Will 2014 Be The Year to Rebrand Your Small Business?

Products and services change all the time. Some upgrade from their former "look" into something more contemporary. For example, McDonald's going from the place where there's Ronald McDonald and gang (see Ronald McDonald and friends, also known as, the "second most happiest place on earth" for children and toddlers alike) to the hip,chic, and bistro-esque like atmosphere we see today. McDonald's went,as far as, pushing aside those plain or cream and sugar coffees to updating their beverage menu with names like McFrappe or McCafe. Nice. I know. Add a little wi-fi. Change the decor and you have an pretty much have "rebranded" your brand,not only your current customers, but to new customers as well. Another example, Old Spice(NYSE:PG)(see Old Spice commercial) the brand is 70-years old and has used the proper balance of social media and clever viral marketing at 
it's finest. Even for a brand that many associate with their grandfather's deodorant. You have to admit Old Spice didn't change it's logo it changed it's experience. So, looking forward into the new year Read More...



  - Financial Profitude
"The Essential Blog to help Start-ups & Small Businesses grow"

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Is Location-based Mobile Marketing where you want to focus on for your target audience?

When we think of marketing we consider the five commonly used ways to get our business out to the business community and abroad.We try email,word-of-mouth,broadcast advertising,
direct, and now the big one "viral" marketing. Believe it or not in 2013, small businesses are still trying to navigate not so much their online presence,but their presence in the mobile market as well. According to EConsultancy,  mobile now accounts for 12 percent of Americans’ media consumption time, triple its share in 2009. This translates, not immediately into sales, but more eyes on your business not, only hourly, but right up to the minute you post or add something new website, even if you're a local retailer. It is exposure you can't pass up. Retailers who have apps of their own retain 5 times more engagement, and as smartphone use increases upward of 3 million users every month. The competition for the eyes and buying power of your average customer is getting fierce. Now, I know I could get into the whole breakdown by demographic or targeted audience, but what I find interesting in my research is that 74% of U.S. consumers use location-based services on their smartphones and 46% of mobile smartphone users use location-based services (Source:Pew Internet & American Life Project) Why? You ask. Well, mobile users are a 'tailor based' set of customers that expect to see what they want, when they want and in the format they want it in. So, take heed to some key points from the following information:

• 84% of mobile users use mobile devices for search while shopping
• Depending on the kinds of marketing: day-time,device,and location and OS(operating system) targeting each can assist with your campaign and give insight into location,when users are reading your adverts, and the device their reading them from.
• Keep adapting to your customer. How? Change how your messaging and the images you're using in your content. 

 Jeff Bezos,founder of Amazon once said " Real estate is the key cost of physical retailers.That's why there's the old saw: location,location,location

Real estate is the key cost of physical retailers. That's why there's the old saw: location, location, location.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jeffbezos450017.html#WdEuCdQ0RmKqITXB.99

Real estate is the key cost of physical retailers. That's why there's the old saw: location, location, location.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jeffbezos450017.html#WdEuCdQ0RmKqITXB.99

     
 -Financial Profitude

"The Essential Blog to help Start-up & Small Businesses Grow"

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The Use of Instagram for you Small Business

     The Use of Instagram for you Small Business                            
         

It is a way of life now. Take a picture.Snapshot. Whatever you like and you'll be the apple of someone's eye. I never appreciated the market value of a photo until I realized I was in the sphere of those companies insistent on moving through the barriers of being labeled as a plain cut out of their former self. Prepackaged monoliths we all have come to know and purchase from Target (TGT) , Walmart (WMT) ,etc., For small business- it's Instagram. By the popularity of  Instagram(IG,for short) catapulted this social application tailored to the vain. However, in the public domain image is everything for a company. A company can go from local to mobile to being the top 10 small businesses tweeted about or even better -  'IG'ed( similarly pronounced to "ID'ed ). No longer you have to worry about scanning the qr code. The ability to use a hashtags will be all you need to build brand awareness. Don't forget to share your photo with other social networks that also use hashtags. What is means for your business is that you connect with your audience,but we are not attempting to play air guitar as we shuffle through market reports and PPE's. As a small business establishing your brand on Instagram the key is to take pictures and use a designated hashtag to group all of these images together or use your handle when publishing the image. The hastag is this symbol "#". Remember your approach to using this app should be for events and company photos that will not only illustrate your cool looking kiosk or new product. Although, snapping a picture of which couldn't hurt. Customers are always curious about the where and when of a products release or availability. Go with the idea that you are generating a buzz ----- that is worth a million words.

