Have you ever wondered about your candidates’ experiences when applying for a position with your company? Even if your business is in the minority of organizations that isn’t strongly affected by the tight labor market, gauging the effectiveness of your recruitment process is a smart business practice that affects your employer brand for better or worse.

One of the first steps in reviewing your recruiting process is to consider your job descriptions. Are they accurate? Compelling? Lacking in detail? It’s in everyone’s best interest for the applicants to be fully aware about the specifics of the job, including the physical requirements, type of workplace, relocation considerations, opportunities for advancement, and salary range so that applicants can self-screen and make decisions on that basis. The beauty of using the web to recruit is that you are not limited by space to describe your opening.

Job descriptions are also valuable tools to get your candidates excited about your opportunity. Include any information on benefits, stock options, or other unique perks your company may offer. Creatively re-thinking the job title can also be beneficial in terms of sparking a job seeker’s interest.  Think: Super Star Branch Manager Needed or Project Manager with Sign-on Bonus.

Next, consider your job posting. Where and when did you post? If you’re doing it right, you should expect 10-15 qualified candidates. If you do a lot of online postings, Friday afternoons is not an optimal time as job hunting is no longer tied to the Sunday paper. Instead, Monday through Thursday is usually the busiest time for job boards because people look while they’re at work.

One very effective way to test your process is to utilize “mystery shoppers.” Commission people to be phantom candidates who will apply for positions, submit “perfect resumes,” and even interview with your company to let you know what was frustrating, where they wanted to quit, what was helpful, and in general, how they found the experiment. This will indeed deliver the moment of truth about your recruiting process.

Other considerations include the time it takes to get through the entire recruiting process (at a minimum, you should average one step per week as the all-star candidates won’t be available for long) and a review of your compensation. Salary.com offers an easy way to check if your offerings are competitive.

Finally, do you sell yourself? Similar to creating compelling job titles and descriptions, making your voice heard amid the cacophony of employers vying for job seekers’ attention means you need to convince candidates why they should work for your company. Taking this to the next level, sit down with your leaders and figure out a way to do this in a way that attracts the kinds of candidates you most want to hire. None of these ideas take a tremendous amount of time or money to implement, but putting them into practice can pay big dividends in terms of beefing up your recruitment machine for the long haul.

Change the way you think about internet marketing and how your website can generate new business in Fargo, Moorhead, Grand Forks, Bismarck or any location. Websites can be developed in many different ways, but do they work? Some websites are brochure-ware sites or all flash websites.  Both types may mean that you have to market your website instead of your website marketing your business.  It depends on how they are designed.  

Ten areas to evaluate:

1. Do you have to buy Google sponsored links because your website can’t be found? Say it isn’t so! You should never have to buy online placement in Fargo North Dakota or Minnesota. If you search for industry-like keywords and the page results are under 2.5 million, but your website cannot be found, then you need to seriously check the page programming and design. Find an expert in website design that really understands search engine placement.

How do you know if the website designer is an expert? Have the expert show you examples of websites they designed that are on page one, two, or three. See where they measure up in their own industry like searcing the term “website design Fargo” or the location they do business in.

2. Do you have errors in the code, script, or programming of the site? Errors on your website could hinder search engine placement. It’s common to find an extra space or character out of place and some search engines will penalize you for the smallest of errors which may effect search engine placement.

3. Are you embarrassed to send potential clients to your website? This is common, but can be fixed by updating your branding or identity.

4. Are you able to edit your website without paying a fortune? This kind of depends on what your definition of a fortune is. Do you want to pay someone to change copy or a link for over $75 per hour or can the same task be performed in half the time for under $35. Are you being charged one hour to change a few links and a few copy changes? Some website design businesses offer discounts for minor edits and web maintenance.  

5. Do you have to type in your business name to find your website? Unfortunately your business name doesn’t count because not everyone knows your business name. Put yourself in your potential client’s shoes. Example: Search for possible industry specific terms like “website design” and the location like Fargo. What service do you provide? Use these terms or keywords first, and then a location.  

6. Do your website pages have proper page titles, keywords, headers, and meta tags for your target market? This is important, but also depends on how the site is developed, or programmed.

7. Do you get contacts from potential clients or leads from your website? If you spend the time and money to market your business don’t you think it should be visible also? You can still have a great looking site and still be on page one. Do you have lead capture forms? Can people contact you easily? A lead capture form can be a quick name, e-mail, and phone number, and there you have it, a potential lead. At the very least, have your business name, phone, and location on every page. Then decide if you want a catch all e-mail or  put your business e-mail address on the pages.

