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LESSONS LEARNED: WHAT MILITARY SERVICE TAUGHT THESE VETERAN BUSINESS OWNERS

In honor of Veterans Day, 18 veteran business owners share valuable lessons learned from military service.

NOVEMBER 08, 2017

While protecting our country and way of life, U.S. military personnel learn key lessons along the way. Thanks to their military training, those veterans who choose to run their own businesses after serving may often have an advantage over the competition. The lessons veterans learn while working as cohesive, well-orchestrated teams for the U.S. military help empower them to be effective business leaders. Here 18 veteran business owners share the lessons they learned in the military that have led to business success.

The Power of Intense Focus

“There are times when a business owner is faced with situations that come with a lot of noise. My military background helps me stay on task and focused on getting from Point A to Point B. The ability to silence distractions is a critical business skill that allows me to quickly assess situations and identify solutions that yield positive outcomes. This ability to keep my bearings allows me as a veteran business owner to focus more on what people are saying rather than on how they say it.” —John O’Hara (U.S. Marine Corps), president of TOP/SF, a division of The O’Hara Project

Better Teamwork

“In order to achieve a mission, the military taught me that it takes a team watching each other’s backs while doing their individual best. That’s why the military has training exercises and holds everyone accountable. At my company, I ensure that we strategically choose team members and fully train them so they can offer their best efforts. Everyone is also held accountable for their work.” —Mike McKim (U.S. Navy), CEO and founder of Cuvee Coffee

“Being a Marine Corps fighter pilot taught me that taking care of your people allows them to take care of their work. No one goes it alone in the military and the same holds true for business. Teamwork builds successful companies.” —Ted Fienning (U.S. Marine Corps), co-founder of Babiators

“When I served in the U.S. Navy, I learned a lot about team bonding and working together as a cohesive unit. The stakes can be quite high when you’re in the military—literally life and death. You depend on one another for support. Fortunately, you don’t have to deal with as much potential danger in the business world as a veteran business owner. However, teamwork is still an important part of the process.” —Charles Dugan (U.S. Navy), CEO of American Image Displays

“The military produces individuals with uncanny adaptive thinking and a capacity and passion for continuing to learn. This learning environment focuses on personal development, as well as training and developing subordinates and peers. This acts as a force multiplier when a veteran is added to the staff. He or she ensures that the whole is performing well rather than focusing on the individual. This unwavering commitment to a greater cause becomes an ingrained ethos that can improve the work habits of the entire team.” —Lee Kirby (U.S. Army), president of Uptime Institute and founder of Salute Mission Critical

“Military service has a long, time-honored tradition of shaping individuals into rigorous, fulfilling, and organized team cohorts. The traditions, unification and determination of a solidified unit magnify the accomplishments of a group. If problems arise, they’re faced head-on, without reservation, and with the help of those around you.” —Terry Duncan (U.S. Marine Corps), president of Duncan Management Inc.

Advanced Leadership Skills

“I learned everything about being a leader from military service, including discipline, consistency, ethics and respect. I also learned how to care for others who were under me in rank. You can learn leadership and management skills anywhere, but the Army gives you the opportunity to learn it when you’re younger and carry the lifelong lesson of caring about others.” —Sami Ladeki, (U.S. Army), founder and CEO of Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza & Grill “Every day I use skills that I learned in the Navy. One method I learned is ‘distributed decision making.’ This involves pushing responsibility and accountability as far down in the organization as possible. This requires training and clear accountability. When executed well, this method promotes creativity and autonomy at many levels of the organization, rather than creating a bottleneck at the top ranks.” —Rob Eleveld (U.S. Navy), CEO of Whitepages Pro

Adaptability

“In the military, if something stays the same for too long, it starts to feel strange. You’re constantly moving to a new base, changing roles and deploying to different locations. In the private sector, change is also constant, especially in companies that strive to be ‘green and growing’ and look to improve. Our company has experienced constant change and continuous improvement over the past two years. Our military-like culture has helped us push through the changes quickly.” —Tim Best (U.S. Army), CEO of Bradley-Morris and RecruitMilitary

Superior Decision Making Skills

“Leaders would love to make decisions with perfect information, but that never happens. In the military, I learned to trust my ability to make decisions under pressure using what information I had available. For instance, in Afghanistan, while serving as an Army platoon leader, I picked up on the fact that we were about to be ambushed in time to make a decision that prevented casualties. As a veteran business owner, I’ve successfully used that same ability to make decisions under pressure.” —Mike Kim (U.S. Army), co-founder of KPOP Foods

Resourcefulness, Flexibility and Persistence

“Veterans bring a sense of resourcefulness, boldness and leadership not seen in employees with civilian backgrounds. They’ve been faced with the challenge of getting a job done without access to the resources that would ideally be available. This resourcefulness is a highly desirable employee trait for independent business owners trying to grow with limited resources at hand. Veterans also bring to the table a keen ability to stick through difficult tasks and see them through to completion.” —Patrick J. MacKrell (U.S. Marine Corps), president and CEO of New York Business Development CorporationVeterans bring a sense of resourcefulness, boldness and leadership not seen in employees with civilian backgrounds.

Patrick J. MacKrell, president and CEO, New York Business Development Corporation

“A veteran’s greatest skill is an uncanny and nearly unparalleled ability to independently solve complex tasks with little to no guidance. Service members are entrusted with missions of the utmost importance to national security and with the lives of their subordinates. They’re given tasks and told to ‘make it work.’ As such, veterans are accustomed to performing independently at the highest levels while under stress.”—Nicolas Campbell (U.S. Army), president of Stonewall Defense

“Veterans learn to pivot on a moment’s notice from plans that aren’t working to plans that are. Many people think military service is all about rigidity and following orders. That’s true—in part, but you also need to think and act flexibly. If your battle plan isn’t working, you pivot immediately to a plan that does.” —Paul Dillon (U.S. Army), owner of Dillon Consulting Services LLC

“Resilience is critical to business and fostered through military service. Nothing ever goes according to plan. Driving on, regardless of the magnitude, discomfort or surprise of the change is the only option.” —Ed Marsh (U.S. Army), owner of Consilium Global Business Advisors, LLC

“The military cultivates many traits that serve well in business. It champions collaboration, innovation, being nimble and problem solving. Innovation ends up being perpetuated as a function of people having to think on their feet. You never know what’s around the corner or what challenge will arise, but one belief that runs deep in the military is that ‘there is always a way.’ And when it comes to executing a mission, there’s a strong adherence to relying heavily on the collective creativity of the team to get the job done.” —Ed Borromeo, (U.S. Air Force), partner and COO at Tallwave

The Ability to Harness Processes and Procedures

“One of the most important things my Air Force training taught me was the importance of procedures and having processes. You don’t just hop into a plane and take it off the ground. There are many checks and safety inspections that have to be done, and a responsible pilot has to be accountable for all of it. As a veteran business owner, I take this same approach of rigorous training and safety precautions with my pest control company.” —Donnie Shelton (U.S. Air Force), owner, Triangle Pest Control

“My biggest lesson learned from the military that I apply to my business is to focus on the fundamentals. In the military, everything is built on the fundamentals. We would never be able to progress to conducting night live fire exercises if we weren’t able to shoot, move and communicate during the day.” —Nolan Martin (U.S. Army), creator of BudgetChaos.com

Extreme Discipline

“Starting and running your own business is the most all-consuming thing you can do, and I wouldn’t be able to get through it without the discipline the military instilled in me. Running on little sleep, having a no-quit attitude and preserving until the end are all attributes I can trace back to the military.” —Brady Speth (U.S. Air Force), CEO and owner of Riton USA

Photo: Getty Images

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Date: NOVEMBER 08, 2017

Do Your Houseplants Have Brown Leaf Tips?

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

Brown leaf tips on houseplants are a common problem with indoor gardens. If you’re bothered by brown, dry leaf tips, it’s good to know the reasons for the browning, and the solutions.

It may appear to be a disease, but brown leaf tips are usually from environmental conditions. Here are the top reasons why houseplant leaf tips burn and the solutions. Cause: Uneven watering Some houseplants are sensitive to periods of drought. When you forget about watering a plant and it gets too dry, the leaf tips will respond by drying out. Solution: Avoid letting houseplants dry out to the point of the plant being stressed. While you don’t want to overwater houseplants, as that can lead to root rot, try not to go to the other extreme. Water properly. Check your houseplants once or twice a week to see if they require watering. Cause: Sensitivity to certain substances in the water Chlorine, fluoride and sodium in the water all cause plants to get leaf tip burn. These substances are toxic to plants. Houseplants absorb them and then try to push them out of the leaves, which is how the leaf tip burn occurs. Solution: You can get chlorine to dissipate if you let the water sit for 24 hours. Fluoride and salts need to be filtered out of the water. For especially sensitive plants, use distilled or reverse osmosis water. Avoid using softened water, as it’s very high in salts.

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

Cause: Overfeeding Fertilizers have salts in them, and as mentioned above, those salts build up in soil and the plants try to push them out of the leaves. Salts are especially a problem in chemical fertilizers. Solution: Fertilize correctly. Use an organic fertilizer rather than a chemical one. Organic fertilizers are much lower in salts. In order to get rid of chemical fertilizer residue in houseplant soil, leach the plant. Let warm water run through the pot. This will rinse fertilizer buildup out of the soil.

Cause: Old soil Over time, salts and other harmful substances build up in potting soil. Remember that houseplants are captive in the same soil. Unlike outdoor plants, they can’t reach their roots into another area with fresher soil. Solution: When a plant is experiencing leaf tip burn and the water runs quickly through the pot when you water, it’s time to repot with fresh soil. Cause: Overly dry air Dry air and the low humidity conditions it brings can cause leaf tips to burn. This is especially a problem in heated homes during the cold months of the year. Solution: Most houseplants are from the floor of the jungle. That means that they do best in at least 50 percent humidity. You can raise the humidity level for your houseplants by grouping them together, as well as misting them and putting them on a humidity tray. Avoid letting dry air blow on houseplants. Keep them away from heating ducts.

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

Cause: Incorrect pH Many houseplants like an acidic soil, which is a pH of 6.4 to 6.8. Some areas of the country, such as the west, have alkaline water, which makes the soil less acidic over time. Solution: Transplant in fresh soil once a year for most houseplants. Some more sensitive plants, like African violets, require repotting twice a year. Using an organic, acid-based fertilizer also helps to keep the soil on the acidic side. It’s okay to cut burned leaf tips off While you’re solving the problems that created the leaf tip burn, it’s okay to cut off the bad parts of the leaves. Use sharp scissors to cut and reshape the houseplant leaves. Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: NOVEMBER 7, 2017

7 TIPS TO HELP ACHIEVE STRONG FOURTH QUARTER SALES

As holiday shopping begins, is your company on target for yearly sales projections? Try these strategies to help ensure you end the year in the black.

NOVEMBER 02, 2017

Ten months ago you most likely started the year with optimistic revenue projections. Now that fourth quarter sales are in full swing, it’s probably clear whether reality is meeting expectations. If you require significant fourth quarter sales to achieve your goals, you may still meet your initial projections. “There’s still time to ensure strong fourth quarter sales,” says Shlomo Bregman, founder and CEO of Bregman Success LLC, a sales training and marketing agency. “Many consumers are primed to open their wallets at this time of year. As a result, I’ve seen companies earn as much revenue in the last two months of the year as they have in the previous 10 months.” In addition to ensuring a positive year-end, strong fourth quarter sales set you on the right track for next year, believes Bregman. “A healthy fourth quarter creates hope and optimism within a company and more often than not leads to a strong start to the first quarter of the following business year.” Many companies’ fourth quarter sales are the highest, even though there’s less sales days than other times of the year, adds Manny Medina, CEO of the sales engagement platform, Outreach. “In order to have stellar fourth quarter sales, it’s important to line yourself up for success.” Consider these seven strategies for helping to ensure that your fourth quarter sales end on a high note.

1. Examine current sales figures.

In order to improve on fourth quarter sales, it’s a good idea to take a close look at your current numbers, suggests Eva Rosenberg, a tax education expert and author of Small Business Taxes Made Easy. “Update your accounting and compare your current profit and loss statement with last year’s at this time,” says Rosenberg. “Then determine how much more you need to earn this year and early next year to meet the targets you’d like to reach.”

2. Focus on month-end, rather than quarter-end sales.

Once you have current sales figures, determine how much more you’re projected to make for the year and break that amount up into months and weeks, advises Fred Gewant, chief revenue officer for Adaptive Insights, which produces a performance management business-to-business software. “If you look at every month-end as a quarter-end that will change the performance of your sales organization,” says Gewant. “When you manage sales on a monthly versus quarterly basis, there’s a level of accountability and focus that keeps performance aligned with sales goals.”

3. Follow up with unsold customers.

One of your best bets for healthy fourth quarter sales is selling to customers you’ve already vetted and presented with your sales pitch prior. “Make a list of all of your unsold prospects from the past year and follow-up with them,” suggests Bregman. “Start with the most recent, because you’ll have a better chance of closing with them.”

Giving customers something extra surprises and delights them and trains them to expect more.—Mike Schultz, president, RAIN Group

Brock Blake, CEO of the lender Lendio, agrees. “When time is of the essence, look for low-hanging fruit. Call back prospects from the previous quarter, offer an incentive or a rebate, or send out a mailer or email blast to build sales momentum.” Before you approach existing customers, get clear on their prior objections to buying, suggests Bregman. “Most customers have specific objections and reasons they articulate for not proceeding with a sale, such as high prices,” he says. “Compile a list of the most common objections and then craft responses that will help customers move past those objections.”

4. Market and sell existing overstock.

“You can often immediately boost fourth quarter sales by running a promotion on products that have been in less demand than you originally projected,” says Robert Ellis, CEO of Massage Tables Now, an e-commerce company that sells massage equipment and supplies. “Attempt to make a small profit or recoup the original capital invested in order to move old inventory and make room for products in higher demand.” Instead of just promoting products you know will sell this time of year, use this buying market to clear what James Thomson calls “stale inventory or overstock.” He is a partner at Buy Box Experts, a marketing agency for online sellers and author of The Amazon Marketplace Dilemma: A Brand Executive’s Challenge Growing Sales and Maintaining Control. “We find even small price discounts this time of year will motivate customers to buy practically anything, allowing you an easier time clearing out inventory in those dusty corners of your warehouse,” says Thomson.

5. Add value to your product offerings.

Mike Schultz, president at RAIN Group, which provides sales training and consulting, suggests increasing fourth quarter sales by offering clients extra value. “Many businesses will discount, but the trouble with this tactic is that it trains buyers to expect discounts,” says Shultz, who is also the author of Insight Selling. “Giving customers something extra surprises and delights them and trains them to expect more.”

6. Improve your marketing efforts.

With the race to Black Friday on, Thomson encourages brands and retailers to improve their SEO optimization. “Better product titles, bullet points, search keywords images and short educational/product demonstration videos help create higher visibility,” says Thomson. “This puts your products ahead of the millions of options yelling for attention and drives customer conversion.”

7. Keep an eye on the new year.

Medina cautions that it’s easy to get so focused on achieving strong fourth quarter sales that you might deplete your product pipeline and find yourself in a tough spot starting quarter one. “Of course you want to close as much business as possible in the last quarter, but also keep an eye on the new year,” he says. “We’ve found it useful to think about how our product can help customers start their year strong. Then we build messaging and campaigns around that.” Thomson recommends also stocking up for right after the holidays. “Remember that people often don’t receive all of the gifts they want, so there are often sales immediately after Christmas as people buy items for themselves.”

Photo: Getty Images

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Date: NOVEMBER 02, 2017

7 WAYS TO HELP PREVENT E-COMMERCE FRAUD DURING THE HOLIDAYS

With the holiday sales season just about here, protect your bottom line now by considering the following e-commerce fraud prevention tips.