- Financial Profitude
" The Essential Blog to help Start-ups & Small Businesses Grow"

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HAPPY SMALL BUSINESS WEEK!!!! LET US HELP YOU CELEBRATE!

To commemorate National Small Business Week. We at Financial Profitude recognize the amazing small business community and their contribution to the American experience. From the shoe repair shop to the merchant marketing firm with 5 to 30 employees or more. These successful individuals,and owners really carve out the niche for what it means to dedicate an idea to our society as a whole. More than 60 percent of new jobs each year come from small businesses.  At Financial Profitude, you help us,help you get the word out to any and every individual as humanly possible. So if whether you are a rural or urban restaurant with unique flare to your recipes, or a new start-up looking for additional funding for any of your business needs. (feel free to click to let us know).

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WHY NOT PROVIDE YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH A DISCOUNT? CUSTOMER LOYALTY PROGRAMS ARE THE WAY TO GO!!!

                                                                  (CLICK TO ENLARGE)


We'll explore and share a bit of information about Customer Loyalty Programs. Let's say,you walk around the nearest local pharmacy store.Select all the products you would normally purchase on any given routine bi-monthly splurge on various products.Well...here comes the good part.You view a line being formed at the dreaded check out counter.You think to yourself "this will be pretty quick".To the contrary, you are now waiting with great regret that the lady with only a carton of her favorite cubed soap brand is there fiddling with what looks like a plethra of plastic candy wrappers connected to a long key chain. And you say to yourself. Oh geez! This customer couldn't possibly be saving anything today on any of the items in the store.In a voice of angst and frustration, you mumble something like "Oh please will ya hurry up". If this is you. You'd be wrong. You probably have one or two of those little cards of discount bliss because...YOU. Yes, you.The small business owner on a quick trip before you reach home. You understand the value of a good deal while taking advantage of the 10% to 20% percent off on a specific product of your choice.My choice.Well, that's easy.It's the "sweets" in aisle 5.I'll give you a hint.Junk food. Nonetheless,we'll save that for a whole other factoid or article on small businesses and confectioner goods franchise opportunities. Now, as a small business owner. You think this card has no relevance to a business such as yours. Again, you might beg to differ once I explain a bit more in detail of the benefits of a customer loyalty program. These cards of marketing sorcery can be extremely valuable to your companies bottom line as well. Just think, rewarding your primary customer base for their dedicated and routinely repeat business is a golden opportunity to not only create a relationship on a first name basis, but target your key demographic. You'd be surprised.No, amazed at the level of customers who are gathered from emails requesting their personal information to join of these customer loyalty programs. By the way, these programs, as a small business owner, save you more money than promotional mailings. Not bad. According to Experian  Marketing Services, emails that are targeted to customers, Experian has found the following: 29% higher transactions rates, 22% higher click rates, 11% higher revenue per email, and 40% higher open rates. So start a program today. In this day and age,you can't afford not to.The future shrieks newer technology for all areas of industry,especially business at every turn. Here's a tip: Generate an app for your customers.Therefore, you'll not only help them save.You'll be able to communicate directly with the customers and cast a wide net over a percentage of customers who may or may not know of your business.Use these little demographic keylets of marketing bliss(customer loyalty card/program)and see how the success of your small business using this new technology can help you grow your business. Good Luck!

Financial Profitude
"The Essential Blog to help Start-ups and Small Businesses grow"



Source: BFS

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DOES YOUR SMALL BUSINESS HAVE CASH RESERVES IN CASE OF EMERGENCY?

