Social media, social networking, social web sites – we hear of these things practically all the time now. Employees from all sorts of industries have various social networking accounts that they use, even at work! Many employers are quite concerned, especially since these sites may eat up bandwidth that could be used for more “productive” purposes.

The question remains, however, of whether these social media platforms can be made useful for business purposes. The truth of the matter is that IF you want your business to stay competitive, you NEED to engage in social media activities. What are the reasons for this? There are several, but the main thing that I can think of is the fact that social media platforms serve as an alternative means of communicating to the outside world; a means which is practically free; a means which reaches out to a much wider audience.

Let’s look the reaching out part. I don’t have hard numbers, but I can say without doubt that a huge majority of people in the WHOLE WORLD are engaged in social media activities. Facebook and Twitter are only a couple of the most popular platforms today, and a lot of businesses have already set up their own accounts. Why? Because they know that they can communicate with existing and potential customers through these sites; customers which they may not reach otherwise.

Of course, there is the FREE part. No need to pay consultant fees. No need to pay for the account – unless you want to upgrade. You can have someone in your staff to maintain the account, or you can even do it yourself!

So yes, social media should be an important part of marketing your business.

Telecommuting has fast become a popular practice in business. This is especially true for companies that have been trying to cut down on operation costs. Also considering the help of all the advanced technology available to businesses today, it is no wonder that there are millions of telecommuters today. If you’re wondering about the figures, WorldatWork, an organization based in Arizona, estimated about 33.7 million telecommuters in the United States last year. If that isn’t impressive, then I don’t know what is!

For what it’s worth, though, telecommuting is not a solution for all businesses. Before you jump into the telecommuting bandwagon, make sure that you know what you are getting into and that it is right for you.

One thing that you should make sure of is that you have clear cut policies and guidelines governing telecommuting. These policies will ensure that everyone knows exactly what is expected of him and how to get things done. Without these policies, your telecommuting program might prove to be more disadvantageous.

In line with this, it is a very good idea to come up with a standard agreement which a telecommuter will have to sign. This will be a reminder for the employee and something which you can refer to in case complications arise. This agreement can also cover other aspects such as compensation, use of office equipment, and the like.

Of course, just because you have a telecommuting program does not mean that your employees do not have to come to the office, if only every now and then. You might also want to add this stipulation.

At the end of the day, analyze – if telecommuting is going to benefit your business and your employees then go for it.

Changes here, changes there; the only thing constant in this world is change. There are so many sayings about change, and people have been experiencing change since time immemorial. But you and I know very well that we cannot simply initiate change without planning for it and making sure that it goes smoothly – especially in the business sense. I read a very good article by David Javitch at Entrepreneur.com, and he proposes some questions that you need to answer before you go ahead and shake things up. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Ask yourself if others agree with you. The bottom line is that no change will be effective if other people in the company do not see the problem as you do. Even if the problem is very real, people just might resist the change and defeat the purpose.

Ask yourself if you have the key people on your side to implement the change. You can send out directives about the change that you want to make, but again, the trick is in the implementation. You need to have key people in your staff to help you with the implementation and with handling problems and glitches that may occur. Make sure that you identify these key persons first.

Ask yourself about the specifics – time frame, budget, and the like. Just like any other plan, you need to be particular about the details. You cannot implement change effectively unless you have a goal and a route to get there. Make use of your key persons. Brainstorm with them, and come up with a detailed plan to help you achieve your goals.

For more of the questions and in-depth information, read the whole article here.

Making and giving presentations are part of any business. You may have to present proposals to clients and customers. You may have to present rules or give training to your employees. No matter what the purpose for your presentation, you will need to know how to use PowerPoint efficiently. Otherwise, you just might not achieve what you are aiming for. Here are some things which you can bear in mind when creating your PowerPoint presentation AND when delivering it as well.

The fewer slides you have, the better. This is a simple rule that has been encouraged for a while now. PowerPoint presentations are supposed to be visual aids. They are not supposed to contain all the information that you want to get across. Single out the main points and put them in the slides.

Naturally, you should also look at the content of the slides. You probably have heard of the idea that the fewer words that you use, the better. Well it is true! Again, choose the most striking words that will help you deliver the key points, and leave the rest to your ORAL delivery.

This brings us to the next important point – pay particular attention to your delivery. Make sure you know what you want to get across ON TOP of what is on the presentation. Find ways to liven up the presentation and engage your audience. LOOK at them, TALK to them. Remember that you are presenting to people, and people need interaction.

Running a small business does not mean that you are exempt from keeping your office (or offices) clean. While your premises might not be as huge as other companies, the task of keeping a clean office is still present. It might even be a bit more difficult for small businesses because of the intimacy of the office. No one really wants to be the “mom” at work, right?

It is important, however, to realize the effects of having a pristine office. Psychologically, it helps with efficiency in the work place. More than that, if you have clients and customers coming in, the cleanliness of your place will speak for itself. Who would want to deal with a business that is housed in an unsanitary place?

The first thing that you need to do to keep your premises clean without having to spend extra money on more cleaning personnel is to establish house rules. Make sure that everyone understands the importance of keeping their areas clean, and that picking up after themselves is a must. Personal accountability is the premier consideration here.

Another thing that you can do is to minimize clutter. The less tables and other surfaces that you have around the office, the less you will need to maintain. More so, set a good example by keeping your own office and desk clean and tidy. If your own work area is cluttered and unkempt, why should your employees keep theirs clean?

Again, the bottom line is to make everybody aware of their responsibility – and that includes YOU.

If you think that the swine flu pandemic is over and done with, then you should think again! The swine flu, or H1N1, virus is still around and it seems that it continues to be a cause of concern. As a matter of fact, federal officials released a statement on Monday to the effect that small business owners should prepare for the scenario wherein their employees might be affected by the virus.

