Myco Portal Blog

Social Networking

Marc Martin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT

So easy, even a Cave Man can use it. Unless you are living under a rock, you are aware of the impact of sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like. Social Networking has become the way of marketing, branding and networking for business, ahead of all other media. Within just a few years, this phenomenon has literally changed the way the world communicates, and business does business. What started as a way for college students to stay in touch, and for home made videos to be viewed by the masses, social media has revolutionized the digital world. Social Networking will never replace the importance of direct contact, face-to-face meetings, video conferencing, phone and email; they serve as a supplement to the traditional business approach.

Social networking is well beyond any sort of trend; it is the way businesses market themselves, apprize their customers and build their brands. What started out as a digital way to stay in touch with friends has become the platform for businesses of all sizes. A business page on each of the social networking sites is necessary have to remain competitive. More people sign in to their other social media sites, their email, register for webinars and the like through their Facebook site registration than typing in the information.

In addition to connecting, social networking is a medium by which a company can tell its story, offer goods and services, feature free offers in exchange for an email address (lead generation), and to gain acceptance from existing customers through testimonials. People would rather shop where their friends or associates rave about rather than seek out or take a chance on an unknown company offering their intended purchase.

Social Networking requires an investment in time; a very expensive commodity in business these days. Knowing the return on investment in this time is as important as the information shared on the aforementioned sites. Without analytics and metrics, this time invested in SN may be all for naught. Google Analytics, as well as Hubspot provide the analytics to not only gauge your efforts, Hubspot will even coordinate the efforts into a streamlined process to save valuable time resources.

While most social networking sites represent non-business relationships, the shift to business pages is growing daily. Facebook started out as a purely social site, but is fast becoming “the new internet.” Business has embraced the platform, and business pages are easy to produce.

LinkedIn is a site that was originally developed as a businessperson’s site, and has continued to evolve into a source for staffing, key personnel and business information sharing. With hundreds of interest groups, you can align yourself or your business with niche groups to showcase yourself. With a free membership, you can participate in up to fifty groups, and there are additional benefits with the paid memberships.

Ryze, Maven, Spoke, Ecademy, Squidoo, StumbleUpon, Twitter, WikiHow and literally hundreds of other networking sites are available to participate in, and each offers a unique approach to the social network phenom.

As mentioned previously, SN will never be a replacement for direct contact, so it is wise to limit ones efforts in this arena, and utilize dedicated time in the real world arena and join some local networking groups in your town, phone your business contacts and invite some important customers to lunch or dinner.

Is your business connected to the social media world? Which platform have you found most successful for promoting your business?

Want to learn more about Myco Portal? Call us today at (601) 825-2532.
Ready to try Myco Portal? Get started with our 30-day free trial!

You're in Business…Now What?

Marc Martin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Ask your staff and you will get all sorts of answers. In reality, there are only four key fundamentals on which to focus your resources. There might be some debate, but when the rubber meets the road, and the margin between success and failure is so slim, these tenets of business are the deal-makers; everything else is a waste of time.
Your job as a leader is to focus your team members on these four concepts:

Customer Loyalty
Customer Acquisition
Generating New Revenues
Minimizing or Eliminating Overhead

This list might seem rather obvious, but there is no end to the amount of tasks on which entrepreneurs and emerging enterprises focus their resources. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” can be restated to something like, “If it isn’t growing the business in one of these four ways, do not spend any time or money on it.”

All too often subordinate staff, and even partners in a firm, will develop a separate agenda, depending on what they perceive is a critical success factor. The techie ones on staff may insist on making the web site more “cool,” or the bean counters may be harping on new ways to streamline reporting by investing on new software. You, as the principle, the one in the leadership role, must herd the cats in the direction you have laid out before them. Only these parameters will create sustainability.

Customer Loyalty – The best type of customer is the repeat customer. It isn’t enough to have a customer base, every business must build their customer base into Raving Fans! Happy, loyal customers refer their friends and family members, whereas dissatisfied customers will not only quit buying from you, they will tell everyone they know how your business lost them as a customer. The least expensive customer is the existing customer, so resources must be invested in some form of loyalty program to maintain and enhance the relationship.

Customer Acquisition – While it is more expensive to grow the customer base than to maintain it, there are now significant technologies by which to acquire new customers available than in the past. Gone are the days of blast marketing; that is, mass mailings, email blasts, mass advertising campaigns, television and radio advertising campaigns. People are sick and tired of being sold; they have found ways to tune out all of the advertising noise. TIVO and the DVR have minimized the impact of television advertising, paid radio has eliminated radio campaigns, SPAM filters and the cost of direct mail have put a halt to excessive advertising and marketing distractions. Today’s consumer wants to seek out what they want, and if they like what they see and hear, will make a buying decision. The cost of a traditionally acquired customer is 60% more than through inbound marketing, and the gap is widening as the market becomes more attuned to the technology in play.

