Doing Our Parts to Help Veterans Find Work

There are many ways that we can all help veterans find and maintain employment. Sure, there are plenty of government services in place that assist veterans in this area but this is only half the battle and besides there's always room for improvement. If we're ever going to lower overall veteran unemployment rates it will require a collaborative effort from all of us.

Rather than focus on WHY it's important to support veterans when it comes to seeking and securing jobs, because the answer to why should go without saying, this article is geared towards HOW we can provide solutions no matter what our age or position.

Help Raise Awareness

To every problem there's a solution and positive change can all begin by raising awareness.

A little support really can go a long way. As a member of your community, whether you're a student, business owner or even someone who is retired there are countless ways you can get involved when it comes to helping veterans in your neighborhood find work.

Perhaps it could be something like starting and/or signing a petition that demands equal workplace opportunities for veterans and non-veterans alike. Help to create a better balance and begin to acknowledge and support the many ways that veterans can also contribute to your community.

Get Active & Involved

Like anyone else, veterans need a steady income and the ability to put food on the table. Don't be afraid to speak up or do your part when it comes to bridging the gap between lack of awareness and exposing the need to create more job opportunities for veterans in your area.

It can be a simple act such as volunteering towards a movement that helps local veterans successfully secure jobs and stability. Start an informal local job or transportation exchange. Ask people in your communityto get involved: "What have you done lately to help a fellow veteran?" You'd be surprised how many people are willing to help but don't always know how or aren't aware of the resources available in their area.

If you're not aware of what volunteer opportunities are available in your area you can always visit sites like http://www.serve.gov/ to find out about existing local opportunities.

Provide Support & Encouragement

Let fellow troops or veterans know how much you care and ask them directly what you can do to help. They've risked their lives to ensure our freedom and quality of life so returning the favor with such a selfless act is the least each and every one of us can do. Who knows, it could boil down to something so simple as a disabled veteran needing a ride to a local employment office and that could be the difference between them being unemployed or finding work.

Even the smallest kind gestures can make a world of difference. We've seen a lot of positive results from nationwide initiatives that help veterans find work but we also need to think and act on a smaller and more local community scale if we are ever going to overcome elevated veteran unemployment rates.

Funding Roadmap is an innovative, networked business planning and due diligence reporting system for funding professionals and entrepreneurs alike. It also includes a video pitching platform, a document repository and deal flow marketplace so entrepreneurs will have an online medium to brilliantly communicate all the essential data – along with their personal passion and commitment.

Ruth. E. Hedges is the creator and CEO of Fundingroadmap.com. and Startups Across America. She has been featured in the New York Times, on ABC’s Home Show, and the Financial News Network did a two-part series on her for their show entitled ‘American Entrepreneur’.

For more information please visit http://fundingroadmap.com and http://www.startupsacrossamerica.com/SAA/

Finding Start Up Money

I wish I had a magic answer for this one, but I don’t.

Starting a business can be expensive depending on the type of business. A traditional old school manufacturing business can be very expensive and yet with an outsourced model in today’s world it can actually be affordable.

A non-traditional information product business or a consulting business can actually be extremely cost effective to start. In my opinion this is really the best type of business for a Veteran Entrepreneur to start.

An information marketing business is really just a consulting business that takes the Veterans knowledge and experience form the military and turns him into an expert on any number of topics from leadership, human resources, process management and improvement, facility management and logistics. The list could go on forever. Veterans get trained in so many transferable skills that can be taught to corporate America.

The startup costs, as I mentioned, are minimal for this type of business.

Here’s some places to start:

• Family and friends
• Savings accounts
• Borrowing against retirement accounts
• Bank Loans
• Credit Cards
• Second Mortgage
• finally, the ever popular but non-existent angel investor

I know the thought of borrowing money is unpleasant to many but the reality is if you don’t have it and you need it, then borrow it.

The SBA has programs but they don’t actually lend money. They will point to banks that cater to Veterans.

Money is out there, you just have to find it.

Blue Pen Success is an Entrepreneur training program based on the tried and true My Own Business Inc. (MOBI) training. MOBI allows certified graduates to teach the course. I decided to "teach it by creating an online video series of the courses for FREE!!www.bluepensuccess.com

Organization

How do I build an organization?

