tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89339831618046748212024-02-08T01:22:18.483-05:00A Superior Call Center 24.7.365 Answering Service & Call Center
~ Encouraging others by sharing our Customer Service knowledge and experiences. Visit our website www.asuperiorcallcenter.com for more information on our services. Call 800.344.6470stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-28708326225688703192016-03-02T13:40:00.005-05:002016-03-02T13:40:47.102-05:00How to Conduct Effective Meetings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">I came across this article in a publication that was sent to me. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"> I think it's a great read and want to share it! Enjoy.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGr1JcOqyFaKqYTyNIt16ovtQCvCpDCBU2CNNVoonFrs1t4vVADGP-F_U4B3P6gk_Yz48W8OkzwwYFPBgwnan-njsm_C6WfubrQLPeXumhXbu9xzEjcOBrCaEZbsT6l7_-n_c4IqXCT8/s1600/image+for+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGr1JcOqyFaKqYTyNIt16ovtQCvCpDCBU2CNNVoonFrs1t4vVADGP-F_U4B3P6gk_Yz48W8OkzwwYFPBgwnan-njsm_C6WfubrQLPeXumhXbu9xzEjcOBrCaEZbsT6l7_-n_c4IqXCT8/s320/image+for+blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://switchandshift.com/9-ways-to-make-sure-you-have-effective-meetings" target="_blank">9 Ways to make sure you have effective meetings</a> - click here for article</div>
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<br />Shelly Masseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00442743795878799904noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-10467907158694700382016-01-07T11:52:00.000-05:002016-01-07T12:00:02.718-05:0040 years and counting!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMYVM76t9uT5PUwIzrej9cMIvLQMTY4Ug5x7jS9dDSZX6M9H5SBxRVQ3tNYS_gTaxuWdTMenOWrtjqNyaC_HQj3tdN__gySisa2mxFGePQdwVUBZpJeZSoMpnyCH-9g2NufPJKUNu86o/s1600/FB+40+year+banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMYVM76t9uT5PUwIzrej9cMIvLQMTY4Ug5x7jS9dDSZX6M9H5SBxRVQ3tNYS_gTaxuWdTMenOWrtjqNyaC_HQj3tdN__gySisa2mxFGePQdwVUBZpJeZSoMpnyCH-9g2NufPJKUNu86o/s400/FB+40+year+banner.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 2.4; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dreams do come true! While working evening shift for a telephone company in Atlanta, Sandra Black dreamed of offering answering service in her local hometown. She knew an answering service would assure businesses they wouldn't miss important calls, but she also knew she could provide them a low cost alternative to hiring a secretary. She partnered with Jacque Waters, who offered secretarial/typing services to the same customer base. Before today’s luxury of home computers & printers, there was a demand for typing services! Thus, A Superior Answering & Secretarial Service, Inc. was born. Sandra and Jacque took personal interest in in helping their clients grow their business and save money. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 1976, Sandra answered her first call at A Superior in Conyers GA. She had 4 clients. She started with individual phones for each client. Soon, she had so many phones the telephone man added a blinking light so she would know which one was ringing! Due to the fast growth, we purchased 4 switchboards. At the early days, our hours were 8am to 6pm. In 1979, we meet our clients needs by offering services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Jacque soon started her own business, and Sandra continued her answering service in that Conyers office. The early 1980’s brought about telecommunication changes that allowed her to offer answering service to all of Metro Atlanta and not just her local area. We were still handwriting messages and contacting customers by Digital pagers. By the late 1980’s computerized systems were a must have. Sandra knew the importance of keeping up with the newest technology, so we installed a computerized answering system. As computer technology took over, things changed quickly. Alphanumeric pagers took replaced most of the digital pagers and soon email would become the new way to communicate. The 1990’s would introduce cell phones and the 2000’s would bring text messaging. Technology moves fast and our clients would now have their caller’s information immediately.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2009, we made a location move. We upgraded our communications systems and moved to a larger location in Madison GA. Sandra’s daughters, Shelly & Tammy, began working full time managing the business. Sandra retired, but still remains an integral part of business decisions.So here we are today, we’ve handled millions of calls since that November day in 1976 and we have helped thousands of businesses grow and serve their customers. We now service the entire US, not just Metro Atlanta. And, our goal continues to be to save our clients money and help grow their business. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sandra’s dream became a wonderful reality and flourished into a thriving family business that we are proud to be</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a part of today, 40 years later!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original office in Conyers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Switchboards</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgPOVLvpRKqG1J-lrKWpCkUHASQtIXoPw_SPgHGnUpN_6O6p3lda_FZ7IQXPrPm3AJzfcVH9jpUKBtiSYRePa8RYkwFuo63oBLRDAvmbdU_HQ78AahJtGBWnGFEv5J62qm2tP9ekKqE0/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgPOVLvpRKqG1J-lrKWpCkUHASQtIXoPw_SPgHGnUpN_6O6p3lda_FZ7IQXPrPm3AJzfcVH9jpUKBtiSYRePa8RYkwFuo63oBLRDAvmbdU_HQ78AahJtGBWnGFEv5J62qm2tP9ekKqE0/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upgrade to "the wheel"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBov-jzMQcxyRZhVlgOZTZmN2d5oS16T7BKqgDiQGaDftqkEUzAASssLrQdd3mSPWmEbs5WdnV0CLXhuUSK0rdbNI7XM7_Ethq5OIbcRNJzCvWig0_FdGRIr6XpOJDYRSe0ffu9gvQpk4/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBov-jzMQcxyRZhVlgOZTZmN2d5oS16T7BKqgDiQGaDftqkEUzAASssLrQdd3mSPWmEbs5WdnV0CLXhuUSK0rdbNI7XM7_Ethq5OIbcRNJzCvWig0_FdGRIr6XpOJDYRSe0ffu9gvQpk4/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandra at her desk</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEm5iid1XrHxV8DfMatNHoCbndDuFK9F_KzS3AU0kVvkiUOpDl3ogVkOmeqroELWxF_FzxgKRCqqsU4Y8U2RTsErdxcYmVFgHugZRSKsJaVuaFSWb_oSbdOpiNxI-KuDLATArGXv1Bsd8/s1600/IMG_5859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEm5iid1XrHxV8DfMatNHoCbndDuFK9F_KzS3AU0kVvkiUOpDl3ogVkOmeqroELWxF_FzxgKRCqqsU4Y8U2RTsErdxcYmVFgHugZRSKsJaVuaFSWb_oSbdOpiNxI-KuDLATArGXv1Bsd8/s320/IMG_5859.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Madison office being built</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st day "live" in new office</td></tr>
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Shelly Masseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00442743795878799904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-847562156662032352016-01-01T15:09:00.000-05:002015-12-28T15:09:52.765-05:00Small Business Resolutions for 2016<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Small Business Resolutions for 2016</span></b></h2>
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As I was doing some reading this week, I found an article from Huffington Post for New Years' Resolutions for Small Businesses. I found their suggestions to be very helpful. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nerdwallet/small-business-2016-new-y_b_8863878.html" target="_blank">Click Here</a> to read the article.</h4>
Shelly Masseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00442743795878799904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-14848263956747237822015-12-22T15:56:00.000-05:002015-12-22T16:06:51.527-05:00Shuffle It Forward<div class="MsoNormal">
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Today I purchased a Kids Meal from Chick-fil-A. I was happy to find an Awesome “toy” in the
bag. It’s a deck of cards that’s titled <b>SHUFFLE IT FORWARD</b>. Each card gives you an idea of something you
can do for someone to “brighten their day”.
Designed as a challenge for our kids (or adults) to be conscious and
courteous to others. What an important
lesson for us all. As we are in the
holiday season, this is a great time to start Shuffling it Forward! Below
are the challenges included in my deck of cards.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Enjoy and Shuffle It Forward. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Ask one person you know, “Can I help you with
anything?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Say, “It’s my pleasure” when someone thanks you
for something.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Thank someone just for being awesome.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Make an encouraging sign and post it to someones bedroom door, car window or anywhere they’ll see it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Tell one person why you love them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Look for one person you know who’s having a down
day and try to make them smile.<o:p></o:p></div>
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7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Smile at someone you know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Write a note to a friend about why you like
them. Drop the note in the mail.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Clean up one mess you didn’t make.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Thank someone who always helps you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Whatever you are doing, let others go ahead of
you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Give someone you love a high-five.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Make one new friend.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Start a conversation by asking, “Are you having
a great day?”<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Open the door for someone.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Write a poem for your parent and give it to them
as a gift.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Make a handmade gift for someone.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Make up a song about how great one of your
friends is and sing it to them.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Give one thing you own to someone who needs it
more than you!<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.niftyacres.com/surprise-it-forward/" target="_blank">Click here</a> for more of Chick-Fil-A kids
meal toys in this series!</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Shelly Masseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00442743795878799904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-51307723539530471542015-12-14T15:14:00.001-05:002015-12-14T15:14:18.713-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMvxtHjtE9db0UMUu4suX-3o5X62tTbdGpFwkQ_-UrNNT907Kf35ES4hj64UmWAfgFUBf1I48xB2OH5cMPsJOvQV6p7pW_CjYmEkYvc4vM5mUhRr8f_LW4p0nnolgkPrjM7Bu-pP1-jk/s1600/fb+cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMvxtHjtE9db0UMUu4suX-3o5X62tTbdGpFwkQ_-UrNNT907Kf35ES4hj64UmWAfgFUBf1I48xB2OH5cMPsJOvQV6p7pW_CjYmEkYvc4vM5mUhRr8f_LW4p0nnolgkPrjM7Bu-pP1-jk/s400/fb+cover.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
As the holiday season approaches, we would like to wish a Merry Christmas to everyone! The holidays bring about many different feelings. We're hoping you will take this time to slow down and enjoy all the GREAT things in your life! Don't let the stress of decorating, shopping & wrapping gifts take away your JOY.<br />
Love, <br />
Your A Superior FamilyShelly Masseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00442743795878799904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-79483938526074908332015-10-14T15:08:00.002-04:002015-10-14T15:14:23.104-04:00How Answering Service can assist your Heating & Air business<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 24px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;">HVAC & Plumbing calls </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 24px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">need immediate attention!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-1919bec2-67b7-5e74-cea4-a7c9c3473746" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #3e4042; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Superior knows the importance of receiving calls for the Heating & Cooling and Plumbing Industry. Your callers want to reach someone day and night when their systems aren't operating properly. Sending your calls to our 24/7/365 call center is the perfect way to meet your customers’ needs. We will handle your calls according to your instructions.</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #3e4042; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: -176px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #3e4042; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All of our agents work in our call center located in Georgia. We do not outsource our services.</span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #3e4042; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: -176px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #3e4042; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are here to handle your requests 24/7/365. </span><span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;">All agents have completed our intensive in-house training programming, with an emphasis on the HVAC/Plumbing Industry. </span><span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;">We handle your calls and messages according to your specifications.</span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our agents follow your instructions to relay your calls. We take the steps you require... dispatching calls in emergency situation or holding routine calls for the next business day. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;">Technology allows us a variety of ways to reach you.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Text Messaging</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your Tech would get a text message on their cell phone </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your Tech can reply to the message without having to call into the service</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once we receive the confirmation, we cancel any further dispatch, so the Tech is not contacted again</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If the tech does not confirm the message, our agents can take steps to contact them directly via cell phone, home phone, etc. or proceed down a list of other contacts.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;">Email dispatch</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;">Similar to text messaging, we can send the message via email and technicians can respond to confirm they have received the message. If we don't receive a response within a specified time period, we can follow up with a phone call and proceed with appropriate protocol.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On Call Scheduling via Web Portal</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are in control of your on call schedule 24/7/365</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No more faxing or emailing your schedules </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Login to our web portal using your secure login/password</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Enter your On-Call Schedule and change them when needed. All changes are automatically updated in our system</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-top: 0.1pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Need More?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-top: 0.1pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Service Requests via Website</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let us help you make the most of your website. Add a "Service Request" form on your site. Have those forms email to us. We create a message and dispatch to the appropriate on call technician. It's that simple. Your customers will appreciate the ease of requesting service without having to make a phone call!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-top: 0.1pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Telephone Reminders</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We provide the technology to contact your clients and remind them of an appointment or the need to schedule their routine maintenance appointment.</span><span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;">Customized recordings available for any situations. Clients have the option to confirm, cancel, schedule or reschedule appointments. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unit Temperature Monitoring</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If units, devices or server rooms have the ability to send email notifications for water leaks or high/low temperature, we can receive those emails, get the necessary information and contact the appropriate technician to handle the situation ASAP. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-138f88bf-67ba-1067-83fb-32d26c668bb7"><span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="logo w number & web.jpg" height="103px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/2UDKE5Vm1cUDPnaZ58MWkctrebSH74KZKrhkv9qmfgs8-7lSVXjE4Zq-gbtMy3Tas0z3x8ksc4_DmkzQQoN-YcUmtKuL-WNcwKRrEdUwzj0qYBPi53P5pQADKxZOh7gME-zXVzs" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="235px;" /></span></span></div>
Shelly Masseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00442743795878799904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-67633121721048189602015-09-08T13:14:00.004-04:002015-09-08T13:30:47.100-04:00The Cost of a Missed Call <div class=" flex_vbox" data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$c1ur7.1.$hxs1z3om_0.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$8" id="hxs1z3om_0_SinglePostMediaTop_MediaPost__0_0__type_MediaPost" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; flex-direction: column; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.01em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 630px;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Cost of a Missed Call</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><i>September 1, 2015 - Tommy Cullum</i></span></div>
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<b>What do unanswered calls cost your business?</b><br />
Recent studies show 94% of new customers whose<br />
calls go unanswered choose to go with another <br />
company instead of leaving a message and waiting!<br />
Today’s consumers want an immediate response.<br />
<br />
So with all this information in hand why do so <br />
many company’s still neglect to answer the phone? <br />
The two most common answers to this are time and <br />
employee cost. Most small businesses do not have the means to staff for every possible <br />
time a call might come in. They have to run a “lean” business to maximize profit, but in <br />
turn sacrifice customer service! Many small businesses respond to this by developing <br />
self-service internet driven solutions.<br />
<br />
Even in today’s technologically advanced, text driven communication environment <br />
people still want to talk to a live person when making buying decisions. The internet <br />
makes it easy to communicate and do business online, but many customers will not <br />
feel at ease doing business with you until they talk to someone, and telephone calls <br />
still generate most of the revenue for small to mid-sized businesses. Loyal customers<br />
are becoming extinct because of the lack of satisfaction and trust in businesses today <br />
that is driven by the lack of attention to customer service and poor communication.<br />
<br />
So, how can a small business ensure calls are being answered and handled properly <br />
without breaking the bank for new staff? A properly trained call center is the ideal <br />
solution. The right call center for your business will offer agents that can be trained to <br />
act as an extension of your business. A call center will also allow your business to expand its<br />
operating hours to limit missed calls, increase sales, and improve customer satisfaction. <br />
They also limit your costs on personnel as the call center takes care of all <br />the employee responsibilities and costs giving you the ability to focus on your business!<br />
<br />
Be sure to do your research and find the proper call center for your business to ensure success. <br />
Spend time with the call center management team to make sure they know how to handle <br />
