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From Courtney Rubin:

President Barack Obama today urged Congress to pass a bill that would give a 10 percent tax credit to small businesses that create new jobs or increase wages this year.

Under the White House proposal, previewed in a video address last weekend, a company would get credit against income taxes worth up to 10 percent of the increase in total 2012 wages (either salaries for new hires or raises). For example, if you raise your payroll by $1 million, you’ll see a $100,000 tax credit.

To make it more valuable for small businesses in particular, the credit is capped at $500,000. And it’s aimed at middle-income earners; the White House has limited the proposal to the top wage subject to Social Security tax, $110,000.

Aimed at the Middle Class

According to White House release outlining the tax: “Unlike the House Republican proposal, the president’s proposal ensures that companies that offer raises only to already well-paid executives would be ineligible for the tax relief.”

This credit would help nearly 2 million small businesses with employees, according to The White House. The Obama proposal also extends through 2012 the 100 percent expensing provision signed into law in December 2010. Businesses can deduct the full value of investments instead of letting them depreciate over time, a move the White House claims will put an additional $50 billion in the hands of businesses in 2012 and 2013.

The National Federation of Independent Business has called expensing a “big victory” for small business: “Bottom line, just about every small business can write-off the full amount of investments they want to make in 2010 and 2011.”

The Counter-Offer

The Republican bill would let companies with fewer than 500 employees deduct 20 percent of their income in 2012. The deduction is limited to half of cash wages paid to employees. The White House statement said the Republican bill “would cut taxes of hedge fund managers, law partners and many of the wealthiest Americans regardless of whether they employed or hired a single worker.” A Tax Policy Center analysis cited by The New York Times estimates that almost half of the benefit of the tax cut would go to people earning more than $1 million.

Obama pushed the tax cut during a lunch with Congressional leaders. Earlier in the day, he visited Taylor Gourmet, a Washington, D.C. Italian deli that added a third location with the help of a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan. With the president at the shop were SBA head Karen Mills, the owners of the sandwich shop and two other D.C.-area small-business owners (who also received SBA funding).

“I’m very pleased to hear the SBA had a useful role [for you]," the president told them, according to the pool report cited by The Hill.

Talking Turkey

Obama told reporters that SBA loans are "not going to make up for bad service or a bad product. But when you've got a great service or a great product and people are willing to work really hard, then action by government and the SBA can help give them a hand up and get them started.”

The White House also released an 87-page report outlining everything the Obama administration has done for small business, including 18 tax cuts.

Before he left the sandwich shop, the president bought a selection of sandwiches for his lunch with leaders from the House and Senate.

“I’m going to offer them some hoagies,” Obama said.

For himself, the president chose a 12-inch “Spruce Street”: roast turkey, prosciutto, roasted red peppers and sharp provolone. Cost: $9.50, plus tax.

Photo credit: Getty Images

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/obama-announces-tax-break-for-small-businesses

From Erik Rhey:

Culture affects so many aspects of your business, including profitability, turnover, employee satisfaction and your own happiness. That's why we are tackling the big issue of company culture in our May Special Feature. In Part 1 of this series, our experts show you how to define “company culture” and its impact on your business. Management and culture expert Bruna Martinuzzi explores the four kinds of cultures that exist and tells you how to determine which model fits you. And our Culture Beat columnist, Alexandra Levit, will give you tips on building a strong culture in your workplace and show you how an independent grocer achieved just that. Finally, our Startup of the Week columnist Donna Fenn went to the kitchens of famous chef Thomas Keller to see how he has built a culinary empire of restaurants and products founded on the principles of respect, fairness, generosity and collaboration with not only his staff, but also his suppliers.

And tune in next Wednesday for the second installment of our Company Culture feature, in which our experts show you how to get back on track if your company culture has gone astray.

Fostering a Strong Company Culture

When longtime employee Greg Smith recently left Goldman Sachs, he wrote an op-ed in The New York Times about why he was leaving the company. The piece was an eloquent testament to how a strong culture affects organizations, but more important, it was a reminder of how turnover can affect a business's bottom line. Alexandra Levit, our Culture Beat columnist, shares how to get started on building a strong business culture to avoid these costs.

What Culture Is Right for Your Business?

In order to create a successful culture, you must first identify the one that best represents your workplace. Bruna Martinuzzi takes a look at the four types of organizational cultures identified in the Competing Values Framework: hierarchy (or controlling), adhocracy (or creative), market (or competitive) and clan (or collaborative).

Chef Thomas Keller on Building a Supply Community

We had the opportunity to catch up with Chef Thomas Keller of the famed restaurants French Laundry and Per Se. Donna Fenn has all the details, including one of Keller's highly regarded secrets to success: his supplier relationships.

Chef Keller's Kitchen: A Collaborative Environment

In the kitchens of French Laundry and Per Se, innovation and friendly competition is the norm. Our conversation with Chef Keller continues as he takes us inside the kitchens of his two famed restaurants in Napa Valley and New York City.

Innovative Local Grocery Sparks Conversation

Small businesses can teach larger companies a lot about creating a strong culture and building customer relationships. Alexandra Levit gives us a behind-the-scenes look at George Bowers Grocery, a Virginia-based grocery store run by a husband and wife team whose success depends on their inviting approach.

Learn more in OPEN Forum's Company Culture 2012 series.

Illustration by Jake Cohen

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/special-feature-a-winning-company-culture

From Alexandra Levit:

Greg Smith, formerly of Goldman Sachs, recently wrote an op-ed in The New York Times about why he was leaving the company. The piece is an eloquent testament to how a strong culture affects organizations.

Goldman would probably prefer to block out this PR nightmare, but Smith put it out there:

"Culture was always a vital part of Goldman Sachs’s success. It revolved around teamwork, integrity, a spirit of humility, and always doing right by our clients. The culture was the secret sauce that made this place great and allowed us to earn our clients’ trust for 143 years. It wasn’t just about making money; this alone will not sustain a firm for so long. It had something to do with pride and belief in the organization. I am sad to say that I look around today and see virtually no trace of the culture that made me love working for this firm for many years. I no longer have the pride, or the belief."

If Smith feels this way, you can bet that he’s not alone. The employee turnover is costing Goldman millions of dollars every year.

Company culture is defined as the values, attitudes and behaviors that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization. It's otherwise known as the “way things get done around here.”

Although culture is in vogue right now because of Smith’s account and others, its status as a major player in organizational success goes back decades. In the 1990s, Harvard Business School researchers James Heskett and John Kotter examined the corporate cultures of 200 companies. They assessed how each company’s culture affected its long-term economic performance.

They found that strong corporate cultures that facilitated adaptation to a changing world were associated with better financial results—up to 900 percent appreciation in equity value.

However, building a great culture can be daunting, especially if you haven’t given much thought to it. Here are five steps to make the process a little easier.

1. Define It

Gather your leaders and employees together and start talking. Ask the following questions.

• What does this company strive to do above all else?

• What core values do employees in this organization share?

• How would we describe our model employee?

• Why would customers want to buy from us rather than a competitor?

Encourage an open conversation, even if some things are difficult to hear.

2. Shape It

There may be a disconnect between your current culture and what you want it to be. Embrace the gap and foster aspiration: This is an opportunity.

Once you’ve arrived at a consensus, create internal materials that showcase what the new culture is about and use every communication as an opportunity to remind employees. Resist the urge to limit the culture conversation to one exercise.

3. Infuse It

Managers and employees should make sure that the culture is infused into everyday life in the organization. Be sure to reward individual actions that reinforce the culture in a positive way.

Show that you value customers and employees by being receptive to cultural feedback. Protect your change initiatives by insisting that they closely align with the culture, top to bottom.

Zappos, a company that's often cited as having a great culture, does this brilliantly with its annual Culture Book. The book showcases personal statements about what the company means to its employees.

4. Sustain It

Along with frequent communication, the best way to build momentum for your culture is to be consistent. Everyone, from the CEO to the guy who works part-time in the mailroom, should exhibit behavior that supports the culture.

Doug Conant, the former CEO of Campbell Soup Company, was famous for taking a half hour each day to walk the halls in his tennis shoes and chat with employees, demonstrating Campbell’s culture of openness and accessibility.

5. Handle Negativity

Deal with negative behavior that threatens the culture swiftly and completely. If you allow cracks to form in your foundation, you risk becoming another Goldman Sachs.

Alexandra Levit has been a Wall Street Journal syndicated columnist on business and the workplace. She is the author of Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can’t Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success. As Money magazine’s Online Career Expert of the Year, she regularly speaks at organizations and conferences on issues that modern employees face.

Learn more in OPEN Forum's Company Culture 2012 series.

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/company-culture-2012-fostering-a-strong-company-culture-1

From Bruna Martinuzzi:

“If you do not manage culture," says Edgar Schein, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, "it manages you. And you may not even be aware of the extent to which this is happening.” Culture has a significant impact on a company's long-term economic well-being: A 2000 study published in the Harvard Business Review found that company culture can account for nearly a third of financial performance. This is too high an impact to ignore.

An encrusted culture can sometimes impede a company's adaptability and prevent it from changing course in order to capitalize on new opportunities or changes in the market place. When asked why a small start-up could build Instagram while Kodak, which has now filed for bankruptcy protection, could not, Kodak board member Michael Hawley said: “Cultural patterns are pretty hard to escape once you get sucked into them."

What type of culture is right for the operational climate in your company? Let's look at how many cultures there are. The Competing Values Framework, considered one of the 50 most important models in business, identified four types of organizational culture: hierarchy (or controlling), adhocracy (or creative), market (or competitive) and clan (or collaborative).

Hierarchy: "Do Things Right"

The hierarchy culture is concerned with stability, predictability and efficiency. Clear lines of decision-making authority, standardized rules and procedures, and control are the way things are done here. This is an ideal culture if you are in a business where uniformity of products is expected and where the staff may be predominantly young with limited work experience. An example would be a fast-food restaurant.

Adhocracy: "Do things first"

Is innovation a major part of your company strategy? Are you running a company in which having unique products and services is paramount, like a software development company or a consulting practice? Then an adhocracy (or creative) culture is essential. This is a place where you need to allow people to safely stick their necks out and take risks, where experimentation is encouraged and mistakes are not punished.

Market: "Do things fast"

Is your predominant goal to earn profits through market competition? This is a sales-driven, competitive culture that needs to focus on producing maximum value for the customer—where the customer needs to come first. Does your vision and mission stress this? Do your employees fully understand the challenges and needs of your customers? Do you have programs in place to reward employee behaviors that are aligned with putting the customer first?

Clan: "Do things together"

The clan culture stresses shared values, loyalty and high commitment.  Teamwork, participation and consensus are the highest priorities. Every company benefits from promoting a collaborative spirit.  The days of the lone genius are gone. As Shawn Callaghan states in Building a Collaborative Workplace, "Innovation demands collaboration. So does production. . . .Today, we all need to be collaboration superstars." This includes collaboration among teams, the community and networks.

Tips for Dealing With Cultural Issues

Be clear about your current company culture. You can reliably assess which of the four cultures is the predominant one in your company by taking the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument online.

Match the culture to organizational goals. All of the four culture styles are positive and there is no good or bad. Some companies may require a more balanced culture rather than aiming for a dominant culture. If your goal is to drive innovation, for example, you may need a hybrid of all four cultures, as shown in Jeff DeGraff's The Competing Values Framework.

The key to using culture to enhance your company's performance lies in matching desired attributes to organizational goals.

Clarify what cultural change needs to take place.If you determine that the culture needs to change, clarify for everyone involved what characteristics should dominate the new culture.  What attributes need to be abandoned? Clarity is your ally. 

Keep an open mind.  Regardless of what culture is the desired one, guard against being rigid. Consider that company culture, no matter how hard you try to change it, is rarely homogenous. Different subcultures manifest themselves and evolve over time.  Corporate culture studies pioneer Edgar Schein notes that this is not necessarily dysfunctional. "Rather, it allows the company to perform effectively in different environments based on function, product, market, location, etc.," he says.   

Encourage intelligent disobedience. Even if your preferred culture is hierarchal, encourage your people to practice intelligent disobedience. Intelligent disobedience is about allowing people to use their judgment to decide when, for example, an established company rule actually hinders the organization. The people closest to the customer are most often the ones who know what is best for the customer. If Delta Airlines had a culture that encouraged intelligent disobedience, for example, it would have avoided the unfortunate incident in which returning troops were charged a $2,800 baggage fee. 

Culture is everything.  But changing cultures is not an easy undertaking.  In the words of the well-known management consultant Peter Drucker: "Company cultures are like country cultures. Never try to change one. Try, instead, to work with what you've got."

Perhaps the smartest thing to do when working with culture is to ask yourself: What needs to be preserved? As experts recommend, don't abandon core aspects of what makes your company unique, when only some aspects need to be transformed. Temper zeal with caution.

Learn more in OPEN Forum's Company Culture 2012 series.

Image by OPEN Forum

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/company-culture-2012-what-culture-is-right-for-your-business

From Donna Fenn:

There are plenty of entrepreneurs who will tell you that corporate culture informs every facet of how they manage their companies.  But those who walk that walk are rare. And those who extend that philosophy to their suppliers and business partners are even rarer. Count Thomas Keller among them. Keller, the owner of two Michelin three-star restaurants–The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., and Per Se in New York–knows that the fishermen, foragers, gardeners, and farmers who supply his restaurants with the freshest ingredients are an integral part of the complex calculus that makes for a memorable dining experience. And so he treats them accordingly.

“We’re in business together because we have similar values,” says Keller, referring to his community of suppliers. “They are as much a part of our restaurant as our guests and our staff – they’re that important.”  Keith Martin, who’s Elysian Fields Farms in Western Pennsylvania has been supplying Keller’s restaurants with lamb for 15 years, describes Keller as “a culinary icon and a true leader.”  He recalls that, several years ago, Keller gathered a small group of his suppliers in New York so that they could not only meet his staff and see how the restaurant operates first hand, but connect with one another in an informal roundtable discussion.

“We were able to discuss our philosophies,” recalls Martin. “I got a lot from it. It was nice to know that other people think the way you do. We’re all passionate for what we do, but even deeper than that is our level of commitment.”

For Martin, that means caring for his animals humanely and naturally, and with the firm belief that everything that happens to the animal from birth to slaughter is reflected in the quality of the meat. To that end, he’s developed a detailed tracking system that records what the lamb eats and drinks, when it was weaned and if it was stressed at any time.  He recalls that Keller once discovered a rare “toughness issue” in Martin’s lamb.  Using his tracking system, Martin discovered that prior to slaughter, the lambs had been exposed to an extreme heat wave.

“They were panting, and their respiration was so high and their ribs were going crazy, so that muscle group was working overtime,” he says. “All that’s gone before is represented in the product.”

The Long-Term Value

For his part, Keller knows that the direct and intimate relationship he has with suppliers like Martin means that he is connected to their lives and to their challenges in ways that most chefs are not.  When there are glitches, he’s not happy, of course, but he’s committed to long-term relationships, to the point that he doesn’t even negotiate on price. “I expect the ultimate best they can give me, and they expect to have the price of their products respected.  I can't expect them to diminish the quality of their life because I can't afford to pay for their ingredients. Like my mother said, you get what you pay for. So for me, there’s no point in negotiation.”

Ingrid Bengis, a Deer Island, Maine, seafood dealer who has been working with Keller for 25 years, confirms that he never discusses price with her. “He assumes, correctly, that he can trust me and I will do my best for him, and that I need to make a living,” she says. “And however I define that is alright with him. He’s not counting.”  For her part, Bengis has very close relationships with all the fishermen who “risk their lives every day,” to supply top chefs like Keller with lobster, scallops, crab, halibut and other delicacies.

Sure, she’s demanding.  “I drive them crazy,” she says. “But if they’re really proud of what they bring in, it works.” It’s also important to her that her restaurant partners understand and respect her community. “I went to The French Laundry and I spent an hour talking to the staff about where I live because I felt that it was important for them to have a sense of what kind of lives produce this product.” Conversely, if chefs don’t have time for her stories and have no interest in her community, she rarely has time for them.

Keller stresses that the spirit of collaboration that he fosters in his restaurants also extends to his suppliers.  Bengis recalls a shipment of lobsters that got tied up in the delivery process a day before New Year’s Eve several years ago. “Thomas and I were on the phone all night together, struggling to make sure he was going to have what he needed,” she says. “And he was bending over backwards not to say ‘I’ll get them someplace else.’  I’d call that collaboration.”

The Bigger Picture

For Keller, there’s a bigger issue than just getting lobsters on the table.  “We talk a lot about sustainability,” he says. “But we don’t talk about it in a complete way. What about the sustainability of communities? If Ingrid was not able to sell her scallops and lobsters to chefs, the community would die, and where is the sustainability in that? Sustainability goes beyond ingredients to communities and individuals.”

Learn more in OPEN Forum's Company Culture 2012 series.

Photo credit: American Express

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/company-culture-2012-chef-thomas-keller-on-building-a-supply-community

From Donna Fenn:

Don’t call Thomas Keller a “celebrity chef.” He bristles at the term.

“You wouldn’t call Tom Cruise a celebrity actor, would you?” he asks. “I’m just a chef.”

Well, not exactly. Chef Keller sits at the helm of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, which includes two Michelin three-star restaurants: The French Laundry, a Napa Valley gem; and Manhattan-based Per Se, where I recently chatted with Keller about his journey as an entrepreneurial chef.

“I think I've always been an entrepreneur,” he says. “I have always wanted my own business, always wanted to be in control of my own destiny, but more important than that, I've always wanted to be a chef.”

Two restaurant failures, one in West Palm Beach and one in Manhattan, taught Keller plenty and prepared him for the ultimate success of The French Laundry, which he bought in 1994. Among those lessons:  “You need to build a team that is able to embrace the philosophy, culture, vision, and goals that are consistent with yours,” he says.

Both The French Laundry and Per Se feature two nine-course, fixed-price tasting menus that change daily. Using only the freshest ingredients gathered from a select group of farmers, gardeners, foragers, and fishermen, Keller is known for his meticulous attention to quality. It’s a pricy but highly memorable experience for guests, and one that hinges on committed and coordinated teamwork.

Collaborative and Competitive

Building that system began when Keller was running The French Laundry with a kitchen staff of only four chefs. “Yes, I was the owner, and I was the chef de cuisine, but I developed a culture that was based on the idea that anybody could have an impact,” Keller says. “Sitting around the table every night and changing the menu every day was one of the most significant decisions I made. At the end of the night, we’d talk about what was coming in tomorrow. These are our proteins, these are our vegetables, and what are we going to do? Everyone was responsible for coming up with ideas and techniques. That’s the ideal kitchen–where there’s true ownership for everybody.”

And when Keller says everybody, he really does mean everybody. He recalls that a young coffee server once asked him if he had ever thought of making sake granite. “I had never thought of that,” he says, “but it spawned the idea for a recipe that we still use today.”

Every chef de partie, or station chef, is responsible for his or her part of the menu, right down to ordering ingredients and delegating the jobs required to make a certain dish. “We’re teaching them how to become leaders, how to delegate, and how to be responsible for everything that has to happen in their kitchen station before they really have reached that level in their careers,” says Keller. He adds that the system also fosters friendly competition among his staff, with each chef motivated to try new recipes and techniques.

