Guide to Free and Low-Cost Employee Perks

Employees have come to expect benefits such as health insurance and 401K plans. But you don't have to offer a budget-busting benefits package to show employees that you appreciate their efforts. Many companies are turning to affordable benefit offerings that are more like gifts than traditional benefits. This new brand of employee benefit has a more personal touch. For example, many workers long for a break from their hectic workweek. Benefits like flexible work hours and restaurant gift cards show employees that you recognize their sacrifices and want to help ease their stress. Important strategies for making benefits truly beneficial:
1.It really is the thought that counts. When an employee receives a gift that he wouldn't typically buy for himself, he tends to put greater value on that benefit.
2.As a business owner you may hate to admit it, but there is one benefit that is guaranteed to motivate employees: a day off. Whether it's a Friday off every other month or the chance to work at home occasionally, granting that extra time away from work can do wonders for morale.
3.Give spot bonuses. These are gifts you give to individual employees to recognize an achievement that went beyond the call of duty. Present spot bonuses with some fanfare, and do it often enough so that all employees know that they have a chance of receiving one.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done




Consider the popular choice: gift cards
A great way to customize an employee benefit without spending a fortune is to give gift cards that are tailored to the employee's favorite pastime.
I recommend: GiftCertificates.com is a one-stop shop for gift cards for travel, entertainment, books, dining out, fashions and more. GiftCertificates.com also includes the option of customized paper gift certificates. Starbucks offers corporate rates to businesses that purchase Starbucks debit cards. Employees can use the debit cards (which function like gift cards) to buy beverages, food, or merchandise at any Starbucks. If you prefer to expand your employees' gift choices give, a MasterCard or Visa gift card. Employees can use them wherever those companies' credit cards are accepted.

A New Way to Rate Customers with no Credit History

Recession-damaged small and mid-sized businesses would like to extend credit to customers with little if any credit history if they could do it without great risk. Now there’s a way. FICO — the company behind the ubiquitous FICO credit score we all know and love — has created a new FICO Expansion Score to help businesses evaluate the estimated 50-70 million U.S. consumers who have either no traditional credit history or thin credit bureau files at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

This group of potential customers is heavy on students, senior citizens and recent immigrants, so the scoring model is based on non-traditional credit data such as subscription memberships, bank deposit account activity and utility histories. The resulting scores use the same 300-850 scoring range as the traditional FICO and can also be used in combination with the traditional score when making credit decisions. The new scoring system can help identify responsible, credit-worthy customers who can meet their obligations but simply haven’t had an opportunity to establish a traditional credit history.
MicroBilt Corp., which provides risk manaement services to small and mid-sized businesses, has an exclusive license to use the FICO scoring model in the U.S. and sell FICO Expansion scores to lenders and businesses. MicroBuilt has direct links to the three major credit bureaus, which means businesses checking customer credit can get both the traditional FICO score and the FICO Expansion score from a single source. For more information on obtaining a FICO Expansion score you can fill out a MicroBuilt inquiry form or call 800-884-4397 800-884-4397.

According to its creators, the FICO Expansion score accurately predicts the likelihood that a consumer will become seriously delinquent within the next two years, using the same caliber of highly predictive, objective risk evaluation that other FICO scores are known for.

Guide to Bluetooth Wireless Solutions

Bluetooth technology connects computers, PDAs, cameras and phones with one another without the need for wires, creating so-called ad-hoc, virtual networks that share information. That information can include everything from photos and videos stored in a digital camera to contact lists from a PDA or your own voice transmitted from a wireless headphone to the cell phone in your pocket. Bluetooth is similar to the popular wireless technology WiFi but operates on a shorter range, three to 30 feet versus about 300 feet for WiFi. It can operate in tandem with WiFi and other networks so this isn't an either/or choice. Thanks to Bluetooth's easy connectivity, a small business owner can use the technology to:
1.Save money because there's no need to purchase expensive cables otherwise needed to interconnect electronic devices.
2.Save time and frustration by taking advantage of Bluetooth's ability to connect devices from many manufacturers with relative ease.
3.Choose from one of three security settings.
4.Send or receive contact information and product information at meetings and trade shows.
5.Carry a cell phone safely in a pocket while conversing via hassle-free wireless headphones.
6.Create complex networks capable of doing everything from helping fleet operators manage deliveries to linking medical monitoring devices inside hospital rooms.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done




