Owner: America\'s Best Companies Blog URL:http://www.americasbestcompanies.com/blog Join Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 11:09:05 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: America\'s Best Companies Blog focuses on providing articles, information and resources for the small business owner. Site statistics:Click here
Money Saving Tips for Hitting the Road 0000-00-00 00:00:00 In addition to small business owners that may have a small fleet of company vehicles, vacationers will soon feel the crunch at the gas pump this Memorial Day weekend. Here are some tips for minimizing the strain on your wallet. Read more:Hitting
, Money
, Saving
Free Webinar – Protect Your Business from Online Fraud 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Do you process credit cards at your place of business? If so, what steps have you taken to safeguard your transaction data? If your answer begins with Norton and ends with Antivirus, you are probably like thousands of others who don’t know squat about the subject. Read more:Business
, Protect
BizFilings New Promotion for ABC Members 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Forming a corporation or other business entity is a useful step in growing and protecting your business, and doing so confers many benefits. However, it can be a difficult and expensive process. ABC partner, BizFilings, may have the answer you're looking for with their new promotion. Read more:Members
Great News on the Scam Front 0000-00-00 00:00:00 We've had some great news today in the fight against the scam artists. May 19, 2008, saw 38 people in 5 countries indicted for a Romanian-based phishing scam that was part of a global crime ring. Read about the bust and the scam they were perpetrating. Read more:Front
, Great
ABC Part of Select Group to Participate in the Chicago New Media Summit 0000-00-00 00:00:00 The ChicagoNew MediaSummit
is dedicated to a mission of pioneering Chicago as a New Media Capital. Jim Tracy, President of ABC, was invited to collaborate with thought leaders from Internet, media, entertainment, and advertising to share technology and convergence trends, create alliances, promote new ventures and point to what's next for Chicago … what they see as the new media capital. Read more:Group
, Participate
, Select
The Housing Crisis and Home Business 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Given the number of American entrepreneurs who run their businesses from a home office, the current problems in the housing market could have a major impact on American small business. How big is the problem and what is the current crop of presidential hopefuls planning to do about it? We have some answers. Read more:Business
, Crisis
, Home Business
, Housing
Does the Industry Really Want to End Computer Virus Attacks? 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Antiviral solutions work in much the same way as medicinal vaccines: They only work on older, known viruses. However, the real hazard comes from the new, unknown viruses that are being released today. Where is the antiviral solution for these? Lucky for you, we found it. An idea so simple that with the dominance of traditional security solutions we had to ask, Does the industry really want to end Read more:Computer
Going Lean: Increasing Productivity and Profits for SMB Manufacturers 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, going lean (also known as cutting the fat, downsizing, rightsizing, getting competitive and any number of other pathetic euphemisms) meant getting rid of that which companies claim are their most important resource: people. However, today, for small and medium sized business manufacturers, going lean means applying best practices and technology to increase productivi Read more:Going
, Increasing
, Manufacturers
, Productivity
Who’s Responsible for IT Security Breaches? 0000-00-00 00:00:00 In spite of all the nifty security technology protecting networks and individual computers, there is still a serious breach in most IT operations--the human factor. In fact, 60% of the data losses in 2006 were due to human error. Read further to learn how to protect yourself and your company. Read more:Responsible
Worker’s Compensation: Making it Work for Your Small Business 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Worker's Compensation
insurance can be complex and confusing for many small business owners. In fact, a sizable number of them are not really sure what they are paying for. Here are some the basic things you need to know--and questions you need to ask--to get the most out of Worker's Compensation for you and your employees. Read more:Business
, Small
, Worker
The Employee Difference 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Anyone who has ever set foot in a warehouse store knows that as soon as you walk in, you’re greeted by huge, plasma screen TVs, camera displays and computers. So one might assume that these businesses sell a ton of these products to every shopper, right? Well, maybe not. Read more:Employee
The More the Merrier: Affiliate Marketing 0000-00-00 00:00:00 When you think about online marketing, what comes to mind? Search engine optimization or e-mail marketing are probably at the top of the list, but there is something else in the marketing arsenal that you may be overlooking: Affiliate
marketing. Read more:Affiliate Marketing
, Marketing
Rebate Checks On The Way: Be Prepared 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Rebate checks from the IRS are on their way. Are you prepared? Most retailers are eyeing these rebates as a way of boosting their sales, and many already have plans to offer special targeted sales to get shoppers to spend the cash at their stores. Read more:Rebate
Embrace Customer Satisfaction 0000-00-00 00:00:00 How can a small retailer maintain a thriving customer base even with higher prices and a narrower selection? By making sure the customer experience is the best they can offer. Here is a great way to figure out if you are on the right track to doing just that. Read more:Customer
, Satisfaction
Writing a Convincing Request for Proposal II: The Cover Letter 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Once you have your Request for Proposal
(RFP) in good shape, you need to add a good cover letter. This serves to create a connection between you with your potential vendor and it also “sells” the idea that doing business with you is a good idea by generating some excitement about what you do and by showing that you are professional and someone worth doing business with. Learn how to write a gr Read more:Cover
, Letter
Writing a Convincing Request for Proposal 0000-00-00 00:00:00 The business game isn't all about sales, there is another side to it: supplies. From raw materials to sales inventory to office supplies, you are constantly trying to get the best cost for things in order to be able to offer your customers the best price you can. One of the ways to do this is with a great Request for Proposal
. Learn what goes into one here.
