Choosing an Internet Marketing Service

Internet marketing services are beneficial to those who want to increase their appearance on various search engines and enhance the visual presentation of their website. 

Use these tips as a guide when choosing Internet marketing services or hiring a marketing consultant:

Ask for Referrals.  Ask friends, family members and colleagues who have had success with Internet marketing services or a consultant for suggestions. Check out businesses through bbb.org to make read reviews and complaints.  

Understand Your Audience.  In order to hire marketing services that best suit your needs, you first need to understand the audience you are trying to reach. Awareness of your specific audience will condense your search to businesses that have experience targeting your potential clients.

Be Informed.  Before choosing services or a consultant it is important to do your research on current marketing strategies. This preparation will allow you to have a better grasp on the marketing concepts the consultant is discussing. Researching will also allow you to better avoid frauds. Inform yourself on topics such as, search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO). 

Ask for References.  Ask the business for a list of references with a similar target audience and contact a few of the previous consumers. Ask about their experience with the business, if they met their needs, and if they have seen improvements. Keep in mind just because the business works for one consumer doesn’t mean they will automatically be right for you. Ask if the business will provide a proposal detailing how they plan to bring you success. 

Get All the Pricing Details.  Be sure to have the business lay out all the costs and fees associated with the marketing services. It is important not to invest too much money at one time. Ask the business if you can pay a portion of the price upfront and wait until you see results before making the final payment.  

Tips for Finding Legal Services

Many business situations require professional legal advice, such as accounting and labor relations.  An attorney can advise you on your rights under the law as well as provide information on legislation that may affect you.

Selecting an attorney is similar to selecting a physician. Attorneys concentrate on specific types of cases as do doctors. The first step is to define the nature of the matter, and then find the lawyer who can best address your needs.

Where to look for a lawyer:

Most people find a lawyer by asking friends, colleagues or neighbors for a recommendation. Another source of information is the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, found online or in your local public library. For over 100 years the directory has provided as complete a roster as possible of the members of the legal profession in the United States and Canada. The directory gives brief biographical sketches of many lawyers and describes the areas of the law in which they practice.

Also check with the Lawyer Referral Service of your state, city or county bar association, usually listed in area telephone directories. Under a referral service, the lawyer will consult with you for a half hour without charge or for a prescribed and nominal fee, and then render whatever services are requested for an agreed-upon fee. If the lawyer cannot handle your problem, he or she will refer you to another lawyer. You should be aware that a lawyer often can ask to be placed on a referral list. Being on the list does not automatically mean that the attorney is qualified to handle a particular area of the law. However, bar association lawyer referral services will attempt to refer you to an attorney experienced in the area of law relating to your problem.

Since lawyers can advertise their services, you may want to check the Yellow Pages of the phone directory. Make sure you verify the information contained in the claims made in these ads concerning both services and payment.

Don't forget to check out the business at bbb.org!

Time to Make More Money

Once you've established your business and built up clientele, it's time to focus on increasing your profit. The Direct Selling Education Foundation offers these tips for business owners:

Have a detailed plan, but be ready to adapt. Business plans can't anticipate every circumstance, so you need to be flexible and willing to adapt as necessary.

Be a creative problem solver.  Think outside the box to figure out what your business is lacking.

Persevere. Don't let the roadblocks keep you from success.

Have mentors. Seek out mentors who have been successful and pick their brains for ideas you may not have thought of. Most people are happy to share their success stories with others and "pay it forward". 

Stay lean with your budget.  Be careful with how you spend, be aware of every aspect of cash flow and find ways to decrease spending.

Believe in yourself.  If it's in your heart to succeed, you will always find the motivation to continue. It's a good idea to seek out people who can boost your self-esteem when you are facing doubt.

Can you offer any additional tips? 

Is Your Digital Marketing Outdated?

Businesses worry about keeping their computers up-to-the-minute. But what about your digital marketing strategies? Are they older than Windows 07? 

Here are 5 quick tips to keep in mind:

Dos:
1. Do your homework. Know that people only skim digital marketing, moving their eyes in an “E” or “F” pattern—not the older “Z” reading formation. 
2. Do give the reader visual stepping stones: subheads guiding the eyes to points of relevance in descending order. 
3. Do use sidebars, quotes, or graphics to break up large chunks of text. 
4. Do keep in mind that your website needs to reflect what your customers want to learn—not what you want to say. 
5. Do link to something your visitors will find valuable.

Don'ts:
1. Don’t assume email is the same as direct mail or that people are itching to read it.
2. Don’t treat your website like a brochure, with long sentences, long paragraphs, and no subheads. 
3. Don’t fill your company blog with irrelevant personal anecdotes and lofty pontifications. 
4. Don’t build the top of your marketing page around a pretty, generic image that has little to do with your business or your customers. 
5. Don’t clutter the top of your website by cramming too many elements into it.

What other tips do you have?

BBB is inviting YOU to write for our blog!

Do you have business knowledge? Want to share? BBB wants to hear from you!

