Inbound Sales is ALL About Outbound Social Media? Or is it?

As the world changes, so does the way(s) we all continue to communicate with one another. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, “communication” originated in the 14^th century (WOW) and is defined as “the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else.” So then why do most people NOT consider SOCIAL MEDIA and SALES communicative tasks? What I mean by that is why do marketers, as well as other professionals think that social media isn’t the best tool available to communicate with others, thus increasing sales (i.e. in this case increase inbound sales). In fact, I believe that customers take joy in being social over the web and would rather buy online at their own pace versus someone else’s or in-person. Am I being naive or do you agree or disagree? Whether you agree or disagree, one thing is certain and that is if you understand the role(s) of communicating and social media in general that these two combined can be paramount and vital to your personal or long-term business success(es).

How buying is changing online

With the advent of online sites such as Google, Ebay, Yelp, Facebook, Twitter, FourSqaure, EmpireAvenue, Pinterest, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, Quora, etc people have more say “dictating the buying/selling processes” and can voice their opinions as little and/or as often as they want, thus dictating what customers/businesses ultimately buy and sell. In fact, (I believe you already may know this) but it is no longer about what a salesperson/company says or presents but instead about what a buyer says online or in person that dictates what they truly want in a (B2C business-to-consumer or B2B business-to-business) competitive sales environment.

Forrester, which is a leading research company recently reported that over 90% of the time B2B (in this case B2B IT buyers) are involved in some form of social media, not so much as actual purchasers but as purchase spectators. What this actually means and maybe the case more times than not in any industry is that 90% of the people or businesses that are looking for IT services or ‘YOUR services/products” are on some form of social media site. Regardless of the industry, you and/or your company cannot afford to ignore these statistics if you want to continue increasing sales over the long run. Yes, this also means that even though these people are online (i.e. social media) they maybe just there to see how you and/or your company is perceived, so they also can adjust their business strategy around what people want (i.e. again inbound selling adjustments) throughout an industry not just your company. Yes?

Not just for the Traditionalists

While not too long ago and perhaps even to this day (you have more than likely experienced this) many people have/did enter(ed) into the online social sphere of things with the whole “get rich quick scheme or multi-level marketing” but as time passed we all have voiced our opinions thus we are seeing a dramatic decline in this category. That is a big relief huh? Personally, over the years I have grown to hate all these multi-level marketing schemes and am very pleased to see them fading into the night just as the typewriter of several years past. Since these multi-level schemes were and never will be credible ways of making money or advancing sales online (instead only making a few people rich) while making other people more skeptical of online buying/selling. Having a tremendous amount of prior B2B and B2C sales experience, I came into social media marketing (social media selling) with a determination to grow a community and eliminate the hard sell, since generating awareness and need for a purchase are at the forefront of sales and have always been my way of producing sales not the other way around. Let’s face it who likes that nagging sales person that calls 10 times a day or week trying to sell you something you don’t necessarily need but instead trying to sell you something they think you need in order to increase their own sales numbers, while making their boss(es) happy. Social media selling gives the customer what they need and that is relevant information that they can use to create their own wants; thus, calling you (INBOUND) when they are actually ready to buy on their own terms and not yours. So, let’s say bye bye to all those bait and switch techniques of the past and hello to transparency of the present “gifts” that help you and your prospects make good buying decisions. An honest conversation online through social media and other like platforms that make your phone ring not you ringing others, thus increasing sales and creating more long-term partnerships.   

Social Sales

If what I have mentioned so far here and in my previous posts hasn’t convinced you that social media is/has changed the way everyone communicates, then I ask you to think about all the people you and/or your company reach daily, weekly, or yearly to create awareness, while maintaining one-on-one contact. Do you see how or perhaps you could create some of the most important relationships that you or your company has/can develop online? Have you or your company closed any accounts or sales online without actually even talking to another person? If you are like most others the answer to this question should be YES (even in the lowest form you surely have purchased from EBay or Amazon haven’t you) and if not then you really need to get or build your online presence immediately. If you are in sales and also answered NO to this question, you also need to start building your own online presence as well as your companies since you cannot or will not be able to rely on in person or personality alone to seal more deals moving into the future.