8. Is your business website on page four or past page four in search engines? Think about this one. Do you look past page four? How many pages do you look at? Make it easy for people to find you. Location, location, location does apply online!

9. Do you have minimal copy explaining what it is that you offer or what your business is about? People do look and shop online before making a decision to buy. At a very minimal you should have information explaining the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your business.  

10. Is your copy or text is embedded in the images and not on the page? This might be ok for menu items, a call to action or catch phrases, but get the full value of all your copy or content. Don’t put all your copy in images it does nothing for search engine placement.

Is your business website a work horse or a show horse? A website can be one of the least expensive marketing vehicles you have, and can reach more potential clients if it’s designed for performance. Some businesses get 8 to 10 leads per day or per week from their website; do you? If not, maybe finding an expert website designer to maximize your web visibility and minimize your cost will help.

What does a working website cost? You can get a really good search engine friendly website for about $65 per month it just depends on where you go, and what you need. 

701-478-5955
Suite 171

Many companies scream, “People are our most important asset.” But talk is cheap. Similarly, many companies post mission/vision statements that must be backed up in practice to be believed.
Small and large companies are equally affected by the changing market- The loyalty that some employers and employees proudly proclaim is dependent. When the labor market is tight, people and companies seem to look out for number one.

Some companies forget that the ‘entry level’ positions are often filled by individuals that are coming directly into contact with customers- Yet companies often overlook these new people or simply forget to communicate with them. This happens in so many industries; banking (tellers), hotel/motel (housekeeping), building materials (stockers/counter workers/etc…) retail… the list goes on and on.
There is a clear caste system in most companies- and most fail to understand or calculate the cost of this turnover. (in addition to the cost of lost customers- disgruntled employees tell others and can alter the buying habits of many).

What are the basic principles of a positive ‘company attitude’?

1. First, employees need to feel they are appreciated, valued and trusted.  This isn’t touchy-feely- It is about respecting people and their contributions to the company effort. This principle implies competence.

2. Development.  Each person in an organization needs to be good at what they do, and you know what… few people start out that way. Employees who participate in their own growth and development plans are going to stick around because they know their company wants more for them.  Managers are often overworked and busy- so training and developing new employees often goes to the wayside.

3. Increased responsibility. As people learn and grow, they should be given additional responsibility.  This will help them to feel a sense of ownership and a feeling that they are contributing and are a valuable asset.

4. Good relationship with immediate manager.  All research shows this to be critical.  Every day one is working under someone who either helps them to feel better or to feel worse. Granted, not all relationships are going to be wonderful (or should be wonderful, for that matter… ) but attention to this area is crucial.

These are not new concepts- sometimes we just forget how important they are… they apply to companies of all sizes.  Whether small or large… Foundation is the key!

Print Ad Marketing in Fargo Moorhead - North Dakota and Minnesota Marketing and Communications.

Are conventional marketing methods, loosing their luster? We are constantly learning about closing newspapers, bankrupt or troubled publications like The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, and The Baltimore Sun.

In the last few months, two thirds of the twenty five national publications we work with are slashing prices because diminishing requests for ad placement. In fact, The Rocky Mountain News (Denver) was added to the list and from the looks of things it must be sold or else… Will cutbacks and low advertising sales affect local newspapers or communication companies in Fargo? Can newspapers and magazines survive the online trends of modern marketing? This is a question that remains to be seen.

Is Fargo behind the times when it comes to modern marketing techniques, as compared to national trends, and new marketing models? Our geographical location and general demographics limit our exposure to viral, buzz or social media marketing like YouTube™, free advertising sites like Craigslist, and social media network sites like LinkedIn. The uses of these websites are on the rise, but do we understand the full potential? Some businesses are taking advantage of new marketing ideas, and with a little education even revamping old brochure ware websites to modern marketing vehicles that get results.

How is it possible to get new business form a website or email marketing?

In our experience, we redesigned a business website for national placement. In one month the new website’s exposure was increased ten-fold, and the leads increased from two per day to an average of eight. With the new design and search engine placement the website went from page fifty to page one in all major search engines for the keyword areas and locations targeted.