“We change our menu every day, so that helps create that little bit of competition,” he says. Each chef de partie tries to come up with a composition that’s going to impress and one-up the chef across from him. “That elevates and evolves what we do every day.”

Cross-Pollination

That spirit of collaboration and autonomy was particularly important when Keller opened Per Se eight years ago. He actually closed The French Laundry for five months so that he could not only do major renovations there, but also move some of his staff to New York temporarily to “inoculate a new group of individuals” in the company culture. In fact, he began by training 24 Per Se employees in Yountville at The French Laundry 18 months before Per Se opened in New York. “That strong foundation helped catapult Per Se immediately to the prominence that it has,” he says.

Even now, the cross pollination continues. In Per Se’s gleaming kitchen, where a small army of employees prepares the evening’s fare with all the care and focus of surgeons, is a wall-mounted video monitor that displays the activity in The French Laundry’s kitchen, in real time. And just recently, the two restaurants switched chefs de cuisine (head chefs) for three weeks, an experiment that worked extremely well, according to Keller. Each chef found familiar faces—people who had also moved between the restaurants and were able to quickly familiarize the chefs with new kitchens. And while the restaurants were certainly not identical, the culture and the values were.

A Recipe for Success

Keller maintains that his company’s culture was never really part of a grand plan, but that it evolved according to the needs of the business. In retrospect, culture has been critical to his ability to grow and maintain the quality and brand identity of both restaurants.

“The strength of our restaurants is far superior to that of an individual restaurant,” he says. “Now we have two teams embracing the same culture, the same philosophy, the same ideals.”

A cornerstone of that philosophy is continuous improvement—going to work every day with the intention of doing things better than the day before, if only incrementally. Ultimately, there’s a cumulative effect, says Keller. But it all hinges on hiring, training, and mentoring the right people.

“Mentoring and training somebody is about making them better than you, so if the person is not better than you are then you haven't done your job,” he says. “One of the proudest moments is when I walk into the kitchen and smack myself on the head and say ‘I wish I had thought of that,’ because you know when that happens that your team is on the right track.”

Learn more in OPEN Forum's Company Culture 2012 series.

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/company-culture-2012-chef-kellers-kitchen-a-collaborative-environment

From Alexandra Levit:

I’ve been thinking about what small businesses can teach larger ones about establishing and sustaining a strong culture, both in front and back of the store. I found at least one answer: Invite conversation and connection.

No small business I’ve encountered demonstrates this as well as Katie McCaskey and Brian Wiedemann’s George Bowers Grocery in Staunton, Va.

Resurrection of George Bowers

The thirtysomething husband and wife team from Manhattan chose the store’s name to honor the original George Bowers, a fellow New Yorker who ran a grocery in Staunton from 1881 to 1910.

The name of the business itself provokes current and prospective customers to talk. In fact, Bowers' voice is featured in the grocery’s marketing materials, including the blog post, “Letter from a Dead Grocer."

Proprietor Brian Wiedemann showcases a selection of Virginia-made items in front of a photo of George Bowers.

Grocery as Hangout

Katie and Brian describe the grocery’s culture as unconventional, fun and casual.

“We want to send a strong message that we are warm and welcoming, and that our emphasis is on the neighborhood where we live and work,” Katie says.

When George Bowers customers come through the door, they aren’t just there to pick up some bread or milk. They’re in the store for an experience. Sound familiar, larger retailers?

After having a drink in the beer garden, they might check out the vintage Star Wars memorabilia or the family heirlooms throughout the store. Maybe they'll listen to a dusty Frank Sinatra record on an old Victrola.

“Everything has a story attached to it, and this allows us to build a genuine connection between retailer and customer,” Katie explains.

Back to Small-Town Basics

That connection extends to knowing customers as if they're family. Katie and Brian pride themselves on knowing which wine I served at my dinner party last week and my dietary restrictions. And, they take responsibility for integrating me into the community, introducing me to people and opportunities in town I might not know about.

The couple's approach saved the grocery when the business was beset with financial hardships and unexpected obstacles in recent years. (A difficult landlord, for one thing.) Katie claims that George Bowers’ survival was due in large part to zealous customer support.

“It’s a testament to our loyal customers that we never experienced a ‘no sale’ day even during the hysteria of 2008 and 2009.”

Lessons for Retailers Large and Small

If you’re a small retailer, it may seem daunting to create a culture from scratch, but try to see it as your chance to be as nimble and creative as you want.

“Indie retailers have flexibility that’s hard for the bigger players to match," Katie says. "We can quickly experiment with new ideas at a minimal cost, and implement changes accordingly.”

And if you’re a larger business, you can learn from George Bowers’ success and strive for the local touch. Consider what makes each of your locations special, and build on that until every customer interaction is different from the last.

“Customers are tired of being seen as commodities,” Katie says. “They yearn for meaning, relationships and a sense of place. Businesses that can capture these elements in their culture are unstoppable.”

Check out the book, Small Town Rules: How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy, by Becky McCray and Barry Moltz, for more ideas. Learn ways to connect with your customers and try survival tactics that local businesses use to survive seasonal fluctuations.

Alexandra Levit has been a nationally syndicated columnist for The Wall Street Journal on business and the workplace. She is the author of Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can’t Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success. As Money magazine’s Online Career Expert of the Year, she regularly speaks at organizations and conferences on issues that modern employees face.

Learn more in OPEN Forum's Company Culture 2012 series.

Pictured: George Bowers Grocery when it opened it's doors in 1881. 

Photo credit: Courtesy George Bowers Grocery

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/company-culture-2012-innovative-local-grocery-sparks-conversation

From Courtney Rubin:

The Small Business Administration says a disaster preparedness plan is "just as important as developing a business plan," yet half of small businesses have done nothing to prepare for disasters: tornadoes, hurricanes or whatever is most likely to happen in their area, says a new survey.

FedEx and the American Red Cross surveyed 200 small businesses this month about disaster preparedness and found just over half (51 percent) have not practiced evacuations or emergency drills, and nearly half (47 percent) have not communicated employee roles for the business in a disaster. (Perhaps not surprisingly, 77 percent say they have not encouraged employees to create disaster preparedness plans.)

Think a disaster won't happen to you? A separate study from the Association of Small Business Development Centers found that more than one in four firms will experience a significant crisis in any given year.

Forty percent of small business owners do not think their company could fully recover within six months if destroyed in a disaster, but fewer than a third (29 percent) are prepared to handle a month's disruption.

“Many small businesses put off disaster preparation because of concerns about lack of resources or expertise,” said Rose Flenorl, Global Citizenship manager at FedEx Services. “But some simple, inexpensive steps can go a long way toward helping businesses be prepared if disaster strikes."

"Having a disaster plan in place will make the difference between being shut down for a few days, and losing your livelihood," the SBA observed.

One reason businesses may skip the disaster prep: They're unsure how. The survey found 77 percent of small firms would be more likely to have a plan in place if they were provided with some idea of how to make one.

The survey was released just ahead of the May 22 one-year anniversary of a tornado that hit southwestern Missouri and killed 161 people. It destroyed or severely damaged 545 businesses, of which roughly a quarter (116) have still not reopened. (FedEx is hosting a virtual roundtable on disaster prep on its Facebook page at 10.30 EST on May 22.)

Where can you find some resources for planning? Try the SBA website: both here and here. The IRS also has some resources. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers information and worksheets about preparing for natural disaster, including risk assessment, insurance reviews and making a continuity plan. (See all FEMA publications available for download here.)

Do you have a plan for disaster? What resources for preparing would you recommend?

Photo credit: Creative Commons

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/have-you-prepped-for-disaster

From Rae Hoffman-Dolan:

If you run a local service-based business, you might already be using Google Places as part of your online marketing strategy. However, if you're not, know that businesses that take advantage of Google Places listings consistently remain at the top of the Google search engine rankings for their most important local search terms.

The reviews that accompany a Google Places listing are imperative because they come from a mixture of big "localized" sites— such as Yelp, InsiderPages, and Citysearch plus niche sites like TripAdvisor, Zagat and others. Reviews matter—and it matters where your reviews are coming from. Your competition is likely already aware of that. Just click on their Google Places listings and you'll see for yourself the sources that are providing their user reviews.

Reviews Boost Page Rank

When a large website like Yelp or Citysearch publishes a user-written review, those reviews are believed to be considered relevant by Google’s search system (Google keeps the precise details to itself). The same goes for reviews from the smaller, niche sites such as Zagat.com. By taking advantage of reviews, local businesses are positioned to gain a higher ranking for their Places pages than for their company's actual website.

Promoting Your Reviews

First, claim your Places page. You can do this by simply including your business type (or category) in the Places listing. When doing so, pick the category your customers will use to search for your business or create a business title that contains your business type. Keep in mind that Google awards significance based on these business titles.

For example, a website or Places listing called "Pie in the Sky Bakery" is more likely to be found by customers searching Google than one named "Pie in the Sky" because the latter doesn't explain that the business is a bakery. You can understand how potential clients who aren't familiar with the business would more likely search for "bakery in Houston" than for actual business names.

Second, create a "review page" on your website that links to all of your listing pages that you see in the reviews section of your Places listing. Explain how you love providing great service and encourage customers to post reviews about your service.

Getting Those Reviews

So how do you get people to write the reviews you need to rank well in Google? Here are six ways.

1. Offer coupons in exchange for a review. Everyone likes a sweet incentive, so offer a discount coupon in exchange for a review site visit. Yelp, for example, allows business users to offer coupons this way—right through its system.

2. Hit up your visitors in person. Whether a customer visits your store location, include a business card or flyer with every purchase that asks for a review: "Enjoy our service? Reward us by posting a review.” Same goes for online guests, but for those, instead of flyers or business cards, post badges from review sites throughout your website so they can't help but see them.

3. Always follow-up with a thank you. This is for customers who leave positive traditional comment cards. Contact them to thank them for their feedback and ask them to leave a user review about their experience online.

4. Add a "tell us how you found us" field to the contact form on your website. List the biggest local review sites as options in your drop down listing. Follow up with happy customers who say they found you via Yelp to remind them to leave their own review on the site.

5. Follow-up with an e-mail. Follow up with customers and ask how they liked your service. If the feedback is positive, suggest they leave a review. Remember, the best time to hit up a customer for a review is right after they've done business with you. If customers are satisfied, the praise will be fresh in their minds.

6. Leverage your customer surveys. Many businesses periodically send out customer surveys via an e-mail newsletter or direct mail. This provides a great opportunity to leave a review call-to-action at the end of the survey requesting an online review.

How have you encouraged your clients and customers to review your products or services?

Rae Hoffman-Dolan, aka "Sugarrae," is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO of PushFire, an online marketing agency.

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/how-to-boost-your-search-ranking-with-user-reviews

From Mike Michalowicz:

The most common entrepreneur's question I hear is “How do I raise money for my company?” Before I can respond a second question is often immediately fired off, “And how do I do it fast?”

This second question sounds off a siren in my head. A company that needs money immediately is usually a company that is struggling in some way. And a struggling company is a sign of mismanagement, whether that be in money, strategy, customers, personnel or all the above. In these situations, money is simply a small bandage on a major wound. 

Know Before You Go

Before you go out to raise money, understand exactly why you are doing it. If you need money to fix problems, you are unlikely to find funding, and if you do, it just extends the inevitable. A company that needs money fast to fix mismanagement will be far better served simply hunkering down and fixing those problems. Then, later, you can raise money for the one and only good reason to do so: expanding on a proven opportunity.

When your company raises money to build on something that is already working, it points to a win-win. The investor will likely get a return (win 1) and your company will likely see growing profits from the investment (win 2).

A Common Mistake

In my experience, once an entrepreneur is clear on why he needs to raise money, he rarely asks me where to get it because to him the answer is obvious. Go to the four Fs (founders, family, friends and fools), a bank, or max out the credit cards. This is a mistake. There are alternatives that few consider—options that provide both a cash infusion and some huge side benefits.

One disclaimer before we get started. Here I am going to give you five tips on raising money through equity. In other words, selling a portion of your business for cash (and intangibles). There are unexpected and highly effective ways to do debt financing, too, but I will save those juicy tips for a future piece.

1. A competitor. It sounds crazy, right? Who in his right mind would go to a competitor and say, “I need money?” But there is gold in them thar hills. The key is to not go to a direct competitor, but instead go to the juggernaut in your industry (ideally an indirect competitor who is big and would see an opportunity in what you are doing). Negotiate a deal in which that company invests in your startup in a small way initially, raising funds for you and allowing it to test the waters. Not only will you be positioned for an acquisition down the road, the investor is likely to help you going forward (since it has a small piece of your business).

2. A complimentary vendor. Similar to approaching that big-boy competitor, a vendor that serves a similar customer base may be looking to expand. Approach the vendor with the same strategy as you would the competitor. Negotiate an investment in your company in which the vendor can provide you with the needed cash and still just dip its toe in the water. You will get both money and a vendor committed to helping you out. As part of the negotiation, the vendor will likely want the right to buy you outright in the future for a discounted price.

3. The customer. This one can work wonders, but needs to be approached very, very tactfully. You know that favorite customer of yours who depends on your services in a big way? He may be interested in becoming an investor in your business in exchange for discounted services. And in certain cases he may want to invest and continue to pay full fair (tax advantages, people, tax advantages). But before you approach your client, be mindful of a presentation gone bad. If the customer thinks you are approaching him because you are struggling, that may be a signal for him to find a new vendor.

4. The employees. You surely have heard about an ESOP (employee stock ownership plan). Typically this is a method of giving a company's employees an ownership in your company. One primary objective in an ESOP is to motivate employees in the growth of the company and the equity is granted, typically, at no cost. But there is an additional option in which you can offer equity to employees in exchange for a cash infusion or for “sweat equity” (reduced compensation in exchange for stock). But this out-of-the-box approach can work only if communicated well and under the foundation of a growth opportunity. To seek funds from employees to save a sinking ship is like asking more passengers to come for a cruise on the Titanic while it is sinking.

One final word of advice: When it comes to raising funds via equity or selling your business outright, experience has taught me that a business broker or investment banker is an invaluable partner. Emotions can run high in these circumstances and knee-jerk reactions often replace logic. A buffer in the middle with experience and no emotional attachment is worth every penny (um, percentage point).

Mike Michalowicz is the author of The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. He is the founder of three multimillion-dollar companies, is a nationally recognized speaker on entrepreneurial topics and consults for companies whose growth has plateaued. You can read his blog by clicking here. 

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/article/4-secret-methods-to-raising-money

From Kate Freeman:

When thinking of model places for workplace perks, the successful startups of Silicon Valley undoubtedly come to mind. And while heavy-hitters such as Google and Facebook are famous for their jaw-dropping employee amenities, up-and-coming mid-level companies are also getting in on the act.

Mashable took a tour of Zynga, a wildly popular distributor of some of the most played social and mobile games. When it comes to perks, the father of FarmVille doesn't skimp. In fact, Zynga's office is so loaded with perks and amenities, it would make working from home a bore. Here are some of the highlights we encountered:

Good Food

It's not uncommon for tech companies in Silicon Valley and San Francisco to offer its employees catered lunches, but Zynga takes it further with meals cooked on-site by professional chefs. Each floor has a fully-stocked and themed kitchen, including a candy kitchen and a healthy "zen" kitchen.

Everything is prepared on-site–there's even a pizza oven–and made with locally sourced ingredients. The company's executive chef is Matthew DuTrumble, who was the youngest chef instructor at the California Culinary Academy. Want to eat some meat for lunch? The on-site butcher will take care of that in his two-floor kitchen.

If you're more interested in keeping a good diet, there are always healthy options, including a fully loaded salad bar and freshly brewed Kombucha. The healthy options are an important perk, considering desk jobs are notorious for helping people pack on pounds.

Good Fun

The basement boasts a lounge area packed with big screen TVs, a curved wood bar and free beer on tap. If you'd rather unwind with a workout than an ice-cold beer, you can hit up the Zynga gym. Employees can take CrossFit classes, meet with a nutritionist or schedule a free massage.

And if you want to work and play with your canine friend, he's more than welcome–every day is bring your dog to work day at Zynga. After all, the company is named after the CEO Mark Pincus' late dog, Zinga.

Work Hard, Play Hard

Zynga provides hotel-like amenities to keep employees happy and to retain (and attract) talent. Tech companies in particular are notorious for providing on-site perks to encourage employees stay at work longer and up their productivity. Facebook offers employees a free shuttle to work, plus numerous "micro-kitchens" stocked with snacks, and a free cafeteria where employees are welcome to invite family members for lunch. Google has a golf course, basketball courts and nap pods for a mid-day snooze.

Zynga churned out six games in the first quarter of 2012, so the team is definitely working hard. This makes sense: Several Gallup studies have shown a correlation between productivity and employee happiness, and Gallup estimates that organizations that don't keep their employees happy and engaged lose out on billions of dollars in potential revenue. Despite the long hours, Zynga employees' access to a spacious top-of-the-line gym, a team of chefs and free beer makes for quite the hook-up.

Do you see a correlation between employee satisfaction and productivity in your business?

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/lifestyle/article/what-you-can-learn-from-zyngas-cool-company-culture

From Dan Schawbel:

The company culture you build has a major impact on how successful the business will be as it grows. One of the biggest trends in the past few years is workplace flexibility.

A new study by the Families and Work Institute shows that more than 75 percent of employers now offer some form of flex time. This number is up from two thirds in 2005.

In addition, 63 percent of companies allow employees to work from home at least sometimes, which is up from 34 percent.

Despite the trend, some managers are giving their employees les flexibility and work-life balance. The problem is that technology puts workers on call seven days a week, and even on vacation days. The global economy means that employees are making phone calls late at night to China and Japan. Only 52 percent of employers offer breaks for personal time compared to 73 percent in 2005.

But smart employers create an environment of trust and make people accountable for their work. To remain competitive, companies will have to create flexibility programs. That's how they'll attract and keep the best talent, and help them grow into the next generation of leaders.

There’s a reason why everyone wants to work for Facebook, Google and other startups: Those companies create an environment that makes people happy.

Here are three ways to change your workplace for the better.

1. Give Unlimited Vacation

Most companies give workers between two and six weeks of vacation a year. Some employers allow you to carry over days and others give more days to people who have worked there longer.

Hubspot, a Boston-based company, gives employees unlimited days. The inbound marketing-software company expects that its employees will be responsible with the time they take off. Management trusts that employees know that they have a lot of work to do.

A study by CareerBuilder found that 12 percent of participants say they feel guilty that they’re not at work while they’re on vacation. When you don't keep track of vacation days, it’s easier to manage and your employees have more freedom and flexibility in their lives.

2. Allow Work From Home

A Cisco study shows that 70 percent of students and young professionals think that heading to the office isn’t necessary anymore. A good 45 percent of the U.S. workforce has a job that’s suitable for telecommuting, and more than 34 million people work from home occasionally.

You don’t have to see their face every day to be sure that they are doing their job. As long as they check in with you periodically, show up to conferences and on conference calls, it’s more than acceptable for most work situations.

3. Create Social Events

Autodesk has nights out after working hours. The informal events attract 20 or more people to play video games, eat and talk with each other. The company also has larger events with karaoke.

By creating social events, you're making work a part of your employee’s life. The events become an opportunity for networking, building trust and making people feel like they are part of a team.

