http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/ news and tips from BookFresh founders, clients, partners, and more en Copyright 2010 2010-03-10T22:04:40+00:00 http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/does-uncle-sam-pay-more/ http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/does-uncle-sam-pay-more/#When:21:04:40Z According to a recent study by USA Today, federal employee average salaries are higher than their private-sector counterparts. The study includes a range of professions- some of which are nurses, graphic designer, janitors, marketing managers, IT managers, secretaries, financial analysts and lawyers. Some Interesting Findings Of the 226 job categories analyzed, 180 were paid more at the federal level. They include white-collar, blue-collar, management, professional, and technical jobs. The private sector pays higher on average for very specialized occupations such as airline pilots, lawyers, and computer research scientists. The study, based on reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics said that 216 occupations covering 1.1 million federal workers exist in both the federal and private sectors. An additional 124 federal occupations covering 750,000 employees — air-traffic controllers, tax collectors and others — did not have direct equivalents. Check out USA Today for the complete study on average salaries. Information Systems Manager Federal: $122,020 Private: $115,705 Financial Analyst: Federal: $87,400 Private: $81,232 Graphic Designer: Federal: $70,820 Private: $46,565 Lawyer: Federal: 123,660 Private: $126,763 Physician, surgeon: Federal: $176,050 Private: $177,102 PR/Media Manager: Federal: $132,410 Private: $88,241 Registered Nurse: Federal: $76,460 Private: $ 63,780 Secretary: Federal: $44,500 Private $33,829 Surveyor: Federal: $78,710 Private: $67,336 Staff Writer In the News 2010-03-10T21:04:40+00:00 http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/prevent-your-employees-from-two-timing-you/ http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/prevent-your-employees-from-two-timing-you/#When:00:51:36Z 2010 has already seen a few trends that stem from the 1981 recession. Tammy Erickson of the Harvard Business Review discusses some of the effects this recession will leave on the way employees do their work. Two-Timing Because so many employers have used pay decreases and furloughs to cut costs, a good portion of the American workforce have chosen to maintain two jobs; their salaried and benefits job as well as an entrepreneurial project or part-time work at another company. The result of this is a buzzword for organizational managers everywhere- disengagement. Innovative Arrangements To counter the effects of the recession, managers have to use creative tactics to compete for their employees “discretionary energy” which include other jobs and employee’s personal lives. Some of the more popular tactics are flex work options. Taking advantage of technology, more managers are becoming increasingly comfortable with virtual work and “off hours” employment. If the job does not require face-time with clients, many employers are okay with their staff coming in a few hours late in exchange for a few more hours at the end of the day or visa versa. The bottom line is- the workplace is changing. As Harvard Business Review author Tammy Erickson puts it, “Recessions unquestionably leave a mark on the way we work. These approaches companies use to respond to difficult business conditions don’t only affect the company- they leave a lasting impression on the workers (and the workers’ teen-age children).” Staff Writer In the News 2010-03-04T00:51:36+00:00 http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/customer-service-trends/ http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/customer-service-trends/#When:22:56:47Z This may be the Year of the Tiger but for smart entrepreneurs and small business owners, 2010 is the Year of Customer Service. After discounting, slashing prices, and offering everything short of the kitchen sink, the only real competitive advantage your business may have is customer service. To ensure you stay on top of your competition, check out the latest trends in customer service. Full-Transparency With social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, it is not easier than ever for a disgruntled or happy customer to share his/her thoughts with thousands of people. Use this as motivation to keep disgruntled customers few and far between while showcasing positive reviews on these forums. Insourcing Many companies who chose to outsource their customer service over the past decade will be moving in-house or at least to a domestic customer-service company. After the backlash of outsourced customer service such as Dell, companies are finally realizing that customer service is not something they can send overseas. Think Big…Act Small Over the past few years, virtually all businesses have tried to look bigger than they really were. Now, as many companies want to forge close and meaningful relationships with their customers, a trend of “acting small” has become effective in customer service. As Chris Brogan puts it “every company wants to be human”. For more customer service trends in 2010, check out Small Biz Trends. Staff