Generating New Revenues – Revenue generation must be a part of every job description, in every staff member’s task list and embedded into the company philosophy. The present economic storm shows little sign of letting up, and the way businesses must operate is to strive for sustainability under any and all circumstances. It is far too easy to departmentalize revenue generation to the sales and marketing departments. In order to be of value to a company, employees and stakeholders must be mindful of their obligation to identify new ways to grow the business.

Minimizing or Eliminating Overhead – It has long been the mentality of most struggling businesses that “revenues down and expenses are up” is an acceptable state of affairs, and “next year will be better.” Frankly putting it: that type of thinking is a formula for disaster; it’s like running a going out of business sale.

A solid strategy of cost containment or elimination is to perform a line item strategic plan. Succinctly put, analyzing every non-revenue line on your P&L to identify alternate suppliers, value propositions in existing services, reduction in staff, etc.

By combining all four of these tenets into daily operations with solid leadership behind them, today’s economic storm may be better weathered, thereby providing a more achievable sustainability quotient.

What do you consider the fundamental keys to the success of your business?

Want to learn more about Myco Portal? Call us today at (601) 825-2532.
Ready to try Myco Portal? Get started with our 30-day free trial!

CYA Certificates ... Huh?

Marc Martin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT

In this digital world, coupled with our litigious society, ensuring you and your business are covered legally is an all-important facet of business. Without a sufficient written acknowledgment (digital or otherwise), a document lacking one becomes nothing more than fodder for with which the lawyers can wipe the floor. Should you ever find yourself or your business under scrutiny, having the proper documentation, along with the proper, legally binding acknowledgements and/or receipt is paramount to ensuring you are Covering Your Assets.

Here are three things to consider:

In this digital world, what constitutes a written acknowledgement?
How can I ensure that the files I store digitally are accurate, encompassing and legally complete?
What are the legal ramifications for failing to CYA?

Let's Begin at the Digital Beginning

A Written Acknowledgement, that is, verifiable proof, Wikipedia states:

In law, an acknowledgment is a declaration or avowal of one's own act, to give it legal validity, such as the acknowledgment of a deed before a proper officer. The term also refers to the certificate of the officer attesting such declaration. Before me, the undersigned authority, personally appeared _________, who produced _________ as identification, and who acknowledged before me that they executed the foregoing instrument as their voluntary act and deed. In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this ___ day of ____.

According to Wikipedia, a digital signature, or electronic signature:

Electronic signature - means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.

Another important aspect of this definition lies in the necessity that the electronic signature be linked or logically associated with the record. In the paper world, it is assumed that the symbol adopted by a party is attached to or located somewhere in the same paper that is intended to be authenticated, e.g., an allonge firmly attached to a promissory note, or the classic signature at the end of a long contract. These tangible manifestations do not exist in the electronic environment, and accordingly, this definition expressly provides that the symbol must in some way be linked to, or connected with, the electronic record being signed.

Section 8 provides that the information be available to all parties.
(a) ...An electronic record is not capable of retention by the recipient if the sender or its information processing system inhibits the ability of the recipient to print or store the electronic record.
(c) If a sender inhibits the ability of a recipient to store or print an electronic record, the electronic record is not enforceable against the recipient.

If a law requires that a record be retained, the requirement is satisfied by retaining an electronic record of the information in the record which:
(1) accurately reflects the information set forth in the record after it was first generated in its final form as an electronic record or otherwise; and (2) remains accessible for later reference.

By comparing both definitions, it is easy to attest and ascertain that without a legally binding effort on all parties, the lack of a legal acknowledgment or digital signature attesting to the stated act(s) will not go far in a court of law. You may not fare well should something legally challenge you. Without written acknowledgement or digitally signing to verify that employees have read and understand, not just received them, there isn’t any acceptable proof that training or information sharing ever happened.

Whether it is a case of Real Estate transfer, as the Wikipedia explanation uses, or human resources policies and procedures such as Sexual Harassment (see Let’s Talk about Sex… or Think You’re Covered?); digital signatures for receipt of training along with written documentation of the specifics of a particular legal issue MUST accompany your paper and digital files. This digital world has reduced the amount of paper filing, and as businesses become more “paper reduction friendly,” digital signatures and electronic acknowledgments become more and more important. Years from today, a legal issue may arise that will challenge your files, whether they be paper or digitally stored. Possessing the proper, legal documentation will protect you from potential loss.

