Tuesday, December 23, 2014

11 Great Questions to Ask Your Employees

11 Great Questions to Ask Your Employees



Being a founder or CEO requires a lot of time, and you often can’t chat with youremployees as much as you’d like to. So how do you know if they’re happy and doing the best work they can?
To find out some direct, easy ways to learn this important information, we asked 11 founders the following question:

“I don’t check in with my employees often but would like to. What is one straight-to-the-point question to ask them when I do?”

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

The best days to buy plane tickets, kids' meals, groceries are....

The best days to buy plane tickets, kids’ meals, groceries are ...

Inside Tips for Finding the Biggest Deals.
Sharon Epperson
personal finance for CNBC
Source:
The Today Show on December 2, 2014

CNBC personal finance correspondent Sharon Epperson presents deals you can land on certain days of the week, explaining that you can find discounted kids’ meals in restaurants and plane tickets on Tuesdays.

Friday, November 21, 2014

TRAVEL APPS WORTH YOUR TIME - TOP 4 TRAVEL APPS

Tracy Humphrey and USA Today, news source7:28 a.m. EST November 20, 2014
http://www.11alive.com/story/tech/2014/11/20/holiday-travel-apps/19278171/ (VIDEO)

SAVE TIME AND MONEY – TOP 4 TRAVEL APPS


(WXIA) -- As the holiday season nears, our thoughts are instantly filled with chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Old Saint Nick -- and the dreaded trip to the airport to visit friends and family.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

How Does a Political Trend Affect a Small Business?

How Does a Political Trend Affect a Small Business?
by David Ingram, Demand Media 
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/political-trend-affect-small-business-64909.html















Political trends can have significant impact on small business finances.

Political trends can impact any level of society, whether individuals, families or organizations such as small businesses. Trends in policies set by government agencies and leaders can affect the legal framework within which small businesses operate, the market conditions that affect consumer behavior and the amount of assistance offered to small businesses by the government. Being aware of political trends at the national and local level is an essential part of planning and strategy development for your small business.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Why your small business should support a charity?

Why your small business should support a charity?

source: imavex

http://www.imavex.com/why-your-small-business-should-support-a-charity.blog#sthash.5Pvi1G7C.dpuf

  • CSS Winner Site of the Day
  • Inc. Magazine Fastest Growing Businesses
  • Techpoint MIRA Award
  • Most large corporations have programs for social responsibility and community involvement. This is a great idea for a small business too.

    What you will gain from supporting a charity or non-profit organization:

    • The opportunity to give back
    • Community support and good will – People are more apt to support businesses they feel are part of their world.
    • The opportunity to support causes you believe in – It is great if you can tie your business purpose to a particular charity but if you can’t simply pick a charity that you are passionate about.
    • Company morale – This can boost company morale by bringing employees together to support something that is separate from the office
    • Marketing and business strategy – This is a way for you to reach out and connect with community members on a different platform


    Wednesday, October 8, 2014

    A Superior Call Center : Life Expectancy Rate Climbs: Americans Are Living ...

    A Superior Call Center : Life Expectancy Rate Climbs: Americans Are Living ...: Life Expectancy Rate Climbs: Americans Are Living Longer Than Ever Before Huff Post - Healthy Living  | By MIKE STOBBE Posted:  ...

    Life Expectancy Rate Climbs: Americans Are Living Longer Than Ever Before

    Life Expectancy Rate Climbs: Americans Are Living Longer Than Ever Before

    Huff Post - Healthy Living

    Posted: NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are living longer than ever before, according to a new government report filled mostly with good news. U.S. life expectancy inched up again and death rates fell.

    Rates also dropped or held steady for nearly all the leading causes of death. The one exception: The suicide rate reached its highest point in 25 years. That figure has been increasing since 2000 and "it's really hard to say why," said Robert Anderson, who oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention branch that issued the report Wednesday.

    Thursday, September 18, 2014

    A Superior Call Center : iPhone 6 and 6 Plus review: bigger and better, but...

