Owning and operating a family business is an extremely complex endeavor — not a job for weak characters and tentative actions. Most family businesses don’t make it past the second generation. Here are some crucial points for founders to consider in their efforts to build a strong foundation for future growth and increase the odds of a healthy legacy.

It’s not a family business until you deem it so. Every company ever started could have become a family business. You need to decide early on if that is part of your intention.

Don’t put your name on the door. It may seem like the obvious or most gratifying solution to the “What do I call the company?” question. In actuality, it can be extremely detrimental, as you have now predetermined the fate of many.

Have your children work outside the business to get their “chops.” It is very difficult to build self-confidence within a family business. Your children need to get paid, be acknowledged, and climb the ladder in the “outside world.”

Don’t let your children work for you because they have nothing else to do. Too often, the family business becomes a fall guy for lost souls. Children get parachuted in to jobs that are created for them or that they aren’t qualified to do.

Have a shareholders agreement. This may seem obvious, but many business founders don’t think of it. They own it all, so what’s the purpose of a shareholders agreement?

Require the next generation to put skin in the game. It is amazing how financially investing in your business can change how you do business.

Have a board of directors that includes non-family members. Board members from outside the family can not only add increased wisdom and expertise to your board, but they also help keep family politics at bay.

Have mediators, coaches and advisers. Good mediators are helpful to differentiate between family issues and business issues. Family dynamics in meetings will rule the day unless each person’s backbone is being supported by an outside party.

Prepare and implement a succession plan. Be careful not to hold on to the reins too tightly, and don’t stay past your expiration date. This is critical. Once you have a clearly defined succession plan, trust in it.

For more details on these tips on starting a successful business with family members, go here, or visit Caird’s blog at A Cairdfore Opinion.

Caird Urquhart is Founder and President of Newroad Coaching, a boutique coaching firm providing one-on-one personal and business coaching services, and author of 30 Ways To Better Days: How to Rally After You’ve Been Dumped. Find Newroad Coaching on their blog and on Twitter and YouTube.

Guest blog by Gavin Harvey

There are a million different ways business owners can increase profits within their own companies, but if their premises are not secure, their staff and clientele may become vulnerable to crime.

Installing Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) can help, but it doesn’t come without its fair share of controversy. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of CCTV monitoring.

Advantages

They Deter Crime

The main purpose of CCTV is to increase safety in the workplace. Having CCTV present in your place of business may prevent theft from premises and other types of crime, including vandalism. Many retailers will view CCTV as forming a vital part of their anti-shoplifting measures, and if your business is open late, with often only one member of staff on site at a time, then CCTV becomes especially important for their protection.

Provides Evidence

If worse comes to worse, and your company does fall victim to crime, capturing the scene on CCTV will provide evidence for prosecution, which brings peace of mind for all staff and customers.

Similarly, if you suspect that your staff may be up to no good, evidence for their dismissal can come from CCTV footage.

Convenience

Thanks to developments in smartphone technology, it is now possible to monitor your CCTV footage any time, any place, directly from your mobile. This is a great solution for business owners who travel away a lot and want to monitor their employees and business on-the-go.

Wide Catchment Area

A well set-up CCTV system will be able to cover all areas of your premises without any blind spots. All good CCTV providers can give you advice on the best arrangement for your building, and they can be inspected by technicians every now and then to ensure that they are all in good working order.

Disadvantages

Privacy Concerns

Public CCTV systems in city streets cause controversy, as some fear that George Orwell’s 1984 “Big Brother” scenario is becoming a reality. No one likes the feeling they are being watched, and this is the reason why CCTV footage in the workplace raises concerns amongst employees. In some instances, CCTV snooping can decrease staff productivity and morale.

Cost

Surveillance systems aren’t cheap, and if you’re installing them on a number of premises, then the cost will soon mount up. You will need the cameras, the computers and tapes to store the footage, software upgrades, and security staff to monitor the tapes and on-going repairs and maintenance costs to keep the CCTV running.

They’re Not Impenetrable

Although CCTV can deter some criminals, others will not be put off by or even notice the system in place. Your cameras may even be vandalized by the criminals, which will leave your business vulnerable until you can arrange to get them fixed.

