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Visibility

Business Growth: Issue 27 – Know How to Hire

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As your business grows, you quickly realize that you can’t do all the work by yourself.  Finding people that you can trust is difficult, and just a few bad hires can send your business into a tailspin.  Take the time to make sure that you adhere to these simple hiring tips.

Interview, Interview, Interview

Your first stop for new hires will likely be your close network of friends, families and former co-workers.  This is an excellent starting point, because these are the people that you know and trust the most.  However, don’t stop there.  Cast a wide net during the interview process.  Post jobs online and through any professional or collegiate networks that you belong to.  You never know where the best candidates might come from, and by interviewing a wide variety of people, you will get a better idea of what  you do and do not want in a new employee.

Be Honest

As you craft job descriptions, be brutally honest in what the job entails and what you expect in new employees.  If the job title is “Warehouse Logistics Executive”, but the employee will mostly be performing m annual labor in a warehouse, consider changing the job title to “Warehouse Personnel” to attract the correct candidates.  If you expect new employees to be available during off hours or on the weekends, state that in the job description.  There is no use sugar coating the details or making the job sound different than what it really is.  Deception might attract some great candidates, but these employees will quickly become disgruntled as they realize the true nature of the job. 

However, do be sure to list the highlights of the position.  If you offer great benefits, flexible hours or extra vacation, be sure to include that in the job description.

Pay Attention to Culture

Before you hire, be sure to consider the culture of your company.  Do you want the work environment to be laid back and collegial, or quiet and professional?  Seek out candidates that fit with the culture that you are trying to create.  Hiring people that fit together culturally is key to creating a healthy work environment and happy and productive employees.

Know When to Say No

Interviewing is a personal and intense process.  It can be difficult to say no to candidates, but it is extremely important to know when to say no.  Remember that just one bad hire can take up time from other productive employees, and just one unhappy employee can bring down an entire company’s morale.  Say no and move on to the most qualified candidates.

 Hiring new employees takes a lot of resources for a small business, but finding the right people is critical to success.

Traditional Networking 101

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The term “networking” has evolved over the past few years.  Many networks today exist primarily online, and members of online networks might never meet each other in person.  While online networking in the form of Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media is an important element in today’s digital environment, don’t forget about the power of traditional networking.  Here are a few tips to jumpstart your offline network.

Attend Industry Events

The best way to meet relevant professionals in your industry is at industry-specific events.  Look online for the most important events that are held for your type of business.  Make sure that the key members of your company attend these events.  If possible, reserve a booth for your company or ask if one of your team members can act as a speaker or panelist. 

During these types of events, the goal is to interact with as many people as possible.  Every person you meet adds to your network of peers and potential clients.  If you are looking to hire, keep an eye out for potential employees.  Be sure to grab contact information for everyone you speak to.

Give to Others

As the saying goes, you only get what you give.  Networking is a two-way street, and in order to reap the benefits, you must provide support to the fellow members of your network.  Be willing and able to listen to other’s business concerns and to lend a hand to help answer questions or find resources for those who need them.  Attending to the needs of those in your network takes minimal time, but by helping others, you ensure that others are willing to help you.

Follow Up

During the course of tending to business, attending industry events and going about your daily life, you will come into contact with hundreds of people.  Always get a business card for new people you meet, and keep an organized contact log with everyone’s information.  Follow up with important contacts frequently, even if you do not need to speak with them.  Consider organizing a coffee meeting or lunch date to catch up on business ideas and industry trends.  Keeping up a relationship with people in your network ensures that you have an open line of communication when you need them.

Be sure to use traditional networking in addition to online networking as you build your business.  Although nothing beats the convenience of networking online, building strong in-person relationships is an important component to any successful company.

Why consultants are a must for every business owner!

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The hardest part of being a business owner is almost always the lonely perch or the glass floor the partnership is initially created on. As a business owner you really can’t ask an employee how you are doing… well at least with the intent on possibly getting the harsh truth you may need.

The hardest part about employees is that you recruited them! That’s right, you selected them, which means that they fit into a specific set of guidelines, experiences or education that you value. As such they are not bringing a new perspective that will really jolt the direction or growth of your business.

Why Consultants are a must

The consultant provides you an opportunity to think outside the box, consider issues, policy and procedures that are not influenced by budget limitations, family input or employee’s self-serving influence. The consultant should have an experience and preferably an education that brings value to your business. A consultant can also be a temporary fixed cost that is easily dismissed if they bring no results. They should also bring an opinion that is not bias because of fear of your supervision.