Writer In the News 2010-02-22T22:56:47+00:00 http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/2010-the-year-of-mobile-coupons/ http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/2010-the-year-of-mobile-coupons/#When:23:40:50Z According to a study discussed in Small Business Trends, customers are still hesitant to take advantage of mobile coupons. A very small 4 percent of users said they had redeemed mobile coupons; only 10 percent said they felt comfortable storing coupons on their mobile phone as opposed to printing them out. Not surprisingly, younger consumers are more open-minded to using mobile coupons. In the Small Business Trends article, eMarketer reports that 18 to 44 year olds prefer online ads for discounts by a 5% margin. The oldest respondents were the most likely to favor print, though they still thought Web ads were better for deals. The study showed that many customers are willing to “fan”, “follow”, and “email subscribe” to your brand if you offer discounts for doing that. Still, many consumers like to have a tangible representation of the discount before they travel to a store to redeem it- whether it is a printed coupon or email from the business. This can become very expensive once you add up the costs of designing a coupon and spending the time to make it worthwhile. Services such as FreshGuide work with small businesses to offer deals and offers to local customers- they provide the sign-up, payment processing, and distribution of the printed coupon/certificate. Could this be a more cost-effective way of offering large discounts to new customers outside your network? Staff Writer Uncategorized 2010-02-04T23:40:50+00:00 http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/help-for-haiti/ http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/help-for-haiti/#When:16:26:02Z As a small business owner, it is important to give back. Technology has made it very easy and effortless to donate money to great causes. In the wake of the tragedy in Haiti, there is a great opportunity to do good and help our neighboring nation. Not only will this foster a good reputation with your local community but it is for a worthy cause that needs help. A few things you can do to help Haiti: Include donation information on your website. A simple link for customers to donate money is a great way to help. Two trustworthy sites are Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and American Red Cross Host a proceeds day. Choose a day or week where a percentage of your sales will go to a relief fund in Haiti. Advertise this through an email, on your website, or in your storefront. When the day(s) are over, you can send a donation for the amount to one of the above sites. Staff Writer In the News 2010-01-27T16:26:02+00:00 http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/lower-your-prices/ http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/lower-your-prices/#When:23:31:54Z Many small business owners have spent a lot of time debating whether they should lower their prices during the recession or keep them consistent. While lowering prices may be a quick fix, it may make your business seem desperate-at least during the recession. Susan Reid of Small Biz Trends discusses that this may be the best time to lower your prices. As we slowly start to recover from the recession, consumers will begin to spend more money. As Reid puts it, “As consumer confidence grows, so should your business. And what better way to attract new customers than by offering them a smoking economic recovery deal by lowering your prices temporarily?” Lowering Prices While Maintaining Your Brand Be Bold. Let your customers know you are cutting your prices by using bold language such as “Two Week Economic Recovery Sale: Half Off All Services” Clearly State When You Will Return to Regular Prices. While offering discounts and sales are great, it is important to let your customers know when you will be returning to regular prices. Clear Call to Action. Using email marketing, social networking, and advertising to let your existing and new customers know about your reduced prices. Check out the full article about economic recovery by Susan Reid. Staff Writer Tips and Tricks 2010-01-21T23:31:54+00:00 http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/googles-local-business-listings-monitor-carefully/ http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/googles-local-business-listings-monitor-carefully/#When:18:21:25Z Google has been all over the news lately- first their Google Phone released last week and now their threat to withdraw from China over censorship and cyberspying. Aside from those two front-page stories, Google is also at the forefront of small business news. Small Business Trends reports that last week, many small business owners started receiving emails about their local business results from November. In addition to their own results was information about other local businesses that they had no affiliation with. This information included how many clicks each listing received, how many clicked for “more info”, how many clicked through the website, and how many clicked for directions. Much of this information is critical for small businesses when making advertising decisions- information they would want in the hands