Legal Risks

There are a number of legalities companies have to comply with before they can start CCTV monitoring. Firstly, you have to put up prominent signs to alert people that they are being watched by CCTV, so if you suspect that some of our staff may be causing stock shrinkage, it will be more difficult to catch them red-handed, if they are aware of the CCTV’s presence. Also, if you install CCTV in the wrong place, for example, or don’t disable the sound recording controls, then you could be sued by your employees or clients for privacy violation.

What other pros and cons should businesses consider before installing CCTV? Share in the comments section below.

Gavin Harvey is a technology blogger from London. He likes to keep up to date with the latest tech and gadget developments, and he writes for Traders Warehouse – Online Security Store.

Guest blog by Kevin Knebl
Owner of Knebl Communications

There’s no denying that in the present technology-driven times, it’s important to have a business contact strategy comprised of more than some resumes and a rolodex. Bring on LinkedIn. Not only a social network, it’s also an unbeatable networking device and professional tool, serving as an excellent way to connect potential business partners, search out potential clients, and recruit future employees — all with the click of a mouse. This makes the LinkedIn profile and its optimization more important than ever, and Shweiki Media has teamed up with recognized social media guru Kevin Knebl to present a webinar explaining how, exactly, to do it and do it right. For a short summary, check out the main points below, or click here to watch the entire webinar now.

Businesses can think of LinkedIn as a kind of online business database — one that is comprised of 200 million users worldwide while simultaneously gaining new ones every few seconds. If you’re not familiar with the site (and, trust us, you need to be), the basic rundown is that LinkedIn is used as a business networking tool, a site through which business professionals can network and “link” up with both past coworkers and clients and valuable potential future contacts. Read up on tips from Kevin Knebl.

LinkedIn: What to Know

The average LinkedIn user is over 40 years old and really brings home the bacon, with a yearly salary of about 100K. Though this may seem irrelevant at first, it’s important data you should know when making your profile, as it gives you a good grasp on the following:

1. What the Majority of Users’ Pages Might Look Like
-This gives you, the profile creator, a good sense of the appropriate template to build on.

2. An Accurate Estimation of the Demographic Profile of Your LinkedIn Peers
-This provides you with a solid understanding of the proper way to conduct yourself conversationally online with these people.

Because of how LinkedIn works in the business world, an easy way to look at your profile is by thinking of it as an online business card, telling the basic story of who you are and what you do. Detail is very important for optimizing your LinkedIn profile, and you can think of it this way: Huge doors of opportunity swing on small hinges.

Profile Details: Helpful Tips and Tricks for Each Aspect of Your Profile

1. The Photo

When picking out your photo, don’t go the formal route, and stay away from choosing a boring, impersonal company logo. The best route is to choose a headshot in which you’re smiling and look like you’re in a good mood. This is the first impression anyone will have of you, and it’s important to appear pleasant. After all, would you rather work with someone who looks generally happy and nice or someone who’s scowling or—even worse—throwing up a peace sign and making the dreaded “duck face”?

2. The Name

This applies strictly to married females, but it’s recommended that you include your maiden name in the name section of your LinkedIn profile. Someone who knew you back before you got hitched might try and link up, and without your former last name included, there’s no way for them to find you, resulting in a missed connection and perhaps missed business opportunity.

3. The Headline

The headline is essentially an aspect of the profile that provides you space for 120 characters to state your job title and provide a short, unique description that expresses your personality. With the headline, keep in mind that the more informative you make it, the better. Users would like a clear-cut explanation of who you are (and whether you’re who they’re looking for), and you should use this small but important spot to provide that.

4. The Summary

The summary is in the unique position of being both the most important and most often neglected section in a LinkedIn profile. For some reason, many users skip the summary; however, it’s important not to opt out of the section that gives you the most bang for your buck, providing plenty of space to explain who you are and what you bring to the table. What about you adds value? Why would someone want to partner up with you, to hire you, or to work for you? This is the perfect place to truly sell yourself or your company. Another route to go with the summary is to spice it up by uploading a client testimonial or—if you’re feeling creative—adding some interactivity and life to your profile with a self-shot promo video. Adding links to your YouTube channel or simply sharing video content is a simple strategy that gives other users insight into who you are or what your company does, making you stand out in the crowd.