Beyond your script or plan

The concept behind having a consultant comes from the need to grow! Your business is likely already successful because of what your brought to it, be it hard work, ideas, capital whatever. The role of the consultant is to give you a snapshot of where you’re at and where you can go, and how!

A case for value

Consultants provide you with a valuable tool and personal that you may not be able to supply or provide just yet. Take Social Brand Reputation Management, the concept is so complex and solved so simply.

A company or business wants to protect their brand, product or anything else. To hire a Public Relations employee might be 40k-80k, but to protect their brand online or to promote the business with social media they may spend hours and hours of their time or again hire a technology staff of 1 or 2 at an additional cost of 30k – 80k, that could be $160,000 plus benefits!!! A consulting service who services 4-10 clients in this subject will likely charge a fraction of that and be better connected to media sources and technology because they cover a wider scope of clients.

Is your website outdated?

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A website should be updated at least every six months. The website should be your store front and consider upkeep an operating expense. Websites need to be able to be updated, and interact with Web 2.0, but this can only happen if you/r company is participating in web 2.0. You should have social sites and blogs, but also have them syndicated to your website.

A successful website should include:

 – A professional extension of your presentation

 – Be user friendly and easy to navigate

 – Search Engine Optimization friendly or already optimized

 – Use Social Media as a form or networking and community outreach

 – Collect Data about visitors, e-mail addresses etc.

 – Have a “call to action” for an opportunity

 – Provide you with ROI data about your website

When a business starts to struggle cutting back on customer generating expenses is usually the fastest way to run your business out of business. When it comes to cutting expenses choose wisely, while you’ll need to trim advertising and marketing expenses, you don’t want to stop the source of revitalization for your business.

Strategy, Strategy, Strategy…

Instead of running your advertising all over the market, seek the advice of an expert who can help you select a few sources that will produce a reliable and stable ROI. The expenses associated with a professional or expert is easily saved by the expenses of getting your marketing wrong.

Visibility Acceleration is a digital marketing powerhouse that leverages social media, search engines and your website to generate new customers. Puglisi Consulting Group, Inc. has the experience and support of professionals and experts in the field of business coaching and consulting to support a plan to help get your business back on track.

Don’t Say “No” Before you Read 140 Characters

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In the last “State of the Union” speech President Obama gave, some politicians could be seen were busy twitting their remarks about what they just heard. Comedians do it too, to increase their audiences, and if the tweets are funny, they have a following. It’s for fans as well as a way to feel close to their idol. Justin Bieber tweets when he goes to eat, telling his fans what kinds of food he likes.

Twitter is a marketing tool as well and if it is used right can be a very useful tool. Here are a few examples how it can work:

–          A Global Communication company established an account. For a short time they learned the ropes, tried a few things but nothing big happened. The man in charge of the account found out there is a third company application that will alert him to tweets which contain certain words. Not long after, he got one of those from a company that is looking to revamp their communications and asked for recommendations. The man called the company, and less than two weeks later closed a deal for $250,000. He was there at the right time in the right place

–          A small independent Ice Cream shop in San Francisco had no money for advertising, but wanted to increase their circulation. A twitter account enabled them to stay in touch with their regular customers and let them know every time a new flavor is introduced. The reaction is amazing, says the shop co-owner. Every time they tweet about a new flavor, the response is immediate. Almost every customer that walks in asks for this flavor and more and more new customers are joining their ‘community’.

–          A bake shop owner in Los Angeles uses twitter in another way. She likes to experiment with new recipes but can’t afford to wait and see if the new creation will sell. Instead she tweets, and asks her followers to voice their honest opinions. Much cheaper then making a batch of muffins that don’t sell, or investing money in research and polling. Her latest muffins, with bacon, went through 3 changes fuelled by twitter comments before it became one of her best sellers.

These are only 3 examples how small business owners use Twitter accounts. It’s not enough anymore to just open an account and hunt for followers. Twitter is a tool and you have to know how to use it to maximize your exposure.

