Giving Back: How Team BBB Makes a Difference

This time of year, it feels extra special to give more and take less! The holidays just have that effect on us. Some individuals also take the initiative to give back year round. Meet just a handful of BBB team members whose generosity is more than worthy of a “thank you!" In making the gift of kindness sound easy, they inspire us to do some good everyday.

AMY SCHRAM

BookPALS (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools) is a signature children’s literacy program of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation designed to provide an opportunity for performers, gifted in the art of storytelling, to help develop a love of reading in children and give back to their local communities.

With teachers for parents, Amy has always loved school. In addition to her upbringing surrounded by educators, she has held roles in the field of education and performing arts including an elementary school, library. theatre camps and talent agencies. “Being able to give back to underprivileged children is a gift to me, just as much as it is for them.” Her favorite part of working with BookPALS is being in the classroom reading to the children -- seeing their faces light up when you walk in the room.

Make-A-Wish-Foundation’s mission is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

Amy’s passion for the performing arts includes time spent with The Walt Disney World Company in Orlando, FL. It was during her time spent as a Disney employee that her heart was truly warmed by Make-A-Wish’s efforts.  As a performer she was able to see first hand the absolute magic that this experience creates for families. “To see the faces of not only the wish children light up, but their families as well, is something I will never forget. Being able to shine a bit of hope and help them enjoy happiness and respite from their daily medical routines, drives me to want to involve myself even more.” When Amy moved back to Massachusetts from Florida, she felt this organization was a great way to stay involved and spread a little ‘pixie dust ‘ outside of Disney!

Random Acts of Kindness In addition to regular volunteering with the above mentioned organizations, Amy used a recent vacation to demonstrate 30 Random Acts of Kindness. In celebration of her own 30th birthday, she made others feel special. On the trip to Disney World, she handed out stickers and jellybeans to children waiting in line, lollipops to toll booth attendants, and notebooks to "princesses" hoping for magical autographs from their favorites. Though some of Amy's 30 gestures remained anonymous, most of her efforts involved face-to-face interaction with both guests and park employees. All together it was a simple way to give a little and have it mean a lot.

JOAN SCHMITH

Bellingham High School Soccer Boosters is a parent-run, nonprofit group that provides support for the boys soccer program.

Joan has volunteered and served as Treasurer of the boosters for the past 5 years. She was motivated to get involved with the group in order to help make soccer a fun experience for her boys.  Joan’s favorite part of volunteering for the organization is "being able to provide the players with things that are outside the school's budget like warm-up jackets and hats, team bonding events, additional equipment, a banquet and awards."

ZINDA BRACKEN

Polar Plunge is the best day at the beach all year — and it’s in the middle of winter! Every year Special Olympics Massachusetts’ brrrravest supporters are “Freezin’ for a Reason” when they plunge into icy Atlantic waters. Plungers and Chickens (fundraisers who don’t take the plunge) compete for bragging rights in various team and individual fundraising categories, and are then treated to a big party on the beach with music, food, costume contests and more!

This year is Zinda’s third year doing the Polar Plunge for The Massachusetts Special Olympics, a cause for which she feels fortunate to be part of. Zinda is one of several BBB employees who “take the plunge” at one of 5 beaches in Massachusetts. Through the generosity of its participants and donors, Special Olympic athletes are not asked to pay for programs.

Keefe Tech Boosters is a nonprofit organization run by volunteers serving the communities of Ashland, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton and Natick, MA. The boosters raise funds for scholarships for students of Keefe Regional Technical School. The group's Indoor Snack Shack is open after school as well as during evening school classes and special events.

This is also Zinda’s third year with the boosters. During the football season, she is part of a team who run the Outdoor Snack Shack during the games. Though Zinda doesn’t have any children, her nephew attends Keefe Tech and she is a proud Alumni. Last year they raised an impressive $18,000 for scholarships, helped sports teams with their banquet and sweatshirts, bought a prom dress for a student who couldn't afford it, donated to 4 homeless students’ families and gave a gift to the teacher of the year. Zinda finds great reward in giving back to the students, “I am really glad I can help these kids out and I have seen how wonderful they are. They are respectful, caring and always take care of each other.”