OCTOBER 30, 2017

The holiday season can present a significant uptick in sales for many business owners. Unfortunately, it’s also during the holidays that companies are more likely to see an accompanying increase in e-commerce fraud. Overall, the incidence of holiday fraud is rising each year. According to The Forter/MRC Fraud Attack Index, fourth quarter U.S. online sales in 2016 were 79 percent more at risk of fraud than in 2015. (The index measures domestic and international transactions in apparel, luxury and digital goods, food deliveries and travel and hospitality.) E-commerce fraud increases are likely tied into the increase in EMV-chip technology at physical stores as fraudsters shift to card-not-present (CNP) transactions, believes Kimberly Sutherland. Sutherland is the senior director for fraud and identity management strategy for LexisNexis Risk Solutions, which offers risk management services. In 2017, retailers have seen the cost of online fraud increase significantly, notes Sutherland. “According to the 2017 LexisNexis True Cost of Fraud Study, [which surveyed 1,000 fraud executives], merchants that sell both online physical and digital goods experienced a significantly higher cost associated with their fraud losses—a 63 percent increase over 2016.”

Types of E-Commerce Fraud

There are two main types of e-commerce fraud for business owners to watch out for during the holiday season. Both types of fraud can significantly affect fourth quarter sales.

Friendly Fraud

“When a customer makes a purchase online for a product or service with a credit card, and then contacts the credit card issuer to dispute the charge in a believable way, that’s considered friendly fraud,” says Matthew Katz, CEO and founder of Verifi, a payment management and protection company. Friendly fraud tends to peak during the first quarter, notes Katz.

Having a good fraud protection system in place before the holiday season is in full swing is ideal.—Matthew Katz, CEO and founder, Verifi

“Unscrupulous consumers claim they never received purchased items, the products weren’t as described online, or they arrived damaged, which results in a refund,” he explains. “These losses put a huge dent in a retailer’s bottom line.” Friendly fraud is common during the holiday buying season, agrees Jared Ronski, co-founder of MerchACT, which offers merchant payment solutions. “Customers are making many purchases at once, which opens the door to both accidental and intentional friendly fraud,” he says. “Accidental fraud may occur if a customer didn’t remember placing an order. The person calls the credit card company, which initiates a costly chargeback.”

Identity Fraud

When cyber criminals target your e-commerce site using stolen credit cards, the losses can also be significant. “We see a fair amount of identity fraud,” says Rene Delgado, founder of The Bounce House Store. “Thieves steal credit cards and try to make purchases with them. We see an uptick of this type of fraud beginning in November, and it goes all the way through the holiday season.” There are e-commerce fraud risks associated with stolen identities of real people, as well as synthetic (fictitious and/or manipulated) identities, notes Sutherland. “Fraud schemes are forever evolving,” she says.

Steps to Help Prevent E-Commerce Fraud

E-commerce fraud may be rising, but there are steps you can take to prevent and minimize online fraud. The key is to manage and mitigate risk with a proactive rather than reactive approach, says Bradley Shaw, CEO of SEO Expert Inc., a digital marketing and e-commerce consulting company. “Solving the fraud problem requires a multi-layered approach to mitigate the risks,” adds Sutherland. The following measures can help prevent and minimize e-commerce fraud.

1. Use e-commerce fraud protection services.

“Having a good fraud protection system in place before the holiday season is in full swing is ideal,” says Katz. “Making sure all of your systems, including your chargeback management provider, are up-to-date is a great way to avoid any mishaps in the buying process for online shoppers.” Delgado agrees on the importance of having fraud prevention and chargeback protection. “The company we use inspects 100 percent of our transactions and validates that the orders are legitimate and not fraud,” she says. “They also provide peace of mind by offering a chargeback guarantee. If the company approves an order and our business receives a chargeback from a customer, the company covers 100 percent of the costs.”

2. Look for fraud protection that combines artificial and human intelligence.

Whatever fraud protection system you use, it’s a good idea to use one that combines machine learning and human experts to prevent fraud, believes Ronski. “Any additional insights that merchants can gather to help determine whether to approve or reject an order is always helpful.” But how do these systems help to reduce e-commerce fraud? “Fraud protection companies use advanced machine learning techniques combined with human intelligence to analyze tens of millions of transactions to identify patterns of fraudulent behavior,” Shaw explains. “AI by itself is not enough,” says Brad Wiskirchen, CEO of Kount, which provides solutions for fraud and risk management. “The key is the addition of the human element in order to calculate specific tolerance and risk levels. Such information provides real intelligence for retailers.”

3. Use verification technology.

“Leverage verification processes that look at both the physical and digital components of an identity, identifying the fraud risk associated with the bill-to and ship-to addresses, email address, phone number and even location of the order when submitted,” says Sutherland. Experts recommend employing an address verification system (AVS) to fight against e-commerce fraud. This verifies the address of the person who claims to own the credit card, which helps ensure that the transaction is valid. Card verification value (CVV) technology is also advised. This anti-fraud security feature is another layer of protection that can help ensure that the card user is in possession of the card.

4. Take advantage of email authentication.

“Email fraud is a common type of fraud,” says Alexander García-Tobar, CEO and co-founder of ValiMail, an email authentication company. “This includes fake email from a customer or a bogus email that looks like it’s coming from a supplier or bank. “The most destructive and hardest to detect is a message coming from a fake email address,” Tobar continues. “The only way to avoid this is to use email authentication with DMARC—Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance.” In addition to protecting you or an employee from clicking on a potentially damaging fake link, email authentication can help protect your domain from being misrepresented. “When you use email authentication, you ensure that your emails to customers are trusted and don’t get caught in SPAM filters,” says García-Tobar.

5. Identify the origins of transactions.

What sort of device an order is placed on can help you to screen for e-commerce fraud more effectively and accordingly, says Wiskirchen. “iPhones, iPads, Android devices, etc., all have different fraud profiles,” he explains. Device assessment is key to fraud prevention, according to Sutherland. “Device assessment helps merchants detect human versus bot interactions, flag malicious intentions and spotlight anomalies associated with account takeovers,” she explains. “Even when the identity and payment data are valid, the device risks identified may heighten the overall transaction risk.”

6. Ensure software systems are up-to-date.

Make sure you’re running the latest version of your operating system, advises Shaw. “Updates are continually released with security patches to prevent fraud. Newly discovered vulnerabilities, viruses and malware are a daily threat.”

7. Provide excellent customer service.

A good bet against friendly fraud is having excellent customer service. “Sometimes customers will attempt to chargeback a purchase simply because a merchant’s return policy is non-existent, hard-to-find or too complicated,” says Ronski. “Having a concise, well-defined return policy advertised on your website is important. It’s also important to offer multiple ways to reach a readily available customer service agent.” To provide customer service focused on making her customers feel safe and secure while shopping on her site, Delgado has her company phone number at the top of every website page. “It seems very simple and rudimentary, but we’ve noticed an uptick in consumer confidence just by having the phone number clearly visible at all points in our store,” she says. “We also partnered with a company that provides all of our customers with a shopping guarantee.” Read more articles on cybersecurity.

Photo: Getty Images

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Date: OCTOBER 28, 2017

Landscaping for Curb Appeal

(FreeImages.com/Melissa Dixon)

Selling your home or thinking about doing so in the future? It might be a good idea to spruce up the outdoors.

“One of the first things potential buyers notice when they pull up to your home is the outside lawn and landscape,” says Chris Lemcke, National Technical Director of Turf Holdings Inc. and Weed Man USA. “This first impression likely sets the tone in terms of what the rest of the house will look like. If the landscape is neat, tidy and well cared for, it’s likely the inside of the house is in a similar state,” says Lemcke. “Professional, appealing landscaping will typically add to a home’s value and can help homeowners sell more quickly.” Here Lemcke shares his top tips for creating a home with fabulous curb appeal. Make it simple “When completing any projects outside the house, especially to increase curb appeal, the simpler the better,” says Lemcke. “Most homebuyers are looking for things that are easy to manage.”

(FreeImages.com/Laura Leavell)

Prune and shape If you have existing overgrown trees and shrubs, a simple pruning and shaping will enhance your home’s curb appeal substantially. When pruning, cut back by no more than one-third and take your time. A hacked up tree or shrub will make your home less inviting, and it’s terrible for the plant. If you’re unsure about correct pruning practices, hire a qualified professional, such as an arborist. Mulch your garden beds Freshly mulched garden beds appear to be well-tended and tidy. Mulching is also great for your plants and the health of the soil. Chipped or ground bark makes a great mulch.

Begin by weeding the area to be mulched; then water. Place a one- to two-inch layer of mulch on the planting bed. Keep mulch away from the base of tree and shrub trunks. After mulching, water the mulch well to seal it.

(Weed Man USA)

Add potted plants If you don’t have any garden beds or established trees or shrubs, Lemcke suggests softscaping. Add containerized stand-alone plants like shrubs, trees and perennials. For instant color, flank the front door with potted annual flowers. Spruce up your lawn “An unhealthy, thinning lawn full of weeds pictured on a real estate listing could potentially deter buyers,” says Lemcke. “Caring for your lawn is the most inexpensive thing you can do, and it adds the highest rate of return when selling your home.” According to Lemcke, the annual cost of lawn care, whether doing it yourself or hiring a professional lawn care company, runs just $300 to $400 dollars per year. “That’s relatively inexpensive compared to other landscaping projects,” he says. If you’ve neglected your lawn in the past, there are some things you can do to better its overall health and appeal.

(FreeImages.com/Royce Hansman)

Fertilize to thicken up the lawn and make it a rich, deep green. “It may take a month or so to get your lawn looking good, so make sure to get started as soon as possible, if you’re planning on selling,” says Lemcke. Clean up weeds. “This can also take around a month, depending on the number of weeds, but one weed control application will typically get rid of most of them,” says Lemcke. Thicken up the lawn. “If the lawn is thin, you may need to aerate and overseed to thicken it up, which could also take a few months before seeing any significant results,” he says. “A lawn care professional can help you determine exactly what needs to get done to have your turf in tip-top shape prior to selling.” Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: OCTOBER 28, 2017

10 TIPS TO HELP BOOST ONLINE SALES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Learn what successful internet retailers are doing to bring in significant business and online sales just in time for the holidays.

OCTOBER 23, 2017

With holiday pre-season shopping in full swing, you may want to take a close look at your online sales strategy. With attention to product offerings and customer service and a little “digital elbow grease,” you could see your online sales rise sharply. This was the case with Dor L Dor. The clothing retailer recently hit $1 million in net online sales after three years of paying attention to the digital details. Dor L Dor started in 2003 with one brick-and-mortar location in lower Manhattan and now has seven stores throughout New York and New Jersey, as well as a thriving online marketplace. “In this technological time, if you’re not moving forward quickly, you’ll stall,” says Elliot Dejmal, co-owner of Dor L Dor. “Traffic is hard to drive, so it pays to find smart ways to drive it. When you do attract customers, keep them coming back with unique products and excellent customer service.” With e-commerce eroding brick-and-mortar retail, it’s important for retailers to learn how to effectively compete in the digital marketplace, believes Steve Miley, vice president of client services at innovation agency Tallwave. (The company helps companies build their digital sales.) “Brands that make the online user experience as easy and smooth as possible and create reasons for customers to return, gain a competitive edge,” Miley says. Here Dejmal, Miley and other digital retail experts weigh in on how you can help boost your online sales this holiday season.

1. Partner with others to drive online sales traffic.

“Piggyback with partners that can help you scale quickly,” suggests Dejmal. His company partnered with Shoptiques, an online marketplace for women’s clothing and home décor that was founded by CEO Olga Vidisheva. It now serves as a platform for shops throughout the world. “Shoptiques hosts our online website, handles logistics and ensures we’re utilizing all of the new technologies,” says Dejmal. “With such synergistic relationships, you can potentially create a never-ending wheel of innovation that continues to drive business your way.”

Regardless of your differentiator, know the one thing that makes you different and be excellent at that one thing.—Elliot Dejmal, co-owner, Dor L Dor

“Small retailers spending the majority of their time in-store don’t usually have the capabilities or staff to focus on innovating their digital experience,” says Vidisheva. “Make it easier to discover new products and build customer relationships by finding partners to help [with logistics] like negotiating with shipping providers, finding the fastest way to ship product internationally and optimizing the checkout flow.”

2. Make offering superior customer service paramount.

“Always remember that customers choose to shop with you, so it’s important to do everything possible to keep them returning,” says Dejmal. “Each customer interaction is bound to be different. Whatever you do, it’s important that customers leave the interaction feeling better.” According to Dejmal, Dor L Dor goes above and beyond for customers. “We always accept late return requests or re-order for customers if they reach out,” he says. “And we ship orders out the same day. Quick shipping is the new normal. Your business will suffer if you aren’t able to deliver that to customers.”

3. Ensure a seamless mobile experience.

When developing your e-commerce strategy, consider focusing on developing an effective, safe m-commerce platform, suggests Matthew Katz, CEO and founder of Verifi, a payment management and protection company. “The younger, tech-savvy generations continue to look for and expect frictionless, easy ways to conduct purchases via mobile,” Katz says. Mobile is a fast-growing channel that’s here to stay, agrees Monica Eaton-Cardone, an e-commerce expert who has co-founded a number of companies. “Aim for a seamless online experience,” Eaton-Cardone says. “A non-responsive mobile website can cause shopping cart abandonment to skyrocket.” Customers also expect to easily move between various channels, adds Eaton-Cardone. “Make cross-channel interaction as simple as possible,” she says. “Failing to do so is no different than putting barriers in front of a physical store to stop customers from entering.”

4. Personalize the online sales experience for your customers.

Brands can’t rely on customer loyalty like they used to, believes Eaton-Cardone. “Customers return to the merchants that offer a personalized experience,” she says. “They want to see the kinds of products they typically shop for, as well as new recommendations based on their history.”

5. Incorporate discovery shopping on your website.

Consider using discovery shopping as part of your holiday sales strategy, suggests Andrew Blachman, COO of Tophatter, a mobile marketplace where shoppers compete in 90-second auctions. “Many customers don’t know exactly what they want and are looking for inspiration,” says Blachman. “We’ve seen this on Tophatter, where more than 90 percent of the three million purchases each month are ‘discovered,’ meaning there’s no search query before a purchase. The experience is more like a treasure hunt.”

6. Supplement your online sales with engaging content.

Consider adding interesting content to your website. The content can be designed to attract customers and sell them on your products. “Increase online sales by publishing articles and videos featuring the best gifts in different categories,” suggests Eaton-Cardone. “For example, best gifts under $50, best gifts for techies and best gifts for teens. Also consider informative content that takes a subtler sales approach, such as history lessons, how-to guides and project or craft ideas.”

7. Continually offer your customers new products.

Customers are constantly searching for something new, so Dor L Dor adds new products daily. “To come up with ideas for new items, listen to your customers, employees and your instincts,” says Dejmal. “And be willing to test new products. Remember that you just need one or two winners to pay for 10 mistakes.” Adding new products daily can help inspire customers to return on a regular basis, which will increase online sales, believes Vidisheva. “Customers learn that there’s something new to discover on your site everyday,” she says. “I suggest allocating a few minutes each morning to add five products to your e-store.”

8. Compete with your bigger competitors.

Given that Amazon is likely your number one competitor; it pays to ask yourself why a customer would buy something on your site rather than the online retail giant. “It could be that you’re selling unique products simply not available on Amazon, as is the case with Dor L Dor,” says Dejmal. “Maybe you have differentiated pricing through a competitive advantage, or your brand and point of view sets you apart. Regardless of your differentiator, know the one thing that makes you different and be excellent at that one thing.”

9. Reorder quickly

Dejmal has found online sales success by initially buying small quantities of products and seeing which ones hit success quickly. “If a product sells fast on the first day, I immediately place a re-order to fulfill all the demand I can,” he says.

