Black Friday and Cyber Monday kick off the holiday shopping season, but Tuesday, November 27 marks the start of the giving season. Called #GivingTuesday, it is focused on bringing awareness to charities and holiday giving.
This Tuesday, nonprofit organizations, charities, families, businesses and individuals are coming together to transform the way people think about, talk about and participate in giving this season. #GivingTuesday is backed by 800 sponsors ranging from nonprofits to large corporations, including Sony and Discover.
If you plan on donating this holiday season, be sure to check with the BBB Wise Giving Alliance before giving. The Alliance helps donors make informed decisions on donating and advances high standards of conduct among nonprofit organizations.
Will you participate in #GivingTuesday?
(Note: Sony Electronics and Discover are BBB Accredited Businesses.)
When looking to create or update the branding strategy for your business, it’s always important to take every demographic into consideration. According to theInternational Council of Active Aging (ICAA), the majority of adults over the age of 55 feel that advertising does not reflect their current lifestyle, and they are turned off by marketing messages targeted to them. BBB is remindingbusiness owners to include our nation’s aging population in their branding and marketing.
For more information visit bbb.org.
The trust that's established between a customer and a business is not only the foundation for a successful business transaction, but makes for an overall healthy business relationship. When it comes to your customers, is trust earned or do you Start With Trust®?
We believe you Start With Trust® when you begin doing business with consumers. As they learn more about your business, they will see things like your commitment to standards, such as the BBB Code of Business Practices and your customer service skills. Their trust in your business is like a sliding scale; it can go up or down depending on the situation. If they are impressed with your product or service, hopefully their trust grows and will turn from consumers into your customers.
Do you agree?
The face of customer service is rapidly changing with the integration of social media. Customers are no longer contacting businesses through mail or even on the phone. Now, consumers are using public forums like Facebook and Twitter to provide feedback on a product or service. When customers leave comments, positive or negative, it’s important to put your best customer service foot forward. This is often referred to as, “social care,” a combination of social media and customer service.
Customers have so much power when it comes to social media. When responding, keep in mind your tone and timing. Be careful when it comes to the tone of your response, as oftentimes consumers can perceive your answers differently than intended. Timing is key in your response, since customers expect answers in real-time. Try to respond within one business day and quickly resolve any issues.
When done right, social media is excellent way to improve quality of your customer service.
Customers expect that every business — large or small — that collects their sensitive personal information will protect it. Beyond customer expectations, there are legal requirements, as well. Depending on your type of business and the states in which your customers reside, you may be legally required to protect the personal information you collect.
For more tips on data security, visit BBB’s Data Security – Made Simpler, bbb.org/data-security.
Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on the busiest shopping weekend of the year. As a joining member, BBB is teaming up with American Express OPEN to spread the word on why small businesses are so awesome. For the third year in a row, American Express OPEN has declared November 24th, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, to be Small Business Saturday. Businesses can take advantage of free tools offered online at www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday: free signage, free ads on Twitter, and lots of ideas to help grow your business.
Welcome to the Better Business Bureau "Business News and Opinion Blog" dedicated to helping small businesses.
Starting the week of 11/5/2012 BBB will be posting content.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday kick off the holiday shopping season, but Tuesday, November 27 marks the start of the giving season. Called #GivingTuesday, it is focused on bringing awareness to charities and holiday giving.