E-mail blasts are similar to mailing a flyer; it’s just a different technique, and costs less. The differences between a flyer and an e-mail blast is that in an email blast you can track who viewed it, the number of responses, how many people viewed it, when, where, and how often.

Example: Just this last week, we sent an email for one client out at about 4:30 PM and the next morning they had about twenty people inquiring about their products. In fact, I was on the phone with this client at about 10:00 AM that next morning, and they were closing a sale for over $10,000.

How do we know if any marketing campaign works? We can evaluate any marketing campaign or website by answering a few questions.

- Were you able to track the results from your efforts and did it perform according to your goals and standards?

- Did you get calls or new leads, how many and how often?

- What was your return on investment?

- Bottom line – did you get results?  

Sometimes it’s difficult to explain old methods vs. new marketing methods but there are two things every business owner understands, and that’s money, and return on investment (ROI). The best advice we can give is don’t just throw money at a problem and expect a solution or results. Here are some important factors before you start any marketing campaign.  

1. What does it cost to develop, design, and deploy? This includes concept to delivery i.e. creative work, media buying, and placement.

2. How will you know if it works? What methods are in place to track the performance of your campaign?  

3. What is your return on investment (ROI)?

It’s not all doom and gloom for the future of marketing and advertising. The answer may not lie in traditional methods but in reaching more people on the internet.

This website is one example of how content primarily published by users (user generated content) can reach more people. It’s also a tool for people to communicate and share video, commercials or almost anything. Invite people to read, interact, and contribute. Social media website for North Dakota… Send us an article or video.

Give it a try.

It seems like I can’t watch, listen to or read the news right now without being surrounded by doomsday forecasts about the economy and fear about how the world markets will respond. At the local level, we are seeing less dramatic turndown compared to the rest of the nation, but that does not mean we shouldn’t prepare our business for possible future events.

Let’s put this into perspective though. The US economy goes through an economic downturn every decade or so. We’ll pull through this one, and we’ll pull through it again the next time it happens. Economic downturns weed out weak players – strong players will not only survive, but will also place themselves in an enviable position to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity that lies ahead.

Here’s what to do to be a winner:

1. Get your mind focused on what you can control, and the opportunities that exist. When we’re immersed in so much negative news, it’s easy to get scared – what will happen to me? Start by turning off the TV. Then look for positive influences and people who take this climate as a welcome challenge, and are looking for opportunities.

Immerse yourself in an environment where people are seeking the positives, and you’ll find your mind has more energy and is ready to accept that opportunity when you find it.

2. Trim the fat. It’s easy for expenses to creep in over time; now is the time to examine each one. Phone bills, office supplies and insurance expenditures are areas that should be reviewed by outside agencies annually anyway – get that done.

Re-negotiate payment terms if possible. Each employee must make a tangible contribution to profit, with numbers you can measure. “Cleaning house” is one of the most difficult things any business owner faces, but realize you’re not doing anyone a favor by keeping them on, if they can’t contribute to profitable growth in the short-term.

3. Stay liquid. If you know your business will cyclically have a negative cash flow, line up financing now - before you need it. Tighten up credit/collection policies. Charge penalties for late payment. Refinance long-term debt for lower monthly payments, or pay down debt entirely.

4. Your current clients are worth pure gold. Go the extra mile to retain them.

5. Go where the recession is not. Many industries do just fine in a recession, and the folks who are employed there make good target clients:

Repair Industries – “Stuff Repair” industries do well when people stop buying new and start repairing or maintaining what they already have – cars, houses, roofs, plumbing and electrical. “People Repair” industries do well all the time – doctors, dentists, physical therapists, pharmacies, etc. “Business Repair” industries also do well – debt collection, business advice, marketing – these have to be positioned properly, but now is the worst time to pull back on business development, systems and marketing.

Staples – Death, insurance and taxes never go away. Who are the attorneys, accountants, funeral directors, insurance and energy professionals who need your service or product?

Stress Management – high stress needs high stress management – massage, leisure “escape” products or services, therapy, life and health coaching are products people will “not let go of” in an effort to maintain a sense of togetherness.

We cannot control the economy. We can absolutely control our response to it. Understand what you can control, and then go do it. Use a coach to hold you accountable. Look for the opportunities, and you’ll come through this downturn stronger than before.

By Edd Goerger

Marketing that reaches more people in Fargo

What is online marketing? Article syndication, press releases, & online marketing in a nut shell.

Online press releases provide information to a larger audience (internet users) about what’s new with your business, important news, trends, and generates traffic to your website.