10. Keep at it.

“It might sound cliché, but this is important to remember above all else,” says Dejmal, in the wake of reaching $1 million in online sales. “Keep trying until you succeed. If you have that mentality, there’s nothing to stop you or your business from coming out on top. Retail is a never-ending process that you can always keep improving.” Read more articles on e-commerce.

Photo: Getty Images

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5 Herbs to Grow in Your Kitchen this Fall and Winter

(Miracle-Gro)

When the weather is cold and gloomy outside, Ashleigh Lemon finds that seeing, smelling and tasting certain herbs brings a breath of fresh air to her kitchen and home.

“Growing herbs and plants indoors is great for your health and mood,” says Lemon, who is a Senior Biology Specialist for Scotts Miracle-Gro. “For me personally, having a bit of green indoors helps me get through the winter months. I also like how I can snip just what I want, rather than buying fresh herbs and having some of them go to waste.” Woody herbs tend to do best indoors during the cold months, because their leaves and the plants overall are hardier than tender herbs like basil. “Woody, more cold-tolerant herbs that perform well inside during the winter include rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives and parsley,” says Lemon.

(FreeImages.com/Melanie Martinelli)

To have luck growing these five herbs indoors this fall and coming winter, Lemon suggests keeping the following cultivation tips in mind. Provide Bright Light To grow these five herbs in available light, put them up next to a Southern-facing window. If you don’t have sufficient light indoors, grow the herbs under full-spectrum lighting. Place the lights 3 to 6 inches above the top of the herbs. Where to Find Herbs for Indoor Growing These herbs may be available at your local nursery or home and garden store. If not, and you have them growing in your garden, Lemon suggests digging up a section of plant and potting it up. “Transplants tend to adjust faster and produce more quickly indoors,” she says.

(FreeImages.com/Iva Villi)

“Use a high-quality indoor potting mix to transplant in a 6- to 8-inch pot that has drainage holes,” says Lemon. “A lot of these herbs don’t like ‘wet feet’ or soil that stays too moist. Adequate drainage holes are key to ensuring healthy roots.” Water Only as Needed Water your herb plants when the top one inch of soil is dry. “Stick your finger an inch into the soil,” says Lemon. “If the soil is moist, wait to water.” If the soil is dry, water with lukewarm water.

(FreeImages.com/Stephanie Berghaeuser)

Fertilize Regularly “Herbs will keep producing yummy foliage for your recipes if you feed them on a regular basis,” says Lemon, who uses Miracle-Gro Singles for feeding, as they’re pre-measured. Trim Often Don’t be afraid to trim your herbs. As a matter of fact, it makes them grow more when you snip on a regular basis. “I trim my herbs back by one-third of the plant every two to three weeks, regardless if I’m using the herb in a recipe,” says Lemon. “Trimming promotes new growth and keeps your herbs from flowering. This ensures that tasty aromatic leaves keep coming.”

(FreeImages.com/Melanie Martinelli)

If you’re growing your herbs from a small transplant or seed, wait until the plant is at least 6 inches high before harvesting any foliage. When young, the plant requires sufficient leaves to photosynthesize and grow. Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: OCTOBER 20, 2017

Grow Polka Dot Plant in Your Indoor Garden

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

It’s hard not to become bewitched by certain indoor plants. Polka dot plant (hypoestes phyllostachya) is one of those houseplants. As its name suggests, the plant sports polka-dotted foliage.

If polka dots aren’t enough to turn your head, you’ll find polka dot plant in several striking color combos. These include pink and green, pink and white, green and white and red and green. Intrigued yet? I hope so. Pink polka dot plant is well worth adding to your indoor garden. Not only is it eye-catching, it’s also easy to grow. The plant grows readily in it native habitat in Madagascar. Indoors, it doesn’t grow quite as quickly, but it will thrive if given the proper care. Keep the following tips in mind when growing polka dot plant as a houseplant. Provide good lighting Bright, indirect light is ideal for pink polka dot plant. This will keep the colors vibrant in the plant, while at the same time prevent the plant from becoming lanky. If you grow the polka dot plant in a low-light location, it will grow leggy quickly and fade in color. A location with light that’s too bright will also fade the foliage colors. Place polka dot plant a couple of feet away from an unobstructed southern or eastern exposure window. Or grow the plant under full-spectrum lighting.

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

Plant in rich, well-draining soil Polka dot plant requires even moisture to grow well. This is best delivered by planting in a soil that is rich, yet well-draining. An organic potting soil is ideal.

Water regularly Though they require even moisture, polka dot plant will easily succumb to root rot if conditions are too wet. Water when the top ¼ to ½ inch of soil has dried out. Keep in mind that the smaller the container the more quickly the plant will dry out. Fertilize monthly Polka dot plant is a fairly heavy feeder. Fertilize once a month with a high-quality organic fertilizer designed for houseplants.

(Julie Bawden-Davis )

Provide high humidity and moderate temperature Polka dot plant requires moist air and temperatures around 75 degrees Fahrenheit to grow well. Keep the plant in a warm location and boost the humidity. This can be done by creating a humidity tray, misting several times a day and grouping plants together. Plants transpire and humidify one another. Pinch back weekly Polka dot plant gets leggy quickly. In order to prevent this from happening, pinch the plant back on a weekly basis. Use your fingers to snip off the top two leaves on the end of each stem. Regular pruning will encourage the polka dot plant to become bushier. Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: OCTOBER 13, 2017

5 NEW CYBERSECURITY TOOLS FOR BUSINESSES

This National Cyber Security Awareness Month, check out the latest cybersecurity technology to help protect your company from an attack.

OCTOBER 13, 2017

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. While the annual campaign is designed to raise awareness about cybersecurity breaches, as a business owner you’re probably well aware of the growing threat. The mounting number of company computer and data system breaches illustrates that it’s no longer a question of if your company’s sensitive data will be hacked, but when. Data analytics researcher Juniper Research predicts that data breach costs will reach $2.1 trillion throughout the world by 2019. “It’s important to realize that your company is at risk, which makes vigilance critical,” says Gary S. Miliefsky, executive producer of Cyber Defense Magazine. “Many owners of small to medium-sized businesses don’t think they’re targets of hackers or cybercrime, but the fact is that most breaches are smaller now. To stay under the radar of the FBI and Secret Service, cyber criminals steal a small number of records, monetize those records and then hit again.” “This ‘Wild West’ phase of learning to anticipate and work against cyber threats goes deeper than surviving a breach and picking up the pieces afterwards,” says Rob Arnold, founder and CEO of the cyber risk management company Threat Sketch and author of Cybersecurity: A Business Solution. “History is repeating itself,” Arnold continues. “The future will play out just like it has with the advent of the internet. Businesses that embraced technology at a strategic level left their brick-and-mortar peers in the dust. In the same respect, those companies that learn to effectively manage cybersecurity threats will be the ones that are still in business 25 years from now.”

New Cybersecurity Features

In order to thrive amidst the perpetual threat of cyberattacks, it helps to familiarize yourself with the latest arsenal of cybersecurity prevention tools available. Consider possibly incorporating the following new innovations into your company.

Automatic Classification of Cybersecurity Threats

“The problem in cybersecurity today is not a lack of tools,” says Avi Chesla, CEO of the cybersecurity company empow. “The question is how to ‘read’ the huge amount of data these tools generate and to understand the potential impact, such as a malicious attacker’s intent.”

A hack often starts with a spear-phishing attack where an employee clicks a link or opens an attachment in an email that appears to come from someone they trust.

—Gary S. Miliefsky, executive producer, Cyber Defense Magazine

According to Chesla, there are new cybersecurity capabilities that use Natural Language Processing algorithms. These collect and interpret system information and classify that information by intent. Knowing intent helps companies proactively respond to advanced threats.

Intelligent Cyber Threat Hunting

“With system breaches becoming more common, it’s more important than ever for cybersecurity systems to have the capability to hunt and locate compromised hosts within systems,” says Chesla. “New intelligent hunters include a technology that can identify host-related anomaly behavior, collect and analyze evidence,” he continues, “such as unexpected processes and applications that run on the host, and create new IOC [indicator of compromise] signatures accordingly.” Detected IOC signatures indicate the presence of a security breach, such as malware. They are used to create new IOC signature files that are uploaded to scan systems in order to detect additional threats.

New Methods of Handling Vulnerable Data

“One of the biggest revolutions in cybersecurity is the idea that companies can attain the verified data they need without having to hold or manage personally identifiable information (PII) in one place,” says David Thomas, CEO of Evident, a company that offers an Application Programming Interface that eliminates the need to collect, hold and protect personal data. “Traditionally, any data that a business receives from a customer or employee is held in one potentially vulnerable database,” says Thomas. “This means that if/when a breach occurs, hackers can get everything they want in one fell swoop. Companies are getting smarter about not only clarifying the data they need to ensure safety and security, but also how they need to handle that data to mitigate risk and liability.”

The Use of Behavioral Biometrics

Ensuring identity is a common practice in cybersecurity protocol. Behavioral biometrics is the newest addition to this practice. “Behavioral biometrics identifies people by how they do what they do, rather than by what they are (e.g., fingerprint, face), what they know (e.g. secret question, password) or what they have (e.g. token, SMS one-time code),” says Frances Zelazny, Vice President of BioCatch, a cybersecurity company offering behavioral biometrics to banks and other businesses. “The behavioral biometrics technology measures and analyzes patterns in human activities,” continues Zelazny. “Historically, these included keystroke patterns, gait and signature. Today’s advanced behavioral biometric techniques capture an array of human interactions between a device and an application, such as hand-eye coordination, pressure, hand tremors, navigation, scrolling and other finger movements.”

Employee Cyber Readiness Training Portals

Many breaches occur through email, which makes it important to train employees about spear-phishing attacks, believes Miliefsky. “A hack often starts with a spear-phishing attack where an employee clicks a link or opens an attachment in an email that appears to come from someone they trust,” he says. “Spear phishing is becoming so sophisticated that even the best anti-phishing systems have not been able to detect the latest threats.” As a preventative, some companies are using test phish templates and instructional content to familiarize employees with social engineering attacks, notes Mike Fumai, president and COO of AppGuard LLC, which provides anti-virus protection. “This instruction greatly reduces exposure to cyber threats, as long as the instruction is given often and individualized for each employee.”

Stay Ahead of the Trends

For long-term success, it’s a good idea if someone in the company is dedicated to continually tracking and understanding new cyber threats and solutions, believes Antwanye Ford, president and CEO of the cybersecurity company Enlightened. “Subscribe to cyber information portals such as US-CERT, ICS-CERT and DHS,” says Ford. “Many universities also have information centers specializing in research and development and executive level education regarding cyber threats.” Appointing an in-house Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is a good idea, agrees Eric Biderman, counsel for law firm Arent Fox LLP. “Such an individual can engage in penetration testing on a regular basis to pinpoint vulnerabilities and solutions,” he says. Read more articles on cybersecurity.

Photo: Getty Images

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Date: OCTOBER 13, 2017

Container Gardening Success with GROW Duo

(GROW Duo)

In our connected, virtual world, it was only a matter of time before digital would meet gardening. A love of cooking with fresh veggies and herbs inspired Idan Cohen and AndrewWanliss-Orlebar to create GROW Duo. The outdoor connected self-watering planter allows you to easily and successfully grow a wide variety of homegrown, organic produce.

GROW Duo features sensors that monitor environmental conditions so the system knows when to water itself. An app provides you with tailored, data-driven growing guidance and recommendations.

(GROW Duo)

Cohen is CEO and co-founder of GROW. He was inspired to create a foolproof way to grow homegrown produce when he moved into an apartment in New York City a few years ago. “As an enthusiastic cook, I was always in pursuit of the best ingredients,” says Cohen. “My apartment had a large rooftop, and I was inspired to grow some of the varieties of vegetables and herbs that I missed from my childhood in Israel. I wanted to build a garden, but quickly realized it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. I decided to create a product that would address the needs of an aspirational gardener.”

(GROW Duo)

Soon after his “green” epiphany, Cohen met Wanliss-Orlebar. The duo then set out to create an easy-to-use outdoor home gardening system. The fact that the resulting product is virtually connected was a natural development. “While humans have grown their own food for thousands of years, these days we’re much more likely to shop for food (even online) than grow our own,” says Cohen. “That’s why we built the GROW Duo. The system provides an easy way for digital natives, technology enthusiasts and food lovers of all ages to get back in touch with this age-old process.”

(GROW Duo)

The GROW Duo gives you step-by-step guidance for learning how to grow your own organic produce, including herbs and leafy greens. The system is self-watering, and the app is full of growing advice and recommendations. Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: OCTOBER 8, 2017

THIS CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK, THINK ABOUT INSTILLING THIS VALUE IN YOUR EMPLOYEES

Company owners weigh in on how to impress upon employees the value of customer service during Customer Service Week and beyond.

OCTOBER 06, 2017

As Customer Service Week (October 2 to 6) comes to a close, it’s a great time to reflect on the importance of customer service. Business owners across the nation are well aware of how critical good service is to company survival. For many businesses, how customers are treated is top priority. “In today’s competitive business environment, customer experience is everything,” says Clate Mask, CEO of Infusionsoft, which makes automation software. “Quick, friendly service is expected and your most powerful tool in boosting organic, word-of-mouth marketing.” Micah Solomon, author of The Heart of Hospitality, agrees. “Customer service is the new marketing,” says the customer service consultant, trainer and speaker. “For brand fans it’s easier than ever to spread the word about your company. What I call ‘word of thumb’ is very powerful today.” As a business owner, you know full well the importance of good customer service. But how well do your employees understand this golden rule? Since your workers are often on the front lines, it’s important that they buy in to the importance of providing excellent customer service. Learn how the following company owners instill the necessity of superior customer service into their employees.

Serve by Example

If employees are to take customer service seriously, it’s a good idea if leadership demonstrates how vital it is to have satisfied customers. “If the leadership team lives and breathes customer happiness, employees will do the same,” says Jon Beekman, founder and CEO of Man Crates, which carries gifts tailored to men. “Great customer service is contagious,” adds Tawanda Johnson, president of RKL Resources, a national human resources consulting firm. “It’s important for managers and executives to lead by example and provide excellent customer service.”

Develop Clear Customer Service Protocols

If your employees are going to deliver excellent customer service, it’s important that they know the required steps.

Express genuine appreciation to all employees for their parts in creating strong and loyal customer relationships. What happens on the inside of a company eventually shows up on the outside.

—Marilyn Suttle, CEO, Suttle Enterprises

“Develop protocols and policies that employees can use to assist customers when situations arise,” suggests Susan Unes, founder and president of Lotus Tree Massage & Wellness, which offers massage therapy, energy work and yoga instruction. When relaying protocols to employees, Unes finds it helpful to role play. “Employees and management can learn from one another by sharing real life examples from the trenches,” she says. “These stories are the most effective teaching tools for anyone who handles customer service.”

Empower Employees

Those employees who have the necessary direction and a green light from leadership to use their judgment tend to provide great customer service. At Man Crates, Beekman says the company empowers employees to make their own decisions when it comes to customer service. “We don’t have a rule book or guidebook for our customer service team,” he says. “Instead, we’ve given them free reign to do whatever it takes to make customers happy.” Human resources expert and consultant Laura MacLeod, who runs From The Inside Out Project, believes that employees are best served when encouraged to build relationships with customers. “Too often scripted customer service responses are taught to employees, but that doesn’t allow them to be unique,” says MacLeod. “Encourage employees in customer service roles to use humor and express their interests and personality.” Craig Malloy, CEO of Lifesize, a video and web conferencing company, makes it clear to his employees that the customer always comes first, and that employees will never be penalized for abiding by this rule. “We adhere to the following ladder of priorities: Help your customer, help your coworker, do your job. This reminds our support team to always put the customer first and reassures them that they’ll never be reprimanded for helping customers,” says Malloy. “The next priority is helping your coworkers, because by doing that you’re most likely also helping customers.”