It simply isn’t enough to provide the necessary training to staff and management regarding acknowledgment. Being able to legally verify years from the date of such information share, training or other communication between the “company” and individuals, these issues, if handled formally and effectively, can be the crucial evidence that will hold up if legal action is ever visited upon you or your firm.

TTP’s, or trusted third parties are an important facet in protecting one’s self from litigation in the verification of digital signatures, digital acknowledgments and the like. Myco Portal is one such TTP, and is ready to assist in protecting you and your business from potential exposure and liability.

The result of failing to possess legally binding acknowledgement, whether it be paper or digital can be catastrophic. Businesses have been closed, owners have been arrested and even jailed for the lack of proper documentation. This can and might happen if you are not prepared and protected. Better to Cover Your Assets today than risk having them exposed to litigation down the road.

Here’s to Your Digital World,

Marc Martin

Do you have a signed acknowledgement by each employee for all important company documents?

Want to learn more about Myco Portal? Reserve a complimentary seat at our Upcoming Webinar.
Ready to try Myco Portal? Get started with our 30-day free trial!

Let's Talk About Sex (Part Two) Training Isn't Enough

Marc Martin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Recognize these two people? Of course you do, unless you are under the age of 21. This sexual harassment case happened to astound and amaze, while shaming this entire country and the world to this day. Our nation's most embarrassing and "borderline unbelievable" case of the ultimate misuse of power, the most outlandish statements ever made regarding the topic, and what can happen to an individual presumably "above the law" embodied the case, and captured the attention of the world as a result.

No one can claim that the President was never trained on sexual harassment, although someone brave may be able to make that claim regarding the young intern, Ms. Lewinsky. As a man with a license to practice law, Mr. President clearly knew the path he was on when he chose to have an affair with an intern in the oval office, and possessing the naiveté to think that he could talk his way out of such a litigant's dream. Mr. Clinton rocked the political world more than once, having also been involved in a sexual harassment lawsuit with Paula Jones as the defendant.

HRworld.com, a web site devoted to human resource information and training, compiled a list of more than twenty notable harassment lawsuits that shook the business world in one way or another.

In addition to the Clinton/Lewinsky case, some other famous, or rather infamous sexual harassment suits include Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill, John Thomas and Danny Pippen (the landmark case in which the supreme court determined that sexual harassment charges could also be filed against members of the same gender), and Koko the Gorilla and Francine "Penny" Patterson. Ms. Patterson was forced to bare her breasts to Koko the Gorilla as an experiment. Senator Bob Packwood and the case which identified nine defendants that caused the House Ethics Committee to remove him from office made headlines as well.

Not a single person involved in these or other notable cases can attest that they never received any sexual harassment training, yet each of them were either found guilty of or a victim of sexual harassment in one form or another. Training simply isn't enough.

Once the policies have been thoroughly reviewed by not only a human resource professional, but also a legal expert in the field of human resources and EEOC, the job of enforcement and vigilant oversight is just beginning. The Department of Labor office of the EEOC spells out the specific type and degree of training that must be included in any company policy package. Managers and supervisors must be trained to be on the lookout for unfair and illegal treatment of employees, interactions between staff members themselves, and interactions between outside vendors, strategic alliances, network partners and channel providers with the entire workforce. There have even been cases filed against the wives and/or husbands of employers attempting to either solicit sexual favors from or to employees, employers, vendors or suppliers as a matter of winning influence, or control over someone or something. A case in Florida revealed that the wife of a business owner unduly harassed a contract consultant as a means of controlling the work environment under which they both worked. The consultant was repeatedly touched, groped, teased and sexual favors solicited from as a means of having the consultant work for less pay, providing a "quid pro quo" defense. In their decision, arbitrators agreed that the sexual favors were offered in an effort to assuage the need to pay him in dollars.

Where is the logic you say? Typically, sexual harassment stems from emotional based thinking rather from pure logic. Harassment in any form stems from a need for some type of control of others, either through bullying or simply bullying with sexual overtones. Offenders can rationalize their actions in such a way that the actions make sense from some misguided standpoint, and not until the complaints are filed do their thought patterns change to a more logical view.

Today's businessperson needs to arm him or herself with every possible tool to better protect the outcomes when it comes to HR, especially topics like sexual harassment. As evidenced by the "infamous" above, emotion overrules logic one hundred percent of the time, and anyone can fall victim to some form of sexual misconduct, however innocent looking on the surface.

Does your company have a strict policy in place to prevent sexual harassment? Get started with Myco Portal today and ensure that your company policies are read and acknowledged by all employees.

