Social Media Digital Marketing Course - January 10th and 17th

$99

Payment will be required at the first class on January 10th.  Check or cash preferred.

Friday, January 10, 2013 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

AND

 Friday, January 17, 2013 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

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This two-part, hands-on, computer lab course will cover the following:

January 10th, Class One, 3 Hours 
*Deciding on Your Platforms – Learning the Functions and Business Uses for Social Media
Platforms Covered:
o Facebook
o Twitter
o LinkedIn
o YouTube
o Instagram
o Pinterest
o Vine
o How to run effective campaigns that combine both offline and online marketing.
o Tracking – effective use of free/paid tools to streamline you social media efforts and tracking

January 17th, Class Two: 3 Hours 
*Social Media Plan Building, Building an effective Social Media Plan (3 Hours – Hands On)
o Who and where are your best customers
o Define your voice
o Why would someone want to connect with you on social media
o What are the big ideas that are going to drive your campaign
o Content allocation – who will implement your social media projects
• Who – Who is going to do the work on your social media marketing
• When - developing a calendar / schedule
• Where - Office? Outside resources? Mobile? Computer?
• What – What pieces of content do you need? Do you need an image repository? Videos?
• Develop a detailed calendar to structure your social media activities

Speaker(s): Transparent - Jason Elkins

Fee: $ 99.00

The class will be held in the Ramer Administrative Building, room 175.

Payment will be required at time of the first class on January 10th.  

Check or cash preferred.

So Was Ebenezer Scrooge Really That Bad?

Poor ole Ebenezer Scrooge.  His name is synonymous with being a cheapskate during the holidays.  As we are all aware, Scrooge had his flaws that included contempt for the poor, being rude to his only employee, and coining Bah Humbug.     But, was Scrooge at least a good business man?   You bet! Take the following into account: He was passionate about his work – This man was willing to work day and night doing what he loved; a money lender….or a banker….um, or a solicitor.….mmm, I’m not sure what he was, but he loved it. Worked his way up - Scrooge apprenticed as a low-level clerk to Mr. Fezziwig. From this humble beginning, Scrooge partnered with Marley and eventually made a fortune.  By the way, his business had to go through the Napoleonic Wars, the Industrial Revolution, and make it through a few economic depressions. He has been played by the best - Partcik Stewart, George C. Scott, Jim Carrey, Bill Murray, and of course, Donald and Daffy Duck. Kept his expenses low – “Scrooge prefers to hoard his money, denying himself proper conveniences and living a lifestyle of poverty.” writes Charles Dickens.  So he saved a little money on heat by not buying coal.  Big deal.  These days he would be considered an environmentalist.  Had working capital – After keeping his expenses low, Scrooge hoarded his money.  And by hoarded, he probably had enough working capital set aside that when times got tough in London in the 1800’s, he would survive.  He was a good business partner – He had to be at least a decent business partner, or Marley his deceased business partner, would not come back to warn him of his ways and how they could lead to roaming the earth for eternity.  A lot of the partnerships I have seen wouldn’t even warn each other of walking around with toilet paper on their shoe. His name was Ebenezer! - You know who else is named Ebenezer?  Nope.  Me neither.  That alone makes him remarkable.    So does being a good business man make Scrooge a good person?  No.  But you know how the story ends.  He was Bill Gates, before Bill Gates.   Merry Christmas!

December Seminars

QuickBooks Introduction for Small Businesses workshop of Volunteer State Community College's www.tsbdc.org. $25 (payable at the workshop.)

Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 9-12 p.m. Tuesday, December 3, 1480 Nashville Pike,

Gallatin, TN in room 175 in the Ramer Administrative Building. Registration is required. Reserve online.

Starting a Small Business workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, December 10, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in the Betty Gibson Hall, Gibson Conf Room 104. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free.

Getting Ready To Go To the Bank workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, December 12, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in the Betty Gibson Hall, Gibson Conf Room 104. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free.


Social Media Digital Marketing Course of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 9-12 p.m. Friday, January 10 and 17 (this is a two part course), 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in room 175 in the Ramer Administrative Building. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. $99 (payable at the workshop.) 

4 Ways to Say Thank You to Your Customers

With three kids, ages 4 and under, I have been changing diapers for almost five years and have another couple of years ahead of me.  And by me, I mean me and my wife.  And my mother-in-law.  And anyone else with a pair of free hands.  So you could understand my eagerness to potty train our two-year old, Lilly.   