Social marketing is another cost effective method of reaching potential clients, generating brand awareness, and driving Internet traffic or prospects to your web site. Did you follow the presidential election, and how YouTube, and MySpace changed the marketing and dynamics of campaigning?

Article marketing and syndication and content specific writing will create buzz within your industry, generate traffic, and builds back links.

Video marketing and optimization  

You can input critical keywords, titles and information when you edit a video. Specific meta data will increase exposure and may generate new web traffic. When you optimize your TV Commercial for the web and submit it to many video enabled sites it will improve traffic, and brand recognition.

Blog marketing

When blogging try to connect with relevant industry related sites or topics to create buzz for your products or services. Build credibility as a subject matter expert and attract possible clients. When you submit permanent links, information, or articles, it will also increase your back links, web PR, and web site popularity. Blog Smart.

A combination of one to many of these methods will increase your website exposure and most importantly your products or services. There are many other marketing tips we will provide, but one of the most important is to have a website that can be found online.

Your web site is like an iceberg you only see 10% of what really takes place. It’s down to the nuts and bolts the remaining 90% is how it’s coded, functionality, meta tag information, titles and descriptions, and critical site maps, robots.txt files, and URL lists.

How your site is presented is important but you really need to tackle the technical side of the site so it’s a marketing tool. Build your business website with the best possible search engine optimization, usability, navigation, and structure for the best user experience. If your business website is on page ten then you spend money marketing your site and not your website marketing you. The difference is night and day or could be the difference of spending thousands…

701-478-5955
Suite 171

ADO Smart Fabrics collection offers two eco-friendly treatments in one fabric line: ADO ActiBreeze® and ADO BioProtect®. Like all ADO fabrics, Smart Fabrics are also washable, dimensionally stable and won’t fade – and they are backed with a 5-year guarantee. We think that’s pretty smart.

Why ADO ActiBreeze®?

·Activates through a catalytic process that changes air odor into water and CO2 when coming in contact with the fabric.

·Attacks the odor molecule and acts as a filter to clean the surrounding, circulating air space.

·Works to clean surrounding, circulating air space – eventually working to clean and neutralize odor that’s caused from pollutants in the space air of a room.

·Works to neutralize odors including cigarette smoke, pet odors, kitchen cooking odors, formaldehyde and ammonia, to name a few.

·Is effective only when placed in natural or artificial light sources.

Why ADO BioProtect®?

·Prevents the breeding and proliferation of bacteria on the fiber surface.

·Reduces the spread of bacteria in order to reduce the risks of skin allergies and infectious diseases.

·Utilizes silver ions – which attack the bacteria and bacterial metabolism and destroy it.

Featured in Woman’s Day, Southern Accents, Style Magazine and Extreme Home Makeover, the ADO Smart Fabrics collection features stylish drapery fabrics in modern colors and designs. Ask your local window treatment professional how you can add style and wellness to your home environment today.

For more information contact Christine at Chrysalis Custom Slip Covers and Soft Furnishings

But then it was Sunday afternoon and I realized that there would be no Steelers – Chargers game.  You can have all the CSI’s you want, but keep your hands off the playoffs!  Panic suddenly gripped my household, and one 30 minute phone call to DirecTV later, we still have no NFL football.  More panic as we realize we may not have our Steelers – Raven’s playoff game next Sunday either.  Even more panic when we can’t figure out if the Super Bowl XLIII will be blocked as well.  (What station is playing the Super Bowl?)

Now my impartial attitude towards this contract negotiation has turned to concern.  Firstly, if DirecTV undervalues our market, that affects local revenues which in turn affects local jobs.  If KX4, KXJB holds out for a reasonable price…I guess we’ll just go to our neighbors to watch the game.  There are plenty of cable providers in our area to keep the game on… just a thought. 

And for those of you with DirecTV… we have free HBO and Showtime for two months; you could make a 30 minute phone call too.  It’s still bunk, old movies for football ~

A sole proprietorship is an unincorporated business owned by one person, usually the individual who has day-to-day responsibility for running the business.  It is the easiest and least expensive form of ownership to organize, and is easily dissolved, if desired.  When the owner dies, the business ceases to exist with the assets and liabilities passing to the estate.  There are no administrative requirements for a sole proprietorship, other than obtaining appropriate licenses and registration of the trade name.  You can conduct business under your own name, or under a trade name. 

