survey response could be counter-productive.  Give visitors the freedom to respond to the survey if and when they like. A good time to solicit feedback would be a few minutes into the website surfing experience.
5. Promote your survey through social media accounts (and email marketing if you have an ongoing campaign)
6. Use it as an opportunity to show your visitors that their opinion matters. Share the findings and proposed steps basis the feedback received. 

There are a number of tools available to create website surveys. A few include:

• Google Website Satisfaction Survey:  This free service can be used to ask 4 questions from visitors for up to 500 responses over 30 days. The results are analyzed and shared by Google in a downloadable report format with data visualization. You can customize the questionnaire for 1¢ per response or $5.00 for 500 responses.
• Survey Pie: The free plan is suitable for businesses looking for short-term website visitor surveys. For long-term and repeat online surveys the paid plan starts at $ 29.9 per month.

Visitor website surveys offer smaller businesses the unique opportunity to seek out valuable qualitative inputs on the effectiveness of their websites as well as other facets of their business. However these surveys must be implemented without impeding the website-user experience. Also, sharing key takeaways from the survey with the audience can help establish credibility with site visitors.

 

How to Create a Facebook Fan Page

Among social media networks, Facebook is the undisputed king. A whopping 3.2 billion likes and comments are posted on the social media site daily, according to data collected by Media Bistro.

The site now has 1.15 billion active users per month with about 699 million people logging on daily.

Here’s how to leverage these users with a Facebook page that will build fans and customers.

How to Create a Facebook Fan Page

Creating your Facebook fan page is the first step in Facebook marketing. Create a Facebook Fan Page as a way to keep in touch with your customers. Use the channel to build your brand and to gain the ability to respond quickly to customers’ comments, feedback and questions.

Here’s a feature overview (courtesy: Facebook Pages). When completed, your Facebook fan page should look like this:

Your Facebook fan page should be a dynamic and interactive digital hub for your brand. Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Choose a Category and a Page Name

Choosing the right category and page name helps your fans, customers, and prospects to find you easily. It also lets those who don’t know about you discover instantly who you are and what you do. Picking the right category and page name also helps with SEO (search engine optimization) and allows for extra visibility and traffic from search engines.

Here are the six types of fan pages you can choose from on Facebook:

1. Local Business or Place
2. Company Organization or Institution
3. Brand or Product
4. Artist, Band, or Public Figure
5. Entertainment
6. Cause or Community

Marketing site MarketingGum.com has more on what each type of page means and how to choose the right one. But unless you are an artist, musician, public figure or in the entertainment industry, you will likely be choosing one of the first three.

Important: You can change the name and category of your Facebook fan page later on, but you can’t change the type of page, so choose carefully.

Step 2: Add Logo and Other Images to Your Fan Page

Next, you’ll want to load your logo and some images. Assume you have been marketing your business for some time across multiple channels. You’ll want to keep your logo consistent. Your photos should give visitors an instant understanding of your business and the products or services you provide.

Check out how major brands like Louis Vuitton, Windows and Coca Cola have used logo and photos to build their brands.

Step 3: Fill in the Details. Let the World Know What Your Page is About

Fill in the basic information about your business and add your website URL. Think of Facebook as a social window to your business. What you write here helps create first impressions. So use the right personality and voice to represent your business well.

Step 4: Tweak the URL for a More Memorable Facebook Address

Facebook automatically gives you a dedicated URL for your Facebook fan page. However, the original one (default URL) is a mishmash of numbers, characters, and weird symbols no one would ever remember. Instead, claim your Vanity URL and change the address of your page to be more descriptive of your business. This will make it easier to remember and to promote later on.

Step 5: Work on a Cover Photo

Think of cover photos as flexible billboards. You can change the photo as many times as you like. The standard size for the cover photo is 851 by 315 pixels. And it will be the first impression visitors get of your brand on Facebook. Here are some of the choices you might consider:

• Pictures of people using your product.
• Custom graphics or photos that tell a story about your business or brand.
• Other materials related to your product or service: Album art work for musicians, a menu for restaurants, etc.
• A creative blend of images and graphics, perhaps incorporating both the cover photo and logo image, that tells something interesting about your business or simply attracts attention.

Want more inspiration? Check out these creative examples of Timeline cover photos from Social Media Examiner.

Get to Work on Your Fan Page

Building Your Timeline and Writing Your Posts

The Facebook timeline on your fan page is at the heart of engagement and brand building for your business. This is where it all starts.

Andrea Wahl has a few good examples of how some businesses use timelines effectively. Facebook has added some new features such as the ability to “pin posts” and to showcase larger stories with extra large photos, videos and links to drive more engagement.

You can add a “star” to highlight important stories or you can hide/delete stories if you decide not to display them on your timeline.

You may even set milestones to define your key moments in history: Your startup date, your achievements, new branches, etc. You also have the ability to add specific milestone photos (843 by 403 pixels) as a way to use visuals for image enhancement.

Keep Track of Engagement

As you go about posting information, tips, and updates, photos, and milestones and responding to comments from your new fans, you’ll also want to keep an eye on how your engagement progresses over time. Facebook provides you all the tools you need to study engagement.

To start with, your friend activity snapshot gives you an overall look into how many of your friends like your page. You might choose to invite more people on your network when you think they’ll benefit from it. On your “Friend Activity” feed, you’ll also get to know what others have to say about your business.

Your Facebook fan page admin panel will look like the snapshot below, with notifications, messages, insights at a glance, new “like” or “fan” notification box, and a separate link to view your page insights in detail (discussed below):

Facebook also provides you with a way to manage your posts and content over time. You could manage all your posts (including the ones you choose to hide) from a central location. You can filter stories by year or type, or edit, delete, or star posts. You can also choose to review timestamps and make sure your posts accurately show up under respective milestones.

Promote Your Facebook Fan Page

Once your Facebook fan page is live, it’s time to let the world know. Facebook gives you several ways to promote your fan page. You can “invite friends” or “promote your page” using paid advertisements targeted to other users.

Your Facebook fan page, like any other digital property you own, has value by itself.

So, it makes sense to promote and market your fan page just like you’d promote a website. Justin Wise of Social Media Examiner reveals 20 different ways to promote your fan page. The folks at Under30Ceo.com have another 7 ways to promote your fan page without spending a dime.

Ann Smarty also has some advice to help promote your Facebook fan page and get lots of fans in a post at Search Engine Journal.