DAN SCHMITH

Love of the Game runs sports programs that benefit individuals with disabilities. Their mission is to emulate the joys of being a collegiate athlete for those who wouldn't normally get that opportunity. With an emphasis on school spirit, the group provides an outlet for guests to connect, learn, and grow through on-campus sports clinics that are coached by student varsity and club athletes. Clinics are open to individuals with developmental disabilities ages 8+ and are held at the community recreation center on campus at the University of Massachusetts Lowell with tentative spring and summer events planned for Volleyball, Floor Hockey, Soccer and Baseball.

As a student at UMass Lowell, Dan entered an idea into the DifferenceMaker program. Half ‘Idea Hatcher’ and half ‘Shark Tank’, he formed a team around his concept and led it through the competition to win a few thousand dollars in funding. As founder of the program, Dan is involved in the entire process from setting up events to working directly with guests of the program.

Love of the Game’s first clinic took place in October 2015 featuring the Men's Riverhawk Varsity Basketball team who taught guests the game of basketball and made them feel included throughout the event. Dan’s inspiration for his program is his experience with Track & Field. After running at the high school level and currently a Division 1 runner for the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Dan felt athletics provided him with many benefits including mental, physical and emotional toughness, confidence, leadership and time management skills. “I decided that I owed it to life to pay these benefits forward and if I can do it in a very scalable way, all the better!” All eight of Dan’s LOTG teammates are not only athletes but most of them currently play or have played sports at the Division 1 level at their university and are now paying the benefits of sports forward. “Everyone involved in my program from the volunteers, to my co-workers, to the guests are very excited to be there. I get to work very enthusiastic people.”

In addition to running Love of the Game, Dan volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell in their athletics program.

Are you or your business considering involvement with a charity? Always do your research before you contribute your time or money to a cause. Visit Give.org for a nationwide list of charities and their reviews. BBB Wise Giving Alliance uses 20 standards to evaluate philanthropic organizations including finances and complaints. For more information you can trust, visit us at bbb.org/boston, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Written by Stephanie Benz, Senior Social Media Associate for Better Business Bureau Serving E. Massachusetts, ME, RI & VT.

BBB Continues to Evolve in an Ever Changing Marketplace

Huffington Post writer, Ann Brenoff recently shared her experience using Twitter for customer complaints and the power that social media has in the all encompassing arena that is customer service.

“Twitter, for all intents and purposes, is the new Better Business Bureau. The ability to publicly shame a company for its bad service is a weapon in the consumer arsenal that shouldn't be overlooked. An unfavorable tweet can ding a company's reputation, something that major businesses have become aware of.”

Won’t you Tweet with Us

As Jessi Hempel pointed out last month for Wired.com, almost 80 percent of the questions people ask businesses on social are happening on Twitter. While it’s easy to agree the impressive influence that social media channels like Twitter have in the marketplace, Better Business Bureau doesn’t consider itself replaced. Rather, BBB embraces social media as a tool to help businesses grow in a trustworthy environment and marvels at business’s success stories via social media marketing. Twitter is part of BBB’s social artillery. BBB tweets to communicate with consumers and businesses on a daily basis including topics like scam alerts, local and industry newsworthy topics as well as BBB specific news. Twitter users can even tweet #BBBHelp during business hours to request assistance from the team.

Better Business Bureau is in favor of consumers having the ability to engage in open communication in the forum of their choice, private or public but also believes in the importance of supporting both the business and the consumer. BBB prefers that the reputation of a business not be judged until both sides of the story are presented, confirmed and addressed. While a consumer may -- and often does -- have a perfectly legitimate complaint or issue, there are times where a simple misunderstanding could elevate to something more than it was by making it public. In such cases, a business could take unfavorable treatment or publicity based off an escalated miscommunication.  

