WELCOME

Would it surprise you to learn that you and your family's medical records are stored in a computer in the Philippines or Pakistan? You may say that's not possible since we are all aware of HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) which protects our privacy.

MBA member Donna Littrell of Elite Office Solutions, Inc. recently let us in on what's really happening.

Many companies in the medical, legal and financial industries require transcription services. For instance, your doctor dictates notes about you after an appointment, and then sends them to a transcriptionist who creates a written document from the audio file. Naturally, confidentiality is expected and required here in the U.S., however, many companies outsource their transcription work to countries like India and Pakistan where U.S. law doesn't apply and the services are cheaper.

This practice is clearly a threat as it applies to identity theft. In addition, veterans have voiced concern about military personnel records being transcribed overseas. And, of course, sending these jobs out of the country is seldom a good idea, especially when transcriptionists are frequently American, home-based single mothers.

MBA, as always, stands by its small businesses, whether there are 50 employees or a mom at her computer. We will be working with Donna, who has taken on this little-known cause by founding the American Transcription Association. We'll be helping to promote ATA as well as advocate for better legislation. Watch for more in the next issue of this newsletter.

Libby Beatty, Chair
MBA Board of Directors

NEWSWORTHY

Pennsylvania Small Businesses to Get Their Stimulus Share

Last week, Gov. Rendell signed an executive order to guarantee that small, minority-owned and disadvantaged firms get a share of federal stimulus contracts. Pennsylvania's goal is to send at least 10 percent of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contracts to these businesses as soon as possible.

This order will also require state agencies, grantees and contractors to work directly with the Department of General Services' Bureau of Minority and Women Business Opportunities to track the success of the program for the next two years.

The departments of Community and Economic Development and Military and Veterans are also required to provide information and opportunities for the outlined businesses. It is hoped that this month, Pennsylvania's stimulus website will expand to include resources for small and disadvantaged businesses in the "Opportunities" section.

BACK TO TOP

MARKETING

Rethinking Your E-Mail Marketing Campaign

Since keeping in touch with customers is the hallmark of creating loyal relationships, make sure that you take the time to understand the "who" and the "what" of your customers. Here are some suggestions for honing your e-mail marketing techniques:

Variety of E-mails: If you only send out promotional pieces, try adding some variety with informative, inspirational or newsworthy topics. This keeps readers interested and aware that your e-mails are more than simply ads. Coupons are a great incentive to get people to open their e-mails, so mention it in the subject line.

Form & Format: The template of your e-mail can change to reflect the season, the product or the purpose of the communication. Try to be creative or study other companies' e-mails for ideas.

Segment Your Statistics: If your program can show you who opens the e-mails and who doesn't, use that information to adjust your approach. Those who need more coaxing could be approached with a better discount as an incentive, while loyal readers can reap the benefits of ongoing sales and promotions.

BACK TO TOP

YOUR FINANCES

Professionals: Save Time and Money with Online CE Credits

No more wasted time. Psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses, lawyers, accountants…almost everyone with a professional license needs about 30 continuing education (CE) credits each renewal period. That's a lot of time. Time away from your job, time traveling to and from locations and, most importantly, time not earning money. Spending days at conventions for CE credits doesn't cut it anymore. In any economic climate, time is money, but in a downturn, you have no choice but to maximize time and conserve costs. One innovative solution - get your CEs online.

Your schedule, your money. Online, you take CE courses at your own convenience anywhere you have Internet access. Evenings, weekends, slow times at work - it's up to you. And the average cost of CEs online is less than "live" CEs - cheaper still when you consider the "lost billable hours" and costs associated with travel.

State-of-the-science information. Whether it's a specific aspect of the tax code or a fast-changing field within behavioral medicine, you are more likely to find specialized, up-to-date CE activities online than at a conference that's been winding around the lecture circuit. In fact, some online CE sites offer FREE access to routine updates making them true investments in your ongoing education.

MBA member Laura Stanton, PhD, co-owns HealthForumOnline, a 24-hour website that offers over 70 nationally-approved (APA, ASWB, NBCC, PSNA, CA-BBS) online CE courses focusing exclusively on behavioral medicine - the relationship between mental and physical health.

BACK TO TOP

FOR THE HOME-BASED BIZ

Home Business Health Monitor

Perhaps one of the most overlooked benefits of working from home is the ability to monitor and manage your personal health. Here are some ways to take advantage of your home turf to boost your health and, consequently, your productivity:

Breakfast: This is the most important meal of the day and, being close to your own kitchen, lets you make the most of it. Studies show that starting your day on a full and healthy tank improves focus and performance, helps support a healthy weight and increases stamina.

Afternoon Slump: To avoid the dreaded mid-day slump, schedule time for a light, healthy lunch. A lunch break can often be a good time to do some exercise or take a short, brisk walk. If you are worn out or overstressed, use your lunch time for a quick nap or visit with your family. But always stick to your schedule to get back to work!

