Category Archives: News & Media

10 Tactics to Get More Positive Reviews for Your Business

  July 7, 2024 - 6:21 pm | , , , , , ,
Comments Off on 10 Tactics to Get More Positive Reviews for Your Business

SBA LogoBy smallbiztrends, Guest Blogger
Published: June 22, 2024

 

The numbers are compelling.

Depending on which study you read (and there are literally dozens), anywhere from 51 percent to 90 percent of consumers read and trust online reviews.

Even if we take the smallest number, that’s still over half of consumers paying attention to online reviews.

That makes good reviews critical for any kind of business where people look for and read online reviews of products or services.

The most important thing to remember is that you can have an impact on reviews affecting your business — it’s not out of your hands. Here are ten tactics to increase the number of positive reviews of your business:

  1. Monitor reviews. The first step to getting more positive reviews is to know where reviews of your business are likely to appear. Google, Bing, Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp, Better Business Bureau and Yellow Pages are some of the better known review places. But depending on your industry, those may not be your most important places. Product reviews appear on ecommerce platforms like Amazon, reviews of home services may appear on sites like Home Advisor, and so on. Monitor for new reviews at least once a week to assess your progress and deal with negative reviews.
  2. Complete your online profiles, accurately. Take time to add your hours of operation, product details, locations and other information. If the site offers categories, make sure you choose the proper ones to be associated with. The more complete your online business listings, product descriptions on ecommerce platforms, and local profiles, the more it appears you actively care about your business. Also, correct any inaccurate information. If your profile says you are open to 6:00 p.m., but you close at 5:00 pm, what kind of review can you expect from someone who made a trip only to find your place was closed?
  3. Include great photographs - Photographs make your profiles stand out in local search results and on review websites. Be sure that your photographs are high quality. The clearer and better the image looks, the more professional and impressive the business will appear to those searching online.
  4. Show customer reviews are important to you. Simply having a system that alerts customers their opinion matters to your business goes a long way toward getting more positive reviews. Develop a system of follow-up email or verbal communications. A business or product with a higher number of reviews tends to get more attention on review sites. Also, the more positive reviews you have to offset a negative review or two, the higher your overall rating will be.
  5. Remind happy customers verbally of review sites. When someone is at the cash register, ask how the meal or experience was. If positive, remind them to visit review sites. Keep in mind that it is against the guidelines of some review sites to actually ask a customer to leave a review for your business. However, even in those situations it is generally acceptable to remind customers to “check out” your business on a certain site, such as Yelp. Be very familiar with allowable practices on relevant review sites before you phrase your request.
  6. Use software to seek out feedback and encourage testimonials. There are review software services that can be programmed to send post-sale emails to customers asking what they thought of your product or service. If the experience is positive, then you can send a follow-up communication making it easy for the customer to click a button and share that positive experience on a review site (done in such a way as to not violate terms of service of review sites).
  7. Do NOT incentivize reviews from customers. It sounds tempting. You think, ‘why don’t I just offer freebies or discounts to get customers to leave reviews’? Well, for one thing, this violates the terms of service of many review sites. It may also violate FTC rules and state deceptive trade practice regulations. Your customer might have been willing to leave a positive review anyway, but by giving an incentive you just made the review invalid or a liability. Don’t do it. See more on rules.
  8. Don’t set up a review station on premises. Do not set up a tablet or laptop and ask customers to review your business. This crosses the line of the rules of service on some review sites. For example, Google’s policy states (link is external): “If you’re a business owner, don’t set up review stations or kiosks at your place of business just to ask for reviews written at your place of business.” Besides, all reviews will come from a single IP address and may be flagged by the review site as fake reviews, and do more harm than good for your reputation.
  9. Respond to negative reviews. Don’t leave negative feedback unanswered. Respond the right way. Acknowledge if you made a mistake and offer to make things right or explain what you will do differently going forward. This type of response shows you care. Remember, other prospective customers can see your response so handling criticism gracefully is important. Don’t become defensive or engage in a nasty public fight­–it usually makes matters worse.
  10. Respond to positive comments — Respond to positive feedback, too. This is one way to turn happy customers into enthusiastic advocates who spread positive a word of mouth. For instance, if someone says something nice on Twitter about your business, tweet back a simple thank you. Some companies go so far as to respond on social media with short personal video to show their gratitude. If you got one of those as a customer, wouldn’t that endear you even more? And possibly get you to share the nice thank-you to your followers and friends?