We are looking for Accredited Business leaders and professionals, like you, to offer insight to the readers of our blog. This blog caters to small business owners, offering advice and trustworthy tips from BBB. As a guest blogger, you can write about your industry of expertise or any other relevant topic you choose. We have a few short guidelines to follow.

This is an excellent opportunity to bring more exposure to your business and make great connections. You will be able to showcase your writing skill and industry knowledge.

Submit your blog here, boston.bbb.org/blogsubmission/. We look forward to reading blog posts!

FTC Privacy Rules - What You Need to Know

Small businesses need to know what the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is recommending in their report on consumer privacy about how customer personal information should be handled online and offline. 

Here are five points small businesses need to know about the FTC recommendations as U.S. data-privacy regulations evolve:

The report doesn't actually establish any rules. It does make recommendations to Congress for developing new consumer-privacy rules and offer best practices for businesses.

Some small businesses don’t need to worry. If you only collect “non-sensitive” consumer data and don’t share it with third parties, your business is exempt from the FTC guidelines. However, if you are collecting Social Security numbers and financial, health, children’s, and geo-location information, then take notice. Furthermore, if you collect any data from more than 5,000 customers each year, or if you share with third parties, following FTC best practices is recommended.

Common sense goes a long way. If you are practicing transparency and simplicity, you are doing well. Be upfront with customers about what information you collect and why. Keep privacy policies simple and easy to understand. Give customers a chance to opt out when applicable.

“Do Not Track” is coming. Web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox already have privacy tools that allow consumers the feature to limit data that is collected about them. The Digital Advertising Alliance has a tool for members, too.

Pay particular attention to mobile data. The FTC report says, “The unique features of the mobile phone which is highly personal, almost always on, and travels with the consumer have facilitated unprecedented levels of data collection.” As a result, expect more guidelines or regulatory requirements.

Be aware of what information is collected, what happens to it, and how the privacy policy is stated whether you are the business or consumer.

Five Steps to Building an E-Commerce Site for Your Small Business

Expanding your business into the world of e-commerce is a huge step. It can be expensive, time consuming, frustrating and at the same time, the most rewarding adventure you’ll ever take!

Here are five steps to help build an e-commerce site:

1. Start with a plan: Have a 3-year business plan before you get started, and update the plan as your business changes and grows. Local organizations and online webinars are available to assist small business owners with the development of a business plan.

2. Name your site: Creating a website is a primary goal for any e-commerce business. Before you get that far, you need to name and register your website. Choosing a name can be hard; it has to be unique, reflective of who you are and what you are offering, while being catchy and memorable.

3. Assemble your pages: You’ll need pictures and descriptions of your products and services to display on your site. There are copyright laws for pictures and content on the Internet, so be very careful when using anything without permission; fines can be very costly.

4. Setup Payment Processing: Once your web site is active, you need to be able to accept payments for your products or services. Before you start taking credit card payments, you need to make sure you are Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant. This means you are able to protect your customers’ credit card information. Online merchants are prime targets for data thieves. If data is stolen and it is your fault, you can incur fines or penalties and may even lose your right to accept credit card payments. Most processing companies take care of this for you, but research ahead of time to avoid issues.

5. Start marketing: The most important part of the e-commerce puzzle is being found. There are many ways to help customers find your site, but most of them involve paying for advertising. Over time, your site will show up naturally in search engines, but the top positions can be purchased (known as pay-per-click). Writing articles and blogs with links to your products is also a free way to increase your relevance online. Lack of a good marketing strategy is the biggest pitfall to an e-commerce site. Spending money that doesn't turn into sales can sink a business. Constant testing of ads and writing information that readers are interested in will continue to build strong foundations for a successful e-commerce sites.

Does Your Business Plan Have ADD?

It doesn't matter how many great ideas an individual, team, or company comes up with. Until you implement one, you haven’t made any progress. Execution is what builds lasting success, and splitting your business’ energy among too many outcomes can hinder your ability to execute good ideas and achieve your goals.

Fragmentation vs Integration: Many organizations go through an elaborate planning process. While their goals may be strategic, their process is lengthy and involved. If your method is overly time consuming, it takes away from more important work. More problematic, reliance on the idea generation phase of planning frequently results in a fragmented outcome. Whether you measure the results of your planning process in goals, objectives, or KPIs, if you’re trying to achieve too many outcomes, your business starts to suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder. It’s tough to achieve your desired execution when your attention is split in a million directions.

Your Top Three Goals: One of the keys to execution is focus. You may want to achieve a hundred different things, but most of us find it impossible to focus if we’re intent on more than four all-important goals. In fact, four may be too many. I would suggest erring on the side of success: choose your top three goals and be uncompromising in your pursuit of excellence in these areas. A relentless focus makes a positive outcome all the more likely. 