Of course, you could go full-steam ahead on promotions (discussed in detail below): Do guest blogger outreach programs, launch webinars, give away free reports or whitepapers, get into conversations on other Facebook fan pages.

You can join groups within and outside of Facebook, “like” other sites in hopes they will come back to “like” your page, and even use offline promotions to get the word out.

Promotion > Exposure > Fans > Reach and engagement > Business.

Super Tips on Facebook Fan Page Promotion

It’s easy to set up a fan page but it’s incredibly hard to grow your fan page to reach a level where you benefit from engagement, conversations, and the community. It’s all about building on the “like” button. Here are a few “super tips” to help promote your fan page. But before you get started, it’s important to realize this:

We live in a trust economy, as Gary Vaynerchuck of VaynerMedia puts it. To earn customers’ trust, you need to give them value first (often for free).

Use Webinars to Boost “Likes” and Engagement

Webinars aren’t for selling. They are for providing information and value. They are to motivate, educate, and train. Use webinars to “wow” your audience with information and value. Then ask them to “like” your Facebook page afterwards.

Cross-Promote

Place social media buttons or links within every email campaign. Print out links for your Facebook fan page on all your offline marketing campaigns. Be sure to include links for Facebook fan pages on your podcasts and videos.

Guest Blog for “Likes”

Marketers have taken to guest blogging as a form of outreach because you can leverage visibility on another popular blog. That often means that guest bloggers get extra traffic, credibility, exposure, and even conversions. Guest blogger outreach programs have been used for promoting blogs, businesses, and websites.

But using a guest blogging opportunity to drive traffic to your Facebook page is another option.

Distribute traffic equally to your fan pages and your website properties to get a better return from your guest blogging campaigns.

Launch Offline Events

Launch events on Eventbrite and start launching events locally on the subject of your expertise. Be sure to promote your Facebook page at the event and encourage those attending to visit and “like” it too.

How to Make Facebook Fan Pages Stick: Adding Bells and Whistles

Another great way to promote your business using Facebook is to use contests, videos and giveaways to drive engagement on your page. You can take a DIY (do-it-yourself) approach or find some special apps to make these events easier to hold and promote.

Below is a list of tools that can help:

North Social

North Social has varying plans with apps including mobile sweepstakes, mobile coupons, and mobile signups (to leverage the fact that Facebook is big on mobile too). The regular apps include Instagram, deal shares, video channels, showcase, “show and sell”, “Twitter feed”, “ sign up page”, pages to make those “first impressions”, and much more.

Note: There’s a workable plan here for just about any fan page. If you have more than one fan page to manage, you’ll have to look at special plans for large companies or agencies.

Heyo

Heyo, once called Lujure, provides an app that helps you launch promotions, deals, and contests. Using a drag-and-drop wizard, you can create fan pages that engage, interact, or maybe even dazzle your fans.

Social Candy

Social Candy has apps for running quizzes and sweepstakes, sharing content and coupons, and holding photo contests.

WildFire

WildFire features interactive campaigns, large-scale analytics, and targeted advertising. Though it works for many kinds of businesses, it is clearly meant for companies and agencies that manage multiple brands.

MarketingGum

Marketing Gum has apps enabling email opt-in, surveys, sweepstakes, photo contests, and many other features to liven up your fan page. With a far more affordable pricing plan, it’s a budget alternative for bloggers and small businesses.

Use Metrics to Measure Success

Facebook provides you with Insights - its built-in metrics tool - to help you check on the progress, engagement, and growth of your fan page. Diana Urban on Ustandout.com provides a helpful post about how to use Facebook insights to measure and analyze your fan page.

Often, you’ll need more than just Facebook insights. A huge suite of free and paid tools are available. They include PageViral, Social Crawlytics, and many others.

Sponsored Content

Four Benefits of Adding a Website Visitor Survey to Your Site

Customer satisfaction is everything in business. But understanding what customer’s want and how they would react to any changes in pricing, product, promotion and packaging (Phillip Kotler’s 4 P’s of marketing), can be unnerving for any new business owner.Traditional survey methodologies like customer-interviews or panel discussions can be time-consuming and expensive. And while social media is a great platform for engaging with customers, it may not give the specific insights needed to make a business decision.

On the other hand, surveys embedded on your website are an affordable, prompt way to collate views from existing and potential customers. Website visitor surveys can be used by growing businesses to:

• Collect information on website usability, content and design.  While website analytics is great for understanding origination of website traffic and on-site visitor preferences, website survey can help you really understand who is visiting, why like your website and what they would like to change.
• Gather customer feedback on new product launches, seasonal promotions and overall customer satisfaction. Although the one disadvantage of using website surveys for broader purposes is that you have a restricted audience (visitors to your website). As you expand your business, you can always supplement website surveys with other collection methods such as emails, telephonic interviews and panel discussions.

A website visitor survey offers the following benefits: 

1. You capture feedback from target customers. People visiting your website are either already buying from you or at least have an inclination to do so. For content driven portals like Small Business Technology, it’s a tool for gathering feedback from readers on what we are doing right and what we need to better.
2. Feedback is gathered real-time. Users are asked to submit their feedback at a point of time when they are actually exploring information on your business. 
3. Website surveys are less time-consuming and more cost-effective. Survey tools like Google Consumer survey are conducted over short duration and provide visually analyzed results, at affordable rates.
4. Since website surveys are easy to design and execute, questions can be easily modified to meet business requirements. 

Tips on Creating an Effective Website Visitor Survey

Website visitor surveys may be perceived as irritants to the surfing experience. This is often due to surveys being enforced or too lengthy and complex. The online audience is unlikely to spare more than a few minutes to give feedback and therefore website visitor surveys are most effective when designed with a singular objective. Here are some tips on designing website visitor surveys :

1. Pick one topic for feedback.  Keeping it simple will help your audience understand the intent in the least possible time. 
2. Word questions in clear, straight forward language.
3. Restrict the number of questions to under 10; don’t be afraid to keep it under 5 if it serves your purpose
4. Restricting access to content on your website conditional to a survey response could be counter-productive.  Give visitors the freedom to respond to the survey if and when they like. A good time to solicit feedback would be a few minutes into the website surfing experience.
5. Promote your survey through social media accounts (and email marketing if you have an ongoing campaign)
6. Use it as an opportunity to show your visitors that their opinion matters. Share the findings and proposed steps basis the feedback received. 