That is not so easy to do, when you do not know all the possibilities. By hiring someone who does know how to make it work for you, you get an exposure that costs you very little money compared with an advertising campaign. Visibility Acceleration (http://www.visibilityacceleration.com/) is a company that deals with electronic media and increasing your visibility in the market place. A subsidiary of Puglisi Consulting Group (http://puglisiconsulting.com/#), it can provide you with the knowledge and the connection to make every available electronic media work for your benefit and increase your business.

Barter for Visibility

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In today’s high-tech world, the term “barter” sounds like something from the days of the Pony Express and telegrams.  But the truth of the matter is that barter can help even the most high-tech businesses.  In fact, some of today’s best-known companies use barter as a means of advertising.  If your business if suffering through a downturn or is low on customers, consider familiarizing yourself with barter programs to increase visibility in the marketplace.

A barter exchange can be anything that involves an exchange of goods or services.  A local restaurant might offer a free coffee to anyone who brings in a receipt from a nearby retail store.  Or a theme park can offer $10 off admission for anyone who brings in a certain brand of soft drink.  The idea is that cross-promotion helps attract new customers and increase brand awareness for both parties involved.

There are many benefits to implementing a barter program.  First and foremost, a well-implemented program can expand your customer base and the visibility of your business.  Second, barter is an inexpensive form of advertising.  Usually the only cost involved in barter is a customer discount on goods or services.

Setting up a barter program can be simple if you have the right network.  Reach out to relevant business partners that you speak to regularly.  Treat the barter conversation like you would any sales pitch; remember that you are pitching an idea that benefits both parties.  Think carefully about the program that you set up.  Just because a fellow business owner is a close colleague doesn’t mean that his service will provide a complimentary product to your customers.

If you do not have anyone in your immediate network that you can set up an exchange with, consider joining a professional barter organization.  The International Reciprocal Trade Association, or IRTA, provides a professional network for businesses that are looking to barter.  The organization also provides tips for barter in a modern world.  If you find that you are interested in expanding barter beyond customer-facing programs, there are opportunities to exchange supplies and business services as well.

Although barter is a great advertising tool to use during rough times, don’t rule out barter during strong financial times as well.  Even the best businesses can benefit from inexpensive customer acquisition.  Become a pro at barter and you can ensure that your business remains visible at all times.

Yelp Your Business & Increase Visibility

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How often do you check your company’s online reviews?  Do you reach out to customers that post reviews of your business online?  If you are late to the online review game, it’s time to pay attention. 

Research shows that a bad review online can be extremely damaging to your business.  Nearly two-thirds of the population has researched products or services online within the past three months, and 70% of consumers trust reviews from strangers online more than they trust information from manufacturers or from friends and family.  A few bad reviews can turn potential customers away quickly.

One of the leading online review sites for local businesses is Yelp.  Yelp provides a listing of businesses and allows customers to rate each business and to post reviews.  Each business is assigned a rating from one star (poor) to five stars (excellent) based on the average customer review.

If you have not been active on Yelp, now is the time to get started.  First, claim your business by navigating to biz.yelp.com.  Once you have registered as the business owner, completely fill out the information for your place of business, including address, contact number, hours and any special announcements.  This ensures that customers know the basics about your business and that the information is visible to the Yelp community.

Second, respond quickly to any negative reviews.  Yelp provides the option to either post a public response or send a private email to the reviewer.  Send an apology and a constructive response, such as offering a free product or service as an incentive to try the business again.  Often the consumer will be so pleased by the prompt response that they will revise their review to note the high level of customer service.

Third, make special announcements and offers as much as possible.  Yelp displays a special notice for businesses that offer special promotions, which incentivizes customers to click on the page.  Examples of special promotions include 15% off for mentioning Yelp, 10% off for new customers or a link to a website with printable coupons.  Be sure to change the promotions often to keep customers coming back for more.

Although Yelp is one of the most popular local review sites, there are many other online outlets for customers to post reviews.  Be sure to frequently monitor online feedback and respond to consumer complaints.  Just one negative comment online can drive away hundreds of other potential customers.  Proper management of customer feedback is crucial to managing a business in today’s high-tech world.

If your busy with your business then look for Social Brand Reputation Management, this service will monitor your brand as well as other keywords and phrases and comes in Tiers 1-3 allowing you to customize the support you get, from basic notification to Public Relations support and responses.

Visit Visibility Acceleration for more information.

Is Your Online Marketing Hurting your Business?

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It seems so simple; you want to open a business, you look for a field where your business is needed, you design a web site by yourself through WordPress or other sources and, voila – you’re in business.