BBB Directory

In addition to being a powerhouse in moderating customer complaints and providing a place for business owners to connect with their customers in an unbiased environment, BBB hosts an online reservoir of businesses. Consumers can utilize BBB’s directory of businesses -- both BBB Accredited and Non-Accredited -- during their purchase decision making process. If a business has been Accredited by BBB it means the business meets 8 standards of trust, including a commitment to answering consumer complaints. In June, Myles Anderson presented his analysis of traffic data for local online directories like Better Business Bureau. The study included 30 of the most prominent U.S. online directories. BBB stood out as one of only 3 directories showing growth with BBB.org up 70% in visits from May 2014 - May 2015. Anderson feels that two factors set BBB’s directory apart from the rest: unique customer review content and high trust factor. 

“Technically, BBB isn’t a directory like the others. It is a group of local organizations that champion trust in local businesses and offer accreditation for businesses — which helps consumers know if a business is trustworthy and decent versus low quality and to be avoided.“

Through educating consumers online about local businesses’ transparency, BBB is empowering and helping consumers make stronger, well-advised decisions.

Customer Reviews, Good or Bad News

When users search for a business via Better Business Bureau’s online directory, they get full disclosure on the state of a business and at the same time businesses can show they have dealt with and resolved issues big or small that have come into the fold. A business can also invite its customers to write a review of their experience, which makes up the unique content referenced in Anderson’s analysis. A review might include special insider customer info, a referral program or that hidden easter egg other consumers are looking for...a coupon code. In addition, Customer Reviews provide businesses a leg up on their competition. More reviews draw more attention from potential clients, provides the opportunity to promote positive business attributes and measures common usage of their offerings. By encouraging consumers to share their experience, a business builds credibility with the community. It’s simple. When a consumer searches for a product or service, they want to know how others have fared. The more educated a consumer is, the more confidence they have in their commitment to a business and the investment they plan to make in their product or service. According to Shelf Inc., 70% of consumers reported Customer Reviews as the 2nd most trusted source in purchase decision making. In addition, Customer Reviews -- of which BBB has 46K+ on local enterprises -- allow businesses to interact with customers that they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to engage.

No Dinosaurs to See Here

While Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT might be 100 years old, it does not have plans for retirement! BBB’s online resources (over the last year bbb.org/boston saw over 4.6 million visits with over 3.7 million unique visitors) include an active social media presence. BBB Serving E. Massachusetts, ME, RI and VT alone has over 33K followers on social media platforms and this blog sees over 1500 unique visits/month. Plus, BBB is accessible on-the-go. BBB.org was accessed over 1.6 million times on mobile devices in the last year. Both on and offline, BBB assembles a community of trustworthy businesses and inspires consumer confidence in a safe and secure environment. It’s true, BBB isn’t like the others.

For more information you can trust, visit us at bbb.org/boston, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Written by Stephanie Benz, Senior Social Media Associate for Better Business Bureau Serving E. Massachusetts, ME, RI & VT.

BBB and Google Partner to Get Businesses on the Map

Businesses encouraged to attend in-person BBB workshops for expert help

Being on the map matters. 4 in 5 consumers use search engines to find local information, like store addresses, business hours, product availability and directions.¹ Yet, only 37 percent of businesses have claimed their listing on a search engine.²  And complete business information can help generate economic value to individual communities. In small communities, this could be worth up to +$300k a year; in large cities it can be up to +$7m.³

That’s why Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont and Google have teamed up on Google’s latest program called Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map. Our mission: to help businesses in 30,000 cities get the help they need to succeed online, for free. Because stronger businesses mean stronger communities.

Ready to get started?

Businesses are invited to attend free workshops to get online and on the map. Attendees can look forward to giveaways, dedicated staff to help update business information on the spot, and free food and drinks.

Find a workshop in your area and get your business on the map.

Want to see how your business appears on Google Search and Maps now? Head to www.gybo.com/business and type in your business name to see how your information appears across Google Search and Maps.