My lovely wife found a way to reward Lilly for “taking care of business” on the potty.  Every fourth time she uses the potty, she gets a new toy.   Not to mention that every time she goes, we cheer like we just watched the Music City Miracle for the first time.  This recognition has Lilly Bug on the fast track to leaving me with only one kiddo left in diapers and more money in my pocket.

  One of the biggest desires of human nature is to be loved and to receive recognition.   That’s why employees may respond more to a pat on the back, than they do a monetary reward.

 That is also why a customer will spend more with a business that has shown them appreciation, than they would with an unknown business that is offering a “great deal” to new customers.

 With Thanksgiving around the corner, here four ways to thank your customers:

1.  Create a customer loyalty program, by giving your existing customers a discount or reward for spending money with you.  In this fun digital age, it has become a lot easier to implement. 
Try one of these apps that replaces physical loyalty cards:

https://getbelly.com/

https://www.rewardme.com/

http://www.fivestars.com/businesses/

2.  Use Facebook, Twitter, or your social media of choice to openly thank your customer.  If you sell business-to-business, then this would also be a great opportunity to tell everyone why this customer is awesome at what they do.

3.  Tell them thank you! Simply send them an email or if you really want to get into this, pick up the phone or write a personal letter. ACTUALLY HAND-WRITE THE LETTER. There is a catch to this though.  I have received a record number of handwritten thank you notes in the past year, and while I appreciate them, most of them look like the author of the note is getting this off their to-do list, i.e., “I really appreciate what your business/I appreciate what you do/scribble, scribble, looks like a ransom note/please tell all of your friends about us.”  That may actually be worse than no note. You can be brief; however, you must be specific.

4.  Send cookies, gift cards, gift baskets, candy, or just anything small that is sincere.

How to Write a Business Plan Seminar

Which Jack-O'-Lantern are you?

How to Write a Business Plan Fee: $ 30.00 Payment will be made at the workshop. Checks or cash preferred. Thursday, November 07, 2013 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM  This is a hands-on workshop that will focus on Marketing, Management, and Financial planning for your business. Participants will complete a rough draft of the narrative portion of their business plan during the workshop. You will receive a 4 GB Flash Drive with the Business Plan Workbook in Word format. Reservations are required and this workshop is limited to 15 people. To get here take the GAP Blvd entrance to Volunteer State Community College. Then take your second entrance on the right into the parking lot and the Betty Gibson Building will be right in front of you. Register for this event online

November Seminars

Starting a Small Business workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, November 5, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in the Betty Gibson Hall, Conf Room 104. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free.

How to Write a Business Plan workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 9-12 p.m. Thursday, November 7, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in the Betty Gibson Hall, Conf Room 104. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. $30 (payable at the workshop.)

Health Care Reform and your Business workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 3-4 p.m. Tuesday, November 19, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in the Betty Gibson Hall, Conf Room 104. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free


QuickBooks Introduction for Small Businesses workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 9-12 p.m. Tuesday, December 3, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in the Ramer Administrative Building, Room 175. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. $25 (payable at the workshop.) 

Recycling Company named 2013 Rising Star

(Left to Right) Rising Star winners, Amy and Jason DiStefano,
along with Vol State Pres. Dr. Jerry Faulkner
and TSBDC Director Chalres Alexander 

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) at Volunteer State Community College has awarded Green Village Recycling of Hendersonville the 2013 Rising Star award. The Rising Star award goes to a small business that has had great success utilizing TSBDC resources. Owners Jason and Amy DiStefano worked with TSBDC Director Charles Alexander to develop a business plan when the venture was just an idea. Today, they have 500 customers in six counties.

“Four years ago Jason came to one of our workshops on starting a small business,” said Alexander. “Jason was telling me about this niche, this idea in his head.”

“Charles was the first person to read my business plan cover to cover,” said Jason DiStefano. “A lot of work has gone into this business and we could not have done it without the TSBDC.”

Green Village Recycling handles business and residential recycling needs, taking more than 400,000 pounds of material out of the refuse stream last year. They have a target of a million pounds of recycling for this year.