of their competitors. Google addressed the issue calling it a “glitch” and that less than 1% of Google Local Business Center users were affected. Lesson of the Day- Monitor your local listings and report anything that looks suspicious. Staff Writer In the News 2010-01-13T18:21:25+00:00 http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/the-smartest-products-of-the-decade/ http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/the-smartest-products-of-the-decade/#When:21:34:02Z Inc., a magazine geared towards entrepreneurs and small business owners released their list of the “Smartest Products of the Decade”. All of these products have revolutionized the way we communicate, spend our time, and entertainment. Here are the winners… iPod On October 23, 2001, a digital music device called the iPod was launched by Apple. Since then, it has changed the way we live. With over 220 million of the devices sold since its introduction, it paved the way for iTunes and a spot in American culture. NetFlix Just when we thought paper-mail was a thing of the past, NetFlix changed the way people watch movies by delivering them to your mailbox. It’s not rocket science but it provided such a sought-after convenience that over 11 million subscribers use the service. Keeping up with technology, NetFlix now streams movies directly to their customer’s computers. BlackBerry Also known as the CrackBerry due to it’s addictive features, Research in Motion's BlackBerry has over 28 million dedicated users. Although many other QWERTY keyboards and smartphones have popped up over the past decade, nothing is more synonymous with business communication than the BlackBerry. PayPal Web-based business services have become an essential part of day-to-day business. PayPal has completely revolutionized the way people handle e-commerce. As Inc. puts it, “How else would you pay for that Elvis collectible plate set you just bought on eBay?” Social Media Friendster, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter. Half a billion users stay connected through social networking platforms…the numbers speak for themselves. For the rest of the smartest products of this decade, check out the full story at Inc. Staff Writer In the News 2010-01-08T21:34:02+00:00 http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/go-green-in-2010/ http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/go-green-in-2010/#When:00:18:44Z Turning your business “eco-friendly” is not just a nice thing to do anymore but a financial opportunity. The good people at Small Business Trends recently wrote about their “7 Green Business Resolutions”. Here are a few of their suggestions. Write a Sustainability Plan Write down your eco-friendly goals so you have a roadmap to refer to throughout the year. Before you spend thousands of dollars installing solar panels, look into the small cost-effective things you can be doing. Printing less, using energy-saving modes on computers and other electronics and turning off the lights during the day (if you have ample sunlight!) Find Financial Incentives Many cities and states offer financial incentives for businesses making eco-friendly and energy-efficient progress. Similarly, many utilities offer rebates and discounts to businesses making energy improvements, such as installing energy-efficient lights or installing renewable power sources. For more green resolutions for 2010, check out the Small Business Trends article found here. Staff Writer Tips and Tricks 2010-01-07T00:18:44+00:00 http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/2010-the-year-of-social-media/ http://www.bookfresh.com/blog/post/2010-the-year-of-social-media/#When:21:03:21Z Happy Holidays! For many of us, this week marks the end of business in 2009. As we set our goals and strategies for 2010, social media is going to be a big part of any small business next year. AdWeek recently wrote about “5 Social Media Implications for Brands in 2010”. I wanted to share a few of their findings with you. A Must-Have Marketing Tool It is hard to believe but there are still some brands that have not fully embraced social media marketing. 2010 will be the year that brands realize that social media marketing is a must have make-or-break tool. Experimental Budgets We don’t know what the outcome will be unless we try! None of us can predict what the result of a social media campaign will be but it is important to allow yourself some money for these experiments. You may have two cheap busts before you come up with a great campaign. Creating an experimental budget will give your brand flexibility to participate in technological platforms before your competitors do. Direct Sales Channel Social media is not only a marketing tool but can be used for direct sales. Once you build relationships with your customers through social media and find out exactly what they want, you can directly sell to them. AdWeek tells the story of one brand who used social media to sell. “Best Buy celebrated opening day for the movie New Moon by asking its Facebook fans what their favorite vampire-themed films and books were. They put 50 of those items on sale on BestBuy.com. Many fans thanked Best Buy for listening to them and readily purchased the products”. Staff Writer Tips and Tricks 2009-12-23T21:03:21+00:00