Communicating to Employees About Health Insurance Open Enrollment |  |
- Communicating to Employees About Health Insurance Open Enrollment
- Microsoft Wants HTC to Run Windows
- Your Google Analytics Guide to Data Collecting
- New Etsy Policy on Mass Produced Goods: “Be Honest”
- Speaker of the House: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
| Communicating to Employees About Health Insurance Open Enrollment Posted: 07 Oct 2013 04:00 PM PDT
Ahh, open enrollment season. It's the time human resources and benefits professionals spend much of the year preparing for, even though many American workers don't think twice about their health benefits from one year to the next. However, this year, open enrollment should be given a second thought … and maybe third and fourth thoughts, too. According to the 2013 Aflac WorkForces Report, 90 percent of consumers are on autopilot, meaning they select the same health insurance plan year after year. This statistic becomes alarming when coupled with data from Aflac's Open Enrollment survey, which found that as of August 2013, 70 percent of employers had not communicated changes to health benefits as a result of reform, despite the Oct. 1 deadline. What this means is people may be apt to select the same coverage again for 2014 without understanding how their company's health insurance plans have changed. This could lead to wasted funds if workers are paying for extra coverage they won't need. Alternatively, employees could find themselves without some coverage if their insurance benefits have decreased. You may be wondering, "How can my small business communicate effectively to employees while also meeting reform's many requirements?" The six key messages below can enable you to cut through the noise to help your employees avoid costly mistakes. Communicating About Health Insurance Open EnrollmentYour Company's PlanBy Oct. 1, 2013, most small businesses should have told workers whether or not they plan to offer employer-sponsored major medical insurance, and to provide information about the Health Insurance Marketplace (also known as exchanges) and potential subsidies. Take note, and know that if you have 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, you will be eligible to participate in the Small Business Health Option Program (SHOP) Marketplace next year. Workers' Risk of Losing Employer ContributionsIf workers purchase coverage through exchanges, they may miss out on employer contributions to company-offered health benefits. They may also lose the tax break from employer contributions that are excluded from federal income taxes. This information should have also been included in the Oct. 1 notice. Your Company's Benefits-Coverage LevelWorkers need to know your company's level of benefits coverage to compare plans accurately. Today's average actuarial value (AV) of employer-provided coverage is 80 to 89 percent. Actuarial value (AV) is the amount a plan is expected to pay, on average, for the Essential Health Benefits (EHBs) offered by the plan. The remaining amount is represented as co-payments, deductibles, and co-insurance and would be paid by the covered individual(s). In addition to offering plans with 80 and 90 percent AVs, the public Health Insurance Marketplace will offer plans with the same benefits levels but lower AVs (60 and 70 percent), which means lower premiums but more of out-of-pocket costs such as copays, deductibles and co-insurance. Money Your Small Business ContributesTalk to employees about your company's investment to paint a clear picture of their total compensation packages. Since health care costs continue to rise, your total contribution can have a substantial effect on workers' wallets. Voluntary Benefits OfferingsEven for those with major medical insurance, voluntary insurance policies can provide a financial safety net in the event of serious illness or injury. Because dental insurance is the only voluntary benefit offered through the public Health Insurance Marketplace, other voluntary options such as disability, life and accident coverage must be purchased separately. Your Company's Total Rewards StrategyIf your company offers perks such as a wellness program, flex time or discount gym memberships, boast about them during open enrollment. It is the perfect opportunity to educate workers about all your company has to offer. Some might not enroll in these programs, but awareness will improve employees' opinions of your company's benefits. [1] Gabel, J.R., Lore, R., McDevitt, R.D., Pickreign, J.D., Whitmore, H. Slover, M. & Levy-Forsythe, E. (2012). More Than Half Of Individual Health Plans Offer Coverage That Falls Short Of What Can Be Sold Through Exchanges As Of 2014. Health Affairs, 31(6):1339-1348. Health Care Photo via Shutterstock The post Communicating to Employees About Health Insurance Open Enrollment appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Microsoft Wants HTC to Run Windows Posted: 07 Oct 2013 01:30 PM PDT
Small businesses running Windows on their office computers can sometimes have limited options when it comes to mobile devices also running Windows. Android and Apple operating systems dominate the smartphone and tablet field with some exceptions. Microsoft’s Surface RT and Surface Pro offer Windows in tablet form as do the newer Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2. Microsoft’s recently announced plans to acquire Windows phone maker Nokia demonstrates another likely attempt to get more and better Windows mobile devices on the market. Microsoft and HTC: In TalksNow Microsoft is in talks with smartphone maker HTC in an effort to get Widows added to the company’s Android phones including the flagship HTC One, Bloomberg reports. See a full review of the phone below: The HTC One has already received praise for its high quality functionality, design, screen resolution and camera. Microsoft has apparently asked the Taiwan-based smartphone company to load Windows Phone as a second option on its Android devices. It’s not clear whether the two operating systems would run side by side or whether a user would just pick one or the other as a default, Bloomberg reported. Microsoft’s mobile operating system still trails Android and Apple significantly in the smartphone market. So questions remain about whether demand exists for more Windows phones. Would you choose a Windows smartphone for your business if more selection was available? Image: Wikipedia The post Microsoft Wants HTC to Run Windows appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Your Google Analytics Guide to Data Collecting Posted: 07 Oct 2013 11:00 AM PDT