Get equipped
Bluetooth-enable your company by inventorying all its existing electronic devices. Some devices - newer high-end laptop computers, for example - already may be Bluetooth compatible. Other equipment can be made Bluetooth compatible with the addition of simple add-on devices. Finally, make Bluetooth compatibility a requirement for all relevant new electronic equipment purchases.
I recommend: Find the latest Bluetooth-enabled products at the Bluetooth.org Web site. The electronics firm Kensington makes a Bluetooth adaptor that plugs into a computer's USB port, allowing it to communicate with other Bluetooth devices. In addition to popular computer supply stores such as BestBuy and CompUSA that carry Bluetooth-enabled products, the online store Blue Shop is devoted entirely to gadgets for Bluetooth users.

Guide to Finding New Customers Online

Whether your primary business is run online or offline, you can find new customers or clients on the Internet. Paid online advertising is only one of many methods you can use to zero in on new leads. In fact, many methods for seeking out customers online don't cost a thing and can be very effective.
Some of the online tactics you can use to find new customers are:

1.Advertising
2.Everyday email
3.Community forums
4.Email coupon campaigns
5.E-newsletters
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done




Use online advertising
Purchasing banner ads and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising on Web sites or in e-newsletters that reach your target audience can bolster your customer base.
I recommend: Sign up for PPC advertising programs, such as Google AdWords, which also publishes a set of Editorial Guidelines for writing banner ad copy. Get help creating, downloading and publishing your ads with Flash Banner Now, BannersOnline.com or Hey! Banner Banner!. Other sites to consider include Yahoo! Search Marketing, for general purpose PPC ads and Business.com if you sell B2B.

Take advantage of everyday email
With every email you send, use a signature file or "sig file" where you can include a variety of information, including your URL, links to your Web site, store location and hours, upcoming sales events and current promotions. Always include an option to "forward to a friend" to increase the reach of your emails to new prospects.
I recommend: Google provides free sig files and a list of annoying sig files to avoid. Find a list of sites that offer still more sig files at Yahoo! or see how to create one yourself at WorldStart.com.

Get familiar with online forums
Community forums are like an online coffee shop where people with similar interests gather to chat. By becoming a regular in forums that address the needs of your potential customers, you can introduce your business to them in a way that doesn't involve in-your-face advertising. Be sure not to overtly advertise or promote your business in a forum; it's considered rude and could get you kicked out.
I recommend: Most forums have their own rules, but you can check out basic forum etiquette rules from N'etiquette.com. Forumer has helpful advice on using forums to promote your business.

Send email coupons
Reach new customers by emailing coupons. To find names of prospects, buy or rent a list from a broker. To avoid being labeled a spammer, make sure the broker uses opt-in procedures rather than harvesting email addresses online.
I recommend: Search for list brokers at the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Yellow Pages. Make coupon mailings easier with help from online services, such as mUrgent's e-Coupon Club, which offers custom designs and templates.

Offer an e-newsletter
By creating a quality e-newsletter that's filled with must-have info, you can gain placement on directories for e-zines and e-newsletters. This added visibility can introduce your business to new customers.
I recommend: For help creating, managing and distributing an e-newsletter, try Constant Contact, a Web-based email marketing service, or ENewsletterPro software. Submit your e-zine to directories like the E-zine Directory, the E-zine Listing or E-zine Locator.

What Works™ for Business

Recession-damaged small and mid-sized businesses would like to extend credit to customers with little if any credit history if they could do it without great risk. Now there’s a way. FICO — the company behind the ubiquitous FICO credit score we all know and love — has created a new FICO Expansion Score to help businesses evaluate the estimated 50-70 million U.S. consumers who have either no traditional credit history or thin credit bureau files at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

This group of potential customers is heavy on students, senior citizens and recent immigrants, so the scoring model is based on non-traditional credit data such as subscription memberships, bank deposit account activity and utility histories. The resulting scores use the same 300-850 scoring range as the traditional FICO and can also be used in combination with the traditional score when making credit decisions. The new scoring system can help identify responsible, credit-worthy customers who can meet their obligations but simply haven’t had an opportunity to establish a traditional credit history.
MicroBilt Corp., which provides risk manaement services to small and mid-sized businesses, has an exclusive license to use the FICO scoring model in the U.S. and sell FICO Expansion scores to lenders and businesses. MicroBuilt has direct links to the three major credit bureaus, which means businesses checking customer credit can get both the traditional FICO score and the FICO Expansion score from a single source. For more information on obtaining a FICO Expansion score you can fill out a MicroBuilt inquiry form or call 800-884-4397.