Finally, remember that the ultimate tool to get positive reviews is to deliver great products and/or services to customers.

 

Interfor to hold Job Fair at Putnam County Administration Building 7/12/16

  July 6, 2024 - 1:00 pm | , , , , , ,
Comments Off on Interfor to hold Job Fair at Putnam County Administration Building 7/12/16

Interfor Eatonton Job Fair
July 12, 2024
2pm to 7pm

Register Now:
www.interforjobfair.com

 

Who We Are

Interfor is a growth-oriented lumber company with operations in Canada and the United States. We have an annual production capacity of 3 billion board feet and offer one of the most diverse lines of lumber products to customers around the world.

 

What We Offer

Interfor provides local stability and opportunity. We help bring out the best in all our people by offering long-term, competitive jobs supported by training, education and great benefits. Plus, you’ll be working with the industry’s latest technologies in clean, safe and modern mills.

Interfor is one of the largest lumber companies in the world and we are growing in exciting directions. Come be a part of our success.

We are currently recruiting for Production, Maintenance, and Electrician Positions at our location in Eatonton, GA.

Along with job supported training, education and great benefits including medical, dental, 401K, short term disability, and paid time off, our production rate is $11.50 per hour and maintenance rates can range from $20 per hour to $27 per hour based on the position, experience, and skill level.

What You Offer

  • High School Diploma or equivalent preferred
  • Previous experience in heavy manufacturing and/or lumber a plus
  • Commitment to maintain a safe work environment without compromise
  • Recognize problems and have them corrected immediately
  • Understand the importance of teamwork and have a positive impact on the team
  • Open-minded and positive in dealing with change and new ways of doing things
  • Able to communicate effectively with your team and other departments
  • Take personal responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work

 

We appreciate the interest of all applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All applicants offered a position must successfully complete a pre-employment drug test and background check. Interfor is an Equal Opportunity Employer building a capable, committed, diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability


If you can’t attend, please apply online: Interfor.com/careers

 

 

 

 

10 Tactics to Get More Positive Reviews for Your Business

  July 1, 2024 - 4:23 pm | , , , , ,
Comments Off on 10 Tactics to Get More Positive Reviews for Your Business

SBA Logo
By smallbiztrends, Guest Blogger
Published: June 22, 2024

The numbers are compelling.

Depending on which study you read (and there are literally dozens), anywhere from 51 percent to 90 percent of consumers read and trust online reviews.

Even if we take the smallest number, that’s still over half of consumers paying attention to online reviews.

That makes good reviews critical for any kind of business where people look for and read online reviews of products or services.

The most important thing to remember is that you can have an impact on reviews affecting your business — it’s not out of your hands. Here are ten tactics to increase the number of positive reviews of your business:

