| Business news you can use from your Better Business Bureau® |  |
| Trends & Trust |  |  |
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- 6 behaviors that help create a culture of trust
Leaders can foster a culture of trust and accountability in several ways, such as by fulfilling their commitments, providing support and being consistent, experts say. "If you consistently tell people the truth and why you are asking them to do something, they will do it and eventually will walk over hot coals for you," said Jana Matthews, who runs a leadership-consulting firm. Investor's Business Daily
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- 6 tips for guarding your personal information
One way to protect yourself from crooks who want to steal your personal information is to avoid clicking on links in e-mails that claim to lead to your banking website, Dave Johnson writes. It's also important to use different passwords for all of your online accounts and to use passwords or PINs to lock your electronic devices. CBS MoneyWatch
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| Customer Satisfaction & Marketing | | |
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- Mistakes that can hurt your online marketing efforts
Your search engine optimization and online marketing efforts might prove unsuccessful if you don't create strong content for your website or if you don't devote enough time to get the job done properly, writes Jayson DeMers, CEO of AudienceBloom. "Online marketing can be a lot like the stock market. Over time, the return on your investment should trend upward, but if you stop too soon you might end up worse off than when you started," he writes. Entrepreneur online
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- 10 tips for boosting your business this year
You can improve your business in 2013 by listening to employees' ideas, identifying new ways to generate income and focusing on the aspects of running your company that you are passionate about, experts say. "If you don't love what you're doing, you're never going to work hard enough to be one of the best," said Ken Blanchard, co-author of "The One Minute Manager." Entrepreneur online
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- Let employees take over key duties to spur business growth
To allow a small business to grow, owners must be able to hand key responsibilities to trusted employees, writes Curt Finch. When passing on duties, clearly explain the goals and expectations to the employee, and get it in writing so you and the employee can measure productivity. "As a business owner it can be difficult to let someone else take care of your baby, but it is almost always in the [business'] best interest to create a team with diverse and useful skills to improve processes," Finch writes. Small Business Trends
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 | Most small business owners know the importance of managing credit effectively and that a "one size fits all" model won't work. Use Managing Credit - Made Simpler to find the right credit management model for your business and to help identify strategies to ensure you are on top of your business's financial condition. |
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- Get your customers to pay faster
You can help make sure your customers pay you in a timely fashion by creating written copies of payment terms, itemizing your invoices and developing relationships, Tim Parker writes. "People who know you as a person will do their best to make sure you are paid. Especially if they know you as a nice person," he writes. Intuit Small Business Blog
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| BBB in the News | | |
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- How to avoid scams when buying NFL playoff tickets
The NFL playoffs are an exciting time for football fans, but they also provide the opportunity for scammers to take advantage of people who are searching for last-minute tickets. "[T]his is a time that there is high demand for something that is very important to people and there is a limited supply," said Angie Barnett, president and CEO of BBB of Greater Maryland. "It's an opportunity for scam artists." Be cautious about buying tickets from people on the street, and make sure online sellers are legitimate before purchasing tickets from them, BBB recommends. WBAL-AM (Baltimore)
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| SmartQuote | | |
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 | Beware the fury of a patient man."
--John Dryden,
British poet, critic and playwright
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| About BBB® |
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For 100 years, Better Business Bureau has been helping consumers find businesses,
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Business Reviews on more than 4 million companies and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities,
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www.bbb.org.
The Council of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella
organization for 115 local, independent BBBs across the United States and Canada, as well as
home to its national programs on dispute resolution and industry self-regulation.
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- Wednesday, January 02, 2013
- Monday, December 31, 2012
- Friday, December 28, 2012
- Wednesday, December 26, 2012
- Monday, December 24, 2012
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