The closer your team is, the easier it will be to get work done, increase productivity and make work enjoyable for everyone.

Dan Schawbel is the managing partner of Millennial Branding, a Gen-Y research and management-consulting firm. Subscribe to his updates at Facebook.com/DanSchawbel.

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/article/workplace-flexibility-3-ways-to-keep-employees-happy

From Rieva Lesonsky:

Is your small business marketing to Generation Y consumers? If not, you probably should be. Consider the numbers: There are 79 million of them in the U.S., according to 2011 figures, and by 2030, they will outnumber baby boomers (at 56 million).

Members of Gen Y, also known as "millennials," either spend or influence the spending of hundreds of billions of dollars each year. As this generation grows into its peak earning years, its spending power will only increase.

A new study identifies core generational differences. The comprehensive research by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Barkley and Service Management Group (SMG) is valuable because it's not limited just to the life-stage disparities between generations.

Here’s some of what the study found about the generational differences that will last, and what it means for your small business.

Express Yourself

Although the generations spend about the same amount of time online, millennials are more likely to use the Internet as a platform to express their thoughts and experiences. They contribute user-generated content, like blog posts or videos. Pay attention to what they’re saying, and you’ll gain valuable information you can use to market to them more effectively.

Ratings Game

Gen Y is far more active in rating products and services (60 percent versus 46 percent of other generations). Make sure your business has a presence on ratings and review sites like Yelp. Pay attention to what’s being said about you, and engage and respond appropriately.

I’m Late, I’m Late

Young consumers are always in a hurry, so convenience, simplicity and speed are crucial for their transactions. Don’t make them read a lot of text to get what they want on your website, or slog through an endless voicemail menu list. Design your transaction process so they can get in, get what they need and get out quickly.

Caring for Causes

Gen Y is receptive to cause marketing. They are more likely to purchase products when their dollars help support a cause (37 percent versus 30 percent). If your product lends itself to cause marketing, this could give you an edge.

The New Experts

Recommendations from “experts” don’t mean much to this generation. They rely on recommendations from peers or friends. Engaging with satisfied customers on your Facebook page or Twitter account is a more effective way of spreading the word among these young consumers. They are more likely than other generations to explore brands on social networks (53 percent versus 37 percent).

Go Mobile

Millennial consumers like to use their mobile devices to make purchases. They’re also more likely to read user reviews and research products on their devices while shopping (50 percent versus 21 percent of non-millennials). If your e-commerce website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out.

Socialites

Social media is core to millennials. Nearly half (47 percent) say their lives feel richer when they’re connected to people through social media. Only 28 percent of other generations feel this way. Gen Y consumers are more likely to explore brands on social networks (53 percent versus 37 percent), and more likely to buy from brands that have Facebook pages.

Short Attention Span

Millennials are much more likely to multitask online. I don’t mean just switching from one window to another, but constantly toggling back and forth between platforms and devices.

Marketers have to work harder to capture their attention. You have to engage with them on each platform, because you never know where they’ll be.

Understanding attitudes of millennials may require some attitude adjustments of your own. BCG notes that many marketers have a dismissive attitude toward this young generation. If that’s you, get over it.

Today’s young consumers are already influencing how older generations spend. And soon, they’ll be tomorrow’s older generation.

How are you targeting millennials in your business? What’s working for you and what isn’t?

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/marketing/article/why-you-should-market-to-millennials

From Stephanie Miles:

No one denies that daily deal companies can help drive customers through a restaurant's doors. The problem with most group coupon sites, however, is the clientele they bring in. Well-heeled diners can be turned off by the idea of handing over a paper coupon, and patrons paying full price for expensive meals can get annoyed when they discover that other customers are getting a significant discount. Savored is a discreet deal service that high-end restaurants are now using to attract quality customers during off-peak times.

How It Works

Foodies in 10 major cities can sign up for Savored to receive "insider" pricing at premier restaurants in their local areas. Signing up for the service is free, and members can elect to receive immediate alerts each time new discounts become available in their cities. Members who choose not to receive daily or weekly emails can instead opt to browse through Savored's listings of restaurants offering special pricing deals that vary based on the level of consumer demand. Savored invites its members to make their dinner reservations for free through its site or mobile applications–which are available for both Android and iPhone users.

In exchange for making their reservations online, customers can take advantage of Savored's dynamic discounting structure, which offers greater discounts during slower periods of the evening. Customers making dinner reservations on the mobile application, for example, can see that a particular restaurant is offering 20 percent discounts for 7 p.m. reservations, 30 percent discounts for 8:30 p.m. reservations, and 40 percent discounts for 9 p.m. reservations. These discounts are automatically taken off customers' bills without the need for any cumbersome coupons or deal codes.

Savored In Action

Diners aren't the only ones who can benefit from Savored's dynamic discounting structure. More than 380 top-tier restaurants in New York City alone have already partnered with Savored as a way to fill seats with quality clientele. Restaurateurs who've partnered with Savored can dictate when and how many tables they want to make available to Savored members, ensuring they never get flooded with deal-seeking customers during busy times of the day. Restaurants are notified when diners have made reservations through the Savored platform, making it easy to apply the appropriate discounts to their customers' final bills in a discreet manner. At the end of each month, Savored provides its merchants with customized reports that provide insight into their customers' behavior. In exchange for its services, Savored charges a monthly fee to its partner restaurants.

Why It Works

By positioning itself as an upscale alternative to deal companies like Groupon and LivingSocial, Savored has been able to cultivate an attractive membership base. Sixty-two percent of Savored members say they dine out more than six times per month, and 24% earn more than $200,000 a year. Premier restaurants are much more eager to attach themselves to a marketing platform with these types of members, which helps to explain how Savored has been able to partner with highly-acclaimed restaurants like Le Cirque, David Burke Kitchen, Saison and The Capital Grille.

Savored has also been able to expand its reach by strategically partnering with well-known brands like Zagat and OpenTable, as well as deal providers like Google Offers, publishers like New York magazine and companies like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. These distribution partnerships help Savored ensure that empty tables always get filled.

Maximizing the Benefits

In addition to its discounts on ongoing reservations, Savored also offers a service known as Savored Signatures for restaurateurs who are hesitant to give discounts on their existing menu items. Each month, the platform promotes a handful of unique experiences available from its partner restaurants, including mixology classes, kitchen tours, cooking lessons and take-home dinners. By offering these special experiences to customers, restaurants can take advantage of the Savored marketing platform without necessarily discounting the price on any of their menu items.

Read more "How It Works."

Stephanie Miles is an associate editor at Street Fight. She is based in Portland, Ore.

Photo credit: Savored

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/innovation/article/how-it-works-savored

From Jacob Harper:

In my youth I worked at a bustling college town pizzeria. The lunch rush was a special beast as a horde of students, faculty and assorted townies would descend en masse looking for a hot slice or three. And, as the hungry often do, they wanted their slices now.

Because making and baking a pizza takes a long time (far longer than frying a hamburger patty or wrapping a giant burrito), there was no way to make slices to order. So we would just have to guess beforehand, and crank out hundreds of different slices early and hope we’d made what the horde wanted.

We’d invariably have some slices that just didn’t sell. And after a couple hours on the heat table the melted cheese on the slices would get that flat, plastic look. The slice would, in pizzeria parlance, “die.” And there’s no raising a slice from the dead. It was essentially garbage.

But someone figured out a dead slice didn’t have to be trashed. After all, a dead slice still tasted fine. It still “worked” in that capacity. Why not donate the dead slices? So that's what we did, to a local soup kitchen. We got to write off our waste. Every day. Almost every business has its "dead slices," but they don't have to go to waste. Here are some ways to turn them into productive assets.

Donating Out of Date Electronics

Okay, the answering machine might be destined for the recycler (but maybe not: we’ll get to that later). But many other office supplies and electronics definitely have a second life as a Salvation Army tax write-off. One that is often overlooked is your outdated company phone. Donation centers are constantly clamoring for working phones.

I’m looking at my old iPhone 2G right now. It’s a “dead slice” to me, but it still does its job and works perfectly fine. Other useful electronic devices like routers, cables and answering machines are also great tax deductible gifts. Remember, the only thing you should be asking yourself is “Does it still work?”

Even if the answer to that is “maybe," you can still...

Craigslist Your Trash

The Law of Craigslist says: if it exists, someone on the Internet will pay money for it. Like with limbo, the question is merely “How low will you go?”

Every non-perishable scrap in your office, from tacks to coat hangers to plastic trays is useful to somebody, somewhere. In some guy’s mind, your PVC piping is a just a lamp waiting to happen. A quick pic with your phone camera, a minute’s listing, and presto. Your internet garage sale is on.

Bulk Up

You experience upselling it every time you go to a movie and tell the counter person, “just the small popcorn, please.” Before you know it you’ve added a “small” soda, a box of Mike & Ikes and a handful of Red Vines.

My old clothing business unloaded bulk in this fashion. For example, after we updated our racks, we wholesaled the plastic clothes hangers that went with the old racks. Someone wrote in and asked to buy a hundred. We said, sure, and we’ll throw in the second hundred for half off.

The buyer didn’t ask for two hundred, but that’s how many they ended up with. Just don’t be pushy. Once a buyer has the wallet out, you’ll be surprised at their willingness to take more off your hands.

Creative Subleasing

Possibly the biggest waste an average brick-and-mortar engages in is time. It’s the fourteen hours a day their storefront isn’t open. You pay full rent and only use the space less than half the time. Or, maybe there’s even space during the workday that goes unused, like the room of your house you never go into.

Of course, many landlords frown upon pulling double duty on your space. But check your lease–there are often only restrictions on having another business operating in the space, or having someone live in a cubicle.

A writer or artist’s workspace, on the other hand? Sublet it.

Otherwise, that space you’re paying for just goes to–you guessed it–waste.

How have you turned your discarded–or underused–products or tools into productive assets?

Jacob Harper co-founded the Vintage Vice clothing store and apparel brand in 2006 when he was 23. He sold Vintage Vice in 2009 and now works as a teacher and writer.

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/article/cashing-in-on-your-trash

From Presented by AT&T:

Small businesses are using new communication tools to work smarter and faster. These tools can make it easier to reach clients, suppliers and remote employees. They are also powerful for finding new opportunities to help attract customers and increase sales.

Here are four examples of particular businesses that can take advantage of communication technologies to work smarter.  

Train and support without travel costs

A consulting firm looking to rein in travel costs could take advantage of a conferencing service that combines web, video and audio capabilities to train and support clients around the country. These services offer powerful features that let users interact as if they were in the same room. With a conferencing system, users can present training concepts and documents through a virtual whiteboard, display videos, websites and presentations, conduct Q&A sessions for clients and record sessions so clients can access training information later.

Be More Responsive

A medical practice could upgrade its telephone system to reach doctors more quickly. Staff members could use a single phone number to connect to any chosen phone. Doctors would be able to switch devices at any time. For example, they could direct calls to a home phone when they leave the office for the evening and still need to be available. The new system would allow doctors to react more quickly to emergencies and help their practices save money on an after-hours answering service.

Connect Mobile Employees

A sales force could use a mobile app that helps team members take part in meetings when they’re on the road. That way, sales reps can share office news and view reports and other documents on their smartphones. They can also access live or pre-recorded demos from their phones, laptops or tablets, helping them get up to speed on new products faster and prepare for meetings with prospects.

Keep Appointments Filled

A spa that relies on a steady stream of client bookings could take advantage of a text-based, automated reminder service to help reduce no-shows. Employees could create reminder templates and decide how many days or hours before an appointment the reminder should be sent. Appointment information could then be added manually or imported from spreadsheets. Besides helping improve cash flow from fewer missed appointments, the reminder system could also save time spent calling clients.

These are just a few of the ways that using the latest communications tools can give your business a competitive edge. AT&T offers robust conferencing services, phone systems and other tools that can help you succeed. 

Image by OPEN Forum

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/4-tools-to-achieve-better-communication

From Courtney Rubin:

Why did technology pioneer Marc Andreessen (co-founder of Netscape and co-author of Mosaic) and his venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz, pass on backing companies?

The answer lies in the focus on the product, not on sales and marketing.

"The number one reason that we pass on entrepreneurs we’d otherwise like to back is focusing on product to the exclusion of everything else," Andreessen told Stanford University students earlier this month, noting that Silicon Valley tends to "cultivate and glorify this mentality."

Andreessen, 40, was the latest in a line of high-profile guest speakers in a Stanford course called "Computer Science 183: Startup," taught by venture capitalist and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. Blake Masters, a Stanford Law student taking the class, has been documenting the guests on Tumblr, first highlighted by TechCrunch.

Minimizing the Marketing

Among the concepts Andreessen discussed was the idea that although the "lean startup mode" has led to higher-quality companies, there is also a shortfall on the business side.

"Many entrepreneurs who build great products simply don’t have a good distribution strategy,” Andreessen said. "Even worse is when they insist that they don’t need one, or call no distribution strategy a 'viral marketing strategy.'"

Andreessen adds that he frequently hears entrepreneurs tell him that they'll be like Salesforce.com, with no sales team required since the product will sell itself.

"This is always puzzling," he said. "Salesforce.com has a huge, modern sales force. The tagline is 'No software,' not 'No sales.' AH is a sucker for people who have sales and marketing figured out."

Keep Trying

He told students not to shy away from an idea that someone tried five or 10 years ago and failed with. "If you think you can execute," he said, "you just have to be able to show that now is the time."

Andreessen also advised entrepreneurs to pay a little less attention to "optimal legal terms and process" and more attention to people—including vetting VCs.

"Even the seemingly glorious startups only seem that way. They’ve had crisis after crisis, too. What matters more: what processes you follow? Or who is with you in the bunker? Entrepreneurs don’t think about this enough." 

Who Should Be at the Helm?

How should startups establish their founding teams?

In Andreessen's view, ideally the founder/CEO should be a product person, and the sales force should not be ordering a product person around.

"If a product person is running the company, he or she can just lay down the law. This is why investors are often leery to invest in companies where you have to hire a new CEO. You can’t just bring in a Pepsi marketing executive to replace Steve Jobs."

He said he thinks being a CEO is a learnable skill, a view that is "controversial in the VC world." And to insist on a "world class" CEO right out of the gate possibly missing out on the next Microsoft, Google or Facebook.

"The CEOs of those companies, of course, turned out to be excellent," he said. "But they were also the product people who built the companies. It’s fair to say that the most important companies are founded and run by people who haven’t been CEO before."

To read more of the lecture, including Andreessen's thoughts on Apple's power, Spotify, and Netflix, click here. To read Masters' notes from other classes, click here.

Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/marc-andreessens-advice-for-entrepreneurs

From Bruna Martinuzzi:

Concern with etiquette may appear to be a preoccupation with the trivial: knowing which eating utensil to use or mastering the correct way to hold chopsticks. Instead, etiquette is about developing a sensitive awareness of those around us and being cognizant of the effect that our behaviors have on others. As Emily Post once said: "Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything. It's ethics. It's honor."

In today's harried, fast-paced world, it is easy to think that we can ignore the small niceties in our every day encounters. However, it is especially because we live fast-paced, charged lives that we need to be mindful of issues of etiquette. Ignoring conventional rules of civility can have a negative impact on our workplace relationships. Here are a few tips to help you in this regard.

Develop executive presence. Executive presence is often misconstrued as having a commanding appearance and dominating a room. True executive presence entails an awareness of how others feel about themselves when they are in your presence. It's moving away from a focus on the self to a focus on the other—from wanting attention to paying attention. It's business etiquette at its best.

Treat everyone with the same courtesy. In our hierarchal mindset, we sometimes unwittingly end up having two sets of manners: one for those who occupy a top rung on the corporate ladder and another one for those who toil at the bottom of the ladder. Consider that when your people see you "putting on the Ritz" for the higher-ups that you want to impress while you treat your workers as inferiors, you put a big dent in your credibility. Benjamin Franklin wisely observed “To be humble to superiors is duty, to equals courtesy, to inferiors nobleness.” Don't have two sets of standards. Show civility and courtesy in all situations.

Don't drag your feet when others need your input. There is a French proverb that says, "People count up the faults of those who keep them waiting." Nowhere is this more applicable than when someone is waiting for your input before they can complete their own work. No matter how busy you are, work on developing your empathy of others' needs, even if this means simply sending them a quick note to let them know that you have not forgotten about them. It's a sign of caring and caring is never outdated no matter how fast-paced and harried our world is becoming.

Show up at company events. As much as you might dislike organized frivolity, keep in mind that a great deal of consideration goes into planning company events such as the annual picnic or office holiday party. Not attending these events on a regular basis signals to others that you don't care. Office social gatherings are opportunities to mingle with colleagues in other areas and are intended to create an esprit de corps. Show solidarity with your company by graciously attending.

Respect the dress code. Every company has its own unwritten code of what constitutes appropriate dress. While defying this may seem to us like a small act of independence, it is also a quick way to attract negative attention. As Guy Kawasaki states in Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions: "Under-dressing says, 'I don't respect you. I'll dress any way that I please.'"

Practice digital empathy. Sending very large attachments by e-mail may clog a recipient's system and slow down his or her ability to send and receive e-mails. We can spare others this irritation by using a Web-based file-hosting service such as Dropbox or an online file-sharing service such as Yousendit. (You can find additional ideas on how to avoid e-mail faux pas by reading the Seth Godin blog post "How to send a personal email."

Be thoughtful with your telephone communication. Consider that when you use your cell phone on a noisy street or while driving through tunnels, you may be showing disregard for the person who has to struggle to hear you amidst the background noises. There is a humorous episode from Seinfeld, showcasing this behavior. Many truths are told through comedic episodes.

The rules of behavior change as society changes, but one thing that doesn't change is our need to feel respected. Observing business etiquette is a subtle signal to others that we respect them. No matter how busy our lives are, there is time for civility. Ralph Waldo Emerson put it best: "Life be not so short but there is always time for courtesy."

What do you feel is the most lacking bit of business courtesy in today's world?

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/article/business-by-the-book-7-ways-to-fine-tune-your-behavior

From Cameron Herold:

Building a successful business means creating something that is "slightly more than a business and slightly less than a religion,” says my friend and mentor Greig Clark.

Many things help build a world-class work environment: creating a great physical space, cultivating a thriving social environment, instilling a sense of ownership in each employee.

But you can focus on three more areas to elevate your company into the “zone of cult.” Energy, power and authenticity are key.

Energy

I’m not a hippie, but I do believe that positive energy is powerful and contagious. Cram your workplace with positive energy and your employees will be happier and more productive. Allow negative energy to creep in, and watch petty squabbles, gossip and backstabbing percolate.

As the leader of your company, one of your 10 million responsibilities is to set the energy level for your employees. At the end of each day, ask yourself, “What did I do today to raise the energy level of my team?”

Power

Commanding power does not mean using an iron fist to demand a world-class culture or playing petty games like raising your seat so you tower above your employees. Rather, strive to make your meetings more powerful.

Meetings are microcosms of your company culture. What do long, fruitless, boring meetings say about that culture?

Vibrant, efficient, focused meetings turn what can be the worst part of people’s workdays into productive events. And you can imagine what kind of effect that has on the workplace culture you are trying to build.