What does that organization look like?

The first step to defining an organization is to build yourself a model. You need to have an idea of what you want your organization to look like. Define what departments you think you need. Meaning you need to have a good understanding of what hat are needed in your organization. Then decide which hats you are going to wear and which hats you will have your team wear. In the corporate world that’s known as delegation. The temptation is to think you can do everything yourself and this assumption can get you into trouble. It's critical to understand the hats you’re going to wear and what hats your team will wear.

Delegation is a key leadership skill and building the right team with the right skill sets and then delegating the responsibility appropriately is, like I said, critical to success.

Once you have defined the overall organization the next steps is prioritizing them and determining what are your critical roles that you need filled. The critical roles that you need should correlate with what hats you’re going to wear. The list of typical hats within a small business can get rather long. You’re going to have the owner hat; you’re going to have a sales, or a sales manager. You’re going to have to do marketing. Typically there is a critical need for an administrative person.

You have to inspire people. You have to empathize with people and understand that they all have lives and they’re all people. You have to be the paycheck writer. You don’t necessarily have to write the paychecks yourself, but you are the person that is paying the bills and one of those bills is writing all of these people a paycheck. You also have to be honest and the best communicator. Having honest communication within your business is imperative.

The last hat that you’ll probably wear, or that you will wear, is the decision maker hat. This is critical because as the owner of the business, as the person who is responsible for everything that happens within the business, everyone that works for you is going to come to you looking for answers. They’re going to want you to make decisions and you have to be able to evaluate the situation, make a rational and reasonable decision, and then stick to it. If you make a wrong decision and you get down a path where you determine that this is the wrong path and we need to backtrack and take a different route, you need to be accountable for that. Own up to it. Say “hey guys, I made a decision, it was the wrong decision, we need to backtrack, we need to go this way,” and you will be amazed at the respect that your team gives you simply by being accountable, being an accountable leader, making solid decisions, and then sticking to those decisions.

Blue Pen Success is an Entrepreneur training program based on the tried and true My Own Business Inc. (MOBI) training. MOBI allows certified graduates to teach the course. I decided to "teach it by creating an online video series of the courses for FREE!!www.bluepensuccess.com

Tips for Your Export Marketing

There’s good reason to believe what sells in America can sell elsewhere. But assuming you can market it in the same manner in a foreign country produces disappointing sales for many exporters. 

Even if you’re marketing your product in an English-speaking country, buying patterns change by borders. Don’t give up on the use of your product or service abroad, but be prepared that it might not take off as quickly it did stateside. As you prepare to enter foreign markets, consider these pointers for your export marketing plan.

1. Don’t neglect the market research. Just like rolling out a product into any new market, the market research indicates a couple important factors:

· if your product or service is likely to succeed in the market

· what selling points and purchasing habits resonate with the market

As we mentioned in a previous exporting post, you have numerous secondary market research information available. And if you have the time and money for primary market research (conducting research for your specific product), you’ll have an even greater understanding of customer needs.

You may be surprised to find that, while you have little competition stateside, your new market has a similar product or service. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to withdraw from the market, but you’ll have to research your chief competitors.

2. Develop your export marketing strategy. Most entrepreneurs fall into two camps: They love the strategy work and extensive planning, or they want to roll up their sleeves and execute marketing campaigns immediately. For the good of your business, even if you want to start marketing in a new country immediately, you’re almost certainly better off developing your strategy.

Through the federal government’s International Business Plan Workbook , you can create a detailed strategy. Before you begin, prepare to answer hard questions about your international marketing ambitions, such as:

· How will international trade help you reach your long-term goals?

· Why is your business successful in the domestic market?

· What is the projected growth in these international markets over the next five years?

While the workbook provides some guidance, completing it is a very-time consuming exercise that will require significant resources.

3. Capitalize on government-sponsored advertising opportunities. In many instances, you can find fairly low-priced advertising platforms through various federal government agencies tasked with fostering exporting.

The U.S. Commerce Department, for example, produces the bi-monthly Commercial News USA, its official export promotion magazine distributed freely to worldwide U.S. embassies and consulates. If you prefer online advertising to print—or you use an integrated marketing campaign—you may want to investigate FUSE, a directory on international U.S. Commercial Service websites.

