Corporate Business Solutions has the experience, education and expertise necessary to access the valuable information business owners need to access change needed to facilitate growth.

Many successful business owners have relayed that a dangerous assumption in business today is treating social media like a side project. There are more than a few who are getting it wrong in the social media world, and social media etiquette is necessary now more than ever. Behold the myths, the missteps and the mistakes. Here are three social media marketing trends to avoid:

1. You Don’t Have to Talk to Everyone – Many business owners are embracing the concept of Customer Centricity to their social media outlook; being selective with their audience and curating data from custom made social media campaigns.  This approach restricts usage to a specific area, like customer service. It’s very effective for businesses seeking more predictability and delivering results that can be measured with established tools.
2. Don’t Ignore LinkedIn- The social site, LinkedIn allows users to create company pages as a way to get more branding for your business. It also creates a presence for high level income earners on a social media network many are ignoring. While the trend is currently keeping a private profile, savvy business owners and executives are allowing for more exposure for themselves and their company. If you’re looking to get more exposure and target your products and services, LinkedIn Company Pages can help you do that.
3. Don’t Keep Each Social Media Channel Separate-While some companies are attempting to figure out one or two social media networks, such as Facebook and Google, savvy business owners are combining social media channels and monitoring the activity on a constant basis. Allocating money to raise awareness on multiple social media channels is essential to winning the war of your audience mindshare.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Corporate Business Solutions has had the opportunity to work with thousands of successful businessmen and women.  By doing this, we have seen that one common characteristic of effective business professionals is that they are adept at seeing opportunities and recognizing what it takes to advance their careers.

There are always points in your career when you want to move forward, whether it’s staying competitive in your field or exploring a career change. Higher education can be a major driver in getting you where you want to go.

Here are three reasons why already-successful people decide to go back to school:

1. Growth – There are many employees who obtain an undergraduate degree that is only somewhat related to their career path. Or, as technology continues to evolve, the skills, tools or programs you learned years ago as an undergraduate may not be sufficient to maintain your position. If you like what you do and want to stay in your current position, you could go back to school to increase your skill set and your ability to do the job even better
2. Promotion – Becoming successful in your current position may give you an opportunity to advance at work, but that’s not always the case. A degree in a new or related field that adds to your individual skill set, or helps you learn management or leadership skills, can give an employer the assurance that you are ready and able to take on new responsibilities.
3. Career Change – Successful people may consider mid-career changes, whether for professional, personal or any other reason. Maybe you have accomplished a great deal in one career field, but another field seems more interesting or better aligned with your lifestyle. Going back to school could help you change your direction industry-wise, geography-wise, or satisfaction-wise, by re-directing the skills and experience you already have with new knowledge.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Corporate Business Solutions has the experience and education to help small to medium – size businesses grow in today’s marketplace.  We often see employers set up new telecommuting options to help reduce office costs while giving savvy employees freedom and flexibility.  Not only does the employer need to set up new protocols for telecommuting employees, but the employees must also acclimate to the newer role.

If you’re a telecommuting employee, we have general tips that may help you work more effectively:

1. Prioritize your day – Identify what must get done that day and do it!
2. Keep a regular routine – Shower and dress every day as if you were going to an actual office.  This will help you stay motivated.
3. Create a comfortable space – Decide what you need to be comfortable and productive and create a home space that reflects that.  From a comfortable desk chair to a book shelf, a place to hold meetings or a window to see the sun, investing in your work space can make a huge difference in your productivity.
4. Set working hours – Be clear on your working hours.  Let your colleagues, associates and family know your hours of operation, and stick to them.
5. Use the cloud – You can upload important documents to a cloud storage service such as Dropbox or Google Drive.  This allows you to log in from anywhere without having to worry about having your files with you.
6. Use Google+ Hangouts – While it’s ideal if you can occasionally meet in-person with co-workers, sometimes it’s not possible because teams are separated by geography. In that case, video chatting is the next best thing, with Google+ Hangouts being an excellent medium for doing it. You can meet with up to 10 people for free, unlike Skype in which at least one person in the group has to have a paid subscription for meetings between more than two people.
7. Enjoy your flexibility – Find your focus wavering? Take a break with a bike, ride, swim, or even by quitting work for the entire day.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Corporate Business Solutions  helps small and medium – size business owners access information needed to attain growth.  One trend that we see affecting the small business arena is the use of Google Places. If your business has an actual physical location, you can promote your location with Google Places, which enables you to get listed on Google Maps.

