The majority of our employees require flexibility at some point in their careers. Research increasingly points to flexibility as one of the most important career considerations of staff, emerging leaders and even our seasoned leaders. If we do not offer this flexibility in our organizations we will lose productivity in our top talent pool and we may lose this top talent completely to our competitors. In addition to flexibility as a requirement for top talent, consider the possibility that flexibility can actually improve your organizational results.

There are many definitions of flexibility. For the purposes of this discussion we are talking about any type of flexibility that allows team members to depart from the standard schedule of an early morning start time to an early evening departure, with all hours served as face time, either at a client/customer site or at the office location. There are many articles and books written regarding the types of flexible work arrangements available.  This posting will not focus on the mechanics of the arrangements but the business case behind them.

Flexibility is not exclusively about part time work. Many types of flexibility involve no reduction in the amount of hours worked. In fact, many types of flexibility involve only one dimension of work structure, such as location, amount of travel or timeframe of the hours worked. There are many dimensions to work structure. Each of these dimensions can be considered when offering flexibility options to team members which in turn gives organizations many options.

The days of flexibility centered on “flex-time” programs and individual “accommodation” has past. Organizations that are making flexible work cultures a success are doing so by using flexibility and the building of a “flexible work culture” as a business strategy that supports business goals directly. Each organization will have a slightly different emphasis in their business case for flexibility. The business case should be directly tied to the strategic plan of the organization which will drive the prioritization of the flexibility business case components specific to each organization.

The list below includes many common business goals .  Flexibility can assist in the accomplishment of these business goals. These business goals should be prioritized based on applicability to the organization and customized with actual organizational data when formulating the business case for specific organizational flexibility.  The upcoming posts in this series will focus on each of these business goals and how flexibility can assist an organization accomplishing these goals.

Employee Attraction and Retention ; Improved Productivity; Improved Customer Service and Satisfaction; Effective Operational Management

Stay tuned for Part II of this series….

Mary L Bennett, mlbennettconsulting.com

I work as a consultant for a variety of clients, and I’ve worked with consultants during my life in Corporate America.  As such, I’m familiar with the challenges that businesses and consultants face when it comes to communicating effectively to ensure workflows move seamlessly, so when I was asked to check out the Comprehensive Technology Platform that Mavenlink offers to help Consultants and Clients to work together more effectively, I was intrigued.

Mavenlink offers features for businesses, consultants, service firms and non-profits.  Consultants can manage marketing, proposals, negotiations, contracts, invoicing, and more.  Even better, Mavenlink’s technology offers a collaborative workspace feature that enhances both communications and productivity between consultants and clients.

I spent some time reviewing the Mavenlink platform and website.  I was happy to see that customers can get a Free Trial on all Plans and no credit card is required.  That means you can give it a try without the risk of investing in a tool that doesn’t give you the results you need.

There are many tools online that help consulants with invoicing, but there aren’t many that offer the complete package that Mavenlink provides (with more features coming soon).  The monthly fee is quite reasonable, and you can cancel your contract at any time.  If you’re looking for a platform to help you manage and grow your consulting or freelance business, try Mavenlink with the free trial offer.  Follow the link to check out their website for more details.

A  Roadmap For Recovery

Stimulus dollars are headed toward businesses that support these Recovery Act goals:

• Healthcare: Modernize the healthcare system with electronic medical records systems.
• Energy: Promote solar power, renewable energy, smart grids and develop domestic energy sources
• Green Building: Build energy-efficient homes and public buildings
• Science and Technology: Promote scientific research and innovation
• Transportation: Upgrade the transportation infrastructure with new roads, bridges, and mass transit systems
• Education: Improve public schools and job training

The Recovery Act envisions a smarter, more efficient, more productive future. If your small business plan can move the nation forward, you’re a step closer to winning Uncle Sam’s financing and support.

Ten Best Cities to Stage an Economic Revival

Location is the other piece of the stimulus puzzle. To ensure that funding reflects local priorities, the White House is leaving ground-level decisions to state and local authorities. Winning the funding game is a matter of finding the right combination of business plan and place.

The following cities are leading the economic revival in their recovery sectors:

Washington, D.C

With the highest per capita spending across all industries, Washington, D.C. offers the broadest scope of recovery-funded business opportunities. For funding in education, healthcare, construction, urban development, criminal justice, and the arts, look inside the beltway.