Brain Break: Just as we nourish the body with food, we need to nourish the mind with rest. Put aside 10 or 15 minutes for an afternoon break. Try a relaxation exercise such as sitting quietly to enjoy the sound and feeling as your breath rises and falls in your body. This exercise can relax your central nervous system allowing all the other systems of the body to find balance and focus.

BACK TO TOP

HUMAN RESOURCES

Performance-Based Pay to Rekindle Employee Passion

A set wage is an appropriate way to compensate a new employee, but as an employee begins to show their talents you might consider implementing a pay-for-performance wage. This method gives your employees an incentive to step up efforts and avoid the routine of doing the same work for the same pay. It also helps employees who may feel undervalued see that individual effort creates measurable results.

Start by creating formal job descriptions for every position in your organization including: a job title, a job description, a chain of command, prerequisites, key responsibilities, performance goals and additional training. Make sure there is a clear description of what is below expected performance and what exceeds expected performance. Use regularly scheduled performance appraisals to review employee efforts.

BACK TO TOP

IT

Free Tech Tools Can Change the Way You Communicate

Here are a couple of free tech tools that can help you usher in a new age of business communication:

ZoHo Writer: This free online word processing program helps you collaborate with others in real-time (via chat windows). You can also import/export documents, edit materials and post directly to your blog. Using the template library you can build booklets, outlines and more. Other free features include: a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, a database tool and meeting and presentation programs.

Foxit: This free software can make dealing with PDFs more manageable. Foxit Reader helps you convert PDFs to simple text files as well as fill out, print and save PDF forms. The paid version offers other tools including advanced editing tools.

BACK TO TOP

NEW MEMBERS

When our member base increases there is more of everything: more creative networking, more benefits and more experienced, enthusiastic business owners. All move our members toward growth, success and the entrepreneurial spirit.

Click here to meet our newest small business partners.

BACK TO TOP

COMMENTARY

The Shrinking Rate of Unemployment…
Cause for Optimism or Cynicism?
By Stephen Markowitz

Many in the public sector with an agenda - politicians and their supporters (stimulus proponents, economists, pundits, union leaders, etc.) have made much of the fact that new filings for unemployment are increasing at a slower rate (at least prior to week-ending 10/25 when it jumped positively). This is called "negative acceleration" and refers to a trend in which something increases at a decreasing rate. So while unemployment is increasing, it does so more slowly. That can still be a good sign. But is it?

The spin doctors' optimism should be discounted. Historically, government spokespeople try to give a positive spin to any economic news that might make their administration's efforts look successful. It doesn't take a Nobel Peace Prize winner to spot the violent flaws in the logic.

The positively accelerated stock market results of the past several months may convince many to jump back in, including small business owners who rely on the performance of their portfolios to help fund operations. Some part of that accelerated market gain comes from confidence in gains being made by benchmark companies (think Dow Jones or Fortune 500 companies). A large portion of those gains comes from expense control - read layoffs. On a micro level, let's consider the example of a 19-person tool and dye maker company.

Over the last 14 months, the owner has laid off seven employees. Now the owner terminates three more. The rate of unemployment is decreasing (negatively accelerated), but more people are out of work. Is this really a reason to celebrate a turnaround by the economy? If everyone was out of work, new unemployment filings would be "0." Would the administration consider this proof positive that the economy was on the mend?

The fact is that many businesses, the small ones as well as the larger benchmark companies, cannot terminate more employees and still maintain operations. This does not indicate that owners and large company managers have more confidence in the economy…rather that they are forced to place greater burdens on smaller workforces which they cannot deplete further even if they desire to. Profits may be up for now, but workers faced with untenable work loads may well throw that train off the track in the near future.

The same people telling you that all this is good news are the same ones who told you the stimulus would have unemployment below 8 percent by March of 2009. Unemployment officially hit 10.2 percent on November 5 of this year. Unbiased financial advisors don't necessarily agree with the spin doctors. This may be why so many of them are still cautioning a conservative approach to this market. Many of them foresee an even greater correction in the next 12 months. Talk to your financial advisor before making any decisions.

Stephen Markowitz is chief executive officer of The Administrators, Inc. His column Commentary appeared for 15 years in The Alliance Report, MBA's printed newsletter. His comments reflect his views and not necessarily the opinions of the board and staff of Midlantic Business Alliance. Contact him at SMarkowitz@TheAdministratorsInc.com.

BACK TO TOP

Unless specifically indicated, MBA does not intend mention of companies, products or services discussed in this publication to be construed to be endorsements. The information in this publication is offered as examples that may be useful to our small business readers. Please consult with an industry professional before implementing any of the tips or subscribing to any of the services described above.