As social media helps to continue shaping sales by changing the old mantra of “who you know” to “what you actually know,” especially what you know about others (i.e. communicative spectators) you must continue to drive forward. The new age of selling should demand online communication of every one of its employees regardless of position in order to enhance other purchasing decisions by adding value to any online competitive conversation. Needless to say and long story short is that I ask you to stop convincing yourself or business that social media cannot help you and instead embrace how communication combined with social media can help you leverage your personal or business long-term goals. Those people and companies that understand these concepts now and are willing to forge forward into this new business space of sales will be the ones that I will be still writing about 20 years from now. Remember communication + social media = sales and long-term relationships. So if you want to connect comment below or connect with me on any one of my other social networks. Oh ya… Keep SMILING everyone as it looks so good on you!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.

Invest Less & Network More in BUSINESS & LIFE (SOCIAL MEDIA MADNESS)

As many of you know people, businesses, and corporations are continually looking for new ways to engage with others online and in person in order to grow personally and professionally. However, if you are like most other people and companies, you may still be wondering what are the most effective ways of creating interaction without spending days, weeks, months, or years on experimentation(s)… whether online or at social networking events? Now if you own a business you definitely should have figured out that creating a mix between your personal and professional online and in-person presence is or might be ideal? Is it or better yet… how? Well, whether you agree or not social media sites such as (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Empire Avenue, FourSqaure, etc) and networking groups such as Business Networking International (BNI) is/are very cost effective tools to help you manage your personal and professional time while promoting, branding, and providing customer service whether you are interacting online or looking to chat in-person with friends, family, or clients.

In a recent study conducted by the wonderful folks over at VerticalResponse they found that 2/3’s of all small businesses (would wager this is even higher personally) are spending more and more time, energy, and effort on social media then they did a year ago. Nice huh? Agree or disagree? Needless to say, and again whether you agree or not that’s the truth! Although we (or most of us) have all come such a long way from thinking that this “Social Media” thing would become another fad and fade into the past. Just like the typewriter, beepers, or VHS you should not give up on any of these sites and if you do consider yourself warned like swimmers at the beach “swim at your own risk” or in our case “ignore social media at your own risk.”

Now back to the survey. VerticalResponse was able to identify (462 surveyed) that small business are spending a ton of time trying to stay current, while managing these social media sites much like people in general. An astonishing 42% of those surveyed said they spent 6+ hours or even more a week on social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Empire Avenue, FourSqaure, etc) and roughly 25% admitted they spend 10+ hours or more per week on these same sites.  Does this sound like you? Although this may sound excessive to many in reality, I think these numbers are low, since I see people navigating these sites along with attending networking events much more than that! Regardless of the circumstance these numbers illustrate the importance social media is playing in business as well as our personal lives and why businesses and people are spending more time and money increasing their budgets to increase their online presence thus increasing their in-person visibility.  

For all those people and businesses out there that remain skeptical, here are a few more reasons why social media makes/will make more sense to you!

·      RELATIONSHIPS- Social Media sites such as (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Empire Avenue, FourSqaure, etc) allow you to connect with others personally and professionally, while building strong bonds, which ultimately can/could turn into better customer service, increased sales, and more opportunities whether cross-selling or up-selling. VerticalResponse found that Facebook is still the #1 site for personal of business building (some 90% are on it), while Twitter is close behind where (some 70%) or business/people are now engaging.

·      SERVICE- These social media sites allow you to inquire about other products or services, while providing others with answers to their own questions about your products and services saving you or your business time and money, which you can allocate to other money generating activities, thus quickly adapting before not reacting after a problem may occur.

·      SIZE & COSTs- These social media sites allow you to be found and get found easier “ECONIMIES of SCALE”, while helping you spend less time and money even if you hire an outside agency to help with your campaign.

