February 2009 Newsletter

As we proceed into month two of the New Year  I wonder how many New Year's resolutions have fallen by the wayside already?  Some people said they didn't even bother to make any resolutions this year.  Whether you did or did not vow to do things better or differently in '09, things are changing around us.  I'm seeing things changing for the better.

This month our experts offer 

helpful tips on incorporating social media and social responsibility into your business.  I'd love to hear your ideas on these topics.  What are you already doing to make your business more profitable, create a stronger sense of community, and/or make your business more environmentally friendly?  Or what will you do now as a result of having this information?

Wishing you all the best,

Lori

Lori T. Williams, Esq.

Your Legal Resource, PLLC

248-594-4470

www.bestlegalresource.com

"We Connect the Right Client

With the Right Professional " (SM)

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HELPFUL HINT: 

Don't forget your sweetheart on Valentine's Day (February 14th) ......

Or you may need to ask me for a referral to a family law attorney for "irreconcilable differences".

Share the love, and spare the pain!

In This Issue

Article 1: Creating or Sustaining a Socially Responsible Business

Article 2: Social Networking Options: Which Ones Suit You Best?

Quick Links

Your Legal Resource, PLLC

RachelCWilliams.com

The Sales Matrix

QUOTABLES

"Always do right.  This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest." Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

"Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise.  They're absolutely free - and worth a fortune." Sam Walton (1818-1992), Founder of Wal-Mart

"Never mistake motion for action." Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

Creating or Sustaining A Socially Responsible Business

By:  Rachel Williams, Certified Coach

     Which should you focus on, a Dollar or a Deed?  How About Both?  My goal is to show you how  "being good" in business makes great "cents"!

     Social responsibility is somewhat of a buzzword these days.  What it really means is valuing the relationship with your employees, the environment, and the community.   Taking a lead in social responsibility is a way to differentiate yourself from competitors, attract great people to work at your organization and build rapport in the community. 

     Here are 5 ideas for getting started with building a strong triple bottom line (people, planet, profit):

     1. Fund and staff volunteer work.  Check your local chamber directory or use an online tool like www.volunteermatch.org to find opportunities in your area.  Notice the impact on teamwork when you work together for a greater good.

     2. Second time around and good as new.  Contact West-Bloomfield based North American Toner to learn about refurbished printers and toner recycling programs that will save you 40% off retail ([email protected]).

     3. Review your supply chain.  Where can processes be streamlined?  What supplies can be sourced locally to save on time, money?

     4. Invest in the development of yourself and/or your staff.  From staff meetings to retreats and coaching, those who take time for their own development report much higher levels of satisfaction, productivity and ability to deal with stress.  And you know your customers appreciate that.

     5. Share the good word.  Education is key and when your customers know more about how your service or product promotes social responsibility, they will naturally become better advocates for it.  They will share what they've learned with others, who will share it with others, and so on.

    When you intentionally seek it, you will find many ways to create win-win-win's in your business.  Celebrate your business successes, knowing that the world around you has also benefited from your actions and intentions.

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Rachel Williams is a professional certified coach and works with people committed to doing well by doing good, both in business and the community.  She is a member of Leadership Detroit Class XXX, the Professional Coaches Association of Michigan, the International Coach Federation and is on the Board of Directors for Girls on the Run of Southeastern Michigan.  You can learn more about her work at www.rachelcwilliams.com.

Social Networking Options: Which Ones Suit You Best?

                           By: David Benjamin, The Sales Matrix

Most professionals have heard about social networking, but with so many choices it can be hard to know which ones to use or how to use them effectively for your business.  I first got involved with Social Networking about four years ago when I learned how they could help me connect with potential business partners, develop a personal and company brand, and provide an outlet to share important news quickly with minimal effort.  Since then I have become heavily involved with a variety of different networking sites, because potential clients are not spending their time at only one particular site.  I've noted a few of my favorite sites below, but this is by no means an exhaustive list.   Each of them are free for a basic profile and search tools, but some have other features if you re willing to pay an added cost.   

     As described by Wikipedia: A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services.  

     The most popular "Business/Professional" Networking Site is Linked In.  The purpose of this site is to allow registered users to create a profile and maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections. Users can invite anyone (whether a site user or not) to become a connection.  This list of connections can then be used in a number of ways:  

     1. Create a contact network (or data base) consisting of your direct connections (termed 1st degree connections), your connection's connections (termed second degree connections) and also the connections of the second degree connections (termed third degree connections). This can be used to gain an introduction to someone you wish to know through a mutual, trusted contact.

     2.  Find jobs, people and business opportunities, as recommended by someone in your contact network. 

    3.  Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates. 

4.  Job seekers can review the profile of hiring managers and discover which of their existing contacts can introduce them.       

    5. Professionals who have had positive experiences working with you can write a recommendation of your services.  The more recommendations you acquire, the higher the likelihood others will want to purchase your product and/or service.   Linked In reports over 30 Million registered users as of October 2008.

    A very popular site used for both business and social networking is Facebook.  Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profile to notify friends about themselves.  Many companies interact with their clients and customers through mass email notifications by creating fan pages.  Over 90 Million active users across the globe use Facebook.

Twitter  is a favorite of mine and it is a site popular for both business and social networking.  Twitter is a networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.  Twitter is one of the fastest growing networking sites, with over 5 million users and growing substantially each month.  Many independent consultants and companies are signing up because of the viral marketing and success others are enjoying.

   With so many social networking sites available today, choosing which ones to implement your branding, marketing, and advertising efforts depends on who your target audience is and where they are spending their time.  The key is to do research, determine which sites are best suited for your industry and business, and learn from others that have experience.  Many have hired consultants to help them with their social media platforms.e.  There is a big shift in how companies conduct business in these turbulent economic times and many are turning to social networking because of their effectiveness and minimal to no cost.

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David Benjamin is the recruiting manager for The Sales Matrix, a national sales consulting firm. David has successfully helped his clients hire top level professionals using social networking platforms for sales, human resources, and executive level professionals .  David enjoys speaking to groups, including universities, associations, networking events, and rotary clubs.  David also writes a recruiting blog.  You can read his work here.  Click here to listen to one of David's recent podcasts on social media. (Broadcast only available on Itunes) To learn more visit  www.thesalesmatrix.com or contact David by phone at (248) 496-1880.

Contact Attorney Lori Williams For A

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Includes a referral to an attorney specialist qualified to assist you with your personal or business legal matters. 

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