    A Superior Call Center : iPhone 6 and 6 Plus review: bigger and better, but...: iPhone 6 and 6 Plus review: bigger and better, but with stiffer competition http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/iphone-6-and-6-plus-review/ ...

    iPhone 6 and 6 Plus review: bigger and better, but with stiffer competition

    iPhone 6 and 6 Plus review: bigger and better, but with stiffer competition
    http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/iphone-6-and-6-plus-review/by  | @phonewisdom | September 16th 2014 


    To say that Apple's doing things differently would be an understatement. With the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, the company introduced two new high-end phones at the same time, both with a complete redesign and a much larger screen size than any iPhone that came before. Gone are the days of 3.5-inch and 4-inch phones that, at one time, seemed to provide more than ample amounts of screen space. Now, the new iPhones make their predecessors look like the tiny handset Ben Stiller used inZoolander. The market has changed, and it was high time Apple did the same.

    Monday, August 18, 2014

    Tips for Growing Your Small Business


    Richard Branson's Tips for Growing Your Small Business

    ENTREPRENEUR

    RICHARD BRANSON
    CONTRIBUTOR - Author and Founder of Virgin Group
    Read the entire article:
    http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224252



    Over the years we've started many Virgin businesses out of frustration at the way things were done in established sectors. Whether it was airlines, mobile telephones or financial services, we've stood out by focusing on ways to improve people's lives through better service, innovation and value.
    Sometimes a small detail, such as more transparent pricing or a friendlier staff, gave us our edge. Our humor and tone also helped attract and keep customers. I try to keep bureaucracy to a minimum and remind my teams that business, as well as life, should be fun.

    Tuesday, August 5, 2014

    8 Ecommerce Mistakes that are Costing You Sales

    8 Ecommerce Mistakes that are Costing You Sales
    Posted: Updated:  Co-Founder and CEO, Magicdust

    Converting visitors to buyers is one of the most important components of a successful ecommerce business because increasing this conversion rate has a direct effect on sales revenue. The following are the 8 most common ecommerce mistakes that relate to sales conversion and by successfully addressing each of them you should see a direct increase in revenue.Number:
    8. A Lack of Customer Service Options

    You should provide multiple ways for your customers to get help. Offering multiple communication methods such as phone, email and live chat increases the accessibility of your brand and increases customer trust. Quick responses from customer support also boost the likelihood of a visitor completing a purchase.

    Tuesday, July 29, 2014

    If you can run for 5 minutes a day, you may add years to your life, new study shows


    If you can run for 5 minutes a day, you may add years to your life


    http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-five-minutes-running-per-day-extends-life-20140728-story.html

    July 28, 2014

    People who jogged or ran for as little as five minutes a day reduced their risk of premature death by nearly one-third and extended their lives by about three years, according to a new study.

    Tuesday, July 8, 2014

    5 Powerful Questions That Differentiate Your Small Business From the Competition

    5 Powerful Questions That Differentiate Your Small Business From the Competition

    Posted: Updated: 

    Kim Pisolkar 
    Business Growth Strategist
    The Blog
    Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributors
    A challenge faced by many small business owners -- especially those who provide professional services -- is that they provide the same services as their competition.
    If this is true for your business, you may wonder how you can possibly get ahead when hundreds of other businesses are offering the same exact services as you do, at similar (or lower) price points.
    The good news is, you can compete. In fact, you can make it so that you have minimal competition, because you're the leader in your field.
    And this is possible through differentiation.

    Thursday, June 26, 2014

    Monday, June 2, 2014

    America's Best Cities for Summer Travel

    America's Best Cities for Summer Travel
    Travel + Leisure readers rank the best cities around the U.S. for a summer getaway.
    From June 2011 By Katrina Brown Hunt
    A lot of people like Chicago, but some onlylove it one season of the year.
    “I’ve had a lot of clients in Chicago,” says Miami public relations exec Julie Fogel, “and I dread going there in the brutally cold fall or winter months.” But summer? “It’s my favorite place to visit,” she says. “The weather, the people, the ambience—it’s absolutely phenomenal. The city comes alive.”