Use Empathy to Enlighten During Customer Service Week and Beyond

One of the most effective ways to teach employees about the importance of good customer service is to encourage empathy, believes Sotereas (Teris) Pantazes, CEO and founder of the home improvement platform EFynch.com. Pantazes used to own a solar construction company. “I would ask my employees to put themselves in the shoes of our customers and to think about how we’d be going into their homes and onto their roofs,” he says. Pantazes finds that doing this humanizes the customer and makes employees relate to them in a more helpful manner. At Emocha, a mobile health company focused on medication adherence, they go so far as to create circumstances that allow employees to have a customer experience. “We believe it’s more impactful for our employees to experience customer needs,” says the company’s CEO, Sebastian Seiguer. “We’ve sent designers and engineers into the field in locations such as Puerto Rico. They return with an understanding of the impact our product can have on real people.” Analogy and empathy go a long way toward impressing on employees the importance of customer service, adds Mark Goulston, CEO of the Goulston Group, a management and business advisory company, and author of Just Listen: Discover the Secret of Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone. Goulston suggests using the power of analogy by having employees share stories when they’ve been frustrated and disappointed from receiving poor customer service and then stories about receiving excellent customer service.

Reward Employees for Superior Customer Service

When they’re rewarded for a customer service job well done, employees are likely to see the value of making clients top priority. “I recommend rewarding employees for handling customer issues from start to finish,” says Matt Leuschner, managing director at Gopher Leads, which helps companies accelerate sales through referrals. “We’ll thank employees by giving them a reward like a gift card to their favorite restaurants.” Marilyn Suttle, CEO of Suttle Enterprises LLC, a customer focus and communication training company, agrees. “Your employees are your internal customers. Appreciate them. Gather for a “thank you” celebration. Express genuine appreciation to all employees for their parts in creating strong and loyal customer relationships. What happens on the inside of a company eventually shows up on the outside.” Read more articles on customer relations.

Photo: Getty Images

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Date: OCTOBER 06, 2017

A CONVENIENT ALTERNATIVE TO HIRING TEMPS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Thinking about your holiday season staffing game plan? Rather than opting for temporary help, consider drawing from your employee base.

OCTOBER 05, 2017

With fourth quarter sales just about here, businesses across the country are making plans for the holiday season. This year Walmart decided to take a different approach to holiday season staffing. The retailer will give existing employees more hours. Having employees work longer hours during the holidays rather than hiring temps is a tactic many business owners know from experience can work well. “We’ve always gone the route of expanding holiday hours for our employees,” says Ricky Klein, founder and head meadmaker for Groennfell Meadery in Colchester, Vermont. “Everyone wants to give their employees a bonus around the holidays. We decided to give employees flexible overtime hours and let them decide what they want to earn.” For Groennfell Meadery, having employees work more hours is ideal. The company has a tasting room and restaurant that hosts numerous events throughout the holidays. “The craft mead we make is unique and extremely rare. It’s almost impossible to train temps to sell the product accurately,” Klein explains. Christopher West is owner of Mailing Pros Inc., a full-service mail house. West experiences a substantial uptick in business around election seasons, which sometimes fall during the holidays. He also finds that giving his employees the extra hours works best for everyone. “Our employees work long days and weeks during elections,” says West. “The work involves running specialized machinery and specific handwork, which would be difficult to train people to do. At the same time, employees also know that the better the company does during election season, the more their holiday bonuses.”

Tips for Using Your Current Team for Holiday Season Staffing

Offering your employees additional holiday hours may benefit the company, employees and customers. To effectively determine and schedule hours during holiday season staffing, keep the following tips in mind.

1. Forecast required manpower hours.

Consider calculating how many extra hours of work will be required to fulfill holiday demand. Checking data from prior year’s sales and hours can help you determine by what percentage you need to increase hours. This figure can also let you know if your employees will be able to fulfill the required hours.

We let employees design the various events we hold during the holidays. Doing this shows them how important they are to the company’s success.

—Ricky Klein, founder, Groennfell Meadery

“We sit down in the fall and decide how much extra work we can possibly take on during the holidays,” says Klein. “Then we cushion this estimate with a few more hours.”

2. Check financial feasibility.

Look at current overtime regulations and ensure that having existing employees work is financially viable. You may find that hiring temporary workers costs you less money. Remember to factor into the equation time for training and the inevitable learning curve.

3. Ask about availability.

When doing your holiday season staffing, avoid assuming that employees will be open to additional holiday hours. Consider meeting with your staff to communicate your desire to give them first dibs at additional holiday hours. Be available to answer any questions about how holiday hours will be allocated.

4. Provide additional responsibility.

More hours and the demands of the holidays may require that you give employees their own projects to oversee. “We let employees design the various events we hold during the holidays,” says Klein. “Doing this shows them how important they are to the company’s success. This leads to buy-in, which makes them excited about making their events successful.”

5. Watch for burnout.

Occasionally, West will send an employee home if they’re showing signs of burnout. “If someone is pooped and starts making big mistakes, I’ll send him or her home,” he says. “Another employee will pick up the slack. It’s very much a team effort here.”

When to Hire Outside Help for the Holidays

At times, it may be necessary to hire outside help to get your company through the holidays. At Mattone Restaurant in the suburbs of Chicago, they balance giving current employees more hours with the addition of short-term staff, according to Franco Francese, the restaurant’s president. “I feel it’s a good idea to tread lightly when it comes to potentially overworking your current employee base. Some employees may want and need the extra hours, but it’s not for everyone,” says Francese. If your existing employees aren’t able to fill in all of the gaps in holiday season staffing, you may want to consider hiring temporary workers. Consider these tips for doing so.

1. Look “at home” for holiday help.

You may be able to find a great pool of workers by simply asking your employees. “Start by asking current employees if they know people who would like to work during the holidays,” says Francese. “Doing this has the added perk of starting positive discussions about your company.”

2. Employ customers.

On the handful of occasions that Klein has pulled in outside help for the holidays, he reached out to clientele. “It has served us very well to hire regular customers,” he says. “They already have an understanding of the brand and know what we stand for. An added bonus is that they think it’s the coolest thing to work for their favorite brewery.”

3. Provide adequate training.

Proper and thorough training is vital, believes Francese. “At the restaurant, we don’t change our training methods for seasonal/temporary workers,” he says. “We expect hires to perform as any permanent employee would.”

4. Be clear about expectations.

“Once the temporary employee is brought on during holiday season staffing, it’s important to lay out very clear and measurable expectations,” says Karson Humiston, CEO of the staffing agency, Vangst Talent Network. “It’s also important to remain involved in managing those expectations to ensure the temporary employee is meeting them. If that isn’t the case and you’re using a temporary agency, ask for a replacement.”

5. Look for potential permanent employees.

“If a temporary employee turns out to be an excellent fit, you can always bring the person on full time,” says Humiston.

Photo: Getty Images

Project Link

Date: OCTOBER 05, 2017

Time to Prepare Your Landscape and Home Exterior For Winter

(FreeImages.com/Severin Winkler)

Your summer flowers may have just faded, so it’s hard to believe, but Old Man Winter is on his way. Take care of the following chores to prepare and protect your landscape and home’s exterior now, and you can sit back and enjoy the coming cold season.

Fertilize the lawn Feeding the lawn after the last mowing of the year protects it from frost and helps ensure a lush yard come spring, says Michael Green, president of The Grounds Guys. “Fertilization in the fall helps strengthen the roots of the lawn, which allows for a strong base so your lawn will thrive come spring,” says Green. “Use a slow-release fertilizer, and water well after application.” Aerate compacted soil “Over time, soil becomes compacted and makes it difficult for water to reach plant roots,” says Green. Aerating soil loosens the earth and allows water and nutrients to reach the roots of grass and other landscape plants, such as shrubbery. Overseed the lawn After aerating the soil, Green recommends overseeding to thicken up the lawn in fall, which will produce a healthier lawn come spring. “When overseeding, ensure that the seed is in contact with the soil and has space to germinate and grow,” says Green.

(FreeImages.com/Lukas Scheinecker)

Prune lightly Prepare your bushes and shrubs for winter storms by lightly pruning to thin them. This will allow the wind to move through them, rather than break stems and branches or uproot the plant. When pruning a plant heading into dormancy, remove no more than 1/3 of the plant. Protect rose bushes

Clip off any dead growth. “Then protect the bush by packing with mulch or covering with Styrofoam covers to make sure the roots don’t freeze,” says Green. Use leaves as fertilizer “As leaves begin to fall, it’s okay to put them to work as mulch in the yard, because it makes food for the grass,” says Green. “When the last heavy leaves drop, though, they need to be removed from the lawn, as they can do more harm than good when they smother the lawn before the snow falls.”

(FreeImages.com/Pascal Thauvin)

Clear vegetation from the house “Trees and shrubs too close to your home can damage your house when there are icy conditions or heavy snow,” says Scott Johnson, director of operations for WIN Home Inspection. “Make sure branches are well away from your roof and windows.” Clean out your gutters If you can safely do so, clear your gutters of plant debris, so that when it rains, the water can flow through them and away from your home. Water should drain at least six feet away from your house. Also remove plant debris from your roof, and check for any structural problems while you’re up there. If you have a chimney, have it swept.

(FreeImages.com/George Bosela)

Protect your pipes “Pipes located outside of a heated home (attics, crawl spaces, basements) or in outside walls are susceptible to freezing in extreme temperatures,” says Johnson. “For exposed pipes, add extra insulation and in unusually cold temperatures, let water drip from the faucets to prevent freezing.” Store your hose Prevent your hoses from breaking when it gets cold by removing and storing them. To do so, turn the spigot off. Disconnect the hose and remove the attachments. Make sure all water has drained from the hose before coiling it up and storing it in a warm location. Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

9 LINKEDIN HACKS THAT MAY HELP BOOST SALES

LinkedIn is one of the most powerful networking resources small-business owners are not using. Start today with these 9 tips.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

Many small-business owners don’t realize how powerful LinkedIn is as a networking tool, says social media expert and LinkedIn evangelist Karen Yankovich. “Small-business owners are finding many benefits to connecting on the site. It provides an appropriate way to keep contacts warm in a professional, unobtrusive and authentic way,” she says. Your LinkedIn profile is being seen by people even if you’re ignoring it. “Your profile is the front door to your world. When people want to find out more about you, they’ll do so through your LinkedIn profile, because the site is ranked high by Google search algorithms. This provides a huge opportunity to make sure potential customers know exactly what you want them to know about you,” Yankovich says. No matter what your industry, LinkedIn, which has more than 500 million users worldwide, has become today’s business card. Want to start making LinkedIn’s networking power work for you?

1. Claim your expert status in your headline.

“LinkedIn gives you an ideal opportunity to highlight your areas of specialization with your headline,” says Yankovich, who notes that the headline is searchable by Google, so having your specialties clearly stated in your headline is critical.

2. Make your profile professional.

Include a business-like headshot of yourself, your email address, website or blog address and your Twitter handle. Claim your personalized URL with LinkedIn rather than the URL they assign you, if it’s available. And be thorough in your summary of your skills and expertise.

Your profile is the front door to your world.—Karen Yankovich, social media expert

3. Make yourself searchable.

Sprinkle keywords throughout your profile regarding your areas of expertise, which will cause you to appear in online searches. If you specialize in tax law, make sure to use that and similar terms throughout your profile.

4. Build up your connections.

Unless you have a bad vibe about someone, Yankovich suggests accepting all invitations and sending them out on a regular basis. “The more connections you have, the greater the power of your network,” she says. “Your first degree connections have their own connections. It’s often in these second degree connections that you find valuable contacts.”

5. Ask for recommendations.

Recommendations on your LinkedIn page are like “social proof on steroids,” says Yankovich. “Giving and getting recommendations on the site is a great way to build up the trust factor between yourself and your connections and anyone who looks at your page. If someone praises your work, ask the person to write you a recommendation. Many people are happy to do so.” Recommendations are not be confused with endorsements, which are also a useful feature on the site.

6. Reach out to contacts.

On a regular basis, Yankovich emails about 20 of her LinkedIn contacts by sending a thank you for connecting and offers herself as a resource. “Seven out of 10 times, they’ll reply to me and sometimes it will result in a phone call to see how we might help one another,” she says.

7. Add media.

Take advantage of the opportunity to share media on your profile page, such as blog posts, articles, web pages and video, including YouTube tutorials or promotional videos.

8. Set up a company page.

“Personal profiles establish you as the expert, and company pages are where you can showcase all of your products and services,” Yankovich says. Include on the page a blurb about your company, as well as articles and photos.

9. Take advantage of groups.

A wide variety of groups exist on the site, offering you the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and forge valuable partnerships. Yankovich suggests active groups with 200 to 1,000 members. Look for groups where people are asking and answering questions and offering feedback about the topic. A version of this article was originally published on December 23, 2013.

Photo: Getty Images

Project Link

Date: SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

Plant Ornamental Grass in Your Fall Garden

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

An often overlooked aspect of an engaging landscape is sound. Birds singing and water running bring a soothing element to the garden. While most plants tend to be silent, ornamental grasses do a good job of adding “music” to the garden.

With the slightest of breezes, you can hear ornamental grasses like red fountain grass rustling. Ornamental grasses also add beauty to the garden, including winter interest. When other plants have lost their foliage, ornamental grasses covered in snow and ice make stunning focal points. Once established, ornamental grass is drought tolerant and requires very little care. Occasional pruning is all you’ll have to do. The plant rarely attracts pests and doesn’t require fertilizing. There’s a lot to choose from when it comes to ornamental grasses, says Chris Link, co-owner with Richard Anderson of the online plant nursery, Plant Addicts. “Many gardeners just think of Karl Foerster Reed Grass, but there’s many different varieties of ornamental grasses, with wide selections in height, texture and foliage colors.”

(FreeImages.com/Julie Freeman-Woolpert)

You’ll find tall selections perfect for adding height and contrast to the garden and short varieties ideal for borders or defining edges in garden beds. Many varieties are natives, notes Link. These include blue grama grass, northern sea oats, little bluestem, purple lovegrass, prairie dropseed, red switchgrass, blue indiangrass and big bluestem grass.

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

“While the natives are great, breeders are also continually creating new ornamental grass plants with darker, brighter, more eye-catching foliage colors,” he says.

To have luck planting and growing ornamental grass, keep the following tips in mind. Plant in full sun. Most ornamental grasses require a bright location to do well, although there are a few that can take part-sun, notes Link.

(FreeImages.com/Julie Freeman-Woolpert)

Provide good drainage. Like many plants, ornamental grasses do best in a well-draining site. Test the site by digging a 12-inch hole and filling it with water. It should drain within an hour. To create better drainage in a slow-draining area, amend with pumice. Maintain even moisture prior to planting. “When you first get the grass from the mail (or garden center or friend), make sure the soil in the pot stays moist,” says Link. “Ornamental grass is very hardy against drought once established, but not as much when growing in pots.”

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

Plant. Dig a hole slightly larger than the rootball of the plant. Insert the ornamental grass and refill with soil, patting firmly as you do so. Water well after planting, and keep the soil evenly moist until the plant becomes established. You’ll know the ornamental grass is established when it begins putting on new growth. Prune occasionally. Ornamental grass requires pruning to remove dead grass and to create a desired shape and size. Good pruning times are early spring and midsummer. To more easily cut the grass back, avoid a mess and make disposal easier, Link suggests tying the grass together before cutting. Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

ONLINE RETURN POLICIES: TIPS FOR HANDLING AND AVOIDING RETURNED MERCHANDISE

Holiday shopping is on the horizon, and a rise in returns is likely. These online return policy tips may help you manage returns (and prevent them).