your calls appropriately and I am sure you will immediately see the value. Any company’s <br />
number one asset is their customers, and a properly used call center can show you value <br />
them and create the sticky customer your business is searching for!</div>
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stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-22007543178700135762015-06-08T21:20:00.000-04:002015-06-08T21:20:22.001-04:00Attorneys' Clients AND Their Issues Matter<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Attorneys' Clients AND Their Issues Matter...</span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Marketing budgets encourage you to spend your money on various forms of advertising, such as, Yellow Pages and other print media to get the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Customers Phone Call</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">. What are you spending to ensure that call is answered 24.7.365? </span></h2>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-53f5f399-d5e2-7cf0-b2e7-d1ee11797b77"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> ~ Attorneys ~</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6666666666667px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your Clients & Their Issues Matter</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7A2rYG9TacdnFHTofz9ehKElPnQ192fpaSK8OXwV8OFONhXfuzS9_YMwdF4SUb20kwYTeBQbv9EFEgSMFahTKph_apAFTxVi7jsBe3NBNUOOI1kycJBWI0VraM65ElFpN2hhsDcVK1WN/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7A2rYG9TacdnFHTofz9ehKElPnQ192fpaSK8OXwV8OFONhXfuzS9_YMwdF4SUb20kwYTeBQbv9EFEgSMFahTKph_apAFTxVi7jsBe3NBNUOOI1kycJBWI0VraM65ElFpN2hhsDcVK1WN/s200/6.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #3e4042; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.asuperiorcallcenter.com/" target="_blank">A Superior</a> knows the importance of client calls. You spend a lot of money on advertising and you shouldn't miss new client calls. Current clients also have urgent needs. Sending your calls to our 24/7/365 call center is the perfect way to make sure you can respond to these calls immediately. </span></div>
<br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="color: #3e4042; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All of our agents work in our call center located in Georgia. We do not outsource our services.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="color: #3e4042; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We handle your calls and messages according to your specifications.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-top: 0.1pt;">
<span style="background-color: #f4f6f5; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let us know the best way to send your messages to you. We can do it your way! Our most popular options for attorney’s are:</span></div>
<br /><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: #f4f6f5; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Text Messaging:</span></h3>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: #f4f6f5; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Receive text message on your cell phone with all message information.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: #f4f6f5; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can reply to the message without having to call us to let us know you received it.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: #f4f6f5; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once we receive the confirmation, we cancel any further dispatch, so you are not contacted again.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: #f4f6f5; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Email Dispatch:</span></h3>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: #f4f6f5; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 27px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We email your messages so you will have a copy on your phone or computer. You can print or save them for future reference. </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-top: 0.1pt;">
<span style="background-color: #f4f6f5; color: red; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 24px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Need More?</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: #f4f6f5; font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6666666666667px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Live Chat on Website</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: #f4f6f5; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Add a "live chat" button on your website. Our agents are available 24/7/365 to answer those chats. Much like a phone call, we can answer some of their questions and capture their contact information. We can take that information and relay to you, so you don't miss important business.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold'; font-size: 18.6666666666667px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Customized Reporting:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Customized reports are available. If you need documentation of your calls, we can make the information you need available via email or a download on our Web Portal.
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.asuperiorcallcenter.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Click Here</span></a><span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to visit our Website<a href="http://www.asuperiorcallcenter.com/" target="_blank"> www.asuperiorcallcenter.com</a> for Pricing & More information.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cutive; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
</span></div>
stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-55681657684308672172015-04-30T14:53:00.003-04:002015-04-30T14:53:54.331-04:00Email Monitoring & Processing<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 36.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #2f2f2f; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 31.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Email Monitoring &
Processing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 25.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.75pt; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="color: #2f2f2f; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 20.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Want a Convenient and
Easy Way to Automate Processing of Incoming Email Flow, Without Spending time
out of your day?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A Superior’s E-mail monitoring service can be
used by businesses of all sizes. Let us extract data from email messages,
convert message content, and text/email or call the proper contact 24 hours a
day, seven days a week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rather than having one person responsible for checking
each email manually, you forward the email to A Superior and we process each message,
freeing up your valuable time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt;">
<i><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When & Why might this feature be used?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Example - <u>Service/Maintenance Company</u>: Add a “Service Request” form on your website
for clients to submit service/maintenance requests. A Superior receives the email, extracts the
data and converts it to a message and dispatches the call to the on call
technician via your specific instructions.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Example – <u>Any business with a
computer/server room</u>: Install temperature alarms in computer server
rooms. Temperature alarm will send an
email if room becomes too hot, or too cold. A Superior receives the email,
extracts the data and contacts the appropriate person. Visit </span><a href="mailto:temperatur@lert.com"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">temperaturalert.com</span></a><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> for more information on this product. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Any website, device or alarm that can send an
email message can be monitored by us.
Many times one person can’t be responsible for monitoring emails 24/7,
especially in emergency situations. Let our agents, who in the office working
24.7.365, take responsibility for monitoring emails and making sure they are
relayed to the appropriate person. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif;">Chances are you are spending valuable hours maintaining your
business. Instead of this, you should be<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><em><span style="color: #719bb0; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif;">growing</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif;">your business. Let us help you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt;">
<b><i><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Contact us today for
more information! 770.922.3166 or </span></i></b><a href="mailto:sales@ascc365.com"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">sales@ascc365.com</span></i></b></a><b><i><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">*This
feature is available to add on to you existing answering service account for as
low as $9.95 per billing cycle*</span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-57231570217392604912015-04-10T12:15:00.001-04:002015-04-10T12:15:07.888-04:00Over 50% of millennials will leave a company because of bad customer service<div class="entry-content" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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A recent report has found that those over 50% of people born either in the 1980’s or 1990’s will cancel their subscriptions and contracts with companies due to bad customer service.</div>
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Rule one of customer relationship management: <span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">retain your current customers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">After all, it will cost 80% less to retain a current customer than to gain a new one. You would assume that companies would prioritise the level of customer service they are providing to their customers. With the revelation that the coming generation are more volatile than ever before, they might have to do just that.</span></div>
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The report also explained that 55% of millennials said that their expectations had increased over the previous 3 years, signifying the need for firms to up their customer service game.</div>
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With over 75% of respondents stating that customer services is a true test of how much a company values its customers, and with chopping and changing provider or supplier being made easier than ever before, combined with young people’s genuine willingness to get up and leave, it is essential that companies get their customer services in gear, for it will be this generation that companies will depend on in years to come.</div>
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<footer class="entry-meta" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Latest News Apr 10, 2015 from mplcontact.com</footer>stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-64261585813058152062015-03-11T18:02:00.002-04:002015-03-11T18:02:54.780-04:005 Reasons Why Live Chat is the Untapped Potential for Your Business<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">5
Reasons Why Live Chat is The Untapped Potential for Your Business</span></div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blog.kissmetrics.com/live-chat/" target="_blank">https://blog.kissmetrics.com/live-chat/</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The trouble with
online shopping is that many customers are disconnected from someone who can
answer their questions in real time with precision. Rather than watching
potential customers click away from their e-commerce sites, many businesses
have been adding live chat support. As it turns out, live chat has the ability
to provide the convenient answers that customers want, while also adding
significant benefits to the staff and bottom line of companies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In this post we’re
going to get into why live chat can improve your business and tips on how to
maximize its effectiveness.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtCclmpG28U1Sk4uLyqkssC2e4ScNkzVCjDkuFw6-ffZzQ5jd5M23JtCsV6S7CTunqiBTIulSqN7f6BnCXMOFssqRnQ2r3Ym0trF4UnlpbD0Y5ZbY2n4OymUHnlRl1KtTmMQkcmrW7Fkg/s1600/livechatpix.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtCclmpG28U1Sk4uLyqkssC2e4ScNkzVCjDkuFw6-ffZzQ5jd5M23JtCsV6S7CTunqiBTIulSqN7f6BnCXMOFssqRnQ2r3Ym0trF4UnlpbD0Y5ZbY2n4OymUHnlRl1KtTmMQkcmrW7Fkg/s1600/livechatpix.png" height="73" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1. Live Chat is
Convenient for Customers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A study called</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “Making Proactive Chat Work”</span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> that was conducted
by Forrester Research found the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Many online consumers want help from a live
person while they are shopping online; in fact, <b>44% of online consumers
say that having questions answered by a live person while in the middle of an
online purchase is one of the most important features a Web site can offer.</b>”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: #555555;">An online chat system
provides customers immediate access to help. </span>Wait times are often much less than a call center,
and customers can easily multi-task while waiting. Addit</span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ionally, the pain of
having to dial a 1-800 number and navigate through a maze of numeric options is
non-existent.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 21.6pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 21.6pt;">An </span><span style="color: black;">ATG Global Consumer Trend study<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 21.6pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 21.6pt;">found
that 90% of customers consider live chat helpful and </span><span style="color: black;">an
emarketer.com survey</span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 21.6pt;"> found that </span><b style="color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 21.6pt;">63% were more likely to
return to a website that offers live chat</b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 21.6pt;">. The report goes on to say:</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“62% reported being more likely to purchase
from the site again. A further <b>38% of respondents said they had made their
purchase due to the chat session itself</b>. All these attitudes were even more
prevalent among respondents who bought online at least weekly.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">2. Live Chat Cuts Down on
Expenses</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiZRiIUTz3Vyj5fvyz3FmTQ7G4KHBbo4eNJF1OYGhUzar9Ma6OfkkCRH26OwEL4X2XauAMFXiEuzeCJ-YR6GjczjFTUEJI8lZF1l4j4iZ6O3srIvW4tHa3E7kbbU5z3WFpW3eXoxfTYCy/s1600/livechat2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiZRiIUTz3Vyj5fvyz3FmTQ7G4KHBbo4eNJF1OYGhUzar9Ma6OfkkCRH26OwEL4X2XauAMFXiEuzeCJ-YR6GjczjFTUEJI8lZF1l4j4iZ6O3srIvW4tHa3E7kbbU5z3WFpW3eXoxfTYCy/s1600/livechat2.png" height="73" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: #555555;">Live chat software has
consistently demonstrated that it can </span><span style="color: black;">save on both employee task time and phone expenses.</span></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Some of the most notable cost savings are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Live chat reduces overall contact center costs
by lowering average interaction costs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Increases efficiency by allowing live chat
representatives to handle multiple chats simultaneously, thus reducing the need
to hire more representatives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />With employees
spending less time on the phone, they can multi-task during chat conversations
and cut the waiting queue to a fraction of its former size when compared to a
call center. Not only is this a process improvement but it increases the
chances of overall sales (which we’ll get into next!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3. Live Chat Increases
Sales<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRSzyVG5-A-Pa75qrhN-ukYTJZ3WDkBoG15qssquBW7-D9QK7ulj2URpWCcZ7XLjrZm_GyHSD4A7Wu4V1l4EfO_xrQnBd2GgE5xg4sBL-Xoa4KZFD91M6hU2JnHN8Wbv_ddak5lvapW7P/s1600/livechat3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRSzyVG5-A-Pa75qrhN-ukYTJZ3WDkBoG15qssquBW7-D9QK7ulj2URpWCcZ7XLjrZm_GyHSD4A7Wu4V1l4EfO_xrQnBd2GgE5xg4sBL-Xoa4KZFD91M6hU2JnHN8Wbv_ddak5lvapW7P/s1600/livechat3.png" height="73" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: #555555;">The general trend
among users in marketing forums and on blogs is that live chat on a website can
generally lead to improved sales numbers. Forbes magazine reported in </span>a recent study:<span style="color: #555555;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“In 2008, Wells Fargo made a second attempt to
leverage online chat to drive sales, and happily, this time the results have
been crystal clear. High customer satisfaction scores and a double-digit
increase in converted shoppers have shown the value once and for all of this
technology.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The key is that
customers have someone who can immediately walk them through a sale if they
become confused or have a question that can make or break a sale. This helps
eliminate bounces away from retail websites and ensure that full shopping carts
make it through check out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Website designer Cory
Miller of iThemes regularly uses</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Provide Support<span style="color: #555555;"> for his business, and </span>he has noticed increased opportunities for upselling
products.<span style="color: #555555;"> Once customers are engaged with an employee who can
understand their needs, the employee is in a perfect position to recommend
additional purchases that may be the perfect fit for that particular person.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4. Live Chat Gives You
An Edge of Your Competition<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgTra3zUqAmIHl-0LXqChmdlDLjX-rjK0h5hv0Ln84w-aXIrQ-C-niBYi83bvvr_2Kxk9lHR4ZvX8kW-XoB3TbNpnXcQKAN8bSpOA6BFcdrpUZ_ftZbQCmCyMAPM8y-O0TOachOl6NiKz/s1600/livechat6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgTra3zUqAmIHl-0LXqChmdlDLjX-rjK0h5hv0Ln84w-aXIrQ-C-niBYi83bvvr_2Kxk9lHR4ZvX8kW-XoB3TbNpnXcQKAN8bSpOA6BFcdrpUZ_ftZbQCmCyMAPM8y-O0TOachOl6NiKz/s1600/livechat6.png" height="73" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black;">A recent study by TELUS International</span><span style="color: #555555;"> found
that many top retail businesses are not offering chat. If you want to gain an
edge on the competition, live chat is a key feature that websites must have in
order to be competitive and to hopefully rise to the top. In fact, live chat
provides a simple way to connect with customers who spend a good deal of their
money online. </span><span style="color: black;">The report by E-Marketer </span><span style="color: #555555;">found:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Almost two in 10 live chat respondents did
more than 75% of their holiday shopping online, compared with 14% of those who
did not chat. A further 25% of chatters made 51% to 75% of their purchases on
the Web, versus just 10% of those who did not participate in the chat service.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you aren’t
convinced that live chat is for your business, check out</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> this study conducted by Bold Chat.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The cost
savings and convenience for both staff and customers makes live chat not only a
viable option for businesses today, but an essential tool for any company that
thrives on providing excellent customer service.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5. Live Chat Taps into
Customer Pain Points<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A customer’s
frustration or need that has yet to be filled is called a pain point, and
marketing teams mine social media and message boards for these pain points.