Another reason that the summary feature is important is its SEO capabilities. LinkedIn intentionally designed its SEO technologies to score the summaries and highlight them in Google searches. With all that said, why would you even think of foregoing the summary?

Need a good example of all of the above? Check out the LinkedIn profile of expert Kevin Knebl himself.

The mission of Shweiki Media has always been to help publishers improve by providing the most profitable, hassle-free printing experience possible. This includes guaranteeing the highest quality product, exceptional customer service and on-time delivery. As a printer and publisher, Shweiki Media also believes that this hassle-free experience includes making their clients better, whether printing magazines, postcards, catalogs, or anything else. Utilizing relationships with industry experts, Shweiki Media strives to educate clients and help them thrive in the exciting world of publishing. For more info from and about Shweiki Media, please check out shweiki.com, follow @ShweikiMedia and “Like” us at Facebook.com/shweikimedia. Check out Shweiki.com/blog for more blogs.

Starting and maintaining the momentum of a small business can often seem like trying to perform a spinning plate act while tap dancing on a frozen lake – there is always the distinct feeling that everything could come crashing down around you.

With financial, marketing and strategic concerns all competing for your time and concentration, it can be quite easy to let security arrangements fall by the wayside. The need for a unified security strategy is often overlooked by small companies that are reluctant to spend what they believe will be large sums of capital.

But making sure that your office, and therefore your overall business, is secure is about more than just physical security, even though that is incredibly important. As well as putting in place the elements that will stop and deter unwanted people getting into your office, you also need to make sure that you are protected in other ways, as well.

So how should you go about ensuring that your office is as secure as it could be?

Computer Security

The threat to the security of your business office from hackers, cybercrime and identity theft, as well as catastrophic data loss, are potentially very dangerous and need to be given serious consideration.

One of the main reasons that some smaller businesses struggle with computer and network security is because of its multi-layered nature. A comprehensive computer security strategy for a small, computer-orientated business is likely to include desktop security programs (firewalls, antivirus and anti-spam), hardware measures such as security tokens and disk encryption, as well as making sure that passwords are regularly changed, keeping a ‘clean desk’ policy, and regulating guest accounts and other actions of that nature.

It is important to understand the kinds of data that your company depends on and the kinds that it creates in its wake, and to focus on isolating and protecting both streams separately.

It may seem like all of this equals high cost, but it is possible for small businesses to get combined packages for great prices, and educating your workforce on the importance of computer security is free.

Physical Security

When most people think of making an office secure, they are likely to think of the measures that fall under the bracket of physical security. Physical security measures are those that are designed to stop any unwanted individuals or groups gaining entry to your office.

There are two main aspects to the physical security of your office, and they are related to the protection or deterrence of external and internal threats.

On the external side of the equation, we are talking about using ID cards and identity-based entry systems, employing security guards and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), deterrence measures such as warning signs or security fences, and delay tactics, such as having strong, double locks on doors and windows. While it is understood that no physical security system can ever be perfect, the idea that you should be following is the idea of defense in depth, or the idea of creating a system of overlapping and mutually reinforcing external security measures.

Internal physical security is essentially protecting yourself from your own employees or other people, such as cleaners who will have access to your office. Your options are likely to be limited on the internal security side of the equation, but your external security measures, such as ID cards, should mean that this kind of threat is unlikely or that you immediately have a pool of possible suspects. CCTV and storing important documents in cabinets or safes with strong locks are likely to be your best bet here.

Making Sure Your Business Is Secure

There is no set combination that will guarantee that your office and business are always going to be secured. The mix of security features that is right for you will depend on a number of highly specific factors, such as business type, geography, office layout, hardware and software specifications, and the kind of data you need to store.

In the end, you can put in place the most complicated and sophisticated security measures, but they will still be ineffective if your employees don’t exercise a little common sense and have a good understanding of the security threats the business faces. It is your employees, after all, who are perhaps the strongest security asset that you possess.

Do you have any other handy hints and tips for small businesses that are looking to make their businesses as secure as they can be? Share them in the comments.

Gavin Harvey is a technology blogger from London. He likes to keep up to date with the latest tech and gadget developments.