These numbers are incredible and really show that people and businesses are remaining committed to interacting with others online and in-person.  Let’s face it… who isn’t strapped for time now-a-days and looking for more ways to network, while spending a little less time talking on the phone or in person? The fact is, I run a business, contract work at FedEx, am a full-time parent, Doctoral student, etc so long story short and if I can find the time you can too! Even though Facebook and Twitter remain the top two social media sites, half of the respondents admitted they also engage with others on LinkedIn while others mentioned that they were also on Pinterest (some 29%) and Google+ (some 32%), so click on the (MY) links and let’s CONNECT to grow and learn from each other even more! If you are anything like me or if I can help you or your business please don’t hesitate to connect with me here, personally, or through any of our business networking sites; otherwise I hope you enjoyed my analysis, review, and suggestions in regards to this Infographic and until next time… KEEP SMILING as it really does look good on YOU!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven] and a Contractor at [FedEx]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via his About.Me Page or any of his other social platforms.

B2C & B2B Social Marketing (Facebook, Twitter, etc) Universe Revealed [INFOGRAPHIC]

Over the last several years, online networking  sites such as  Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc have continued to flourish in both business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B) environments, which has allowed people and companies of all sizes to communicate more effectively, while driving additional traffic that can generate more leads and certainly more sales. However, social media networking can be rather tricky and often fails if you or your company do/does not plan properly or if you do not have a solid social strategy in place to market yourself or brand for communication and monitoring of all B2C and B2B activities.

Not to worry because if you don’t have a lot of time to figure things out our friends at Marketo have put together a detailed Infographic, which can help you understand the B2C/B2B social media universe detailed below.

Of course, we also help businesses understand this unique beast, so if you have questions, please drop us a line or contact us through any of our social media networks and we will be glad to help. Otherwise, thanks for stopping by and happy networking!

(Source: Marketo. B2B image via Shutterstock)

Three Things to Jump Start your Social Media & Networking Campaigns

In this new age of networking (online and in-person) what is the one question you ask yourself and others most often? Think about it? If you are like many of us, you may think the one thing that annoys you most is “pushy people,” or more importantly pushy salespeople. Yes? Have you been to a local Chamber of Commerce or other Networking event and found yourself in the middle of (10) people all trying to sell you something before they even know your name?

Well, just like with many of our other posts we continue to report to our readers and followers some fantastic ways to get your message across without having to call, email, or text another person to death! Social Media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, EmpireAvenue, FourSquare, Quora, Redditt, Digg, Pinterest, Tumblr, Scoop-it, StumbleUpon, Etc all allow us to pull other works, ideas, and statements thus increasing you or your brands exposure, which hopefully results in sales if your message was received well. Ah, yes does this sound familiar… being social huh? Anyway, you get the idea and many of you may or may not have heard of the push and pull concept before. However, we are sure, if you are anything like us, that someone in a prior job or even in your family may have introduced you to this concept or was/has tried to sell you or have you sell something extra so they can benefit. The good’ol push and pull strategy, only in this post, we are trying to emphasize to everyone the pull strategy (in content not distribution) versus the annoying push strategies (again in content not distribution) that most of us hate!

So, as more people and companies look for additional ways to attract more friends, followers, likes, etc, let’s think about how we can use networking events or social media sites to help each other versus hinder one another, a brand, or company. Great, so how you ask? This week we would like our readers to think about three simple things (REASON, CONNECTING, and FORMING ALLIES), so you can use these social networking clubs or sites to help another person or company pull their message across multiple platforms versus pushing a sale on them.

1. REASON

First, think about some of the REASONS you or your company might use the push and pull strategy(s). If you are still not familiar with these concepts, please see Push & Pull Promotional Strategy for a very simple explanation but remember we are talking about information and ideas in this post, so please also remember that. Now that you are familiar with the two strategies… what are the reasons you may want to use the pull strategy with networking or social media? Again, isn’t networking and social media about being social versus talking about yourself or selling something? Don’t friends and sales come from your ability to be social in these and other operating platforms? Besides who wants to always hear about you or something you may be selling right? Simply put, the reason you should be on any social media network or at a local networking event is to provide information, so you can give someone else another REASON to stay in contact, like, follow, or buy something from you at a later date. This is being the true industry expert and a main reason to pull people together not push them away!

