September is National Emergency Preparedness Month

In 2009, the Citizen Corps National Survey revealed that only 57% of Americans surveyed report having supplies set aside in their homes just for disasters, and only 44% have a household emergency plans. In an effort to spread awareness nationwide, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared September as National Emergency Preparedness Month. Here are some ways you can encourage your employees, family members, and yourself to be better prepared for emergency situations:

1. Build a basic disaster supply kit:

When faced with an emergency, this kit will serve as your first line of defense. You kit should be tailored to the needs of your household/business, but should also include the following items:

• Water and non-perishable food
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Cell phone with charger or solar charger
• Weather radio with extra batteries

2. Enable wireless alerts on your mobile device

Wireless alerts are a quick and easy way for officials to inform the public during an emergency. These notifications appear in the form of a text message and require no additional downloads or subscriptions. These messages will appear to alert you of:

• Extreme weather
• AMBER alerts
• Presidential Alerts during a national emergency

3. Form a Family Emergency Plan for you, your families, and your employees.

This plan should include instructions about where you will meet, both inside and outside of your neighborhood. How you will contact each other as well as any other situation-specific instructions. You should also aim to run family evacuation drills similar to those performed in school or at your workplace to make sure everyone is comfortable with the emergency plan.

For more resources on you to protect yourself and your loved ones when faced with an emergency please visit: http://www.ready.gov/ and http://www.bbb.org/boston/emergency-preparation/

Small Biz Talk: Pros vs. Cons of Accepting Credit Cards

Advances in technology have made the the use of credit and debit cards even more important when it comes to small business commerce. If you are considering accepting credit or debit cards as a form of payment for your business, it is important to take a real look at the pros and cons first:

Pros:

• Debit and credit cards have quickly become the main form of payment. Behavioral studies have shown that consumers are more likely to spend at your establishment because of the convenience of not having to carry cash. 
• It is also convenient for the business owner to accept card payment. Data from these purchases can be used as an effective accounting/inventory tool with the right software rather than having to record each transaction by hand.

Cons:

• Despite the laws and security measures put in place to protect business owners, card payments can come with an increased risk of fraud. Scammers that manage to get over on business owners can leave them responsible for all the loss of revenue. 
• Accepting card payment will also result in small processing fees for your business. If your business accepts card payments for small purchases it could result in more fees than it is worth.

So, What Should You Do?
Small businesses accepting credit and debit cards as a form of payment that have a huge number of transactions can definitely benefit from this expansion. This decision will initially cost your business money and take a little more time for business operations but the payoff is definitely worth it!

What suggestions do you have for owners accepting card payments? 

Body Language in Business

Proper nonverbal communication is just as important as verbal etiquette when it comes to business. Your body language determines how people perceive you, and learning to fine tune these skills communicate confidence and honestly. Your nonverbal communication can determine how well you develop relationships and have an influence on your success. Here are the three body language traits that you should be aware of:

Posture- The way you stand has a direct affect on how your feel. Standing tall with your neck elongated and shoulders back helps to make you feel more confident.This stance also gives an outward appearance of strength and poise and can help set you apart from fellow employees. 

Eye Contact- Avoiding eye contact sends a message of presence and authority and in some cultures it can be perceived as disrespectful. Remember to keep your gaze when making presentations or speaking with your peers, as lack of confidence can communicate deception and looking down might suggest insecurity. During presentations, it might be easier to imagine the room in thirds. Devote an equal amount of time to each part and make eye contact with at least one person on each side.

Hand movements- Fidgeting with your hands or cell phone often communicates vulnerability. Keeping hands still and only making small gestures (when appropriate) sends a message of authority to your peers. It is important to keep these gestures below your shoulders.

What body language practices help you feel the most confident? Comment below!

Three Best Practices for Social Media

Social media is the most unique way for a business to engage with consumers to date. Recent statistics released by FastCompany.com reveal that the world of social media is expanding faster than anyone could have predicted. It may seem impossible to get a firm grasp on social media when two new people join LinkedIn every second and Facebook boasts over 1.15 Billion users; but rest assured it's possible! OPEN Forum- an interactive blog sponsored by American Express - compiled a list of best practices to make the more of social media. BBB picked a few to highlight here:

• Ask conversation-starter questions: It's no secret that people love to use open communication to share their thoughts and opinions online. Use this as an opportunity expand your consumer reach by posting industry related questions on Facebook and Twitter to drive consumers to your product or service.

• Avoid syndicated messages: sharing the same message on every social media channel results in it losing it genuine intention. If you need to communicate the same point across several different channels, think about changing the language to make it relevant for the outlet. Try using a combination of hashtags and photos for Twitter and leave more descriptive language for Facebook and LinkedIn

• Follow the one-in-seven-rule: This rule is formed behind the idea that only one of every social media posts will work to efficiently promote your business. Take advantage of this statistic by using the other six posts to share content that is related to your product or service. Try sharing relevant articles, blog posts, etc. to help keep your network engaged.

What are some of your best practices for social media? Comment below!