 There is a constant,tireless thought that goes through a business owners mind. The question lingering like the emotional high of a strong scent of urgency. It is the question,as a small business owner of "Do I have enough in cash reserves". You would think this is key when financially planning for all your personal finances.Why wouldn't it be the same for your small business? Well, it should. Let's consider some areas which will bring the imperative to light starting with- Late payments. It's nice to know you have access to companies who deal in  third-party payment processing. Who,if not these knights of customer driven failed financial obligation. Maybe an agressive means will have to take place such as filing a small claim(expensive),contacting a collection agency or other. You get the picture. In cases of late payments make sure that you keep an eye on the small orders,these orders can add up,in turn can cost you a pretty coin later. This is why your cash reserves can and will play a pivotal role in lifting you up from out of the rock and hard place. Slow business periods. It is highly likely you have experienced this within the past 2 years of the recent economic downturn. However, in times like these if you have a cash reserve you can dip into it for a bit extra money that is essential to pay for utilities,suppliers, and employee staff. Unexpected Expenses are an extremely common when considering your cash reserves. You never know when your servers or power supplies burnout, windows broken due to unexpected harsh weather conditions(based on your region of the U.S.),or any emergency repair which may be necessary to fix within a 24 hour period.

 Source: BFS

 - Financial Profitude
"The Essential Blog to help Start-ups and Small Businesses Grow"

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What to wear? Do you know someone who is a fashion designer or is it you? Read more....to find out about money for your new startup.

Office attire? Business casual? Black tie.No matter the ocassion, I try to differentiate from those who are wearing name brands to those individuals who are drawn to clothing that compliments their personality and provides an  bold, striking, and stylish poise. A breif and somewhat true statement is that "it's not always the clothes that make the man, it's his designer...of course." Tom Ford. Fioravanti Kiton K-5 . Name your worth. Well, designers are necessary. They dress us. They are everywhere. From various reality t.v. shows to the movies. Think James Bond. Barney Stinson(see Neil Patrick Harris). To maintain a presence from the board room to the evening engagements we are required to attend either for a special cause or a casual dining experience with a special someone. The idea that we dress ourselves is ridiculous. Fashion designers give us the "edge" and confidence to speak to a room full of people even when we are feeling a tad bit"off-centered". Every now and then, we here at Financial Profitude have a go, and write a piece which let's us, let our hair down and unbutton our shirt(only the 2 buttons closest to the neckline). No nudity..whew! We appreciate the canvas of colors which clothing designers envision that adorn the palettes of seasons during Spring,Summer,Fall,or Winter when it comes to our dress,style, and more.We also know there are great business opportunities for those who would like to show off their skill. We find that in the world of fashion with great ideas comes great design in each subcategory of the fashion industry. You. Yes, you could be looking to start a company in the fashion industry, whether it's in senior clothing, handbag design and manufacturing, or fragrance business. Think it about...the next time a high-profiled celeb, t.v. actor or actress is asked on the red carpet "Who are they wearing". (insert your name here) Will be the name they say...think about it. 

We know of some people who can help: Fashion Designers are welcome

- Financial Profitude
"The Essential Blog to help Start-ups & Small businesses grow"

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Key Points to Remember when Hiring and Retaining the Best and Brightest Employees?