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

While there are a lot of perks to operating a virtual storefront, you can’t escape returns. With the holiday shopping season fast approaching, you might want to check your online return policies. The National Retail Federation’s 2015 Consumer Returns in the Retail Industry study polled 62 retail companies. According to the study, total merchandise returns accounted for more than $260.5 billion in lost sales for U.S. retailers. The amount of online returns rose by 2 percent during holiday shopping.

Online Returns Costs

Michael Lewis, CEO of retail data company RetailGo, notes that returns cost more to a retailer than just the value of the merchandise. “There’s an opportunity cost, [a] shipping, packaging and operational cost,” Lewis says. “So $260 billion in lost sales is likely $500 billion after factoring in the entire cost of doing business.” According to Mark Astelstine, founder of wine club company Uncorked Ventures, online return policies are always a “hot topic” at his company. “Returns are more common than anyone cares to admit,” he says. “We end up getting about 2 percent of our shipments back, often due to no fault of our own.” Astelstine’s company can’t resell the wine that’s returned, and since shipping charges represent 25 percent of order totals, he ends up paying that fee twice.

Online Return Policies Often Feature Free Shipping

In today’s quickly changing retail landscape, online return policies often include free return shipping. “Amazon has literally changed how people think of online purchases,” says Astelstine. “It’s important to keep track of how quickly Amazon is shipping goods and how they communicate. That’s going to be the expectation moving forward when Amazon controls almost half of online sales.”

The best way to avoid returns is to make your pictures and descriptions as accurate and informative as possible.

—Chris Gronkowski, CEO, Ice Shaker

Lisa Chu, CEO of Black n Bianco, a children’s clothing online retailer, agrees. “Amazon return policies have changed the dynamics of the e-commerce industry,” Chu says. “In order to stay competitive, a lot of e-commerce sites now offer free shipping and free returns. Thirty day return policies are the norm, as long as the product hasn’t been used or damaged.” Chu has found that occasionally customers return used and damaged merchandise anyway, which further eats into profits. “Many businesses will accept the returns and offer refunds, because doing so is better than negative reviews, or worse, chargebacks,” she says.

Risk of Chargebacks

“As bad as returns are, they’re still preferable to chargebacks,” agrees Monica Eaton-Cardone, co-founder and COO of the risk mitigation firm Chargebacks911. “If this happens, you still lose the sales profits, interchange and shipping fees, as well as pay chargeback processing fees. It’s unlikely you’ll get your merchandise back. Worst of all, excessive chargebacks can result in your merchant account being canceled.” Though many online retailers offer free return shipping as part of their online return policies, it’s still also common to charge for return service, adds Scott Zakrajsek, managing partner at the digital marketing and e-commerce agency, Sproutward. “Many retailers have online return policies that include a flat-rate return fee or a restocking fee, usually a percentage, especially for large or bulky items,” says Zakrajsek. “They’ll often waive this charge if customers choose to exchange items for other products.”

Tips for Effectively Handing Online Returns

You can help mitigate the negative effects of online returns by ensuring that the return process goes as smoothly as possible. “Consider automating your return process,” says Zakrajsek. “Customers want the ability to complete a return painlessly. They should be able to access their order, process the return and print the shipping label immediately. This is a win-win for online retailers, as return costs can be greatly reduced through automation and not involving customer service agents. There are many third-party companies that help retailers with this.” An easy return policy can lead to a positive experience, adds Chu. “Make it simple,” she says. “If the return process is a huge hassle, consumers won’t return to shop on your website.” If you do end up on the phone with customers, finding out reasons for returns may help you sway them toward other purchases and help prevent future returns. “We handle returns delicately with a ‘no-questions-asked’ attitude, but try to get as much information as possible,” says Edward Hartley, managing director and co-founder of the online art dealer, Bluethumb. “Most buyers will happily offer information, and you can use this to help secure [a replacement] sale.” Chris Gronkowski, CEO of water bottle and protein shaker cup purveyor Ice Shaker, contacts customers to find out why they’re returning his product. “I deal with returns by offering reasonable solutions,” he says. “If there’s a small issue with the product, I can usually find a better solution or offer a credit for a future purchase.”

6 Steps to Help Avoid Online Returns

Of course, preventing online returns in the first place is ideal. To help cut down on returns, consider trying the following tactics. Make online return policies easy to locate and crystal clear. “Transparency regarding your return policy is key,” says Zakrajsek. “Include what is covered, for example, [the policy] excludes clearance and final sale items. Also indicate for how many days a return is eligible, and potential costs.” Accurately represent your products. “The best way to avoid returns is to make your pictures and descriptions as accurate and informative as possible. Display every angle possible in the product images and videos,” says Gronkowski. “You want customers to feel like they’re holding the product in their hands.” Lewis suggests also adding reviews, proper sizing charts and colors, weights and measurements. “When a shopper understands exactly what to expect, this reduces the incidence of surprise and disappointment,” he says. Ship quickly. “Many customers buy items as gifts online, and if the items are received too late, they’re returned,” says Zakrajsek. Expedient shipping is especially important for the first couple of orders, adds Aselstine. “After that, the pressure seems to abate.” Provide excellent customer service. “Try to provide live, round-the-clock assistance by phone, email and social media with trained staff ready to address customers’ concerns,” says Eaton-Cardone. “In many cases, you may be able to prevent a return by simply communicating with a customer.” Provide brick-and-mortar location returns. If you have a physical retail space, consider providing hassle-free returns there, suggests Lewis. “Foot traffic leads to sales. In many cases, shoppers will replace unwanted items with something else.” Collect feedback about why returns occur. “Use the data to influence future manufacturing and merchandising decisions,” says Zakrajsek. Read more articles on e-commerce.

Photo: Getty Images

Project Link

Date: SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

IS YOUR BUSINESS EXPERIENCING WEATHER-RELATED SHIPPING PROBLEMS?

In the wake of extensive hurricane damage, companies across the U.S. are experiencing shipping problems. Try these steps to help safeguard your business.

SEPTEMBER 14, 2017

In addition to wreaking havoc on those living in the affected areas, recent hurricanes have created a domino effect for companies. Weather-related shipping problems have slowed down business nationwide. “When it comes to natural disasters and the impact on shipping and business, the back-to-back nature and power of the two recent storms—Irma and Harvey—are like nothing we’ve seen in the past century,” believes Tim Story, executive vice president of freight operations for Unishippers. The company is a third-party logistics company that services thousands of small- to medium-sized businesses nationwide. “The storms have resulted in a severely damaged transport infrastructure,” Story says. “That includes bridges, rail lines and roads across Florida, Georgia and [Texas]. But the impact is not limited to those areas. Every state is experiencing the results of delays and backlogs.” With brick-and-mortar retail closures at an all-time high, it’s already a challenging time for businesses, according to Marc Gorlin, founder and CEO of Roadie, an app-based service that features “on-the-way” delivery that enables businesses to use vacant space in passenger vehicles to transport products.

Assure your customers that you’re working hard to resume business as usual.

—Marc Gorlin, CEO, Roadie

“Retailers are desperate to compete in an environment where margins are already razor-thin and customers have come to expect free same-day and next-day shipping and delivery,” says Gorlin. “Obviously, devastating events such as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma add to that stress. Stalls, lost shipments and blocked shipping routes cause a ripple effect that impacts every part of a business.”

Tips for Dealing with Shipping Problems

Whether shipping delays have affected your business directly or indirectly, your bottom line can suffer. Consider trying these four tips for dealing with shipping challenges now and in the future.

1. Communicate with your customers.

“What customers and vendors crave most during uncertain times is frequent communication to manage expectations, address uncertainties and quell anxieties about your ability to do business,” says Gorlin. “Assure your customers you’re being proactive in not only working to get your traditional shipping lanes back into full effect, but that you’re also arranging alternative delivery options to get items out as efficiently as possible.”

2. Have shipping backup plans.

Alternative methods of getting products to customers and receiving supplies may keep you from losing business. Backup plans are critical, believes Erik Morton, vice president of strategy and corporate development at CommerceHub , which promotes products and provides drop shipment services. “It’s good for the shipper to have a battle-tested business continuity plan. This can include having inventory geographically distributed to multiple fulfillment partners in different parts of the country. This allows the seller to keep shipping from other locations when one of their partners has a disruption caused by a natural disaster.” Businesses that use a third party logistics partners have an edge, agrees Story. “Such businesses have access to a larger segment of various types of carriers, including airlift, ocean, rail, truck and small package. If businesses contract with one carrier, when that carrier is affected, they’re stuck.”

3. Consider weather-related insurance.

Shipping carriers aren’t liable for damaged or lost shipments when factors outside of their control occur, such as natural weather disasters, according to Story. “A carrier can take every step possible to minimize any future issues, such as not sending shipments into the affected areas, but items lost or damaged as a result of the storms are not covered.” Given the fact that losses can be catastrophic for a business, Story suggests that businesses look into getting insurance that covers weather-related damages.

4. Be patient.

The effects of the recent weather events will have an impact on shipping capacity for quite some time. “Time sensitive priority shipments, such as food, water and supplies, will take precedence over commercial business,” says Story. “Priority shipments flagged to support disaster recovery efforts will shrink the capacity for non-priority shipments.” Shipping limitations and the fact that Hurricane Harvey hit Houston oil refineries will also most likely create price increases in shipping, believes Story. “Rebuilding takes time, and that’s something you want to relay to your customers,” adds Gorlin. “Assure your customers that you’re working hard to resume business as usual.” Read more articles on customer relations.

Photo: Getty Images

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Date: SEPTEMBER 14, 2017

Grow Carrots in Your Fall Garden

(FreeImages/Jeremy Doorten)

My first experience with homegrown vegetables straight from the garden occurred on a fall day when I was about 8. We lived in rural Massachusetts at the time. I had watched our neighbor cultivate her garden all summer long. One early September day, I mustered the courage to ask her how to plant vegetables.

This prompted her to give me a mini gardening lesson that left me salivating at the thought of sampling some of her homegrown produce. She must have read my mind, because she told me I could eat whatever I wanted from the garden. The next morning when no one was about, I climbed through the slats in the fence surrounding her Garden of Eden. My breath caught at the heady smell of fresh earth and rows of lettuce and carrots glistening in the sun. I felt like Peter Rabbit in Mr. McGregor’s garden. Except I had permission, and the mistress of the garden was happy, not grouchy.

(FreeImages /Morton Strunge Meyer)

I spied a big carrot bulging out of the soil—its green top standing straighter and taller than the others. Kneeling in the soft, well-tilled earth, my heart raced as I slid the bright orange vegetable out of the soil. Brushing the dirt off, I took a big bite, the resounding crunch splitting the quiet as my taste buds danced. So this was what a carrot truly tasted like! Years later, I learned that commercial carrots are more fibrous, because they need to ship well. Garden carrots are tender and sweet. If you’d like to enjoy the unadulterated taste of carrot, now’s the time to plant them. They grow best in cool weather. Here’s your “mini gardening lesson” on growing this beta carotene-rich veggie. Take your pick. You won’t find carrots growing in the nursery. You need to plant them from seed. The exciting thing about that is you can choose from a wide variety of carrot types.

(Julie Bawden-Davis )

Grow standard straight, long, orange carrots, or try white, purple, crimson or yellow. You’ll also find a wide variety of shapes, such as round, golf-ball sized carrots and “finger” type, miniature carrots. Consider climate. Smaller carrot varieties are a good choice if you live in a climate with cold winters. They’ll be ready for harvest sooner than the standard types. Standard types take 65 to 80 days to harvest, while small carrots can be ready to eat in 50 days. It’s also not necessary to leave carrots to grow full size. They can be eaten at any stage. The younger the carrot, the more sweet and tender it will be. Prepare the soil. Carrots are roots, so they require loose, rich, fast-draining soil to grow well. If your soil is hard clay, the carrot won’t be able to grow straight. Rocky soil will cause forks in the carrots. Till in generous amounts of compost, so that the soil is loose for 12-18 inches.

(FreeImages/Klaus Post)

If you have particularly hard clay or rocky soil, consider growing the carrots in containers or raised beds. Or opt for short, baby carrot types.

Add bone meal to the soil, according to package directions. It’s high in phosphorus and will promote strong root growth. Seed carefully. Carrot seeds are tiny and hard to see. You’ll find carrot seed tape composed of biodegradable tissue paper. Seeds are embedded into the paper. I like to put a small amount of carrot seed in the palm of my hand and then sprinkle them over the soil surface with my fingers. After seeding, cover the soil surface with a very thin (1/8^th-inch) layer of seed starting mix. Keep well watered. Mist the soil covering the carrot seed after planting and keep the soil moist during the germination process. To ensure that the soil surface doesn’t dry out, cover the area with a thin layer of moist newspaper or burlap. Remove as soon as the seeds germinate.

(FreeImages /Jeremy Doorten)

Have patience. Carrot seeds can take 12 to 18 days to germinate. Thin. To have a good crop, it’s necessary to thin carrots. When they reach 1 to 2 inches tall, thin to 2 inches apart. Fertilize. Feed carrots every three weeks with a liquid all-purpose vegetable food that contains phosphorus (the middle number of the N-P-K ratio). Maintain even soil moisture. Dry conditions will cause carrots to split. Overly wet conditions will cause them to rot. Keep the growing area weed-free. Pull weeds as soon as they appear. They will compete with carrots for moisture. Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

EMPLOYEE PRIVACY IN THE WORKPLACE: WHAT TO CONSIDER

U.S. employers have the right to monitor employees on company devices, sparking employee privacy concerns. Here’s how you can navigate this tricky space.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

Rapidly evolving technology has given employers the ability to remotely track employee productivity. On the surface, this seems like a boon for businesses. But monitoring worker progress via emails and tracking apps brings up issues of employee privacy. The European Court of Human Rights recently overturned a ruling that had given employers in Europe unrestricted access to employee emails and other workplace communications. The decision has prompted debate about American workplace privacy laws that currently grant U.S. employers the ability to monitor all communication performed on company property, including emails and phone calls. “Technology has greatly increased the ability to monitor employees, as well as brought awareness to legal and ethical considerations that surround employee privacy,” says Carisa Miklusak, CEO of tilr, which matches qualified workers with employers. This new hyper-connected reality has also raised new questions about the divide between the personal and professional lives of employees, believes Miklusak. “For example,” she asks, “is it appropriate to monitor someone’s personal Facebook page when making a hiring decision? And is it acceptable to double check your employee’s stated check-in time at the beginning of a workday with GPS monitoring?”

Legal Versus Ethical

The rights of employees when it comes to workplace privacy aren’t a cut-and-dry issue. It may be legal to track certain activities, but is it always a good idea? How does an employer strike a balance between employee productivity and employee privacy?

It’s up to your company policy to clearly state how and what you’ll monitor.

—Carissa Miklusak, CEO, tilr

As Miklusak sees it, there are two issues at play when it comes to employee monitoring—what is legal and what is ethical. “The issue of employee privacy trickles into every aspect of business and is something that is becoming more important to consider,” she says. “For company leaders in today’s technological landscape, finding the right balance regarding monitoring employees is an art, not a science. It takes balancing what is legal or allowed with what is ethical, based on the values governing your specific organization.” To decide what is right for your company, Miklusak suggests answering these two questions:

1. Will employee monitoring produce data that can be used to drive needed results?

“Avoid monitoring just to monitor,” suggests Miklusak. You may want to ask yourself what your objectives are for monitoring. For instance, do you seek specific metrics that will help you determine if work processes at your company are expedient?

2. Will your company culture support this type of monitoring?

“Monitoring should drive positive, not negative results,” says Miklusak. “Cultural acceptance and adoption is a core consideration. It’s of no use to monitor if the very nature of that monitoring drives down productivity. Ensuring that your team or company understands the reasons for monitoring and the potential positive outcomes are core to its success.”