2. CONNECT

While many of us find that connecting with others often involves a phone call after a phone call, follow up email after email, and annoying direct messages (more like pushing), whereas connecting should really be about connecting to others with REASON for them to help pull your message or product along just like in the distribution channel processes. Does that make since? Since we are focusing on social media and networking in this post, moving forward in your campaigns start to think about ways that you can CONNECT (tweet, retweet, like, pin, +1, etc) with others to help them spread their message(s). Simply, connecting one person to another, basically means that you are trying to bridge a gap between someone in your network (business or personal) and someone else, so everyone sees the value in the engagement or new acquaintance. Thus, both parties should see more exposure, friends, followers, and/or sales. Sounds easy enough right? So why do people continue to look to connect to others for self or company gain instead of first trying to get a message across? Start today by helping to break this mold and pull more messages through your networking efforts or social media sites and see if you can actually connect (pull) even more people into the conversation. Heck, curate something; re-pin, or retweet and see how that/these help expand your networks and/or connections.

3. FORM ALLIES

Lastly and with any networking or social media strategy as we have been discussing let’s not forget about one of the most important parts in trying to pull your/someone else’s message across any channel. Regardless of what network you are using, remember to equally share and help one another; otherwise, one party may feel as if the other party is not doing as much as they can to help the other. Consider this your marriage and form strategic alliances with allies that will help amplify your personal or business message. All too often this seems so easy but all too often it fails (just like marriage), as we forget to reinforce the value we bring to a local or online network "sharing." If more people and companies would stop competing for friends and business and start forming allies, more friends and sales will surely follow. People and companies value partners and regardless if you are competing in the same industry or among the same friends just remember to create value that keeps people coming back for more. When value is created, more alliances are formed, and more pulling of messages will come.

Surely, by identifying a reason, connection, and ally you and/or your company will take the next step in building stronger relationships that ultimately results in more sales. As many of you know, Seven Times Seven is a consulting agency and thanks again to our clients, friends, and followers, we were able to once again provide our readers with another piece of important information that you can also pass along to your friends, followers, partners, or acquaintances; thus, increasing ours and your own value. Until next week, we look forward to also sharing your information and connecting more with you online and/or in-person. In the meantime, please drop us a line or contact David Dandaneau with additional thoughts or questions that we can help answer next week in our tip and surely don't forget to KEEP SMILING!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.

Who is the NCCI & What is the Importance of Proper Workers Compensation Classification? Let’s Find Out!

Each and every day we continue to educate business owners online and in the area who may be still struggling to understand the value with the Professional Employer Organization (PEO) model and/or the pricing strategies available to them if they chose a PEO arrangement. Nonetheless, this week in our daily tip we are revisiting a work published by David Dandaneau last year that may help to educate you further about some of the basic terminology and industry standards, which may ultimately help you and/or your business reduce costs, while freeing up extra time.

First of all, who is the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI)? Well, the NCCI is based out of Boca Raton, FL and is considered one of the country’s largest database managers of workers compensation insurance information. In fact, the NCCI helps to analyze industry trends and risks associated with them in order to help others prepare workers compensation insurance rates, while providing a combination of services, which help to maintain a healthier overall workers compensation system (NCCI Holdings, 2011).

Contrary to many people’s beliefs, the NCCI is not a rating bureau; instead, the organization is often referred to as an advisory committee because its board of directors is comprised of insurance executives and/or companies. At times it may seem a little biased to many people and businesses who use these same individuals or companies for their coverage needs, as these individuals or companies that they are dealing with are in business to make a profit. Nevertheless, having a board made up of top-notch executives and companies who compete in the industry make it a little easier to help determine a fair classification system for the approximately 700 different workers compensation classification codes, which cover almost any employee or workplace exposure or does it?