In 2012, the TSBDC at Vol State worked with 213 small businesses and clients, offering free and inexpensive classes, and counseling. In all, the projects raised $2.26 million in capital and created or retained 84 jobs. For more information and a list of classes contact Charles Alexander at Charles.alexander@volstate.edu or call 615-230-4780.

Personal Branding

There are a thousand people that want to talk to you about personal branding.  Seth Godin is one of the best though.

Build Your Business to Sell; Breaking Bad Style

*Editor's Note

There are no real spoilers here.  If you are catching up on Breaking Bad through Netflix, you can still read the article.  Or at least pretend to read it and tell me how great it was later.  

Also, I do not endorse illegal drug activity, lying to your family, or even karaoke.

Yes, the Breaking Bad hangover has officially begun.  Everyone will have to go back to watching bad reality television and stop going on and on to your friends how this was the best show ever.  Ever!

Now that I have that out of the way, one of the biggest issues I find with many entrepreneurs is that their business is also their retirement plan (I promise there is a segway coming.) This would be an okay plan if your business is in a position to be sold.  That's rarely the case. In fact, very few small businesses are ever sold.  

Let's take a look at a few of the reasons with Breaking Bad examples:

• You must have a business that can survive without you

Initially, Walter White’s goal was to generate enough money for his family to live on when he was gone.  However, there was no real end game in mind.  So without the perfect chemist to create the signature product to sell, there was no business.  It would have been just an old RV and one goofy employee.

If you leave and the business flounders, there is no reason for someone to purchase it from you. 

Create systematic processes that can create income, without you constantly working in it.

• The business does not show a profit

Skyler White was in charge of making sure the business used all of its “tax loopholes.”  And by loopholes, I mean money laundering. 

I’m often told by business owners that their business is profitable, however, their tax returns tell a different story.  It’s even a source of pride that they twist the IRS tax code like a pretzel.  While I’m all for keeping as much of your hard earned money as possible, there will always be a time to pay the piper.  If you are not showing a profit, you may not be paying taxes. And, you may not be selling your business.  Even if someone is willing to buy the business because of a wink and nod that profit is really there, the bank may not be willing to accept the wink and nod as collateral.

Be willing to show a profit on your tax returns with depreciation and owner’s draw as add-backs.

• Having the wrong team

Jesse was a drug addict, Saul was shady, and Todd was scary.  And that is not even bringing Badger and Skinny Pete into the employee equation.  This is not a team of people you want to hire.  Or, even be with in the same room.

If you have employees that you are not even sure of, you can bet a potential buyer will feel the same way.

Make sure you have good employees, clear job descriptions, and even an organization chart.  A potential buyer wants a smooth operation where they do not have to completely re-train or retool the staff.

Remember, you are not simply in the money business; you are in the empire business. Have an A-1 Day!

Health Care Notices

For those of you looking for templates for the Health Care Notices see the below links:

From the Department of Labor site, http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/healthreform/.

Notice to Employees of Coverage Options

• Technical Release 2013-02 - Guidance on the notice to employees of coverage options under FLSA §18B and updated model election notice under COBRA
• Model Notice for employers who offer a health plan to some or all employees | MS Word Format | en español Printer Friendly Version | MS Word Format
• Model Notice for employers who do not offer a health plan | MS Word Format | en español Printer Friendly Format | MS Word Format
• FAQ on Notice of Coverage Options
• COBRA Model Election Notice | en español | Redline Version (to show May 2013 changes)

October Seminars

Starting a Small Business workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business www.tsbdc.org. Free.

Development Center, 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, October 9, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in the Betty Gibson Hall, Conf Room 104. Registration is required. Reserve online.

Introduction to OSHA for Small Businesses – OTI 7510 workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 8:30-12 p.m. Tuesday, October 8, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in the Betty Gibson Hall, Conf Room 104. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free

Getting Ready to Go to the Bank workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 3-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 23, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in the Betty Gibson Hall, Conference Room 104. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free.

5 Steps to Marketing Success workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 2-4:30 p.m. Thursday, October 24, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in the Betty Gibson Hall, Conf Room 104. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. $25 (payable at the workshop.)


How to Write a Business Plan workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 9-12 p.m. Thursday, November 7, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in the Betty Gibson Hall, Conf Room 104. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. $30 (payable at the workshop.) 

Is Franchise Ownership a Viable Career Option?