Did you know that are currently more than 10 million websites linked up to Google Analytics? Google shared that figure in a recent report. While millions of sites have the software installed, there is currently no information available on whether site owners are using it effectively or at all. Sometimes, people are simply too pressed for time to bother or too intimidated by the interface to explore all the helpful data behind the curtain. But not to worry. There are a number of simple shortcuts and tips that can help you get to know Google Analytics in no time. One important thing to remember: While there is a learning period – as with anything else – understanding how you can use Google Analytics for your business should be considered mission critical. You're missing out on some valuable insights if you don't use it, or a similar analytics program. The data you collect will help you measure your ROI, quantify the value of your marketing efforts, and help you set and achieve sales goals. When it comes to SEO and social media marketing, tracking your ROI (return on investment) is critical. This is especially true if you are bringing in income from your site. If you're just getting started with Google Analytics, it's easy to feel intimidated by the data. Google Analytics Guide to Strategies for Collecting DataOptimize for MobileHaving a website that is optimized for mobile is critically important. A recent report by Pew Internet reveals that 56% of adults in the US have smartphones and over one-third own tablets. You can use Google Analytics to help uncover data about how your site is performing for your mobile customers. When you are viewing your dashboard:
This pulls up a chart which reveals some critical information about how mobile customers are using your site. You can track everything from:
If you are interested in seeing how mobile users are responding to your site, review two specific metrics: Compare Your bounce Rate With the Bounce Rate for Mobile Users Are the rates about the same, or are bounces from mobile users higher? If you notice that abandon rates are elevated among users on mobile devices, it may be time to look at your mobile strategy. Take the time to evaluate how your site looks on different smartphones and tablets. Share your findings with a professional web designer when you're discussing how you can improve the site experience for mobile users. Evaluate the Abandonment Rates by Specific Device Users This will help provide some valuable insight into how your site is performing on certain smartphones and tablets. If bounce rates are higher for a specific device, it's critical that you find a way to access one of those devices to take a look at your site. Chances are there's probably an issue with how it's rendering for those particular device users. Another important thing to keep in mind is that Google has recently emphasized the importance of mobile optimization when it comes to their search engine rankings. So you'll want to make sure your site renders well across different devices. Examine User Behavior of Specific SegmentsEveryone who visits your site matters to your business. But it's essential that site owners pay attention to the value of certain customers. For example, maybe you're running a PPC (pay per click) campaign for your business, and every click costs you money. It's especially important to understand the effectiveness of your campaign and track those conversions. In order to get down into the nitty-gritty of your site's user behavior, you can use the Google Analytics advanced segmenting tool to track how your customers are accessing your site and whether they are taking the desired action. It's easy to start tracking this:
You can now view data for specific traffic metrics of site visitors. This allows you to check on things like your PPC abandonment rates and modify your campaigns to help meet your sales goals. Or if you notice that you are getting high volumes of referral traffic, consider writing a few targeted guest posts to help attract more potential customers. Take the time to do a deeper dive into Advanced Segmentation. You can also check out important areas across your site such as: Ecommerce Statistics Are you selling things on your website? If so, this is worth a look. It can provide you with better knowledge of who your customers are. Set Goals You also have the option of creating goals funnels within GA. Goals funnels let you track how your site visitors are converting. For example, whether they are signing up for your newsletter or downloading your white papers. Sources of Traffic How are mobile users behaving on your site? Compare this to desktop users. Use this information to help plan your mobile strategy moving forward. Don't just stop with the basic statistics if you want to truly understand visitor behavior. A more in-depth look will help you tailor your site to meet the needs of different users. Create Stronger CTAs through In-Page AnalyticsCompelling calls to action help improve your sales conversions. And it isn't just your copy you need to be paying attention to; it's your site design as well. If you are hoping to improve your calls to action, why not try some A/B testing? Simply put, you create two styles of a page with a small difference. Maybe it's a button with a specific call to action, and you design one in blue and one in red. Test them out to determine which version improves your sales conversions. Split testing is highly effective, but can also be time consuming. GA's In-Page Analytics feature lets you see which landing pages are converting best. It tracks click percentages on different pages. You can also use it to see how close you are to meeting specific site goals. The report is both rich in data and highly visual. Site owners can use this feature to answer key questions such as:
The In-Page Analytics feature also lets you understand what's "above the fold." Popular in the newspaper industry, this references what your visitors are seeing when they land on your site. Are you using this area to showcase your most important content? To find out, click on "Browser Size" in the middle menu bar while using the In-Page feature. Google Analytics is an important tool for any site owner. It sheds light on critical data that you can use to optimize your site for different devices, improve your sales conversions, and meet your business goals. So don't be intimidated by the interface. Dive in and learn how to use this important tool – you'll be glad you did. Do you have any helpful tips? Guide Book Photo via Shutterstock The post Your Google Analytics Guide to Data Collecting appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| New Etsy Policy on Mass Produced Goods: “Be Honest” Posted: 07 Oct 2013 08:00 AM PDT
From now on, Etsy merchants using more than one crafts person to create a product or using manufacturing in their process will have just one Etsy policy to follow: be honest. The policy change is an attempt to address gray areas some users say have allowed “resellers” to market essentially mass produced materials on the handmade goods site. Up until now, three kinds of items have been allowed on Etsy: Vintage items 20 years or older, craft supplies and handmade items. But changes to Etsy’s policy in the handmade category in 2011 allowed use of third party vendors to complete some tasks. The changes also allowed multiple craftspeople to collaborate on products in collective shops. Critics say the policies were vague enough to allow outsourcing of production and the emergence of merchants that were essentially resellers of mass produced items on Etsy. And some users began strongly protesting in forums and with a mass shut down of Etsy shops in spring 2012. New Etsy Policy Change Addresses Outside ManufacturingBut a new policy recently introduced addresses both issues and is more specific about what constitutes an item appropriate for Etsy listing. The “New Guidelines for Etsy Shops” specify that such collaboration must be transparent:
The guidelines further explain:
Etsy will also require an “Outside Manufacturing Form” to be filled out before such items can be listed on Etsy. New Outside Manufacturing Review ProcessEtsy’s “integrity team” will review all submissions and ask each applicant questions about their business and about the outside manufacturers with whom they are working. The company wants to be sure the merchant is the creator, designer and maker of each item listed even if some outside manufacturing has been done. But it’s clear under the new guidelines that merchants who simply sell items mass produced by others do not fit the criteria. Do you think Etsy’s new guidelines will solve the controversy over reselling in the handmade goods community? Meanwhile check out some other places for selling handmade goods including 20 more places to sell handmade crafts. Handmade Pottery Photo via Shutterstock The post New Etsy Policy on Mass Produced Goods: “Be Honest” appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Speaker of the House: Between a Rock and a Hard Place Posted: 07 Oct 2013 05:00 AM PDT The Speaker of the House, John Boehner, believes that small businesses are the "primary engine of job creation in our country." He favors policies that help small companies create jobs, which has led the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) to give him a Guardian of Small Business Award for his voting in the 111th and 112th Congresses. Right now, however, he has to choose between three alternatives that will harm small business employment. It's enough to make a House Speaker cry. If the Speaker allows the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a continuing resolution (CR) without defunding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), he contributes to burdening small business with the cost of the new law. As I have written elsewhere, the ACA is raising the cost of health insurance coverage at small businesses. Not all companies will be able to pass this increased cost onto employees in the form of lower wages. Some of them – particularly those in low wage industries – will be forced to cut employment instead. Others will cut worker hours and convert full-time jobs to part-time ones to avoid the requirement to provide full-time workers with health care coverage. Still other businesses will cut back on expansion plans because the new law compels businesses with 50 or more full-time workers to provide employees with health insurance, or because the cost of providing insurance makes growing less attractive. If Mr. Boehner doesn't allow the House to vote on a clean CR, then the government shutdown is likely to continue. While the shutdown itself directly affects only a small number of small businesses – relatively few operate in places where federal workers have been furloughed or are seeking to obtain now-delayed Small Business Administration loans or to collect suspended federal contracts – it’s now threatening to roll into the debt ceiling debate. If the U.S. government runs out of money because Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling, a financial crisis and recession are likely. A government default would rile financial markets. Small business credit markets would likely suffer collateral damage, as happened during the 2008 financial crisis. Unable to borrow, many small businesses would be forced to lay off workers. Moreover, many economists predict that a default-induced financial crisis would set off a recession. Demand for small business owners' products and services would drop, just like demand for big business's goods and services. With sales falling, small business profits would slide, and small business owners would have to cut staff. Mr. Boehner doesn't even have the luxury of waiting for the Democrats to move first. The Economic Policy Uncertainty Index, calculated by economist Nick Bloom of Stanford University and colleagues, has recently risen. Policy uncertainty is bad news for small business hiring. When business owners can't predict what Washington will do, they put hiring and investment decisions on hold, as I showed in 2011 Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Commentary, written with the bank's Senior Vice President and Director of Research, Mark Schweitzer. Mr. Speaker, I'm sorry, but you are boxed in. If you want to help small business, then your best option is to pick the least-bad alternative. If it's any consolation, I don't think many small business owners will blame you for the choice you make. The post Speaker of the House: Between a Rock and a Hard Place appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
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