Marketers such as Markus Allen</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> turn these pain points into profit: </span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Armed
with these pain points, we can either write new content (for a blog or for an
article) or create benefits/advantages for our advertising.” In addition, pain
points can turn into sales opportunities with customers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Live chat provides
immediate access to customers’ pain points. When customers use live chat,
they’ll try to ensure that a product will perform as advertised or that a
promotion will provide the discount they want. In addition, as live chat
representatives talk to customers, they can find out ways to improve a
company’s products and services.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<b><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tips on Making Live
Chat go the Extra Mile for Your Business<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Live chat can
obviously increase your business potential, but only if it’s executed
correctly. Here are some important tips to ensure you make the most out of live
chat software:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Train
your team!</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Your live chat
representatives have to be extremely knowledgeable about your inventory and
website navigation. Provide cheat sheets and FAQs to improve their performance
and to make it easier for them to answer your customer’s questions quickly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 15.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Be
aware of your shopping hours</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. If you own an online soccer shop in California, there is a
chance that most of your visitors are international. Use analytics to determine
when most of your visitors are using your site. Don’t assume 9 to 5 chat hours
will work. If you have a problem sourcing local employees to cover off hours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 15.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Don’t
be too robotic</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. The whole point of
having live chat available is to provide warm, human help to a customer’s
shopping experience. Having robotic greetings or responses can kill the
effectiveness of live chat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 15.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Consider
hiring people with sales experience.</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> For the most effective use of live chat, consider using
inside sales people and not just customer service representatives. People who
have sales experience will more likely lead customers towards sales and
increase the possibility of upselling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 15.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Don’t
forget to boost your social</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
When your live chat representatives receive positive feedback from online
visitors and customers, consider instructing your representatives (or sales
people) to nicely remind your visitors to Like your Facebook page and leave a
comment on it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Be
prepared for surges in chat volume.</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Customers need to understand that they are in a queue and
a representative will be with them shortly, if not immediately.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 15.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Give
your customers helpful chat features.</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Customers will also need to be able to modify the font
size and to request a transcript of the chat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<b><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now It’s Your Turn</span></b></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Have you use live chat
on your website. </span></div>
stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-78259396330144226482015-02-18T10:54:00.003-05:002015-02-18T10:55:35.287-05:00CUSTOMER SERVICE IS OUR SPECIALTY<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Customer Service is our specialty.</i> We are always looking for tips to use
training our agents. We also like to
share those tips with others. Courtesy
of<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1178614821"></span> Business Training Works,<span id="goog_1178614822"></span></a> here are the Top 12 Customer Service Phrases we
would like to share with you. We train
our agents to use the phrases and you can pass this on to you staff as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
Top 12 Customer Service Phrases</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span>Good morning, Good afternoon<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->How may I help you?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Let me be sure that I understand<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->May I ask you a few questions?<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->It would be my pleasure</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->What I can do is…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I am sorry that happened.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Let me find out for you<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Let me find someone who can answer that for you<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Thank you<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->You’re welcome<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Please call again<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Visit Business Training works for the full article and more
Customer Service training ideas -<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.businesstrainingworks.com/training-resources/top-12-customer-service-phrases">http://www.businesstrainingworks.com/training-resources/top-12-customer-service-phrases</a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-3845308655993655822015-02-05T13:24:00.001-05:002015-02-05T13:24:09.993-05:00Why Should Your Small Business Has a Mobile Version of Your Website?<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e06666;">By Stephanie Dickson | February 5, 2015 | Small Business Information to Use</span><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="background: white; color: #6d6e71; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Assuming you have a website for your business and thinking in terms of that website being a virtual business card for your business. The question in 2015<i> (and maybe even in 2014)</i> is </span>Why Should You Have
A Mobile (App) Version of Your Business Website?</span></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #6d6e71; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><a name='more'></a></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background: white; color: #6d6e71; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;">This is a quote from: </span><span style="line-height: 107%;">WHY
HAVE A MOBILE VERSION OF YOUR WEBSITE?<br />JORDAN PARASO | BOP DESIGN, 2012:</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d6e71; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 25.6800003051758px;">“As the mobile web continues to grow and gain more popularity, the need for a mobile website will soon enough be as necessary as a regular website. I wouldn't be surprised if eventually, mobile websites will be the norm and regular non-mobile sites will be become the “other” viewing option”.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #6d6e71;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;"><br /><h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 25.6800003051758px;">I think we’re finding this prediction to be truer and truer even today in 2015.</span></h3>
</span></span></span></span></h2>
<h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; line-height: 25.6800003051758px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #6d6e71;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;">Take a look the A Superior Call Center mobile version of our website on your desk top <a href="http://m.asuperiorcallcenter.com./">m.asuperiorcallcenter.com.</a> Go ahead and navigate around our mobile view and see it as you were viewing from your smartphone.</span></span></span></span></div>
</h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #6d6e71;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="background: white; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #6d6e71;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This is a quote from:</span> </span></span></span><span style="background: white; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #666666;">MOBILE MARKETING STATISTICS 2015. </span></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 16.406665802002px;">DANY BOSOMWORTH | </span><span style="background: white; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #666666;">SMART INSIGHTS, </span></span></span><span style="background: white; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #666666;">JAN. 15, 2015:</span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d6e71; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; line-height: 15pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">"Well, we’re now past the mobile Tipping
Point as this</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">report</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">from
comScore <i>(below) </i>shows. So it’s no longer a case of asking whether mobile marketing
important,</span> we know it is!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> It’s now a question of using the statistics to
understand how consumers behave when using different types of mobile
device</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">s and what their preferences are".</span></span>
</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDqXDNAXj7geFJjPT-d88LWVBBVgMplazB0eVYvhNOWmZSY2xEPyb1BFoe1_YAo3NTZxhz8NkrQqDEpNRvce3Pq0955p8OtOWnTY_sZMpZqec7Jiq4HLSlrHXPnnNCq7zo1jyCKcingjG/s1600/Mobile-stats-vs-desktop-users-global-550x405_comscore.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDqXDNAXj7geFJjPT-d88LWVBBVgMplazB0eVYvhNOWmZSY2xEPyb1BFoe1_YAo3NTZxhz8NkrQqDEpNRvce3Pq0955p8OtOWnTY_sZMpZqec7Jiq4HLSlrHXPnnNCq7zo1jyCKcingjG/s1600/Mobile-stats-vs-desktop-users-global-550x405_comscore.png" height="293" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 14.9799995422363px; text-align: left;">Here is an info-graphic </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14.9799995422363px; text-align: start;">that will help show you how important it is to</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">cater to our customers and their needs.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFeavy7dnkd15gR0ABnzlzNOf74z4Bo-3Ul7o5lisxNzJMEE_DL0uepQ2FwwNox9TZSbzxPRvqGLnqfg0i1-D_SJjII2kilyHGmd530RZoKjlzQkhuPna49Lo2_TB2IW_fw_oMelkykXP/s1600/Mobile-Website-Infographic-e1417343227953.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFeavy7dnkd15gR0ABnzlzNOf74z4Bo-3Ul7o5lisxNzJMEE_DL0uepQ2FwwNox9TZSbzxPRvqGLnqfg0i1-D_SJjII2kilyHGmd530RZoKjlzQkhuPna49Lo2_TB2IW_fw_oMelkykXP/s1600/Mobile-Website-Infographic-e1417343227953.png" height="640" width="472" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14.9799995422363px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14.9799995422363px; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My guess is no one is coming to tell you that your business needs a mobile version of your website. Although, when customers have idle time and are surfing on their smartphones in say, <i>waiting areas across America,</i> they will quickly bounce off your non-mobile friendly website and move onto the next more mobile friendly website.</span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14.9799995422363px; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14.9799995422363px; text-align: start;">Don’t let that customer go to your competitor by not having the mobility they need to navigate on your website.</span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14.9799995422363px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So the answer to the question - Why? Is pretty simple. Don't lose your smartphone audience for something as simple as not having a mobile (easier to read) version of your website. I think the Yellow Pages says it best “LET
YOUR FINGERS DO THE WALKING”. Why not
have customers walk/surf on over to your business.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span>stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-34736862284622628042015-01-21T12:08:00.000-05:002015-01-21T12:09:17.310-05:006 Tech Trends That Will Help Small Biz in 2015<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 34.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.75pt; mso-outline-level: 1; vertical-align: top;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 34.5pt; letter-spacing: -.75pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">6 Tech Trends That Will Help Small Biz in 2015<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 16.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From smartwatches to
the Internet of Things, many consumer technologies that will be on display at
next week's Consumer Electronics Show can be useful tools for small business.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: middle;">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://www.inc.com/author/ross-rubin"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: middle;">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; padding: 0in; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><a href="http://www.inc.com/author/ross-rubin">BY ROSS RUBIN</a> For INC. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: middle;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; vertical-align: top;">
<i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Founder, Reticle Research</span></i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/rossrubin" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-size: 8.5pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">@</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">rossrubin</span></a> INC.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 16.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://www.inc.com/ross-rubin/6-tech-trends-that-will-help-small-biz-in-2015.html">http://www.inc.com/ross-rubin/6-tech-trends-that-will-help-small-biz-in-2015.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b> ......Article was written December 31, 2014)......</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Next
week, what will likely be over 150,000 attendees from around the world and all
corners of the consumer electronics world</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">, will gather in Las Vegas for the annual International
Consumer Electronics Show (CES). While many of the products shown there are
oriented toward entertainment, there are many crossover implications for small
business:</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">4K displays.</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">TVs are always a cornerstone of CES. 4K
TVs and monitors have four times the resolution of today's high-definition TVs.
As was once the case for high-definition TVs, 4K or "ultra
high-definition" TVs cost more than their lower resolution counterparts.