Can you imagine you're a small business owner ? You're dealing with price points,sales,marketing and overall building the brand you desire. You're perceived by your local community as hardworking, fair, and a responsible business owner. But wait....what about how you're perceived by your employees. I bet the thought rarely,if ever, crosses ones mind about their employees. In this economy,each employee carries a skillset,which notably shouldn't go unnoticed. With turnover ratios doubling due to what the industry considers "limbo grads"(define: individuals currently, seeking a degree in a specialized field while working ). The thought comes to mind, that if you want to continue to be competitive, you will need to continue to attract the best talent. Just think,your employees are your most valuable asset. Your lifeblood. Whether you are in retail or one of the top 20 of the Fortune 400. Your employees look to you as a cornerstone of their success. Yes,......believe it or not they are very much so tied to it. Recently, I had an conversation with business owner and close friend who heads a company with approximately 25 full-time employees. He asked me about what I thought what are some examples of businesses that succeeded regardless of the ecomony and what state it is in, I gave what an honest and-----from my view a clear observation of what other business owners have done to increase their productivity,and stay positive during their daily interactions with their staff. For one, being the boss doesn't mean being a jerk. You can be sociable, easy-going, and difficult. You have to take into account the many things employees current and prospective want out of work. Obviously, money. The strongest motivator of productivity and customer-staff engagement. To retain these "new" or current employees you will need to increase your incentives. Some examples, a round of golf or tickets to a ballgame,a gift certificate,a contest which will provide the employee with a mini plaque or award. The key here is to display your appreciation. Recognition is another important way to attract and retain your most valuable asset: your employees. Listening. Yes, this one sounds easy, however, much harder to execute when you're making leaps and bounds in growing your company and day-to-day up and downs. Now, on a final note, you understand money is an important factor in your providing your employees a great experience to become more productive and increase company profitability. These are just some of the factors that go  into attracting and balancing a good staff equation,which in turn will create an environment that is a great place to work. Master the balancing act and great employees with great skills will want to work for your company. Brands are not just a name they are a reputation. Not with just your clients but also with staff and those with great talent.


- Financial Profitude

"The Essential Blog to help  Start-ups and Small businesses grow"

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How will the new credit card "Swipe Fee" affect your small businesses bottom line?

In life we are all affected by something. Our daily lives chained to one another by a link of buy or sell. The economy with all it's imperfections is maintaining an edge within the U.S. This past year,around Christmas time retailers and consumers alike heard of this "monster on the hillside" called the Fiscal Cliff---(eerily dark fanfare). Luckily, it is not as bad as we thought. However, retailers in most industries are rolling out the "Now Hiring" signs and a recovery is definitely in the works over the next couple of months. So, now what  may or may not be an "unattractive" move made by the two major credit card issuers.Now, many small business and major retailers are grappling if they should pass this fee off to the customer.Currently, ten states have banned the merchant "swipe fee". As the major retailers, Target and Walmart have emphasized they have no intention of  passing on such a fee. You have to think next about mid-to-small businesses possibly approving of this credit reform policy and the benefits which might be available. Here is one example,the new fee could help expand promotional and marketing opportunities for your small business,which may offer discounts for consumers who pay in cash. As a small business, you can offer incentives for consumers who use alternative forms of payment such as debit cards, and alternative payment solutions, even PayPal. All of which, I may add, is a gamble, and as a responsible informative business owner myself I would not want to alienate my core client and customer base. However, the opportunities are there to benefit from such a fee. Please share or leave a comment providing fellow entrepreneurs with any insight as to how this new fee will affect your business.

- Financial Profitude
"The Essential Blog for Start-ups and Small Businesses"

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Human Resource Compliance- Top 5 issues Start-ups face within their new business

Human Resource compliance, a serious and costly issue for most entrepreneurs who usually focus solely on product and growth. The average entrepreneur can get sidetracked by the daily responsibilities of his or her business. So, now we must ask a critical question --
how do they know what issues to look for in order to protect their company? To answer that question we must explore the Top 5 issues entrepreneurs will experience if human resource compliance is non-existent within their organization. 

   1.  Unaddressed exposure to workplace litigation

Example: The EEOC(Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) released a study,which highlighted race and sexual discrimination as the most prevalent forms of workplace discrimination. These kinds of discrimination are disasterous to the social environment and cause a decrease in productivity. If the environment is extremely toxic, a combination of an ill-trained managerial staff when dealing with these these types of workplace discrimination and misinterpretation of all the employment law & policy; can and will lead to wrongful ter-   minations. Studies show that a company's legal costs in a wrongful termination lawsuit can run up to 85,000,and the winning plaintiffs receive average judgements averaging 500,000.

   2.  Not following current benefit regulations and laws

Think about it. Any small startup with anywhere between 0-9 employees, who offers retirement and even health benefits. Keeping up with these new laws and regulations can be daunting. There are steps, such as the following: required notices and documents must be provided to employees, and all government filings must be completed; the required test must be conducted; and plan provisions must be properly applied. What's even more daunting is just dealing with the names alone a soup of acronym after acronym. For example, FMLA,COBRA,HIPPA and a host of others. 