Here are some reasons why Google Places is important for your small business:

1. It’s free – The service is free from Google.  You just need to set up your page.
2. Provides an online presence – If you have a small business and you don’t have a website, your Google Places listing can provide the details customers would need, such as address, contact details, hours of operation, etc.
3. Allows you to appear on Google search results – The focus here is on local searches and the results are therefore limited to your local area. So if a Google user is searching for a contractor in Chicago, then Google determines the user’s location and then provides all the contractors near them. The Google user can even check out your listing to learn more about you. 
4. Your location will appear on Google Maps – For small businesses, this is a crucial advantage. Now your potential customers will know exactly where your office can be found. Google acts as a beacon for your would-would be customers to follow. In addition, even just getting your Google Map location on Google search results boosts awareness in your brand. 
5. Receive business reviews – Reviews make your business more relevant, which boosts your ranking in search results. And when you view them objectively, these things tell you how to improve your business.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Corporate Business Solutions  understands that today’s business marketplace is ultra-competitive, which leads to many professionals constantly looking for great business opportunities. However, it’s very important that employees realize the significance of damaging their reputations and / or burning bridges. You never know where your path will take you and who you’ll meet (or see again) along the way!

If you’re planning on leaving your job in the near future, here are tips that may help ensure a positive parting:

1. Notify your boss in-person – Although every situation will vary, it is generally better to tell your boss in-person rather than sending an email or leaving a letter.
2. Give plenty of notice – A two-week notice is the norm, but employees with a specific skill set should give a more advanced warning.
3. Don’t feel obligated to give a reason – You don’t have to provide details of why you’re leaving or where you are going.  However, if you and your boss have a good relationship, you may consider offering constructive criticism on how to make the employee atmosphere better.
4. Avoid emotional outbursts – Eventually, you may need an endorsement from your manager.  Launching into a tirade may feel good for the moment but it can definitely come back to haunt you later.
5. Don’t leave your employer in a bind – If you’re in the midst of an important project, you may want to consider staying longer to finish your original commitments.
6. Finish with a strong performance – Not only may you need an endorsement from your boss but you may need a positive reference from a co-worker.  Therefore, you always want to finish a job with motivation and integrity.
7. Keep colleagues updated – It’s always best to let your co-workers know in advance, so they’re not stunned with an empty chair in your absence.
8. Show gratitude – Be sure to thank any individuals who were instrumental in your success. You can verbally thank them or write them a personal letter and detail how the relationship impacted you in a positive way.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

The experience, expertise and knowledge behind Corporate Business Solutions allows us  to effectively help small and medium – size businesses access information needed for growth.  Business owners often must scout for new locations, whether they’re opening a second storefront, upgrading or downsizing.  For those of you looking to find a new business location, we have tips that may help you:

1. The type of operation – Your location should be consistent with your particular style and image. For example, if your business is retailing, decide if you want a traditional store or if you prefer operating from a kiosk (or booth) in a mall or a cart that you can move to various locations.
2. Business demographics – There are two important angles to the issue of demographics. First, consider who your customers are and how important their proximity to your location is. Then take a look at the community. If your customer base is local, does a sufficient percentage of that population match your customer profile to support your business? Does the community have a stable economic base that will provide a healthy environment for your business? Be cautious when considering communities that are largely dependent on a particular industry for their economy; a downturn could be bad for business.
3. Foot traffic- For most retail businesses, foot traffic is extremely important. You don’t want to be tucked away in a corner where shoppers are likely to bypass you, and even the best retail areas have dead spots. By contrast, if your business requires confidentiality, you may not want to be located in a high-traffic area.
4. Accessibility and parking – Consider how accessible the facility will be for everyone who’ll be using it—customers, employees, and suppliers. If you’re on a busy street, how easy is it for cars to get in and out of your parking lot?
5. Proximity to other businesses and services – Take a look at what other businesses and services are in the vicinity from two key perspectives. First, see if you can benefit from nearby businesses—by the customer traffic they generate—because those companies and their employees could become your customers, or because it may be convenient and efficient for you to be their customer. Second, look at how they’ll enrich the quality of your company as a workplace.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.