There are a number of tools available to create website surveys. A few include:

• Google Website Satisfaction Survey:  This free service can be used to ask 4 questions from visitors for up to 500 responses over 30 days. The results are analyzed and shared by Google in a downloadable report format with data visualization. You can customize the questionnaire for 1¢ per response or $5.00 for 500 responses.
• Survey Pie: The free plan is suitable for businesses looking for short-term website visitor surveys. For long-term and repeat online surveys the paid plan starts at $ 29.9 per month.

Visitor website surveys offer smaller businesses the unique opportunity to seek out valuable qualitative inputs on the effectiveness of their websites as well as other facets of their business. However these surveys must be implemented without impeding the website-user experience. Also, sharing key takeaways from the survey with the audience can help establish credibility with site visitors.

 

The Crack Down on Online Reviews: The Good, Bad and Ugly Every Small Business Needs To Know

Keeping current customers delighted and finding new ones are inexorably intertwined. Generating favorable word of mouth endorsements - one satisfied customer telling another potential customer about a great experience, service received or purchase made - is the most effective way to finding new customers. Thanks to the prevalence of online reviews and customer ratings, it has become easier and more treacherous to master the many nuances of word of mouth endorsements.

Online reviews are extremely influential. A recent survey by BrightLocal shows “73 percent of customers say positive customer reviews make them trust a business more” and “65 percent of consumers are more likely to use a business which has positive online reviews.” Nielsen, in its 2012 study on the degree of trust consumers place in advertising, seconds this: “Consumers around the world continue to see recommendations from friends and online consumer opinions as by far the most credible. As a result, successful brand advertisers will seek ways to better connect with consumers and leverage their good-will in the form of consumer feedback and experiences.”

Online reviews are not always what they seem. In a recent Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch report, up to 25 percent of reviews on Yelp, a leading customer-driven review site of local businesses, are “’suspicious’ if not fraudulent.” Not only are competitors writing false negative reviews of their competition, a study of deceptive reviews by MIT Sloan School of Business professor Duncan Simister reveals that “many [negative] product reviews are from customers who have not purchased the product they are reviewing.”

Online reviews can hinder as much as they may help. “Negative ratings by influential reviewers adversely affect sales,” concludes the study by Simister. A similar 2011 study by Harvard Business School assistant professor Michael Luca likewise shows that “a one-star increase on Yelp’s five-star review system can raise restaurant sales by 5 to 9 percent.”

Some business owners, frustrated by negative reviews (or an inability to generate positive reviews organically), have foolishly responded by writing their own reviews. Worse, some have listened to bad advice by unscrupulous reputation and search engine marketing firms, offering them the seeming panacea of “paid positive reviews.” There are many obvious reasons why such an approach is not only unethical but may seriously damage your business like a well-intentioned, but badly thrown boomerang.

Writing (or hiring someone to write) reviews for your own company blows your credibility. Not only is a business’ integrity at stake with potential and current customers, but the reason word of mouth works is based on trust. Gaming that system takes trust out of the equation and backfires.

Websites with ratings are publicly outing companies behind false reviews. With increasing pressure on business directories and online storefronts to weed out false reviews, many have taken a tough stance on offending businesses. Yelp, as an example, will alert consumers publicly and flag your business if it is discovered to be generating false reviews. It’s most definitely not something you want associated with your business listing online. Some may even go as far as suing culprits that create fraudulent reviews for damages.

Not just unethical, it is often illegal. Legislators are getting in on the action to prevent prevalent “astroturfing,” a term coined to describe generating false positive reviews of one’s own company. Last week, New York State Attorney General Eric D. Schneiderman announced the conclusion of a yearlong investigation into false advertising and deceptive business practices that focused on companies writing or hiring others to write false positive reviews. The investigation resulted in a settlement with 19 companies, most of them small businesses, who agreed to pay a combined $350,000 and cease writing false positive reviews.

In this vacuum - between consumers seeking to discover new enjoyable and reliable businesses, and businesses that want to grow their business by sharing positive experiences of current customers - a number of review-focused matchmaking services have sprung up. In addition to Yelp, there is the well-known Angie’s List; paid subscription based, it carefully vets and audits reviews from other regional customers. San Francisco based Thumbtack offers multiple referrals to local service providers; they are vetted through a combined process of civil and criminal background checks, license verification and verified community reviews from actual customers. The newest entrant is iTrueReview, which solicits immediate and verified customer reviews, requiring the customer to do so onsite using a tablet or smartphone provided by the business being reviewed.

Customer reviews are an emerging landscape with many great opportunities but also a few pitfalls. Keep these tips in mind to minimize the harmful effect of negative reviews and maximize the benefit of positive ones when managing your small business reputation online:

1. Get to know the terms and conditions of key review sites. Knowing the terms and conditions of those review sites where most of your customers talk about your business is crucial to keep you out of trouble when handling positive and negative reviews. Not only do they often tell you what, as a business, can (and cannot) do to legally and ethically enhance your positive reputation, they should also tell you how you might properly address false negative reviews.
2. Everyone gets criticized some of the time. It’s impossible to please all customers, all the time. If a site offers business a chance to respond to negative customer reviews, use that tool wisely. Stay factual, genuinely listen and try to do what you can to turn a negative experience into a positive for the customer. Most appreciate an acknowledgement of their complaint and a genuine apology for a bad experience. Not only does this give you a second chance to turn a disgruntled customer into a satisfied one (or at least away from being a very vocal critic), it also shows potential customers reading the reviews how you might treat them if something doesn’t go perfectly in their interactions with you.
3. Ask for referrals and positive reviews. If you consistently provide excellent service and ask your best customers to write honest reviews about your company in a few key forums that matter to you, the genuine positive reviews will easily outweigh any negative ones. Keep in mind, however, that a majority of customers still do not write reviews, positive or negative. Likewise, while some 83 percent of small business customers state they would gladly refer a company, less than 30 percent actually do so. With affordable tools like Referlia available, don’t hesitate to ask your current delighted customers to refer you directly, while making it hassle free to do so.

Managing your business’ online reputation in an ethical, and now legal, manner is extremely important. By taking note of the rules and soliciting valid, positive reviews from your customers, you should have no issues and, if you provide a solid customer experience, your online reputation should shine.

Pinterest Contemplates Sponsored Pins

If you have a business with an online presence, you may already use Pinterest to market your brand. The social site lets users “pin” images of their favorite things, but it could soon include Pinterest sponsored content too.

This is probably not surprising to anyone who’s watched the development of other significant social media properties over the years.

