Rocket Lawyer On Call For Legal Assistance |  |
- Rocket Lawyer On Call For Legal Assistance
- Here’s What Your Employees Want: Are You Listening?
- Social Media Tips for Small Business
- 12 Blogs Every Small Business Should Be Reading
| Rocket Lawyer On Call For Legal Assistance Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:00 PM PDT For individuals and businesses in need of legal assistance, finding an attorney with the right expertise can seem like a daunting task. And likewise, individual attorneys and small law practices can sometimes have trouble finding the right clients to keep their business moving in the right direction.
Attorney network Rocket Lawyer has recently launched a new service called On Call, which aims to help connect attorneys and small law practices with new clients, without all the extra work normally involved in setting up a marketing campaign. According to a Rocket Lawyer study, many solo attorneys and small law practices feel they need a more efficient way to reach new clients. Focusing on marketing efforts and reaching out to new clients might be easy for large law firms, but for small businesses, that type of work can just take up time that could be used for actually providing legal services and running a business. Said California-based On Call attorney, Mark Ruiz:
Once attorneys sign up and are admitted into the program, they will receive access to pre-screened potential clients, Rocket Lawyer's library of legal documents, and their own profile page on the Rocket Lawyer website. The Rocket Lawyer team actually interviews potential clients up front and provides information to attorneys so they can decide which cases might be the best fit for their practice. The attorney profile pages on Rocket Lawyer's site can include pertinent information about the practice, such as areas of expertise and pricing, so that potential clients can learn more about the attorneys that can help their case. Both lawyers and other small businesses needing legal help could benefit from this type of program. Users of the site can choose from a list of practice areas, including business law, intellectual property, and several other types that may be pertinent to small business owners. Rocket Lawyer offers a basic plan and a professional plan for individuals and businesses seeking legal assistance. The post Rocket Lawyer On Call For Legal Assistance appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Here’s What Your Employees Want: Are You Listening? Posted: 19 Sep 2012 11:00 AM PDT When it comes to what your employees want, too many small business owners are in denial. At least, that's the finding of a new study by MetLife, which polled small business owners and employees and found that while employee loyalty has dropped steadily since 2008, employers mistakenly believe it's on the rise.
More than one-third of the work force (36 percent) hopes to find a new job soon, and among younger employees (Gen X and Gen Y), that number hits 42 percent. If you're looking to replace lost workers, be aware that benefits were also an important factor in attracting younger workers—even more so than in attracting Boomer-age workers. One reason younger workers are more likely to be influenced by benefits is because they're having a harder time financially, with 50 percent saying they're more reliant on employee benefits for financial security than they were in the past. However, that's not to say Boomers are carefree. More than half of employees in all age groups are worried about making ends meet, paying for health insurance and paying down debt. Employers are also in the dark about what benefits contribute most to employee loyalty. Asked what benefits were key drivers of loyalty, more than half (52 percent) of employees named retirement benefits, 44 percent said nonmedical insurance benefits (such as life insurance) and 38 percent want to have a choice of benefits. While employers in the survey were well aware of the importance of benefits, 65 percent report it has become more difficult to pay for them. The good news for cost-conscious employers: Two-thirds of younger workers and more than half of Boomers say they'd rather pay for more of the cost of their benefits than lose them altogether. Give Employees What They WantAsk The title of the study, Are You Listening? offers a clue. Start by asking your employees what kinds of benefits they care about most. You may find, based on the age group of most of your employees, that the results are not what you expected. Analyze Figure out what kinds of benefits you can offer. Is there something that would make you a more desirable employer because none of your competitors offer it? Conversely, is there some type of benefit that's considered "essential" or basic in your industry or your area? Price Figure out what you can afford and how much your employees are willing to pay. If something that employees care about deeply is out of your price range, can they contribute part (or all) of the cost? You might be surprised: MetLife found that more than one-third of employees were interested in having access to disability coverage, life insurance, dental insurance and vision insurance—even if they had to pay 100 percent of the cost. Communicate Letting employees know what you offer and how much it costs is key to building loyalty. Be transparent about the cost of policies and how much of the tab you are picking up. Employees often underestimate these costs, and showing them the reality will make the benefits more valuable to them and build loyalty. Review Don't "set and forget" your benefits. Do an annual checkup to ask employees what benefits they used, what they care about and what they don't care about. Also talk to your insurance agent(s) each year to assess whether you have adequate coverage, what you can drop (and add) and ways to lower your bill. Going forward, the trend toward employees contributing more for coverage won't end anytime soon. As the war for talent heats up, having employees chip in for their benefits will make it easier for small business owners to win at least part of the battle. Listening Photo via Shutterstock The post Here's What Your Employees Want: Are You Listening? appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Social Media Tips for Small Business Posted: 19 Sep 2012 08:00 AM PDT You’ve recently setup the obligatory Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ profile pages for your small business and you’re asking yourself, “Now what?”
