In today’s day and age, we’re not just looking for technology to entertain us, we’re looking to it for much more. By saving us time and money, technology can enhance our lives by giving us more time to do the things we love. So whether you’re planning a trip and need a quick way to keep organized or you’re out shopping and you want to make sure you’re always getting the best deal, check out these top ten tech tools that were built to help.

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I have to confess, I am slightly obsessed with etiquette. Not in the “put your napkin on your lap”, “use the proper fork”, and serve from the right (or was it left?) kind of way. I really only care about being respectful of others. I don’t think that’s too much to ask, is it? I think the word “etiquette” gets a bad rap. For one thing, it sounds stodgy and pretentious (not words I would use to describe myself). And rules that are socially or morally prescribed seem intrusive to our sense of individuality and freedom.

But the concept of etiquette is still essential, especially now-and particularly in business. New communication platforms, like Facebook and Linked In, have blurred the lines of appropriateness and we’re all left wondering how to navigate unchartered social territory.

Boil it down and etiquette is really all about making people feel good. It’s not about rules or telling people what to do, or not to do, it’s about ensuring some basic social comforts.

So here are a few business etiquette rules that matter now-whatever you want to call them.

1. Send a Thank You Note

It’s amazing how many people have forgotten the impact of a hand-written note – but the art of the thank you note should never die. If you have a job interview, or if you’re visiting clients or meeting new business partners-especially if you want the job, or the contract or deal-take the time to write a note. You’ll differentiate yourself by doing so and it will reflect well on your company too.

2. Know the Names

It’s just as important to know your peers or employees as it is to develop relationships with clients, vendors or management. Reach out to people in your company, regardless of their roles, and acknowledge what they do.

We spend too much of our time these days looking up – impressing senior management. But it’s worth stepping back and acknowledging and getting to know ALL of the people you work with, whether directly or not.

Many executives in top performing companies take the time to write thank you notes to employees once a week. A little gesture can go a LONG way. Trust me.

3. Observe the ‘Elevator Rule’

When meeting with clients or potential business partners off-site, don’t discuss your impressions of the meeting with your colleagues until the elevator has reached the bottom floor and you’re walking out of the building. That’s true even if you’re the only ones in the elevator.

We have all been in the painful situation where we have to wonder if we were overheard, even if the discussion was positive. Call it superstitious or call it polite-but either way, don’t risk damaging your reputation by rehashing the conversation as soon as you walk away.

4. Focus on the Face, Not the Screen

It’s hard not to be distracted these days. We have a plethora of devices to keep us occupied; emails and phone calls come through at all hours; and we all think we have to multitask to feel efficient and productive.

The truth is unless you are expecting something urgent, you should put your phone away when in a meeting. The people you are with deserve the respect of your full attention. Pay attention and be present.

5. Don’t Judge

We all have our vices-and we all have room for improvement. One of the most important parts of modern-day etiquette is not to criticize others.

You may disagree with how another person handles a specific situation, but rise above and recognize that everyone is trying their best. It’s not your duty to judge others based on what you feel is right. You are only responsible for yourself.

The digital landscape has made it even more difficult to know whether or not you’re crossing a line, but I think it’s simple. Etiquette is positive. It’s a way of being-not a set of rules or dos and don’ts.

So before you create that tweet, post on someone’s Facebook page or text someone mid-meeting, remember the fundamentals: Will this make someone feel good?

And remember the elemental act of putting pen to paper and writing a note. You’ll make a lasting impression that a shout-out on Twitter or a Facebook wall mention can’t even touch.

STELLAService, a New York City-based firm that rates online retail businesses for their customer service, went undercover and posted service-related questions on 20 retailers’ Facebook walls or in the comments section below the page owner’s own status updates.

Some retailers removed the customer question from their wall without ever commenting, and another five questions remained unanswered for at least two days. Only seven businesses took the time to answer questions posted within 48 hours.
Eliminating or ignoring customers’ service-related questions posted on your Facebook Page is unprofessional at best and significantly damaging to your brand at worst. Such practices ensure only that the issue will remain unresolved and the customer will grow only angry. What brick-and-mortar company would allow an employee to walk away from a customer who has just asked them a question?