    Wednesday, May 21, 2014

    This Bride And Groom Took Their Wedding Kiss To The Next Level

    This Bride And Groom Took Their Wedding Kiss To The Next Level

    Posted: Updated: 
    Alexis Tyler and Tomy Szczypiorski decided to seal their wedding vows with more than just a kiss when they tied the knot in Highgate Springs, Vt. this weekend.

    Tuesday, May 13, 2014

    Five Roads Less Traveled In the USA

    Five Roads Less Traveled In The USA

    Posted: 

    Tuesday, April 29, 2014

    This Swimmer Noticed A Shark Was Following Him; The Dolphins Noticed, Too
    The Huffington Post  | by  Emily Thomas
    Posted: 04/26/2014 11:12 am EDT Updated: 04/29/2014 12:59 pm EDT

    A group of dolphins apparently came to the aid of a British long-distance swimmer just in the nick of time.

    Thursday, April 17, 2014

    What's Trending: Mobile Mail

    What’s Trending: Mobile Mail
    By Matt Kersey Published in December 2013 issue.

    There are currently three different platforms (or clients) that can be used to access email: webmail, desktop and mobile. I’ll explain each of them briefly.

    Tuesday, April 8, 2014

    How to Answer the Phone Properly, Phone Answering Tips to Win Business

    How to Answer the Phone Properly
    Phone Answering Tips to Win Business
    http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/management/qt/telephonetips.htm

    Phone answering skills are critical for businesses. The phone is still most business's primary point of contact with customers. And the way you answer your company's phone will form your customer's first impression of your business. Here's how to answer the phone properly and win business:

    Monday, March 31, 2014

    Take These Two Steps To Rival Nordstrom's Customer Service Experience

    Take These Two Steps To Rival Nordstrom's Customer Service Experience
    When I hear people discuss Nordstrom — our Seattle-based fashion retailer renowned for customer service — one speaker or the other tends to bring up the idea that Nordstrom’s employee handbook is only a single line long, as follows: “Use your best judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules.”

    So, let’s start there: Is this actually the entire Nordstrom employee handbook?  Nah. (In spite of what you’ve heard, and in spite of the ill-sourced Wikipedia entry on the subject.)

    Wednesday, March 19, 2014

    The Secret Magic Behind Netflix Customer Service


     The Secret Magic Behind Netflix Customer Service

    Posted: 10/31/2013 7:34 am EDT  |  Updated: 10/31/2013 8:58 am EDT

    Pretending to be a fictional character or offering dating advice would probably get you reprimanded -- or possibly fired -- from the customer service department of most companies.

    At Netflix, taking on the persona of a Star Trek captain during a live chat with a customer gets you on national TV, a trip to Netflix headquarters in California, your very own captain's shirt and an iPad mini.

    Monday, March 17, 2014

    St. Patrick's Day Fun Facts, March 17, 2014

    St. Patrick’s Day fun facts
    Chicago River (CNN/WLS)

    By (U.S. CENSUS BUREAU)Updated: Monday, March 17, 2014, 10:06 amPublished: Monday, March 17, 2014, 8:30 am

    AUSTIN (U.S. CENSUS BUREAU) — Originally a religious holiday to honor St. Patrick, who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a celebration for all things Irish.
    The world’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade happened on March 17, 1762, in New York City, featuring Irish soldiers serving in the English military.
    This parade became an annual event, with President Truman attending in 1948.

    Monday, March 10, 2014

    How to Properly Use the "Hashtag'

    How to Properly Use the 'Hashtag'

    One day, four nerdy dudes got together and decided they were really sick of not being able to creep on randoms' Facebook statuses that they weren't friends with. Therefore, they decided to create a site where people could post statuses and only statuses that anyone and everyone could view. That site was called Twitter. And today, it has changed lives forever.

    Monday, March 3, 2014

    Trending 2014: Meet the Woman Who Iced and Served Cake to Strangers During NYC Subway Ride

    Trending Now

    Meet the Woman Who Iced and Served Cake to Strangers During NYC Subway Ride

    Trending Now
    Bettina Banayan just wants to bring New Yorkers closer together, figuratively. It’s almost impossible in the literal sense. So the culinary school student decided to hop on the subway, ice a cake, and serve it to strangers.