Guest blog by Liz Parker
Freelance writer

Whether you’re a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker, or operate any business of any kind, if you’re creating and sending out a newsletter, you want to make it successful—and to do that, you have to have the right technique. The goal of a newsletter is to both grab the attention and gain the loyalty of your current readers and make it so awesome that you end up gaining more. The right approach makes this easier, and here Shweiki Media Printing Company has provided you with seven tips to take your newsletter from bland to BAM!

1. Focus on function, but make it look good

Despite the fact that the common cliché says “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, you’ll find it’s human nature and that people constantly do. The same goes for a newsletter: Appearance matters. The first thing that readers are going to notice and judge is the visual layout of the newsletter. If it’s unappealing—text heavy or full of low-quality photos—readers are likely to ignore it. The bottom line is that you shouldn’t cut corners. If you’re taking the time to create a newsletter, take the time to use high-quality images, logos, etc. Clean, eye-pleasing imagery can make a huge difference on how your newsletter is interpreted and whether or not readers, well, actually read it. On the other hand, don’t go all out on imagery and skimp on making it easy to interact with. Make sure the newsletter is easily navigated and user-friendly with simple and easy-to-detect links.

2. Use attention-grabbing titles

Let’s be honest: If a title of a newsletter is boring, you’re not going to read it. The same goes with your readers. That’s why, just like if you were producing a magazine, you need to ensure that your headlines jump off the page and grab their attention. Titles are important, so be creative. Follow these simple tips: Don’t be too broad, don’t be boring, don’t tell the reader everything up front, utilize wit/humor, and leave them wanting more. Though The National Enquirer may not be the most credible publication, no one can deny that their interest is piqued in line at the grocery store by the fascinating headlines. That said, take full advantage of the 2-3 seconds you have during which each reader’s brain is making a decision. Whether you make them chuckle or maybe even initiate a harmless, argumentative response, grabbing their attention is the first battle.

3. Get personal

Though the main goal of the newsletter is to communicate and promote your business to a mass audience, you definitely do not want to make that blatantly obvious. Though you’re trying to appeal to a large group of readers, it is important to remember that the large group consists of many individuals. That said, you want it to feel personal, and you want each reader to feel like you’re connecting with him or her directly, as a unique person. This in particular makes it important to take an entertaining approach to your newsletter and make it worth their while. By reading the newsletter, they’re donating their time. Be respectful and show appreciation through your presentation, making it something they’ll actually enjoy.

4. Have fun

If you enjoy creating your newsletter, it’ll shine through to your audience, and it’s likely that your readers will enjoy reading it. On the other end of the spectrum, if you’re bored to tears while making your newsletter, you can guarantee it’s going to be a complete bore to readers as well. That doesn’t mean you should overanalyze every little thing you write and worry about the readers doing the same. Just relax and have some fun with it. Odds are they’ll have fun as well. However, this DOESN’T mean you should take it too far. Fun doesn’t equate to humor that’s socially inappropriate or crosses boundaries. (You’re not trying to create the newsletter version of Tosh.0 or Family Guy, here.) The basic premise is just to think outside the box and let loose a tad.

5. Provide plenty of info, but stay simple

Thus far, we’ve predominately discussed the importance of creativity in a newsletter. However, you shouldn’t forget that the whole point of your newsletter is to present information. You should ensure that the newsletter doesn’t skimp on necessary info about your service/product. Don’t ramble or make it a War and Peace-esque summary, as drowning your readers in text is a surefire way to lose their attention. Simply be clear and be thorough and to the point. If you leave your readers asking questions (“Do they have a website?” or “How can I get that?”), then you’ve clearly forgotten important info that could’ve scored you some business.

6. Schedule your newsletter consistently

Once you’ve perfected your inevitably awesome and entertaining newsletter and start sending it out, your readers are going to start looking forward to its daily/weekly/monthly arrival. This means that you need to keep sending it to them consistently, at an exact set time, day, etc. You definitely don’t want to keep your readers wondering when/if the newsletter is coming again. Consistency is key, so give your readers something to look forward to!