The tool highlights suggestions for areas that could use attention, including:

• Address
• Phone number
• Hours of operation
• Photos

Want help updating the information? Attend a BBB workshop to learn how to manage your business info across Google.

We’re excited to be partnering with BBB. By working together, we can help our local businesses succeed on the web and make our communities even stronger.

Written by Whitney Lemon, Google Small Business Engagement. Whitney is a marketing manager on Google’s Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map team. She hosts Friday 15: Small Business Tips, Google’s series to help small businesses succeed online. Friday 15 is part of Google’s Get Your Business Online program, providing small businesses with a custom domain name and web hosting–at no charge for one year.

For more information you can trust, visit us at bbb.org/boston, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Become an Accredited Business and get the resources you need to give you confidence and help keep your business safe and secure. 

¹ Google/Ipsos MediaCT/Purchased, Understanding Consumers’ Local Search Behavior, May 2014

² Marketing Sherpa, Search Marketing Benchmark Report SEO Edition, 2012

³ Google/Oxera, The Benefits of Complete Business Listings, December 2014

Web Hosting, Networking and Growing -- What a July!

In the month of July, the blog focused significantly on resources, tips and tricks for new businesses. As we wrap up the month -- partly in denial, it can’t possibly be August next week -- we’re taking a look back at the topics we covered.

Preparing your Small Business for Growth

Last week, we shared four tips for staying grounded while your business takes-off. Growth is a positive piece of your business’s puzzle and in order to convert it into success, you have to be ready.

Understanding Affordable Web Hosting

Christian Habermann joined us as a Guest Blogger in mid-July to offer guidance for finding affordable web hosting. He discussed factors to consider during a web host search while keeping in mind your business’s needs.

Timeless Success for Small Business

Mid-month we spoke with an owner whose BBB Accredited -- family owned and operated -- business is celebrating their 200th anniversary in 2015. Michael Monahan feels that customers should be top-of-mind at all times and credits their long-time success to caring for their community. Congrats again to Monahan & Co. on your longstanding success!

Master Time Management and Give your Business a Boost

Guest blogger, Adam Koncius of Koncius Digital Marketing brought us suggestions for the business owner doing juggling acts to establish and sustain their business. Adam pointed to time management as the key to streamlining tasks both big and small.

Networking for your New Business

Adam also kicked-off July for the blog with his guest post about the importance of building a strong network. He addressed educating people about your business to create opportunity for securing clientele as well as staying in the forefront of the marketplace.

Is your business less than 1-year old? Join a community of trustworthy businesses and build a positive reputation while you grow your enterprise as a member of the New Business Sponsor Program. Is your business more established? Get Accredited with BBB as part of your formula for success.

For more information you can trust, visit us at bbb.org/boston, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Six Tips to Build Relationships

Every business owner wants their company to succeed. While many factors contribute to the success of a business, the leadership team has great influence on internal and external factors that can make or break a company.

To help businesses strengthen relations and build trust, BBB offers the following six tips:

1. Start from the inside out. Focus on your employees. Employees are the backbone of a business and taking time to communicate with them daily, could help foster a positive company culture. Remember, employee respect is just as important as customer respect.
2. Get to know your vendors. To help build trusting relationships with vendors right from the start, review lists of BBB Accredited vendor companies at SearchBBB.org. Choosing vendors who are committed to ethical behavior will help create strong, lasting relationships that could, over time, ensure you are getting the best service for your buck.
3. Protect your customers’ identities. Make sure all customer information is handled properly and securely. Ensure your business is protected from a security breach by having the right security measures in place.
4. Advertise honestly. Adhere to established standards of advertising and selling and always represent products and services truthfully, including clear and adequate disclosures of all terms and conditions.
5. Connect on social media. While many businesses use social media for marketing, these platforms provide great opportunity for engaging the online community. Connecting with consumers and organizations on social media can create awareness about your brand and help build trust.
6. Be a community advocate. Participate in the betterment of the community. Customers are loyal to businesses that are involved in programs that support their local community, such as philanthropic groups, chamber organizations and business networks.