As we usher in fall, the Department of Homeland Security warns that many more people might contract the virus, and since about half of the workers in the private sector are employed by small businesses, this is a pressing matter. Janet Napolitano, chief of Homeland Security said:

“They play a key role in protecting the health and safety of the country but also their own employees and also helping us limit impact of an H1N1 pandemic on our economy and our country.”

The Department of Homeland Security has released a guidebook with the aim of helping small businesses prevent complications arising from swine flu infections. In addition to this, the guidebook also helps with coming up with contingency plans in case staff members do contract the virus. Some examples include allowing employees to work from home, carrying out operations with leaner staff, and so on.

While there is no indication that the swine flu problem will take a turn for the worse, the CDC is preparing itself for whatever may happen. It is but logical that small business owners do the same.

Technology is very much part of any business today. For the small business owner, expenses on technology may not be that large, especially when compared to companies that operate on a larger scale. Still, these expenses can comprise a significant chunk of a small business’s budget. As such, any savings that can be made is welcome!

What are some ways by which you can save on your technological expenses?

One, when purchasing technological equipment such as computers and printers, you might want to check out extended warranty programs. Even though computers become obsolete so quickly, they can last for many years and be useful for just as long – especially if you do not need cutting edge technology. Getting the extended warranty can help you save on additional costs involved in purchasing new equipment. If you did not avail of extended warranties for your existing computers and they are still under warranty, why not call the manufacturer and see if they can extend the warranty? Some big names such as Dell and HP offer this.

Two, look for free or open source software. Microsoft Office can cost you an arm and a leg, especially for commercial use. Why not look at software like Open Office? It’s totally free and works just fine! For antivirus and antimalware software, try AVG and SpyBot. There are a lot of products online available for download which will not cost you a cent – just look.

Three, perform regular maintenance work on your computers. Virus scanning, defragmentating, deleting of unneeded files, backing up of files – all these should be part of a routine and will save you time and money in the long run.

All work and no play makes a man what? Boring, maybe. Burned out, for sure. Even workaholics – perhaps especially them – will eventually reach a point wherein they just can’t function properly anymore because of an imbalance in their professional and personal lives. Before you even get there, why not take a little time to take stock of your situation and get out of the burn out lane?

First, identify what adds to your stress. There is always something – it can be work-related or familial. Whatever these things are, pinpoint them first so that you can find solutions.

Second, delegate tasks. If there are certain tasks that add to your stress, see if you can assign them to staff members whom you trust and who are skilled. If you have no staff members, then you might want to consider outsourcing certain tasks. This will certainly save you a lot of time AND stress.

Third, set aside time for yourself. Remember my last post? Taking a vacation can be good for your business and yourself. It does not even have to be a vacation; a little “me” time will do the trick. Say, on Friday afternoons you can go play basketball. Or maybe spend some time fishing. Whatever it is that helps you relax, make sure that it is part of your routine.

Fourth, keep yourself challenged. I have heard it said that sometimes, people get burned out because they’re bored. It may seem ironic, but if you think about it, it kind of makes sense. If you’re in this boat, then I suggest looking for something challenging, something new, to keep you on your toes.

The summer period is almost over. Have you taken a break from your business? I know that I may not be making sense to some of you, but believe me, taking a vacation might actually do you – and your business – more good rather than if you stayed at work all throughout the summer months.

How so? We all know how running a business – no matter what size it is – can take its toll. The daily stress of having to deal with every little detail in the business, not to mention all the responsibility on the owner’s shoulders, is certainly not good on even the toughest of people. As such, taking breaks from work is a very important thing.

Even if you own your business, you cannot expect yourself to be at the top of your game if you work at least 12 hours day, 7 days a week. Even if you decrease those figures to 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, you will still be headed for burn out.

As such, going on vacation should really be on your list. It does not even have to be a “grand” vacation. You can opt for a “stay-cation,” wherein you do not travel to go on a break. The bottom line is that you UNPLUG yourself during this period.

Stay away from your mobile phone, from your laptop, from the Internet – anything that might tempt you to check up on how business is doing. Give yourself this work-free time. You deserve and need it; and so does your business.

Photo courtesy of feministing

To celebrate the launch of its new Small Business site AT&T is launching a contest for small businesses and the winner get a complete business make-over from AT&T. First I obviously must disclaim that I live in the UK and can’t use AT&T myself, but I have one of those shiny iPhones nevertheless.

Myself I have been running small businesses for pretty much my complete professional career and have several times rebooted businesses as well. Often I have been in the situation that I wanted to improve a company I owned or managed but whether didn’t know how to do or didn’t have the financial possibilities to do so.

In the first situation, stubborn as I usually was, most of times I looked for a typical sell out option and tried to sell on the company because I was too proud to ask other people for advice. I should have known better and I think the fact that big companies such as AT&T are available to assist small business owners is a great opportunity.
If back then I knew what I know now, I would gladly have grabbed every occasion to get advice and guidance from professionals instead of getting stuck myself in a cul-de-sack, not seeing the forest trough the trees.

Other times it would have been great if I had a little more financial leeway to improve the infrastructure and logistics of my companies. Most of time IT was a big burden and too expensive to be run professionally. Often I would have dreamed of being able to offer my employees a nice laptop or even a professionally maintained email server and I guess that’s where AT&T comes in for you.

Next to the complete business makeover AT&T also offers smartphones to winners and several other subscriptions based prizes. All you have to do is submit a 2minutes video and tell AT&T how they could possibly improve your business.

You can visit the AT&T Small Business InSite contest page here.