Authenticity

Every company strives to build a unique culture. It might be innovative or fun. It might even be a culture of growth. But to be successful, you have to get buy-in from everyone in your organization. And for that to happen, the entire process has to be organic and authentic.

If you aren’t a rah-rah type of leader, trying to motivate employees can come off as forced or awkward. Find people in your organization that are suitably enthusiastic and empower them to rally the troops.

Maybe you are good with large groups or feel more comfortable mentoring employees one on one. You might revel in hoisting a few pints with your crew after work on Friday, or prefer treating them to coffee once in a while.

Build a culture that fits with your morals and your standards. Create one that plays to your strengths.

The best leaders don’t put on a face or play a character. They learn to be themselves and find people who are drawn to them. That’s how they create a culture that works.

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/lifestyle/article/put-the-cult-in-culture

From Jhaneel Lockhart:

Veritas Prep, an international test-prep company, started modestly out of a living room. The co-founders' simple premise was that the company could do a better job than the industry giants who had dominated the test-prep industry for years.

“[The idea] was not completely original, but we like to think it was innovative," says co-founder Chad Troutwine. "It was mostly just better designed."

Troutwine and Markus Moberg bootstrapped the company 10 years ago with $25,000 dollars. Much of that nut came from competitions, such a business-plan competition at the Yale School of Management. The two kept pouring their revenue back into the business, obsessed with finding new ways to innovate.

They say that their insistence on remaining independent from day one, as well as their dedication to improvement has helped them compete. They're up against the big guys, as well as VC-backed companies that have more money to play with and newer mom-and-pop companies that are similar in size to Veritas.

Troutwine and Moberg started by conquering the giants. Troutwine, who scored in the 99th percentile on pretty much every admissions test he’s ever taken, including the LSAT and the GMAT, worked as an instructor for Kaplan while he was in college.

When he was at Kaplan, he noticed several shortcomings: uninspiring classrooms, increasingly shorter class times costing more money and substandard instructors. He thought he could do it better.

“These companies had basically seen some success and grown into a duopoly,” says Troutwine. “I was convinced that customers would flock to something else.”

Troutwine was strategic about avoiding some of the capital expenditures that burdened the bigger companies. Instead of buying real estate to make classrooms, they offer classes at universities, and occasionally at 5-star hotels. They not only saved money, but found that it's inspiring for students to learn in the very schools they’d like to attend, says Troutwine.

Troutwine would like to believe that with their help, the giants began to collapse and have been on a steady five-year decline. Veritas Prep now has to worry about smaller companies.

Several of them look very similar to Veritas Prep in its early days, and Troutwine says they may even look to his company as an example. Others might offer more hours or cheaper tuition.

But because Troutwine and Moberg have reinvested so much of their revenue, they’ve remained competitive with better technology and better services.

The venture-backed companies, that have anywhere from $5 to 70 million in funding are a little more of a challenge. To compete, Troutwine says they can only offer a better experience.

“We have to continue to focus on quality and design, and that comes from our years of experience,” he says.

And they have another advantage: No outside funding means no loyalties to investors, and more freedom to innovate. Because of their commitments, the other companies aren’t always making the best choices for their students, says Troutwine.

In fact, their decision to be debt-free might have been their best.

“We would have felt overly beholden [if we had accepted funding],” says Troutwine, adding that there have been offers. “And for some business at some stages it would have been a smart move. But we love answering to ourselves, our partners and our customers.”

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/innovation/article/how-a-small-test-prep-company-succeeded-without-big-funding

From Barry Moltz:

Business people network a lot. Unfortunately, most of it is a total waste of time. They spend a lot of their time at networking events talking to people who will never ever be a prospect or influence a customer to buy. They randomly go from person to person and event to event “hoping” to bump into someone that is valuable to their business. Even worse, many people just use it as an excuse to get away from the office.

You can, however, make the most of networking events and make truly meaningful—and profitable—connections by following some strategic advice.

Before You Go (30 Days Ahead)

Preparation is the key to making any business-networking event productive and profitable. Don’t expect to just show up and use your “charm” to woo prospects into wanting to buy. This urban myth does not really work consistently. Instead, here is an alternate strategy that is always successful.

Write down your primary and secondary business objectives for attending the event. Is it to meet new prospects or to close existing business? Do you want to learn more about the industry or get closer to the people you already know?

Find out who is going and contact those people ahead of time. Many events are so big that just because a person is there, doesn’t mean that you will bump into them. If the event has more than 200 people and takes place in more than one room, set a specific date, time and place to meet your contacts. Ensure that you have cell numbers if anything goes wrong.

Use social media to connect before the event. Go to the conference's Facebook page, LinkedIn discussion group or use the Twitter Hashtag to have conversations with other attendees before arriving on site. This will give a big head start in your networking and relationship building when you meet them IRL (In Real Life).

Practice your elevator pitch. When someone asks what your company does, practice an exact 15-second reply. It should state the pain your business solves and whom you solve it for.

At The Event

Confirm meetings already scheduled as arriving on site. This will ensure there are no missed opportunities with the meetings already set up or last-minute schedule changes.

Seek other people at the event that match your networking criteria. Listen for other prospects that are similar to the profile of the people you went to the conference to meet. This can be through questions that are asked in session or people you meet before and after each session. Ask people you already have a relationship with at the event if they know others that match the profile of prospects you want to meet.

Be open to changing course if the strategy doesn’t work or you acquire new information. Just like in daily business, strategies may need to change. If you are halfway through the event and your strategy is not yielding results, than pivot in another direction. 

Back at the Office 

Within a few days, reach out to the people you met. Remind them about your meeting and your common interests. Always offer to help. Do not try to sell them anything.

Keep them out of the business card graveyard. Enter their name into your contact management system and set a follow up a month from now.

Always give value. Remember, we can’t sell anything to anyone. We need to be there when people are ready to buy. Build trustful relationships by sending valuable information that is not about selling your products. In the long term, people buy from whom they know, like and trust.

How do you get the most out of your networking events?

Getting ready for a networking event? Join me at the New York Times Small Business Summit (sponsored by American Express OPEN). Come by and strut your networking stuff!

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/marketing/article/how-to-network-like-a-pro

From Katie Morell:

The recession is over and entrepreneurs are looking for cash, but are banks willing to lend?

The answer is a resounding yes. Sheryl Cameron, senior business banker at Chase Business Banking says that last year her department loaned $17 billion to businesses with less than $20 million in revenue. This is up from $11 billion in 2010.

In community banking, Kevin Ellis is a little more cautiously enthusiastic. Ellis is vice president of small-business lending at Atlantic Coast Bank with locations in Florida and Georgia. He says the uptick started last year and things are improving slowly.

“There is money out there and we are doing a lot of deals, but it is still a pretty fragile market,” he says.

Bankers emphasize that borrowers need to present a solid picture of their business and themselves. Here's what they're looking for in potential lendees.

Your Posse

Come into a lending meeting with your accountant or lawyer in tow to immediately establish a degree of credibility. The presence of such professionals shows that you are serious and have done your homework, says Morgan Johns, senior vice president at Conestoga Bank in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

If you don’t have professional backup or need help putting together your business plan, visit a local SCORE chapter where aid is free.

Industry Experience

If you want to launch a hair salon but lack cosmetology experience, you may want to think twice before booking a lending appointment. Banks want to see that you’ve spent time in the industry you want to enter, says Jana Rouble, business-development officer for Fidelity Bank, a community bank with locations in Georgia and Florida.

Healthy Credit Score

Personal credit is more important than ever, says Ellis. Banks are not only taking a chance on your business, they are taking a chance on you, personally.

Even if you don’t have a credit score in the high 700s, you still may get a loan. A variety of alternative funding companies are eager to help.

Compound Profit of Arizona is one such company. Regional director Christy Giroux explains that she taps resources ranging from invoice and financing companies to credit card processing lenders to secure financing for small business owners.

Alternative financing companies like Compound Profit often use factoring to help offset costs, a process that trades accounts receivables (and a percentage of transactions) for quick cash advances to a budding small business.

Thick Cushion

Gone are the days when banks would lend to entrepreneurs whose entire livelihoods were riding on a business plan. Today, lenders want to know that you have a solid source of secondary income, notes Johns. Make sure to bring detailed financials for your second job, your spouse’s income, rental income, etc. This also extends to how much equity you can put down right off the bat.

“It depends on the project how much we require you to inject into the project at the outset,” says Cameron. “But we definitely want to know that you have some skin in the game.”

Number-Rich Business Plan

Bankers want to see a business plan with promise, but, according to Rouble, they are even more interested in the numbers.

“If they can’t sit down and tell me how many customers they need per day and how much money each customer needs to spend, I’m not interested,” she says.

Strong Character

Conestoga Bank is so serious about limiting loans to entrepreneurs with strong work ethics that it sends employees to visit businesses before releasing funds.

“We want to go out and kick the tires a bit,” says Johns. “I want to know that you have the right character to pay back a loan.”

What’s been your experience trying to get a loan lately? What advice can you give small business owners?

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/article/small-business-loan-secrets

From Sharlyn Lauby:

Classroom training isn’t dead, but it also isn’t the answer for every training need. Social media tools are changing the game when it comes to employee learning. And thanks to workplace collaboration tools, organizations can create environments in which employees can learn from each other instead of the overly formal status quo or from the proverbial "company expert."

For training programs to be effective, businesses must use the right methods and mediums for their training sessions and their audience. Given the popularity of social media, it only seems logical to explore how social media tools can have a positive impact on the learning experience.

What It Means

Tony Bingham, president and CEO of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), defines social learning as “learning that happens outside a formal structure or classroom." Instead, it centers on information sharing, collaboration and co-creation, he says.

In today’s workplace, social learning means learning with and from others. It happens at conferences, cafés or online–with or without social media tools.

However, one thing is certain about social learning: It’s not a replacement for traditional classroom training. “There will always be some kinds of training that must be done in a classroom setting because of the requirements of the training or skill mastery demands, like certification, compliance and deep learning." Bingham explains.

Social Learning Benefits

Surveys of CEOs continue to report that recruiting and developing talent are their top concerns. In addition, ASTD Research notes that by 2020, nearly half (46%) of all U.S. workers will be Millennials.

Organizations have to gain an understanding of how a new generation of workers likes to learn, how they use technology and their preferred means of communication. This will be essential in creating training curriculum, development programs and succession plans.

Bingham says it’s possible to calculate the return on social learning, but it’s not the traditional ROI formula: “It requires alignment to what’s important to the organization, and often that includes retaining institutional knowledge, solving complex problems collaboratively and attracting people to your organization.”

Maria Ogneva, director of community at Yammer, says, “If your goal is to increase customer satisfaction, perhaps the impact metric you are looking for is the increase of speed of a response to a customer, and how collaboration helps you do that. For any social effort to be successful, it has to tie to a business objective.”

Barriers to Social Learning

Business leaders need to realize that employees are already using social tools, whether it’s approved or not. Instead of prohibiting the use of social media, savvy business leaders should harness its power to drive business results. Bingham notes, “It’s important to make the distinction between a management problem and a technology problem. Most often, problems that occur with the use of social media are management problems.”

Bingham adds that he sees a concern that the use of social media tools may result in intellectual property, company secrets or business strategy being divulged by a workforce given social media tools. His recommendation?

“Organizations should have an intellectual property policy in place that outlines clear expectations–and consequences–for inappropriate activity. This policy should consider the multitude of possibilities for the use of an organization’s intellectual property.”

Clearly communicate those guidelines throughout the entire organization. The goal isn’t to create obstacles to learning but a respectful, effective means to using social tools.

Implementing Social Learning Within Your Organization

Before rolling-out a social learning strategy, take a good look at your company culture. Determine if the company is ready to incorporate social learning into its training and development strategy. Adding social just because it sounds progressive isn’t productive for the workforce.

Any time a company is testing the new territory, it’s beneficial to start small. Find a program or an initiative that would be well-served by employing social technologies and let the people involved with it experiment to find what works.

After using a new technology, evaluate the success of the program. Get feedback on three levels:

• From the participants who used the social tool: How did it help or hinder the learning experience?
• From the administrators of the social tool: Was it easy or difficult to use, explain to others and get participant involvement?
• From the management team: What was their perception of the results gained from using a social tool within their work teams?

This feedback will help refine the best social learning methods to incorporate for future activities.

Social media platforms will continue to develop and evolve. More and more individuals will start using them for their personal brands and professional lives. Employees will demand simplicity and expect workplace training to incorporate the tools they use on a regular basis.

Would you like to see more social in your training programs? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/why-social-learning-benefits-your-business

From Donna Fenn:

 

Company: Nestio

Founders: Caren Maio, Matt Raoul, Mike O’Toole

Year founded: 2011

Location: New York, NY

Caren Maio, a graduate of New York University, had lived in New York City for 10 years and moved just about every year. Think folders filled with real estate listings, multiple bookmarks on her laptop, a spreadsheet or two, not to mention e-mails to herself cluttering her inbox. It was a problem that needed solving, and that is exactly what she and her Nestio co-founders, Matt Raoul and Mike O’Toole, have started doing.

From left: Mike O'Toole, Caren Maio and Matt Raoul

Knowing When to Pivot

Last year, their team was accepted into the elite incubator program TechStars, a three and a half month program that introduces founders to mentors, compels them to scrutinize their business models and when appropriate, pivot gracefully. That’s what Maio and her co-founders did. Their original concept was a site that can best be described as Yelp.com for apartment buildings, where users would enter ratings and reviews of buildings. “But two weeks into TechStars, it became evident after our first mentor meetings that the concept was not the ticket,” says Maio. “We were asking so much of the user up front without providing any immediate value.” Just as the partners were about to launch the beta site, they scrapped the idea, locked themselves in a conference room and “whiteboarded” until they came up with Nestio. It’s a site where apartment hunters can easily organize real estate listings and share them with friends and roommates. Listings can be sent immediately to a Nestio account via a bookmarklet, and users can easily make notes and compare them. 

Maio credits TechStars with helping her and her co-founders tweak their business model. Some of their mentors actually became angel investors, providing the company with $750,000 in funding.

Going Mobile

Nestio launched last June, and almost immediately Maio and her co-founders realized that a mobile app was a must. So they launched the iPhone app soon after and carefully observed user behavior. “They use the app when they’re on the go to vet properties and to remember what properties are which,” Maio says. When Nestio first launched the iPhone app, it found that about 30 percent of existing members were also using the app. That number has swelled to 60 percent.

“Over one third of our signups come through the iPhone app,” she says. “We’re really excited about that and we’re starting to think more about a big mobile push.” 

The Right Partners

Like many tech startups, Nestio has yet to post revenues, but Maio is confident that there will be money coming in within the year. Already, the company has forged partnerships with Curbed, Prime NYC, Citi Habitats, eBay Classifieds and Naked Apartments to add a "+Nestio" button that lets users save listings directly to Nestio.

While those partnerships are “straight barter,” Maio foresees potentially lucrative lead-generation partnerships in the company’s future. Obvious prospects are moving and storage companies, cleaning services and the like. Nestio also can track the kinds of listings a user is bookmarking, make recommendations accordingly and earn commissions.

Based on a flood of e-mails from apartment hunters in other cities, Nestio opened its platform late last year so that users outside of New York can use the site. “I’m confident that, within the year, we’ll have all the pieces aligned, and we can start pulling in meaningful revenue,” Maio says.

Photo credit: Nestio

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/startup-of-the-week-nestio

From Suzy Frisch–FedEx Small Business Team:

Small-business owners already know that a natural or man-made disaster could seriously disrupt their livelihood. Up to 40 percent of businesses fail after a disaster, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Yet only 43 percent feel prepared to handle an extensive emergency.

The destructive wildfires and tornadoes that have struck already this spring serve as a strong reminder that nature can unleash devastating consequences. Now is the time to get ready to handle any and all emergencies.

“A little bit of action can save you in the long run,” says Tom Heneghan, manager of preparedness for the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C.  “Thinking through the steps ahead of time really makes a difference when you need to take action on the spot.”

Awareness

Many small businesses don’t know where to start. Others believe they lack the time, energy and resources to tackle preparing for a disaster, explains Shane O’Connor, program advisor for FedEx Global Citizenship

That’s why the American Red Cross and FedEx are hosting a virtual roundtable on disaster preparedness focused on the special needs of small businesses. The discussion, which will be streamed live for online viewers, will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Central on May 22 via the FedEx Facebook page. The roundtable panelists will convene in Joplin, Mo., to commemorate the first anniversary of the catastrophic tornadoes that struck the city. The powerful tornado killed 160 people and caused approximately $2 billion in damage, making it the worst tornado in the U.S. in the past 75 years.

The panel will take live questions from virtual audience members and offer tips and advice on actions businesses should take to prepare for disasters. Mike Beatty (publisher of The Joplin Globe) will serve as moderator. Panelists include Tom Heneghan (manager of preparedness for the American Red Cross), Rob O’Brian (president of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce) and Randy King (managing director with FedEx from New Orleans, who experienced Hurricane Katrina firsthand).

To register for the event, go to the FedEx Facebook Event page.

Assessment

In the meantime, you can begin to assess your current disaster readiness by answering these questions from the American Red Cross:

1. How vulnerable is your region to natural or manmade disasters, and how vulnerable would your business be in the face of one?

• You need to know the potential for natural disasters or industrial accidents in the region where you operate. Are you located in Tornado Alley? Does flooding occur every spring? Find out how prior emergencies affected local small businesses.

• Contact your insurance agent and make sure your company has coverage for potential hazards. Keep in mind that general policies often don’t cover floods and earthquakes.

2. What’s your plan for protecting your business and employees before, during and after an emergency?

• Organize a planning committee to help you write a continuity plan that will guide you in maintaining operations after a crisis. Identify essential business functions and the employees responsible for them. Develop a system for backing up, restoring and accessing vital electronic business records.

• Obtain necessary safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers, defibrillators, smoke detectors and onsite supplies, in case employees must remain at your facility during and after the incident.

• Outline best practices your company will follow during an emergency. Designate a leadership structure that details those in charge. Create a system for warning employees about emergencies and communicating with them during the disaster. Develop staff evacuation procedures; pinpoint where to obtain shelter and plan for medical emergencies.

Assistance

For more in-depth assistance, take advantage of expert online resources: The American Red Cross Ready Rating Program is a free, self-guided assessment designed to help businesses, organizations and schools evaluate how prepared they are for emergencies. With their personalized Ready Rating results in hand, users gain access to tips and best practices that aid in preparedness. 

“Preparedness is a lot like working out and eating healthy. People know they should do it, but it’s not at the top of the list. They think a disaster won’t happen to them,” Heneghan says. “Ready Rating makes preparedness accessible and easy to understand. It allows an organization to get a snapshot of its vulnerabilities and understand how to address them.”

“Limited resources can make a small business especially vulnerable in the face of a disaster,” says O’Connor. “Preparedness is key to both surviving the immediate crisis and weathering the longer-term effects.”

A rebroadcast of the virtual roundtable will take place at 6:00 p.m. Central on May 22, with representatives also logged on to the FedEx Facebook page, available to answer more viewers’ questions. For those who can’t tune in on May 22, video highlights of the roundtable will be archived on the FedEx Facebook page. 