Wednesday, September 25, 2013 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Is starting a business for you? Is a franchised business the best option? Learn how franchising can provide a desirable alternative to traditional employment by reducing the risk of ownership to an acceptable level through proven business systems, comprehensive training, and ongoing support.

In this presentation we’ll cover:
• Basic information on franchising, including the range of industry categories, investment levels, and fees
• Misconceptions about franchising
• The pro’s and con’s of owning a franchise
• The legal regulations governing franchising that protect the buyer
• A strategic approach to safely researching and selecting the right franchise

Speaker(s): Dan Aronoff - FRANNET

Fee: Free

Register for this event online

9 Time Killers

  

   

   

We are busier than ever before.  It doesn’t mean we are more productive, but we are busier.  That probably means, we are distracted and inundated with more information than ever before.  We love to chase the next shiny object that crosses our path. These time killings items require immediate action, are visible, and often easy to do which gives us a sense of accomplishment.  However, they usually have very little impact on our bottom line and can slow the growth in a small business.

   Pretty soon we become a boiling frog. The premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and could get cooked.  And many of us are cooked.

Let’s take a look at the most common time killers and how to avoid them.

1. Perfection – Perfection can often be the enemy of progress.  Most small owners think their product/service has to be perfect.  Perfection is great, however, your goal is a happy customer that is willing to pay.
2. Email – 28% of our work day is spent checking email.  Stop that.  Make it a point to only check your email 3- 4 times a day.  Also, turn off those email alerts that distract you.
3. Phone – Our phones are more powerful than our desktops were just a few years ago.  They allow us to stay connected constantly.  They also distract us to no end.  In fact we spend about an hour a day staring into our phones.   Be conscious of how much time you are on your phone and productive you are with it.
4. Social Media – Let me clarify; Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and the like, are great marketing tools.  They are free and becoming increasingly popular. However, just updating the status of your business, can easily send you into a four-hour research session to see “how that guy that was in the office next to yours, at that place you used to work, seven years ago, is doing.” This is fun, but it is not productive.  Stay on task, while interacting with your customers.
5. Internet Research – There is not a question asked, that goes unanswered anymore.  Google knows all.  It’s easy to get distracted when you are doing some research, and find yourself an hour later checking Chris Johnson’s 2009 rushing stats.  Set the amount of time you are willing to spend to find the answer to a question.
6. Home activities – Laundry, picking up/dropping off, home projects, and grocery shopping all have to be done.  They just don’t all have to be done by you and they don’t all have to be done right now. 
7. Socializing/Gossip – Meeting and greeting have great merit.  However, spending 45 minutes talking about what happened on American Idol is not a good use of your time.  Be friendly and productive at the same time.
8. Multi-tasking – IT DOESN’T WORK.   Do one thing at a time. 
9. Worrying/Procrastination – Spending hours on end, thinking of all of the different scenarios of what could go wrong and how it will affect you, will drain your energy, make you stressed, and waste your time.  Tackle your hardest tasks at the beginning of the day when you are fresh and they won’t follow you around all day long.

Workshop gives crash course on health care law changes

Workshop gives crash course on health care 

law changes

http://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20130825/GALLATIN01/308250052/Workshop-gives-crash-course-health-care-law-changes

Employers, individuals could see higher insurance rates with new mandate

Aug. 23, 2013   |  

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Jason Humphrey, left, and Tom Burroughs, both with Heritage Financial Group in Hendersonville, spoke to local business owners about the Affordable Care Act on Thursday during a workshop sponsored by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Volunteer State Community College. / Sherry Mitchell/Sumner A.M.

Written by

Sherry Mitchell

Sumner A.M.

• FILED UNDER

• Gallatin
• Gallatin News

10 Mandates for all Health Insurance Plans Effective Jan. 1, 2014

• Emergency services
• Ambulatory patient services
• Maternity and newborn care
• Rehabilitative services and devices
• Mental health/substance abuse services
• Preventative and wellness services and chronic disease management
• Hospitalization
• Prescription drugs

ADVERTISEMENT

Just over a month remains before the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, designed to provide health insurance coverage for all Americans. But those working with local businesses to prepare for the federal mandate say the new law could leave more individuals without coverage because of rising costs.

About 40 business owners heard details of the new law on Thursday at a workshop sponsored by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Volunteer State Community College. Tom Burroughs and Jason Humphrey of Heritage Financial Group, an employee benefits firm for group clients, presented the information.