If you’re new to the game and wondering what to do next, below are 5 social media tips to send you and your small business off in the right direction to achieve social media success: 1) Develop a Strategy I’ve seen many companies make the mistake of approaching social media without a strategy. First, decide which social networks make most sense for your company. You may not have a product that will translate to Pinterest or Instagram. It’s better to have a limited, strategic presence on social media than to be everywhere without purpose. Once you have selected the social networks that best suit your company, you can then align your strategy to meet your desired goals. For example, do you have the goal of growing your Facebook community? If so, you should be brainstorming content, promotions, and posts that will attract your target customer. 2) Respond Assigning an intern to manage the social media channels a few hours per week is simply not enough anymore. Your online community expects to receive responses to inquiries in a timely manner (typical accepted response time is within 24 hours). If you aren’t willing to invest the time and money it takes to respond to your online followers, then you probably shouldn’t be on social media. Customers want to know someone is listening. The simple task of responding speaks volumes to your customer service. If you don’t have the answer and need some time to find it, let that person know that you have seen their question and you are working to get the answer for them. 3) It’s All About the Content Don’t just broadcast anything to make it look like you’re active on social media. There are too many companies out there bombarding their followers with the social media equivalent of spam. If you want to build a following, create content that makes you a leader in your industry. If you don’t have enough time to regularly produce original quality content, share the good content that’s already out there or approach the experts to create content for you. Your online community will thank you for helping them find the good stuff. 4) Don’t Duplicate Posting the same thing to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like is redundant and will cause you to lose followers. Tailor the content for each network and audience. LinkedIn is a professional network so this serves as a great place for thought leadership. Make use of photos and other rich media content to tell a visual story using Facebook Timeline. People join social networks for different reasons and you best serve your online community when you know who they are and what they want to see. Take the time to do the research and post what is best suited to each medium. 5) Self Promotion is Anti-Social In real life, when you’re trying to make friends, talking about yourself won’t get you far. It’s the same with social media. Your participation in the space should foster conversation. It’s okay to tell your online community about a new product or promotion, as long as that’s not all you’re doing. Make it easy for your community, customers, and industry leaders to share content on your social pages. Be an active listener to better understand what your community wants. If they’re following you, they already think you’re great, you don’t need to constantly remind them. How do you use social media for your small business? Share your social media tips with us. Social Network Photo via Shutterstock The post Social Media Tips for Small Business appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| 12 Blogs Every Small Business Should Be Reading Posted: 19 Sep 2012 05:00 AM PDT Last month I encouraged everyone to make blog reading part of their day. While it's easy to ignore your daily reading list or think it's not a productive use of your time, the truth is staying up to date on blogs is a great way to stay in tune with what's happening in your industry, educate yourself on new trends, and even to keep your own creative juices flowing for material. As mentioned yesterday, by becoming part of your local ecosystem, it also makes you a more attractive link/traffic target.
I thought today I would share a short list of blogs I think every small business owner would benefit from reading, regardless of your industry. Below are some of my personal recommendations. Business Leadership/Entrepreneur BlogsQuickSprout is a blog penned by serial entrepreneur Neil Patel and covers a wide variety of tips from leadership, to social media, to search engine optimization, and everything in between. While it would arguably fit in any of the categories on this list, Neil's posts on business best practices are some of his most valuable. But as an SMB, you'd be wise to listen to anything Neil talks about. The Harvard Business Review is a great place to head for general business advice, leadership tips, crisis management information, and a host of other topics. Articles are written by expert authors and I always leave with a few new takeaways and things I want to start implementing in my own work. As the name would suggest, you can find some 'killer' information here on everything you need to know to run a successful company. There's information on the best tools, apps, how to build a great team, product reviews, etc. This blog has been in my feed reader for a long time, and with good reason. I really enjoy checking out Mixergy to hear from other entrepreneurs who have created successful businesses, how they did it, and to get a sense of their personal stories. I think that's something Mixery does really well – it lets you hear directly from the people holding the sweat equity. Right now there are more than 750 interviews on the site to benefit from. Search Engine Optimization AdviceMike is a familiar face here at SmallBizTrends.com, as we often reference some of the great finds he comes across. If you're a small business owner trying to understand all the changes associated with Google Places, local search, and what bugs are getting fixed when, Mike's blog is among the best in the industry to follow and a huge resource. I think he may have a secret line to Google because he seems to know things before anyone else. Known to many for his annual Local Search Rankings Survey, David Mihm is a constant source of expert local search information. He's also known for his GetListed.org events, which bring noted local search experts to various towns across the country to help small business owners learn more about SEO, social media, and how to increase their Web presence. Search Engine Land's Local Search Category Search Engine Land is a huge SEO resource for marketers of all levels. However, small business owners will want to pay special attention to the Local Search section which is designed with them specifically in mind. There's great tips and best practices on how to craft an effective listing, how to use social media, and other small business issues. If you're interested in further social media reading or other topics, you'll also be able to find that information in other SEL categories. Content MarketingThe folks at Blueglass cover a lot of great topics on their blog, but their content marketing topics may be of most interest to small business owners. Here you'll find tips, tools, and personal experiences that anyone can learn from and implement in their own business. One of the most strategic, forward-thinking outlets on content marketing topics. Andy Sernovitz's blog where he shares great examples of word of mouth marketing, oftentimes centered around the content we're using or how we're talking to customers. There are great case studies, as well as examples from big and small brands. The goal of Copyblogger is to help you get traffic, attract links, increase subscribers and grow revenue through content. The site offers strategic advice on how to become better with content and is a must read for anyone looking to build a business on the Web. Jay Baer's blog is a great resource for marketers looking to use social media and content to better connect with customers. What I love about Jay's blog is it's chock full of data that marketers can use to make informed decisions. It's less theory and more hard-hitting evidence of success. And of Course….Google has an official blog for small business owners to keep them up to date on new releases, using Google tools, and other news. Some of it can be a little overly-promotional at times, but it's worth following. This is a Google world, after all. Above are some of my favorite blogs to help me in my daily business life. What blogs do you currently rely on? Blog Photo via Shutterstock The post 12 Blogs Every Small Business Should Be Reading appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
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