7. Make yourself stand out in the crowd

Though your business is absolutely unique, odds are that your exact service or product isn’t. If that’s not the case, and you’ve got a one-in-a-million business, then it’s extremely important that you capitalize on that and let the world know about it. But if you’re one of the majority, with a business that has competitors, it’s crucial that you separate yourself from the herd and make yourself stand out. A great strategy for doing this is to do something special that represents your business and ergo what you have to offer. This is all about the details. Focus on even the smallest things that you do differently than your competition and what makes you the best; include that in your newsletters. There’s guaranteed to be something that makes you special, and that’s what could give you the edge over your competitors. Don’t be modest. Sell it!

The mission of Shweiki Media has always been to help publishers improve by providing the most profitable, hassle-free printing experience possible. This includes guaranteeing the highest quality product, exceptional customer service and on-time delivery. As a printer and publisher, Shweiki Media also believes that this hassle-free experience includes making their clients better, whether printing magazines, postcards, catalogs, or anything else. Utilizing relationships with industry experts, Shweiki Media strives to educate clients and help them thrive in the exciting world of publishing. For more info from and about Shweiki Media, please check out shweiki.com, follow @ShweikiMedia and “Like” us at Facebook.com/shweikimedia. Check out Shweiki.com/blog for more blogs.

Guest blog by Erin Steiner
Freelance writer

Fielding customer service, processing orders, and providing support to customers (past, current and future) can take up a lot of time. It can take up too much time, which is why so many business owners choose to use call centers. But that’s usually incredibly expensive — isn’t it?

The cost of hiring a call center to help you varies quite a lot depending on a number of factors. Find some below.

Do you want the call center employees to make calls or take calls?

Do you want the people at your call center to make the calls or to take the calls? This is going to factor heavily into your costs, because if you are hiring a call center to make your business’s calls and to try to set up appointments or sell services, that is going to be a more complicated setup than simply offering support to existing and potential buyers.

How many different ways do you want the call center to offer service?

How many different methods of communication do you want to make available to your customers? Some companies find that limiting communication to phone and e-mail is sufficient. Others have found that offering a live chat function has helped them quite a bit with customer satisfaction and retention.

What exactly do you want the call center to offer to your callers?

What exactly is it that you want your call center to do for you? Do you simply want basic customer service? Do you need someone to take messages and pass them along? Do you need people to process orders that are placed over the phone? Do you need a team to help you field tech support calls for your products?

The cost of service is going to vary based on what you need. Basic customer service, for example, will cost less per call than something more advanced and training-intense, such as tech support.

Should you outsource to a different country?

It is still possible to save money by outsourcing your call center needs overseas. There are still tax incentives in place for doing that, though they are under political attack. Keep in mind, though, that by outsourcing overseas, being able to visit or check up on the people working for you is going to be difficult. Plus, choosing a local company (or, at the very least, a domestic company) helps you create jobs, which helps our economy grow. It might be more expensive, but it will definitely be more rewarding (and remember, this is a cost that is deductible on your taxes.)

Do you get charged per call? If so, how much?

According to Cost Owl, hiring a call center can cost anywhere from “$25-$65 per hour for each representative.” An article on Mashable entitled “3 Reasons the Call Center is Far From Dead” says the average cost is a dollar a minute. Those costs can add up quickly if your company has a large volume of calls!

Can you afford to trust someone else’s judgment?

Here’s something you must remember to consider: when you hire a call center, you don’t have the final say over who does or does not represent your company within that center. It is that call center’s management team’s responsibility to ensure the center is staffed with capable, competent and, frankly, good people to represent your company. Some centers are fantastic at this. Others, not so much. Click here to find out more about calculating call center costs.

If the call center you hire isn’t great about screening its people, you could end up losing customers due to poor customer engagement. How many of those customers can you afford to potentially alienate or lose?

In the end, it comes down to your budget. Is hiring a call center more cost effective than keeping the call fielding in-house? What are your thoughts on call centers? Share them in the comments.

Erin Steiner is a business owner from Portland who specializes in freelance writing and web content creation.

With digital media becoming a bigger and bigger part of today’s technology-packed world, there seems to be a misconception that there’s a direct competition going on between print and digital media. But why does it have to be one or the other? Contrary to competition, research shows consistently that it’s more of a mutual relationship, with each form of media driving the other. There’s not just a small spot allotted for print in what we refer to as a “digital age”; print is actually necessary! Here at Shweiki Media Printing Company, we’re about to bust six myths about print.