Here's to Better HR,

Marc Martin

Want to learn more about Myco Portal? Reserve a complimentary seat at our Upcoming Webinar.
Ready to try Myco Portal? Get started with our 30-day free trial!

Let's Talk About Sex ...

Marc Martin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Sexual harassment, that is. This is a topic that nearly everyone in business shies away from due to its negative and sometimes frightening overtones. The truth of the matter is that there were more than 11,700 sexual harassment lawsuits filed last year alone. All fifty states saw their share of litigation; no business is immune to its sting. It isn't necessarily if a business will be impacted by such a legal situation, but when. Being knowledgeable, prepared, and having a firm policy in place is just the beginning. It is crucial to have signed policy acknowledgements on file from each employee along with written procedures established should a complaint ever become known. A well educated workforce, along with stringent policies and procedures will help, but when it strikes, you need to have all the tools necessary on hand to be armed for battle.

Sexual harassment isn't just something that happens to women, although they file the vast majority of cases. According to the US Government's EEOC web site, more than 11, 700 sexual harassment law suits were filed in this country, with more than 16.4% of the total filed by males.

Just as bullying is not permissible in the schoolyard, sexual harassment (another bullying tactic) is not permissible in the workplace. There are several styles and types of sexual harassment; thus there is no clear-cut brand of interaction that narrows the topic to easily defined objective claims. To boil it down, however, any actions or statements made that create a hostile work environment may constitute sexual harassment. Bullying doesn't have to be typical, but making someone uncomfortable in a sexual manner is the rudest form of interaction, and there are laws against it.

A poll conducted by the watchdog group, eBossWatch, revealed some disparaging revelations. Here are the results of their online poll at the date of this writing.

Does your company have a workplace bullying policy in place?

No (61%, 559 Votes)
Yes (26%, 240 Votes)
Not sure (13%, 115 Votes)

Total Voters: 914

This is a rather revealing statistic. In addition to over half of the companies not having a bullying policy in place at all, it seems that more than one hundred were unsure if their company even had a bullying (maybe not entitled bullying) policy. Perhaps the term 'sexual harassment' would be more recognizable to these respondents, but the statistics do show that people do not equate bullying to sexual harassment — which it clearly is.

Today's companies must consider sexual harassment as one of the most important anti-litigation topics on which to train their employees. Not only should all management and supervisory personnel be clearly indoctrinated regarding the signs and symptoms of such a serious internal business disease, but general staff must also be fully versed on the company's position on such conduct. Managers and supervisors are not the only ones about which are complained; co-workers, vendors and anyone that interacts with employees are also susceptible.

A case in Michigan was filed against a manager that allegedly told unfavorable jokes, thereby creating a hostile work environment. As a result of the complainant's action to lodge a harassment complaint against said manager, he allegedly fired her for no reason. Subsequent hearings and depositions revealed that the complainant's previous employer, also a male, had not only impregnated her, but also convinced her to abort the fetus, and subsequently fired her. The arbitration board found no basis for her complaint against the second manager, as she clearly felt a bias against male supervisors. Her dismissal for poor work performance stood, and her claim was notably unfounded. Not every complaint is rational, logic based, or even true, but all must be taken deadly seriously.

The follow-up article, entitled "Training Isn't Enough" will outline what the law clearly expects, what the process toward resolution should be, and how the construction of an effective, fully legal, encompassing policy should be formulated. Additionally, we will touch on some of the most infamous sexual harassment suits ever filed, which will improve the understanding of potential pitfalls, obstacles and oversights that this topic contains.

Does your company have a strict policy in place to prevent sexual harassment? Get started with Myco Portal today and ensure that your company policies are read and acknowledged by all employees.

Here's to Better HR,

Marc Martin

Want to learn more about Myco Portal? Reserve a complimentary seat at our Upcoming Webinar.
Ready to try Myco Portal? Get started with our 30-day free trial!

Think You’re Covered?

Marc Martin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT

If scrutinized in a court of law, how would the scales tip for your business: In your favor?

The fundamental question regarding business liability, with all of its facets: Is your coverage sufficient to withstand a hit?
This is not a question that is coming up during every business owner’s cocktail party conversation, but it should be one that is constantly percolating queries daily.

Are your company policies and procedures up to date, meaningful and above all, scrutiny-free of defective logic, or even illegal practice?
What would a business audit reveal about the HR, OSHA, EEOC, Title VII, FMLA and a plethora of regulations and federal guidelines?
What exactly is your company’s exposure to all of these Federal and State requirements, and how can they all be handled effectively and efficiently?
How can you even attempt to comply with all of the requirements without significant outside expertise?