Of course, all of these items represent just several of the key export marketing components your business will need in order to compete. To learn more about recommendations for everything exporting-related, export.gov is a great one-stop shop.

About Business Owner’s Toolkit
With an emphasis on problem-solving dating back to 1995, Business Owner’s Toolkit™ (www.toolkit.com) offers more than 5,000 pages of free cost-cutting tips, step-by-step checklists, real-life case studies, startup advice, and business templates to small business owners and entrepreneurs. The site also offers a monthly newsletter, up-to-date news topics, and Ask Alice!, a column that closely follows industry trends and provides trusted advice to inquiring site visitors.

Small Business Week: The Passion and Tools to Make Your Business Great

This year’s Small Business Week, May 20-26, is filled with helpful workshops, inspirational success stories and glimpses into the technology that will power small companies into the future. With this exciting week on the horizon, I encourage you to dedicate some time to strategizing on how you can take your business to the next level.

Part of great business success comes from having the passion, planning and drive to achieve it; the other part comes from incorporating the right tools. Below are three key technologies, along with resources providing information on how to leverage them to take your small business from good to great.

· Cloud. Cloud computing has completely transformed the ways in which we work and play. Cloud technologies like Microsoft Office 365 save businesses money, streamline their technology needs and operations, boost collaboration and provide considerable return on investment. When employees and business owners are freed from the tasks of IT maintenance and management, they can put their focus and investments back into their core business. I encourage you to explore this free cloud computing guide, developed in partnership with American Express OPEN, to help you navigate the cloud computing landscape.

· Mobile. By creating a strategy for mobile devices—mobile phones, smartphones, laptops and tablets— you can improve your business, extend your marketing strategy’s impact and become more accessible to customers. To make the most of mobile, business owners need to understand the full potential of the technology. For instance, today’s smartphone has the capability of being a computer, camera, communications system, presentation device, payment service and GPS. However, nearly half of the decision-makers in small and midsized businesses recently surveyed by Microsoft said they don’t use a smartphone—and among those who do, eight in 10 use it only for checking email. To learn more about harnessing the power of mobile, read this case study on how one small company transitioned to mobile and completely transformed its business.

· Online Presence. With consumers so highly connected with each other through smartphones, tablets and laptops, their conversations about your business can rapidly make you or break you. So, what are your customers saying about you? And, more important, how should you respond? Through sponsorship from Microsoft, the founders of MyWebCareer created Brandify, a tool that tells you about your online presence, and offers tips on what you can do about it. If you’re wondering how to get started in building an online presence or getting your online brand back on track, this free tool can help.

While these tips and tools will help you get started on the journey toward transforming your small business, I hope the energy and excitement of Small Business Week will spark your passion and drive to achieve greatness. Learn more here about Small Business Week and ways you can get involved.

For more tips and information on how technology can support you and your business, follow me on Twitter(@Cindy_Bates) or follow Microsoft SMB on Twitter (@MicrosoftSMB) and Facebook (Microsoft SMB).

   

Procurement Corner: Capability Statements…….”Setting Yourself Apart”

I have been writing about building a one-page Capability Statement for your business to optimize your marketing strategy. Personally, I consider it a “best practice” for branding your business and creating solid lasting impressions. 

As mentioned previously, there’s nothing “sacred” about my format or content. Both are merely based on personal preferences from my experience with government/prime contractor procurement. Keep them simple and easy to read. Besides conveying the limited amount of information on a business card, it needs to clearly set you apart from your competition.

I suggested that using a logo is good, but it’s wise to keep it small to conserve valuable space. Underneath the logo, I added “the usual” general contact information followed by a concise (3-4 sentences) “Capabilities Statement”. This is where you begin branding your business. Always highlight your business type, describe what exactly it is that you “bring to the table”, value-added and, years of experience. How you state it though is critical. You want it to trigger the reader’s interest to keep him/her reading!

Our next section should be entitled: “What sets (your company name) apart from the competition?” Following that, use short bulletized discriminators that not only complement your Capabilities Statement, but take it to the next level. Always avoid repetition, “over-used” words and mundane business clichés (“dependable, reliable, proven, experienced, etc.”). They put readers to sleep! The objective here is (quite literally) “SETTING YOU APART FROM THE COMPETITION”. Make this your branding “AHA”. Our goal should not be trying to level the playing field, but rather to widen the gaps between the players!