Employee Privacy and Transparency

Often, employee dissatisfaction regarding perceived privacy violations comes when they feel blindsided about being monitored. Employers who aren’t transparent about monitoring may experience employee backlash. “Almost everything that upsets us in life can be boiled down to created or perceived expectation, and that expectation not being met,” says Phil Shawe, CEO and co-founder of TransPerfect, which provides language services and technology solutions to global businesses. “For employers, managing expectations is key,” continues Shawe. “If employees believe they have an expectation of privacy, but don’t get that privacy and are instead monitored, these mismatched expectations can lead to problems, and that’s bad for business.” In order to create expectations that jive with reality in the workplace, Shawe recommends being clear and communicative about company policies when it comes to employee privacy and electronic devices.

Keeping It Personal

In addition to clearly stating how and when employees will be monitored in the employee handbook, Shawe recommends a separate notice regarding the policy that should be read and signed by all employees. Doing so can help ensure everyone is on the same page in regards to employee privacy. “Make it clear that employees shouldn’t have expectations of privacy for anything they do on a company-owned network, computer or device,” says Shawe. “If employees wish to keep communication private, they should use personal devices for their personal communication.” The use of personal devices rather than company ones can be an important distinction. “TransPerfect has a division that performs eDiscovery and forensic investigations,” explains Shawe. “Any data resting on company devices, including fragments from using web-based email systems, such as Gmail, may be accessible.” Full disclosure and cautionary advice is advisable, agrees Miklusak. “As technological monitoring is a growing trend, laws and regulations are also evolving,” she says. “It’s up to your company policy to clearly state how and what you’ll monitor.” Read more articles on hiring & HR.

Photo: Getty Images

Project Link

Date: SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

Grow Maidenhair Fern in Your Indoor Garden

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

With their emerald-green, wispy foliage, maidenhair ferns are captivating. They make a gorgeous addition to any indoor garden. Whether you grow them on their own or combine them in a mixed container—they’re sure to attract attention.

Of all ferns grown as houseplants, maidenhair fern is the most difficult to grow. For the best of luck growing maidenhair fern in your home, keep the following growing tips in mind. Carefully watch watering. The most important tip to remember when growing maidenhair fern is to make sure that you never let the plant’s soil dry out. When maidenhair fern experiences drought, the plant collapses and is unlikely to come back. If it does revive, it will be in a limited capacity.

(FreeImages.com/Denise Hunter)

Water maidenhair fern on a regular basis. Keep the plant’s soil moist but not soggy. Remember that heating and air-conditioning will dry these plants out quickly. Mulch. Adding a 1-inch layer of mulch to the soil surface of the maidenhair fern will help keep the soil moist. The mulch also breaks down and feeds the soil, which then feeds the plant. Good mulch choices are shredded bark or leaf mold. Prior to adding mulch, water maidenhair fern well. Then add the mulch and water again to seal the mulch to the soil. Provide proper lighting. To thrive, maidenhair fern requires medium lighting. Direct, bright light, such as from a western window, will quickly burn the delicate foliage. Southern and eastern windows will work, as long as you place the plant three to four feet away. Unobstructed northern windows often work well.

Watch the temperature. Maidenhair ferns don’t like to get chilled and will do poorly if the temperatures drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. They do best in 70 degrees and above.

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

Provide high humidity. Maidenhair fern thrives in humid conditions. If you live in a dry climate and during the winter months when the heater is on, it’s important to provide additional humidity. You can do this by placing the plants over humidity trays and misting frequently. Also keep in mind that plants humidify one another—so grouping your houseplants helps. Fertilize regularly. Feed maidenhair fern with an organic liquid fertilizer at half-strength. Apply monthly. Repot every three to six months. Maidenhair fern requires rich soil conditions to do well. This means that it’s important to repot them regularly. You’ll know it’s time to repot the fern when water quickly runs through the pot and you’re having to water more and more frequently. Plant maidenhair fern in the same size pot, or just one inch larger. Use a high-quality, organic potting soil. Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: SEPTEMBER 15, 2017

Add Humorous Signs to Your Garden

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

Signs can point you in the right direction and offer important information. They can also make you laugh. Add some levity to your garden by installing a few strategically placed signs. Humorous signs can give your garden that extra something special. Signs also give you a chance to express your personality. And they don’t need watering or pruning.

Here are a few sign ideas sure to give you and your garden guests a good chuckle. Croplifters Will Be Propagated This was my first introduction to funny signs. I spied it several years ago in the centuries old Chelsea Physic Garden. It’s an apothecaries’ garden located in London dating back to 1673. There they grew, and still do, medicinal herbs. I’m not sure when they hung the sign at the Chelsea, but obviously someone (perhaps under the influence of a medicinal plant from the garden) had a good sense of humor. I now have this sign hanging in my garden where it’s readily visible to visitors. It always gets a good laugh. For young ones who see the sign, it offers a chance for a botany lesson when they ask (with some trepidation) what propagated means. Psycho Path

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

I ran across this sign with its marvelous play on words during the annual Garden Writers Association Symposium in Atlanta last year. The sign pointed to a lovely garden path that while a bit carefree and spontaneous, never did get spooky or scary. I have to admit that I continued to giggle for quite some time after running into that sign.

Now Entering the Seedy Part of Town

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

Talk to my neighbors when I’ve been too busy writing about gardening to actual do some gardening of my own, and they might agree with this sign. This is another great play on words that I saw in an Atlanta garden. The landscape was a well-manicured one, which made the juxtaposition of the words on the sign and the garden even more comical. Gardeners Know all the Good Dirt

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

My sister, Katie, got me this sign for my birthday one year. Having been in the gardening community for quite some time, I have to say that this double entendre is fairly accurate. While you learn gardening secrets from a master gardener, you’ll most likely hear all about the secret life of the crazy next door neighbor. In our defense, we gardeners just can’t help ourselves. For one thing, we’re outside at odd hours of the day and night—so we see a lot of what’s going on in the neighborhood. Carefully inspecting plants to see if they require fertilizer or need a repotting has also developed in us great observational powers. And then information just seems to just come to us—like the birds, butterflies and bees that land in our gardens. Would You Break the Rules Here?

would-you-break-the-rules-here-1553805-1279x1697

(FreeImages.com/Henrik Bernhard)

While the sign itself is funny, I really like the photographer’s comment. It’s hard to tell if the sign was installed because someone did indeed break the rules, or if they’re trying to avoid a lawsuit. Either way, the sign can’t help but make you smile. Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: SEPTEMBER 4, 2017

FUTURE-PROOF YOUR BUSINESS IN THE WAKE OF A NATURAL DISASTER

Keeping your business going after an extreme weather event is not easy, but these tips can help your company’s chances of longevity after the storm passes.

AUGUST 31, 2017

Although Misty Starks’ Houston-based companies, 3B Resources Group Public Relations and Misty Blue Media, serve clients nationally, many of her customers have been affected by Hurricane Harvey. “Each of my companies are business-to-business, so when my customer’s companies are interrupted, so are mine,” says Starks, who had to evacuate her home office during the hurricane. “Since the hurricane hit, I’ve been proactive in communicating with my clients in order to manage expectations and address any uncertainties,” she says. “This storm has highlighted vulnerabilities in my businesses, and I’m grateful for that. When it’s all said and done, I’ll be a better business woman on the other side.” Five years on the other side of Hurricane Sandy that hit New York City in October 2012, Lynne Lambert agrees that it’s possible to future-proof your business after a natural disaster. “My company survived losing more than half of our inventory in Hurricane Sandy,” says the owner of NYC Subway Line, a clothing and apparel line featuring NYC imagery. “The public warehouse we used to store our merchandise was just feet from the Gowanus Canal. With no heat or electricity in the warehouse, my husband, son and I waded through toxic water to salvage what had not been damaged by the storm and resulting flooding.”

Natural Disasters Can Negatively Affect Any Business

According to FEMA, almost 40 percent of small businesses never reopen their doors following a disaster. Much of this has to do with the fact that many businesses are already vulnerable, believes Michelle Pippin, founder of Women Who WOW, a national and international association of women entrepreneurs. She is also located in hurricane territory on the East Coast.

Don’t forget that your employees are also going through a lot. Be sensitive to their needs beyond your business, and offer help where possible.

—Misty Starks, owner, Misty Blue Media

“Many small businesses are operating on razor-thin profit margins,” says Pippin. “When you throw in a natural disaster, like what Texas just experienced, you’ve got a problem that crosses all industry lines. Retail establishments see disappointing sales numbers and specialists face canceled appointments.”

5 Steps to Future-Proof Your Business

With some quick thinking and action following an extreme weather event, you can minimize the effects to your company. Help future-proof your business—and avoid becoming a statistic by keeping the following five post-natural disaster tips in mind.

1. Ensure that documents and key information are backed up.

“Future-proof your business by making sure your important files are saved to the cloud so they can be accessed from anywhere,” says Starks. “In an evacuation situation, you may not have your business computer at your disposal. Having important information in the cloud allows for business continuity.” If you choose not to use cloud storage, ensure that copies of your important documentation are stored offsite, agrees Robin Lee Allen, managing partner for Esperance Private Equity, an investment fund manager specializing in private equity transactions. “Keep copies of legal and financial documents in an off-site safe deposit box or vault. Redundancy in record keeping is better than no records.” Insurance will help with physical assets, but lost information can destroy years of hard work, agrees Roman Zrazhevskiy, founder and CEO of Ready To Go Survival, a retail brand specializing in personalized emergency preparedness. “If you have sufficient notice and conditions are safe, relocate your most valuable assets to a safe place or higher ground. Renting a truck and a warehouse at a safe location could minimize potential downtime.” If you don’t have backup files and your data seems to be lost, look into electronic restoration, advises Jay Shelton, senior vice president of executive risk at Assurance, an independent insurance agency in Chicago. “It’s amazing what can be recovered from a hard drive that appears damaged.”

2. Contact your insurance provider ASAP.

“Notify your insurance provider at the first sign of damage,” advises Zrazhevskiy. “Waiting until later puts you at risk of being at the end of the line for a payout.” Future-proof your business by communicating as soon as possible with your insurance agent and take their direction on how to proceed, agrees Lambert, who had marine insurance to protect her goods when they were on the water from China. “It turns out that insurance policy had a $100,000 in-warehouse component to it, which went a long way to making us whole again. If you’re worried about what insurance reimbursement you may or may not get, hire an independent adjuster.” Keep good records for the insurance company, advises Starks. “Be sure to document any damage to equipment and your office to turn over to your business insurance agent, and keep track of any interruption of income. Promptly contact your business insurance agent to go over your coverage and to walk through the process of filing a claim.”

3. Check on employees and vendors.

“Immediately after a disaster, the first thing I advise is checking on the people involved in your business,” suggests Lee Allen. “From a business and economic standpoint, human capital is by far the most valuable. Ensuring that your employees are as personally secure as possible allows you to focus on business continuity plans.” Starks agrees. “Don’t forget that your employees are also going through a lot. Be sensitive to their needs beyond your business, and offer help where possible. Being an understanding boss goes a long way toward employee retention.” Shelton suggests staying visible and in direct communication with your employees after a natural disaster. “Inform employees of who’s responsible for certain aspects of the business’s recovery and how your leadership team can be reached. If possible, arrange a meeting with employees to review your post-disaster plans. And make sure to allow time for employees to tend to personal affairs.” In addition, future-proof your business by reassuring customers. “In uncertain times, it’s important to communicate as much as possible with clients in order to alleviate any anxiety about your business’s ability to perform services,” says Starks. “As soon as possible, reach out to vendors to whom you owe money,” adds Lambert. “Let them know that they will be paid, but ask them to please extend their terms to help you until your business gets back on its feet. If you’ve been a loyal customer and paid on time, this reassurance is likely to be met with a positive and helpful response.”

4. Apply for financial assistance.

While it’s a good idea to apply for financial assistance for your business through the Small Business Administration (SBA) and FEMA, Lambert suggests checking for other opportunities first. “I got an SBA loan to replace the rest of our inventory not covered by insurance, but I missed out on a grant that would have greatly helped if I’d known about it. Before taking out any loans, see if there are any regional, city, state or federal low or no interest loans or grants available for businesses in your area.”

5. Reach out for help.

Avoid isolating yourself after a natural disaster. “Contact fellow entrepreneurs if you’re in need,” says Starks. “Have a list of contractors and freelancers in areas outside your immediate city to serve as backup for employees, who are also displaced. Tap into your professional network to put a few people on standby who can be available to help your business, if necessary.” Most importantly, future-proof your business by giving yourself and your business time. “After a disaster, it takes time to get back to normal,” says Starks. “Give yourself a chance to get back on your feet, and be honest with yourself and your clients about your recovery.”

Photo: Getty Images

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Date: AUGUST 31, 2017

6 WAYS YOUR BUSINESS CAN CAPITALIZE ON BACK-TO-SCHOOL SEASON

As kids flood back to school, purchasing is in full swing. Try these tips to help make the most of back-to-school season.

AUGUST 30, 2017

With kids and young adults all over the nation returning to school and college, now is the time to take advantage of what the National Retail Federation estimates will be $83.6 billion in spending. “The back-to-school season is the second-largest retail season in North America,” says JB Brokaw, president of the North America division of Sociomantic Labs, a programmatic ad solution that helps marketers reach individual consumers based on real-time and first-party data. “To capitalize on back-to-school season, the key is to be on top of consumers’ minds throughout the season,” says Brokaw, who notes that the back-to-school season generally runs from June through August, with a spike before Labor Day and some sales through September. “Fall often feels like a fresh chapter for adults and kids,” adds Todd Grossman, CEO of Talkwalker, a social media analytics platform. “Consumers are looking for bargains, but most accept they’re going to spend some money during this season.” To help you determine where you might want to focus your last-minute marketing efforts to take advantage of back-to-school shopping, consider the following pointers.

1. Broaden your vision of back-to-school season.

“Back-to-school season is more than backpacks and binders,” says Brokaw. “Many brands can now capitalize on the season, including electronics companies—kids are using smartphones, tablets and laptops at a younger age—and grocers, who see sales from the college-bound.” Rhonda Allison, founder and CEO of Rhonda Allison Cosmeceuticals, agrees. “Identify how your service or product could benefit customers at this time of year,” she says. “We provide aesthetic professionals with products, treatments and marketing and educational materials for their customers—teens and their parents. Teens want to know how to clear up their skin quickly, so we focus on express treatments and home systems. For mothers, we suggest playing up rejuvenating ‘me’ time.”

2. Engage with your audience ahead of time.

“As with any holiday shopping season, it’s essential to keep in mind how consumer habits have evolved thanks to technology,” says Brokaw.

Social media is buzzing about the start of a new school year. Join the excitement in a targeted way by providing customers with some guidance that makes you a resource as well as a supplier.

—Todd Grossman, CEO, Talkwalker

“Many shoppers spend significant time researching items online before stepping into a store. When they do arrive, they have a good idea of what they want. We recommend starting online prospecting and branding campaigns early to reach customers even before parents begin researching and purchasing school items.”

3. Target “late” shoppers.

If you haven’t started early, you can still catch back-to-school season shoppers, believes Jonathan Cherki, CEO of ContentSquare, an experience optimization platform for online and mobile businesses designed to help increase conversions. “The back-to-school shopping period starts with people buying because they need supplies and transforms into shoppers purchasing because they’re excited about going back to school with unique items that will differentiate them,” says Cherki. ContentSquare’s data science team recently completed a back-to-school shopping study that analyzed 40 million site visits and more than 460 million page views across mobile devices and desktop platforms from more than 1 million customers. “Our study found that people continue to shop well after sales are over, and the items bought later in the season generate a 37 percent higher cart value than books and school supplies and have 75 percent more page views than the latter,” says Cherki. “Shopping becomes emotional and shoppers are less focused on prices and more on products.” To capture these late buyers, Cherki recommends offering related and recommended products during every step of the customer journey and creating a sense of urgency during transactions. “For example, showing the actual stock available can act as a big conversion booster,” he says.