However, they can be helpful for meetings where the goal is to display a lot of
detail in a relatively small screen size as well as showing off details of finely
designed merchandise to prospects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Slimmer, longer-lasting
laptops.</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Once,
there was a big difference between laptops and tablets, but the line has gotten
blurrier. It will continue to do so as Microsoft pushes forward with Windows
10, which takes a smarter approach to 2-in-1 systems. The coming year should
include many designs based on Intel's Core M design, which offers greater power
efficiency in designs that don't need a fan.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Smartwatches.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Whether you prefer
them as<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #009cd8; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">intelligent
bangles</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>or part of a <span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #009cd8; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">smartwatch/camera set</span>,
smartwatches come in many<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #009cd8; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">different
varieties</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and can help
with a range of tasks from being reminded of an upcoming appointment to getting
directions to a new customer--all without accessing what has become the barrage
of noise and notifications of the modern smartphone that is more likely to be
relegated to a pocket or bag today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Panoramic cameras.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Those
who work in fields such as real estate, travel and insurance know the
importance of capturing an environment. Panoramic cameras such as those from<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://backerjack.com/360cam-lets-you-enjoy-video-in-the-round/" style="font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #009cd8; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Gyroptic</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>can capture a video or photo of
everything that is in a room or an outdoor area. These images can be posted on
Web sites to help potential renters or travelers have a more realistic idea of
what it will be like to actually be there.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Internet of Things.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The
term that has won favor for describing everyday objects imbued with
intelligence and connectivity will help business people in two ways. In their
personal lives, it will be able to provide intelligence about the health of
their homes, cars, loved ones and themselves. It will as enable some degree of
remote control and automation depending on certain conditions being met, i.e..,
the classic home automation scenario. For those whose businesses rely on
tracking assets, though, the IoT can be a game changer. For example, one can
keep tabs on usage of inventory, vehicles and other business property or simply<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #009cd8; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">share
meeting notes</span>.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Mobile Payments.</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">If
you're part of a business that collects mobile payments, you may know that
Square made it easy for people to accept payment from credit cards anywhere.
But now, the phone can be used to make payments as well as receive them. There
are many alternatives in the market, including Square, PayPal and WePay, but
clearly there's been even more attention on them with the introduction of Apple
Pay. Look for products such as the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #009cd8; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Poynt terminal</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to deal with payments any way
customers wish to make them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-3260484582221370582014-12-23T15:14:00.000-05:002014-12-23T15:14:06.656-05:0011 Great Questions to Ask Your Employees<h1 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: BebasNeueRegular, arial, Georgia, serif; font-size: 28px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
11 Great Questions to Ask Your Employees</h1>
<span class="byline" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #9ca4c6; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="article-date" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">Dec 18, 2014</span> <span class="article-author vcard" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">by <span class="fn nickname" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://smallbiztrends.com/author/the-young-entrepreneur-council" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #9ca4c6; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" title="Articles by The Young Entrepreneur Council">The Young Entrepreneur Council</a></span></span> <span class="article-author" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">In <a href="http://smallbiztrends.com/category/management" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #9ca4c6; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" title="View all articles in Management">Management</a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 1.5;">Being a founder or CEO requires a lot of time, and you often can’t chat with</span><span style="line-height: 1.5;"> </span><span class="il" style="border: 0px none; line-height: 1.5; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">your</span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">employees as much as you’d like to. So how do you know if they’re happy and doing the best work they can?</span></div>
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To find out some direct, easy ways to learn this important information, we asked 11 founders the following question:</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">“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?”</strong></h4>
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Here’s what YEC community members had to say:</div>
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1. What Can I Do for You?</h3>
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“If you have a good team, you’re really just there to support them. When you check in, see what you can do to help them speed up their workflow and produce better results. If you don’t have daily contact with employees it can be tough to know what’s keeping them from doing their best work.” ~ <a href="http://twitter.com/johnrood" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">John Rood</a>, <a href="http://nextsteptestprep.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Next Step Test Preparation</a></div>
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2. How Are You?</h3>
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“Everyone has a life outside of the office, and often what’s happening in employees’ lives can have a huge impact on their work. Stepping back and asking this very human question will allow you to understand where colleagues may be struggling or how you can help facilitate a solution. It also demonstrates that you care about<span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">your</span> team members as more than employees.” ~ <a href="http://twitter.com/sharamfm" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Sharam Fouladgar-Mercer</a>, <a href="http://www.airpr.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">AirPR</a></div>
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3. What’s the Coolest Thing You’re Working On?</h3>
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“This question is great because it’s informal enough to seem innocuous, but actually reveals a lot. If <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">your</span> employee just shrugs, you might have an issue. I find that passion (even if it’s misguided) is the number one indication of a good employee. By getting someone to open up about what excites them, you also get a better sense of their strengths and can learn how to manage them better.” ~ <a href="http://www.twitter.com/BrianHonigman" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Brian Honigman</a>, <a href="http://www.brianhonigman.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">BrianHonigman.com</a></div>
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4. What Is One Thing You Are Struggling With?</h3>
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“If <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">your</span> employees are being honest with you (and you are open to receiving their feedback) then each and every employee should be able to admit that they are wrestling with something. You want to unearth that something. Many times leaders and managers are afraid to go looking for what may <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">not</span> be working. Asking the question up front and working with the employee to seek a solution empowers the employee.” ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/@chrisjurin" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Christophor Jurin</a>, <a href="http://www.construct-ed.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Construct-Ed, Inc.</a></div>
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5. Can You Tell Me More About This Project?</h3>
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“Ask them a specific question about a project they’re working on. It shows that you care about the services they provide to the company, and that you’re reading all those emails you’re cc’ed on.” ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/cassiepetrey" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Cassie Petrey</a>, <a href="http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1176829/cassie-petrey-30-under-30" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Crowd Surf</a></div>
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6. What Has Motivated You Lately?</h3>
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“Their responses will surprise you. <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Your</span> employee may share what excites him about a current project or you may discover what motivates him externally, whether it’s being with family at home, enjoying a hobby or socializing with friends. Either way, you learn more about how to challenge and empower <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">your</span> team. As part of the process, you demonstrate you care about their personal success, too.” ~ <a href="http://www.twitter.com/firaskittaneh" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Firas Kittaneh</a>, <a href="http://www.amerisleep.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Amerisleep</a></div>
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7. Do You Have Everything You Need to Complete the Tasks?</h3>
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“Whether <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">your</span> employees are located in-house or you have hired virtually, it’s crucial that they have all the information, training and tools to work and deliver expected results. If any of these are missing, the daily work or even long-term goals can suffer the consequences. Make sure <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">your</span> employees have everything they need and know they can come to you to address any situation.” ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/aatanacio" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Alfredo Atanacio</a>, <a href="http://www.uassistme.co/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Uassist.ME</a></div>
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8. How Is What You Do Feeding <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Your</span> Passion?</h3>
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“I also ask what superhero they are. Without fulfilling an employees’ passion, <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">your</span>ability to extract the best from them is limited. The second question also provides you insight into their personality and is an unexpected one, which opens up doors to deeper conversations. To-the-point questions are important. However, taking time to really connect with <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">your</span> staff is far more powerful.” ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/MinaChang" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Mina Chang</a>, <a href="http://www.linkingtheworld.org/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Linking the World</a></div>
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9. What Are Your Three Goals For the Week?</h3>
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“Asking my team to name three weekly goals helps them focus on the bigger picture, accomplish more than their expected daily work and hold themselves accountable. If a goal sits on their list two weeks in a row, they have to ask themselves how important it is and focus on execution. Also, if there’s anything on the list that I can help with, I keep it on my radar during the week.” ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/shr4dha" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Shradha Agarwal</a>, <a href="http://www.contextmediainc.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">ContextMedia</a></div>
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10. What Can We Do Better?</h3>
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“While you may have the best understanding of <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">your</span> company from a macro-level, employees can serve as a great resource to improve the micro-level stuff. How to make clients happier, processes more expedient, etc. Talk to <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">your</span> employees as if they are the experts and you will be pleasantly surprised by their ideas.” ~ <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AJStillman" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Adam Stillman</a>, <a href="https://www.sparkreel.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">SparkReel</a></div>
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11. What Is Frustrating You Right Now?</h3>
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“Ask what’s frustrating them. Even if the employee is unwilling to take the risk and answer the question (and if you’re the boss, answering it honestly is a risk), they’ll appreciate that you cared enough to ask them how things are going. When someone answers you honestly, make it a point to celebrate them publicly — you will help shift <span class="il" style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">your</span> company’s culture for the better.” ~ <a href="https://www.twitter.com/cpxceo" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Mike Seiman</a>, <a href="http://www.cpxi.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">CPXi</a></div>
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<small style="border: 0px none; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><em style="border: 0px none; float: none; list-style: none; margin: 10px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-193691276/stock-photo-image-of-business-partners-discussing-documents-and-ideas-at-meeting.html" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px none; color: #6679b3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Employees</a> Photo via Shutterstock</em></small></div>
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for Finding the Biggest Deals.<br />
Sharon Epperson </span><em><span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">personal
finance</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">for<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><em><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">CNBC<br />
Source:<b> </b></span></em></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The Today
Show on December 2, 2014</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="background: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
Timing is everything! This is a real science.
Major retailers know when people get their paychecks and position items
in the stores accordingly. So which day is best to buy what?<br />
<br />
Here are some guidelines on when the experts say the best days to buy in the
following categories by day.<br />
<br />
Monday is the best to buy – Cars and Electronics, but pay attention to rebates
and discounts. Cars look when the rebates or bonus days are. The same is true for electronics.<br />
<br />
<i>Tuesday historically has been the best
day to buy Airline tickets <b>but that may
be changing</b></i>…more about that in a minutes. Tuesday is a great day to take your Kids to
Eat for Free, you can go to websites like <a href="http://www.kidseatforfree.com/">www.kidseatforfree.com</a>, put in your
zip code and figure out what’s available in your area.<br />
Plus Tuesday is a good day to buy Movie Tickets.<br />
<br />
Wednesday is a good day to buy groceries because that’s when you get those ads in the newspaper or see them on line on for groceries. Also, Jewelry some sites
that track on-line retailers like: <a href="http://www.shopittome.com/">www.shopittome.com</a>
say you can get a great discount on jewelry on that day.<br />
<br />
Thursday – Clothes (varies depending on the type of clothing you wear). And handbags up to 50% off on that day.<br />
<br />
Friday – Gasoline. <i>Now gas is down in
price in general right now</i>, but still Friday is a great day to fill up. The lowest prices are over a weekend.<br />
<br />
Saturday – Discounts at department stores. Department Stores bring down prices on
Saturday to bring you into a store because they are competing with your free
time.<br />
<br />
Sunday – Airline Tickets you can save somewhere between 10%-30% LESS depending
on weather it’s a domestic or international airline ticket.<o:p></o:p>stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-3284003593803284282014-11-21T08:23:00.001-05:002014-11-21T08:24:43.447-05:00TRAVEL APPS WORTH YOUR TIME - TOP 4 TRAVEL APPS<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.8pt;">
<span class="asset-metabar-author"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Tracy Humphrey and USA Today, news source</span></b></span><span class="asset-metabar-time"><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="display: inline-block;">7:28
a.m. EST November 20, 2014</span><br />
</span></i></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.11alive.com/story/tech/2014/11/20/holiday-travel-apps/19278171/">http://www.11alive.com/story/tech/2014/11/20/holiday-travel-apps/19278171/</a> (VIDEO)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h2>
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">SAVE TIME AND MONEY –
TOP 4 TRAVEL APPS</span></span></b></h2>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />(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.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.hipmunk.com/" title="https://www.hipmunk.com/"><span style="color: #1990e5;"></span></a></span></b></div>
<a name='more'></a><b><a href="https://www.hipmunk.com/" title="https://www.hipmunk.com/">Hipmunk</a>
– Helps suggest travel options with booking your flight.</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This app suggests travel options based on what will give you the
least amount of agony. Hipmunk also shows hotel options, including alternates
like HomeAway and VRBO, as well as train schedules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.getairhelp.com/" title="https://www.getairhelp.com/"><span style="color: #1990e5;">AirHelp</span></a>
– Getting bumped off that flight might not be all that bad after all. </span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With so many people hitting the friendly skies, delays and
cancellations can truly be a nightmare. With AirHelp, getting bumped off a
flight may not be so bad after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did you know that if you're flying domestic in the U.S. and get
bumped from a flight, you can claim up to $1,300 from the airline? AirHelp does
take a 25 percent cut, but odds are you didn't know you were entitled to that
money in the first place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://gomiflight.com/" title="http://gomiflight.com/"><span style="color: #1990e5;">MiFlight</span></a> –
Crowd Sourcing App. Brand New and shows you in real time what the wait for security
lines are. Very accurate.</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you stress while driving to the airport, just thinking about
how long the security lines will be? MiFlight may ease some of that anxiety.