As of Oct. 1, open enrollment for the health insurance marketplace or exchange is planned to be online for residents. In Tennessee, officials have opted out of a state partnership exchange. Local residents will choose from the federally facilitated health-care exchange, along with 25 other states.

To date, there are four carriers that will be providing coverage under the federal exchange in Tennessee, Burroughs and Humphrey said: BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Community Health, Humana and Cigna. While none of the companies are officially releasing rates until Oct. 1, Burroughs said recent research through his carrier, BlueCross BlueShield, revealed some disturbing finds.

“My (family) rates are going up 100 percent — I was in sticker shock,” Burroughs said, adding that his $1,000 deductible would also be raised to $3,700.

In another scenario, Burroughs calculated rates for a 32-year-old male with a $1,000 deductible on a copay plan. The cost difference between rates in December 2013 and January 2014 is 89 percent higher, he said, adding that those types of proposed increases are leaving individuals and businesses alike wondering if the new plan will even be financially doable.

“That’s what individuals and businesses are starting to talk about — are they going to be able to afford this after it is implemented?” Burroughs said. “It could be that more people are going to be uninsured after this is implemented just because of the cost.”

Price to pay

Ginger Eastham with Perfect Pay in Gallatin deals with multiple small-business owners who she says have already been hit with higher rates in the past few years and are now worried about what is coming down the line.

“A lot of these companies have already seen anywhere from 28 to 39 percent premium increases and now they are getting notices of (more increases),” she said.

Under the new plan, the maximum deductible for an individual is $2,000, Humphrey said, and $4,000 for a family, so those who had been able to choose a higher deductible in the past to get lower rates will see increases.

In addition, insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions and the cap for lifetime limitations on how much coverage is available through a policy has been lifted. While all of this sounds beneficial, Humphrey said, there is is a price to pay to have these things.

“To me, this is the reason that premiums are going up,” he said.

Everyone must have health insurance beginning Jan. 1, 2014, or pay a fine that starts at $95 for an individual and goes up to $695 if insurance is not obtained by 2016. Fines will paid through the IRS when 2014 taxes are filed, Humphrey said.

Gallatin attorney Walter Stubbs, who attended the workshop, asked about the likelihood of individuals paying the fine and then waiting until they needed insurance to purchase it. Humphrey said that is a real possibility.

“I think there will be people who pay the $95 if their rates go up and then purchase insurance if they need it — that could be a strategy that some people may take. Of course, that is not going to work in the event of something like a heart attack where you have to have treatment right away,” Humphrey said.

Going forth, plans must meet minimum coverage standards as outlined by the federal government. The government has mandated 10 inclusions in all plans, regardless of need, Humphrey said.

“If you are a 42-year-old man, guess what — you’ve got maternity coverage whether you need it or not,” Humphrey said.

Making sense of it

In another part of the law, all businesses with 50 or more full-time (30 hours a week or more) employees must provide insurance benefits by Jan. 1, 2015, or face a penalty of $2,000 per employee beyond the first 30 employees, which will also be imposed by the IRS.

Burroughs said hours between employees will be totaled and converted for a final tally.

“If you’ve got two part-time employees who are working 15 hours each week, that will count as one full-time employee,” Burroughs said.

Hendersonville chiropractor Brad Hagan said postponing some of the mandates, such as penalties for employers, is “ridiculous,” making him feel that the Affordable Care Act is not well thought-out.

“If it doesn’t make sense now, it’s not going to make sense in 2015,” he said. “If it’s such a great idea, why not go ahead with all of it? And now it looks like there may be just as many without healthcare as there were before. What kind of sense does that make?”

Under the new guidelines, affordable coverage to employees means an employee cannot pay more than 9.5 percent of his or her W-2 wages or gross income. Employers will be fined $3,000 for each employee who pays more than 9.5 percent toward healthcare premiums. Those employees will also qualify for a government subsidy.

Burroughs said information he has received through the IRS indicates a potential plan to audit every business with at least two employees over the next five years. This will require a solid plan on the part of every local employer, he said.

“You need to decide whether you are going to be proactive or reactive and what you are going to do if the (employee insurance) plans are too expensive,” Burroughs said. “Will you pass that (expense) on to employees or reduce some of your other benefits?”