1. MYTH: Magazines aren’t popular these days and no one even reads them.
TRUTH: In all actuality, four out of five adults read magazines in the United States alone, which equates to about 187 MILLION people!

2. MYTH: Young people shun print and are only interested in consuming info digitally.
TRUTH: The reality of the situation? The percentage of adults under 25 that read magazines is a whopping 96 percent! This age group actually consumes more printed issues than adults over the age of 35. The group most heavily influenced by print? Shoppers between the ages of 15 and 32.

3. MYTH: With all the paper consumed, print is destroying the environment.
TRUTH: Believe it or not, print is actually good for the environment, as paper is a renewable resource. It might seem a bit counter-intuitive, but toxic e-waste is the real hazard, serving as a true environmental threat. (Click here for more shocking truths about printing and the environment.)

4. MYTH: People are so busy spending all of their time online; they’re not reading printed materials.
TRUTH:The average reader not only consumes printed materials, but they spend an impressive amount of time doing so: on average, 43 minutes for one issue of a printed magazine. And not only that, but readers report that they’re also far less likely to engage simultaneously in other forms of media or to engage in non-media activities while reading. (That’s in comparison to when they’re engaging in other forms of media like TV, Internet and radio.)

5. MYTH: Social media has made print less popular.
TRUTH: Print has continued to grow and flourish even since prominent social media’s debut and growth. Magazines have actually gained more than a million readers since Facebook’s founding. Of readers, almost 70% have posted a magazine article on Facebook and more than 60% have shared magazine content on Facebook while chatting with friends. Plus three out of four Twitter users have followed a magazine’s Twitter account, and 75% of Pinterest users have either re-pinned content from print media or followed a print publication’s account. (And on that note, head over and check out Shweiki’s Pinterest page.)

6. MYTH: Print advertising worked better in the past than it does now.
TRUTH: Though print ads have changed and adapted with the times, they actually do work. In fact, research demonstrates that print ads actually perform better than other media when it comes to driving purchasing intent. They’re also key drivers of the media ecosystem, and—believe it or not—print advertising is actually effective at driving online sales. When the 100 largest US magazines were surveyed, there was found to be a 439% increase in QR and other action codes. Meanwhile print ads are ranked first when it comes to encouraging and leading customers to perform an online search. (And one can only imagine how now, with new, amazing technology like Augmented Reality, those numbers will grow.)

These kind of beliefs are actually quite reminiscent of the 1930s, when radio became a mainstay in most households and the experts were confident that this would result in newspapers going out of business. Fast-forward a few decades to the television’s popularity and the belief that it would replace both radio and print. Both times, critics were wrong.

In the end, let’s face it: Print isn’t dead. Since the inception of digital media there have been talks about print and its inevitable dissent into irrelevance, but these myths are simply that—myths. Consider them busted.

The mission of Shweiki Media has always been to help publishers improve by providing the most profitable, hassle-free printing experience possible. This includes guaranteeing the highest quality product, exceptional customer service and on-time delivery. As a printer and publisher, Shweiki Media also believes that this hassle-free experience includes making their clients better, whether printing magazines, postcards, catalogs, or anything else. Utilizing relationships with industry experts, Shweiki Media strives to educate clients and help them thrive in the exciting world of publishing. For more info from and about Shweiki Media, please check out shweiki.com, follow @ShweikiMedia and “Like” us at Facebook.com/shweikimedia. Check out Shweiki.com/blog for more blogs.

Americans take pride in buying American-made products. Clearly, this is a promotional point for businesses that sell products made in the USA.

But first things first: take a close look at the products you own, and you’re likely to find that many of them are not made in the USA — at least not entirely. Even cars produced on American assembly lines may be composed of parts from various countries. This type of scenario leaves people wondering how they can truly know if a product is really made in the USA.

If you are a business owner, it is important to carefully consider whether your products are truly made in the USA or if they are only assembled here. Or perhaps the products you sell don’t fit either of those categories. Here’s what to be mindful of.