It's a crowd-sourcing app that shows you in real time what the waits are for
the security line.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Are you flying international? MiFlight also provides wait times
for all the major airports in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.transfercarus.com/" title="https://www.transfercarus.com/"><span style="color: #1990e5;">Transfercar</span></a>
– Drive Rental Cars and RV’s from One City to another for them.</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is for the traveler who's driving to Grandma's house this
holiday season. Transfercar shows rental cars and RVs that need to be taken
from one city to another. Sometimes the companies will even pay for the gas.</span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Original Source and link of the above article:<br />USA TODAY's Jennifer Jolly has a look at a few apps that may make travel a lot easier this holiday season. (This article has the TOP 10 APPS) :<br /><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/2014/02/21/10-best-travel-apps-readers-choice-award-winners/5637999/">http://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/2014/02/21/10-best-travel-apps-readers-choice-award-winners/5637999/</a></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><i><b>
ON ANOTHER NOTE: THIS IS A PRETTY COOL IDEA- </b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 33.0pt; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: double #EBEBEB 2.25pt; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 4.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 30.0pt; letter-spacing: -.4pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">PHONE-ENABLED “SMART LUGGAGE” TRACKABLE VIA GPS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in; text-transform: uppercase;">by</span></i><span style="color: #777777; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-transform: uppercase;"> DAVE
CAOLO </span><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in; text-transform: uppercase;">on</span></i><span style="color: #777777; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-transform: uppercase;"> JUNE 7, 2013 </span><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in; text-transform: uppercase;">in</span></i><span style="color: #777777; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"> </span></span><a href="http://52tiger.net/category/travel-2/" style="color: #777777; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; text-transform: uppercase;" title="View all posts in Travel"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #777777; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">TRAVEL</span></a><span style="color: #777777; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://52tiger.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/bagtogo.jpg"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #a0410d; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75"
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soon you’ll be able to
watch your lost luggage travel farther and farther away. The <a href="http://www.ausbt.com.au/airbus-reveals-iphone-enabled-smart-bag-with-rfid-gps-tracking"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #a0410d; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">concept Bag2Go from
Airbus</span></a> is the result of a
collaboration between T-Mobile and German luggage maker <a href="http://www.rimowa.de/main/langselect"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #a0410d; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Rimowa</span></a>. Aside from your
skivvies, there’s a GPS tracker, a 2G mobile radio and an RFID chip inside
the bag, recording its whereabouts. Additionally, a companion iPhone app lets
you monitor the bag’s location. There’s even a scale built into the handle, so
you can weight it by simply picking it up.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For now, there are no plans to put the
technology into consumer luggage, but Airbus may license the Bag2Go to airlines
so that travelers can rent them on a short-term basis. Sounds cool, but
wouldn’t you rather own one of these bags instead of renting it from the
airline?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com1Madison, GA 30650, USA33.5956813 -83.46794399999998933.4898523 -83.629305499999987 33.7015103 -83.30658249999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-42625143241575664992014-11-04T14:04:00.003-05:002014-11-04T14:04:15.449-05:00How Does a Political Trend Affect a Small Business?<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 13.2pt; mso-outline-level: 1; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18pt;">How Does a Political
Trend Affect a Small Business?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0in;">by David Ingram, Demand Media </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">http://smallbusiness.chron.com/political-trend-affect-small-business-64909.html</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 9.75pt;">Political trends can have significant impact on small business
finances.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 10pt;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Different political parties or individuals enact different
policies to guide national and local economies to prosperity, based on their
own economic ideologies. This means that political trends can have an impact on
taxes levied on businesses and individuals, leaving your customers and yourself
with more or less money to spend in the marketplace. Economic policies can also
influence interest rates throughout the economy, including rates for small
business loans. The sentiment of all economic actors in society can be affected
by the government's ability to control economic conditions. For example, in a
struggling economy, consumers may spend less in the marketplace, causing banks
to offer fewer and smaller loans to businesses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 10pt;">National-security concerns can have an impact on consumers' buying
and saving habits throughout the economy, and trends in politics can do much to
heighten or calm security fears. The people and parties in power at any time
have a direct influence over the relationships of a nation with its neighbors
in the global community, including hostile rivals. A nation at peace can
encourage people not only to spend more overall, but to invest more in
long-term assets such as homes and businesses.<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Changes in labor laws can be anticipated by keeping an eye on
political trends. Political candidates are often vocal on their stances
regarding minimum wages, insurance requirements, labor-related taxes and
regulation on the terms of employment. Any change in labor laws can mean a
change in expenses for a business, and these expenses can be significant for
small businesses without large cash reserves. A change in the minimum wage, for
example, can cut directly into a small company's profitability.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Small businesses in
the United States can take advantage of a wide range of free or low-cost
services from federal and state agencies, including grant funds, insured loans,
advisory services and even tax breaks. Trends in legislative politics can serve
to increase or decrease the number and amount of these services, which can
impact the opportunities that small business owners have to build a sustainable
and profitable enterprise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-7411511462673507422014-10-14T10:01:00.001-04:002014-10-14T10:01:26.923-04:00Why your small business should support a charity?<h2>
<b>Why your small business should support a charity?</b></h2>
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<b>source: imavex</b></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.imavex.com/why-your-small-business-should-support-a-charity.blog#sthash.5Pvi1G7C.dpuf</span></span><b><br /></b></h2>
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<li style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.imavex.com/about-us/awards/" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #666666;">CSS Winner Site of the Day</span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.imavex.com/about-us/awards/" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 300ms; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 300ms; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #666666;">Inc. Magazine Fastest Growing Businesses</span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.imavex.com/about-us/awards/" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #666666;">Techpoint MIRA Award</span></a></li>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: Lato, sans-serif;">Most large corporations have programs for social responsibility and community involvement. This is a great idea for a small business too.</span><br />
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<b>What you will gain from supporting a charity or non-profit organization:</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The opportunity to give back</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Community support and good will – People are more apt to support businesses they feel are part of their world.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">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.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Company morale – This can boost company morale by bringing employees together to support something that is separate from the office</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Marketing and business strategy – This is a way for you to reach out and connect with community members on a different platform</li>
</ul>
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Choosing the Charity</h2>
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Small businesses should choose just one charity to support. It would be great if the charity is related to the business. If not, you should talk with your employees and see what charities/causes they feel passionate about and choose one of those. Also, look for charities that will give you meaningful exposure to a large number of influential people. The more exposure your small business can get, the better. Keep your target audience in mind. For example, if your business buys and sells property then a good charity would be Habitat for Humanity. Make sure the charity you choose is a legitimate charity. Check them out on Better Business Bureau and other sites to make sure your donation will be used correctly.</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: Lato, sans-serif;">- See more at: http://www.imavex.com/why-your-small-business-should-support-a-charity.blog#sthash.5Pvi1G7C.dpuf</span><br />
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Ways to Raise Money</h2>
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There are many ways on how you can raise money for your charity; here are a few of my ideas:</div>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Silent auction</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">50/50 raffle</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Community yard sale</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Golf event</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bake sale</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Spaghetti dinner</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Car wash</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Caned food drive if your charity is a food pantry</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: grey; font-family: Lato, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><i>Save a small portion of profits – save a little bit of your profits every month and make monthly donations to your charity or make one large donation at the end of the year.</i></span><br />
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<i>Remember you can raise money for your charity anyway you can think of. It all depends on how much time and resources you have to put into the event.</i></div>
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Make sure to vocalize your involvement with your charity. </div>
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Include the charity event on any type of company newsletter, social media sites and marketing materials. Write blog posts about your involvement and how others can help the charity your company supports. Use word of mouth to tell family and friends about your involvement. Your company could also include a link to the charity website on your companies’ website. You can also ask that the charity to include your business name on their marketing materials.</div>
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What charity initiatives is your small business involved in?</div>
</div>
stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-10879921394937445342014-10-08T09:32:00.001-04:002014-10-08T09:32:59.646-04:00A Superior Call Center : Life Expectancy Rate Climbs: Americans Are Living ...<a href="http://asuperiorcallctr.blogspot.com/2014/10/life-expectancy-rate-climbs-americans.html?spref=bl">A Superior Call Center : Life Expectancy Rate Climbs: Americans Are Living ...</a>: Life Expectancy Rate Climbs: Americans Are Living Longer Than Ever Before Huff Post - Healthy Living | By MIKE STOBBE Posted: ...stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-68821955068759435952014-10-08T09:26:00.002-04:002014-10-08T09:28:36.363-04:00Life Expectancy Rate Climbs: Americans Are Living Longer Than Ever Before<h1 class="title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 32px; line-height: 36px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
Life Expectancy Rate Climbs: Americans Are Living Longer Than Ever Before</h1>
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<span style="color: cyan;">Huff Post - Healthy Living</span><br /><br /><div class="author wire" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span class="thirdparty-logo" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="AP" src="http://s.huffpost.com/images/v/ap_wire.png" height="18" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="18" /> </span><span class="name fn" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.9375em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> | By MIKE STOBBE</span></div>
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<div class="headline group" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(223, 223, 223); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; margin: -8px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span class="posted" style="border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Posted: <time datetime="2014-10-08T03:27:45-04:00" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">10/08/2014 3:27 am EDT </time></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">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.</span></div>
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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.</div>
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The yearly report looked at deaths in 2012. It found:</div>
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— U.S. life expectancy for a child born in 2012 was 78 years and 9½ months, up about six weeks from life expectancy in 2010 and 2011. That's a record.</div>
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— For someone 65, the CDC estimates that men have about 18 years of life left and women about 20½ years. The gaps between men and women grew slightly, compared to 2011.</div>
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— There were 2.5 million deaths in 2012, or about 28,000 more than the year before. The increase was expected, reflecting the nation's growing and aging population, Anderson said.</div>
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— The infant mortality rate dropped again slightly, to a new low of 5.98 per 1,000 births. That's a historic low, but the U.S. infant mortality rate continues to be higher than in most European countries.</div>
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— Death rates for blacks and whites dropped but held steady for Hispanics. However, Hispanic death rates remain lower than the black and white numbers.</div>
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— The 10 leading causes of death remained the same, with heart disease and cancer topping the list. Suicide is the 10th.</div>
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The suicide rate rose more than 2 percent, to 12.6 per suicide deaths per 100,000 American. That's the highest it's been since 1987, when the rate was 12.8.</div>
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Some research suggests suicides increase during hard economic times, but this trend has persisted before, during, and after the recession of 2007-2009. Some experts have said the sale and abuse of prescription painkillers in the last decade have been a contributing factor.</div>
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Whatever the reason, "it's kind of surprising," said Solveig Cunningham, an Emory University researcher who has studied death rates during eras of financial hardship.</div>
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The overall statistics suggest our society is getting better at medically managing conditions like diabetes and heart disease, she said. But maybe "we're not able to manage mental health as well, resulting in devastating results" — the increasing suicide rate, she said.</div>
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The CDC report compiles information from all U.S. death certificates from 2012. Researchers use the death rates to project how long people will live.</div>
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MORE:</h2>
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<span class="group" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="entrytag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/life-expectancy-rates/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6aa3b1; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Life Expectancy Rates</a></span><span class="entrytag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/death-rates/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6aa3b1; display: inline; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Death Rates</a></span><span class="entrytag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/suicide-rate/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6aa3b1; display: inline; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Suicide Rate</a></span><span class="entrytag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/robert-anderson/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6aa3b1; display: inline; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Robert Anderson</a></span><span class="entrytag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/centers-for-disease-prevention-and-control/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6aa3b1; display: inline; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Centers for Disease Prevention and Control</a></span><span class="entrytag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/cdc/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6aa3b1; display: inline; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cdc</a></span><span class="entrytag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/aging/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6aa3b1; display: inline; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Aging Gracefully</a></span></span></div>
</div>
stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-73686371816228672722014-09-18T20:44:00.001-04:002014-09-18T20:44:32.035-04:00A Superior Call Center : iPhone 6 and 6 Plus review: bigger and better, but...<a href="http://asuperiorcallctr.blogspot.com/2014/09/iphone-6-and-6-plus-review-bigger-and.html?spref=bl">A Superior Call Center : iPhone 6 and 6 Plus review: bigger and better, but...</a>: 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/ ...stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-22211511104647850262014-09-18T20:42:00.000-04:002014-09-18T20:42:26.990-04:00iPhone 6 and 6 Plus review: bigger and better, but with stiffer competition<h1 class="h1" itemprop="headline" style="background-color: white; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Segoe UI, proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 55px !important; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 55px;">iPhone 6 and 6 Plus review: bigger and better, but with stiffer competition</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Segoe UI, proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 55px;"><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/iphone-6-and-6-plus-review/">http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/iphone-6-and-6-plus-review/</a></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="by" style="color: #8899a6; float: none; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px; text-transform: lowercase;">by</span><span style="color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-transform: capitalize;"> </span><span itemprop="author">Brad Molen</span><span style="color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-transform: capitalize;"> </span><span class="bar" style="color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-transform: capitalize;">|</span><span style="color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-transform: capitalize;"> </span><span class="tweet" style="color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-transform: capitalize;">@phonewisdom</span><span style="color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-transform: capitalize;"> </span><span class="bar" style="color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-transform: capitalize;">|</span><span style="color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-transform: capitalize;"> </span><span class="timeago" datetime="September 16th 2014 at 9:00 pm" style="color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">September 16th 2014 </span></span></h1>
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<span class="timeago" datetime="September 16th 2014 at 9:00 pm" style="color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="timeago" datetime="September 16th 2014 at 9:00 pm" style="color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
To say that Apple's doing things differently would be an understatement. With the 4.7-inch <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/09/the-iphone-6-hands-on/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">iPhone 6</a> and the 5.5-inch <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/09/the-iphone-6-plus-preview/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">iPhone 6 Plus</a>, 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 <a href="http://flavorwire.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/zoolander-phone.jpg" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">handset</a> Ben Stiller used in<em>Zoolander</em>. The market has changed, and it was high time Apple did the same.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
Even though this is Apple's first attempt at building large phones, it's not breaking new ground -- in fact, it feels more like the company is catching up than innovating. To be fair, finding a fresh take is a difficult thing to do in this crowded space: Samsung's Galaxy Note series, which started out at 5.3 inches and is now up to 5.7, is selling by the millions, and most competing flagships aren't much smaller. Basically, Apple would be leaving money on the table if it <em>didn't</em> address this segment of the market. So how did the company do on its first try at large phones? Pretty well -- mostly.</div>
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<div class="score-card-title" data-score-engadget="87" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; float: left; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px; margin-left: 15px;">
<span style="display: block; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1;">Apple</span><h2 style="color: black; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 19px;">
iPhone 6 Plus</h2>
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<div class="pros" style="float: left; width: 315px;">
<div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 8px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
PROS</div>
<ul style="font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px;">
<li>Large, beautiful display</li>
<li>Great camera with optical image stabilization</li>
<li>Long battery life</li>
<li>Fast performance</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="cons" style="float: left; width: 315px;">
<div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 8px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
CONS</div>
<ul style="font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px;">
<li>One-handed use is frustrating and uncomfortable</li>
<li>NFC can only be used for mobile payments</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="summary" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 25px;">
<span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 25.6000003814697px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 25.6000003814697px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 25.6000003814697px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 25.6000003814697px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 25.6000003814697px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-transform: uppercase;">SUMMARY</span><div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;">
The iPhone 6 Plus is difficult to use one-handed, not to mention more uncomfortable than similar-sized phones. In exchange, though, you get more of an iPad-like user experience on a much smaller device. It also has better battery life than the smaller iPhone 6, as well as a better camera. Keep that in mind as you're deciding between the two devices.<br /></div>
<div class="image-container" style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/iphone-6-and-6-plus-review/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="457436" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/7434a3763e9e4bae6e7d780a45ef5327/200766880/iPhone_6_main_final-960.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto !important; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; margin-top: 0px !important; max-width: 960px; position: relative; width: 960px; z-index: 9999;" /></a></div>
<div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
To say that Apple's doing things differently would be an understatement. With the 4.7-inch <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/09/the-iphone-6-hands-on/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">iPhone 6</a> and the 5.5-inch <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/09/the-iphone-6-plus-preview/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">iPhone 6 Plus</a>, 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 <a href="http://flavorwire.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/zoolander-phone.jpg" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">handset</a> Ben Stiller used in<em>Zoolander</em>. The market has changed, and it was high time Apple did the same.</div>
<div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
Even though this is Apple's first attempt at building large phones, it's not breaking new ground -- in fact, it feels more like the company is catching up than innovating. To be fair, finding a fresh take is a difficult thing to do in this crowded space: Samsung's Galaxy Note series, which started out at 5.3 inches and is now up to 5.7, is selling by the millions, and most competing flagships aren't much smaller. Basically, Apple would be leaving money on the table if it <em>didn't</em> address this segment of the market. So how did the company do on its first try at large phones? Pretty well -- mostly.<span id="docs-internal-guid-6669a230-7fed-e002-c667-a5de6fa26f66"></span></div>
<div class="post-gallery" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-width: 1px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px; margin: 20px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;">
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<span class="title" style="border: none; color: #898989; float: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">GALLERY</span><span class="bar" style="color: #898989; float: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; text-transform: uppercase;">|</span><span class="photo-number" style="color: #898989; float: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">9 PHOTOS</span></div>
<h3 class="title" style="border: none; color: #3399cc; font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px;">
The iPhone family</h3>
<ul class="thumbs" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;">
<li class="thumb" data-count="9" style="border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); float: left; height: 130px; margin: 15px 13px 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 199px;"><a class="gallery-link" href="http://www.engadget.com/gallery/the-iphone-family/2940848/#!slide=2940848" style="border: none; color: #3399cc; display: block; height: 130px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 199px; z-index: 2;" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/294/084/8/S2940848/slug/s/iphone-6-family-9-1_200x130.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto !important; max-width: 100%; width: 199px;" /></a></li>
<li class="thumb" data-count="9" style="border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); float: left; height: 130px; margin: 15px 13px 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 199px;"><a class="gallery-link" href="http://www.engadget.com/gallery/the-iphone-family/2940849/#!slide=2940849" style="border: none; color: #3399cc; display: block; height: 130px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 199px; z-index: 2;" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/294/084/9/S2940849/slug/s/iphone-6-family-11-1_200x130.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto !important; max-width: 100%; width: 199px;" /></a></li>
<li class="thumb" data-count="9" style="border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); float: left; height: 130px; margin: 15px 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 199px;"><a class="gallery-link" href="http://www.engadget.com/gallery/the-iphone-family/2940851/#!slide=2940851" style="border: none; color: #3399cc; display: block; height: 130px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 199px; z-index: 2;" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/294/085/1/S2940851/slug/s/iphone-6-family-15-1_200x130.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto !important; max-width: 100%; width: 199px;" /></a></li>
<li class="thumb" data-count="9" style="border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); float: left; height: 130px; margin: 15px 13px 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 199px;"><a class="gallery-link" href="http://www.engadget.com/gallery/the-iphone-family/2940850/#!slide=2940850" style="border: none; color: #3399cc; display: block; height: 130px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 199px; z-index: 2;" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/294/085/0/S2940850/slug/s/iphone-6-family-14-1_200x130.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto !important; max-width: 100%; width: 199px;" /></a></li>
<li class="thumb" data-count="9" style="border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); float: left; height: 130px; margin: 15px 13px 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 199px;"><a class="gallery-link" href="http://www.engadget.com/gallery/the-iphone-family/2940843/#!slide=2940843" style="border: none; color: #3399cc; display: block; height: 130px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 199px; z-index: 2;" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/294/084/3/S2940843/slug/s/iphone-6-family-3-1_200x130.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto !important; max-width: 100%; width: 199px;" /></a></li>
<li class="thumb" data-count="9" style="border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); float: left; height: 130px; margin: 15px 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 199px;"><a class="gallery-link" href="http://www.engadget.com/gallery/the-iphone-family/2940844/#!slide=2940844" style="border: none; color: #3399cc; display: block; height: 130px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 199px; z-index: 2;" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/294/084/4/S2940844/slug/s/iphone-6-family-4-1_200x130.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto !important; max-width: 100%; width: 199px;" /></a><div class="see-all" style="background-image: linear-gradient(-179deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.729412) 100%); bottom: 0px; color: #4a4a4a; height: 130px; line-height: 24px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; width: 199px; z-index: 9999;">
<a class="gallery-link" href="http://www.engadget.com/gallery/the-iphone-family" style="border: none; color: white; display: block; font-size: 14px; height: auto; left: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-top: -7px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: rgb(0, 0, 0) -1px 1px 1px; top: 65px; width: 199px; z-index: 9999;" target="_blank">+ See all 9</a></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<div class="score-card" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(202, 202, 202); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(202, 202, 202); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px; margin-top: 35px; padding-top: 20px;">
<div class="engadget-score green" style="background-image: url(http://media.engadget.com/assets/img/site/engadget-score/engadget-score-2013-11-12.png); background-position: -170px -107px; color: white; float: left; height: 38px; margin-bottom: 17px; width: 94px;">
<span class="score" style="display: block; font-size: 30px; left: 8px; position: relative; top: -2px;">90</span></div>
<div class="score-card-title" data-score-engadget="90" style="float: left; margin-left: 15px;">
<span style="display: block; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1;">Apple</span><h2 style="color: black; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 19px;">
iPhone 6</h2>
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<div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 8px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
PROS</div>
<ul style="font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px;">
<li>Sleek new design</li>
<li>Great display</li>
<li>Comfortable to hold</li>
<li>Fast performance</li>
<li>Generally good camera</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 8px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
CONS</div>
<ul style="font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px;">
<li>Battery life could be better</li>
<li>Lacks optical image stabilization</li>
<li>NFC can only be used for mobile payments</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="summary" style="margin-bottom: 25px;">
<span style="display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 10px; text-transform: uppercase;">SUMMARY</span><div style="color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;">
Even with a slightly larger screen, the iPhone remains comfortable to hold. With fast performance, a great display, an elegant new design and a much-needed software update, it's one of the best smartphones you can buy right now. We wish it had the same long battery life as the iPhone 6 Plus (not to mention its optical image stabilization) but even then, the iPhone 6 is still the better choice for most people. </div>
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<div class="engadget-score light-green" style="background-image: url(http://media.engadget.com/assets/img/site/engadget-score/engadget-score-2013-11-12.png); background-position: -170px -148px; color: white; float: left; height: 38px; margin-bottom: 17px; width: 94px;">
<span class="score" style="display: block; font-size: 30px; left: 8px; position: relative; top: -2px;">87</span></div>
<div class="score-card-title" data-score-engadget="87" style="float: left; margin-left: 15px;">
<span style="display: block; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1;">Apple</span><h2 style="color: black; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 19px;">
iPhone 6 Plus</h2>
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PROS</div>
<ul style="font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px;">
<li>Large, beautiful display</li>
<li>Great camera with optical image stabilization</li>
<li>Long battery life</li>
<li>Fast performance</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="cons" style="float: left; width: 315px;">
<div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 8px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
CONS</div>
<ul style="font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px;">
<li>One-handed use is frustrating and uncomfortable</li>
<li>NFC can only be used for mobile payments</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="summary" style="margin-bottom: 25px;">
<span style="display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 10px; text-transform: uppercase;">SUMMARY</span><div style="color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;">
The iPhone 6 Plus is difficult to use one-handed, not to mention more uncomfortable than similar-sized phones. In exchange, though, you get more of an iPad-like user experience on a much smaller device. It also has better battery life than the smaller iPhone 6, as well as a better camera. Keep that in mind as you're deciding between the two devices.</div>
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<h3 style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 1em 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">HARDWARE<br /></span></span><span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">Aside from the screen size and a few minor hardware differences, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are identical. Unlike Apple's last four flagships (the 4 to the 5s), which sported a squarish, blocky shape, the 6 series features soft, rounded sides. Not counting the glass screen, the entire frame is constructed of aluminum, similar to the material Apple uses on its MacBooks.</span></span></h3>
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As you'll see in my <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/ios-8-review/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">iOS 8 review</a>, Apple's following a design approach centered on "continuity" -- the idea that its products should work seamlessly with each other. This is evident in the iPhone 6's hardware as well. The 5 and 5s had straight sides that met the front and back via chamfered edges. On the 6, Apple opted for a unibody build; the bubbled-out sides and flat back are constructed from one continuous piece of material. Meanwhile, the front glass panel tapers down ever so slightly at the edge, producing an uninterrupted look. I'll always have a soft spot for the chamfered edges on the 5 and 5s, but the 6 and 6 Plus feel fresh, especially after years of only modest design tweaks.</div>
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<span class="title" style="border: none; color: #898989; float: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">GALLERY</span><span class="bar" style="color: #898989; float: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; text-transform: uppercase;">|</span><span class="photo-number" style="color: #898989; float: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">26 PHOTOS</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3399cc; font-family: Segoe UI, proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">iPhone 6 Plus review (VIEW LINK)</span></span><br /><span style="color: #3399cc; font-family: Segoe UI, proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/iphone-6-and-6-plus-review/</span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #3399cc; font-family: Segoe UI, proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="title" style="border: none; color: #898989; float: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">GALLERY</span><span class="bar" style="color: #898989; float: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; text-transform: uppercase;">|</span><span class="photo-number" style="color: #898989; float: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">18 PHOTOS</span></div>
<h3 class="title" style="border: none; color: #3399cc; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px;">
iPhone 6 review (VIEW LINK)</h3>
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<span style="color: #3399cc; font-family: Segoe UI, proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/iphone-6-and-6-plus-review/<br /></span></span><div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