One of the most elementary parts of pricing workers compensation insurance for a client is by properly classifying a company’s workplace exposures into one of these several hundred codes previously mentioned. Indeed, each code developed by the NCCI carries with it an individual rate that is based on that codes exposure within a particular workplace. For example, the classification codes for a clerical or sales worker usually carry with them significantly lower rates versus classification codes that may be associated with a roofer or carpenter, as the workplace exposure of these different types of jobs are extremely different (mostly inside positions versus outside positions). However, when the exposure is not so obvious, classifying a specific exposure can be very complicated and something a business owner wants to be absolutely sure of since a misclassification can cost a business a lot of money they didn’t necessarily expect to pay if something does go wrong or they end up getting audited.

Today employers can also use multiple classification codes on a policy or a company can classify their workforce under one as a group but it is important to document or provide records that show what exact tasks workers complete or how they split their time between different comp codes if using multiple codes. What the costs (annual premiums) are for a policy most of the time are based on an employer’s annual payroll, which can be in the form of a standalone policy or a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) arrangement (PEOs offer pay-as-you go policies, which again is a huge benefit of this model). Therefore, for a decision maker of a company or the business owner, it becomes even more important to understand these different codes and make sure your employees who perform work for you are correctly classified for the actual work they perform. As a result, you could save a lot in the annual premiums and rates you receive in return.

Perhaps the one important part about all this is that the details the NCCI provides insurance carriers (i.e. SCOPES Manual)  in regards to the many workers compensation is NOT available anywhere unless you purchase the proprietary material or subscribe to the NCCI online database. However, as a Consulting Agency we welcome anyone to contact us directly if you would like your policy reviewed free of charge with us or through one of the many PEOs and insurance companies we have built relationships with over time. Having this/these expert opinions on whether your employees are classified correctly or not could even save you and/or your company more money, while minimizing costs or any additional fees for a misclassification.

As always and as we continue to encounter issues and questions online and in-person, you can expect more analysis and opinions about this and other common issues found in advancing technologies and/or within the workplace, which at times can make it hard for you to focus on your core business. Of course, we encourage our fans, readers, and followers to share and ask questions if you have any about this post or our other works, since we subscribe highly to the philosophy that everyone can achieve more by working together and each week this is what we try to do. Until next time, keep smiling, as it really does look good on you!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.

References

NCCI Holdings, Inc (2012). National Council on Compensation Insurance

How do you decide on the Right Company and/or Professional to assist in a Buying or Outsourcing Decision?

As a person or business owner, you may often find yourself asking difficult questions and often coming up with little to know answers. Does this sound like you? If so, how do you know who to trust or how to evaluate a company and/or their credentials in order to decide if they can actually serve you and/or your business needs?

Regardless of the industry and/or business professional, that you may be dealing with most industries have standards that you can use to evaluate not only the staff but the entire business and industry, which may be as easy as performing a Google search. However, the fact is most people and businesses do not actually have the required time to invest and/or research a particular industry (even so called Googling), so they often call on third party facilitators to oversee a particular business or personal purchase decision. These people whom you rely on and  often referred to as consultants, brokers, advisers, etc maybe the solution that you are looking for or are they? The question still remains… and that is how do you really know whom you are dealing with?

Here are some questions you should ask yourself when deciding on the right professional or company to help facilitate any buying decision. Can anyone be a doctor? The answer to this question is simply no, as there is schooling and there are requirements that all doctors must go through before they can actually advise you or prescribe a remedy. And yes, this includes doctors, other than those doctors you go to see for medical illnesses. Can anyone be an attorney? Again, the answer to this question is no and again there are many years of schooling and tests that a person must go through in order to represent you in court, help you start a business, or help you fight for justice. Can anyone be banker? Well, this is a tricky one. There are many good bankers out there that can help facilitate a loan or advise you on a good investment. However, if you want a well-respected and reputable banker (Financial Consultant) then more times then not you would be looking to deal with someone who yet again has had extensive training and/or education; otherwise, their advisements may end up costing you your life or business savings, just ask all those who trusted Bernie Madoff or ENRON with their money.