None that I can think of – if they do, they are probably not in business anymore! But that’s exactly what some retailers are doing online.

Businesses and brands that choose to correspond actively with their customers on Facebook will rise to the top when it comes to gaining customer loyalty. Those who ignore service and support-related issues posted on the world’s most popular social utility should seriously re-evaluate their social media strategies.

Here are some tips on how to effectively manage your business’s Facebook page:

Respond quickly. Reply to queries and complaints in a timely manner to make sure other customers don’t see that you have left someone hanging.

Be proactive. Respond to customer questions as status updates – they are more visible than comments to wall posts. Doing so can potentially prevent an onslaught of questions or complaints over the same issue.

Share your wins. Customers post positive comments, not just negative ones. Share that information internally among the customer service and tech support team members. Everyone could stand to hear good news, especially if all they usually hear are complaints.

Most importantly, do SOMETHING!

What does a real-life CEO have in common with the central figures of a fictitious Mafia crime family in The Godfather? According to Justin Moore, CEO and founder of Axcient, plenty.

Moore also happens to think that The Godfather is “one of the best movies ever made” and had a chance to watch it again when the film was aired extensively last week to mark the 40th anniversary of its premiere. Though a decade had passed since the last time Moore watched it, his recent viewing offered an unexpected reward. This time he found the film rife with teaching moments for CEOs running a business today.

“I certainly don’t endorse crime or violence, and I’m not suggesting business should operate like the Mafia,” explains Moore, “but there are some universal themes in the movie I can relate to as a CEO.” Moore says The Godfather offers valuable lessons in community and team building, making tough decisions, and playing to win while not neglecting friends and family.

Here are five essential leadership lessons distilled from the iconic Mafia movie:

1. Build a powerful community.

Someday, and that day may never come, I’ll call upon you to do a service for me. ~Vito Corleone

Uttered in the iconic rasp of Marlon Brando, the words of Vito Corleone illustrate how he creates a loyal community among those he has helped. Moore says, “By granting these favors and helping people with their problems, Vito Corleone is building a network of influence–relationships that may or may not deliver a specific or quantifiable return, but all which serve to strengthen his power base and which have the potential to be reciprocal in the long run.”

Moore says building strategic partnerships enables companies to work through challenging markets and fast-track overall success. “As a CEO, I see it as part of my job to be a super connector, networking with the technology and investment community without an expectation of reciprocation. Partnerships forged through time, trust, and mutual benefit–such as those Axcient has built with HP, Ingram-Micro, and a vast network of service providers and resellers–are the types of community relationships that bring about the greatest returns.”

2. Hold people accountable.

What’s the matter with you? I think your brain is going soft. ~Vito Corleone

The Godfather reminds us of the importance of being tough when necessary. “As soon as Vito Corleone allowed a few moments of weakness to be seen by his enemy, they attempted to assassinate him. And it was largely because of failures of his team,” Moore observes.

“In business, accountability isn’t achieved by a murderous rampage. But the lesson is this–to be successful in business you have to be tough, and you have to be extremely focused on hitting goals and getting results,” says Moore. That doesn’t mean patience and understanding don’t have a place, he says, but ongoing tolerance of low-performing people or products just eats away at the success of the entire company. “You are ultimately responsible for all of your employees and shareholders, and that requires tough and swift decisions.”

3. Don’t get emotional.

It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business. ~Michael Corleone

“Many people don’t like to talk about the fact that in business, there are winners and losers. When Sonny Corleone reacts impulsively and emotionally, he gets taken out. In business, if you don’t take the opportunity to out-sell, out-bid, or out-market your competitor, they’ll take you out. I’m not suggesting doing anything outside the boundaries of morality or rightness–simply pointing out that when people make emotional decisions, they start making bad decisions. To lead successfully, you have to take your emotion and ego out of the equation.”

Likewise, Moore says it’s important to play to win. In business, that translates to knowing the competition and always staying at least one step ahead. “Operate your business with integrity and have respect for competition, but you also need to seize opportunities to eliminate your competition and win.”

