Business Information for Entrepreneurs by an Entrepreneur

If you are a small business owner who is looking for new ways to market your company, most likely you have heard of Twitter. Twitter is not just a place where people can micro-blog at 140 characters or less or catch up on the latest celebrity gossip. Twitter has become a major marketing factor, even for small business.

However, what can Twitter do for you? And how do you use Twitter to your business advantage? Here are five important tips that all small business owners should use when creating or modifying a Twitter account.

1. Define Your Needs from Twitter

   First, you need to be clear on your expectations. Sure, Twitter is a fun social media website that attracts multitudes by the millions. But don't expect that your small business will gather hundreds of millions of followers.

   What makes Twitter a great marketing outlet is that it doesn't have a specific paradigm followed by small or large businesses to work. You can find the methods and strategies that make it work for you.

   However, to make a strategy work, you need to define it. Do you want to make more sales? Are you interested in growing your customer contact database? Do you want word of mouth and viral marketing through Twitter?

   These are the types of questions you need to ask. With a more defined objective in mind, your small business Twitter experience will be much more effective and successful.

2. Create A Catchy Twitter Account

   You only get 140 characters, a thumbnail photo, and a web link to define your business on Twitter. Make it count!

   Be resourceful in your short small business description. For instance, read the Twitter bio of ProBlogger created by the world-popular blogging expert, Darren Rowse:

   I blog about twitter and tweet about blogging. Sometimes I blog about tweeting about blogging and tweet about blogging about twitter.

   Rowse's business is extremely successful because of simple and catchy statements like the above. Make your short bio count.

   Also, use your company logo as your Twitter icon. If you don't have a logo, consider using a small thumbnail of your product or a headshot of yourself.

3. Write Regular Posts

   In order to acquire followers, you need to have something worth following. Consider these smart tips for your posts.

   • Post quality links - If you link to another website, be sure it is worth the time of your followers. Avoid sending multitudes of YouTube video links just for the sake of cute cat videos. Make it something worth reading about or even just a quick link to a contemplative photo.

   • Respond to Twitter mentions - Twitter users "talk" to one another by including the "@" sign in front of your Twitter name. Twitter allows you to see who has mentioned your small business Twitter account. Be sure to respond to them to let them know you're listening. Even the famous comic/actor/writer/musician, Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo) takes time practically every day to respond to a few lucky tweeters who message him.

   • Include exclusive sales and discounts - Your Twitter followers can be an exclusive group to whom you offer special deals and discounts. Be sure to reward your Twitter followers, and encourage them to pass along the savings to their followers.

   • Use auto posting software - Posting on Twitter can be a time-consuming job, but you can spend just a few minutes a day writing quality posts to be published at a later time. Software like Hootsuite allows you to easily manage your social media accounts and save posts to be uploaded to Twitter at periodic intervals.

4. Include Your Twitter URL on All Correspondence

   Since one of your goals is likely to grow your group of Twitter followers, include your Twitter URL address on all your correspondence. That includes your letterhead, business cards, and email messages. Your Twitter URL is generally an easy-to-remember twitter.com/YourbusinessName.

5. Analyze Your Twitter Analytics

   You can post all you want on Twitter, but you won't know how effective they are without analyzing the results. Use online tools like Klout.com, which is an effective website that measures your overall Twitter effectiveness and gives you pointers on how to improve your influence. Another clever tool is TweetPsych.com. Here you can gather statistical data as to how you use references like media, time, money, etc., and find out how you can improve your tweets.

Twitter can be your marketing friend. Learn how to use it wisely, and your small business can make a tremendous impact on this popular social site.

The Baby Boomer generation is quickly approaching retirement age, and as a result, the US workforce is faced with losing almost 25 percent of its workforce. However, on the flipside, a struggling economy and shrinking IRA account balances have forced many Boomers to remain in the workforce simply because they cannot retire.

How can you as a business owner be a part of the solution for the Boomer generation as they reach their sunset years? It's easy: hire them!

Hiring Boomers near retirement may at first give you pause. Why hire someone who is not destined to be a long-term employee? Interestingly, many businesses are hiring more near-retirement employees. In fact, a recent study performed by the HR consultancy firm, Hewitt Associates, shows that 61 percent of US companies have or will establish employment programs that are targeted at near retirement workers. And just under half of respondents claimed to have a "phased retirement" program in place for their employees.

Reasons to Hire Boomers

Why should you hire or retain an employee from the Boomer generation? Here are a few good reasons.

• Experience - The number one reason is experience. The Boomer generation has had a full generation of experience that spans through the conservative '50s, the shaky and revolutionary '60s, the preppie '80s, and the progressive '90s. These are the people who have seen it all. You can expect that their experience in the workplace can certainly benefit your small business.

• Courteous and Respectful Service - As the Boomer generation was brought into the mid-20th century, they grew up in a tradition of respect. This was a time when children learned to say "yes sir" and "yes ma'am." Folks now in their 50s and 60s are experienced in talking to people in a respectful manner, making eye contact, and communicating with results and resolution in mind. Your hires who are near retirement can be your best front line when it comes to your customers.