And finally, since “best value” is becoming an increasingly more popular methodology for evaluating proposals and contracts, keep that in mind and make your discriminators profound. Be direct about what your best value is. Unique as possible but not “flashy”. What would impress a buyer to choose you? Once again, simple is better - 5 or 6 easy to read but precise bullets. Start with one or two key-words followed by a short but notable description (target < 10 words per bullet). Never shrink font size to increase word count. More is simply not necessarily better! Be creative, be incredibly honest, and never over-embellish.

A couple of generic examples (but you will need to add your own creativity):

· Partnered Solutions – we partner & collaborate with general contractors creating custom solutions

· Gold Standards – revered for our professionalism and industry expertise

· Best Value – awarded ‘2011 Most Successful Newcomer’ to the General Services Administration (GSA)

· Delivery-PLUS – we ensure free on-time delivery to any job site destinations across the globe

· Comprehensive industry experience – subject-matter-experts offering industrial & engineering guidance

· Product variety – “one-stop shop” for FULL LINE of trusted manufacturers & branded products

You get the idea. So set yourself apart / generate your “AHA”.

Remember the music from the movie “JAWS”? 

Great example of a profound discriminator because you immediately think of the movie every time you hear it! 

This is section 3 in our series. Capability Statement section 4 for this series will resume in the August 2012 Blog 

Capability Statement example through this month’s section:

Scott Sealing is a Procurement Consultant with the UH SBDC (TX) and an ASBDC member. He also works closely with the UH PTAC (TX) and is an APTAC member. He specializes in counseling small businesses through the rigorous process of registering with government agencies, and then researching and bidding on government contracts. He also provides SBIR/STTR proposal development support. Scott has over 28 years of procurement and logistics experience working for A&D prime contractors on federal contracts. He supported NASA contracts in NM, TX, FL, AL CA and, DoD contracts in NM and CA. Scott is a certified Supply Chain Management (SCM) Professional (SCOR) and is certified in the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt curriculum. He has authored white papers on SCM and conducted domestic & international presentations for government, industry, and academia on procurement and supporting government contracts and, on the effective application of SCM tools & techniques.

Desperate Measures from The Legal Edge

As seen in the SmartCEO Magazine, April 2012

Business is hard, and companies are reaching for results. In the process, some businesses take dangerous shortcuts and risk dire consequences.

Government gold rush: As business has dropped off in the private sector, more and more companies are lured by the prospect of easy money at the government trough. One of the prime targets is work set aside for minority and disadvantaged businesses. The problem is that plenty of companies that don't qualify want to get into the act.

All too often, businesses that don't qualify want to set up new companies with a person - who meets the standards - as a figurehead. These businesses don't really want this person to run the new company. So they ignore the rules or attempt to disguise the real situation.

In other instances, a large business enters into a contract with the government and then subcontracts a portion of the work to a local, small, disadvantaged business to satisfy the requirements of the government contract. But then the large company fails to provide the disadvantaged business with any meaningful work. In essence, the big company is merely creating the appearance that it is satisfying the requirement of appropriately subcontracting with the disadvantaged company.

Too many companies treat the legal requirements for government contracts as if they were speeding on an empty highway. If no one will notice, then it must be OK.

But increasingly, those days are over. Governments at all levels - nationally and locally - are auditing companies for compliance with these legal requirements. And the penalties for violations can be severe. Non-compliant companies face not merely the loss of their contracts but also prohibitions on doing business with the government in the future and even criminal prosecution that can result in fines and imprisonment.

In some cases, all of these sanctions can be avoided with careful planning. Yet there are cases where the government requirements just don't fit your business model. Yes, sometimes you just need to say, "No, that doesn't work for me," despite the lure of what seems like easy money. Don't base your business decisions merely on the likelihood of getting caught violating the law. That's gambling, not planning.