Made in America

There are certain regulations that apply to advertising a product with the stamp “Made in America” or “Made in the USA.” This is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). According to FTC regulations, a product must be produced in the United States or one of its territories to use the stamp. However, the actual wording of this regulation uses the phrase “all or virtually all” in reference to the production of the product.

Obviously, this opens up the door for lots of confusion. Click here to read the complete FTC document. Reading the document is the best way to gain a clearer understanding of the “all or virtually all” requirement and other details. The document provides several helpful examples.

Unscrambling the Rules

With so much detailed information, it’s crystal clear that claiming a product is made in the USA is not always easy to do. After all, many American companies use parts that are made in other parts of the world. In fact, there are American companies located around the world.

But according to FTC regulations, in order for a product to be advertised as “Made in the USA,” that product must be produced or assembled in the U.S., and most of the production costs must be incurred in the U.S. This seems to simplify things – but only on the surface. When things such as plastic, which is made from oil, and even steel parts and components are added to products, it can become a little trickier to determine if the product is really made in the USA or not.

Qualified Claims

Qualified claims allow businesses to openly disclose to customers the percentage of product content that is made in the United States and how much is not. You can even add a simple line that says something such as, “Proudly made in America with imported parts.” This is a qualified claim.

Not Made in the USA

If your products are not made in the USA, you do have an obligation to say so. That is, unless that particular product is on the FTC’s exemption list. The country of origin should be clearly marked on products not made in the U.S.

False “Made in the USA” Claims

Some businesses will do anything to make sales. This includes making false claims about their products being made in the United States. Some of the ways they may go about this is on the sneaky side. They may add an American flag or the Statue of Liberty to their label.

This is an indirect way to make the claim that the product is American-made. These claims are not allowed by the FTC, and if they are false, the FTC could give you an order to stop.

Conclusion

Businesses have a responsibility to clearly label their products according to where they were made. Consumers have a right to know. The FTC regulates this aspect of business trade, and false claims can result in penalties for the business.

Rather than leaving things to chance, it is much better to get the facts about proper product labeling. If you have any tips that can help others with this complicated topic, please share them.

Debbie Allen is an online marketer, blogger and freelance writer. In addition to writing about business topics such as online marketing strategies, SEO and reputation management, Debbie also writes about topics related to home and garden issues, such as how to measure for appropriate gutter sizes and downspouts.

It’s been said it takes 21 days to form a habit, and when it comes to sales, it’s worth investing those 3 weeks. The sales process, much like exercising, is all about habit, and in this webinar presented by Shweiki Media and Ryan Dohrn of Brain Swell Media, you can learn about the habits of successful salespeople and why you should adopt them now. Watch the webinar here or enjoy the outline below. Then go forth. adopt those habits and sell, sell, sell.

The “numbers game” breakdown

One phrase that sales professionals love to throw around is, “Sales is a numbers game.” But let’s be real, here: What does that even mean? Sure there are some basic, obvious facts. For instance, the more calls that a sales rep makes, the more chances he or she has to land clients. However, it takes more than configuring the number of prospects to which the rep reaches out; it’s about compiling a database of the numbers the rep currently has and then working with those to create a strategy that leads to using time as efficiently as possible.

The crucialness of configuring conversion rates

Want to build proper sales habits? The first thing to do is to figure a constant conversion rate. What a conversion rate really equates to is how many “No’s” a rep has to sit through before scoring the coveted “Yes!” Once a rep has configured this constant number, it’s easier for them to track their progress by watching the improvement of their conversion rate. Plus, they’ll always know how many calls they’ll have to make to reach their sales goals. It doesn’t matter whether they’re sending out emails, simply cold calling or operating B2B (or door to door), the constant conversion rate takes the guesswork out of the sales process. It becomes less of a complicated relationship practice and more of a straightforward mathematical formula.