Boston, MA

Innovative entrepreneurs will find fertile ground for their ideas in Boston. Ranking third in Popular Science’s list of ‘America’s Greenest Cities,’ Boston is putting its recovery money toward clean-energy initiatives. Partner with local R&D brainpower to start your own clean-energy venture. Equipment leasing and a government grant can help you secure the lab facilities and scientific talent to get the ball rolling.

Detroit, MI

With the auto industry and heavy manufacturing in decline, Detroit is using its stimulus dollars to combat soaring unemployment. Help the city’s manufacturing workforce transition to the information economy with a placement service. Your federal small business loan can fund a call center and answering service, linking local talent to employers nationwide.

Anchorage, AK

Alaska’s military funding amounts to $313 per person, twice that of the next highest recipient, Hawaii; by contrast, most states spend $20 or less per person on military contracts. Take advantage of the military spending with a civil construction company. Equipment leasing can help you gear up for construction projects on Anchorage’s two active military bases.

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, SC is among the nation’s funding leaders for green building ventures. ”Greening” federal buildings is a focus of the recovery effort in hurricane-prone Charleston. A green business specializing in the retrofit of federal buildings has great potential to win Uncle Sam’s support.

Providence, RI

Providence’s major hospitals make the city a hospitable environment for healthcare stimulus funding. Capture those dollars with an electronic medical records business. E-commerce solutions offer a low-cost storefront from which to launch your electronic medical records venture.

New York, NY

With the financial sector reeling, New York is counting on technological innovation to save the day. Specifically, the state is pinning its hopes on small business, with a portion of federal R&D funds “set aside for small business to develop and commercialize innovative technology.” You don’t need to be a scientist to benefit from science money. A content writing service, for example, plays a valuable support role in product development. To get started, market your services online with a SEO friendly Website design.

Cheyenne, WY

Wyoming ranks number one in per-capita stimulus funding for the arts. Set up your own art studio in Wyoming’s art capital, Cheyenne. Then expand your following with a world-class Web design. Internet Marketig tools such as pay-per-click (PPC), social media marekting can help you represent artists from Cheyenne to China.

Jersey City, NJ

New Jersey is putting its money on the state’s public infrastructure, leading the nation in per-capita funding for transportation. Win a highway repaving contract, rent equipment through a leasing program, and play your part in rebuilding the country–one mile at a time.

Jackson, MS

If your specialty is education, head to Jackson, MS. Mississippi is throwing a lifeline to its K-12 education system. Tap into funds earmarked for improving educational standards by setting up a standardized testing service for Jackson’s public schools.

The White House is looking for a few good entrepreneurs to lead the nation out of economic slump. Between expanded Small Business loan programs and Recovery Act contracts, Uncle Sam is there to help your business succeed.

Yesterday one of the highlighted articles was, “If you create online content, Google’s SideWiki just changed your world, and I got intrigued.  The article, by Mack Collier, used Seth Godin’s blog as an example of those bloggers who do not allow comments to be made on their posts.  Oh, you can “favorite” Godin’s posts on various social media like Digg or Facebook, but you can’t leave a comment.  Collier demonstrated that Google’s newest application, SideWiki, can change that.  This interesting application lets you open a skinny column on the side of any web page you’re currently looking at and leave a comment – and read the comments of others. This looked pretty fascinating to me, so I installed it.  It’s simple and easy and free of any cost.  I’ve already utilized it twice since adding it yesterday.

To demonstrate, I created a screenshot of Women On Business’ “About” page, first as it appears on your screen, and then a second screenshot showing how it looks with SideWiki and the comment I placed there:

Sometimes I find in reading blogs, that I learn from the comments made by others.  Sometimes a writer will do a post of “5 Tips for…” and in the comments someone will add two or three other useful tips or thoughts that have value.

SideWiki could provide a way for people to comment about goods or services on webpages with no commenting features, such as a product page.  Yesterday I was looking for a printer driver online at a wellknown manufacturer and there was no way to garner information about other people’s experiences with the process of downloading.  With SideWiki, I could leave a comment on that page and leave a hint about what I found easy or complicated and how I might have dealt with the issue or whether the process was successful.  How would this help the website’s owner? If I were the manufacturer of that printer, and did offer the download, I could log into SideWiki and view the comments as a quality control function.  This could be a useful application for business.