• Fill Staffing Gaps - Many small business owners experience staffing gaps, especially when they run a business that is seasonal, runs in cycles, or has a high turnover rate. Those citizens who are near retirement may be at a point in their career when they can handle part-time and cyclical work as needed by an employer.

How You Can Utilize Boomer Staffing

As you analyze your staffing needs, whether it's full time, part time, or seasonal, here are a few good ways you can utilize the experience of Boomers near their retirement.

• Experienced Managers - Don't ever discount the benefit of a 50-something, or even 60-something, manager. These men and women have experience through times when they were a changin'. Count on them to lead your employees with wisdom.

• Part-Time Staff - Many Boomers are wanting to retire, but cannot fully afford to stop working. Many look for part time or even seasonal staffing to help earn additional income as they wait for full Social Security or other pension benefits to begin. They are fully willing to meet your employment gap needs if you need someone part time each week or even during peak production or sales seasons.

• On Call Staff - Many Boomers and near-retirees may not want steady employment, but are satisfied to work "as needed." Consider putting Boomers and other near-retired workers on the books as staff to call when the demand is needed.

• Customer Relations- Consider hiring a worker near retirement to help handle your customer relations. r Wal-Mart is a prime example. Everyone is fond of the "greeters" this retail giant hires who say 'hello' to customers walking into the store. They offer a kind smile and a helpful countenance, and they are there to simply point the way to the departments where the big sales are. Consider hiring a Boomer to talk to your customers, not just as a "greeter," but as someone who asks them survey questions that can help improve your business. Or a boomer could be someone who handles incoming customer service calls.

Give consideration to those close to retirement as a way to help your employment needs. Not only do you get the benefit of staffing, but you'll also benefit from the experience from these wise workers.

Software as a Service (SAAS) has become the standard for software delivery and integration. While the old paradigm of installing source code and purchasing license agreements to run software on your own servers is a phenomenon of the past, there is still much to be considered from the ease of utilizing software via an internet or other network connection.

Your SaaS contract spells out how your software is to be used by your company, and it outlines the expectations for both you and the service provider. However, SaaS contracts are not boilerplate. You have every right to negotiate anything and everything.

If you have chosen a SaaS company, here are a few important things to consider:

Get What You Want - And Opt For More

Much like installed and licensed software, SaaS can be purchased and utilized in modules or components.

For instance, say you are purchasing an accounting SaaS. You would be paying too much if it came with every possible component or feature, but you only utilized a few of them. That is why a SaaS company allows you to choose features you need.

Say that you just need the general ledger, A/R, A/P, reports, payroll, and invoicing. You can then opt to buy up when you need additional features like sales, inventory management, capital asset management, cost accounting, etc.

Support and Maintenance

Unfortunately, there will be times when your SaaS product is not working properly. Or you may have a special project which includes your SaaS. Or you may simply have a question about how your SaaS works. Who will you contact?

You should insist that your SaaS contract must include a clause for maintenance and support. Spell out clearly when the SaaS company should be available, including days, hours, nights, weekends, etc. It should also include how and whom to contact for emergencies or escalated issues, and even how an issue will be escalated.

Do be aware that the more you put your SaaS provider on call and available, the more you will have to pay.

Liability

What if the SaaS provider makes a mistake? What if there is calamity or disaster with their servers? Are you protected if your company loses data?

Liability is a common issue, and a liability clause should be included in your contract so you are protected should you lose valuable data or revenue due to negligence on the part of your SaaS provider.

Escape Clauses

Situations may arise where you need to modify or even relinquish your SaaS contract altogether. Consider the following:

• Price modulation - You may determine at some point down the road that you are not using all the modules for which you are paying. Include an escape clause that allows you to re-address your pricing structure while your contract is active.

• Termination due to provider action - At some point, your SaaS provider may move their entire location and equipment to a different location that does not suit your needs. Or they may make changes like outsourcing their data servers after your contract is in place. Keep a clause in the contract that allows you to address these issues and walk away due to certain actions.

What About Undesired Service Provider Situations?

What happens if the SaaS vendor goes away, is acquired by another entity who won't support the software, goes bankrupt, or simply discontinues the software? What would happen to your business?

You can negotiate in your license contract to operate the software yourself in such instances. Whereas in cases of software licensing, a client can negotiate a "code escrow" in the contract so that if any of these instances happen, the client can get access to the source code.

However, with SaaS, you need to build in your own protection. Consider negotiating the following:

• Acquisition - If a SAAS company is acquired, put into your contract that the acquiring company must run the application under the same terms for the duration of the contract. This is also a good thing for the acquiring company because they know they have a built-in source of revenue.

• Data Restoration - If the SaaS company stores your data, how will you get it back? Be sure you clearly outline in the contract how and when your data is returned to you.

SaaS can be a great and cost effective way to utilize outstanding software. However, be sure you protect your company to save money, data, and get the most from your SaaS provider.