All too often, even after asking yourself or evaluating a business or professionals credentials or answering the aforementioned questions many people and/or organizations will still move forward with a purchase or outsourcing decision without understanding the real danger that these decisions may pose over the long-term. Much too often these decisions maybe influenced by price, friends, and/or other companies that have done business with these people or organizations in the past. However, rest assured that in this new age of digital communication, well respected businesses and people are here to help advise you on almost any personal or business purchase decision. 

For instance, here at Seven Times Seven, we advise people, organizations, and communities on some of the difficult decisions facing you and/or your business in regards to workers compensation, payroll, Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), wireless devices, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technologies, website development, and social media. Since we believe in helping our clients make sound buying decisions, we thought we would provide a few insights to our readers and followers, as to what you should be asking yourself before making any purchase decision in these respected segments. 

Workers Compensation, Payroll, and Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs)

• Is the company a privately held or publicly traded company?
• How long has the organization been in business?
• Where are the companies service centers located? Can you visit the location?
• What professional associations are the carriers connected to such as (i.e. NAPEO- National Association of Professional Employer Organizations, ESAC- Employer Service Assurance Corp, NAIC- National Association of Insurance Commissioners, NAFIA- National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, A.M. Best, APA- American Payroll Association, etc)
• Does the company have internal or external auditors?
• In case you need to file a claim, who are the contacts, or what support will the company provide? Is there or will there be an added charge?
• Does the provider provide protection against secondary tax liabilities?
• What protection do you have against insurance coverage limitations and/or payroll processing?

Wireless Devices

• Is the carrier regional, national, or worldwide?
• Is the device(s) locked or unlocked? Can the device be unlocked if currently locked?
• Is the device compatible with your other personal or business devices (i.e. computer, tablet, landline, etc?)
• Will you be locked into a long-term agreement and if so what are the terms if you cannot honor the agreement?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

• Is the CRM solution (HOSTED) external to the company such as SalesForce, NetSuite, or Oracle, etc?
• Is the CRM solution (ON-PREMISE) and runs at your home or place of business such as SugarCRM, Microsoft, Seibel, ACT, etc?
• Is the CRM solution (HYBRID), which is a combination of hosted and on-premise solutions?
• How will the CRM company or you protect your confidential data?
• What are the back-up systems used and where are they located in case of an emergency?
• Does or will the CRM solution you choose provide customer support?

Website Development and Social Media

• Is the company and/or person reputable and how long have they been in the business?
• How compatible is the platform you will be developing with other developmental mediums?
• What are the true costs associated with maintenance, upgrades, new designs, etc?
• Are the mediums that you want geared towards your personal or business goals and/or target markets?
• How do you get questions answered (i.e. are there charges for tech support and if so are they hourly, weekly, or monthly fees?) 
• Will the chosen mediums increase your Google search rankings and if so how will this be measured? 

As with any service offering there are a lot of questions that go into deciding what service you may ultimately decide on but if not asked prior more times than not you may find yourself using people, systems, or companies that are not part of your long-term goals. Albeit, many time we as consumers make purchasing decisions based on emotion, if you take the emotions out and ask yourself  a few simple questions, in the long-run you will be glad you did even if it turned out to be the wrong decision. The thing to remember is consider a person or businesses experience, credentials, education, and take the extra time needed to look under the hood before making any irrational purchase decision, as we are sure you will be glad that you did. Obviously, the questions stated are only a start, so if we can help you or your company come up with answers that you may have in regards to one of our consulting segments please do not hesitate to reach out or contact us via Phone, Email, Social Media, or connect with David Dandaneau directly. After all and as our motto goes, we help you manage your life and business, so you don’t have to manage your processes!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.

Focus on Controlling your Unemployment Claims!