Easy money: Similarly, the private sector presents still other temptations that threaten to break the backs of companies. Consider the vast industry that rushed into existence to take advantage of the foreclosure crisis. Talk about an opportunity gone awry by the failure to follow rules and common sense. As I write this column, half a dozen large financial institutions are entering into a $25 billion settlement because of robo-signing foreclosure documents, submission to courts of improper affidavits to advance the foreclosures and other defects in the determination of who should lose their homes and how. Even with this settlement, these companies are still exposed to lawsuits and criminal prosecution by homeowners and government agencies. Read More…

Jack Garson is the founder of Garson Claxton LLC and leads the firm’s business and real estate practice groups. Jack serves as a legal advisor for numerous local, regional and national companies, focusing on business transactions, commercial real estate, commercial leasing, and construction law. In addition to providing legal counsel, Jack serves as a strategic advisor and negotiator for many clients, providing guidance on issues such as the growth and sale of businesses, liability and risk reduction, the hiring and retention of key personnel, and protecting and enhancing profitability, as well as negotiating the resolution of complex commercial disputes.

29 Links to Make You Awesome at Facebook Marketing

Have you been struggling to gain some traction with your Facebook marketing?

Has it come the point where no matter what you do, you still feel like you’re spinning your wheels?
Well, my friends, here’s a resource you’re really going to “Like.”

Below are 29 links to posts we’ve put together to help you race down the road to Facebook marketing success.

Enjoy!
1. Get Real: How to Set Realistic Goals for Your Facebook Page

2. Facebook Page vs. Profile: The Heavyweight Championship Bout

3. How to Regularly Post to Your Facebook Page (Without Annoying the $#!* Out of Your Fans)

4. Turn that Frown Upside Down: How to Make an Unhappy Fan a Happier Customer

5. Get Your Customers to Say “I Want That!” in Four Easy Steps

6. Why Isn’t Your Facebook Content as Shareable as a Super Bowl Ad?

7. Read this Blog Post to Do Better on Facebook

8. When to Post to Facebook for Maximum Impact

9. Why I Like “Like-Gating” (And Why You Should Too)

10. The Backstage Pass: 3 Ways to Get Facebook Fans to Subscribe to Your Email List

11. Be Stat Savvy: Use Reporting Data to Better Engage Your Facebook Fans

12. Involve Your Fans in the Facebook Content Game

13. Rich Media’s Guide to Getting the Most Engagement on Facebook

14. Show Your Fans Some Love: Say “Thank You” with Your Facebook Page

15. Domo Arigato: No More Mr. Roboto

16. 4 Signs of Complicated Facebook Marketing Syndrome

17. Why You Should Share Instead of Sell on Facebook

18. What Can “Ghostbusters” Teach You About Promoting a Social Campaign?

19. Keep It Positive: Don’t Badmouth the Competition on Facebook

20. How to Survive a Social Media Apocalypse

21. Does Your Content Stand Out in the Facebook Gumbo?

22. Facebook Success in 15 Minutes a Day

23. Lighten Up! Have Some Fun with Your Facebook Fans

24. How to Design for Facebook Like a Pro

25. Why Your Personality Is the Secret to a “Like”-able Brand

26. Listen Up! Your Facebook Fans Have Great Content Ideas

27. How Are You Responding to Feedback from Your Facebook Fans?

28. 25 Things That Make You Look Dumb on Facebook

29. Why Facebook Likes Alone Are Not Enough

Gina Watkins is a leading expert on e-marketing for small business – and has a real passion for helping businesses to succeed. Her ongoing series of dynamic lectures are filled with real-world examples, humor and results-driven wisdom garnered from more than two decades of sales, business development and marketing experience. In addition to owning her own business, she is an award-winning direct marketer, has been featured on WUSA Channel 9's Mind Over Money show, Dr. Gayle Carson’s Women In Business radio show, Morgan State’s Briefcase Radio program, and in numerous other media. In her role as Constant Contact Regional Development Director, she’s presented to more than ten thousand seminar attendees about the keys to success with easy, affordable, highly effective technology tools that grow trusted business relationships.

Four Ways to Help Your Client Expand Their Business

Today’s economy presents some unique opportunities for business expansion for those who have a unique set of circumstances. Help your clients act now to expand their business and help position them for success. 

By Mike Handelsman, Group General Manager, BizBuySell.com and Bizquest.com

Growing a business is a constant challenge, and today's economic climate is likely making things more challenging. However, by helping clients to explore expansion options uniquely available during an economic downturn, they may be able to take their business, and business performance, to new heights.