Facebook, Twitter and most recently LinkedIn have all moved to sponsored or promoted content models as at least one potential way to ultimately monetize their operations. But Pinterest seems especially cautious about its monetizing strategy.

In a recent post on the official Pinterest blog, company CEO and co-founder Ben Silbermann tried to reassure users:

I know some of you may be thinking, ‘Oh great…here come the banner ads.’ But we’re determined to not let that happen.

The video below explains how Pinterest works:

Pinterest Sponsored Pins: Tasteful, Transparent, Relevant

Instead, Silbermann promised users of the site any advertising would be tasteful, transparent and relevant. He also said Pinterest would take users’ feedback into account to improve the promoted pins over time.

To start, Silbermann says Pinterest will likely try some test pins in the site’s current search results and category feeds. But he stressed these promoted pins will not actually be sponsored by anyone. They will simply be tests to gain some feedback from the community.

Silbermann explained one specific example of how this might work would be promoting, say, a Batman costume under a search for the term “Halloween.”

The Importance of Transparency

Pinterest is probably right to be cautious. Last year, the company’s experiments with Skimlinks, an affiliate linking service, caused a bit of a stir. Enough so that Silbermann took time to clarify the company’s position and add some new disclosure language to the Pinterest site.

The lesson is a good one for all small businesses. Many comments on Silbermann’s most recent post were supportive of the site’s need to eventually advertise.

The important thing is to be transparent with customers about what you’re doing and why.

The prospect of Pinterest sponsored pins also raises important opportunities for businesses already using the site for marketing. It will be important for those businesses to keep watching as Pinterest ventures into the world of paid content.

Image: Pinterest

Sponsored Content

The Crack Down on Online Reviews: The Good, Bad and Ugly Every Small Business Needs To Know

Keeping current customers delighted and finding new ones are inexorably intertwined. Generating favorable word of mouth endorsements - one satisfied customer telling another potential customer about a great experience, service received or purchase made - is the most effective way to finding new customers. Thanks to the prevalence of online reviews and customer ratings, it has become easier and more treacherous to master the many nuances of word of mouth endorsements.

Online reviews are extremely influential. A recent survey by BrightLocal shows “73 percent of customers say positive customer reviews make them trust a business more” and “65 percent of consumers are more likely to use a business which has positive online reviews.” Nielsen, in its 2012 study on the degree of trust consumers place in advertising, seconds this: “Consumers around the world continue to see recommendations from friends and online consumer opinions as by far the most credible. As a result, successful brand advertisers will seek ways to better connect with consumers and leverage their good-will in the form of consumer feedback and experiences.”

Online reviews are not always what they seem. In a recent Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch report, up to 25 percent of reviews on Yelp, a leading customer-driven review site of local businesses, are “’suspicious’ if not fraudulent.” Not only are competitors writing false negative reviews of their competition, a study of deceptive reviews by MIT Sloan School of Business professor Duncan Simister reveals that “many [negative] product reviews are from customers who have not purchased the product they are reviewing.”

Online reviews can hinder as much as they may help. “Negative ratings by influential reviewers adversely affect sales,” concludes the study by Simister. A similar 2011 study by Harvard Business School assistant professor Michael Luca likewise shows that “a one-star increase on Yelp’s five-star review system can raise restaurant sales by 5 to 9 percent.”

Some business owners, frustrated by negative reviews (or an inability to generate positive reviews organically), have foolishly responded by writing their own reviews. Worse, some have listened to bad advice by unscrupulous reputation and search engine marketing firms, offering them the seeming panacea of “paid positive reviews.” There are many obvious reasons why such an approach is not only unethical but may seriously damage your business like a well-intentioned, but badly thrown boomerang.

Writing (or hiring someone to write) reviews for your own company blows your credibility. Not only is a business’ integrity at stake with potential and current customers, but the reason word of mouth works is based on trust. Gaming that system takes trust out of the equation and backfires.

Websites with ratings are publicly outing companies behind false reviews. With increasing pressure on business directories and online storefronts to weed out false reviews, many have taken a tough stance on offending businesses. Yelp, as an example, will alert consumers publicly and flag your business if it is discovered to be generating false reviews. It’s most definitely not something you want associated with your business listing online. Some may even go as far as suing culprits that create fraudulent reviews for damages.

Not just unethical, it is often illegal. Legislators are getting in on the action to prevent prevalent “astroturfing,” a term coined to describe generating false positive reviews of one’s own company. Last week, New York State Attorney General Eric D. Schneiderman announced the conclusion of a yearlong investigation into false advertising and deceptive business practices that focused on companies writing or hiring others to write false positive reviews. The investigation resulted in a settlement with 19 companies, most of them small businesses, who agreed to pay a combined $350,000 and cease writing false positive reviews.

In this vacuum - between consumers seeking to discover new enjoyable and reliable businesses, and businesses that want to grow their business by sharing positive experiences of current customers - a number of review-focused matchmaking services have sprung up. In addition to Yelp, there is the well-known Angie’s List; paid subscription based, it carefully vets and audits reviews from other regional customers. San Francisco based Thumbtack offers multiple referrals to local service providers; they are vetted through a combined process of civil and criminal background checks, license verification and verified community reviews from actual customers. The newest entrant is iTrueReview, which solicits immediate and verified customer reviews, requiring the customer to do so onsite using a tablet or smartphone provided by the business being reviewed.

Customer reviews are an emerging landscape with many great opportunities but also a few pitfalls. Keep these tips in mind to minimize the harmful effect of negative reviews and maximize the benefit of positive ones when managing your small business reputation online:

1. Get to know the terms and conditions of key review sites. Knowing the terms and conditions of those review sites where most of your customers talk about your business is crucial to keep you out of trouble when handling positive and negative reviews. Not only do they often tell you what, as a business, can (and cannot) do to legally and ethically enhance your positive reputation, they should also tell you how you might properly address false negative reviews.
2. Everyone gets criticized some of the time. It’s impossible to please all customers, all the time. If a site offers business a chance to respond to negative customer reviews, use that tool wisely. Stay factual, genuinely listen and try to do what you can to turn a negative experience into a positive for the customer. Most appreciate an acknowledgement of their complaint and a genuine apology for a bad experience. Not only does this give you a second chance to turn a disgruntled customer into a satisfied one (or at least away from being a very vocal critic), it also shows potential customers reading the reviews how you might treat them if something doesn’t go perfectly in their interactions with you.
3. Ask for referrals and positive reviews. If you consistently provide excellent service and ask your best customers to write honest reviews about your company in a few key forums that matter to you, the genuine positive reviews will easily outweigh any negative ones. Keep in mind, however, that a majority of customers still do not write reviews, positive or negative. Likewise, while some 83 percent of small business customers state they would gladly refer a company, less than 30 percent actually do so. With affordable tools like Referlia available, don’t hesitate to ask your current delighted customers to refer you directly, while making it hassle free to do so.