  1. Monitor reviews. The first step to getting more positive reviews is to know where reviews of your business are likely to appear. Google, Bing, Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp, Better Business Bureau and Yellow Pages are some of the better known review places. But depending on your industry, those may not be your most important places. Product reviews appear on ecommerce platforms like Amazon, reviews of home services may appear on sites like Home Advisor, and so on. Monitor for new reviews at least once a week to assess your progress and deal with negative reviews.
  2. Complete your online profiles, accurately. Take time to add your hours of operation, product details, locations and other information. If the site offers categories, make sure you choose the proper ones to be associated with. The more complete your online business listings, product descriptions on ecommerce platforms, and local profiles, the more it appears you actively care about your business. Also, correct any inaccurate information. If your profile says you are open to 6:00 p.m., but you close at 5:00 pm, what kind of review can you expect from someone who made a trip only to find your place was closed?
  3. Include great photographs - Photographs make your profiles stand out in local search results and on review websites. Be sure that your photographs are high quality. The clearer and better the image looks, the more professional and impressive the business will appear to those searching online.
  4. Show customer reviews are important to you. Simply having a system that alerts customers their opinion matters to your business goes a long way toward getting more positive reviews. Develop a system of follow-up email or verbal communications. A business or product with a higher number of reviews tends to get more attention on review sites. Also, the more positive reviews you have to offset a negative review or two, the higher your overall rating will be.
  5. Remind happy customers verbally of review sites. When someone is at the cash register, ask how the meal or experience was. If positive, remind them to visit review sites. Keep in mind that it is against the guidelines of some review sites to actually ask a customer to leave a review for your business. However, even in those situations it is generally acceptable to remind customers to “check out” your business on a certain site, such as Yelp. Be very familiar with allowable practices on relevant review sites before you phrase your request.
  6. Use software to seek out feedback and encourage testimonials. There are review software services that can be programmed to send post-sale emails to customers asking what they thought of your product or service. If the experience is positive, then you can send a follow-up communication making it easy for the customer to click a button and share that positive experience on a review site (done in such a way as to not violate terms of service of review sites).
  7. Do NOT incentivize reviews from customers. It sounds tempting. You think, ‘why don’t I just offer freebies or discounts to get customers to leave reviews’? Well, for one thing, this violates the terms of service of many review sites. It may also violate FTC rules and state deceptive trade practice regulations. Your customer might have been willing to leave a positive review anyway, but by giving an incentive you just made the review invalid or a liability. Don’t do it. See more on rules.
  8. Don’t set up a review station on premises. Do not set up a tablet or laptop and ask customers to review your business. This crosses the line of the rules of service on some review sites. For example, Google’s policy states (link is external): “If you’re a business owner, don’t set up review stations or kiosks at your place of business just to ask for reviews written at your place of business.” Besides, all reviews will come from a single IP address and may be flagged by the review site as fake reviews, and do more harm than good for your reputation.
  9. Respond to negative reviews. Don’t leave negative feedback unanswered. Respond the right way. Acknowledge if you made a mistake and offer to make things right or explain what you will do differently going forward. This type of response shows you care. Remember, other prospective customers can see your response so handling criticism gracefully is important. Don’t become defensive or engage in a nasty public fight­–it usually makes matters worse.
  10. Respond to positive comments — Respond to positive feedback, too. This is one way to turn happy customers into enthusiastic advocates who spread positive a word of mouth. For instance, if someone says something nice on Twitter about your business, tweet back a simple thank you. Some companies go so far as to respond on social media with short personal video to show their gratitude. If you got one of those as a customer, wouldn’t that endear you even more? And possibly get you to share the nice thank-you to your followers and friends?

Finally, remember that the ultimate tool to get positive reviews is to deliver great products and/or services to customers.

 

 

5 Ways to Establish Credit for Your Business

  June 21, 2024 - 8:19 pm | , , ,
Comments Off on 5 Ways to Establish Credit for Your Business

SBA Logo

Marco Carbajo, SBA Guest Blogger
June 9, 2024

A creditworthy business is defined as a company that is considered suitable to receive credit because of a positive history of paying money back. For business owners it’s essential to not only maintain a favorable personal credit rating; it’s equally important in building and maintaining a strong business credit rating as well. “Just as your personal credit has a big impact on your financial health, your business credit can help you get competitive business loan rates and terms from potential suppliers,” says Marc Kirshbaum, president of Experian’s Business Information Solutions group.

