| Business news you can use from your Better Business Bureau® |  |
| Trends & Trust |  |  |
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- How bosses can build trust
Trustworthiness is essential for bosses, but it can take some work to convince employees, most of whom have dealt with bad bosses, that you are a person of integrity. "It's pretty difficult to immediately convince people you are a trustworthy individual, so you need to work hard at being consistent and operating with acceptable ethics at all times," writes Derek Murphy of The Booth Company. Deliver a consistent message and fulfill your promises, he recommends. TLNT.com
(3/29)     
- Don't delay protecting yourself from data loss
A number of different problems -- including viruses, human error and hardware malfunction -- could cause you to lose your data, so it's important to back up your information, writes Dave Johnson. You can help protect your data by taking advantage of cloud storage solutions or using additional hard drives, he writes. CBS MoneyWatch
(3/29)
| Customer Satisfaction & Marketing | | |
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- How to get started using content marketing
The concept of content marketing is getting more popular because of the rise of social media and the fact old advertising techniques are offering diminishing returns, writes Hollis Thomases of Web Ad.vantage. But before jumping into content marketing, it's important to understand what you want to get out of it and to figure out who will be involved with the process, she writes. "Focus on learning what your buyers need to know to reach objectives and give it to them in digestible ways they will value," Ardath Albee recommends. Inc. online/Digital Entrepreneur
(3/29), Marketing Interactions Blog
(3/29)
- 6 ways to ensure your e-mail marketing won't be blocked
Business-to-business sellers face some special challenges when it comes to making sure their marketing messages reach their customers' e-mail inboxes. An unexpected decline in response rates might mean there is a problem with delivering your e-mails, said Stephanie Miller of Aprimo. To overcome issues with e-mail deliverability, it's important to maintain your reputation and test e-mail content, experts say. MarketingSherpa
(3/28)
- Why you shouldn't ask for job seekers' social media passwords
There's been a lot of buzz recently about employers asking job candidates to share their log-in credentials on social media sites, but business owners should avoid the practice, according to attorney Catherine M. Pearson. "Employers asking applicants to share Facebook user names and passwords is the equivalent of asking someone to turn over her diary and all her photo albums," she notes. Bloomberg Businessweek
(3/29)
- Teach yourself to be a more effective negotiator
Silence can be a powerful tool for getting what you want during a negotiation. "It lets the other side imagine whatever it is that they fear most without you ever having to commit to a position," said Lee Miller, author of "A Woman's Guide to Successful Negotiating." Other negotiating tricks include using body language to your advantage and asking open-ended questions. Fox Business Small Business Center/NewsCore
(3/28)
- How to cut ties with an employee who just isn't cutting it
If you are having trouble with your employees, identify the problem and talk to them about it, writes Susan Payton of Egg Marketing & Communications. If they are hurting your company and there's nothing you can do to improve their performance, you might have no choice but to fire them. "Resort to firing only if you have already exhausted other means for helping him succeed," she writes. Small Business Trends
(3/29)
 | 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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- Time to clean up your business budget
Spring is a great time to ditch business expenses that don't add value and those that aren't producing real revenue, writes Nicole Fende, who is known as The Numbers Whisperer and is president of Small Business Finance Forum. Fende suggests a "spring cleaning" of business finances that involves a hard look at each expense -- and activity. "Getting rid of activities that don’t produce results is just as important as getting rid of underperforming expenses." Small Business Trends
(3/28)
- 6 tips for picking the right price for your products
You should determine the pricing of your products based on how your customers value them, Chris Griffiths writes. "You have to know what customers are used to paying elsewhere, but you also need to allow for what you have to offer that sets you apart." You should also think about what would happen if you raised or lowered your prices, he advises. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
(3/27)
| BBB in the News | | |
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 | One is never more on trial than in the moment of excessive good fortune."
--Lew Wallace,
American general, statesman, lawyer and author
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