4. Focus on the digital buying experience.

Though a majority of shopping will occur in brick-and-mortar locations this back-to-school season, National Retail Federation data found that 46 percent of shoppers plan to shop online. Mobile is an increasingly popular shopping option. “The average American is connected throughout the day via mobile. This translates into an incredible opportunity for businesses to engage with customers where they are most,” says Brokaw. “Mobile is especially effective at driving brand awareness for advertisers,” Brokaw continues, “especially as many individuals prefer to research products while they’re on the go. In addition, as screen sizes get larger and companies improve their mobile web and/or in-app user experiences, more individuals are making purchases from their mobile devices.” Cherki agrees. “With traffic on mobile growing exponentially, businesses will do well to have a seamless mobile-first strategy, for prospecting and completing the buyer’s journey. Focus on simple check-out processes with less screens and clicks needed to complete transactions.”

5. Advertise your back-to-school offers on social media.

“Social media is buzzing about the start of a new school year,” says Grossman, whose company’s 1,500 servers process posts from 150 million websites each day. “Join the excitement in a targeted way by providing customers with some guidance that makes you a resource as well as a supplier, such as ‘dorm style guides’ or ‘essential school supplies’ lists.” You could also get attention by plucking at heart strings with a touching story about a child going back to school.

6. Remember Generation Z.

“This year, Generation Z—those born between the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, which is the first generation of digital natives—has reached shopping age, and their behavior and demands are unique,” says Cherki. “We’ve found that Generation Z wants and expects digital experiences beyond the ordinary, while at the same time simplified customer journeys that feel completely seamless,” he says. “Businesses have less than five seconds to capture their attention, but if they get it right, they’ll win big, because Generation Z converts twice as much as the rest of the population.” Read more articles on marketing & sales.

Photo: Getty Images

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Date: AUGUST 30, 2017

HOW BUSINESS OWNERS CAN HELP PREVENT WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION

Having a plan against workplace discrimination can help avoid issues from occurring at your company, according to these business owners.

AUGUST 28, 2017

When a country’s built on freedom of speech, it’s not uncommon for the office to become a hotbed of speaking out. But as a recent incident at Google illustrates, there’s a fine line between freedom of speech and workplace discrimination. When a male employee at Google distributed a 3,000-word email speaking out against company practices regarding hiring women, Google responded by firing him. The fact is that private U.S. companies can terminate employees for what they say. “There’s no freedom of speech within private companies,” says Yoni Levoritz, founder of the Levoritz Law Group. He practices business, civil and family law. “Employees in the vast majority of states are ’employees at will.’ That means they can be fired for literally anything.” According to Levoritz, the only policies that private companies must adhere to are those that pertain to federal, state and local government laws. “Companies can’t discriminate based upon sex or religion in hiring practices,” he says. “Otherwise, employees under contract typically have to adhere to moral clauses that are subjective based upon how the company wants to be seen. If an employee speaks out [against a company’s ideology], the employer can fire the person.” Of course, the goal is not to experience discrimination issues at your company in the first place. Here are some suggestions for policies and protocol that may help prevent problems.

1. Build a strong anti-workplace discrimination culture.

“Avoiding workplace discrimination starts with building a strong culture foundation—and that has everything to do with the people you bring into your organization,” says Heidi Jannenga, co-founder and president of WebPT, which creates software for the outpatient rehab industry. “We intentionally hire for, and nurture, traits like service, accountability, community and work ethic,” says Jannenga. “We also emphasize inclusive leadership, which means valuing—and actively seeking out—diverse experiences and perspectives.

The first step to breeding a culture of fairness is to make everyone aware of what will and won’t be tolerated.

—Joel Klein, founder, BizTank

“Candidates need to be qualified, but it’s also good to be aware of gender bias and how it can be an issue, even subconsciously,” she continues. “That means being cognizant of seemingly simple things—like referring to potential job candidates as ‘guys’ or ‘ladies.’ For example, avoiding saying, ‘When are we going to hire that software guy?'” A part of fostering a culture that discourages workplace discrimination is setting a good example. Whitney Smith is president of The Smith Investigation Agency. “As an employer in what is a male-dominated industry, I strive to be an example of what I expect my staff to be,” she says. “I preach inclusivity and acceptance, so my employees see the environment I’d like our workplace to be. It all boils down to ‘treat others the way you’d like to be treated.’ I can’t expect my staff to respect each other if I don’t demonstrate the same respect for them.”

2. Incorporate anti-workplace discrimination policies into your company.

“Having discrimination policies in place is important,” says Joel Klein, founder of BizTank, an investment platform for Jewish entrepreneurs, and CEO of Immediate Marketing & Business Consulting. “Companies lose millions of dollars every year due to hate speech or cultural offenses, because actions weren’t taken to protect victims of discrimination,” Klein continues. “With anti-workplace discrimination policies in place, employees feel protected, and that creates a standard for employers to follow.” In order to make anti-discrimination policies known, Klein suggests having employers clearly state those policies and requiring employees to read and sign them. “When policies are written and distributed, everyone is held accountable and there’s no room for excuses,” he says. “This fosters a safe place for employees to ask questions that could prevent discriminatory statements and ideologies.” When Smith hires employees, part of her company’s onboarding includes reading and signing pages in the employee handbook that pertain to the company’s zero-tolerance policy for disrespecting clients and fellow staff members. “Most of our staff, being private investigators, work independently, but some assignments do require that staff work together,” says Smith. “It’s important they respect each other and work as a team. There’s no room for judgment, discrimination or disrespect in this line of work.” Having anti-workplace discrimination policies and processes already in place can help ensure a safe and positive work environment, agrees Tonya Bruin, CEO of To Do Done, a renovation and handyman service. “The policies laid out for staff in this area are the backbone of my business.”

3. Encourage employees to report unacceptable behavior.

In addition to enlightening employees, Bruin’s guidelines offer instructions for reporting questionable behavior. “Employees are educated about what behavior is unacceptable and what to do if they need to report a co-worker’s behavior,” she says. If an employee faces discrimination by a co-worker, Lindsay Kavanagh, digital coordinator for seoplus+, feels that reporting the incident is critical. “In workplaces with hundreds of employees, the actions of one can be repeated and hurt many,” she says. “Policies and procedures ensure that people can report incidences and feel safe in doing so.”

4. Provide sensitivity training for your entire company.

Of course, employees need to understand what constitutes unacceptable behavior when it comes to workplace discrimination. Some employers find that sensitivity training is helpful in educating employees. “We run sensitivity training for the entire staff,” says Bruin. “As CEO, this gives me peace of mind that everyone’s been trained properly in sensitive issues.” Klein agrees with educating employees. “To ensure that your workplace discrimination policy is understood and upheld, periodically conduct ‘quizzes’ or similar activities to help keep everyone refreshed,” he says. “Done in a sensitive way, you could also point out noted biases and prejudices. People can’t learn to fix problems they don’t know they have. This will also allow everyone to open up to different perspectives and views.”

5. Act quickly when workplace discrimination arises.

“If a workplace discrimination situation does occur, handle it immediately,” advises Klein. “Mishandling a complaint, even in negligence, can cause a bigger problem to arise. The first step to breeding a culture of fairness is to make everyone aware of what will and won’t be tolerated. Doing this immediately levels the playing field.” Read more articles on hiring & HR.

Photo: Getty Images

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Date: AUGUST 28, 2017

IS IT TIME TO OFFER FLEXTIME TO YOUR EMPLOYEES?

A recent survey shows that employees with children value flextime more than salary. Learn how you can make the most of offering your employees flextime.

AUGUST 24, 2017

Some company owners have added flextime as one of their perks to lure and keep top talent. And according to a recent survey by online service FlexJobs, it may be an option worth considering. FlexJobs surveyed nearly 2,000 parents with children 18 and younger living at home. (The company services professionals seeking flexible schedules and freelance jobs.) The survey found that the majority consider work-life balance and flexible schedules more important than salary when evaluating job prospects. “A perk like flextime could be the deciding factor for employees who are increasingly focused on quality of life,” says Don Rheem, CEO of E3 Solutions, a provider of employee workplace metrics and manager training. “Giving staff more scheduling autonomy sends a message that workers are trusted and that can increase their engagement in the workplace.”

How Employee Flextime Can Benefit Your Company

Flextime’s benefits are clear for employees, but how can business owners make the most of offering employees flexible scheduling? It turns out that offering flextime may also have some perks for your company. “Having some employees work odds hours—like weekends or evenings—can be beneficial to your business,” says Adda Birnir, CEO and founder of Skillcrush, an interactive learning community that teaches tech beginners digital skills. “For example, flextime gives Skillcrush greater customer service coverage and the ability to turn things around faster, because of the extra time employees spend working outside of normal work hours.”

Just as some employees are most productive in the wee hours of the night, some workers need daily physical interaction and the stability of fixed work hours to excel.

—Attiya Abdulghany, CEO, Oliver + Sons

Jason Cummins owns All Hours Air Inc., a heating and cooling installation company. He finds flexible scheduling works well for his business. “Sometimes my employees have to work late into the evening, so I allow them to come in to work a bit late. They perform better when they’re well rested, which means a better advantage for me and the business.” Offering flextime can be a way to keep incredible employees who would otherwise not be able to work at your company anymore, adds Peter Yang, co-founder of ResumeGo, a company that offers career coaching and resume writing services. “For many of our employees, better performance and improved productivity come naturally with flextime,” says Yang. “Some employees are early birds, while others are night owls. After building a certain amount of trust, we encourage all of our employees to tell us when they’re the most productive and to simply work during those hours.”

Will Flextime Work for Your Company?

Before you consider offering flexible scheduling, it’s important to ask yourself if flextime will work for your company, believes Sophia Bland, co-founder of Mock Interview. The company provides interview coaching and conducts mock interviews using a team of nearly 60 employees from around the globe. “What will providing flextime do for your company?” asks Bland. “It might allow your business to handle an influx of clients who want to work with your company outside of traditional hours. Sometimes it will make your company more efficient, as some employees are more productive when they work non-traditional hours.” It’s also a good idea to look at what work style works best for your organization. That can be a company-specific decision, notes Rebecca Cenni, founder of Atrium Staffing, which provides workforce solutions to midsize and Fortune 500 companies. “What are your competitors doing?” Cenni asks. “Could employee flextime help with retention and attracting top talent? What are the up- and downsides of offering flextime for your company?” Taking some time for assessment is important, advises Brie Weiler Reynolds, senior career specialist at FlexJobs. She suggests asking these additional questions.

What types of flexible work will integrate within your workplace culture and your worker’s needs? Some options include full or partial telecommuting, flexible schedules, part-time options, summer Fridays off and job sharing. Consider conducting a survey to learn your employees’ preferences.
Which roles should be eligible for what types of flexibility? Customer-facing roles will need to be completed in the office, but employees who work mostly on the computer or the phone can often work from home.
What are your main goals for using flextime? Is it to increase productivity, improve employee satisfaction and morale, reduce real-estate costs, and/or expand your business offerings?

How to Get the Most out of Offering Employee Flextime

Many business owners agree that creating a clear, formalized flextime program is your best option. “Casual policies allowing flexibility as needed or with manager approval may seem like an easy way to test work-life options, but that can ultimately backfire,” says Weiler Reynolds. “Employees get confused about what options they have, managers find it difficult to stay on top of everything and people often perceive unfairness. Decide which flexible work options will be available and to whom.” Be very clear about expectations, adds Bland. “Work out with employees what tasks need to be done during traditional hours and what tasks can be done outside of traditional hours.” Use great care in who you grant employee flextime, advises Yang. “If an employee wants flextime, we look carefully at the level of productivity and dedication shown in the past,” he says. “Is the person someone who comes in late, leaves early, takes long lunch breaks and spends an exorbitant amount of time on each assignment, or the opposite? This helps predict if the person will thrive with flextime.”

Measuring the ROI of Flextime

Of those companies that offer flextime, many don’t measure the return on investment of doing so, according to Weiler Reynolds. If you’re going to offer flextime, take a look at how it’s benefiting your company, she recommends. “Pay attention to measurable data like client satisfaction, projects completed, worker satisfaction, retention and turnover and operating costs.” Accountability is key, agrees Bland. “First measure how productive an employee is working traditional hours,” she says. “Then measure how productive that employee is working flexible hours. For flextime to make sense, the second measurement should be at least as high as the first.” One of the best ways to measure the impact of flextime is to measure employee engagement, believes Rheem. “When people are engaged at work, they’re strengthening their connection with their employer. The more engaged an employee is, the higher performance and productivity employers will see, regardless of when and where the employee is working.” For Birnir, flextime has a significant impact on ROI because it enables her to concentrate on running her business. “As a CEO, your impulse is to monitor everything—when employees show up and leave, and if they’re trolling Facebook all day,” she says. “I’ve found that offering flextime and focusing on quality and quantity of work is a better metric than how and when they work.” Keep in mind that employee flextime is not for everyone, advises Attiya Abdulghany, founder and CEO of Oliver + Sons, a boutique digital strategy consulting firm with offices throughout the world. “Despite generally having success, I’ve had to let a few people go who needed more structure than what our flextime, remote working environment could provide,” she says. “Just as some employees are most productive in the wee hours of the night, some workers need daily physical interaction and the stability of fixed work hours to excel.” Read more articles on hiring & HR.

Photo: Getty Images

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Date: AUGUST 24, 2017

House Jungle: Fill Your Home with Houseplants

If you’re looking for a book for young and beginning gardeners, House Jungle: Turn Your Home Into a Plant-Filled Paradise is the perfect choice. This well-illustrated, 103-page book provides the basics in a fun, easy-to-understand way.

The author, Annie Dornan-Smith, is an illustrator by trade. The result is an eye-catching little book that gets right to the matter at hand—successfully growing houseplants in your indoor garden. This fun book covers why you want to keep houseplants. Some reasons include the fact that plants need tender loving care like puppies. “If you can’t keep a plant alive, you’re not ready for a dog!” states Dornan-Smith. Plants also clean the air, and they decorate your home. You’ll get a mini lesson on containers in House Jungle. This includes the fact that houseplants need containers with drainage holes, so they don’t become waterlogged. Dornan-Smith notes that plastic and glazed ceramic pots keep the soil wetter longer. So if you’re growing succulents and cactus that are susceptible to root rot, opt for terra-cotta. The latter pots are made from a porous material that dries out more quickly.

The care section of the book covers the important lesson of light exposure in your home. Familiarize yourself with where your north, south, east and west facing windows are. East- and west-facing windows get shade at some point during the day, so this is something to consider if you want to grow plants in front of windows in these locations. In the northern hemisphere, south-facing windows can get some strong, bright sunlight and north-facing windows tend to feature low light. The book also gives sage advice on watering and fertilizing. And Dornan-Smith shares some advice on where to buy plants and how to make more for free by propagating them. This section includes drawings that illustrate how to propagate. Choose the best selections for your indoor gardener by perusing the “Types of House Plants” chapter. In this section, you’re introduced to the various plants that can be grown successfully indoors and their needs. For instance, there’s a section on cacti and succulents, bonsai, air plants, bamboo, herbs and some of the many jungle plants that thrive indoors. These include sansevieria, spider plant, peace lily, Monstera deliciosa, rubber tree, English ivy, ZZ plant, philodendron, pothos and wax plant. Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: AUGUST 25, 2017

Grow Gaillardia in Your Late Summer and Fall Garden

(Julie-Bawden Davis)

Also known as blanket flower, Gaillardia is an eye-catching daisy-like flower that lights up the summer and early fall garden. Featuring orange, red and yellow, the flower makes a perfect complement to autumn decorating.