As previously mentioned, these types of thoughts often don’t rise to the surface in the day-to-day competitive world of today’s business. Today’s solo-preneur, entrepreneur and/or businessperson does not always make the time to ensure that things are “bullet proof” when it comes to liability. Running a business is more than a full-time demand; paperwork is the last thing on anyone’s mind at the end of yet another hectic day. Face an audit, or worse yet, a lawsuit, and they become questions all too important to ignore.

The main factor in any business is documentation, and, to be brutally honest, most small business owners fly by the seat of their pants out of sheer necessity. Documentation takes time, financial resources, and often expertise that may be lacking in the owner or his/her staff is hard to come by. What is needed is a simple, affordable and comprehensive method or service that takes the drudgery out of the documentation hassle, yet provides an easy, straightforward means of accomplishment that can be handled in-house.

There is a simple, affordable solution to the liability conundrum; and it doesn’t have anything to do with spending enough to purchase a third world country. Affordability and efficiency can be had through a complete and comprehensive paperless automation service, at the touch of a button.

Myco Portal is a technology based company that focuses on the streamlining of your business; ensuring complete document solutions, thereby minimizing the expense of typical document production, copying, filing and being able to find it quickly and easily. Learn more about the ease of use, the complete solution for any sized business, and the state of the art approach to keeping liability in its place, when it comes to proper documentation, by visiting www.mycoportal.com

So are your companys' policies and procedures up to date? Are you covered?

Myco Portal can improve your business productivity in less than ten minutes. Contact us today; you’ll be glad you did.

Email Etiquette for Today's Business World

Marc Martin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Enough SPAM gets through today’s sophisticated email systems that one would think that people would be content to merely discard email all together. Instant messaging, texting and other technologies have certainly taken a toll on the once hot way to market. More importantly, people are flat out sick of being SPAMMED, sold to or otherwise interrupted by garbage messages. The business use of email has subsequently been in the center of the firestorm created by this technology, but still relies heavily on it to "move the ball forward." There are several things to consider when composing an email, beyond spelling and sentence structure.

Subject Line Clarity
Greeting
Body (Overall Length)
Closing and Contact Information

Subject Line - When composing an email, it is wise to not only state the subject, but also to let the recipient know from whom it is being sent. For example, an email may show a subject line such as "Update Information from ... Henry Aaron." You will stand a much better chance of making it through the SPAM filters by keeping your subject line clear and relevant to the email.

Greeting - Formality is critical in business correspondence, especially if it is someone that you have never met and with whom you have no relationship. When addressing someone, use Mr. or Ms., unless you are certain they are a doctor, Mrs. or otherwise. If their name is Martin or Stephen, don’t use the informality of Marty or Steve, much in the way you would not use Abbie or Gail if her name was Abigail. On the other hand, If you are on an informal or first name basis, you may seem peculiar if you were too formal. Sound judgment trumps common sense.

Body or Length - Business people are busy, and time is usually of the essence. Brevity is expected, so do not create a manuscript out of your message. In addition to proper spelling and sentence structure, never write in all capital letters. This is not only harder to read, it is considered shouting, and therefore considered obnoxious and rude.  

Closing - As in the greeting, formality is highly recommended. Slang, statements in poor taste and jokes should not be used in business communications, let alone written correspondence. Typically the closing salutation is Sincerely, but other phrases such as Respectfully, Kind regards, Best regards or Thank you (remember, only the first word is capitalized) are also acceptable. Beneath your full name, supply your contact information for the convenience of the recipient. Items such as your company name and email address, your company web site, phone number, etc. Most email systems, including corporate email programs have a feature built in for you to include a signature block of information embedded into each email you send. Check with your IT department if necessary.

These are not the only rules to business correspondence utilizing email, but with these foundational aspects, you will be well on your way to being a better correspondent.

What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to email etiquette?

Want to learn more about Myco Portal? Call us today at (601) 825-2532.
Ready to try Myco Portal? Get started with our 30-day free trial!

The True Cost of Paper Explained

Marc Martin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Myco Portal is doing something new. We are providing companies with the ability to have one master file for all employee records and company documents. We provide the ability to automate many routine, non-productive tasks and processes, do away with the paper (including handling, filing and storing), thus reducing costs significantly.

5 Simple & Green Ways to Reduce Business Costs

Marc Martin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:00:00 GMT

As a business owner, you are sometimes faced with tough decisions. You are always thinking of ways to reduce cost without reducing your ability to work successfully. The current environment has all business owners trying to find different ways to operate more efficiently and keep their company running smoothly.

Gerbil On The Wheel

Marc Martin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Have you ever felt like a helpless gerbil on the wheel, because there is always someone or some issue consuming your time? You are running hard and fast and not getting anywhere.