Credit ratings play an important role in our everyday lives. It impacts how much credit or funding we will receive, the rate of interest we’ll pay and what the terms of repayment will be. When it comes to owning a business, a creditworthy company takes on a whole new meaning. To be considered suitable to obtain credit, a company needs to show that it can properly manage its financial obligations by having positive business credit scores. Jeff Stibel, CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. says, “Today, it takes a very proactive approach to building a strong credit score for your business.”

Lenders, businesses, suppliers and vendors use business credit reports as a risk assessment tool when determining whether or not to extend credit to a business and at what terms. A business without a rating or business credit file may find it difficult to obtain credit. So what can a business owner do to start establishing credit in the company’s name?

Here are five ways to establish credit for your business:

Take advantage of trade credit – Trade credit is the credit extended to your company by suppliers who let you buy now and pay later. Trade credit is given for a short period of time usually 30, 60 or 90 days. It’s a great way to start the process of building credit in your company’s name.

Obtain a business credit card – Business credit cards are an invaluable tool for business owners to add to their financial tool box. Statistics show that over 65% of small businesses use credit cards on a frequent basis. The use of a revolving line of credit is paramount to showing that your company can handle various forms of financing.

Use a business fleet fuel card – If you use your car for business on a regular basis why not consider a business fleet fuel card. Fleet fuel cards are mainly used for gasoline and diesel fuel at gas stations. Some fuel cards can also be used to pay for auto maintenance and expenses.

Open a secured business line of credit – To help build or rebuild your company’s credit many lenders and banks are now offering secured financing solutions. Whether your goal is to supplement cash flow, cover unforeseen business expenses, or expand your business this may be a great option to jumpstart the credit building process.

Use your business data to obtain funding – Certain lending platforms allow you to link your business’s online services such as ebay™, PayPal™, Amazon® and business bank accounts to qualify for a line of credit immediately. Although this type of credit provides your company with ongoing access to funds the repayment terms are much shorter than a revolving line of credit; typically six to twelve months.

Remember; pay all your bills and invoices in a timely manner. Although each business credit reporting agency collects and receives its data differently, the trade references your company establishes can be used on future credit applications.

By establishing a creditworthy company, a business is building a powerful financial asset that taps into the power of business credit. The fact is creditworthy businesses have a much greater credit capacity compared to a business owner that relies on personal credit alone.

 

Download the FEMA App

  June 20, 2024 - 3:19 pm | ,
Comments Off on Download the FEMA App

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Available for Apple, Android, and Blackberry mobile devices.

  • Receive severe weather alerts
  • Upload and share photos of damage and recovery efforts
  • Locate and receive driving directions to open shelters and disaster recovery centers
  • Apply for assistance
  • Save a custom list of your family’s emergency kit and emergency meeting spot
  • Receive safety and preparedness reminders and learn how to stay safe before, during, and after over 20 types of hazards
  • Easily toggle between English and Spanish for all features of the app.

 

For more information go to:
http://www.fema.gov/

 

Active Shooter Preparedness Resources Available

  June 20, 2024 - 12:52 pm | ,
Comments Off on Active Shooter Preparedness Resources Available


 

 

Active shooter incidents, in many cases, have no pattern or method to the selection of victims, which results in an unpredictable and evolving situation. In the midst of the chaos, anyone can play an integral role in mitigating the impacts of an active shooter incident. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides a variety of no-cost resources to the public and private sector to enhance preparedness and response to an active shooter incident. The goal of the Department is to ensure awareness of actions that can be taken before, during, and after an incident.

Active Shooter Preparedness Program

DHS maintains a comprehensive set of resources and in-person and online trainings that focus on behavioral indicators, potential attack methods, how to develop emergency action plans, and the actions that may be taken during an incident.

Active Shooter Online Training

This one-hour online course (IS-907 Active Shooter: What You Can Do) provides an introductory lesson on the actions that may be taken when confronted by an active shooter, as well as indicators of workplace violence and how to manage the consequences of an incident. To access this course, please visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute online training website at http://www.training.fema.gov/is/crslist.aspx and type Active Shooter in the search bar.

