03Mar 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

What Is an Effective Presentation?

Monday Marketing Minutes, Public Relations, Small Business Info
Some people are natural presenters who feel totally at ease in front of an audience, spotlight on them and comfortably talk off the cuff to tell an anecdote. Others might have to prepare and execute presentations for work, but really don’t like doing them very much because they are not natural public speakers. Regardless of the type of presenter you are, the end goal is the same — you want to have an effective presentation that compels your audience to do something with the information you have just shared. How do you get (and keep!) their attention? First, the key is to practice, practice and practice some more. Especially for those of you who would rather go barefoot in the snow than be up there — you should prepare so…
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01Mar 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

Cute and Practical Desk Accessories to Brighten Up the Work Day

1st Saturday Style, Products and Services, Small Business Info, Workplace
In a typical work week, office workers spend about 5 hours and 41 minutes at their desks, according to the The British Psychological Society. While the health repercussions of that finding is a whole other blog-post topic, we’re zeroing in on the fact that we spend a ton of time at our desks — it comes out to around 120 hours per month. Yowzers! In light of how much time you’re sitting pretty, it’s important for your mental wellbeing to like it there, right? And a big part of that is outfitting your area with cute and practical desk accessories that organize your days and make you smile. Here are a few to get you started: (more…)
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28Feb 2014 by Cindy Berrier 1 Comment

Small Business Spotlight – Robert M. Bagoff

Small Business Info, Small Business Spotlight
This week, 123Print is shining its Small Business Spotlight on ... Robert M. Bagoff, DMD, FAGD, DICOI Livingston, New Jersey Dentist Dr. Robert M. Bagoff provides comprehensive dental care including general, implant, pediatric, cosmetic, restorative and sedation dentisty. Look your best with a full set of cosmetic and restorative services, and feel your best with regular teeth cleanings, exams and preventative dentistry services. Dr. Bagoff's goal is to give the gift of a bright smile and consistently exceed his patients' expectations. A great smile is waiting for you with Dr. Bagoff! [caption id="attachment_6767" align="aligncenter" width="635"] © Robert M. Bagoff[/caption] (more…)
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27Feb 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

The Cost of Stress on Your Business [INFOGRAPHIC]

Small Business Info, Workplace
Most people know that stress can lead to serious health problems.  But some don’t realize that stress can have a negative impact on your job and also affect the bottom line of your company. Stress affects several bodily functions, and when you become overly stressed your brain gets washed with powerful hormones that can damage and even kill brain cells. Stress can negatively affect your productivity at work and lead to inefficiencies in your performance at work. Job related stress has shown to cost U.S. companies an estimated $300 billion from employee turnover, absenteeism and loss of productivity — all as a result of stress in the workplace. There are several common reasons for stress in the workplace. Often times it has to do with salary, hours, pressure from bosses,…
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25Feb 2014 by Cindy Berrier 1 Comment

5 Steps to Building a Successful Welcome Series

Customer Retention, Email Marketing, Marketing, Monthly Email Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business Info
You never get a second chance to make a great first impression. This is true of job interviews, first dates, meeting your future in-laws and … email welcome messages. A welcome message or welcome message series is a great way to immediately engage your new email subscribers. A well-done series can reinforce your brand, encourage an initial purchase and create a higher probability of additional purchases. Here are five steps you can take to easily create and deploy a successful welcome series. Step 1: Identify Automation Capacity Determine your ESP’s (email service provider's) level of automation ability. You will first need to know if these emails can be sent automatically, either in real-time (preferred by many) or in another time frame — be it hourly or daily. Make sure the…
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25Feb 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

7 Ways to Improve Your LinkedIn Company Page

Customer Retention, Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business Info, Social Media Marketing
Did you know LinkedIn has 277 million members? Your small business deserves a piece of this social media pie. Check out seven ways to improve and get the most out of your LinkedIn company page. Optimize. Linkedin company pages are extremely SEO-friendly. Make sure your page’s description leads off with a powerful, keyword-rich sentence. When on LinkedIn, members have the option of searching for a company by keyword, so make sure to include any words or phrases that describe your business, expertise, industry focus, etc. in your description. Showcase. Build out your products and services page to showcase what your company has to offer. This is your chance to show members what you do best and why they should follow you. Don’t limit yourself to listing only your products —…
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24Feb 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

Direct Mail Isn’t Dead: Postcards and Business Flyers Work!

Customer Acquisition, Customer Retention, Marketing, Monday Marketing Minutes, Promotional Marketing, Small Business Info
In this digital age, you may be inclined to think that direct mail pieces aren't worth your time and effort. Think again! There are many benefits of direct mail items, such as postcards, business flyers and brochures, including: You can get it in their hands. Just think about how you still like receiving mail. You’re not alone. I know that I look forward to picking up my daily mail and looking through it for my favorite magazine or if I've received correspondence from a friend or family member (not so much the bills, of course). According to Epsilon’s 2012 Channel Preference Study, 73% of U.S. consumers said they prefer direct mail for brand communications because they can read the information at their convenience. These days, we seem to receive more…
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21Feb 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

Small Business Spotlight – Nick’s Lawn Service

Small Business Info, Small Business Spotlight
This week, 123Print is shining its Small Business Spotlight on ... Nick's Lawn Service Nick's Lawn Service is a local lawn care provider based out of Grafton, Massachusetts that specializes in Residential and Commercial Lawn Care. Nick's does their best to offer exceptional customer service along with providing a low-cost solution to your Lawn Care needs. In addition, they also offer maintenance services and cleanup services including mulching, aerating, dethatching, gardening/planting, fertilizing, edging, landscape construction/design, landscape lighting and more! [caption id="attachment_6646" align="aligncenter" width="829"] © Nick's Lawn Service[/caption] (more…)
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20Feb 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

Small Business Bookkeeping: The Basics

Finance, Small Business Info
It’s about that time of year again — no, not National Drink Wine Day (which was on February 18th just in case you didn’t catch it this year) — Tax time! Almost as exciting as National Drink Wine Day. The clock is ticking — are you ready? Inspired by this taxing time of year (see what I did there?), we decided to research some best bookkeeping practices you should maintain for your small businesses. Here are five bookkeeping basics for small business: Revenues and Expenses Think of this as the who, what, where, when and how. How much money is going out, when it went out, where it’s going, what money is coming in and who it’s going to. Make sure to record all revenue coming in and expenses incurred in…
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19Feb 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

Wedding Accessories Trends for 2014

3rd Wednesday Weddings, Wedding Inspiration
The bridal world is buzzing about convenience and simplicity this year as brides are busier than ever and looking for ways to save time and money while maintaining style and personalization. There’s a movement towards wedding accessories that fulfill more than one purpose and that work for the casual wedding trend. The following are four smart wedding accessories trends for 2014 that you might just heart big-time for your own wedding. Trend: Wedding Save the Date Magnets Nothing says “we’re stuck on each other” like a wedding save the date magnet! Let’s face it, guests are busy people, too, and they might not always remember where they put your precious save the date! Custom magnets literally save the day, which is why they are becoming more and more popular with…
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