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Ed Riefenstahl, Facilitator, TAB Fort Worth
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| | TAB Fort Worth Anniversaries | |
Dec./Jan. Anniv.
Will Atkinson
Tony Ford
Janee Harrell
Chris James
Richard Minker
Jeremy Sweek
Dale Westerfeld | |
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| | Hear How We Help Our Members |  | |
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| | Quick Tips |
Process and Procedure
Many companies have informal processes and procedures in place - a preferred way or a best practice, but it's not written down. If you have an informal process and need to educate an employee on it, have them take notes on what you tell them and create a written process you can review.
Chuck Merritt
Merritt Environmental Consulting
Hauppauge, NY
Credit Cards for Loyalty Programs
Incentive-based loyalty programs are a smart way to accumulate free stays and flights. If you want to know which credit card to use to acquire frequent flyer points, go to www.frequentflier.com, which offers comparisons between the different cards. Jeff Ehrlich
Fulfillment Plus Inc.
Holtsville, NY | |
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| | Event Details |
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Upcoming Events 1/5/11 - TAB Fort Worth Business Bites - details to be provided soon
01/11 - TAB DFW Business Improvement Workshop | |
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TAB Tips published in the Fort Worth Business Press |
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| | Schedule a TAB Speaker for your Organization |
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| | TAB in The News | |
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New Member Highlight
Adapting to an Ever-Changing Business Climate with TAB
Taylor Leon, President & CEO, Elk Engineering Associates, Inc. | |
 For Taylor Leon, TAB provides a unique opportunity to interface with other executives from companies both large and small to discuss strategies and solutions to adapt to the ever-changing business climate. According to Taylor, "affiliation with TAB also allows members to be on the forward edge of specific topics affecting small businesses such as health care reform, tax law issues, and the economy."
Taylor Leon is President & CEO of
ELK Engineering Associates, Inc., which provides a wide range of corrosion engineering and electrical engineering specialty services. ELK Engineering resolves problems resulting in the material loss of capital resources, environmental habitat, infrastructure or direct loss of life arising from corrosion initiated accidents or incidents.
The ELK Board of Directors appointed Mr. Leon as President/CEO on February 5, 2010. |
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Q/A The Workplace Doctor™
Holiday Cheer |
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Dear Workplace Doctor,
In the past we have served alcohol at our Christmas Party; however, this year we question if this is still a good practice.
Answer: Think twice before you spice the eggnog. Each time an employee is involved in an impaired driving crash, businesses pay in the form of increased absenteeism and use of health care benefits.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the annual employer cost of motor vehicle crashes in which at least one driver was alcohol-impaired is more than $9 billion, including wage-risk premiums. Administrative and legal procedures such as court time and traffic school may require further time away from work.
Not providing alcohol may permit music, donations, entertainment, gifts, scholarships, or drawings.
If you opt to serve alcohol, best to charge for drinks, monitor, offer plenty of food and options for non drinkers, and don't allow people to leave intoxicated. Hire and instruct bartenders to stop serving guests if they're intoxicated, limit amount of time the bar is open, stop serving alcohol before the party officially ends, designate drivers and party managers who will not drink, prearrange taxis at company expense in advance and provide extra security and monitored parking. May you enjoy a happy, safe and compliant workplace holiday and a prosperous New Year.
Copyright 2010, Dr. Connie Sitterly, "The Workplace Doctor™" President, Sittcom, Inc., Management Training Specialists. Connie is an international speaker, trainer, executive coach, author, management consultant. You may reach her by phone 817.737.2893, Connie's email / Visit Connie's website |
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Communication
Improve your Chances of Getting Media Coverage |
 Getting on the ten o'clock news is easy for violent crime offenders and dead-beat politicians, but for the rest of us - it's a challenge. Consider the following and make yours an affair to remember, or should we say cover. 1. Time - Consider an 11 a.m. start time in the middle of the week. 2. Attendees - Securing local politicians and celebrities helps your cause.
3. Visuals - I once planned a ground breaking where we unfurled a banner that was 30 feet in length from the top of a building. This gave news cameras an opportunity to see what the future building would look like on a grand scale!