ABC Fox Trot Recap 0000-00-00 00:00:00 The results are in—ABC’s sponsorship of the Batavia Mothers’ Club Foundation Fox Trot 5K Run/Walk was a success! Read more:Recap
Nigeria or Bust: Update Number One 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Talk about fast! My new friend Abbey, the banker in South Africa with the plot to make me fabulously well-to-do with the multimillion dollar account of a dead man has written back to me with a load of questions to put his mind to rest that he's not going to get cheated. Check out this next level in the scam process and learn a little about protecting yourself on the Internet. Read more:Nigeria
, Number
, Update
Nigeria or Bust: No Such Thing as a Free Lunch 0000-00-00 00:00:00 The widespread use of e-mail has made online scams easier and easier to perpetrate. Your spam filters will catch a lot of these but sometimes one of them gets through, like this morning. Come with me on a journey into one such scam, learn how you can avoid being a victim and join me in having a little fun with this online predator. Read more:Lunch
, Nigeria
, Thing
ABC Sponsoring Local 5K Run 0000-00-00 00:00:00 For the second year in a row, America's Best Companies will be a Platinum Sponsor of this year's Fox Trot 5K Run/Walk in Batavia, Illinois. Join us on April 27 and cheer on the runners as they earn donations for the Batavia Mothers' Club Foundation. Read more:Local
Green Talk – Earth Day at America’s Best Companies 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Earth Day is an opportune moment for all of us to think about how we can protect our planet – especially for business owners. We can make daily efforts through recycling, conserving resources, reusing, preventing pollution, and more. Often simple steps are all it takes. Read more:America
, Companies
, Earth
, Earth Day
, Green
Earth Day 2008 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Happy Earth
Day! Take a look at how it started and what you can do to celebrate. Read more:Earth Day
Everything Old is New Again: The Buy Local Movement 0000-00-00 00:00:00 The “Buy American” movement seems to have some new life. The fervor for all things local, ranging from farm stand goods to civic involvement, seems to be everywhere today and for small businesses across the country, that is great news! Read more:Again
, Everything
, Local
Newsletter Usability: Making Your Reader Experience Even Better 0000-00-00 00:00:00 It has long been known that an e-newsletter is a useful addition to your marketing and public relations efforts. They are, after all, a warm, powerful communication medium that encourages a strong, lasting relationship between you and your readers. There is some new clarity in the world of online newsletters thanks to research coming from the Nielsen Norman Group in their latest report on Email Ne Read more:Reader
, Usability
Energy Issues: Now What? 0000-00-00 00:00:00 Oil and gas prices reach records highs--again--and aside from the folks getting rich from speculating on the market, people are hurting because of it. The question is this: What are you prepared to do about it? We want to know how you and your small business are coping, how do you keep going strong? Who knows? Your response may draw you into the pages of America's Best magazine! Read more:Energy
, Issues
The Battle for XP 0000-00-00 00:00:00 If you had a product that worked well, did nearly everything you asked of it and offered greater satisfaction than you had from previous versions; how would you like to be told that you would have to switch to an obviously inferior product because the maker would no longer supply or support the thing that works so well for you?
That is the situation that XP users are in as Microsoft begins to dri Read more:Battle
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