4. Be decisive.

Moore says that he, like most people who appreciate The Godfather, watch the movie with a combination of shock and respect. “Shock because he is so ruthless that he kills his own family member, but respect for the fact that Don Corleone knows exactly what he wants, executes decisively, and commands respect through unwavering leadership.”

While you don’t have to kill anyone to prove a point, as soon as you know what choice to make, move forward. “Know who on your team is making the right choices, and trust them to take decisive action as well. Hesitation too often leads to missed opportunities.”

5. Spend time with your family.

Do you spend time with your family? Because a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man. ~Vito Corleone

Moore isn’t endorsing 1940s machismo, but he is decrying 100-hour workweeks that many entrepreneurs fall prey to in hot pursuit of the next big thing. Though he’s been dedicated like that in the past, Moore finds it’s not sustainable in the long run.

“A leader can’t be successful in creative problem-solving and making excellent decisions unless that person is connected to people and passions outside of work. I find that it’s often time with family and friends that gives me the perspective I need to build the relationships and make the decisive actions required for continued success in business,” says Moore.

(Read the entire article here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1826672/an-offer-you-cant-refuse-leadership-lessons-from-the-godfather)

Why Google+ is the place to be:

1. It’s indexed by Google. What does that mean? Using Google+ can help customers find your business faster and easier. Creating a business page can help you increase visibility.

2. Google+ offers a cleaner experience. Easier to share and rank other people’s posts and comments, variety of sharing options (video, posts, photos, etc.), personalized circles – follow who you want to follow and no one else.

3. It’s hopping! A whopping 60% of Google+ users log in every single day, 80% engage on a weekly basis, in comparison, just 50% of twitter users who log in daily

4. It’s new and already growing rapidly. As mentioned, Google+ already has more than 90 million members, making it a good-sized network that is worth participating in; it’s about how your business can benefit from this huge network!!

SHARING is the KEY

The entire purpose of a social network is to connect and share…Google+ makes this very simple if you understand the basics. However, going beyond just sharing a link or two is where things start to really happen.

1. Share information to entertain and interest your audience
What should you share?
• Other people’s links and tips
• Your ideas
• Educational information

2. Think of a magazine.
• Through Google+ you are curating info, much like a magazine.
• Providing original information is good, but more importantly SHARE other people’s ideas!
• Remember, when you share something you are endorsing it and putting your brand behind it.

3. Interact with your followers.
• Building up trust is what social networking is all about.
• If someone you trust shares a link, you are far more likely to check it out because you know they give you good information…BE that person to your followers.

4. Other sharing tips:
• Comment on your shares
• Respond to other peoples’ comments
• Use Google+ to “+1” peoples posts and comments

BUSINESS PAGES – take networking to the next level

Business pages allow you to enhance your brand beyond the basic networking level on Google+

1. Educate followers.
Let your circles know more about your brand; the more they know, the easier it is to determine if yours is the product or service for them. Video hangouts can help consumers know how-to.

2. Customer Service.
Make sure your customers are keep happy by responding rapidly to their questions and complaints; offer videos or other media options to help resolve common issues quickly and easily.

3. Build a community
Share media: look for user-created content and curate it, or make your own (ebooks, video, reports, photos, etc.).

GOOGLE AND GOOGLE+ – what it means

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is always a consideration, and with Google+ the search engine giant is making it easier than ever to find social media links and information with searches.

Potential factors for Google:
• Search results are affected by the people you are friends with on Google+
• Social connections may hold more importance than links
• Sites on Google+ tend to be indexed very quickly
• +1 links may rank higher in search results

QUICK TIPS for Google+ success

Business pages allow you to enhance your brand beyond the basic networking level on google+. While many people are using the networking side of this social site, you’re missing out if your business doesn’t have a page there.

1. Build a relevant Audience. Look for people who are relevant to your business. Define your audience by demographic: location, topic, age, etc.

2. Be Selective. Don’t accept anyone and everyone. Set up your own criteria for choosing circles, then follow it.

3. Create a campfire. A campfire is a shared goal or interest that draws people in and gives them a reason to gather

4. Be Consistent. Keep your offline and online business presence the same. Provide continuity to your clients always know what to expect.