Energy’s importance and pushin’ with passion

One quality that Dohrn notes he’s witnessed in every sales superstar he’s met is what one could call an undeniable Energizer Bunny-esque energy—they keep going and going and going. But what’s the source of this energy? Simply put, it’s all about the salesperson’s passion for the product they’re pushing. If the rep doesn’t have a desire and love for the product or service, the potential customer is going to pick up on that right away and ergo be slow to trust, slow to buy or just shut them down right away. After all, if a salesperson seemed lukewarm or ambivalent about what they’re selling, why would you want to buy it? That said, Dohrn suggests that, as a sales pro, you pump yourself up before a call or meeting; get excited! Listen to some good music and get motivated. It’s also important to take your instinctual preferences into account and reap the benefits of the time of day when you naturally have the most energy and the most potential to be productive. Are you a morning person? Make your calls in the morning! Awesome in the afternoon? Go snag some sales then! It’s all about excitement and energy, so display a passion for what you’re pushin’ and set yourself up for success.

And don’t forget: discipline and details

At its most condensed, sales is all about the practice of discipline and detail. There are entrepreneurial aspects to the service, and that means that an awesome sales rep has to be accountable for their own accounts and records. One way to do this and do it well is through a CRM (customer relationship management) service. This is a tool that is designed to assist sales reps in staying organized with their call sheets. Dohrn emphasizes that the winning salesperson is the one that is the most detailed. And though there are some basic tools (one can’t deny the simplicity and stability of a notebook and pen), today a CRM service is a must-have. If they’ve recruited the proper CRM service, a salesperson should have found an active appliance that will help them keep track of all the little sales details (like emails, meetings, calls…). These details will appear when appropriate, assist the rep, and eliminate any possibility of he or she forgetting something of importance.

The bottom line is that the process of transforming from an average to awesome salesperson starts—and ends—with simple daily habits. It’s the little things that enhance sales efficiency on a daily basis that will affect the big picture and eventually grow total sales. To be a successful sales pro, it’s easy: Trade inefficient strategies for the positive habits discussed above and continue to establish tactics that improve your game every day, changing the clock from an enemy to an ally.

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Your identity is precious, and you need to protect it. Luckily, keeping your identity safe and secure is almost completely within your own control. There are lots of things that you can do to prevent someone from stealing it.

-You can shred mail with your name and address on it before tossing it into the recycling.
-You can decline invitations to sign petitions when approached in public (or even at your house).
-You can check your credit report and make sure it is free of mistakes and fraudulent accounts.
-Don’t leave your mail sitting in your mailbox for very long.
-Be sure to protect yourself at ATMs.
-Be sure to choose a good password.
-Keep your computer safe against hackers and phishers.
-Keep your information out of the public record. Wait, what?

Thanks to search sites such as Spokeo, Intellius, etc., anybody can do a search for anybody else. All you need is a name and $20, and that person’s address, phone number, and sometimes even other vital information is easily available to you.

These engines get their information from public records databases that are made available to anybody who pays for copies of them. This makes it incredibly easy for identity thieves to thwart all of your efforts to keep yourself safe.

Or does it?

You do have some control over what information is made available about you publicly. You do have some control over what is listed in the public record. Here’s how you make sure that your public record only says what you want it to say.

Step One: The County Clerk

Take the afternoon off of work and go to your county clerk’s office. Ask to see your records so you can get an idea about what is actually being published to subscribers.

If you don’t like what you see and want to change it or have it expunged completely, ask your clerk how to do that. You can usually have your phone number removed pretty easily. Your social security number shouldn’t be there (federal laws keep it protected.) If you have a PO Box (and you should if you’re concerned with identity theft), you can have that address subbed in for your physical address.

Step Two: Other Sources

Request an unlisted phone number if you still have a landline.

Visit your local police office and ask to see any reports that might have been filed with your name on them. You can’t always remove your address or name, but you can often remove your phone number.

Check for any court records in which you might be mentioned or listed. Make sure your social security number is not included in them (federal law prevents social security numbers from being listed in public record document.)

PRO TIP: Don’t forget to have your information taken out of background check type websites. These services do not require you to opt in before they publish your information. They do, however, have to grant requests to opt out. Both Lifehacker and Gizmodo have lists of these sites. Opt out of a few a day to make the list more manageable.

Your identity is sacred. Protecting it is important! Use these tips to help ensure that the only things people can know about you are the things you want people to know about you.

Erin Steiner writes, blogs, and vlogs from her home base in Portland, Oregon. She’s written about everything, from HVAC maintenance to small business topics, and everything in-between.