FORUM INSTRUCTIONS

Below are the instructions on how to interact with other members on our business forum…

Tip for the Business Forum!

Business Tip

Set clear goals for your advertising plan.  These goals will help you to maximize your advertising return on investment.  If you don’t, your return will be limited.

Business Tip

Provide enough information in you advertising regardless of the type of media.  If you don’t specifically highlight the products or services you offer, customers may assume you don’t have or offer it.

Business Tip

Advertise the benefits your customers want not product features.

Business Tip

Advertise with consistency.  By running ads too infrequently rather than too often, you will waste money.

Business Tip

Your advertising should match the needs and wants of your customer.  Ask for their opinion and then customize your offer.

Business Tip

Write a marketing or business advertising plan.  The marketing plan is one of the most important documents you can write as it is your company’s main source of income.

Don’t Count Accounting Out

If you hear the word CPA and think of bookkeepers, brown suits, pocket protectors, and gnawed off pencils, then you are way behind the times. While accounting has long conjured images of number crunching and bookkeeping, today’s accountants are also at the forefront of dramatic changes in the business world.

“Accounting has always been a crucial part of running a business. You simply can’t run an efficient or profitable company if you aren’t keeping an eye on your books,” says Heidi Godbold, academic program director at Everest College in Colorado Springs, Colo. She explains that with computers and other technological advances eliminating the most tedious parts of accounting, accountants are taking on new roles in business. “The role of an accountant is being transformed from simply helping a business run to helping a business envision its future.”

The Hotel That Business Travelers Need to Know About

If you’re a frequent business traveler, you’ve probably stayed in your share of boring hotels where you’re lucky to have cable, much less Internet access. But, due to the demands of today’s technology-advanced society, many of these properties are being replaced by hotels that are pioneering some of the most innovative technology-based amenities.

Savvy hotel operators know that providing their guests with all the comforts and conveniences of home, coupled with some of the latest and greatest technological amenities, is necessary to remain competitive. That’s why when visiting top hotels, you’ll not only find state-of-the-art meeting facilities, but niche amenities such as on-site barbers and tailors, dry-cleaning service and guest rooms with all the upscale extras such as decorative furniture, high-end mattresses, signature bedding and linens, oversized bathrooms with separate tubs and showers, in-room refrigerators and microwaves and large flat screen TVs with all the movie channels.

American Offices Going Green

It’s been said it’s not easy being green - but in today’s business, it’s being said a lot.  Everywhere you turn, there’s more about the “greening” of America. This is certainly true with American businesses striving to build new and remodeled offices to meet the latest sustainability standards and certifications.

One way to gauge the best in sustainable design, particularly when creating commercial interiors, is through LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This green building rating system was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED-CI (Commercial Interiors) is the rating system for building tenants to certify their interiors are healthy, productive work environments.

LEED is used as a benchmark by architects and interior designers, real estate professionals, engineers and facility managers, landscape architects, construction managers, lenders and government officials to help transform the built environment into a more sustainable environment.

Wrestling with Payroll Management? How to Find Online Solution

It’s no cliché: Small businesses really are the backbone of the American economy. Representing 99.7 percent of all employer firms, nearly 25 million small businesses have created 60 to 80 percent of the new jobs annually over the past decade, according to the Small Business Administration.

Of course, employing all those workers means tax season lasts all year long for small businesses who must regularly deal with payroll taxes. If you are an average small business owner, you likely invest hundreds of hours per year managing payroll.

Is it any wonder more small business owners are turning to online services to streamline their payroll activities? Bank of America alone reports 1.8 million small business customers use their online banking and financial management tools. Millions more use a variety of online services and tools to meet their needs.

Secrets of Data Organization for Small Businesses

Are you still storing your business contact info in your e-mail program or on your cell phone? Or, worse yet, is your “database” a collection of business cards stashed in a shoe box? Stunning as it may seem, a significant number of small business owners still use outdated methods to store important business contact information.

“No matter their size or the sum of their annual receipts, businesses live or die on data,” says Tom Stearns, a data organization expert with CardScan. “For small businesses that rarely have access to advanced IT support, successfully organizing and protecting contact information can mean the difference between success and disaster.”

Organized contact information provides numerous benefits to small business owners, including less time spent developing mailing lists for marketing materials, and improved customer service. Paper documents, such as business cards, can get lost or damaged and are difficult to organize. Putting information on a computer hard drive can help organize information and make accessing it easier, but may also put it at risk if your desktop crashes or your laptop is stolen.

Put Your Work Style to Work For You - and Get Organized!

The secret to success in the business world is not necessarily what you know, but how efficient you are at getting your job done. Need help in that department?

“A good place to start is by identifying your work style,” says professional organizer and Office Depot advisor Monica Ricci. “Once you’ve done that, then you can put into practice a few clear-cut systems to achieve your goals.”

Whether you’re a go-getter, a planner, procrastinator or perfectionist, here’s some advice on how to get the job done:

The Planner - You have all the answers when it comes to possible contingencies and are on top of big and small details. You are probably the most organized of all the work styles, but there still are some areas you’d like to improve.

Learn to Love Your Cubicle in Four Easy Steps

The cubicle - love them or hate them, if you work in an office, chances are you’ve spent some time in a cubicle.

While cubicles will always be a part of business, there’s strong evidence to suggest that your productivity can improve if you’re content and comfortable with your cubicle. “A professional, yet comfortable, personal and organized work space is a key component of success at work,” says Steve Sholem, a space organization expert.

So how do you create a cubicle environment that works for you? By walking a careful line between professional and personal, with efficiency as your top priority, Sholem and other experts advise. Here are four steps for turning your cubicle into a comfortable, productive work zone:

1. Go from clutter to clean. A disorganized cubicle is frustrating.  Your workspace consists of items you actually need and use, as well as things that are just taking up space. Discard unnecessary items and focus on organizing the essentials.