Both iPhones are thinner than their predecessor. Whereas the 5s was 7.6mm thick, the 6 comes in at 6.9mm, with the 6 Plus measuring a hair thicker at 7.1mm. I don't always subscribe to the "thinner is better" mantra, but it's a benefit in this case because larger iPhones wouldn't feel as comfortable if they had the same shape as the 5s. If I had to choose based on in-hand feel alone, I'd pick the 6 over the Plus. I can still wrap my fingers around the 6 just as easily as I could with the 5s (and its curved sides don't cut as sharply as the edges on the 5s), but the large-screened 6 Plus is... well, it's manageable.</div>
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There's no avoiding it: The Plus is even bigger than it looks. It's easier to acclimate to the Plus if you're already used to large phones, but even then, this is a massive piece of kit. Let's do a close comparison with the 5.7-inch <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/30/samsung-galaxy-note-3-review/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">Samsung Galaxy Note 3</a>, for instance (I have a review unit handy, and the unreleased Note 4 has similar dimensions). The Plus is nearly 7mm taller, 1.4mm narrower and 1.2mm thinner than the Note. Both are huge, and their width can fatigue even the biggest of hands if you hold on long enough. When you have a big handset, your fingers need to secure a firm grip; the Note's straight, ridged sides and textured back make for a relatively easy grip. With the 6 Plus, though, those narrow, rounded edges feel sharper when the tips of your fingers are grasping on for dear life, and the aluminum is slipperier. I got used to the design, but it takes time.</div>
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<span class="title" style="border: none; color: #898989; float: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">GALLERY</span><span class="bar" style="color: #898989; float: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; text-transform: uppercase;">|</span><span class="photo-number" style="color: #898989; float: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">7 PHOTOS</span></div>
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iPhone 6 versus the Galaxy Note 3<br /><div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
But a phone's screen size doesn't have to dictate how large the device itself is. Take the LG G3, a 5.5-inch phone with the exact <em>opposite</em> in-hand feel. Compared with the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/05/lg-g3-review/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">LG G3</a>, the Plus is nearly 12mm taller, 3.2mm wider and 1.8mm thinner; LG's large-screened option has a smaller bezel and arched back that fit the natural contours of my hand extremely well. It feels much more comfortable to hold for long periods of time, and I never worry about it slipping out of my hands.</div>
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Both the 6 and 6 Plus use an IPS Retina HD display, but the Plus is even more high-def than the 6. It has a screen resolution of 1,920 x 1,080, which means you'll get a pixel density of 401 pixels per inch. On the flipside, the 6 maxes out at 1,334 x 750, which translates into 326 ppi. (That's the same screen density as the 5s.) Both displays are sharp, but I do see some minor differences between the two when I look at them side by side. Specifically, the Plus' text and images are sharper, with no jagged lines whatsoever. That said, I don't think it's enough to steer you from one device to the other; they both look fantastic from a few inches away. Additionally, the color representation on both phones is less saturated than the Super AMOLED panel on the Note 3, and is extremely close to the colors on a Retina display MacBook Pro.<br /><br /><img src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/82156f2cae2354ef08398aae17af54d6/200766933/iPhone_6-7-630.jpg" /></div>
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With the Retina HD display, Apple is also introducing what it's calling "dual-domain pixels," which arrange the display's subpixels into a chevron-like pattern designed to compensate for the contrast that normally shows up when you look at the screen from oblique angles. It also helps produce deeper darks and sharper text; both new iPhones have brighter whites than the 5s, but the Plus has the warmest tint of the three. The viewing angles are indeed among the best I've seen, and it's great to see Apple incorporate this technology into its latest products. All that said, it's worth noting that while Apple makes this screen technology sound brand-new, it's actually been used before on phones like the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/12/htc-one-review/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">HTC One M7</a> and the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/02/htc-one-x-review/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">One X</a>.</div>
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Over the years, Apple's continued to fine-tune its reputation for building devices that combine solid build quality with a premium design. While these new iPhones generally continue that tradition, there are a couple quirks that are difficult to un-see. The first is the excessive use of antenna lines on the back. The two stripes stretching across the top and bottom sections enhance the look of the phone's rear -- much like the HTC One series -- but there are two unsightly lines that follow the upper and lower perimeter, and they stick out like a sore thumb. Secondly, though the phones got thinner, the camera module did not; the result is a lens that sticks out from the rest of the chassis, which increases the likelihood of the casing and lens getting scratched.<br /><br /><img src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/b62d0d0e6a593c3acf4a667d013a151a/200766941/iPhone_6_family-4-630.jpg" /></div>
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I am, of course, nitpicking. After all, an aluminum phone needs to have openings for antennas to get a signal, and that's precisely what the stripes on the sides and back do. Unfortunately, though, they do detract from the device's beauty, not enhance it. As for the camera, many flagship phones come with tiny humps around the camera module to compensate for the extra depth they require, but I would've rather seen Apple go with a design that's less severe. (Update: A few folks have rightly pointed out that the lens is sapphire, so scratches shouldn't be an issue. Still, its prominence compared to the rest of the chassis remains a design distraction.)</div>
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One final concern: The phones are prone to scratches if you're not careful. After just a day of use, I started noticing a few small marks on the backs of both devices. The most extreme thing I did to the phones during this time was slide them around on an office table. Granted, a case will resolve all of these issues, but unfortunately, cases also add a fair amount of bulk, and I've always preferred showing off my phones in all their beauty.</div>
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NFC</h3>
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Apple's coming out with a mobile payment service in October called <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/09/apple-pay-hands-on/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">Apple Pay</a>. I haven't been able to test it out yet, so I'll revisit that when it becomes available. Once it's up and running, it'll use a wireless standard known as Near-Field Communications (NFC) that comes built into the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. In short, a transmitter on your device can communicate with a receiver located just a few millimeters away; this is incredibly useful for mobile payment transactions because the short distance makes it more secure than any other wireless connection, so you don't have to worry about a third party getting unauthorized access to your sensitive information.</div>
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Since NFC is a standard, the iPhone is theoretically capable of doing a lot more than just mobile payments -- tap-to-pair for Bluetooth devices, unlocking doors and hotel rooms, mobile tickets for public transit, Foursquare check-ins, et cetera. For now, though, the iPhone's NFC radio <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/nfc-on-iphone-6-limited-to-apple-pay/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">will be limited</a> just to Apple Pay; developers can't do anything with it right now. Apple hasn't said if this will change in the future, but I suspect the company is approaching it with the same timidity as it did with Touch ID; Apple initially used it just to unlock the iPhone and approve iTunes purchases, and now, a year later, it's finally opening up the sensor for developer support.<br /></div>
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SOFTWARE<br /><br /><img src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/b76899c3931bfff0da8a8feda0492ad6/200766946/iPhone_6_family-7-630.jpg" /><br /><div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">
Both iPhones come preloaded with iOS 8. You can find my in-depth review of the update<a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/ios-8-review/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">here</a>, so I won't go into much detail in this review. But there are a few specific software features on the 6 and 6 Plus worth revisiting. Apple is treating the Plus as a small iPad mini (mini iPad mini?) of sorts: The springboard now can switch into landscape mode, and a few of the native apps (Mail, Calendar and Messages) come with dual-pane windows. This is a great use of the extra screen space, and it gives the Plus a clear productivity advantage over the 6.</div>
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While I'm on the subject of landscape mode, the keyboard also looks rather different. The standard keyboard shows up directly in the middle and is flanked by heaps of symbols and other options. Arrows and many of the popular punctuation marks are on the right, while options like copy and paste, undo and voice dictation are on the left.</div>
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<img src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/b20738c6dfb32546ae187590c8fb6826/200766954/iPhone_6plus_OneHand-630.jpg" /></div>
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Both iPhones also feature Display Zoom, which magnifies the screen and makes your icons, text and other materials larger. There's <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/09/meet-the-iphone-6-plus/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">one-handed mode</a>, which Apple refers to as "Reachability." This is technically available on both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but it makes the most sense on the larger model. Since it's tough to stretch your tiny fingers all the way to the top of the screen, Apple's solution is to bring the screen down to <i>you.</i> When you double-tap on the Touch ID button, the entire UI slides down so the top half of the app is located on the bottom half of the screen. You can scroll and interact with it just like you normally could in full-screen mode, but in case you need to get to a link at the bottom of a website, or you're trying to get down to the end of an email, you'll have to go back out to see the entire screen. It's better than having no one-handed mode at all, but it still feels cumbersome and I only really used it when I wasn't able to use two hands (e.g., when I'm walking down the street while holding a bag).</div>
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It may sound like the Plus isn't ideal, and indeed, it's not for everyone. But for many, the additional screen real estate is worth sacrificing some one-handed comfort. Not only do you get more rows of icons on each screen (the 5s is 6 x 4, while the 6 is 7 x 4 and the 6 Plus is 7 x 4 with slightly larger icons and more space in between), but you're also going to be able to see more emails, tweets, Google search results, Engadget posts, calendar appointments and, well... more of <i>everything</i>. More screen space equates to more room for consuming, creating and manipulating content, and since it's still small enough to fit in most jeans pockets (provided they're not too tight), it's still more portable than any iPad.</div>
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CAMERA<br /><br /><img src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/5fb16674e89069fd5a0f4f1a95b6c791/200767057/iPhone_6plus-16_lens-630.jpg" /><br /><div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">
While the megapixel war rages on among manufacturers like Sony, Samsung, LG and Microsoft Devices (Nokia), Apple doesn't seem to feel compelled to join the fray. Instead, it's sticking with a modest 8MP iSight camera similar to the one found n the 5s. Although the aperture and pixel size haven't changed, Apple's added "Focus Pixels," which is the company's fancy term for Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF). The tech is used in many DSLRs and phones like the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/11/samsung-galaxy-s5-review/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">Galaxy S5</a>, and the idea is to lock autofocus faster. Fortunately, Focus Pixels doesn't disappoint; in several side-by-side shots in which my goal was to snap a photo as quickly as possible, the 6 and 6 Plus did considerably better at producing focused images.</div>
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In case you need extra perks for going with the larger device, the Plus comes with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). This feature is designed to reduce the amount of blur that can come from the natural shaking of your hand, and it produces better low-light performance and less shaky video as a result. I took several nighttime shots with the 6 and 6 Plus side by side, and although there was no difference in how much light the cameras took in, the images from the Plus consistently came out sharper -- both when viewing at standard size and especially when zoomed in.</div>
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I also pitted the Plus head to head against several other flagships. It bested the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/25/htc-one-2014-review/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">HTC One M8</a> in sharpness and white balance, though it didn't get quite as much light; it had more natural colors and less noise than the LG G3; it got more light, better colors and clearer focus than the Galaxy S5; and although the Lumia 1020 brought in the most light, it also did so at the expense of unnatural colors and noise.<br /></div>
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So the iPhone 6 Plus held its own against nearly every major flagship in terms of low-light images, but how did it (and its 4.7-inch twin) fare in the daylight? Shots taken by the Lumia 1020 were far more detailed and had a slightly more accurate white balance and color representation outside; but while it did a fantastic job capturing the shadows, the highlights were typically more blown out than they were on the iPhone. The GS5 is a respectable contender in the daylight as well, offering more detail, but the iPhone generally produced more accurate colors. The G3 appears to be overexposed by default and the dynamic range is not as wide, so shadows are incredibly dark and whites are slightly blown out. Finally, the iPhone bested the HTC One in dynamic range, detail and color.</div>
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The iPhone camera may not always be the best in every circumstance, but it's consistently near the top in almost every scenario. The autofocus locks quickly; each shot contains all of the detail you'll need (unless you have to zoom in incredibly far); dynamic range is great; and color representation is sound. And although there weren't a lot of drastic improvements to the new iPhone cameras over the 5s, I know that if I need to snap a quick picture, it's going to turn out well.</div>
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(<em>Note: Full-res images are now available: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/phonewisdom/sets/72157647302140369/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">iPhone 6</a> and <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/phonewisdom/sets/72157647661358346/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">iPhone 6 Plus</a>. I also have uploaded albums with samples from other flagship devices.)</em></div>
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PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY LIFE<br /><br /><img src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/7fc6f1966486c552666c1521b351ebf2/200767068/iPhone_6plus-25-630.jpg" /><br /><div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">
Last year, Apple rocked the boat by announcing that the iPhone 5s would be the first phone with 64-bit support, thanks to its A7 chip. This year's bump to an <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/09/iphone-6-a8-chip/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">A8 chipset</a> isn't quite as dramatic, but the company is claiming that the chip comes with a 25 percent uptick in CPU performance and 50 percent in GPU output. It packs 2 billion transistors, which is a number that few other companies boast in product launches; by comparison, Intel's Haswell desktop processor has around 1.4 billion. Apple seldom dives into more specifics, but benchmarks reveal that we're looking at a 1.4GHz dual-core processor.</div>
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I get why Apple would rather discuss the experience than the actual numbers -- it's because a 1.4GHz dual-core chipset with 1GB RAM doesn't sound as good as a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon or an octa-core MediaTek with 2 or 3GB RAM. But I've never had any problems getting iPhones to handle heavy loads, and the 6 and 6 Plus are no different. Games load and run smoothly and multitasking works great.</div>
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When it comes to benchmarking, it can be difficult to compare Apples to Androids. There are a few cross-platform tests, however, so I decided to take a look and see how the iPhone 6 holds up to a pair of Snapdragon 801-powered flagships, the Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8. As you can see below, the iPhone does better in some areas and worse in others. On SunSpider, it produced the best scores I've seen on any smartphone. It does well on single-threaded activities in Geekbench and keeps up with the Snapdragon in multi-threaded tests. It does significantly better in Basemark X, but not in 3DMark. The long and short of it is that you shouldn't feel like switching from one flagship phone to another simply because it has more cores; Apple holds its own against the strongest competition, and it still has the advantage of having 64-bit support on both hardware and firmware for at least a short period of time -- at least, until <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/25/android-l/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">Android L</a> comes out and more chipsets integrate 64-bit support.<br /></div>
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<tr><th style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px; padding: 5px 10px; text-transform: uppercase;">IPHONE 5S</th><th style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px; padding: 5px 10px; text-transform: uppercase;">IPHONE 6</th><th style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px; padding: 5px 10px; text-transform: uppercase;">IPHONE 6 PLUS</th></tr>
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<tr><td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;"><strong>3Dmark Unlimited IS</strong></td><td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;">14,899</td><td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;">16,689</td><td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;">17,902</td></tr>
<tr><td style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;"><strong>Geekbench 3 (multi-thread)</strong></td><td style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;">2477</td><td style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;">2885</td><td style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;">2803</td></tr>
<tr><td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;"><strong>Basemark X</strong></td><td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;">14,404</td><td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;">15,572</td><td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;">16,538</td></tr>