   3.   Multiple HR Compliance policies and procedures to follow with no qualified guidance.

For a majority of start-ups that operate with little or no additional employees at all. Usually, there is a person called an HR generalist,which is nice term for an individual who wears many hats. In addition, to taking on the responsibilities such as, compensation and benefits, HR management, labor relations, legal issues, staffing, HRIS, training, and much more. I believe the old adage still stands today "ignorance of the law is no defense" this definitely applies when a company is faced with an audit, an investigation from a government agency, and of course, litigation. These HR generalist who are spreading themselves thin can lead to wrong decisions about crucial employee issues and result in significant consequences for your business. 

  4.   Paperwork administration results in substantial errors

If a company doesn't have access to online services and must deal with hard copies,errors can multiply. For example, when an employee undergoes a life change status and alters his or her benefits selections, benefits and payroll must be adjusted accordingly, and within the legally required timeframe. All of these administration processes tend to live in different parts of your business, and yet they're utterly dependent upon one another to function under work environment. So, it is definitely crucial for administration to be equipped with the proper tools via online or through a reliable source to handle these employee changes with ease and clarity.

  5.  Lack of HR function coordination

The functions of payroll and benefits in regards to recordkeeping, and coordinating with both employee and vendor is a "rehashed" thought in the scope of an HR generalist daily responsibilities. Everything needs to work in sync. For the correct amount of deductions for benefits to be taken out of an employee's paycheck , accurate information must flow to and from payroll. If for whatever reason this does not happen. Employees like us(their bosses) notice errors and then only, then valuable time is wasted to implement corrections. I know, you're saying to yourself "Oh, but there is payroll software products now available". You're right. However, this still does not address the limited HR generalist ability to administer or integrate in a timely manner all of the payroll and benefit functions. One, of the obvious reasons, is that in addition to making the payroll software run properly according to your businesses monthly requirement to deal with compliance issues. You, as the owner,co-founder,founder will still need to schedule fielding calls communicate and transmit infor-
mation to their benefits recordkeeper. In addition the payroll software will need to be upgraded. Just imagine the amount of upgrades that are NOT covered by your original software warranty or contract. The cost can get out of control. No entrepreneur, especially of your caliber wants to deal with such a hassle. TRINET can provide the required service to push your business to what should be the best in online HR management. 
   

 

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TriNet - helping your small business grow

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As you scour the internet you come across a myriad of great business articles that remind you about how you unique you are regionally. The interesting thing about this perspective is that it's clearly a thought for which you solely acknowledge and would like to change. Well, thinking beyond your immediate region in the West is a great way to entertain that thought. However, you also need "action". Your start-up may one day have to compete with a second or third tier - company. Let's say you're a mobile tech company. The global image of your brand will only solidify your businesses future. Might I add, you're going to want to pull out all the stops to make you a serious competitor. A global business market strategy is what will push your business to new heights. There is no turning a blind eye to building your brand beyond the borders of the west. Therefore, you will need to hire talent who can deliver. Locally and globally. Go with a company who can provide this talent.  TriNet can deliver.Contact them today. 

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HAPPY 2013! LET 2013 REMAIN PROFITABLE. LET'S DISCUSS...

                       Happy New Year 2013 !!!

We overcame the Fiscal Cliff. We pulled together during this past year, not only as a nation, but also a world, for which we are seeing signs of recovery and effortless determination to fix old problems. It only can get better from here. At Financial Profitude, we are dedicated to improving our format to give new readers and subscribers a definitive take on what business services and products will be available, and how each can improve their bottom line. We hope to achieve this goal with clear, accurate information while breaking new ground attracting subscribers in the mobile world with a fully-functional; user-friendly app. We want you to have and expect more from our team. As the other up-to-the-minute blogs provide a new story daily. It is our goal to continue pick up the pace to give you new ideas, visions, and prospects for your start-up or small business goal in the New Year. Give us your attention and we'll do the rest.  

- Financial Profitude
"The Essential Financial Blog for Start-ups and Small businesses"

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