 Not long after, your realize that your site is not bringing in much business. Where have you gone wrong? Why is your competitor making big bucks and you are making only peanuts?

 Take a look at your site. Here are some common mistakes you should try to avoid:

 –          Are you really marketing to a niche? People tend to confuse niche with demographics. A niche is a group of people that have a common problem and are seeking solutions. Marketing to stay-at-home moms, senior citizens or baby boomers is marketing to a demographic. Potential customers are the ones who have a problem you can solve, like DIY Solar Panels, Baby Strollers or Green Plumbing. Those clients can come from all wakes of life and all ages.

 –          Your web site is not up to par. It looks cheap, it has spelling mistakes, you don’t update it for months and you haven’t added new products in the past year. With the saturation of the Internet, one of the requirements of a successful site is constant updates. You want to be seen, don’t you?

 –          Not having a system in place that analyzes your visitors and captures them. Some people visit a site, plan on visiting it again on a later date, but never do because they forgot, don’t have time now or they lost your address. Having a system of capturing their names and e mail addresses will enable you to contact them, send newsletters and show you are interested in them and in their business. Some of those who forgot about you will come back.

 –          Not making a long term plan and following the advice of every new guru in the field of Internet marketing. Think about what makes you different and what you can offer that others can’t. Your business plan doesn’t have to be 500 pages long. It is important, however, to make sure your goals are clear and you have a plan and a system to know when your plan is working and when it’s not.

 Even if you’ve downloaded all the e books, web seminars and Internet courses about Internet marketing, have you been reading them all? Who’s got the time, you ask yourself. If I’ll be busy reading all those pages, who will run my business?

 That is main reason why it is smart business to hire consultants who deal with those issues on a daily basis and make it their business to keep updated on all the new trends. Companies like Puglisi consulting Group (http://puglisiconsulting.com) which can help you avoid all the beginners’ mistakes. Through their company Visibility Acceleration (http://visibilityacceleration.com/#/seo-visibility/4541420003) they can touch and solve all the points mentioned here and make sure you have to ability to see and be seen.

Promotional Social Interactive – FourSquare

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Promotional Social Interactive – FourSquare

My reaction to AOL cover story – http://www.switched.com/2010/06/30/testing-times-square-what-is-foursquare/2#comments 

FourSquare was developed a short time ago. As a Social Media application it was met with the “So what,who cares” as Twitter and Facebook seem to be the only Social Tools that the masses have taken to.

FourSquare uses Twitter and Facebook to deliver its content and purpose…. WHAT?

That’s right, FourSquare’s update “micro blog” posts to both Twitter and Facebook.  However,  if you are an avid Twitter user you already can set your tweets to syndicate on facebook.

What does this mean?

Well, this means that FourSquare leverages the followers and friends to maximize exposure, communication and interaction. The interaction is the new “oooohhh” shiny toy. FourSquare is a location- based application that allows users and businesses to interact and promote on a mobile level that Twitter and Facebook are yet to capitalize on.

FourSquare uses locations and has tips and the coveted “Mayor” status. Let’s talk about Starbucks, the location is at, yes you guessed it, Starbucks…. so you go to Starbucks, your favorite location and you “check in here” the mobile application logs you in, detects your location and then lets you “micro blog” or tweet what you want. You get points for checking in at that location and all your friends, FourSquare, Twitter and Facebook now know you’re at Starbucks, even if your tweet didn’t say Starbucks the location and link does. Now that’s direct advertising. In addition to you blasting out your location and hoping someone else nearby sees and decides to stop in and say hello, you can read about tips, deals or specials as posted by that location or other visitors.

Mayor status: Once you have checked into a location, over the course of sixty days, more then anyone else you become the mayor for being the frequent visitor. The Mayor status is an opportunity for the business, i.e. Starbucks by me offers a free coffee or half price Frap anytime the mayor visits the location.

Tips: This little feature can really help you be the winner, let’s say you go to Paces Steak House in Port Jeff, NY. The Tips section can tell you to ask for a “Fun Platter”.  This local treat is not on the menu and unless you ask for it they are not giving it to you. The “Fun Platter” is a mix of Steak, Salad, Seafood, Olives, Fresh Clams and more…now without FourSquare Tips you may have missed out on this opportunity.

Visibility by Puglisi Consulting Group

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