Here are a few fresh ideas, uniquely suited to current market conditions, which might stimulate some new thinking on how to expand a business.

Organic Growth

Organic growth is the most common form of small business expansion, and may be the way your client has grown their business in the past.

In today's economy where consumers are increasingly turning to value over business loyalty, successful organic growth requires introspection. Businesses must examine their relationship with key customers to pinpoint why those customers are, or are not, happy with service levels. Today's economy may change how consumers perceive a product or service, as their needs regarding price, service levels, and other business factors may be influenced by their economic situation. Transforming this analysis into actionable business improvement initiatives involves hard work and forward-thinking business strategies. It's about keeping customers happy, investing in the business, and selling and marketing aggressively.

Strengthening relationships with key customers and enhancing the value of the business's products or services is imperative if a business wants to grow organically.

Location Expansion

If a business has been based in a single location or region, now may be the time to set up shop in a second location or to expand the service area. This could involve opening a business in a nearby neighborhood or city, or making services available to a broader geographic audience.

Creating a second location is much less expensive than starting a business from scratch, yet it exposes a business owner to many new customers. As such, it can be a way to transform existing operations into a much more profitable business. Expansion often enables owners to benefit from economies of scale that were previously unavailable, providing additional profit enhancement.

Acquiring Competitors

It is likely that some of your client’s competitors are struggling in this down economy, to the point where they are ready to pursue an exit opportunity. Rather than have them sell to a new competitor, you may be better off acquiring them and folding their operations into yours.

Knowing the ins and outs of a particular industry, as well as the business, they will be less likely to overpay for it. Your client may also have good ideas on how to improve the competitor's operations, through leveraging their expertise and experience. In addition, there may be economies of scale that can allow them to lower their raw materials costs or other business expenses.

Expanding Into a Related Market

Coach your client to take their strengths of their business and apply them to a related field. For example, a landscaping service might expand their operations to include a nursery business. There are some natural synergies between the two businesses, with each business potentially helping the other business to do well.

When expanding into related markets, they can start the second business from scratch or acquire an existing business. Acquisitions tend to be faster, less expensive and less risky, but there is something to be said for starting a new business with a clean slate.

Expanding in a related market with complementary products or services will increase potential customer base, and can likewise revitalize the sales cycle. The larger, more diverse customer base will also put a business in a more desirable position when they’re looking to sell.

Getting Started With Business Expansion

Imagination and planning are the keys to starting a business expansion initiative and where you can help your client brainstorm.

Contemplate each of the expansion methods discussed above and think through whether they are appropriate for the business you’re working with.

Turn that contemplation into a list of possibilities. Once you've identified some possible ways to expand, do a little market research to learn more about the expansion opportunity.

For example, in fleshing out geographic expansion, you might suggest that a client travel to the other city and ask potential customers whether they'd be interested in doing business with them if you opened up in their neighborhood. Or, scope out the market for additional competitors that could make your expansion more, or less profitable.

If they are contemplating the acquisition of a competitor or acquiring a complementary business, direct them to business-for-sale listing sites like BizBuySell.com or BizQuest.com to see what's for sale.

In this market, it's important for small business owners to keep eyes and ears open for potential deals that may come down the road. The key is for owners not to rest on their laurels. What they've accomplished to date may be impressive, but with a good expansion strategy in place, rest assured that the best is yet to come for them!

About BizBuySell:
BizBuySell is the Internet's largest and most heavily trafficked business for sale marketplace, with more business for sale listings, more unique users, and more search activity than any other service. BizBuySell also has one of the largest databases of sale comparables for recently sold businesses and one of the industry's leading franchise directories

Book Review: Found It – A Field Guide For Mom Entrepreneurs (Great Book For Every Newbie Biz Owner)

I remember staring my first business “Family Computer Consulting Services” over 12 years ago. I had no clue what I was doing and just grew my business, helping clients, by the seat of my pants. I did have Inc Magazine which helped give me insight on how other businesses were growing and the challenges they faced, but that’s about it. I dissolved the business (it was profitable!) and morphed into Smallbiztechnology.com

I wish I had Jill Salzman’s book “Found It. A Filed Guide for Mom Entrepreneurs”.