Suzy Frisch is a Twin Cities–based freelance writer. She’s covered business, politics, law and many other topics for a range of publications, including Twin Cities Business magazine, the Star Tribune and the Chicago Tribune. 

Note: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of FedEx.

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/is-your-business-prepared-if-disaster-strikes

From Courtney Rubin:

A Houston Chronicle reporter who was fired from her job shortly after being outed as a part-time stripper filed a federal gender discrimination complaint this week.

Sarah Tressler, 30, alleges that the newspaper fired her in March for failing to disclose on her employment application that she had worked as an exotic dancer.

She was employed full-time by the newspaper between January 19 and March 27, mostly covering high society. Previously she freelanced for the newspaper, as well as for US Weekly. While she was at the Chronicle, she penned an anonymous blog titled "Diary of an Angry Stripper" and was outed by the weekly Houston Press in an article called "Society Writer by Day, Stripper by Night."

"I was very upset that I was fired because I had been told by many editors that I was doing a good job," Tressler said in a statement. "There was no question on the form that covered my dancing. I answered the questions on the form honestly."

She added: "The true reason for my termination was discrimination on account of my gender."

Tressler announced she had filed the one-page complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) during a Thursday news conference with her lawyer, Gloria Allred, known to be the go-to attorney for celebrity scandal.

"Most exotic dancers are female, and therefore to terminate an employee because they had previously been an exotic dancer would have an adverse impact on women, since it is a female dominated occupation," Allred said in a statement.

Allred said Tressler's stripping work was as an independent contractor, not an employee, so she would not have had to list it as "prior employment" on her job application.

"Sarah's work as a dancer is lawful and is not a crime," according to Allred's statement. "It does not, has not and will not affect her ability to perform her job as a journalist."

The Chronicle declined to comment on the complaint. The EEOC said it could not confirm or deny whether it had received a complaint. Tressler, who has a master's degree in journalism from New York University, has been stripping on and off since she was 22. She said she took up the gig to pay for college, then continued with it to help pay her bills.

"Some young women will use dancing as a way to make ends meet while they study to prepare for the career that they hope to be able to have for the rest of their lives," Tressler told CNN. "These women should not have to live in fear that once they acquire a position in the career that they have worked hard to achieve, that their past work experience as a dancer will jeopardize that position."

Would you fire someone for his or her part-time employment?

Image by OPEN Forum

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/would-you-fire-someone-for-stripping-off-hours

From Alex Fitzpatrick:

Many businesses these days are collecting mounds of data about their customers, such their age, gender, interests and more. Online companies that offer a service can collect data the moment a user signs up. Having this information can be very useful in tweaking your product or marketing campaigns. But if customers suspect you're using their data in less-than-desirable ways, they may lash out and possibly stop using your product.

What's a data-driven business owner to do? It can sometimes be difficult to know where to draw the line, with people so freely giving out information to social media sites. And with the ongoing scrutiny of Internet privacy, you don't want to get yourself into trouble. Here's the right way to approach this sensitive matter:

Address the issue. According to Shane Green, CEO of digital identity management firm Personal, businesses don't have to abandon all data-collection efforts and retreat into a pre-digital existence. Instead, the key to handling customer's data is simple: be transparent. Tell customers what data you're collecting, why you're collecting it and what you're going to do with it. He says too many sites have not been clear about what they are collecting.

"They look at the consumer as being passive or uninformed," he says.

Green believes that a consumer revolution is taking place that will result in more informed and empowered customers. And businesses that aren't upfront about the ways they use customers' data will face their wrath.

Build a good reputation. It's essential, Green says, for companies to be transparent before an issue arises. If a company starts early, it can build a reputation for transparency that earn them the good will of their customers.

"Companies don’t want to end up in The Wall Street Journal as one of biggest abusers of customers' privacy. This is a ticking time bomb," Green says. "You don’t want to look like the company that’s being dragged kicking and screaming into a transparent world."

Gauge how your audience feels. What's the consensus of users on online privacy and data collection? Green sees two distinct philosophies that have emerged regarding customer's data privacy: One group that's "sort of surprised" data collection practices aren't out in the open, and another, louder group that's against the practice of data collection in general.

To Green, that latter group seems anti-progressive. Instead, Green says that data collection is the future of business and economic growth. But it has to be transparent. Take your audience's sensitivities into account when you're deciding how to collect data.

"I think there’s a growing community committed to the model of safe, secure and transparent data collection," Green says. "You’d never share anything if you thought the data was going into the ethos of the Internet to be sent anywhere to do anything and to be read by anybody."

In short, there's no reason to halt your data collection. Instead, be open to having an honest conversation about what you expect to get from your users. If you do, your audience will be more likely to stick around for the long haul.

How do you think businesses can be more transparent with their data? Sound off in the comments below.

Image by OPEN Forum

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/the-right-way-to-collect-and-use-customer-data

From Carl Natale:

Two years ago, I took a couple ski lessons, which later parlayed into me shushing down the slopes of Maine. Aside from just focusing on staying upright, I realized while cutting through the powder that there are also important business lessons concealed in the process of learning to ski.

Apply your skills to new obstacles. I used to be strictly a cross-country skier. It was a great workout that took me into some beautiful, remote locations. While downhill skiing is faster and requires more confidence, a lot of the same skills I honed on the cross-country trails were applicable.

For example, I developed good balance on skinny nordic skis. And I could make decent turns and control my speed very well. Those basics helped me maneuver downhill ski slopes without too much trouble.

The lesson: Working with new products or industries shouldn’t be scary. We all have a core set of skills and experience that can be applied in many situations. For me, the most important are probably research and interviewing skills. Those are key to getting up to speed when I take on new endeavors.

Break an imposing task into manageable pieces. When I stood at the top of that first slope, I thought there was no way I was going to survive it. I looked down that long, steep hill and wanted to go home. But the only way home was down the hill.

So I headed for the side of the slope where I would be out of the way. Because I took a slightly horizontal path, the pace was manageable. Then I turned and headed for the opposite side. And that zig-zag route got me down the slope. It was like cross country skiing down small hills. By breaking the slope into small, not-so-steep paths, I was able to finish a major journey.

The lesson: The zig-zag approach is an effective project management strategy. Take an ambitious goal and break it into pieces. Each zig or zag is manageable and within my skill set. Once I finish one leg, the next is ready to be tackled.

It's also how I execute business strategies. The major goal is accomplished by concentrating on the daily tactics that get me to where I need to be.

Learn to fall. A friend of mine says that if you don't fall while skiing, you aren't learning anything. That's because you won't fall if you stick to your comfort zone. But a fall is usually a sign you are going a little too fast or trying conditions unfamiliar to you.

Falling can also take the pressure off. Most of the time a fall doesn't injure anything but the faller’s pride. And once you have fallen, you learn that falling isn't so bad. Taking chances becomes less risky.

The lesson: The same conditions that cause you to fall on the slopes can cause you to fall in business. You’re going too fast. You’re trying something new. For the most part, those failures are small. They don't have to hurt. And they're lessons in what to do better next time.

Now that I have a couple seasons of skiing and falling behind me, I'm ready to tackle new challenges. I'm making choices that are based upon my experience but steer me outside my comfort zone. There are risks, but for the most part, failing doesn't hurt much.

Carl Natale is a recovering journalist who now blogs about how small business owners can develop and improve their businesses. He shares ideas and tips on CarlNatale.com and as @CarlNatale on Twitter.

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/article/how-ski-lessons-apply-to-business

From Elizabeth Sile:

Shakespeare once asked, “What’s in a name?” Though he was writing about roses in Romeo and Juliet, it’s a question that should be in the heads of anyone brainstorming business name ideas.

A name is your business’ first impression and can instantaneously convey quality, trustworthiness, and reliability—or the opposite. With Google searches replacing yellow page ads, names need to send the right message.

“Gone are the days when you could write down ten ideas on an envelope and pick the one you liked best,” says Laurel Sutton, principal at Catchword Brand Name Development, a professional naming company.

If you’re still searching for a name for your business, follow these five tips to get you the perfect one a little easier.

Clarify your branding initiative. To even begin brainstorming, you must have a clear picture of what you're hoping to achieve with your name and how it fits the company's mission. Zoe Sexton, managing director at Igor International, a naming and branding agency, says business names can have a slew of purposes, from free PR to demonstrating what sets your company apart.

“The key is to find a fresh way into the hearts and minds of your audience and engage people on as many levels as possible,” she says. “The best names accomplish all of these goals and are advertisements in and of themselves.”

Phillip Davis, president of Tungsten Branding, a name development firm, recommends creating a “pivot point,” a quality or core attribute that everything in the company revolves around, such as speed, price, leadership, or innovation.

“From there, you can use any number of naming strategies to convey this central theme,” Davis says. “You can use metaphors, (Jaguar, Amazon, Monster), or positive connotation blends (OnStar, TruGreen, Bright House), or descriptive hybrids (CarMax, JetBlue, LendingTree,) or key attributes (Sir Speedy, Priceline, Service Masters).”

Separate your business from your competitors. A business’ name should make it stand out among the competition. Sexton recommends compiling a list of competitors’ names to ensure your possibilities are different.

“Naming is a competitive sport,” she says. “Names don't exist in a vacuum.”

Sutton says that businesses should not only check out their competitors’ names, but the styles, tonality and messaging of their brand. Find what makes your brand totally different, and base everything on that.

Sexton warns, however, that small businesses should avoid falling into the trap whereby their names’ sole purpose is to describe what the businesses do.

“A descriptive naming strategy overlooks the fact that the whole point of marketing is to separate yourself from the pack,” she says. “It actually works against you, causing you to fade into the background, indistinguishable from the bulk of your competitors.”

Also, if your business is looking to form an LLC or incorporate down the road, checking to make sure a name is not already taken now will prevent headaches when it’s time to start the registration process. You can search the availability of a name through your state’s secretary of state office.

Pick a flexible name. A successful candidate for a business’ name is not finite, but malleable enough that it can still stand as the business grows and changes. Davis says Midas is a great example of a flexible business name, because using the name of a mythical Greek king with the golden touch positioned the company based on quality service, not on mufflers specifically. This then allowed the company to transition to other automotive repair services without expensive rebranding.

“What you do is typically not as important as how you do it," Davis says. "And your main products and services are likely to change and evolve."

Treat the brainstorming process like a marketing decision. Certainly, picking a business name is fun and exciting, but the process should be taken as seriously as any other business decision, says Michael Barr, president of NameLab. Often the names people like aren’t actually the best fit.

Barr adds that this should not be a subjective decision. Ask yourself whether it accomplishes what you need to do. Then you can ask which one you like better. You should look for the unexpected name that expresses a feeling and positive brand experience, says Alexandra Watkins, chief innovation officer at Eat My Words, a brand naming company. Watkins says these are the questions you should be asking when choosing a name:

• Is it meaningful to my customers and not just to me?
• Does it make an emotional connection?
• Is it easy to pronounce and spell?
• Is it a copycat name or it is original?
• Does it make people smile or scratch their head?

Also, one of the first things you should do is to check online to see whether domain names are available for your top choices. But if you’ve found the perfect brand name and the domain is already taken, don’t fret unless a competitor already took it, Watkins says. Many successful businesses have worked around their URL.

Avoid making up words. While this technique has worked for huge companies like Yahoo! and Xerox, it’s often not beneficial for small businesses.

“It sounds obvious, but I find a lot of small business people I speak to often want empty vessel names, meaning that you have to fill it with meaning,” Barr says.

Though naming your business should be treated with as much seriousness as drafting your business plan or budget, it should not be viewed as a panacea. Even a great name also needs great people and healthy sales to make it fly.

How did you come up with the name for your business?

Image by OPEN Forum

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/lifestyle/article/how-to-pick-a-name-for-your-business

From Katie Morell:

Think back to 1996. Did you ever walk around downtown Boston during lunch hour? If so, I’m willing to bet you saw an enormous line of people standing in front of a sandwich food cart. Behind that cart stood Stacy Madison, a Boston native with a background in social work who’d recently grown sick of the nine-to-five and followed her passion for food.

As the cart grew in popularity and the line nearly out of control, Madison and her then-husband Mark Andrus, got creative. They took leftover pita bread from the day before, (all their cart sandwiches were made with pita bread) chopped it up, baked it and handed it out to waiting customers.

Customers went crazy for these pita chips. In 1998, Madison and Andrus closed the cart business and, under the name Stacy’s Pita Chip Company, started wholesaling chips to local retailers.

The plan worked so well that by 2006 Stacy’s was selling nearly $65 million in pita chips per year, employing more than 300 people (including contractors) and was on the receiving end of purchasing offers. PepsiCo won that bid and now operates the company out of its original Randolph, Mass.–based factory.

I caught up with Madison to get the inside scoop on her wildly successful chip venture.

How did you get the word out about your pita chips?
At first we would walk into local grocery stores with a bag of chips and ask them to sell for us. Mark and I also went to a lot of industry trade shows. We couldn’t afford booths early on, so we’d just walk the floors and hand out our product. We also did a lot of farmers markets and charity events where we would walk around with flavor ideas and package change ideas and just ask customers on the spot what they thought. It helped us focus our efforts on what customers wanted to buy.

What challenges did you face early on?
We had to figure out how to actually make the chips for a mass audience. Originally, we were making them in an oven with four racks. They were slow baked and we couldn’t just crank up the heat or they’d burn. We found a woman who owned a pretzel company who had a rack oven and we rented space from her for a while, but that still wasn’t enough. Eventually, we bought a conveyor oven and then a machine that would help us cut the bread into squares.

What did you do for funding at this point?
We had the money we’d stocked up from the food cart and from my credit card—something I don’t recommend. When we needed more capital, I went to the bank and was granted a $60,000 loan, but less than a year later I went back and asked for a $500,000 loan. The bank said no, so we lowered the amount to $300,000 and our parents kicked in some money, too.

As your company grew, did you hire sales staff around the country?
No, we had sales managers who managed a network of food brokers who’d sell to grocers. But most of our employees were people at the factory in Randolph.

When PepsiCo acquired Stacy’s, did you stay on?
Nope. I took my kids (twins, now 8 years old) and traveled around Europe for six months. We’ve done a lot of traveling over the last five years. Recently, I’ve gone to work with Fireman Capital Partners, a private equity group.

What do you see in your professional future?
I would like to start another company someday. I’m not sure in what industry or what product it will sell, but I want to do it for my kids. Back when they were little, I loved bringing them into work and having them see what it was all about. I want them to see that again. I want to show them that they can start their own business someday. 

What advice can you give to small business owners just starting out?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others in your industry.

Persevere and never sacrifice quality. Do one thing and do it right. People told us we should do a hummus or a salsa, but we knew it would never work. Those are other businesses. I recommend focusing on your core product.

Make sure you price high at the outset to accommodate costs of everything from manufacturing to hiring. You can always lower your costs.

Photo credit: Stacy Madison

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/innovation/article/the-story-behind-stacys-pita-chips

From Rory Vaden:

For many of us, e-mail is the primary method of communication, so we need to observe some etiquette and self-discipline. With the speed of business and life, we are defaulting to e-mail to solve conflicts and challenges that should be resolved through spoken communication. I’ve messed up by e-mail too many times so I've come up with some protocol that might save you some pain.

Here are some ideas to consider regarding e-mail etiquette. If more people and companies adopt guidelines to control e-mail, it might reduce the stress and anxiety excessive e-mail can create.

1. Don’t complain about getting a lot of e-mail. We all do. Sharing an inflated number of how many you get doesn’t make us sympathize with you.

2. Don’t mark an e-mail as "urgent" if it isn’t urgent. Remember that lack of preparedness on your part doesn’t constitute urgency on mine.

3. Don’t send unnecessary e-mails.

4. Don’t CC people unnecessarily. Ask yourself whether everyone needs to be included. Most of the time, the answer is no. The hope is that others will reciprocate and leave you off of irrelevant messages.

5. Don’t hit Reply All for birthday wishes, welcomes and congratulations to one person in particular.

6. Don’t use all caps unless YOU ARE YELLING! For emphasis, try italics.

7. Don’t forget to use spell check. Even though e-mail is casual, keep them professional, even to friends.

8. Don’t ever criticize, condemn or complain over e-mail. It is too easy to be misinterpreted. Communicating an appropriate tone and emotion through e-mail is almost impossible.

9. Don’t use a bunch of emoticons or too much e-mail slang. I know you’re a QT but w/o clear direction, I’m not able OTOMH to be sure what this :-/ means.

10. Don’t use funky formats and backgrounds for your e-mail. Not all e-mail systems are compatible, and that pretty flower template may look jumbled in someone else’s inbox.

11. Don’t use a long e-mail signature. When your signature is four times the length of your e-mail, it's out of proportion.

12. Don’t use the BCC often, if ever. If someone needs to be hidden from the e-mail conversation, you are likely gossiping behind someone's back. It’s a strong indicator that a spoken conversation is in order.

13. Don’t send an emotional e-mail without letting it sit for 24 hours. Better yet, don’t send it at all. If it’s emotional, you need to have a one-on-one conversation.

14. Don’t add people to your distribution e-zine lists without permission. Just because I gave you my card doesn’t mean I care to read your random thoughts every month (or your friend's).

15. Don’t assume every e-mail you send is important and that you’ll get an immediate response. The importance and urgency of your message is determined by the other e-mails in your recipient’s inbox.

16. Don’t write an e-mail longer than what people can read in the preview pane. 

17. Don’t send giant attachments. Anything over 1 to 2MB will likely slow down the recipient's computer and create frustration.

18. Don’t forward inappropriate messages to work e-mail addresses. If I want to see the “People of Wal-Mart,” I know where to find them.

19. Don’t use e-mail as a group-brainstorming tool. Many people write  “Thoughts?” or “What do you think?” Don’t ask for opinions through e-mails. Instead, use e-mail for scheduling or adding an agenda item to a list and get opinions in a meeting, in person or on a phone call.

20. Don’t have your “out of office” responder on every day of the year just to tell people how busy you are. Although it might seem like a good way of increasing communication with others, automation is always impersonal. Most people would prefer a delayed response than an automated one.

If we can agree on some protocol, maybe we can get some of this e-mail madness under control. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even get our nights and weekends back.

If you have a comment leave it here but whatever you do, please don’t e-mail me. JK LOL!

Rory Vaden, MBA, is co-founder of Southwestern Consulting. He's a self-discipline strategist and speaker. He is the author of Take the Stairs, a New York Times bestseller.

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/20-ways-to-stop-the-e-mail-madness

From Cameron Herold:

A truly great workplace culture is composed of many different facets, from the way you hire to the coffee you serve in the lunchroom—but the most important aspect is the workplace itself. In many ways, what your office looks like is a direct representation of your work culture. It’s the physical embodiment of your beliefs, your standards and your theories on how to treat your employees and run your business. And you don't want visitors to question any of that.

Who can think clearly and efficiently when they are hemmed in on all sides by stakes of looming files? Not only is it visually unpleasant, but clutter also has a subconscious effect of adding mental clutter.

One of my best clients is a business called Nurse Next Door, which provides home health care services. The first time I visited the company's office, I was shocked. There were boxes everywhere, stacks of files falling, drab colors, scratched and dented furniture; basically, it was not really the kind of environment people would not typically feel compelled to be productive in. The stakeholders weren’t slobs; they were just focused on running their rapidly growing business.