The most important thing for you to maintain is the security of your computer — PCs are heavily at risk — as well as the security of your login username and password.

Always log out after a session to prevent your open account from being used, especially if you’re in a public location like the library or internet cafe.

Unfortunately, opting out of the social networking phenomena may be a bad idea as someone else may claim your identity.

From a recent article in the Washington Post…

“…if you don’t claim a space on these networks, someone else may do it for you as a way of scamming or attacking your friends and business contacts. With the permission and good humor of security pioneer Marcus Ranum, Hamiel and Moyer created a LinkedIn profile on Ranum’s behalf, including a photo of him and bits from his résumé to make the profile look legit. In less than 24 hours, more than 50 people had joined his LinkedIn network. Among those taken in by the stunt was Ranum’s sister.”

Type in a new website instead of clicking on a link: if a link comes from someone you trust, use your best knowledge to choose if you’ll click or not. I usually open up a new browser and physically type in the address. If any website asks to install something your machine, back away— turn off your computer if needed.

Finally, consider this: the internet is truly a great enabler in that it brings information to anyone who has a connection. Because of this amazing wealth of information, your interactions with the Web can be filled with excitement, connections, and sharing, but like anything powerful, you must handle yourself and others with sensitivity and care.

Learn more about Managing and Protecting your Online Identity: link

How much postage do you use?
Potential savings depend on your current shipping costs.  If your business mails fliers, promotional brochures, or even invoices to a large number of clients or potential customers, a postage meter can probably save you a lot of money.  Postage meters can also be used for shipping packages- home businesses that sell items on eBay or manufacture products for sale can benefit from an easy, quick shipment process.  Since postage machines allow you to pay exact postage, you’ll never overpay.

Postage machine features
Mailing machine equipment can be customized for the specific type of mail you send.  For example, you can choose a machine with envelope sealing and stacking features to send promotional materials, or choose a machine with a scale to weigh and send packages.  The most basic machines have a light scale and a meter only- if you want a feeder tray to send large mailings, you’ll need to look for a machine that has these additional components.

You can also choose a machine with online access, which allows you to you “fill up” your meter online- usually up to $1,000.  Online access also allows you to download current postal rates automatically, so you’ll have access to the most up-to-date-information and avoid overpayment.

Costs
You can’t purchase a postage meter- they’re always leased to businesses, usually for about $20/month.  Postage machine equipment (scales, feeder trays, etc.) can be leased or purchased.  The more complex the equipment you need, the more expensive it will be.  The lease or equipment purchase charges do not include the actual cost of postage that you’ll pay.  You should also consider the cost of supplies like ink, envelope sealant, etc.  Make sure that you’ll be saving enough using the meter to cover it’s overhead costs.

Service Contracts
Most meters come with some sort of maintenance or service contract.  The contract usually covers the meter equipment and any necessary repairs.  Make sure you know the details before you make a purchase, especially if your company relies on outgoing mail for core business practices.  You should know when an on-site repair is necessary, the length of time between a service request and the actual repair, and your share of repair costs, if any.

Using a postage meter is a smart idea for any company that relies on outgoing mail for marketing, correspondences, or even to ship products.  Make sure you shop around, consulting several different leasing companies, before you make your final choice.

Retail benefits
POS systems make transaction processing quick and easy- saving employee time and cutting down on transaction errors.  You can use a POS system as a cash register and credit card terminal in one.  They also allow you to keep track of inventory, sales, promotions, employee work schedules- software can be customized for almost any type of business.  Retail businesses with lots of inventory can especially benefit from using a POS system- you can enter product offerings as they are received, and items are automatically deducted from inventory when they are sold.  You’ll know when to reorder, what you have in stock, and can track sales trends to boost future revenue.

Benefits for service businesses
POS software is available for service businesses, as well.  There’s a range of software available for restaurants, hotels, salons, yoga studios- basically any business.  POS software can process transactions (for example, when customers pay for services) and manage scheduling at businesses such as hotels or salons.  Most systems can be used with customized hardware- for example, POS systems for bars and restaurants can be linked to pour-tracking caps for alcohol bottles, allowing you to see which drinks were ordered, when, and how much inventory was used to prepare them.

