| Business news you can use from your Better Business Bureau® |  |
| Trends & Trust |  |  |
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- Study: Government, business leaders suffer from lack of trust
Only a small percentage of the people in the U.S. surveyed by public relations company Edelman say they trust leaders in the government or in the business world. In addition, the survey reveals that banks are facing a trust deficit. "Business and governmental leaders must change their management approach and become more inclusive, by behaving more transparently and seeking the input of employees, consumers and activists along with traditional academics, and adapting to their feedback," said Edelman CEO Richard Edelman. Forbes
(1/22)     
| Customer Satisfaction & Marketing | | |
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- 6 tips for creating a mobile-friendly website
You can optimize your website for mobile users by including simple navigation elements and by ensuring that load times will be short, writes Rieva Lesonsky. It's also important to create a consistent experience, she writes. "Your site should have the same overall look and feel whether it is viewed on a smartphone, tablet or desktop/laptop." NetworkSolutions.com
(1/21)
- Dealing with a troublesome worker
Managers who struggle with problem employees need to acknowledge that something is wrong and stop ignoring the behavior, says executive-coaching writer Lisa Swan. The next steps are to create a plan for improved performance, document everything that takes place, and decide whether the problem worker can stay or needs to go. B2C Marketing Insider
(1/21)
- If your workers won't change, maybe you should
Bosses whose workers resist change have only themselves to blame, writes Disneyland entertainment manager Duane Dike. To inspire employees to embrace new ways of working, bosses need to take a more human and transformational approach to leadership, Dike explains. "[I]n many cases, the real resistance comes from bosses who refuse to change the way they lead," he writes. Management-Issues (U.K.)
(1/21)
 | 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. |
| Funding & Finance | | |
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- Keep required documentation in case you're audited
There isn't one specific deduction that will always trigger an IRS audit, according to Steve McCormick of Scott & Baldwin CPAs. "Rather the IRS compares taxpayers' expenses to a variety of statistical data it has compiled to see if the expenses are in line with what is reasonable and customary for the type of business the taxpayer has," he writes. It's important to have proper documentation for your expenses in case the government audits your business, he notes. American City Business Journals/Sacramento, Calif.
(1/18)
- Think twice before using the new home-office deduction method
The government is offering a new, simpler process for small-business owners who want to claim a deduction for their home offices, but using this method may not be the best financial decision. Small-business owners may be able to get larger deductions by using the original method, accountants note. "And you want to get the greatest deduction possible if you are self-employed because it reduces the self-employment tax in addition to income tax," said Cathy Goldsticker of Brown Smith Wallace. The Wall Street Journal
(1/17)
| BBB in the News | | |
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- 4 ways to protect yourself when you opt for paperless receipts
Opting for paperless receipts can cut down on clutter, but shoppers should take steps to protect their personal information. Consumers should find out how businesses plan to use their personal information and should update their anti-virus software, BBB recommends. They should also watch out for scammers who may send e-mails that claim to be from legitimate retailers. Daily Ledger (Canton, Ill.)
(1/22)
| SmartQuote | | |
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 | Lend yourself to others, but give yourself to yourself."
--Michel de Montaigne,
French writer
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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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- Monday, January 21, 2013
- Friday, January 18, 2013
- Wednesday, January 16, 2013
- Monday, January 14, 2013
- Friday, January 11, 2013
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