On my advice, Nurse Next Door endeavored to declutter and clean, and that tidiness has since become part of the company's business culture. Every Wednesday is now “Wasteless Wednesday,” with everyone pitching in to keep things looking clean and neat.

The change has been profound. The energy in the building is drastically better, employee’s moods have changed and more people can fit into the space without it feeling crowded. In fact, the owners had been looking into bigger offices before the clean up, but saw there wasn’t a need once all the clutter had been removed. The cleanup efforts were so successful that BC Business magazine named Nurse Next Door the best company to work for in British Columbia last year.

Keeping It in Perspective

Before you go labeling me as an obsessive-compulsive neat-freak, let me be clear that I am not suggesting you spend hours each day scrubbing. The idea is to keep the office free of unnecessary clutter–broken office equipment, old files, retired computers and anything that can be stored, donated or scrapped.

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/article/great-company-culture-starts-with-a-clean-office

From Erik Rhey:

Each week, our editors round up the most compelling entrepreneurial news and advice. Here are this week’s highlights.

How to Boost Sales in 20 Minutes a Day

For small businesspeople, there are never enough hours in the day. And running your business often takes priority over strategizing about how to boost your sales. Expert Chris Brogan shows you how to put aside just 20 minutes a day and use that time to focus on your customer relations, outreach and reaching new customers. Reading this piece is definitely time well spent. Plus: Find out from TJ McCue how curating the right content can help your marketing effort. 

5 Lessons Your Mother Taught You About Business

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Along with recognizing the great job she did raising you, she also deserves credit for teaching you some important business lessons. Barry Moltz explains how some of Mom’s key pieces of wisdom are also good lessons for owning a small business. Plus: Learn more about branding.

How to Stay in Business and Out of Divorce Court

Starting a business with your spouse can deal a serious blow to your marriage. In this piece, Katie Morell gleans useful advice from couples who have braved the stormy waters of a marriage and business partnership and come out on top. Plus: We show you how to avoid the pitfalls of a family business.

What You Can Learn From a Young CEO

Yes, veteran businesspeople are full of good advice. But that’s not to say there is nothing to learn from a hungry young entrepreneur in her 20s. Seasoned business writer and small-business owner Elaine Pofeldt shows you what young businesspeople can teach you about working on the cheap, staying flexible and setting yourself up for success. Plus: Find out how to incorporate social media without doubling your workload.

Bringing Back the Neighborhood Butcher

This piece shows how Justin Rosberg and Jason Parent are reviving the butcher shop tradition with their business, The Meat House. The owners took on the big-box grocery stores and are winning new customers with 30 locations and more than 300 employees. Plus: Learn how a former defense attorney became a successful chocolatier by going to the source.

5 Ways to Enact Change in a Bureaucratic Culture

If your business frequently deals with government agencies or other organizations with lots of red tape, you need to read this. Our Culture Beat columnist Alexandra Levit shows you how a California consultant dealt with the challenge of navigating a project with the L.A. Dept. of Transportation. Plus: Find out how to communicate better with your employees and break through communication barriers.

Engagement: The Key to Good Employees

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that employees are happiest if they feel valued and challenged. But how do you do that on a consistent and equal basis? Here we show you how to get your employees to contribute and invest in a meaningful way. An engaged employee is one who is loyal and productive. Plus: Discover the best ways to motivate employees.

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/small-business-week-in-review-57

From Courtney Rubin:

It's been easier to get customers to buy products and services over the past couple of years—but harder to get them to actually fork over the cash, says a new report.

The number of young companies reporting slow or lost sales as their biggest problem fell from 53 percent in 2008 to 44 percent in 2010, says the most recent version of the Kauffman Firm Survey released Wednesday. That still makes sales the most common problem entrepreneurs face. But on top of that, the number of companies citing late or withheld payments as their most serious concern leaped from 2 to 14 percent in the same time period.

The Kauffman Foundation, which supports entrepreneurship, has been following nearly 5,000 businesses founded in 2004 for the study, which it updates yearly. More than half of the firms (51 percent) already have gone out of business in 2010, compared with 46 percent in 2009.

“Young firms are facing challenging financial conditions due to difficulty in receiving payments and limited access to credit to grow and thrive,” said Robert Litan, Kauffman’s vice president of research and policy, in a statement.

Credit Also an Issue

The study also found that 4 out of 10 business owners faltered trying to get credit in 2010, up from one out of three in 2008. Just 5 percent cited credit woes as their greatest concern, though.

“The cost to our economy of highly restricted credit from banks and other debt providers is that young businesses are prevented from adequately investing in their companies to fund growth and create jobs,” Litan said.

Nearly a quarter of the businesses studied (24 percent) said the unpredictability of business conditions was their greatest concern.

A Few Bright Spots

On the plus side, the latest iteration of the study found that nearly two-thirds of the surviving firms (from the original 4,928) introduced a product or service that was new to one of their markets in 2010. Some 14 percent said they had introduced an improved process in the production of their goods or the providing of services.

Other positive indicators: About 33 percent of firms had revenues greater than $100,000 by 2010, compared with just 21 percent in 2004. And 11 percent had revenues of more than $1 million. (About 20 percent still have sales of less than $5,000, though.)

According to the report, a "small but significant" chunk of the surviving firms also made investments in research, intellectual property, or future-year operations. More than 45 percent of firms made investments in intangible assets such as worker training or brand development in 2010, compared with just 12 percent of firms investing in research and development (R&D). Intangible asset spending averaged $17,000 in 2010, while average R&D spending was more than $63,000.

How does your experience compare with the study?

Image by OPEN Forum

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/sales-and-collection-are-still-the-biggest-small-biz-woes

From Frederick W. Smith, FedEx Chairman and CEO:

The United States—and much of the world economy—is in a backward slide that must be reversed. Without long-term solutions for economic growth, we will remain on a slippery slope that threatens job creation and the very businesses that fuel innovation.

I believe we must address the following three issues to reverse these trends and revitalize our economy:

1. Our reliance on imported petroleum
2. Overregulation
3. Business revitalization through tax reform, education and training

Without changes on all of these issues, the conditions for American businesses will continue to deteriorate. 

Increasing Energy Independence

Next year marks the 40th anniversary of the Arab Oil Embargo. Yet, we’re still pumping nearly $300 billion a year out of our domestic economy for imported energy sources. On top of that, we spend more than $70 billion annually on military protection of petroleum supply lines. 

We all understand how high energy costs erode the bottom line of our most dynamic businesses. In fact, the oil embargo came just six months after FedEx flew its first packages. It almost killed the business before it got off the ground. How many more threats to our supply do we need before committing to true energy independence? 

FedEx is reducing our own dependence on foreign oil through more energy-efficient aircraft and building our fleet of all-electric and hybrid-electric trucks. We’re also working closely with U.S. manufacturers to drive down their unit cost so small businesses, like your local pizzeria, can afford them too. And we support continued research and development of biofuels. They’re already technically viable in both vehicles and aircraft; now we need to make them cost-competitive.

Combating Overregulation

The next step to revitalize America’s economy is combating overregulation. Often, regulations grow out of abuses, real or perceived. But some regulations are so complex or outdated that innocent bystanders, especially small- and medium-sized businesses, get hurt. 

Study after study quantifies the cost and productivity losses from overregulation. It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that some of the fastest-growing sectors of the American economy are the newest and least regulated ones, like the the technology industry. Could that be, at least in part, because there hasn’t been time to write too many regulations for them?

Reducing unnecessary regulations is a huge task. Left alone, however, overregulation will only get worse. The cost will be paid in slower economic growth for businesses of all sizes.

Revitalize business

Last, we need to revitalize business—large and small—here at home. The first step is reducing the corporate tax rate, currently the highest in the industrialized world. Lowering the tax rate will increase incentives for companies to invest and create jobs while also freeing up valuable resources for research and development, expansion and capital expenditures. 

Creating jobs is meaningless if we don’t have qualified workers to fill them. At FedEx, we’ve worked with local community colleges to train aviation technicians and technology specialists. We need more of the practical education and skill development offered in America’s community colleges and training institutions. Without it, our fellow Americans will be woefully unprepared to take on well-paying, high-demand jobs.

Implementing New Ideas

America is the global heartland of new ideas–it always has been and still is. To implement the new ideas we need now, it’s time to follow the advice of one of the greatest Americans, General George C. Marshall, who said, “Don't fight the problem, decide it.” Let’s tell our leaders to get back to the business of leading this country, making the hard decisions, not just the popular ones. Let’s stop debating and make some decisions to renew America’s economy.

How can you help? Here are some tips from the FedEx Small Business Team:

Small businesses play a huge role in the U.S. economy—representing 99.7 percent of all employer firms—which means you can make a big difference in reversing this backslide and revitalizing our economy. These resources and ideas can help you get started: 

1. Increase energy independence. Consider creating or buying clean energy or purchasing alternative-fuel vehicles; the U.S. Department of Energy provides good info on those options for small businesses. If you don’t know where to start, the U.S. Small Business Administration site’s Energy Efficiency section offers a variety of resources, including the tool, “Assess Your Savings Potential.” With a little research and planning, you could increase your energy efficiency and reduce your expenses. 

2. Combat overregulation. Projects such as the National Federation of Independent Business’s Small Businesses for Sensible Regulation make it easier to get educated, get involved and share your story. You can make your voice heard and influence change.

3. Revitalize business. Perhaps you have a facility that could serve your local community or technical college’s field-training needs. Or you could consult on their curriculum, helping ensure it meets your requirements. Even these small steps can help narrow the current skill gap.

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/revitalizing-americas-economy

From Katie Morell:

Justin Strharsky moved to Perth, Australia, with the perfect business idea. He would build risk-management applications for small-to-midsize mining, oil, gas and construction businesses in the country’s western region.

His new business, Synaptor, is just six months old but it's already going strong, thanks to the country’s booming energy and mining industry.

“In the next few years, mining, oil and gas will add 30,000 new workers to Australia. It is huge over here right now,” says Strharsky, who came from Oakland, Calif.

A lot of Americans are looking to relocate to Australia, and many of them to start businesses, says Lauren Levin, a Georgia native and owner of Levin Immigration Law. She attributes the interest to the growing strength of China.

“A lot of companies want to use Australia as a gateway to Asia Pacific and expats would rather live in Australia where they can speak the language than in places like Shanghai,” says Levin. Her legal practice has offices in Atlanta and Sydney, Australia.

The continent’s stable economy is also attractive. Charles Blunt, chief executive of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, says the country hasn’t seen a downturn in more than 20 years. That means the population has grown and there is a shortage of labor, which is especially evident over the past five years.

Business Opportunities

Entrepreneurship is a popular path for Australians, but Dr. Greg Chapman, a native of Australia, says the population does not have Americans’ preference for risk. However, things are changing.

“About 50 percent of employment in the private sector is through small businesses, which accounts for around 30 percent of our GDP,” Chapman notes. “It is only getting higher.” Chapman is founder of Empower Business Solutions, a business advisory firm in Melbourne and creator of The Australian Small Business Blog.

Strharsky says there is opportunity for entrepreneurs to move to the west side of the country, where most of the energy and mining activity takes place, and start business that support workers. A miners’ schedule is a few weeks on, then a few weeks off, so workers are looking for places to spend their money during holiday periods.

“Employees in Western Australia and Queensland have a lot of disposable income and are very interested in luxury goods," says Strharsky. "If you can offer something in that market, you’d do very well out here.”

Businesses that support the in-person retail market are also in high demand. Big-box Australian retailers have yet to compete with online outlets.

Chapman says retailers are in desperate need of people who can give advice on how to put products online. If a foreign-born entrepreneur “could approach major retailers with a solution of how to get customers back, you’d have a lot of people listening to you," says Chapman. "The retail business in Australia has become prehistoric.”

If you're not in the energy, luxury or retail market, fear not. Chapman recommends that interested entrepreneurs travel on holiday to the land down under to find gaps in the marketplace.

“Back in the '80s, I was living in the U.S. and businesses offered pizza delivery,” he remembers. “That service didn’t exist in Australia at the time, but about two years later, someone brought it here and made a lot of money.”

Customer service companies represent one gap that needs filling. Chapman says Australian companies do not excel at customer service.

Workers in trade specializations, such as plumbing, electric wiring, heating and cooling are also in demand. Blunt recently had to wait six weeks for a lawn-care company to quote a tree-trimming job at his home. There was simply too much work and not enough people to do it.

Logistics

According to these experts, the Australian government wants to increase its population and immigrating isn’t all that difficult.

Here’s the catch: The Australian immigration system is designed to respond to the current labor and market conditions.

“That means that the government has a skills-shortage list, a list of jobs they need more people for,” explains Levin. “If your profession is on that list, you will have the opportunity to relocate quickly.”

First, book a flight for a holiday trip. Levin suggests setting up meetings beforehand with local trade associations such as the Australian Trade Commission, a government-run organization that helps people set up shop.

Levin recommends calling a solicitor (Australia’s term for lawyer) who is also a "migration agent." This is an expert in the regulatory environment for specific professions.

“Make sure the person is registered as an Australian migration agent," Levin says. "Some people are not who they claim to be.” If you don’t have any contacts, try looking through the Migration Agents Registration Authority to find someone who is certified.

Once on the ground, Strharsky recommends touching base with your state or territory’s small-business development corporation. Another great resource to connect with is Commercialization Australia, a government initiative to help entrepreneurs get businesses up and running.

The Australian government wants a few things in place before it will grant a temporary visa (called a provisional visa). According to Chapman, officials want to know how much money an entrepreneur is coming into the country with and how available they are to start a business.

The government also want to see a business plan.

“The government will use your business plan to monitor your progress over a period of time to see that you are contributing to the economy,” Chapman says. “When they see that you are operating a legitimate business, you can apply for permanent residency.” The provisional visa expires in three to four years, depending on an entrepreneur’s skill set.

Cultural Differences

Compared with other parts of the world, American entrepreneurs won’t experience vast cultural differences when setting up shop in Australia.

One of the biggest contrasts, Blunt says, is in “nuances of language.” These differences can be slight, but make a big impact, especially in marketing materials.

“I’d highly recommend running your marketing materials past an Australian communications firm before publishing them or you might embarrass yourself,” Blunt says.

Another difference is in the way businesspeople converse with each other. Chapman says the U.S. operates in what he calls, “a ‘have a nice day’ culture, where relationships are casual and fleeting.”

Australians are much more laid back and in-person communication is held in high regard. He recommends scheduling lunch and dinner meetings more frequently than in the U.S., and making sure not to rely on e-mail communications alone for the lifecycle of a business relationship.

Why You Should Take the Plunge

Not convinced you should start a business in Australia? Levin recommends going for a visit.

“Once you see it, you will fall in love with it,” she says. “The quality of life, the people, the strong economy, the skilled workforce for potential employees—you just can’t ask for more than that.”

See recent OPEN Forum articles on doing business in Italy, Egypt, Mexico, China and Germany for comparison.

Image by OPEN Forum

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/innovation/article/americans-doing-business-in-australia

From Anita Campbell:

Have you ever worked at a big corporation? If so, you’re probably familiar with the infamous “suggestion box”—that anonymous place where employees are supposed to submit ideas that never get read (or, if they are read, are never acted on). Or perhaps you recall the cautionary tale of the poor sap who came up with an idea that saved the big company millions, only to be rewarded with nothing more than an acrylic plaque.

It’s easy to scoff about big businesses giving lip service to employee innovation, but unfortunately many small businesses aren’t much better at truly encouraging innovation among their employees. Sure, at the outset of an innovation initiative, you may be able to get your team excited, but if their ideas and efforts consistently go ignored, unused or unrewarded, that thrill is likely to fade pretty fast.

So how can you really inspire your employees to innovate on a consistent basis? Here are three simple steps:

1. Make innovation part of your employees’ official roles. Innovation is sparked when you get many people from different parts of the company involved. But the commitment to innovation is going to differ if some people are pulled in only occasionally for meetings while others are put in charge of sustained innovation efforts. If you truly want innovation to be part of “everyone’s job,” then add it to each job description and treat it with the same weight as you do the person’s other duties.

2. Consider innovation in employee reviews. Too often, employee reviews are based on the status quo. You check off boxes regarding how well employees fit in, punch the time clock and complete a certain number of tasks. While it’s important to measure these things, you also need to make innovation part of reviews. That means crediting employees not only for the ideas that pan out, but also for the volume of ideas, their willingness to try new things, how much they inspire others to innovate—the list goes on. Innovation is messy and can be hard to quantify, but it still needs to get considered in evaluations.

3. Tie innovation to pay or bonuses. There are many ways to reward employees whose ideas get implemented. These can range from time off with pay, to gift certificates, cash and profit-sharing plans. (Hint: Stay away from acrylic plaques.) The option you choose will be based on your business’s size and profitability, of course, as well as on the magnitude of the innovation. A game-changing idea that launches a whole new division or product line obviously deserves a bigger reward than a tweak to your order processing system that saves $10,000 annually. When employees see innovation by others directly rewarded in a worthwhile fashion, it inspires them to follow suit.

Your employees won’t take your company’s innovation efforts seriously unless you do. As the boss, making innovation part of job duties, reviews and compensation is the best way to show that you’re serious.

How do you encourage innovation among your employees?

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/innovation/article/how-to-boost-workplace-creativity

From Scott Gerber:

To explore the best ways to measure and increase employee engagement, I asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) to tell me what works for them.

YEC is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. It promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and underemployment.

Here are some YEC members' best tips for assessing and promoting superior employee engagement.