Managing your business’ online reputation in an ethical, and now legal, manner is extremely important. By taking note of the rules and soliciting valid, positive reviews from your customers, you should have no issues and, if you provide a solid customer experience, your online reputation should shine.

Should You Allow Damage Insurance in Place of a Security Deposit?

I own a vacation condo on Lake Erie, just outside the town of Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio. Like half of the people who own apartments in the building, we rent out the property on a short-term basis when we are not using it.

If you rent property to someone else, you face the possibility that the person renting will damage it. That means that I, like the many people around the world who now rent properties online through sites like Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO), Owner Direct and Flip Key, face an important decision about how to protect themselves from losses from renter-caused property damage: require a security deposit or ask renters to purchase damage insurance?

The field of economics has a very clear answer to this question. When you rent property to someone else, there is asymmetric information. Because the owner does not know how well the renter will treat the property, charging a security deposit is a good idea. Renters will have an incentive to take care of the property to recoup their security deposit. If you are renting a condo for the weekend and you have paid a $500 refundable security deposit, you’ll think twice about having a wild party or leaving your kids unsupervised - one broken table could double the cost of your stay.

However, many of the vacation rental websites offer damage insurance as an alternative to a security deposit. For a $49 fee, Homeaway, for example, offers $5,000 worth of damage protection to short term renters of vacation properties.

In my condo building, several of the owners allow renters to purchase damage insurance instead of paying a security deposit. Their reasoning is that the insurance provides more damage protection. If a renter causes $4,500 worth of damage to their condo, they may be able to recoup all of their loss from the insurance company, but if they take a $500 security deposit, they know they can only recoup up to $500 worth of damage from yhose funds. Moreover, because the decision to return the security deposit resides with the homeowner, some potential renters balk at putting up $500 against damage for a stay of similar cost.

As an economist, I am surprised by my neighbors’ approach. With insurance, the owner is giving up the right to decide the validity of damage claims. If you’ve collected a security deposit and someone breaks a television, you can just deduct the cost from the security deposit, which is already in your possession. If you go the route of insurance, however, you run the risk that the insurance company will decide that the renter wasn’t responsible for the damage and won’t pay the claim.

More importantly, the choice of a security deposit or insurance demonstrates a classic moral hazard problem. Moral hazard is the idea that people will take more risks if they don’t bear the costs of their actions. For example, if you have a security deposit you want back, you will be more likely to tell your kids not to use the table in the living room as a piece of gymnastics equipment than if you have paid for insurance that covers damage resulting from their gymnastics show.

Over the years of writing for Small Business Trends, I have learned that many people who read my posts know a lot about the topics I discuss. Therefore, I am sure there are many readers who have a lot of experience with the damage insurance question.

So tell me and the other readers of this column: If you were renting out a vacation condo, would you insist on a security deposit or would you allow renters to purchase damage insurance instead?

Jumping Photo via Shutterstock

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Events You Don’t Want to Miss - Attend, Network and Learn

Welcome to our latest curated list of events, contests and awards for small businesses, solo entrepreneurs and growing companies. To see a full list or to submit your own event, contest or award listing, visit the Small Business Events Calendar.

Featured Events, Contests and Awards

 

Small Business Influencer Awards Gala 2013
New York, NY, October 17, 2013

The 2013 Small Business Influencer Awards recognize the apps, organizations and people who have a strong impact on small businesses in Read More

The post Events You Don’t Want to Miss Attend, Network and Learn appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Events You Don’t Want to Miss - Attend, Network and Learn

Welcome to our latest curated list of events, contests and awards for small businesses, solo entrepreneurs and growing companies. To see a full list or to submit your own event, contest or award listing, visit the Small Business Events Calendar.

Featured Events, Contests and Awards

 

Small Business Influencer Awards Gala 2013
New York, NY, October 17, 2013

The 2013 Small Business Influencer Awards recognize the apps, organizations and people who have a strong impact on small businesses in Read More

The post Events You Don’t Want to Miss Attend, Network and Learn appeared first on Small Business Trends.

3 Questions for You to Ask Yourself About Employee Health Care

Small businesses face important decisions about employee benefits, and as deadlines for Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements draw near, timing is of the essence.

You should consider the following three questions to make more informed decisions for your workforce.

1. Should you offer employer provided coverage or not?

It’s commonly agreed upon by both employers and employees that health benefits play a significant role in employee satisfaction. In fact, according to the 2013 Aflac WorkForces Report, 78 percent of employees say their benefits package is important to their job satisfaction, and 65 percent say it is important to employer loyalty.

Deciding whether or not you’ll offer coverage to your workforce is a choice that affects more than just your bottom line; it also affects employee morale and retention.

View employer-sponsored benefits options as a cost-effective way to boost employee compensation. If you are an employer with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees, you will not be penalized for not offering a health plan. But you should, nonetheless, keep in mind the qualitative and quantitative values of benefits:

• Qualitative Value: Health benefit options are a way to demonstrate that you care about your employees and to keep morale high.
• Quantitative Value: Considering the recruiting, training and general cost of resources to replace an employee, it could be in small businesses’ best interest to provide health insurance, particularly considering the fact that 65 percent of employees said their benefits options impact their loyalty to their employer.
  

2. How much can your small business afford to spend?

Before you move ahead in making benefit options available to your employees, you will need to assess what you can actually afford to invest.

If you provide your workforce with employer-sponsored benefit options, you may already have this cost budgeted for the coming years. However, do not forget to consider projected increases in health care costs and your potential eligibility to take advantage of the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace in 2014.

Is it your first time offering employer-sponsored benefits options? Don’t worry. You can discuss options with your benefits consultant or broker to get an expert opinion to help you weigh the costs. Remember that a broker or agent is a resource and will be there to answer questions for you in the implementation process and beyond.