Gaillardia is a perennial, so if you plant the flower this year, you’ll see its pert, pretty face for years to come. Butterflies and bees will also be happy. They gravitate toward the colorful blooms. In addition to thriving in the ground, Gaillardia does well in containers. Plant a mass of gaillardia in a window box, and you’ll notice the floral display from a distance. Or decorate a patio table with a pot of gaillardia.

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

Here are some tips for successfully growing gaillardia in your summer and fall garden. Provide full sun. Gaillardia requires bright light to bloom well. Plant in well-draining soil. Blanket flowers must have good drainage to thrive. If the soil is heavy clay, amend with perlite or pumice. Test the drainage at the planting site by digging a 6- to 9-inch hole and filling it with water. It should drain within an hour. If it doesn’t, amend the soil some more or choose another planting site.

Avoid adding extra nutrients to the soil, like compost, as gaillardia does best in soil that isn’t rich. The plant requires a pH of neutral or slightly alkaline. Water occasionally. Gaillardia is drought tolerant once established. Water on a regular basis until the plants establish. You’ll know they’re established when they’ve put on new growth. After that, water when the top 3 inches or so of soil has dried out. Water containerized gaillardia when the top 1-2 inches of soil has dried out. Avoid overwatering, which will lead to root rot.

(FreeImages.com/Dennis Kamberg)

Fertilize once in spring. Gaillardia isn’t a heavy feeder. Fertilize once in spring with a mild fertilizer, such as worm compost. Deadhead regularly. Pinching off spent gaillardia blooms will cause the plant to initiate new blooms. Doing this also keeps the plant looking tidy and attractive. Harvesting gaillardia flowers when they’re at their prime also causes the plant to put on new buds. Gaillardia is a long-lasting cut and dried flower. Cut back in early fall. If you live in a climate with cold winters, cut gaillardia back in early fall to about 6 inches. You can do this after the plant finishes flowering. This will help gaillardia make it through winter, so it can grace your garden with blooms starting early next summer. Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: AUGUST 21, 2017

Grow Sweet Potato Vines Indoors

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

Looking for a fun project that kids and adults love? Try growing sweet potato vine indoors. All you need is a sweet potato that’s sprouting, a jar and some toothpicks. And just a tad of patience.

Grow sweet potato vine indoors, and you’ll soon have a sprawling vine with lime-green or purple-tinged leaves. Here’s how to enjoy growing this fun vine as a houseplant. Get an organic sweet potato. Chemically treated sweet potatoes sprayed with a sprout retardant will be sterile and won’t sprout. Look for sweet potatoes with root nodes (eyes) that appear to be swelling. This indicates that leaves or roots will soon sprout from the nodes. If you have an old sweet potato you didn’t get around to cooking and it has started to sprout little leaves or roots, even better. It might not be good for eating at this point, but it’s ripe for growing! Fill a rooting jar with lukewarm water. Choose a vessel that is at least 4 inches deep, so that the roots can grow downwards without obstruction. Take out some sturdy toothpicks. Beginning two to three inches up from the bottom of the sweet potato, insert the toothpicks at regular intervals.

Insert the sweet potato in the water, so the tip is submerged. Adjust the toothpicks as necessary. In a couple of week, roots will begin to emerge from the root nodes near the water. Leaves will grow out of root nodes at the top of the sweet potato.

(Julie Bawden-Davis)

Place the sweet potato in a sunny location. The leaves require regular light for the plant to grow well. If necessary, supplement with artificial lighting. Maintain clean water. Twice weekly, empty the water in the sweet potato jar and refill with fresh, lukewarm water. If the water becomes stagnant, the sweet potato may not grow. The water can also become smelly if it sits too long. Avoid using softened water. It’s high in salts, which inhibits rooting and healthy growth. Move to a larger jar/vase. When the roots have grown full and lush, ensure that they have plenty of room to grow by moving to a larger vessel. Also give the vines room to spread out. You can stake them or let them hang from a high location. When working with the vines, keep in mind that the stems are fairly breakable. Fertilize. Once a month, add a drop of an organic, all-purpose liquid or water soluble granular fertilizer. Fertilize right after changing the water. Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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Date: AUGUST 11, 2017

BENEFITS OF MENTORING: HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE MENTOR-MENTEE RELATIONSHIP

The benefits of being a mentee can be obvious, but what about mentoring? According to these mentors, there are some perks of advising newbies.

AUGUST 10, 2017

In August 2016, when LinkedIn invited Stephanie Bailey to participate in a special mentorship program, she jumped at the chance. Bailey, head of marketing at the management platform company AgileCraft, found the experience fulfilling. “I’m glad to see that LinkedIn is trying this again, but with a larger audience,” says Bailey of the company’s recently debuted service that matches potential mentors and mentees within their database. The free service was recently tested and is now available to select users with plans to broaden availability. Bailey felt the need to give back, because her own career has benefited from a 15-year relationship with a mentor. “While my mentor has helped me immensely, mentoring also benefits him,” Bailey says. “He gets a new perspective on his views, new insight into marketing and the pleasure of helping to unlock some of my hidden potential and witness how he’s influenced another successful career. “Most importantly,” she continues, “he gets the personal satisfaction of creating a lifelong relationship with a colleague and friend.”

Why Business Owners Can Make Great Mentors

With their broad range of experience in all aspects of business, entrepreneurs and company owners can make excellent mentors. “Most business owners and entrepreneurs have gone through the highs and lows of spectacular triumphs and miserable failures during their journeys,” says Phil Shawe, CEO of TransPerfect, a translation and content management company. “The struggles many successful business owners have experienced often makes them capable of effectively mentoring younger professionals.”

Even if you just dedicate three to four hours per quarter to the mentee, it’s important to set aside the time to mentor. Small chunks of time can make a significant impact on someone’s life and career path.

—Stephanie Bailey, head of marketing, AgileCraft

Rafiq Punjani, president of Anago Cleaning Systems—Manitoba, agrees. “Since most mentors have walked a similar path, [which can be a circuitous one], they often have great wisdom to share with mentees.”

What Are the Benefits of Mentoring?

Just as there are numerous benefits for mentees of being mentored, mentoring also has its perks for mentors, such as:

Maximizing Your Impact and Time

Professional speaker and CEO of The Amplify Lab Joanna Bloor developed and hosts an annual speed mentoring event. One of Bloor’s biggest challenges is fulfilling requests from less-seasoned professionals to meet for “brain-picking” sessions. “If I said yes to every request, I’d be in the coffee shop a significant part of the day and not doing my day job,” she says. “I’m always looking for ways to maximize my time while having maximum impact. Done properly, there’s always a win for both the mentor and the mentee. Tools like LinkedIn’s new program make it even easier.”

Establishing Your Subject Matter Expertise

What you’re known for as an executive can be key to landing senior positions, believes Bloor. “Historically, other than speaking at conferences and general networking, there haven’t been many ways to show your expertise,” she says. “Mentoring within the LinkedIn platform could demonstrate that you know your subject matter and create career and business opportunities.”

Strategically Giving Back to Those Who Show Initiative

To Bloor, few things are more rewarding than giving advice to mentees who possess initiative. “The result is that your advice turns to action and action manifests as impact,” she says. “I haven’t spoken to any mentors who haven’t been thrilled when mentees have acted on their guidance. It’s why people mentor in the first place.”

How to Make the Most of the Mentoring Relationship

In order to get the most benefits from mentoring for yourself and your mentee, keep the following in mind.

1. Be clear about what you can offer.

“Try not to be all things to everyone,” says Bloor. Focusing on your strengths and abilities, consider outlining exactly what you can offer a mentee. Being yourself and sharing your uniqueness can go a long way toward guiding your mentee. You may also feel satisfied with your contribution.

2. Commit your time.

“Even if you just dedicate three to four hours per quarter to the mentee, it’s important to set aside the time to mentor,” says Bailey. “Small chunks of time can make a significant impact on someone’s life and career path.” That significant impact can make you feel great about the connection.

3. Keep an open mind.

A lot of mentor/mentee relationships include an age gap, notes Bailey. “Just listen,” she advises. “You’ll be surprised how much you can learn from your mentee.”

4. Graciously accept praise.

“All mentorship programs are fueled with gratitude,” says David Harder, author of The Workplace Engagement Solution and president of Inspired Work, Inc., a workplace engagement, career and leadership development firm. “As a mentor, accept all acknowledgement and praise with graciousness,” says Harder. “For example, if someone compliments you, avoid replying with, ‘Oh it was nothing.’ Gratitude fuels additional support.” Read more articles on networking.

Photo: Getty Images

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Date: AUGUST 10, 2017

3 TIPS TO HELP ENCOURAGE YOUR EMPLOYEES TO USE THEIR VACATION DAYS

Time off can help boost productivity, but a survey found that vacation days aren’t getting used. These tips may help your office become more vacay friendly.

AUGUST 08, 2017

As an employer, you probably already realize the benefits of providing employees with paid time off (PTO). You may not know, though, that a majority of employees don’t take their vacation days. According to a 2017 survey of 400 employees commissioned by TSheets, 70 percent of U.S. workers “who received their PTO” don’t use all of it each year. (TSheets is a time tracking and scheduling software company.) “If you look at the total number of employees working in the United States (about 151 million),” the report goes on, “these numbers imply that employees left 600 million days of PTO unused.” It might seem like a way for business owners to save costs, but it may be better for your company to have your employees use their vacation days, believes Ximena Hartsock, co-founder and president of Phone2Action, a digital advocacy platform that connects citizens to lawmakers. “Vacations days offer a chance to reflect and gain perspective,” Hartsock says, “and PTO increases productivity in the office.” Burnout is a common result of a work-life imbalance. To avoid this potential productivity buster, it may be a good idea to encourage employees to use their vacation days. These three tips may help.

1. Set an example regarding taking time off.

It starts at the top, believes Rachel Hofstetter, chief marketing officer at Chatbooks, a service that turns digital photos into photo books. “This is a perfect example of ‘tone from the top,'” Hofstetter says. “When company leaders don’t take vacation days themselves, they set a culture that dictates no one else can take time off.” A month after Chatbooks implemented a revised family leave policy, the company’s CFO/COO took off the full time allotted for his paternity leave, Hofstetter says.

Your celebration of employee vacations reinforces the message that taking time off is a good thing.

—Manny Medina, CEO, Outreach

“Setting the example at the executive level that vacation days are meant to be used is a critical component of making sure employees are happy, healthy and as productive as they can be,” she says. It’s all about leading by example, agrees Manny Medina, CEO of Outreach, a sales engagement platform. “If I and my leadership team don’t take time off,” Medina says, “we send a signal to the rest of the organization that high performance requires never taking vacations. We take regular mini vacations every quarter or so, and we make sure everyone in the company knows about it.”

2. Make vacation days possible for your team.

Encouraging employees to take time off is one thing, but making it a viable option is another. “It’s important to cultivate a culture where every member of the team willingly steps up to fill in for employees while they’re out, so no balls drop,” says Medina. “Putting policies in place that protect employee vacations is also vital. That’s why we created a maternity leave policy that allows new parents—moms and dads—to take time off after the arrival of a new baby without touching their vacation days.” Hartstock finds that informing employees of the best times of the year to take vacations acts as a motivator. “We allow people to vacation at any time, but send memos out before summer and the winter holidays so people feel encouraged to use their PTO when the business is slower.” Phone2Action also allows employees with families overseas to take longer vacations and work remotely during the holidays. “All of this helps dedicated team members plan vacations without feeling guilty,” says Hartstock. Sometimes finances are the reason why employees fail to vacation, so Hartstock’s company also gives travel loans. “We offer payment plans for young people who don’t have the savings to afford a vacation overseas,” she says.

3. Create a pro-vacation days company culture.

“While the TSheets survey cited that respondents were ‘too busy’ to take time off, I think the deeper reason is company culture and guilt,” says Jon Wirt, head of marketing for Aura, which creates digital picture frames. “If employees take vacation days while others don’t, those taking time off might worry they’ll be perceived as slackers,” says Wirt. “Weave taking time off into the company’s DNA. At Aura, family time is valued, so vacation days are considered a good reason to be out of the office. You can’t force employees to take PTO, but when people bring up taking time off, stress the positives and take an active interest in their vacations.” Hofstetter agrees. “Show interest—[instead of] disdain—when people take vacation days,” she says. “Emphasize the importance of going on vacation and go yourself. In our weekly marketing team meeting, one agenda item is to ask who is going on vacation the following week. Our policy is to put a palm tree as the person’s status on Slack and ask that other employees respect their time away.” Chatbooks’ culture of approval surrounding vacation days has effectively filtered to employees, notes Hofstetter. “In a recent employee survey, we asked employees, ‘What is one thing that makes you happy at work and satisfied with your work-life balance?’ Many employees cited the company’s positive attitude surrounding vacation days.” You can also make taking vacations part of your culture by celebrating them. “Your celebration of employee vacations reinforces the message that taking time off is a good thing,” says Medina. Hofstetter agrees. “Once a month, employees share with one another a photo they’ve recently taken and tell a short story to explain it,” she explains. “The photos usually portray something that occurred during time off. This tradition does a great job of celebrating and encouraging vacations.” Read more articles on work-life balance.

Photo: Getty Images

Project Link

Date: AUGUST 08, 2017

Archives: Portfolio

The Power of Intense Focus

Better Teamwork

Advanced Leadership Skills

Adaptability

Superior Decision Making Skills

Resourcefulness, Flexibility and Persistence

The Ability to Harness Processes and Procedures

Extreme Discipline

Photo: Getty Images

1. Examine current sales figures.

2. Focus on month-end, rather than quarter-end sales.

3. Follow up with unsold customers.

4. Market and sell existing overstock.

5. Add value to your product offerings.

6. Improve your marketing efforts.

7. Keep an eye on the new year.

Photo: Getty Images

Types of E-Commerce Fraud

Friendly Fraud

Identity Fraud

Steps to Help Prevent E-Commerce Fraud

1. Use e-commerce fraud protection services.

2. Look for fraud protection that combines artificial and human intelligence.

3. Use verification technology.

4. Take advantage of email authentication.

5. Identify the origins of transactions.

6. Ensure software systems are up-to-date.

7. Provide excellent customer service.

Photo: Getty Images

1. Partner with others to drive online sales traffic.

2. Make offering superior customer service paramount.

3. Ensure a seamless mobile experience.

4. Personalize the online sales experience for your customers.

5. Incorporate discovery shopping on your website.

6. Supplement your online sales with engaging content.

7. Continually offer your customers new products.

8. Compete with your bigger competitors.

9. Reorder quickly

10. Keep at it.

Photo: Getty Images

New Cybersecurity Features

Automatic Classification of Cybersecurity Threats

—Gary S. Miliefsky, executive producer, Cyber Defense Magazine

Intelligent Cyber Threat Hunting

New Methods of Handling Vulnerable Data

The Use of Behavioral Biometrics

Employee Cyber Readiness Training Portals

Stay Ahead of the Trends

Photo: Getty Images

Serve by Example

Develop Clear Customer Service Protocols

—Marilyn Suttle, CEO, Suttle Enterprises

Empower Employees

Use Empathy to Enlighten During Customer Service Week and Beyond

Reward Employees for Superior Customer Service

Photo: Getty Images

Tips for Using Your Current Team for Holiday Season Staffing

1. Forecast required manpower hours.

—Ricky Klein, founder, Groennfell Meadery

2. Check financial feasibility.

3. Ask about availability.

4. Provide additional responsibility.

5. Watch for burnout.

When to Hire Outside Help for the Holidays

1. Look “at home” for holiday help.

2. Employ customers.

3. Provide adequate training.

4. Be clear about expectations.

5. Look for potential permanent employees.

Photo: Getty Images

1. Claim your expert status in your headline.

2. Make your profile professional.

3. Make yourself searchable.

4. Build up your connections.

5. Ask for recommendations.

6. Reach out to contacts.

7. Add media.

8. Set up a company page.

9. Take advantage of groups.