4. Relevancy - Consider tying into latest trends; i.e., the economy. 5. Research - Search your cause or industry online and see how others have gotten coverage. Jamie Brown, Owner, Jamie Brown Public Relations Website | Communication/PR Updates Blog |
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Member Highlight
Be With Others Who Understand
Donna Davis Mixon, Owner & Manager, MD Resort | |
 Donna Davis Mixon states that "as a small business owner it is hard (near impossible) to wear all the hats we need to. At TAB it really is like having my own board of advisors to consult on whatever topic I need and sometimes discover things I didn't even know I needed." It is so powerful for Donna to get around the table with other business owners who really do understand, have been there, and can help! It is truly awesome!
"I feel that I can call my board members for whatever I need and they will be there for me as a friend and an advisor - I feel at home!" according to Donna.
Donna is Owner and Manager of MD Resort--"a guest ranch with a Bed and Breakfast flair!" A place where the appreciation for the simple things in life come alive with trees and fresh air. The southern hospitality is marvelous and the Texas style cooking is delicious! Donna Davis Mixon started MD Resort in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex in 1999. The resort hosts vacation travelers from all of the world, can sleep up to 90 guests overnight for retreats and reunions, and hosts many themed events for up to 500 guests.
"Peaceful beautiful ranch house, tucked away in a little Texas town near Dallas/Ft.Worth, close enough to all attractions and far enough away in the evening after a full day of sightseeing to relax and enjoy a lovely Texas sunset. ...breakfast served by a delightful staff each morning in front of a beautiful fireplace...It was a true ranch experience wrapped in real Southern Hospitality." - Roni |
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Effective Delegation | |
Effective delegation benefits you, the business owner, as well as the rest of the organization. However, when delegating work, I've found that asking the question, "Do you understand?" often receives a predictable "Yes," even if the person does not understand.
So now I ask, "Any quick thoughts on how you plan to proceed?" The response to this question tells me if my direction was clear, while reinforcing the expectation that their personal initiative is valued.
James Van Handel, CE Power Solutions of WI, Appleton, WI
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Tips for Hiring | |
I have two tips for hiring that have worked well for me. First, when deciding on a potential hire, I try to determine how that candidate treats their personal belongings (car, tool box, etc.). To me, this provides insight on how they will treat my equipment and customers.
Second, if you are looking for mature hires to potentially engage in second careers or part-time employment, try advertising to "55 and older" communities. Most have newsletters for residents who may have the skills you are looking for.
Anthony Baldino, JPG Electric Main & Construction Corp., Ronkonkoma, NY
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E-mail Efficiency Tips | |
I am very protective of my business e-mail address. I only allow actual business communications access to that account. I maintain a separate account for newsletter subscriptions, hotel reservations, ordering online, etc. By doing this, I keep my business e-mail inbox clean and results-oriented.
James Warner, QSkilled Staffing, Alto, MI
I give a different e-mail address to important customers, suppliers, etc., and then forward those messages to my cell phone with a special ring tone. That way, the most important e-mail is addressed in a timely manner, while other e-mail can wait until later or I can ignore the clutter entirely.
Sam Minick, Minick Materials, Oklahoma City, OK
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| Mobile Payments | |
If you want to receive payments from clients in the field, I recommend Intuit's GoPayment. The app works on many types of mobile devices and if you already use Intuit, all the payments can be automatically deposited into your account. The basic service costs $12.95 per month, and there are three levels of functionality you can choose from.
Level 1 allows you to type the amount and the card number into your phone and send the information to get instant approval. Level 2 gives you a wireless card reader that fits easily into your shirt pocket or purse and allows you to scan the card into your phone. Level 3 includes a portable printer, which gives you the ability to give your customer a receipt on the spot.
Christopher Ulrich, The Direct Response Group LLC, Melville, NY |
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ABOUT THE ALTERNATIVE BOARD®
The Alternative Board® is comprised of members who are business owners, CEOs or presidents who run businesses in non-competing fields. During a TAB Board meeting, you receive the benefit of the collective experience of the board members, who offer practical solutions to your problems-not theories.
You can learn more about TAB, which has been helping business owners succeed since 1990, by visiting TheAlternativeBoard.com
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