Benefits of Social Media to a Local Business Owner

Facebook, Twitter, Google plus, Pinterest, Yelp, YouTube, the list of social media goes on and on, and seems to grow each month.  It becomes a difficult highway to navigate, especially if you are a local business owner.  I’m sure everyone with a small bit of business sense has always recommended that “Your business must be on social media” or “You have to have a Facebook page”.

Easy enough to figure out that you need to be on social media sites, but it’s more difficult understanding the value propositions that social media sites hold for a local business owner.  In this article we will discuss the three main value propositions social media sites in general hold for your business.

The first is SOCIAL AUTHORITY.  What is social authority?  In April 2011, Google changed the way they rank websites in search results.  In addition to using their complex algorithm, metatags and keywords,  Google added something new to the mix called social authority - basically they are looking at business websites and their social pages.  They have determined that a business that is active on social media sites is a more relevant business than one that is not active.  It’s simple, be active on your social sites and it will help with your search engine optimization (SEO).

The second is WORD OF MOUTH, the oldest and best form of advertising.  Any business that values word of mouth advertising can benefit from social sites.  The way we communicate is radically different than a mere twenty years ago.  People are posting on walls, tweeting messages and checking in to communicate with their friends and family.  When someone interacts with a business on a social site, it’s a public recommendation.  It’s word of mouth, in digital format.

The last is KNOWLEDGE. You can gain valuable insights to your business by having an open communication with your customer base.  You can gauge feedback on new offerings or services by engaging with your customers.  The knowledge you gain can help improve your business.

Social Media is not a clear cut return of investment scenario, but a valuable tool for any business serious about growing in this modern age.

Suffolk County Small Business Advisory Council's 2nd Annual Small Business Summit

 

Due to Super Storm Sandy the Suffolk County Small Business Advisory Council's 2nd Annual Small Business Summit:  Resources for Success was postponed.  We are happy to announce that the Summit has been rescheduled, so please save the date:

March 20, 2013

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Suffolk Community College Culinary Arts Center

20 East Main Street, Riverhead

  

To RSVP for the Summit, please e-mail sbac@suffolkcountyny.gov

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Work Opportunity Tax Credit Extended

  

On January 3, 2013, the President signed into law the American Tax Payer Relief Act of 2012, which authorizes an extension of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program, including the following:

• Continues authorization of all veteran target groups (including those implemented under the VOW to Hire Heroes Act) until December 31, 2013
• Retroactively reauthorizes all WOTC non-veteran target groups, from December 31, 2011 to December 31, 2013
• Retroactively reauthorizes Empowerment Zones, which determines eligibility for the summer youth target group, from December 31, 2011 to December 31, 2013
• Does not reauthorize the Recovery Act disconnected youth and Recovery Act unemployed veteran target groups.

  

The Employment & Training Administration will be issuing forthcoming guidance on the new legislation.

Visit the following website for more information:  http://www.doleta.gov/business/incentives/opptax/whatsnew.cfm#wotc

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FREE Crisis Counseling is available for those affected by Hurricane Sandy through

Project HOPE

For more information please click here:  Project HOPE flyer

To reach Project HOPE call (631) 471-7242 ext. 1010

Increase YOUR sales by selling to the “Government”

Increase YOUR sales by selling to the “Government”.

If you provide U.S. Government Agencies and/or their Prime Contractors with excellent products and/or services at reasonable prices and deliver them on time - they’ll come back to you again and again.

By expanding their market to include selling to the government:

M.S. Hi-Tech, Inc. (a Long Island small business) initially increased their sales by about 30%.

And they have had the “Government” as a customer for about 20 years (per Mike Montenes, President).

Whatever the product and/or service your company sells - the U.S. Government and/or their Prime Contractors probably buys it and a LOT of it.

Two basic reasons to sell to the U.S. Government and their Prime Contractors are:

1. They probably buy what you sell, because they are the largest customer in the world. They buy everything from pins to tanks.

2. They pay on time (maximum 30 days). And you can get paid even faster, if you offer a prompt-pay discount.

Start selling to various U.S. Government Agencies and/or their Prime Contractors, by:

- Contacting your local (free to low cost) Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at LaGuardia Community College:

Web Site: http://www.laguardia-ptac.org

and

- Contacting your local (free to low cost) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Stony Brook University:

Web Site: http://www.stonybrooksbdc.com

In summary, if you provide the U.S. Government Agencies and/or their Prime Contractors with excellent products and/or services, at a reasonable prices and deliver them on time - they’ll come back to you again and again, just like they did with M.S. Hi-Tech, Inc.

U.S. Department of Commerce Advocacy Center

The U.S. Department of Commerce maintains an Advocacy Center to help level the playing field on behalf of U.S. business interests as they compete against foreign firms for specific international public contracts and other U.S. export opportunities.

Advocacy assistance is wide and varied but often involves companies that want the U.S. Government to communicate a message to foreign governments or government-owned corporations on behalf of their commercial interest, typically in a competitive bid contest.

Click here to learn more!