Here’s an example assessment: In 2013, health care costs are expected (PDF) to increase per employee by 5.3 percent (0.6 percent lower than in 2012).  You can use cost estimates to determine approximately how much it will cost per employee, as well as potential penalties starting in 2015 for not providing employee health coverage. You can also estimate your eligibility for small business tax credits to help defray the costs associated with health care coverage.

3. Which strategy should you choose as a small business owner?

You’ve decided to make benefit options available to your employees. Now the question is, what approach will you take? You’ve got options. Let’s go through them:

Adjust Your Current Health Plan

Work with your broker or benefits consultant to understand how your current benefit options work within new ACA standards (PDF). Remember that your employees may be eligible for tax subsidies through the Health Insurance Marketplace. This could be the case if their required contribution to employer-sponsored health insurance exceeds 9.5 percent of their annual gross income or if the plan pays less than 60 percent of covered health expenses.

The Health Insurance Marketplace

Also known as an exchange, the health insurance marketplace is expected to offer small businesses and individuals competitive benefits options. Small businesses participating in the marketplace may also be eligible for a tax credit of up to 50 percent of their premium payments if they have 25 or fewer full-time employees whose average wages do not exceed $50,000 per year.

Self-Funded Model

This is when a company is responsible for covering the claims in a health care plan. Employers can save costs related to premium taxes and state insurance regulations because these plans are not included in some ACA requirements.

These plans typically shift additional costs to employees, especially when an employer’s workforce has significant health care needs. Companies might want to consider adding stop-loss coverage to accommodate for annual and lifetime dollar limit restrictions.

Defined Contribution Model

This model enables employers to give their employees a fixed amount of money and a list of health insurance options. It helps employers keep costs predictable while also enabling employees to create plans that meet their needs. Defined contribution models require employees to be well-informed about health care.

While the above is intended to provide general information about an evolving topic, it does not constitute legal, tax or accounting advice regarding any specific situation. I strongly encourage you to discuss your HCR situation with your advisor to determine the actions you need to take, or to visit HealthCare.gov for additional information.

Question Yourself Photo via Shutterstock

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3 Questions for You to Ask Yourself About Employee Health Care

Small businesses face important decisions about employee benefits, and as deadlines for Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements draw near, timing is of the essence.

You should consider the following three questions to make more informed decisions for your workforce.

1. Should you offer employer provided coverage or not?

It’s commonly agreed upon by both employers and employees that health benefits play a significant role in employee satisfaction. In fact, according to the 2013 Aflac WorkForces Report, 78 percent of employees say their benefits package is important to their job satisfaction, and 65 percent say it is important to employer loyalty.

Deciding whether or not you’ll offer coverage to your workforce is a choice that affects more than just your bottom line; it also affects employee morale and retention.

View employer-sponsored benefits options as a cost-effective way to boost employee compensation. If you are an employer with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees, you will not be penalized for not offering a health plan. But you should, nonetheless, keep in mind the qualitative and quantitative values of benefits:

• Qualitative Value: Health benefit options are a way to demonstrate that you care about your employees and to keep morale high.
• Quantitative Value: Considering the recruiting, training and general cost of resources to replace an employee, it could be in small businesses’ best interest to provide health insurance, particularly considering the fact that 65 percent of employees said their benefits options impact their loyalty to their employer.
  

2. How much can your small business afford to spend?

Before you move ahead in making benefit options available to your employees, you will need to assess what you can actually afford to invest.

If you provide your workforce with employer-sponsored benefit options, you may already have this cost budgeted for the coming years. However, do not forget to consider projected increases in health care costs and your potential eligibility to take advantage of the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace in 2014.

Is it your first time offering employer-sponsored benefits options? Don’t worry. You can discuss options with your benefits consultant or broker to get an expert opinion to help you weigh the costs. Remember that a broker or agent is a resource and will be there to answer questions for you in the implementation process and beyond.

Here’s an example assessment: In 2013, health care costs are expected (PDF) to increase per employee by 5.3 percent (0.6 percent lower than in 2012).  You can use cost estimates to determine approximately how much it will cost per employee, as well as potential penalties starting in 2015 for not providing employee health coverage. You can also estimate your eligibility for small business tax credits to help defray the costs associated with health care coverage.

3. Which strategy should you choose as a small business owner?

You’ve decided to make benefit options available to your employees. Now the question is, what approach will you take? You’ve got options. Let’s go through them:

Adjust Your Current Health Plan

Work with your broker or benefits consultant to understand how your current benefit options work within new ACA standards (PDF). Remember that your employees may be eligible for tax subsidies through the Health Insurance Marketplace. This could be the case if their required contribution to employer-sponsored health insurance exceeds 9.5 percent of their annual gross income or if the plan pays less than 60 percent of covered health expenses.

The Health Insurance Marketplace

Also known as an exchange, the health insurance marketplace is expected to offer small businesses and individuals competitive benefits options. Small businesses participating in the marketplace may also be eligible for a tax credit of up to 50 percent of their premium payments if they have 25 or fewer full-time employees whose average wages do not exceed $50,000 per year.

Self-Funded Model

This is when a company is responsible for covering the claims in a health care plan. Employers can save costs related to premium taxes and state insurance regulations because these plans are not included in some ACA requirements.

These plans typically shift additional costs to employees, especially when an employer’s workforce has significant health care needs. Companies might want to consider adding stop-loss coverage to accommodate for annual and lifetime dollar limit restrictions.

Defined Contribution Model

This model enables employers to give their employees a fixed amount of money and a list of health insurance options. It helps employers keep costs predictable while also enabling employees to create plans that meet their needs. Defined contribution models require employees to be well-informed about health care.

While the above is intended to provide general information about an evolving topic, it does not constitute legal, tax or accounting advice regarding any specific situation. I strongly encourage you to discuss your HCR situation with your advisor to determine the actions you need to take, or to visit HealthCare.gov for additional information.

Question Yourself Photo via Shutterstock

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Are You Ready to “Unbundle It”? Uncomplicate Your Life and Business

“So much to do, so little time, I should not have to deal with this! “

It’s the ongoing mantra of every business owner and a lot of employees as well.  You’ll be glad to know that it doesn’t have to be that way and that there is something we’ve all done that is the culprit to creating overwhelm in our lives - bundling.

I’m not just talking about the marketing kind of bundling that you find as “Happy Meals” or “Buy One, Get One Free” offers.  I’m talking about a more insidious kind of bundling that we create in our businesses and in our lives.