Her easy to read book, with cute imagery, is focused on moms and their entrepreneurial journey but (shh) it’s really a great field guide for a dad or anyone starting their business.

The book is chock full of short, to the point and very useful information, in fact 51 tips, including a resource section.

Some of the tips include, tip number 20, “Connect Like An Expert”.

Instead of trolling LinkedIn for relatively loosely connected affiliations, why not check out your school alumni pages or your local community for those who you really know. Tell them about your new business, then network with them online.

Practical, right?

Jill Salzman’s book, “Found It. A Filed Guide for Mom Entrepreneurs” is all about practical information and insight to help you. Want to save money hiring help? Read Jill’s tips on hiring interns, virtual assistants and bartering. In many households moms are in charge of what the family is eating – Jill address who to get dinner ready and run your own business too.

Ramon is a journalist, technology evangelist, speaker, editor of Smallbiztechnology.com and author of “Technology Solutions for Growing Businesses” (Amacom) and most recently “Technology Resources for Growing Businesses“. Ramon has written thousands of technology articles and news items for Smallbiztechnology.com and other media including: Open Forum, Inc. Magazine, New York Enterprise Report, Black Enterprise Magazine, CNet, Var Business, TechTarget, Entrepreneur.com, Small Business Resources and others. He has also written for technology vendors including Microsoft, FileMaker, and Everest. He is often quoted in the media, including the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc. Magazine, WCBS Radio, Crains New York, National Federal of Independent Business, Small Business Advocate Radio Show, Wells Fargo Small Business Roundup, Tech Talk with Craig Peterson and Smart Money.

Protecting Your Online Reputation

How many times have you heard someone on the radio or TV offering to protect your online reputation from malicious or fraudulent reviews? Believe it or not, with a little work, you can protect your own online reputation and keep your cash! 

First, understand what we mean by your online reputation. Basically, whenever we talk about a business getting damaged by an online slight, it can be traced to a consumer-based review. Many sites exist that allow anyone to leave a review of any business. Unfortunately, these review sites are not policed or edited, creating opportunities for mischief, pranks, and outright lies.

It happened to me. One of my less ethical competitors wrote a false, scathing review about my company. I figured out it was him because he gave one-star reviews to all of the web design companies except his own (which earned 5 stars). Oh, and he used his real name when he made the review.

To discover what the Internet denizens are saying about you, check out these three sites: Google Places, Yelp, Social Mention, and Google Alerts.

Yelp and Google Places are the two main third-party review sites. By searching these sites, you will cover roughly 80% of the reputation landscape on the Internet.

Google Alerts sends you daily or weekly emails of “mentions” of any keywords you choose. Right away, you need to create saved searches on your name and company name.

Finally, Social Mention makes it easy to search across numerous blogs, tweets, and other social sites for any keywords you choose.

But what do you do if someone gives you a negative review? Remember, most review sites, including Yelp and Google Places, have an “abuse” address you can make an appeal if you feel the review is fraudulent. However, unless the review contains bad language, racial remarks, or threatens you personally, they will take a hands-off approach.

If you find yourself “stuck” with a bad review, the only option you have is to “respond” to it. When you respond, take a professional tact. Remove all emotion from your response and avoid sarcasm. Most people expect a business to have a few bad reviews, but as long as you respond to them, the reader will see that you are responsive and attentive to customer service.

I welcome your comments below!

Eric Spellmann continues to be one of the highest rated speakers at our national ASBDC conferences. His unique view that small business websites should “do” something pushes against the standard “online pamphlet” view of most web design companies. He believes your customer’s websites should be driving qualified leads and sales on a weekly basis. Eric speaks at a number of other national and state conferences nationwide, but enjoys running one of the most successful web design companies in the country. He truly believes in the SBDC mission as it helped him start his own company many years ago. To contact him, visit his website at EricSpellmann.com.

Taxes & Tariffs

Duties and taxes are fees imposed on goods shipped from one country to another. It's the responsibility of the shipper to calculate them and for the buyer to pay them. This video introduces you to online tools for calculating these fees for more than 100 different countries. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/

The Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy. We honor privacy, protect confidentiality, share our expertise globally, and conduct our work openly. We are guided on this mission by our strong and capable workforce, our readiness to innovate, and our abiding commitment to our customers.