<tr><td style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;"><strong>SunSpider 1.0 (ms)</strong></td><td style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;">449</td><td style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;">351</td><td style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;">388</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="4" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 18px; padding: 7px 10px;"><small style="font-size: 11px;">SunSpider: lower scores are better</small></td></tr>
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The iPhone 6 series also comes with an upgraded motion coprocessor called the M8, which adds barometer support in addition to the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass. Since barometers can sense the variance in air pressure, this means you can now measure changes in elevation. Those measurements, in turn, will get added to the new iOS Health app.</div>
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Another interesting side effect of the size difference is how they manage thermal heat dissipation. Since it's the smaller of the two, the iPhone 6 got noticeably toastier than the Plus when playing games -- in fact, I rarely had any problem with the Plus getting warm.</div>
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If you're having trouble choosing between the 6 and its extra-large twin, battery life may be the ultimate deciding factor. It's no secret that the Plus comes with a larger battery and therefore longer runtime than the 6, but how much of a difference will it make? Turns out, a noticeable one. In our video-playback tests, the 6 lasted 10 hours and 19 minutes; that's actually worse than the 5s results from last year, which managed to go for 10:50. The iPhone 6 Plus, on the other hand, still had 14 percent battery left when the 6 died. All told, it lasted almost 12 hours. Both of these results are lower than Apple's claims, but likely are the outcomes of different testing methods.<br /><br /><img src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/486ffd40498aa66527af7fff94852bb3/200771195/iPhone_6-22-630.jpg" /><br /></div>
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But tests are tests: Real-world performance is where it's at. And this is where the Plus truly shines. In my usage tests, I do a little bit of everything on the phone: calls, games, email, social networking, e-book reading, the works. After all that, I got through a full 17-hour workday with just 3 or 4 percent battery life remaining. On the 6, I managed to squeak out around 13 hours. With moderate to light usage, you should expect to see the Plus get roughly a day and a half, if not more.</div>
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Both iPhones come in two versions with different sets of wireless frequencies, so you'll want to be aware of the <a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">differences</a>. The first option comes with support for 16 LTE bands, while the second takes the same 16 and adds four more bands for a total of 20. This is the most I've ever seen included in one specific model. I usually list out which bands are covered on which devices, but let's face it: If the 20-band option doesn't include your specific needs, very few other phones likely will. The latter will ensure the most coverage globally, and will be sold in more places; in the US, however, you'll only find this version on Sprint and US Cellular. Every model will come with penta-band HSPA+ and quad-band GSM/EDGE, and there's also a CDMA variant that comes with those frequencies as well.</div>
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The new iPhones also support <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/02/ios-8-wifi-calling/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">WiFi calling</a> with 802.11ac compatibility (in addition to the usual a/b/g/n), both of which have been a long time coming. WiFi calling, which offers high-quality phone calls over your wireless router, is a carrier-dependent feature. T-Mobile is the only network that currently supports it in the US, though AT&T plans to support it sometime next year. Meanwhile, 802.11ac compatibility ensures that your iPhone isn't a network bottleneck like it once was; its theoretical max speed is now 433 Mbps. Most customers don't get speeds this fast from their ISPs, but at least the speed limit is no longer low enough to have a negative impact on your internet experience.</div>
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THE COMPETITION<br /><img src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/1e9364a0e173e0de90abb63415b66a55/200767092/iPhone_6_Note-3-630.jpg" /><br /><div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">
At 4.7 inches, the iPhone 6 is still technically smaller than most modern-day flagships. Samsung's Galaxy S5 is 5.1 inches; the HTC One M8 is 5.0; the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/11/moto-x-review-2014/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">new Moto X</a> is 5.2; and the LG G3 is 5.5, just to name a few. So if you pine for a top-of-the-line phone that's larger than the iPhone 5s, but smaller than any of the aforementioned heroes, the iPhone 6 will be a great fit. From a</div>
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If you're looking at the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, however, the competition is fiercer -- at least, if you care less about the OS and more about what you can do with the screen size. The <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/03/samsung-galaxy-note-4-hands-on/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">Samsung Galaxy Note 4</a> is coming early next month, and since it'll have a 5.7-inch Quad HD display, it'll be a tad shorter, wider and thicker; however, it'll also have straight sides, which provide a firmer grip than the rounded edges on the 6 Plus. You can also get the LG G3, which has a higher-resolution 5.5-inch Quad HD display. Heck, if you're extremely adventurous, you could get a <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/18/nokia-lumia-1520-review/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;">Lumia 1520</a>, which is a 6-inch Windows Phone with even sharper edges than the Plus.</div>
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Eventually, both iPhones will be available globally, but it's only coming to a handful of countries at launch. Each one will come in three color choices (space gray, silver and gold) and three storage sizes: 16GB, 64GB and 128GB. The latter storage option is the most I've seen built into a smartphone (internally, at least) though the mid-tier should be plenty for most users -- especially now that it's doubled in size. The iPhone 6 will start at $199 on-contract ($649 retail) for 16GB, and go up to $299 ($749) and $399 ($849) for the 64GB and 128GB models, respectively. The iPhone 6 Plus is $100 more than its smaller sibling, so prices start at $299 ($749) and go up to $499 ($949).</div>
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WRAP-UP<br /><img src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/8cab7a7f04d8f71ed0c30c04f1e086ee/200767095/iPhone_6_family-10-630.jpg" /><br /><div style="color: #4a4a4a; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">
For the first time, iPhone fans can enjoy something Android users have taken for granted: choice. Until this year, buying a high-end iPhone wasn't a tough decision. You either bought it or you didn't. Now there are two to choose from, and while they look identical, each has its own set of trade-offs that you need to weigh: The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 features a respectable display size and a comfortable in-hand fit; it's also my personal favorite after using both for several days. The 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, on the flipside, isn't as easy to hold in one hand, but you'll want it if you're hoping to get an iPad-like phone with great battery life and a lot more screen real estate.</div>
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This year's iPhones aren't groundbreaking, nor are they perfect. But they demonstrate something far more important to Apple's success in the long run: freshness. Apple ditched the tried-and-true square design (which I've always been fond of) for a more rounded, modern look; it added features that should've been there ages ago (NFC, anyone?); and it made the phones large enough to start competing in a hotly contested space. No doubt about it, the iPhone needed to grow in size and function, and it did just that. Fortunately, it made the leap before it was too late.</div>
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<em>Photos by <a href="http://www.lipmanphoto.com/" style="color: #3399cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Will Lipman</a>.</em><em> Art Director: Joseph Volpe</em></div>
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stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-59683195989247273472014-08-18T14:24:00.005-04:002014-08-18T14:26:16.951-04:00Tips for Growing Your Small Business<br />
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Richard Branson's Tips for Growing Your Small Business</h1>
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<b>ENTREPRENEUR</b><br />
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RICHARD BRANSON<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">CONTRIBUTOR - </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center; text-transform: initial;">Author and Founder of Virgin Group<br />Read the entire article:</span></div>
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http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224252<br />
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<time style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; display: block; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 12px; text-transform: uppercase;">AUGUST 27, 2012</time><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="sec1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2093d2; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 30px; outline: 0px;"></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 30px;"></span><br />
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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When you're starting out with a small business and an enthusiastic team, it's relatively easy to keep the focus on details and high-quality service, with a light touch. But how can you retain the passion and attention to detail after your business becomes established, successful and larger?<br />
In past columns, I've mentioned how we grew our music businesses by splitting them, creating smaller units so we could maintain that vibe and hunger. By the time we sold to EMI, Virgin Records was made up of several small independent labels, which fostered healthy competition among them for new bands.</div>
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This approach wouldn't work with some of our other companies that require scale and size to compete against much larger rivals. So we've had to adapt our businesses to maintain Virgin's innovative spirit, especially when we have grown through acquisition or international expansion.</div>
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Virgin America is a good case. This upstart airline in the U.S. is renowned for its high-tech planes, quirky marketing and fabulous crew. This summer it will celebrate its fifth birthday. We have more than 2,500 staff members already, and there are no signs of growth slowing. We must work hard to keep the enthusiasm that marked our early development. To do it, David Cush, the CEO, embarks on an annual training program known as "Refresh." The point is to keep our teams up to date and connected, which prevents them from becoming complacent or settling for the status quo.</div>
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Recently I hosted a conference with a number of fast-growing U.K. companies. One of the speakers was Richard Reed, a founder of Innocent, the British maker of smoothies and soft drinks. Richard founded the business with two friends, Adam Balon and Jon Wright, in 1998. Since then the business has grown to 200 million pounds (about $315 million) in annual sales, and Coca-Cola has come in as a majority shareholder. Still, the founders have managed to retain that spirit of innovation and fun that marked their beginning.</div>
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It's fascinating how they managed to keep their magic formula after the big investment. I'll try to summarize what they did because I believe there are many lessons in their experience for entrepreneurs around the world.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">First</span>, know your mission. At Virgin this was often about shaking up the established markets and providing something of great value and service. In Innocent's case it was about creating great juices to help people lead healthier lives – and doing this in a fun way.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Second</span>, make sure you get the basic structure right. Know what you are going to do. Many times partners can provide the back office, the infrastructure or the raw materials. By building strong relationships with such suppliers, you are free to scale the operations without heavy calls on your capital.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Third</span>, get the right team at the top. It's hard to get this right first time. Many small businesses fail to grow because they don't identify team members who can no longer keep up. It's sometimes necessary to part company with senior managers who cannot develop the businesses, painful as that may be.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Fourth</span>, a strong purpose and a sense of ethics give the company a solid foundation. In Innocent's case the focus was on leaving the planet a little better than they found it. This simple but effective message resonates with both staff and customers, whether they number 10 or 500 people.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Fifth</span>, no matter how big you are, details count. Just as I remain obsessive about traveling on our planes and visiting our businesses with my notebooks to chat with staff and check the little touches that make our experience unique, Richard Reed and his partners do the same. They regularly check everything from the lids on their bottles – which ask customers to "enjoy by" and not "use by" a certain date – to the carpets in their offices, which are a distinctive Astroturf.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Finally</span>, listen to your customers and act on what you hear. I've always asked our staff for their views and now I track our social media channels to see how our business and brand are doing. Innocent makes a virtue of asking their customers for their views. They use the feedback to inform growth and keep them connected.</div>
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Not one of these steps is hard to do on its own. The key to transitioning smoothly from a small business to a big one is stringing all six steps together to make it happen.</div>
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stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933983161804674821.post-30690358991053278952014-08-05T12:55:00.002-04:002014-08-05T12:55:29.936-04:008 Ecommerce Mistakes that are Costing You Sales<h1 class="title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; line-height: 36px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
8 Ecommerce Mistakes that are Costing You Sales<br /><span class="posted" style="border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Posted: <time datetime="2014-08-04T14:08:33-04:00" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">08/04/2014 2:08 pm EDT </time></span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;"></span><span class="updated" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Updated: <time datetime="2014-08-04T17:59:05-04:00" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">08/04/2014 5:59 pm EDT</time></span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ian-mills/" rel="author" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #683db9; font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="name fn" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ian Mills</span></a><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;"> </span><span class="teaser" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.6;">Co-Founder and CEO, Magicdust</span><div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
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</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px;">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.</span><span style="font-size: small;">Number:</span><br /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">8. A Lack of Customer Service Options</strong></h1>
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You should provide multiple ways for your customers to get help. <b>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.</b></div>
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Steer clear of these common 8 ecommerce mistakes and you can enjoy higher conversion rates as well as happier customers. If you are looking to start an online store or you're already an experienced ecommerce retailer but want to make sure you are handling the fundamentals, this checklist for any <a href="http://www.magicdust.com.au/ecommerce-websites/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #683db9; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">ecommerce website</a> is a great resource.<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">7. Poor Site Search Functionality</strong><br />
Let's say a visitor finds your website through a search for "wool socks". Once on your website they want to find "blue wool socks for men". If your site can't refine a list of products based on variation options, your customer will need to spend time manually browsing your catalog. The longer the user experience the less likely the purchase.<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6. Lack of Payment Options</strong><br />
While credit or debit card is still the most common way to pay for online purchases, the usage of alternative payment methods such as Paypal, e-wallets and mobile is growing, making up over <a href="http://smallbusinessfocus.com.au/the-rise-of-alternative-payments/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #683db9; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">40% of all online transactions</a>. This percentage is expected to rise, eclipsing traditional payment methods by 2017. With 50% of online customers saying that they wouldn't complete checkout if their preferred way to pay wasn't available it's important to make sure your ecommerce website doesn't miss out on these transactions.<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Not Clearly Showing Delivery Costs</strong><br />
Unexpected costs are the number one reason for cart abandonment. Don't let your shipping costs come as a nasty surprise to your visitors. All delivery rates should be clearly explained, ideally with various options for your customers to choose from, allowing them to decide whether cost or speed is more important.<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Not Allowing Guest Checkout</strong><br />
Forcing a customer to register for an account before placing an order adds extra steps to the checkout process and lengthens the time it takes for a visitor to place an order - both of which directly reduce sales conversion rates.<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Complicated Checkout Process</strong><br />
Research into online buyer behavior consistently shows that the fewer steps in the checkout process the better. These steps should be designed to provide an intuitive and straightforward experience, guiding the customer through basket, delivery and payment details. Don't neglect to include an order confirmation page with any relevant reference numbers, estimated shipping dates and customer service contact details.<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Poor Quality Product Images</strong><br />
Do your product images show your item from all angles? Are they clear and high quality? Where possible, include images of your product in use which can make them seem more tangible and desirable in a shopping environment where the customer can't actually touch the product themselves.<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Not Enough Product Information</strong><br />
Online customers do more product research than ever when making a purchase decision. Your product pages should contain all details about the product as well as answer any questions the customer might have relating to its use.</div>
stephanie Dickson handmadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742837638897739200noreply@blogger.com19