Active Shooter Preparedness Workshop Series

These scenario-based workshops feature facilitated discussions to inform participants on the best practices associated with preparing for and responding to an active shooter incident. Through a dynamic exchange of information, these workshops provide participants an understanding of how to plan and aid in the development of an initial draft of an emergency action plan for their organizations. For more information on these workshops, please contact the Active Shooter Preparedness Program at ASworkshop@hq.dhs.gov.

Active Shooter Online Resources

There are additional resources available online to inform individuals on how to prepare for active shooter incidents. These resources range from booklets and pocket guides, to a 90-minute webinar that explains the importance of developing an emergency action plan and the need to train employees on how to respond to an incident. To access these resources, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/activeshooter.

 

Contact Information

For general information regarding the Active Shooter Preparedness Program, please email ASworkshop@hq.dhs.gov.

 

 

Webinar: How the Proposed New Overtime Rules Can Impact Your Bottom Line

  June 9, 2024 - 12:51 pm | , , ,
Comments Off on Webinar: How the Proposed New Overtime Rules Can Impact Your Bottom Line

Be Prepared! New Overtime Rules take effect December 1, 2024

 

Date: June 21, 2024 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Presented by Constangy, Brooks, Smith, and Prophete, LLP and Georgia Employers’ Association

Presenters: Nationally known attorneys Mel Haas and Alyssa Peters

 

Here’s what you’ll learn in this informative webinar:

  • An explanation of current regulations
  • Examples of penalties and fines for not paying overtime when required
  • The final rules and when will they take effect
  • Brief explanation of the white collar exemptions
  • What are the changes and what you should do now
  • Your questions and answers

 

Costs:

GEA Members: $25
Non-Members: $50

Register online for this webinar or download a printable form that can be returned by fax or email.

 

 

Tytan Creates wins JURY Award at Illuminate Film Festival

  June 7, 2024 - 8:19 pm | , , , , ,
Comments Off on Tytan Creates wins JURY Award at Illuminate Film Festival

tytan_logoThe film Love, Sweat + Tears, produced by Tytan Creates, won the JURY Award for best film at the Illuminate Film Festival in Sedona, AZ on June 3, 2016.

Love, Sweat + Tears was a game changer film about menopause, romance and women’s health — at a whole new level. Tons of laughs throughout the film with Joan Rivers, Rev June Gatlin + Jenny McCarthy. Dr. Pam Gaudry (who is on a mission to educate all women about their health) was on fire and super passionate.

Jury Award 2

View the movie trailer:

https://www.facebook.com/tytancreates/videos

 

 

USDOL’s New Rules on Overtime Pay Resource Center Now Available

  June 1, 2024 - 1:21 pm | , , , ,
Comments Off on USDOL’s New Rules on Overtime Pay Resource Center Now Available

Fisher Phillips logo 1Fisher Phillips has created a Resource Center covering the U.S. Department of Labor’s (USDOL) revised provisions relating to exemptions from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This Resource Center features information designed to help employers understand and comply with the new rules.

Also available through your Fisher Phillips attorney are a list of suggested action items, a summary of selected pay alternatives for non-exempt employees, and a set of FLSA-focused worksheets that can be used to gather information relevant to analyzing an employee’s exemption status.

Additionally, for the most up-to-date information about developments regarding the overtime pay changes, please visit our Wage and Hour Laws Blog. Our attorneys will update the blog frequently.

The materials provided in our resource center have been generated from Fisher Phillips attorneys and other reliable sources to inform and address the rising concerns of employers regarding the USDOL’s new rules on overtime pay. We will be updating the resource center on a regular basis.

Please visit the Resource Center and the Wage and Hour Laws Blog.

