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Why Fun and Profits Go Hand In Hand: 4 Reasons Gamification Is Growing

July 11, 2012
By Ramon Ray –

Recently I wrote about how PunchTab lets you give incentives to your online audience to award them for various actions they take – such as how many times they Tweet or some other action.

Today Fanplayr announced an integration with Constant Contact, quite powerful. But beyond this, Fanplayr continues the genre of “gamification” making a business action fun. For example, match the apples and win a $10 coupon.

“The competition for consumer endorsement is at an all-time high as marketers seek to attract customers to fan pages and increase ‘like’ numbers in pursuit of increased sales and loyalty. However, something more needs to be added to the mix to benefit and engage the consumer as the potential for ‘like fatigue’ also increases,” says Mary Wardley, IDC Program VP CRM Applications Research. “Gamification and suppliers such as Fanplayr offer a mechanism to brands to truly engage with and reward their customers and not merely bombard them with messaging. At the same, time Fanplayr allows brands to control the level of reward for better cost control.”  (more…)

I Got You Covered from The Legal Edge

July 6, 2012
By Jack Garson

(As seen in the SmartCEO Magazine, February 2012)

Ensuring you have insurance when you need it.

On Aug. 23, 2011, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit the Mid-Atlantic region, causing damage to structures as famous as the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral. The very next month, in September, Tropical Storm Lee thundered up the East Coast, causing historic rainfalls and flooding.

In each instance, countless businesses suffered damage, only to discover that their existing insurance failed to provide necessary coverage.

A variety of other threats can pose risks to your company. You may face anything from injuries to your workers and customers, to fire that destroys your facilities, to lawsuits accusing you and your colleagues of failing to uphold duties to shareholders, clients and employees. (more…)

ASK A CPA – a free app for small business

July 4, 2012

As a small business owner wouldn’t it be nice if there was an easier way to lower costs, get answers to tax related questions and eliminate some of the confusion that is typically associated with doing our taxes? Well, with the free Ask A CPA iOS app you can do just that.

Many individuals and small business owners dread the thought of tax time arriving. Not all of us are fans of number crunching or accounting related tasks. Nonetheless, doing our taxes each year is something that cannot (and should not) be avoided.

Similar to those who wait until Christmas eve to do their shopping, many of us scramble to get our taxes done at the last minute. When it comes to taxes however it’s not that we’re all necessarily procrastinators, it’s usually more a case of being intimidated by the plethora of things that can be involved when it comes to filing a proper and accurate tax return and also doing so at the best possible price. (more…)

The Commerce Control List and Self-Classification

July 2, 2012

Where do I find the Commerce Control list?; Do I need a license to export my good?; How to Reference the ECCN; Designation of EAR99; Source: Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

The Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about the nation’s people and economy. We honor privacy, protect confidentiality, share our expertise globally, and conduct our work openly. We are guided on this mission by our strong and capable workforce, our readiness to innovate, and our abiding commitment to our customers.

Fine-Tuning Your Small Business Value Proposition

June 29, 2012

Getting your business noticed can be challenging. To show your business stands head and shoulders above not only your smaller competitors but also the dominant players in your market, you need to differentiate yourself from the pack.

You may already be familiar with the concept of a “value proposition” — a fancy term for a short statement encapsulating why customers benefit from doing business with you. But even if you have one, it might not effectively differentiate you from your competitors or show the true value your business provides.

As a small business owner, you usually assume your value proposition should perform two key functions when it comes to the competition:

1. Show the value you provide that small competitors don’t.
2. Show the value you provide that large competitors don’t.

But, in reality, your value proposition should focus on just one thing: Showing the unique value you provide to your target customer. Period. (more…)