But I’m not the expert on that kind of bundling.  For that, you’ll have to turn to an interesting book that I received the other day called Unbundle It: Simplify Your Perspective to Live a Better Life an Release the Power of Your Team by C. Elliott Haverlack (@Unbundleit on Twitter), an experienced consumer products executive.

Unbundling: How to Get What You Want in Life and Business

The idea of bundling came to Haverlack as one of those epiphanies that you get after playing the same silly game once too often coupled with life experience.  He defines bundling as being an:

. . .idea tied up in related, but ultimately immaterial nonsense. I found that if we could unbundle the idea or matter from all the stuff that was confounding progress, business could be more successful - and profitable.

Granted, that is a rather nebulous definition.  Let me bring it home with an example Haverlack writes about early in the book - the “meeting.”  You all know this meeting because you’ve been part of it.  There’s a room full of people who aren’t really completely clear on why they are there.  When you state the purpose at hand, at least half of them really don’t belong. Then there are a couple who actually have an answer to a simple question that they can answer in all of three minutes and leave.  Then there is a much smaller core group who can probably work out the details and be done with it in less than thirty minutes.   Haverlack covers simplified meetings in Chapter 6.

But the advice doesn’t stop there.  Haverlack also has unbundling strategies for living a healthy life.  That’s actually what he starts with, your health.  He goes on to bust through the conversations you have with yourself about not having enough time to exercise, how exercise hurts and the myriad of other things we “bundle” in our heads that keep us stuck in the muck that we like to call our complicated, overwhelmed lives - as if there is some kind of reward for having the most overwhelming life.

There isn’t. And Haverlack is more than happy to burst that bubble in every corner of your life:

• Your Team: How to see through the (dare I say) BS that gets in the way of optimal team performance.
• Strategy:  Strategy doesn’t have to be this complicated, overwhelming.  You’ll love Haverlack’s straightforward take on how to develop a strategy that works for your business - and it only takes a couple pages.
• One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Structure your business in a way that allows unique approaches for unique people.

There are fifteen chapters in all and each one is filled with the kind of insights and short cuts you can only get by being there and buying the t-shirt.

Haverlack Shares His Business Owners Cheat Sheet

This book is nothing short of a potpourri of business owner short cuts, insights and maybe even cheat sheets on topics ranging from exercise to negotiation and all the little life lessons in between. You may not agree with Haverlack’s point of view, but that would have value as well, because just disagreeing will uncover YOUR unbundling truth.

Normally, I give a summary of the author’s biography, but today, I’m going to share Haverlack’s personal unbundling epiphany in the hopes that it will inspire you as much as it did me.

It’s June 5, 1981 and Haverlack is 23 and going to yet another job interview.  But today, he decides he’s not leaving that office without the job.  He just decides.  And in that moment, every insecurity, every concern, every doubt simply leaves him.

After a long day of interviewing, he’s called in with the executives where they tell him that they like him.  Instead of being satisfied with that, he shares his decision to get the job on that very day.  And he gets it.  He asks for what he wants and gets it.  He decides to never lose control of who he is - to never try to make himself into something he thinks might work or that he thinks others will want to see.

You might think that Unbundle It is a list of Haverlack’s lessons - and in some ways it is.  But after you read Unundle It, you will discover your strengths, your best self and be in the position to make your own decisions and to finally own your life as well as your business.

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Start Up with $1,500, Become a “Visible Expert” and More

It’s time again for another community news and information roundup. From startup advice to new online tools to the latest stats, we scan the Web and our small business community. And the result is a selection of resources we provide to you, the small business owner. We hope it gives you the information and inspiration you need to run your business each week.

We’d love to have your thoughts and insight on how to improve this list each week. Read more below about how you can get involved.

And now, let’s dig in!

Start a Business with $1,500 (CrowdSpring)

Ross Kimbarovsky, co-founder of CrowdSpring, shares an infographic says it can help you build your business for less than you might have thought possible. This week, Ross also took time to chat with members of the BizSugar community about the possibilities of bootstrapping.

Yes, Social Media Can Drive Sales (Small Business Forum)

When trying to save costs, social media can prove to be one of the the most inexpensive means to market your business. But if you’ve heard social media can’t really drive sales, you should check out this post from Rieva Lesonsky.

Let’s Look at Six Social Media Megastars (Tweak Your Biz)

To understand how to use social media effectively, it helps to follow brands that have done it right. Here Lionel Bryant looks at companies that have mastered the art of social media marketing and what we can learn from them.

Timing Really is Everything (Social Media Slant)

If you want to know how to use social media most effectively, begin by figuring out when your posts have the greatest impact. Cendrine Marrouat shares one service that can help you find the best day and time of day to post on Google Plus.

Embrace the Power of Telecommuting (The Work at Home Woman)

Another way to reduce costs when starting your business is to embrace the power of telecommuting. Here Christy Schutz makes the case for telecommuting…for a lot more than budgetary reasons.

Key to Success: Don’t Follow the Herd (Kexino)

No matter what marketing approach you decide to follow, be sure it is one that makes sense for your business and not just the latest fashion. Here marketer Gee Ranasinha explains to the BizSugar community why it’s important to step back and answer some questions about your business before deciding what marketing channels are right for you.

How to Become a “Visible Expert“ (Blogging Wizard)

One of the most effective ways of building a brand online is to establish yourself as what Lee Frederiksen calls a “visible expert.” This approach can allow you to develop opportunities related to your expertise ranging from speaking engagements to consulting and more.

One Change Can Transform Your Business (Medium)

Entrepreneur Michael Sacca describes his journey from creating a free app with one $1.99 book for sale to the full collection of books that is Bilingual Child today. Thanks to Jennifer Sable Lopez for sharing this post on Inbound.org.

We hope you enjoyed this latest edition of the community news and announcement roundup. Now it’s your turn.

Thanks for reading!

Reading Online Photo via Shutterstock

Guacamole Sales Spike After Breaking Bad TV Appearance

When you think about ways to market a local restaurant, appearing on a show about drug dealers might not seem like the most conventional choice. But Garduno’s of Mexico has experienced an increase in sales after the restaurant was featured in AMC’s “Breaking Bad” in late August.

The well-known local eatery was initially approached by AMC in January about using its Winrock Mall location for a scene.

Said Corporate General Manager Warren Gaustad, who works out of all six of Garduno’s southwest locations:

I just happened to be here when the location scout came in and asked to talk to someone about using the restaurant. At first I thought he was joking.