New Exemption Rules Finally Arrive: Employers Should Prepare For The Impact

  May 20, 2024 - 3:55 pm | , , , , ,
Comments Off on New Exemption Rules Finally Arrive: Employers Should Prepare For The Impact

May 18, 2024

The U.S Labor Department (USDOL) has finally released the anxiously awaited revised regulations affecting certain kinds of employees who may be treated as exempt from the federal Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime and minimum-wage requirements. These will be published officially on May 23, 2016.

If you currently consider any of your employees to be exempt “white collar” employees, you might have to make some sweeping changes.

Executive Summary In brief, the following changes will be made in USDOL’s definitions of executive, administrative, professional, computer-employee, and highly compensated exemptions under the FLSA’s Section 13(a)(1):

  • The minimum salary threshold is increasing to $913 per week, which annualizes to $47,476 (up from $455 per week, or $23,660 per year). USDOL says that this figure is set at the 40th percentile of data representing what it calls “earnings of full-time salaried workers” in the lowest-wage Census region (currently the South).
  • This amount will now be “updated” every three years (meaning that it will likely increase with each “update”), beginning on January 1, 2020. USDOL will announce these changes 150 days in advance.
  • Employers will be able to satisfy up to 10% of this new threshold through nondiscretionary bonuses and other incentive payments, including commissions, provided that the payments are made at least quarterly. This crediting will not be permitted as to the salaries paid to employees treated as exempt “highly compensated” ones.
  • The total-annual-compensation threshold for the “highly compensated employee” exemption will increase from $100,000 to $134,004 (which will also be “updated” every three years). USDOL says that this figure is set at the 90th percentile of data representing what it calls “earnings of full-time salaried workers” nationally.

These rules will become effective on December 1, 2016, which is considerably later than had been thought. Unless this is postponed somehow, by that time you must have done what is necessary to continue to rely upon one or more of these exemptions (or another exemption) as to each affected employee, or you must forgo exempt status as to any employee who no longer satisfies all of the requirements.

The Bottom Line

  1. Essentially, USDOL is doubling the current salary threshold. This is likely intended to both reduce the proportion of exempt workers sharply while increasing the compensation of many who will remain exempt, rather than engaging in the fundamentally definitional process called for under the FLSA. As we have said previously, manipulating exemption requirements to “give employees a raise” has never been an authorized or legitimate pursuit.
  2. For the first time in these exemptions’ more-than-75-year history, USDOL will publish what amounts to an automatic “update” to the minimum salary threshold. This departs from the prior USDOL practice of engaging in what should instead ultimately be a qualitative evaluation that also takes into account a variety of non-numerical considerations.
  3. USDOL did not change any of the exemptions’ requirements as they relate to the kinds or amounts of work necessary to sustain exempt status (commonly known as the “duties test”). Of course, USDOL had asked for comments directed to whether there should be a strict more-than-50% requirement for exempt work. The agency apparently decided that this was not necessary in light of the fact that “the number of workers for whom employers must apply the duties test is reduced” by virtue of the salary increase alone.

What Should You Do Now? Some in Congress are still considering action aimed at stopping these changes, and it is possible that lawsuits will be filed with the same goal. While one or more of these challenges may be successful, you should assume for the time being that the new requirements will take effect as scheduled.

Right now, you should be:

  • analyzing whether the requirements for the “white collar” exemptions you have been relying upon are met;
  • evaluating what might be changed about one or more jobs so that the incumbents may be treated as exempt in the future;
  • considering the possible application of alternative FLSA exemptions; and
  • developing FLSA-compliant pay plans for employees who have been treated as exempt but who no longer will be.

USDOL has provided extensive commentary explaining its rationale for the revised provisions. We are continuing to study the final regulations and accompanying discussion carefully and will offer further considered views on our Wage And Hour Laws Blog (www.wage-hour.net) in the coming days and weeks.

If you have any questions about these new regulations or how they might affect your organization, or to obtain complimentary copies of materials designed to assist employers in the steps they should now be taking, please contact your Fisher & Phillips attorney, or any member of our Wage & Hour Practice Group.