1. Incentivize

"We've had instances where an employee has come to us with an idea to help grow the business. Once it was enacted, and we saw tangible results from it, we found some way to reward the employee, whether it was a small bonus or something else of that nature. [Incentivizing] is more … for increasing employee engagement than measuring [it]. "
— Justin Beegel, founder of Infographic World

2. Ask

"Because it is entirely subjective, the only way you can assess whether employees are engaged is to ask them. Whether they answer 'yes' or 'no,' or the more likely answer of 'sometimes,' ask individual employees what engages them so that you can best do it moving forward."
— Alexia Vernon, communication and leadership author, speaker, coach and trainer for Alexia Vernon Empowerment

3. Survey

"Just like you measure website metrics and revenues, you can measure employee engagement. Create a survey with a few questions that can be easily scored on a scale of 1 to 5, and commit to regularly (consider quarterly), sending it around for completion. You should include an open field on the survey where employees can add their own ideas for improvement of the work environment."
— Doreen Bloch, CEO and founder of Poshly

4. Take Notes

"Are [employees] learning every step of the way? If your startup is growing, your employees should be growing. Actively engaged and dedicated workers are willing to learn every step of the way. Make sure you encourage growth to stimulate employee engagement."
— Brent Beshore, owner and CEO at AdVentures

5. Take It Seriously

"I solicit feedback from my team. When we are starting a new project, everyone is involved and is encouraged to give ideas. When we start using these ideas, and said employee gets to implement it, this creates a ton of buy-in."
— Justin Nowak, partner at Mobile Business Advisors

6. Hold Weekly One-on-Ones

"Meet with each of your employees once a week for 30 minutes. During this time, ask employees to raise concerns and provide feedback on their job satisfaction. Be honest and transparent in your answers. These conversations help employees feel engaged and empowered, and prevent team problems from sneaking up on you."
— Bhavin Parikh, co-founder of Magoosh

7. Look for Organic Ideas

"When was the last time your employee came to you with a solution you didn't request? Team members who problem-solve over the weekend, bring up new topics and are filled with passion for your business are the measurement. If solutions and ideas only come when scheduled, requested and assigned, then engagement is flat."
— Kelly Azevedo, founder of She's Got Systems

8. Throw a Party

"When you have an informal party within your business, see what kind of attitudes are revealed. The ones who are having fun are the ones who are engaged in your company activities. Sniff out the bad attitudes throughout the evening. Culture is everything in building a successful company."
—Nancy T. Nguyen, founder and Ms. Corporate America 2011 at Sweet T

9. Use WorkSimple

"WorkSimple is a platform focused on social goals, and can help capture employee results. [It can] help workers collaborate with one another through real-time notifications and updates. It’s also a great way to provide informal feedback to employees on a regular basis."
— Heather Huhman, founder and president at Come Recommended

10. Offer Opportunities to Quit

"No matter how engaging the work, there will always be team members who need a change. At the end of every project (or other big milestones), offer a way for your team members to quit. That might take the shape of moving to another project, switching teams or actually leaving the company. You can spot trouble fairly quickly—big waves need close examination."
— Thursday Bram, consultant at Hyper Modern Consulting

11. Create Office Competitions

"Sometimes, simply making performance public knowledge can be enough to motivate your employees. Take a metric like deals closed, products shipped or customers helped, and simply display it in a public place. The person with the best numbers at the end of the period gets a prize. Watch your employees go the extra mile to reach the top of that list and earn their gold star."
— Lucas Sommer, founder and CEO of Audimated

YEC gives entrepreneurs access to tools, mentorship and resources that support each stage of their business’s development and growth. Use these tips from YEC's best and brightest young entrepreneurs to put those tools to work on employee engagement for your company.

What's your best tip for measuring—and increasing—employee engagement?

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/article/engagement-the-key-to-good-employees

From Alexandra Levit:

Have you ever tried to drive in Los Angeles?

For those of us who have, changes to the notoriously frustrating transportation infrastructure have been a long time coming, but how do you enact change in a government entity that seems like the very definition of bureaucracy?

Gayla Kraetsch Hartsough and her firm, KH Consulting, recently worked with Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel to review the city’s transportation structures and recommend reforms. The ultimate goal was to reduce congestion by building highways, promoting alternative transportation, implementing traffic management technology and facilitating the use of bicycles.

Hartsough's team’s approach involved thousands of people and included interviewing more than 30 Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) staff and external stakeholders and surveying 919 LADOT employees to identify trouble spots and required changes. Incredibly, 80 LADOT employees actually helped develop the 26 plans for the city’s new transportation systems.

All types of businesses–small and large–can be bureaucratic, but is enacting change always an uphill battle you’re sure to lose? Not necessarily. With the right philosophy and actions, you can greatly increase your chances of success. Take these five steps to start.

Be Aware of the Challenges

Bureaucracies are predictable and accountable, but these traits also make them change-resistant. Leaders and employees in bureaucracies gravitate to this type of culture because that’s where they feel comfortable, and change is viewed as a threat to the stability of the status quo.

“Motivating people to change in a bureaucracy is sometimes met with failure because inside the organization, there is an attitude of ‘this regime will eventually change and I’ll just wait it out,’” Hartsough says.

Tap an Objective Third-Party

Bureaucratic environments are big on policies and procedures, and unfortunately, sometimes employees and even leaders forget to think for themselves. The question of why a rule is in place is met with “because we’ve always done it that way.” It may take a fresh perspective from the outside–for example, bringing in a consultant who specializes in this type of change with your type of organization–to encourage people to see that workable alternatives are possible.

Start at the Top

Most effective change management starts at the top and is driven downward by the CEO and other members of the executive team, who wholeheartedly believe that reforms are essential. According to Hartsough, it helps to ensure that change management teams are interdisciplinary and cross-functional as well as high-ranking.

Go Multi-Generational

In bureaucracies, the best change management teams represent what Hartsough terms a “diagonal slice of the organization.” They include senior executives who have a wealth of knowledge about what has been done in the past, what has worked and what to avoid. This group may also have naysayers, whose voices we must heed to keep things moving in the right direction.

“Additionally, newer employees will be willing to take on bold, audacious undertakings without fear of failure, and middle managers bring a realism to the initiative and balance out the senior naysayers and the eager new employees,” says Hartsough.

An effective multi-generational team will work within an environment that doesn’t intimidate and allows for ownership of the vision at all levels.

Don’t Expect an Overnight Miracle

Finally, expect the process of change within a bureaucracy to be slower than you might like. Create a phased implementation so that the organization can digest change a little at a time. Expect that you will still encounter some resistance, and combat it gradually through constant and clear communication at all levels.

How do you combat bureaucracy in your business?

Alexandra Levit is a former nationally syndicated business and workplace columnist for The Wall Street Journal and the author of Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can’t Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success. Money Magazine’s Online Career Expert of the Year, she regularly speaks at organizations and conferences on issues facing modern employees.

Illustration by Russell Christian

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/article/culture-beat-5-ways-to-enact-change-in-a-bureaucratic-culture

From Kim Bhasin:

The neighborhood butcher shop has been a part of American culture for over a hundred years, but with the rise of big grocery stores and massive supermarkets, the competitive market has never been tougher.

Justin Rosberg, co-founder of The Meat House, has set out to revive the neighborhood butcher. In the beginning, Rosberg and his business partner Jason Parent began looking at what options they had, and narrowed it down to a restaurant or retail store. They chose retail, because they figured the "opportunity to scale was certain," says Rosberg.

Now, The Meat House has 30 locations in 10 states with more than 300 employees. The company raked in $43 million in revenue in 2011, according to Rosberg.

How's he doing it when Walmart Supercenters and huge regional supermarkets are blanketing the country?

Involving the Local Community

The Meat House seeks to modernize the old local butcher and grocer experience, and to do that, it has to be actively involved in all the local communities that it's in.

As early as 20 weeks before a new store opens, Rosberg and his crew start talking to the key decision makers in the community—both businesses and charities.

"It's as simple as providing gifts at an auction, getting involved in breast cancer awareness, raising money for a new sports team or supporting an athletic event," Rosberg says. "It starts the dialogue and builds brand awareness."

Plus, The Meat House tries to source locally as much as it can. They have fresh seafood and can identify the caption and region of the boat the food came from. It's like an "ongoing, operational farmer's market," Rosberg says.

Differentiation Through Customer Service

The Meat House had to give people a reason to shy away from the big, cheap stores and come to its local shops. This made them focus heavily on providing an experience that's hard to find anywhere else.

"The foundational piece of our success is we view ourselves as a hospitality company," Rosberg says. "It's about treating every day like a grand opening."

Dedication to the Lifestyle

Rosberg worked at Bear Stearns in Boston for three years, but eventually decided to take a risk and leave the job to become an entrepreneur.

"I had a great experience at Bear, but I truly had the entrepreneurial bug," Rosberg says. "I wanted to get back to working with the public."

The Meat House has been successful so far, but it has taken an incredible amount of work, especially for the co-founders. But Rosberg has found ways to cope with the endless work hours.

"Think of [the business] as who you are," says Rosberg. "Then the lifestyle you lead will be immediately rewarding."

What's Next for The Meat House?

Rosberg has growth on his mind. After all, there's a near endless amount of small communities across the country.

"We're very much a fluid concept where we react to local areas," says Rosberg. "Any time you build it to last forever, your options are limitless for what you end up doing with it."

Photo credit: The Meat House

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/lifestyle/article/bringing-back-the-neighborhood-butcher

From Elaine Pofeldt:

Not so long ago, if you wanted to learn how to run your business better, the natural thing to do was to turn to an older, more experienced mentor. But during the past few years, that’s changed. The person who can teach you the most may be someone two years out of college who knows more about technology than you do or is an expert on building a lean startup.

My business partner, Elizabeth MacBride, and I have found this to be true at our own startup, the $200KFreelancer, a site to help independent professionals who need to make a good living. Whether we needed to select a blogging platform or figure out how to keep costs down, we invariably found that younger CEOs were great sources of ideas.

Here are a few lessons I’ve learned from twentysomething CEOs and the folks who know them well.

1. Entrepreneurship isn’t as risky as people make it sound. Yes, you’re taking a chance by starting a business, but there’s plenty of insecurity in the corporate world, too. And in some cases, there is less opportunity and financial payoff than their used to be. “Many young people are looking at their job prospects, not seeing what they like and saying, `You know what? Entrepreneurship looks a lot more attractive than it did five years ago,’” says Andrew Sherman, a partner at the law firm Jones Day, business instructor at the University of Maryland and author of Harvesting Intangible Assets.

2. Income isn’t the only thing that’s important. We’ve all got to find a way to pay the bills. But sometimes, being satisfied with less money for a while can open more possibilities in life.

Hanging out with young people who don’t yet feel the financial pressures—both real and self-imposed—that many mid-career professionals do may help you redefine your priorities and free you to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams. As Sherman puts it, if everyone prioritized income above all else, no one would be an entrepreneur. “Younger people will tend to look at things with a more balanced set of priorities than you and I have, when we have mortgage payments and kids’ tuitions,” Sherman says.You may not be able to skip the mortgage or tuition, but you may be able to scale back your vacation plans, skip that kitchen renovation or drive your car for another couple of years to free up money you need to grow your business.

3. Don’t get caught up in pricey corporate trappings. Just ask Andrew Schrage, 25, who co-founded Money Crashers Personal Finance site three years ago, after living the cushy life working at a hedge fund. “I bought used computer equipment and office furniture,” he recalls. “And to market the business, I utilized free options, such as social media. I set up accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and used them to reach as many potential readers as possible.” For videoconferencing, he initially paid for GoToMeeting but, finding his needs were sporadic, switched to Skype for free. As for networking, he opts for inexpensive options such as Meetups and LinkedIn.

4. Try information-based marketing. Building good relationships with bloggers in your industry can be a great way to spread the word about your small business, provided you offer them useful information, according to Poornima Vijayashanker, 29, author of the blog Femgineer and founder of Silicon Valley-based Bizeebee, a startup that helps entrepreneurs such as yoga studio owners grow their businesses. “We talk to a lot of yoga bloggers and generate content for them,” she says. “That content can be anything from an exclusive article to an infographic.”

She’s also found that teaming up with business coaches—whose numbers have proliferated in recent years—on programs such as webinars can help to introduce her business to a broader audience. For instance, her company partnered with one business coach on a series of webinars helping individual yoga instructors to improve their operations. “Having Bizeebee sponsor the event, host the event, and even pick the instructor shows that we care about our customers,” she says.

5. Quit babysitting your employees. Younger CEOs don’t insist that all of their employees show up to corporate headquarters, so their managers can keep a watchful eye on everyone. They are generally far more comfortable with a far flung workforce, often made up of contractors who work from home, and have no beef with using tools like Skype to stay in close touch. This helps them to build loyalty. “People don’t necessarily want to come into the office anymore if they know they can work remotely and still be effective,” says Vijayashanker, whose six-employee firm has a distributed work force—including one contractor in Russia.

Worried that your employees wouldn’t get anything done if you gave them this kind of freedom? “If you set up the projects in a way that people have to deliver things at a certain time and are always communicating with each other by Skype or online video, there’s not going to be a way they can mess around,” Vijayashanker says. Though her workers don’t come into a shared office, she still organizes weekly meetings, including one-on-ones, and in-person gatherings periodically. “Everything takes place online,” she says.

I’m all for that idea. Both my business partner Elizabeth and I have busy journalism careers and young children, and though we’ve worked together on many projects over the years and talk frequently—including a regular Friday morning call—it dawned on us recently that we’ve only met in person once. These days, it just doesn’t matter. We both get our work done every week, and $200KFreelancer is growing just fine.

Elaine Pofeldt is an independent journalist and editorial consultant who specializes in small business, entrepreneurship and careers. She is co-founder of $200KFreelancer, a community for freelance professionals, and Endhousearrest.com, for homeowners looking to sell.

Pictured: Money Crashers founders Andrew Schrage and Gyutae Park

Image courtesy Money Crashers

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/innovation/article/what-you-can-learn-from-a-young-ceo

From Courtney Rubin:

A Wisconsin bank employee lost her job after her employer discovered she'd shoplifted—40 years ago.

Wells Fargo last week fired Milwaukee resident Yolanda Quesada, 58, after she'd been working at the bank for five years. She had twice been arrested for shoplifting clothing from a department store as an 18-year-old fresh out of high school in 1972. (One of 12 children, she said she did it to have something to wear to her job at the time.) She received a $50 fine for the first offense; after the second, she was put on probation. She has not committed a crime since.

Speedy Pink Slip

"I just got the FBI report on Saturday in the mail,” Quesada, an award-winning customer service employee, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Monday, they said you're fired. They never let me say what happened, explain myself, nothing."

The bank has been performing background checks on existing employees since last year with the help of fingerprints employees are required to give them.

Wells Fargo spokesman Jim Hines explained that company policy forbids continuing the employment of anyone with a criminal record. The bank points to Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, with which it must comply, saying that it cannot have employees convicted of any criminal offense involving dishonesty, a breach of trust or money laundering, even if they entered into pretrial diversion of the case.

The Reasoning

Hines told a Journal-Sentinel columnist that however harsh that sounds, "laws and regulations related to the employment of bank employees are designed to protect the interests of all consumers who put their trust in financial service companies." The bank also could be fined up to $1 million per day for not complying the rules.

The company also recently fired other employees for similarly old offenses. One 31-year-old woman was fired from the claims department after nearly three years with the company. Her offense? As a 17-year-old, she was with another girl who shoplifted from Kohl's, although she didn't take anything herself. (According to the Journal-Sentinel, records note the case against her was dismissed and that the charges "were not proven and have no legal effect.")

One way for the bank to avoid firing people for old cases or minor offenses would be to apply to the FDIC for a waiver. Employees also can ask for a waiver, but Radtke told the newspaper it can take 9 to 12 months to get a decision. Among the things considered are the nature of the offense, the offender's age at the time and evidence of rehabilitation since then.

Not Going Quietly

Meanwhile, Quesada has not lost hope she will get her job back.

“I think I should get it back because it's something I did 40 years ago. I paid for it. I've changed my life,” she told local TV stations. She also points out that she worked in customer service and never handled cash.

She's hired a lawyer, who wrote to Quesada's former employer asking that she be given her job back—or at least given severance pay.

"I'm waiting to hear back. We're prepared to fight if we have to," lawyer Sandra Radtke told the newspaper.

Would you fire someone after learning of a minor or nonviolent past offense?

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/would-you-fire-someone-over-a-past-crime

From Katie Morell:

Walk around the office of Dixon Schwabl in Victor, New York, and you'll see countless paper notes tacked inside the employees' cubicles. Each handwritten piece of paper from founder Lauren Dixon complimenting them on specific ways they have done a good job are a point of pride for the employees.

“The biggest complaint most employees have is that they don’t feel valued,” Dixon says. “I write these notes every Friday and it really keeps motivation high in the office.”

Employee motivation is a major focus for Dixon, whose integrated marketing company has more than 80 employees.

After she launched her firm in 1987, she quickly implemented a few cultural policies that keep office spirit high. She keeps the door to her office open, holds ice cream Thursdays on the office’s back patio and gets people together for bring-your-own-lunch Wednesdays. A functional spiral slide connects the office floors, adding to the fun office atmosphere.

To gather some employee motivation tips for small-business owners, I talked with Dixon and Ann Rhoades, co-founder of JetBlue Airways. Rhoades is the author of Built on Values: Creating an Enviable Culture That Outperforms the Competition.

Focus on Hiring

Dixon recommends only hiring people who exhibit a high level of self-motivation during the interview process. Zeroing in on those individuals right off the bat helps save training time later, she says.

Looking for a second secretary? Involve the current secretary in the hiring process, Rhoades suggests. Without you even asking, the veteran employee will take on a training role.

Do Little Things

After a recent internal survey on employee satisfaction, Dixon was shocked to learn that her employees were less excited by profit-sharing opportunities than the weekly ice cream breaks—by a 78 percent margin.

“Not everyone is motivated by money,” she says. “Doing things that don't cost a lot of money, that add to the overall atmosphere of the office, really matter to employees.”

Pay for Performance

Forget yearly pay increases. Rhoades suggests rewarding people according to their performance. Employees want to know that they did a good job, even if the pay increase is incremental, she says. Paying for performance will give staffers something to strive for.

Share Numbers

Do you share your sales goals with employees? This kind of information is vital for increased employee motivation, Rhoades says. She recommends explaining the four or five indicators that are important to the store's success on the first day.

“Trust me, they will be so engaged,” she says.

But what if your employees are part of the millennial generation? The stereotype of employees in their late teens or early to mid-20s is that they have lackluster motivation. Rhoades maintains that employees at all levels appreciate responsibility and that young people stay motivated, as long as you convey a goal.

Involve Employees in Major Decisions

If you are trying to decide whether to cut bonuses or healthcare premiums, call a company meeting and vote on it, Rhoades suggests. Not only will employees appreciate having a say in the process, they will most likely be more agreeable with the final decision.

Communicate

Rhoades knows small-business owners are busy, so she recommends setting calendar slots for talking with employees. Dixon does this by scheduling breakfast or lunch with a different employee up to three times a week.

Don't Kill Motivation

Regular feedback is crucial to high levels of employee motivation. The earlier and more honest, the better, Rhoades says.

Another tip: Don’t use fear as a motivator.

“If you are always telling employees that we are in bad economic times and you aren’t sure if the company is going to make it unless they reach certain numbers," says Rhoades, "that won’t motivate anyone.”

How do you motivate your employees?

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/article/a-guide-to-motivating-employees

From DAVID LAVINSKY:

If you’re raising funds for your business, you have to convince investors to give you their time and money. First, you have to get meetings with investors. You're asking them to give you one of their most precious resources: their time. Second, you have to get the investor to give you another resource: money. To accomplish both, you have to present to them in just the right way.

Here are five tips to ensure that your presentation gets the response—and the funding—you want. If you watch ABC’s Shark Tank, you’ll see successful contestants using each of these techniques. To raise capital at any stage of your business, you have to be creative, just as you do when you're seeking growth funding.

1. Pitch a Strike

Within the first 30 seconds, investors need to understand precisely what your business does and why it’s a good opportunity for them. If they don't get it, they’ll lose interest or they'll interrupt you with adversarial questions. If they like what you’re saying, they’ll let you keep talking.

2. Use PowerPoint to Bolster

Your PowerPoint or slide presentation is a visual aid, not a teleprompter. Look investors in the eye to learn what about your venture is resonating with them. Are they nodding or grimacing? Your slide presentation should make your physical and verbal presentation stronger, not detract or compete with it.

Most of the contestants on Shark Tank have physical products and they make a show of rolling them out before the panel. If you have tangible products, make them the centerpiece of your presentation. Let investors touch and feel them so they understand and appreciate what your business does.

3. Tell Stories

Facts don’t inspire, but stories do. Even the most analytical investor will be partly influenced by stories. Tell stories that explain how you launched your venture or first conceived of your product or service. They can inspire investors and give them positive insight into you and your thinking.