In this day and age of chaos, regulations, and ever changing laws many business owners forget about some of the most important things they can do in their businesses that can help them save time, money, and headaches by properly managing (hiring & firing) the right employees. On the firing end of things and often referred to as “unemployment insurance” employers can have complete control over these claims if they place a higher emphasis on creating less turnover in their establishments especially since unemployment insurance is the ONLY payroll tax a company can actually control. So, how exactly can a business owner control these costs and minimize claims?

Perhaps the single most thing an employer can do to help control unemployment claims is to have a way to manage the Human Resource (HR) side of their business by having policies and procedures in place to properly terminate an employee. This may seem like an easy task but actually implementing an HR program or following the rules can be more daunting then you expect if you don’t return the unemployment report sent by the state within the deadline they provide, as these are often final deadlines and are hardly ever extended and… YES, that is even if you have a valid excuse! 

By choosing not to focus in on a process put in place by most states, “responding to unemployment report” for example, you may ask who else can help you in this process. The answer in simple, as Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) are companies that work hand in hand with business owners on correctly filing and/or returning an unemployment report of an employee that has been terminated. Since one of the main benefits of working with a PEO or deciding on a co-employment arrangement in a small business or any business is that this arrangement or a company without an HR program, now or most of the time has the benefit of having their own HR team to help guide, file, and respond to unemployment inquires.

 The fact is unemployment claims can cost you money and most of the time if not all the time many business owners just don’t have the time to deal or handle these claims properly. However, if you identify your need and understand that a PEO can help you minimize your exposure and claims, while putting money back in your pocket you are headed in the right direction. If you need help finding the right PEO arrangement with a good HR program in place, please feel free to reach out to us, as we have partnerships with some of the best PEOs that pride themselves on HR and handling employee related issues and unemployment claims. Remember as with all SEVEN of our consulting practices, it is our goal to help you focus on your business and not your processes and this is another great example of how we can help you do that in yet another valuable tip of the week brought to you by the team at Seven Times Seven!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.

Seven Times Seven- Tip of the Week! Make Sure YOU Make Time for Online & Social Media Activities!

It seems like each and every day we continue to preach about the importance of social media in our own practice and those we serve, as this is a great way to market services for little to no money! So, remember that you also need to remain dedicated, while investing your time wisely to reap any type of reward(s)… don’t think you can set your networks on auto-pilot and walk away because this could be no further from the truth. Research, engage, and listen to your audience regularly, while being consistent in your interactions to achieve greater success. Remember the more time you allot or the more you do online or with social media, the more likely people will be to trust your opinions and purchase or recommend you or your products or services to others. Perhaps, the old adage and our motto that everyone accomplishes more together should be what you or your company applies directly, so you and/or your online campaign will turn into a real success story. This is the first of our weekly tips for success and long-term growth that we will continue to provide. Please let us know what you think or how we can help and until next week… Keep Smiling

Is Social Media & Curation the New Searches? Yes, Here is WHY!

This piece is an expansion of an article written by Matthew Ingram on Gigaom

"With new changes that offer personalized search results -- most of which are being taken from its own Google+ social network -- Google has just made social connections and links the new search-engine optimization strategy"

This is a good analysis presented to readers by Mathew Ingram where he describes how Google recently changed their search results to include their new social networking site Google+. The impacts this change may have on the media industry and in particular “social media,” is great, as Google loves to throw their weight around now that they are trying their luck at the social side of things.

For all of you out there who are not at all familiar with the new changes, Mr Ingram does a great job at explaining them and here is another article that describes even further how Google has and/or is changing Google+ into an essential social network for any search marketer.

To expand upon Mathew’s point… the time where Media Specialists could use tools such as Twitter like RSS feeds is over and now people and companies must engage their audiences through +1’s, comments, likes, or curation. 

Let’s face it, social media companies along Google will continue to innovate, so we all have a better chance of finding others or being found. It is not the innovation’s themselves that matter, rather how we work together as a whole to achieve more. 

Selected by Seven Times Seven covering “Consulting Advice for Small Business Owners”

Curated by David Dandaneau

Read full article here: Media memo: Google just upped the ante on being social

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.