Remember: you are what you share!

If all of this seems overwhelming, give us a call we can help you get started!

Source: http://www.visualinformation.info/google-for-business-infographic/

(unless you are an accountant). Although it has been coming for a while, the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is now here. Riata has put together some commentary.

So what is IFRS?

A new standard with a focus on improved financial reporting for the lender, investor and creditor that will enhance the ability of stakeholders (investors, lenders, etc.) to make good decisions around buying investments or financing an enterprise. It will ensure a truer, current value of assets (or liabilities) is reported, as opposed to the original cost, therefore presenting a more accurate value of the enterprise.

Why this new standard?

The major reason for the change is to improve the reporting of a company’s financial status to focus on stakeholder or shareholder decision making abilities and less on reporting for management.

What are the implications of IFRS?

Although there will be a lot of work involved revaluing and adjusting many of a company’s assets and liabilities, the good news is that there is not likely to be a large impact on stock or share values as most of these adjustments have already been considered in analysing the investment. Fortunately for private enterprises, a new subset of IFRS standards (Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises) considers factors such as the reporting requirements (and audiences) and cost implications of private enterprises and thus does not typically require the same standards as those required by public enterprises.

—
Mark Deller, MBA CGA
Director, Business Advisory
Riata Partners Inc.

Like any new social site, there’s always the question, “How does it work?” Have no fear, Riata will show you the ropes!

What is Pinterest?

Like its name suggests, Pinterest is a place to organize or “Pin” and share online images that you find interesting or inspiring. Once uploaded or shared on Pinterest these Pins can be placed on customized, themed Boards. You can create Boards for any topic imaginable, from dogs to dirt bikes to driving. The possibilities are endless.

How do you Join Pinterest?

If you want to check out Pinterest you have to be invited. Yes, we know, kind of a pain. You can sign up for invites on the site (prepare for a wait), or chances are you already know a Pinner who will gladly send you an invite. Ask us, we’ll invite you!

What is Pinterest For?

While there’s nothing wrong with just pinning pictures of cool stuff all day, Pinterest can be a really valuable tool for people with a specific purpose in mind. For example, some people create a Board for each room in the house and then pin decorating ideas for that room. Designers use it to organize inspiring images for their work. Cooks keep an online recipe box. College students might create a shopping list of things they need to buy for school. Writers use it to keep track of ideas for articles or posts. Boards can have multiple contributors, so collaborating with co-workers on a project is easy with everyone’s ideas and inspiration in one place.

How do I Pin?

Pinning is easy with the easy to spot Pin It Button (add it to your toolbar through the Pinterest/Goodies. When you are browsing the internet and you come across an image you like, just click the button and select the corresponding picture. Assign the pin to a Board, add accompanying text (or don’t, it’s up to you!), and you’re done. If the Pin is something you want to buy, include the price in the description and it will attach to the Pin for easy reference.

How is Pinterest Social?

Just like everything in life, pinning is more fun when you do it together. To find other Pinners, access the Everything drop-down menu and filter Boards by category. When you see a good Pin, mouse over it to see the options: ‘Repin’, ‘Like’ or ‘Comment’. If you find a Board that’s especially interesting, follow its updates, or head to the Pinner’s profile and follow all of his or her Boards. Like Twitter, it’s an open network, so follows don’t require permission, and you don’t have to follow anyone back.

You can tweet or share pins on Facebook to help expand your network across all three services.

Check out the Popular button to see what pins are trending at the moment. It’s a great way to find new content and to find Pinners who share your interests.
See our blog next week for some tips to use Pinterest for your business…

Tweepi

Tweepi’s “Flush” option allows you to see the users you follow who are not following you back. Its “Reciprocate” option allows you to see the users following you who you’re not following back. And the “Cleanup” option allows you to see everyone who you’re following so you can unfollow as many users as you like.
You can also see who your friends are following, follow full lists and follow other users based on who they follow.
Tweepi displays the users in helpful columns by showing their names, bios, locations, number of tweets, number of followers, number of users they follow, dates of their last tweets, and more.