According to its creators, the FICO Expansion score accurately predicts the likelihood that a consumer will become seriously delinquent within the next two years, using the same caliber of highly predictive, objective risk evaluation that other FICO scores are known for.

What Works™ for Business

Recession-damaged small and mid-sized businesses would like to extend credit to customers with little if any credit history if they could do it without great risk. Now there’s a way. FICO — the company behind the ubiquitous FICO credit score we all know and love — has created a new FICO Expansion Score to help businesses evaluate the estimated 50-70 million U.S. consumers who have either no traditional credit history or thin credit bureau files at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

This group of potential customers is heavy on students, senior citizens and recent immigrants, so the scoring model is based on non-traditional credit data such as subscription memberships, bank deposit account activity and utility histories. The resulting scores use the same 300-850 scoring range as the traditional FICO and can also be used in combination with the traditional score when making credit decisions. The new scoring system can help identify responsible, credit-worthy customers who can meet their obligations but simply haven’t had an opportunity to establish a traditional credit history.
MicroBilt Corp., which provides risk manaement services to small and mid-sized businesses, has an exclusive license to use the FICO scoring model in the U.S. and sell FICO Expansion scores to lenders and businesses. MicroBuilt has direct links to the three major credit bureaus, which means businesses checking customer credit can get both the traditional FICO score and the FICO Expansion score from a single source. For more information on obtaining a FICO Expansion score you can fill out a MicroBuilt inquiry form or call 800-884-4397.

According to its creators, the FICO Expansion score accurately predicts the likelihood that a consumer will become seriously delinquent within the next two years, using the same caliber of highly predictive, objective risk evaluation that other FICO scores are known for.

At General Motors, Loss Reduction Is a Good Start

On Monday, Nov. 16, General Motors CEO Frederick A. "Fritz" Henderson will give the company's first update since it emerged from bankruptcy in June. The news is supposed to be good—relatively speaking.

Sources close to management who have seen the preliminary financials, but who asked not to be named, say GM will show much-improved third-quarter earnings and cash flow. The company will still be in the red, according to the sources, but will have cut losses from recent quarters by billions of dollars.

Even a slight loss would be big progress for GM. The company lost $6 billion in the first quarter—the last quarter GM reported before going bankrupt—and it lost $31 billion last year. In the third quarter of 2008, GM lost $4.2 billion, including one-time charges.

GM will show improvements in cash flow through lower costs and better net pricing on its cars, the sources say. That tracks the kind of improvements rival Ford Motor (F) showed on Nov. 2, when lower costs and high sticker prices added up to a surprise $1 billion profit.

Striking Distance of Breakeven?
"GM is stabilizing, but it's not stabilized," says longtime industry watcher Joseph Phillippi, principal of AutoTrends, a New Jersey consultancy. "The new cars are doing well."

In fact, the sources maintain that GM was within striking distance of breaking even in the third quarter, not counting charges for special items and restructuring costs.

Improved numbers would be a relief for Henderson, who is under pressure from new Chairman Edward Whitacre and GM's board to show results.

The company's earnings and cash flow will be helped in the quarter by the fact that it shut down many plants in June while it was in bankruptcy. To give dealers new inventory, factories had to crank back up when the company emerged. That will help earnings because carmakers book revenue as soon as a car heads off the assembly line for a dealership.

At the same time, the company is still paying out union health-care costs. The company has set up a Voluntary Employee Benefits Trust, or VEBA, to pay union health-care benefits the way a pension fund pays pension benefits. But that plan hasn't kicked in yet, so GM's profitability won't show improvement from the VEBA deal until next year