According to Gaustad, the show was initially going to use a nationwide chain restaurant, but the company backed out and then the show decided to go with Garduno’s. Before filming began, Gaustad received an outline of the script for the scene to make sure it didn’t show the restaurant in a negative light:

Basically everyone watches “Breaking Bad” here in Albuquerque, so I just thought it would be a fun thing for the staff to experience. But it is a show about methamphetamine so we did want to make sure they weren’t doing anything too crazy here.

Garduno’s was closed for one day during the shoot, and AMC covered the restaurant’s losses for that day. Gaustad and many of the restaurant’s 100 employees were present to see the filming take place. They even met some of the actors and crew members, like R.J. Mitte who plays the character of Walter Jr. (shown below).

During the scene, Walter White (played by Brian Cranston) meets with his wife, her sister, and her sister’s DEA agent husband.

The restaurant was featured prominently when a waiter attempted to convince the table to order Garduno’s tableside guacamole.

Gaustad said that the tableside guacamole has come to be known as “awkward guacamole” by fans of the show. And, while he insists that Garduno’s wait staff isn’t as pushy as the fictional waiter featured on the show, he did say that the tableside guacamole has experienced the largest increase in sales since the episode aired.

Gaustad estimated there’s been about a 10% increase in sales because of the show, but said that the restaurant has been experiencing a general increase in sales for a few months anyway. He knows that the show has been a major factor recently because many customers have mentioned it or taken photos of the table featured in the scene:

We have a really unique restaurant. It’s really funky and eclectic, so we always have people taking pictures in here. But, since the show, it’s definitely been even more frequent.

Garduno’s first opened its doors back in 1969. Then just a single, family-run restaurant in Albuquerque, the company eventually added five more locations throughout New Mexico and Nevada.

About two years ago, a company called Southwest Brands bought Garduno’s, which was struggling to stay afloat at the time. The goal was to keep the brand in tact, since Garduno’s had become a kind of local landmark, according to Gaustad.

The Winrock Mall location, where the Breaking Bad scene was filmed, wasn’t the first to open, but Gaustad said that it is the most unique and popular in the chain.

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Read The Focused Business and Become a Small Business Superhero

The slow but steady turning of the leaves from bright green to golden yellow and fiery red is a trigger for small businesses to start thinking about next year.  In a lot of ways, “Back to School” for kids triggers that same fresh look and fresh start feeling for the rest of us.

You know you’re doing it too.  In the midst of finding and serving customers, there is a little voice inside your head whispering for you to think about next year. What do you need to do to grow your business?  Should you take on new projects and new opportunities?

If that sounds like you - then you’ll want to pay attention to this review because the book I’m about to share with you is going to end up on your doorstep before you finish reading this article.

ADHD Inspired a Dedication to Focus

Now you might think that our fearless author, David Crenshaw (@DaveCrenshaw) is some kind of Superman (more on the hero reference later) to take on the challenge of helping entrepreneurs overcome the inevitable chaos that eventually creeps into their business.

Instead, he’s just a regular guy who actually suffers from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and has transformed his challenge into a real strength and learning opportunity for the rest of us.

Dave’s first book, The Myth of Multitasking: How “Doing It All” Gets Nothing Done, is a time management bestseller available in many languages worldwide. His most recent book, The Focused Business: How Entrepreneurs Can Triumph Over Chaos, is also a small business best seller.

Dave’s courses on websites such as Lynda.com are also among the world’s most widely-viewed online training.

The Focused Business Helps You Identify Your Super Powers

David Crenshaw sees business owners as superheroes and uses this theme as a foundational structure to the book, with all of the elements of chaos being represented as villains.

Let’s do a quick review of the villains of chaos and see who and what is probably getting in your way.  As you’re reading this, take a moment to note or write down which of these is at play in your business today:

• The Con: This person is the leader of the chaos group in your business.  This is the villain that got you into your business in the first placeâ€"but it’s also the villain that is at play that gets you to sacrifice yourself at the “altar” of your business.
• The Jack-of-all-Trades:  Jack wants you to multi-task and do it all.  He’s the one that tells you that no one can do it better than you.
• The Gorilla:  This is the employee who has a lot of strengths but he/she uses this strength to divert attention from all the messes he/she creates.
• Ms. Opportunity: This is the villain that is responsible for all the distractions that take you away from what really matters in your business.
• Siphon: This villain is the one responsible for being that “pain in the neck” customer.  They are the ones who want what your system simply doesn’t deliver very well.
• The Jumbler: This is often your marketing employee or resource.  They operate under the “throw stuff against the wall hoping some of it sticks.”  This is the person looking for the home run or the silver bullet.
• Overload: This is the last villain and perhaps the most insidious one because it masks itself as data, but what it really does is paralyze you in your business and it keeps you in a perpetual state of inaction and confusion.

Read The Focused Business with a Notebook in Your Hand

This is a very practical and pragmatic book.  As you read this book, you will get ideas and want to take actions.  To help you with that, each section and chapter has an action section where you can take notes right in the book.  Of course, if you’re one of those people who has been browbeaten into thinking that writing in books is bad, bad, bad, you had better go and grab a notebook - or better yet, download the worksheets from the book’s website.

The great thing about this book is that it is very short and to the point. There are a total of ten chapters plus a bonus mini-book in just under two hundred pages.

Since there are seven villains, Crenshaw includes a chapter on how to “battle” each villain.  Just to let you in on a secret, I turned straight to the chapter on “The Jumbler” just to see if I (as a professional marketer) have any of these bad habits that I throw at my clients or that get in the way of my own business.  Turns out - I do.

Here are just a few snippets of Crenshaw’s powerful take on how your ego gets in the way of your business success:

Your customers are somebody - not anybody. . .The way to speak to your MVCs (Most Valuable Customers) is to give them your…Most Valuable Message.

He goes on to say that the job of The Jumbler is to make you feel like you have to be all things to all people:

Your ego is not your amigo.

I love this one.  It speaks directly to the soul of the entrepreneur.  We fall in love with ideas, especially our own.  In this section, Crenshaw bares his soul on the lackluster success of one of his books and how his falling in love with a title, actually hurt sales.

Are You Ready to Be a HEROpreneur?

If your business isn’t at the level that you’d like it to be, then chances are that you are being hijacked by one of Crenshaw’s villains. Rather than hide out or stick your head in the sand, Crenshaw urges you to be a Heropreneur.

While you’re at it, why not use The Focused Business as your super power to not only protect and serve your business, but vanquish the villains who are working against it?

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