A trade name is a name assumed by the sole proprietor that does not include the last name of the individual proprietor or the first and last name of the individual proprietor when a license is required to conduct business.  The trade name may not include the word “company, “corporation”, “incorporated”, or any abbreviation of these words unless the owner of the trade name is a corporation, LLC, LLP, or other.  A sole proprietor may not engage in business using a trade name unless it is registered with the Secretary of State.  Registering the trade name establishes a public record from which the name of the owner of the business can be identified, and gives exclusive rights to that name in the state registered.  No other business may file a name that is the same as, or deceivingly similar, to any registered name. 

Sole proprietors own all the assets of the business and the profits generated by it.  They have unlimited liability and are legally responsible for all debt against the business.  In the eyes of the law and the pubic, you are one in the same with the business.  The owner’s business and personal assets are at risk as the business is often limited to using funds from personal savings or consumer loans.  Sole proprietors receive all income generated by the business to keep or reinvest.  Profits form the business flow-through directly to the owner’s personal tax return. 

A sole proprietorship can hire any number of employees.  Because the law makes no distinction between you, the sole proprietor, and the business, you are not considered an employee.  If you are the sole owner, your business will still be a sole proprietorship, and all your business income is treated as your personal income. 

As with any business decision that may affect your personal liability or tax situation, consult your attorney or other business advisor to determine which structure is best suited for your business.

A new, I prefer bi-racial, President.  We have a slumping economy.  No new taxes on anyone making less than $250,000.00 per year.  There is the promise of new jobs to rebuild our economy.  Billion dollar bailouts for failed investment companies to free up the credit crises yet golden parachutes remain intact.  Then there is the omnipresent ongoing universal healthcare promise dating back to the early 1990’s and finally for some the highly anticipated end of the “Bush” era.  So how are the tax savvy individuals planning to deal with the expected uncertainty of their tax planning with the incoming administration?  Might I suggest that we deal with the current tax code that we have in place and utilize it to the best of our abilities since the current tax code should remain in place and fairly predictable for the next two years barring any major intervention from our new president elect Barack Obama. 

The campaign talk is still fresh in everyone’s minds and there is a great deal of uncertainty about the taxes that we all will have to pay in the future.  If the new jobs come in as promised then the treasury is going to have a large influx of capital to fund the programs touted throughout the campaign if and when they are approved by the house and senate.  If some of the programs are implemented without the funds to pay for them our deficit is going to grow.  If taxes go up only on the individuals making more than $250,000.00 per year there is going to be additional tax revenues however these individuals are the top one percent of taxpayers and I am of the opinion that the tax revenues gained from the increased rates on the affluent will fall well short of what is needed to fund the additional programs therefore subjecting the larger masses, those making less than $250,000.00 per year, to additional taxes.  

So what is the best strategy for dealing with the new administration and the uncertain taxes?  I propose working with the current tax code and utilize it to the best of our ability.  Take deductions that we can now as opposed to waiting for the future and minimize your annual liability.  I feel the typical deductions, if an individual is able to itemize, will remain relatively untouched so the areas of concern lie more with the capital gains, dividends, alternative minimum tax and other areas of the tax code that are less understood.  Long-term capital gains rates are at the lowest I feel they are going to be, ever!  Rates of zero percent for those in the 10 to 15 percent tax brackets and 15 percent for taxpayers in the 25 percent and higher tax brackets.  Short-term capital gains are still taxed at your incremental rate so no tax savings there just on the long-term investments.  Dividends much like the capital gains are taxed at a lower rate typically if the investment has been held for more than a year ultimately lowering your tax liability.  Alternative minimum taxes scare me since the calculation of the tax is lopsided and lacks the inflation adjustment usually afforded many of the other items reported on our tax returns.  For the current tax year there are some items that have been extended to limit the number of people subjected to the AMT however the extension is due to expire and currently there is no indication of what is on the agenda for the near future. 

Given the uncertainty of the coming multiparty administration and the focus on creating new revenue while limiting the affect on the middle class my opinion is to take the offense and plan using the current tax code because we know what we are able to utilize for deductions and the AMT pitfalls.  Trying to plan tax strategy with rules that are unwritten is much like predicting the gains in the stock market which would be similar to predicting the numbers for the upcoming lottery drawing.  I’ll save the money on the lottery ticket and consider myself that much further ahead.

Timothy J. Sweeney, CPA