Tweet Eraser

Need or want to get rid of a bunch ot tweets at once? No problem! TweetEraser it has the option to search for and delete tweets in bulk from your Twitter timeline based certain dates, or tweets that contain a certain text string or hashtag.

Twuffer

This one is for those of you who are into advance planning. (there are a few of you, aren’t there?) Twuffer allows users to schedule tweets to be sent out at desired times and dates. No more last minute scrambling for something interesting to say. Well maybe once in a while.

Twit Wipe

Similar to TwitEraser, TwitWipe allows you to delete every tweet you’ve ever posted without the hassle of deleting your Twitter account and starting over.

Friend or Follow

Sometimes you just want to know. Friend or Follow’s “Following” option allows you to see who you’re following. The “Fans” option allows you to see who’s following you, and the “Friends” option allows you to see who you’re following who also follows you back.

Friend or Follow displays the users in grid format and allows you to filter users by private accounts, verified accounts and normal accounts.

If these apps don’t quite cut it for you, call us, we have resident Twitter experts!

As we enter the New Year 2012, and introduce Riata Partner’s newest business unit, HR Services, I was curious about the “hot” people issues keeping our Albertan business leaders awake during these cold winter nights.

Based on a couple of weeks of asking, listening, on-line researching and the like, I am not surprised at the results.  The hot HR issues continue to revolve around the challenge of finding and keeping the best talent for our companies, particularly in Alberta where employment is on the rise.

Often referred to as the “Talent War”, I like to call this challenge “Finders/Keepers” based on the children’s rhyme upon discovering a lost object.  Remember the phrase “Finders are keepers, losers are weepers”? This rhyme provides an interesting framework when analyzing the many aspects of the war for talent attraction and retention:

Finders:  How are you at finding great talent?  What are your attraction strategies?  Are your recruitment efforts translating into effective results? Are people applying to or avoiding your company based on your reputation?

Keepers:  So once you find great talent, are you keeping them? Are you only focusing on your newly found hires?  What about your current top performers?  Have you identified them? Are you paying attention to them, and supporting their career development? Are your keepers company ambassadors?  Do they brag about working for you, thereby bolstering your company’s reputation as an employer?

Losers:  Where and why are you losing talent?  Are you not even able to enter the game because you are not attracting solid candidates? What is your current state of employee engagement?  Are you on the brink of becoming a loser?

Weepers:  As a weeper, you are struggling with attraction, engagement and retention of your staff.  Unfortunately, weepers do not prosper!  The cost of turnover is significant.  Vacancies and top talent resignations impact team productivity, employee morale, customer service, sales and ultimately your bottom line.  So what are you doing to improve your leadership and business practices to avoid being a weeper?

We may be surviving record low temperatures, but the job market is getting warmer.  For small and medium businesses, being able to find and retain talented employees is critical to your success and growth.  What are you doing to be a “Finder/Keeper”?

I just came back from my annual pilgrimage to the US for the National Finals Rodeo – usually my wife Heather and I visit either Vegas for the NFR or we journey to Fort Worth Texas for the annual Cutting Horse Futurity.

During our stay in Vegas, I visited some of the biggest retail trade shows in the US – the annual Cowboy Christmas! Six different convention halls full of everything “cowboy” related – saddles, clothes, furniture, and more!

Several things came to mind as I made my way through the thousands of sq feet of trade show space.

First, the US economy is definitely picking up – shoppers were shopping, Vegas seemed busy and money was definitely flowing.  Not as busy as we’ve seen in the past, but there was a positive buzz in the air and folks were spending money!

Second, I experienced some of the most common trade show mistakes – booths with poor displays that don’t attract the traffic, trade show staff that were more engaged with their counterparts than with customers, and a general lack of training on how to manage and make money at a trade show.

With the rising costs of trade show booth space, electrical, carpeting etc. retailers have to milk every nickel out of the opportunity.

Next time you visit a trade show – write down a few thoughts on the booths that hit the mark and the booths that missed the mark! I guarantee it will pay off on your next trade show investment.

-Darren Baumgardner
Riata Partners