4. Make a Connection

Investors give money to people, not ideas. An investor will only give you money if they trust and like you. That’s why it’s no surprise that successful Shark Tank contestants often start by making the judges laugh or smile. Develop trust by being genuine, building rapport, identifying commonalities (maybe you both grew up in the same town) and most of all—showing your passion for your venture.

5. Prove That 'They Will Come'

In the movie, Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s character hears voices telling him to build a baseball field: "If you build it, they will come." Every investor has to be convinced that if you make the product, establish the service and create the distribution network you envision, customers will beat a path to your door.

It's critical that your presentation prove that they will. You have to detail the marketing tactics you'll use. Bolster your pitch with evidence, such as established customer sales or purchase orders. The more concrete your evidence is, the better you'll make your case.

Investors are savvy individuals. You have to win them. They must be sold on your idea before they'll write that coveted check. Provide the right showmanship and substance to influence them and make them believe that your company is worth the risk.

OPEN Cardmember Dave Lavinsky is the president and co-founder of Growthink. The company helps business owners develop business plans, raise funding and prepare their businesses for sale.

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/article/how-to-pitch-investors-so-they-bite

From Donna Fenn:

It’s easy to think of Stitch Fix as a door-to-door personal shopping service–another startup hopping on the bandwagon to offer consumers curated and personalized experiences. But co-founder Katrina Lake has more ambitious aspirations.

“We're building a deep data algorithm,” Lake says, who has a long-standing interest in the intersection of technology and retail. “It’s like Pandora on the back end.” So is this a software company, or an online fashion retailer? It’s both, actually.

Style at Your Doorstep

Members of Stitch Fix, currently in beta, create an online account and then answer a slew of questions designed to tease out their preferences in style, color, fabric and price. The company, which partners with more than 100 brands, then mails customers five clothing and accessory items that are carefully chosen by stylists according to those preferences.

“It’s a real-life recommendation engine,” says Lake. “The algorithm prevents you from getting something you hate.” Stitch Fix isn’t subscription-based, so customers opt in to each shipment and pay a $20 “styling fee” each time. However, the fee is applied to the cost of any items the customer chooses to purchase; the rest is sent back to Stitch Fix and shipping is free both ways. “The vast majority of our customers keep at least one thing,” says Lake. The company now has approximately 1,000 customers, all acquired through referrals.

Laying the Groundwork

Lake, who worked for the fashion website Polyvore, informally incubated her idea for Stitch Fix (which was previously called Rack Habit) when she was at the Harvard Business School. In Cambridge, she teamed up with Erin Flynn, the wife of a college friend and a former J. Crew buyer.  As it turned out, Flynn had also been thinking about a personal shopping venture, so the two decided to join forces and began strategizing in the fall of 2010.

Lake says she raised money and started operations in April, graduated in May and moved into an office space in San Francisco. At Polyvore, she had noticed a large number of smaller fashion brands that she had never heard of. “I was someone who subscribed to every magazine and my sister was a buyer in New York, so I thought if I’d never heard of these brands, then they must have a very hard time reaching people.”

Moving Up

And so Stitch Fix’s mission is two-fold: to curate great fashion finds for customers, and to give emerging brands the kind of exposure to consumers that are tough to reach in a highly competitive fashion marketplace. “Providing these brands with a voice is a big part of our vision,” says Lake. It’s Flynn’s job, as chief merchant, to hunt down those brands. Lake notes that Stitch Fix carried designer Charlie Jade’s first collection; the brand is now sold at Nordstrom.

The company recently raised a round of capital from a top-tier venture firm, which allowed Lake and Flynn to move their 11 employees out of the tiny office into a much larger space, which can actually accommodate desks (Lake would typically sit on the floor with her computer).

But the majority of that money, she says, is being used  for hiring. For instance, the partners just signed on a top e-commerce executive from a major global retailer, whose name they will announce in June. The staffing push, plus advice from pedigreed investors and advisors such as Eric Colson, VP of data analytics and engineering at Netflix, will help Stitch Fix scale considerably, says Lake.

"In less than a year, we’ve grown the business to over $1 million in annualized revenue,” she says. 

Image by OPEN Forum

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/innovation/article/startup-of-the-week-stitch-fix

From Carla Young:

Starting a small business can be psychotherapy meets MBA. It is challenging on practically every front, including having to make tough decisions and have tough interactions. Reprimanding an employee, getting very specific about money and dealing with setbacks will all be part of your existence as a small businessperson.

Looking back at my own entrepreneurial career, I know the challenges I struggled with in the early days would amount to a minor blip in my day now. I learned the hard way how to enforce my boundaries, demand clients pay me what I’m worth (instead of trying to negotiate a better deal) and navigate the countless icky conversations you encounter as an entrepreneur. Here is my list of lessons and advice about what you'll need to do to survive and thrive in small business.

1. Feel comfortable talking about money. Obviously, the topic of money comes up a lot. You need to be able to talk frankly about money with your advisors, potential clients and most important, with the people who owe you money.

2. How to say “No” and mean it. Often we get ourselves in trouble when we say “Yes” or "Maybe" when we really want to say “No.” Good boundaries make good business and saying “No” is how you maintain those boundaries.

3. Take (and filter) criticism. Everyone has an opinion, and sometimes criticism is helpful. You need to be able to not take feedback personally and learn from it. Other times it’s not helpful, and that’s when you need to filter it and forget it.

4. Talk angry customers down from the crazy tree. Stuff happens, and that often leads to angry customers. This is why all entrepreneurs should take lessons in diplomacy, because an angry customer is an opportunity to turn a tirade into a positive interaction if you handle it right.

5. How to sell anything. When it comes right down to it, business is all about selling. Whether you are selling an idea to investors, a product to your customers or a vision to your employees and shareholders, you are selling. Learn how to do it and do it well.

6. Swallow your pride and ask for help. Chances are you will need to reach out to your network for help. This is a tough one for many entrepreneurs who feel as if they have to do everything themselves. Don't be shy about asking for what you need.

7. Speak on camera, on stage or on cue. Public speaking is one of the most dreaded phobias, but for an entrepreneur, it’s one of the most valuable assets. From networking meetings to television interviews, you need to be able to present your business with style and ease.

8. Manage your most valuable resource: your time. As your business grows, you time shrinks. You need to master time management and learn how to control and protect your time.

9. How to make the really tough decisions. It all comes back to you as the business leader and that means making the really hard decisions whether that’s firing an employee or closing down an entire division of the business. You need to be able step back and make the decisions that are best for the long-term sustainability of the business.

10. Learn new skills quickly. The business environment changes fast, which means your entrepreneurial skill set must change with equal speed. Even if you don’t plan on doing it yourself, you need to master it enough to manage it. Trust me, blindly outsourcing what you barely understand leads to more problems down the road!

What skills have you found essential when dealing with uncomfortable or difficult situations in business? 

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/lifestyle/article/10-lessons-every-entrepreneur-must-learn

From Tom Rieger:

Recently, an associate of mine received a call from someone at a company he used to work for. The caller asked him to recommend someone at the company to go to for information about a particular type of product. Apparently, the caller thought talking to someone who used to work there was better than talking to someone who actually does work there. This indicates a badly broken communication and knowledge management network.

The Flow of Information

Business flows at the speed of information. When information flows smoothly up, down and across an organization, decision makers are equipped with the facts they need to not only make the right call, but to make sure the message permeates the entire organization in a consistent, clear and cogent way.

Every organization has its formal communication channels, whether it be intranet sites, e-mail distribution lists, etc. But the truth is that the real communication that happens within an organization is typically through informal networks, including person-to-person talks, meetings or even instant messsaging. These networks can be valuable, but they also turn into rumor mills.

Creating an Effective Information Network

Maximizing the effectiveness of information flow throughout an organization can’t be effectively done by just adding one question on an employee engagement survey and talking about it in workgroups. A more progressive approach is to map and then analyze the actual communication network. By going through a communication mapping process, several specific barriers will become clear. Here are some examples of the different types of communication hurdles that can exist at a company:

• The fire hose. Information that flows only one way, without any clear mechanisms for upward feedback

• The cohesive fortresses. Self-contained groups that have great communication among themselves, but very poor or distorted communication with others (a rich breeding ground for parochialism)

• Data misers. Chokepoints where information flow stops, becomes distorted, or gets filtered before disseminating further, if it disseminates at all

• Outcasts. Individuals or groups within an organization that have no effective means of receiving critical information, or disseminating information to others

• Obstacle courses. Situations in which there are too many middlemen and intermediate steps that need to be taken before communication can occur effectively between two individuals or groups

These are only a few examples of the wealth of information that can be gleaned by mapping and diagnosing information flow. Once an organization is equipped with this level of detail, corrective action can then be taken to strengthen the communication network, remove barriers, and foster greater knowledge sharing, communication and organizational effectiveness.

What communication barriers exist at your company and how to do you work to overcome them?

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/article/breaking-through-communication-barriers

From Jennifer Gregory:

With the current marketing focus on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, small-business owners may overlook an advertising tool they have at hand: their car. Instead of concentrating on how mobile marketing can reach people on their smartphones, imagine how to reach the people who see your car or truck each day.

Having your business information on your car tells acquaintances what you do for a living without you having to bring it up. The next time they need a caterer, a realtor or a home remodel, they may think to call you.

Lori Karpman, president and CEO of Lori Karpman & Associates, a brand-consulting and legal affairs firm, says that car decals are cheap and provide a much better return for your investment than most other forms of advertising.

“I love the use of decals," Karpman says, "because they keep the brand name out there for everyone to see no matter where you are.”

Simple vinyl lettering for the back of a vehicle runs about $25 and up, and magnets are about $40 for a 12-by-24–inch sign with basic information.

Think Outside the Box

Most people are familiar with the VW bugs with antennae used by pest-control companies, as well as the pink Mary Kay Cadillacs. Think about whether there is a catchy way to use your car to help create brand recognition.

If your business promotes renewable resources or green technology, a Smart Car with your logo on the side would drive home your message. Or, a truck painted in the local team's NFL colors might be a fit for a sports-apparel shop.

For example, Michael Satterfield, director of The Gentleman Racer blog for car and motorcycle enthusiasts uses unique cars to promote his business—an automotive-themed apparel company. He says that over the years, he has seen the trends go from simple decals to full car wraps.

Depending on your business, car wraps are another way to attract attention with your vehicle. Be sure that your car marketing is appropriate for your industry. You don't want it to come across as unprofessional to your potential customers. There's a fine line between catchy and over-the-top.

Keep It Simple

For many professions, a simple message and delivery is most appropriate. But simple doesn't have to be boring. Most people see your car only for a short time, so you want your car adornment to be a quick "read."

For example, if you run a music studio, musical notes are instantly recognizable to fellow drivers. Many business owners put a decal with the company's name, contact information and logo on the car. And be aware that bright colors are also eye-catching.

Once your car is spiffed up and ready to go, brainstorm the best way to get it seen by as many potential customers as possible. Have an employee or a friend drive your logo car on their long commute or socialize in the same circles as your customers.

If you business is geared toward younger people, put a magnet on your teenage son or daughter's car. Sure he or she will probably be mortified, but they can always remove the magnet for dates.

“The most important thing that I tell my clients is to park the vehicle at the end of the parking lot right next to the street, or in a place that it will be visible all day,” Karpman says. “While you are inside running your business, your decaled car is being seen by literally hundreds, if not thousands of people every day.”

Jennifer Gregory is a journalist with more than 17 years professional writing experience. She blogs for Contently.

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/marketing/article/old-school-mobile-marketing-with-your-car

From Aimee Groth:

Excellent teams don't just come together by accident. It takes a lot of hard work to create synergy.

This was a theme at the recent 99% conference on creativity in New York City, where innovative minds like Nest Founder Tony Fadell and Warby Parker CEO Neil Blumenthal spoke about how to come up with—and act upon—big ideas.

The conference was hosted by Behance Network, which is an online platform devoted to showcasing creative work. Founder Scott Belsky held a workshop on how to create effective teams, based on his book, Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming The Obstacles Between Vision & Reality.

Fret not if you didn't make the conference. Here are some highlights of Belsky's ideas:

1. Understand the lifecycle of ideas. When a new idea strikes, energy and excitement is extremely high. But when the hard work really begins, excitement drops. Belsky calls this the "Project Plateau."

"It's the doldrums of project management," Belsky says. "We hate that place so we try to escape it. There are more half-written novels than there are novels."

There's the gravitational force of operations—which pulls you away from what's important to what's urgent. The key is making time for both.

2. Accountability is key, and it begins with leadership. Effective teams hold each member accountable for their contributions. For this to happen, there must be a clear leader who knows each person's strengths.

Keep your team (and yourself) accountable by giving and requesting feedback. Part of accountability involves keeping people honest. "We often say we want feedback," says Belsky, "but we don't seek it."

3. Workflow needs to be forward-thinking, not just reactionary. If you simply respond to what's urgent, that's a reactionary way of thinking and working. It may get you through the day, but it doesn't lay the groundwork for long-term innovation. Belsky offers a formula:

Making ideas happen = creativity/ideas + organization and execution + communal forces + leadership capability

When it comes to organization and execution, since there's often an endless stream of reactionary workflow, there's a lost "forced space for deep thinking." Good leaders will create space for this by "creating windows of non-stimulation." During this time, leaders will read reports, data or whatever it may be, but not react to anything—only process it.

4. Organization will make or break ideas. "Spend energy on staying organized," says Belsky.

Belsky points out that Apple, the company with the best supply chain management, is also considered one of the world's most creative. "Organize with a bias to action," he says.

In order to stay organized, create an "action method," which includes action steps and backburner items (which are consistently revisited at a designated time each week).

5. Run effective meetings. Meetings can also make or break an organization. Long, ineffective discussions will waste precious time and energy—not to mention break up the workday.

Belsky suggests looking at companies like Google, which hold standing meetings. People only discuss what needs to be discussed, and everyone walks out with "actionable steps."

6. Surround yourself with progress, and plan for more. Effective teams surround themselves with testaments to progress, such as full calendars or checked-off to-do lists. "Progress begets progress," he says.

Successful people celebrate small wins every day and know how to prioritize projects. They also know how to divide up their time.

"Pretend you have an energy line," Belsky says, "which runs from low to extreme." Work on your toughest, most important assignments when you're at your peak energy level. Save the more monotonous work for when your energy levels are lower.

7. Know everyone's strengths and create a diverse team. There are three different types of workers, says Belsky: dreamers, doers and incrementalists. All bring valuable skills, but are exponentially more effective when working together. "You need people with an opposite or different tendency to round you out," he says.

There should also be a culture of open innovation. "Share ideas liberally," he says. "Entrepreneurs share ideas quickly and get them out there. They all say the benefits outweigh the costs (of someone potentially stealing their idea). They believe they'll get more refinement, more accountability and potential collaborators. They're willing to make that tradeoff."

8. Create a culture that encourages risk-taking . Too many companies don't allow for true innovation. They punish risk-takers who don't meet expectations. But to become a risk-taker—and truly innovate—is to also accept that there will be many failures along the way.

"So much of the latest research around innovation is rapid prototyping," says Belsky. "The third time you try, you’ve figured it out." Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

9. Stay passionate and focused. "Fight your way through breakthroughs," says Belsky. "Apathy screws over clients and customers. Fight apathy ruthlessly. And don’t become burdened by consensus ... Nothing extraordinary is ever achieved through ordinary means."

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/innovation/article/9-ways-to-create-an-innovation-culture

From Vivian Giang:

The only way to make it in this economy is to be great, because "it's the only thing that pays," according to Grant Cardone, sales expert and author of Sell or Be Sold: How to Get Your Way in Business and in Life.

"If you're not going to be great in sales, go get another career, because it's too hard to do if you're not going to succeed," Cardone adds. "Great salespeople are literally the engine of every economy in the world."

So how does one become great? How do you close the deal faster than anyone else? We recently caught up with Cardone, who shared with us 20 qualities that he thinks set great sales people apart from everyone else.

1. They don't think in terms of sales but rather in terms of building a business. Great sales people are building a business, not just trying to make a sale. When you think beyond a sale, you're going to get other people's attention much more easily. They're going to be more interested in what you have to say. You want something that's going to survive beyond one sale.

2. They build their businesses one customer at a time and then always leverage the last customer into more customers. Don't ever just make a sale and forget about that client. The last sale you make should always open the door to new relationships and clients.

3. They listen more than they speak, getting an understanding of the customer's needs and then finding a solution. Great sales people always ask their clients why they want something done. In listening more than talking, you can better accommodate what they are looking for.

4. They deliver more than they promise, and always promise a lot! There's an old sales mantra that says "under commit and over-deliver," but Cardone advises that you should "over commit and over-deliver."

5. They invest their time in those things that positively affect their income and avoid spending time on those things that have no return. Great producers know how to spend time on activity that rings the register. Don't waste your time on activity that can't tell you anything, or doesn't produce anything now or in the future.

6. They are always seeking new, better and faster ways to increase their sales efforts. Be really concerned about time. Great sales people consistently work on improving themselves and look for faster ways to close transactions.

7. They're willing to invest in networking, community and relationships, knowing that the difference between a contact and a contract is the "R" that stands for "Relationship." Invest in your community. Don't look at it as an expense since you need to develop these relationships. So, go ahead and join the country club and give money to politicians. In other words, be involved as much as you can.

8. They're fanatical about selling. The best salespeople are obsessed with their customers and growing their businesses.

9. They don't depend on marketplace economies for their outcomes and instead rely on their actions. If you're great, you're going to do well in any economy, because you create your own economy. You run your own race and make something happen despite the environment.

10. Surround themselves with overachievers and have little time for those who don't create opportunities. These people are sometimes viewed as being uninterested in others, but the truth is that they're just not interested in low production. They don't want to waste time with people who can't get anything done.

11. They never accept good enough as good enough. These people don't need anyone managing them. They push themselves.

12. They don't see failed sales attempts as failures but as investments in the process. If you don't close a business deal, don't think of it as a failed attempt. You should know that some attempts pay while others don't, but they're all investments in the business.

13. They never give up on unsold clients, knowing that someday those clients will buy. Remember that you're growing your business, so if you experience a failed attempt, think of it as an opportunity for the future.

14. They squeeze hours out of minutes and weeks out of days. Great sales people are like magicians with time. They don't manage time, they create it and they make it work.

15. They see problems as opportunities. When a problem comes along, see it as an opportunity. If you don't have any problems, it means you don't have any value.

16. They invest in their education, development and personal motivation, knowing that these are the tools of a sales professional. You need to continue to invest in your game, much like a professional ballplayer is always practicing.

17. They invest in their careers, their businesses and their customers. Again, this is all an investment. Invest in the facility and remember that all of this is like watering the lawn. If you take care of your career, business and customers, the money will eventually come.

18. They hold themselves to performance standards that are higher than even their management teams do. No manager can know your actual potential. Only you know your true potential so put yourself on a higher standard than others think you're worth.

19. They don't need others to hold them accountable. They hold themselves accountable, possessing leadership, motivation and purpose.

20. They are constantly in think, plan and prepare mode in order to continue to build their client base and keep their pipelines full. You can't ever have an "off" button.

What do you think makes an effective salesperson?

Photo credit: Thinkstock

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Details: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/marketing/article/the-20-traits-of-great-salespeople