Software and Hardware
Software is the foundation for your system- you should always choose it first before buying any hardware components.  Choose an industry-specific software program that you’re comfortable with- ask for a demo or free trial.  The software you choose determines the hardware you’ll need.  You can purchase scanners, terminals, and other items as your software requires.  Make sure you get the dimensions, weight, and electricity requirements for all POS equipment before making a purchase, and try to buy everything from one vendor.

An online search for vendors can turn up hundreds of results, so it might be a good idea to ask for recommendations first before wading through information from hundreds of companies.  You can also use a vendor locator service- ours at Resource Nation screens vendors based on your requirements, so you’ll get search results tailored specifically to your needs.

Costs
POS pricing is hard to determine, because it depends on your requirements.  As a very basic guideline, expect to pay up to $1,000 for a basic computer terminal and transaction processing software.  Keyboards and scanners can cost up to a few hundred dollars, and touch screens can run into the thousands.  Don’t let price influence your decision too much- the benefits to your business usually more than cover the initial costs.

Mix-and-match options
Don’t build a system from scratch by yourself.  POS systems are expensive, so it can be tempting to try a DIY system, with components purchased from different discount sources.  Unless you really know what you’re doing, this usually isn’t a good idea.  Sure, you might be able to get a touch screen for $200 on craigslist, but it might end up costing thousands to program it to work with your software or customize it to reflect your product offerings.  Try to buy everything at the same time from the same vendor to ensure compatibility.

How to get the best deal
You can definitely negotiate when it comes to costs, especially if you’re buying everything from the same vendor.  Here are a few “extras” you can ask for:

• software upgrades (for free or discounted)
• equipment discounts (or free equipment)
• extended contract terms
• maintenance services
• employee training sessions

You can also ask about refurbished equipment, or trade in used office equipment (like keyboards or computer monitors) to many vendors.  It’s a win-win: good for the environment and your wallet.

Logging on to Twitter on a gloomy, overcast English morning, I was cheered to find that someone had tweeted: ‘WOOOHOOO!!! Sunshine and warm today in Minneapolis!’ It made me smile, and I thought that perhaps there was a chance of good weather over here at some point. Well, you never know.

The idea of connecting with people from all different places around the world is one that fascinates me, and seems to be a driving force behind many social networking sites. Facebook, as its motto suggests, is more of ‘a place for friends’; Twitter, on the other hand, seems to be a place for connecting and sharing. It helps us to understand things that are going on in different parts of the world from a first-hand perspective. Sure, we read the news, we know roughly what’s happening; but if someone ‘tweets’ it, somehow it becomes more real. The news-giver is no longer a reporter, standing somewhere nearby, detached from the action; now, it’s the person involved. Granted, I have yet to notice a ‘bomb just went off behind me’ tweet, but I feel sure it might happen in the future. 

As a race, humans have always detached themselves from situations that are somehow unreal to them, whether this is because a subject is too close to home, or not close enough. The movement to online media, and the current growth of sites such as Twitter, allows people to stay in touch while detaching themselves further from the reality of the human experience.

On Facebook, people are generally connected with friends they know in real life, and therefore communication via messaging and so on is one step closer to offline life. Pictures, videos and ‘wall talk’ help us remember who we are speaking with, and allow us to gage at least roughly their reactions. Twitter, however, is another story altogether. In one hundred and forty characters, people communicate their lives, their thoughts, their business. There are no pictures; there are no videos; there are rarely any people we know offline.

How, then, do we keep track of our selves? How do we remember that we are people, rather than profiles? Reducing yourself to an ‘about me’ box is both cathartic and intriguing; I am never quite sure which parts of me I want to include, and which parts are so unimportant as to be insignificant. These profiles, these half-people, are the things we come to know and care about. As I mentioned in my previous post, there are people out there I have never met who I think about frequently.

Twitter allows us to connect with a world that seems unreal when we hear reports about it. But the jury is still out on whether or not this is a positive state of affairs. What do you see when you read someone’s tweet; when someone you have never met tells you they are in pain, they are angry, their life is falling to pieces? Do you see a modern newsreel? A note from a friend? An anecdote that peppers your day alongside a thousand more?

What do you think? Are we becoming more detached from reality? Turning into ‘pseudo-selves’? I’d love to hear your thoughts.