Choose three goals on which to focus: Customer satisfaction, revenue and products (improving existing base or adding new ones). It may not seem like a lot on paper, but executing these three goals is a good focus, as well as, devoting one hundred percent of your efforts into their integration. It’s become a formula for success. Every year you should add or improve your products or services. Every day you should work to improve customer satisfaction. And every moment, you should seek to increase your revenue. For us, a focus on executing these three goals is the key to prosperity.

What's your business plan like? Does it include these goals?

How Does Malware Hurt a Business?

Right before Thanksgiving 2011, BBB became part of a huge phishing scam that continues to this day. Millions of pieces of email bearing our name and/or logo have been sent to consumers and business owners in the hopes the recipient will click on a link or open an attachment that launches malware. We responded aggressively to this illegal use of our name by assigning an IT professional on our national staff to manage the problem on the full-time basis, hiring a third-party vendor to help us shut down the referring websites, and launching BBB Scam Stopper (bbb.org/scam) to educate consumers about all kinds of scams.

Technology blogger Dan Steiner has an interesting post yesterday that just happened to mention “our” scam. He notes that globally malware is now a $100 billion problem, and he says all business owners need to think of IT security as a business necessity, not a luxury:

“How does malware hurt a business? By far the most damaging of cost of malware is on business reputation. Google, the world’s most popular search engine, protects users with its Safe Browsing Feature. If an online business, no matter how reputable, accidentally distributes a virus, Google automatically flags it. This leads to an ominous surfer warning or even removal from Google search results. Although a site can eventually be removed from blacklisting, it means weeks or months of lost business.  A lull like that is the kiss of death for many businesses.”

Read the whole story here on Business2Community.

Beware of Solicitations from Local Business Yellow Pages

BBB has recently received numerous complaints from consumers alleging they received a fraudulent invoice from Local Business Yellow Pages for an online directory listing. Consumers claim that Local Business Yellow Pages calls their business asking general questions to solicit a "yes" answer, although the person on the call does not actually agree to the service. Months later, consumers say Local Business Yellow Pages' collections department calls, with an edited recording created to verify a "verbal agreement" between the business and Local Business Yellow Pages, to collect on a bill for over $600.00. Local Business Yellow Pages has not yet responded to these consumer complaints. 

On June 28, 2013 BBB sent certified correspondence to Local Business Yellow Pages requesting their voluntary cooperation in resolving complaints on file with BBB and providing steps it will implement to eliminate the pattern of customer complaints. BBB will update this aspect of the Business Review once 
additional information becomes available.

Your BBB offers the following tips to help businesses avoid advertising scams:

• If a solicitation occurs over the phone, ask employees to have a company submit information in writing for you to verify accuracy. If the information is received in writing, be sure to read it fully and look for disclaimers that may be included indicating that you are approving advertising fees. 
• If a solicitation occurs over the internet or via email and the company is not one you recognize, make sure not to click on any of the links, confirmation buttons, or renewal buttons. By doing so you may be agreeing to receive or subscribe to an undesired service or listing, or could unleash a virus or spyware onto your computer.
• When trying to identify the solicitor, make sure to verify that the address that they are claiming to be from is brick and mortar- a "suite" can easily be a PO Box or a mail forwarding company, which means that the company's representatives are concealing their true location and will not be found at the address that is advertised. 

If your company falls victim to a yellow pages scam or winds up receiving an invoice for a service or product that was not authorized, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov and the Better Business Bureau at bbb.org. 

Satisfaction Guaranteed — What It Really Means

The “pants lawsuit” may have been regarded as one of the most frivolous cases in American history, but it did remind business owners to take care when they advertise.

In 2005, Roy Pearson sued his local dry cleaners over a pair of lost suit pants. The dry cleaners had a sign in the window that said “Satisfaction Guaranteed.”

Mr. Pearson lost the case, and wasn’t awarded the $67 million that he originally sought from the business. The Superior Court of the District of Columbia found that the phrase doesn’t mean that the customer is entitled to anything that his or her heart desires.

However, with a “satisfaction guaranteed” claim, consumers can reasonably expect a full refund if they aren’t satisfied. In the end, the court found that the business offered Mr. Pearson more than the value of his pants.

BBB advises both businesses and consumers to be aware of the meaning of “Satisfaction Guaranteed” claims.

Not only the court, but also the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guides and the BBB Code of Advertising call for a full refund with a “satisfaction guaranteed” claim. Any material limitations or conditions that apply to the guarantee should be clearly and prominently disclosed.

BBB also advises consumers to read and understand any terms and conditions for any guarantee, including “Satisfaction Guaranteed” claims. Guarantees often have requirements, restrictions, or limitations that consumers would want to know about. It’s easy for businesses to take a few steps to avoid consumer confusion with clear and straightforward advertisements.

Businesses that don’t offer a full refund may use a different claim. Phrases like, “customer service is our highest priority” and “customer service promise” give the impression that a business will work to remedy dissatisfaction. However, these claims don’t give the impression that a full refund will be issued.

Businesses that do intend to give a refund should be sure to disclose any material limitations to the guarantee. Here are a few examples of how limitations can be disclosed:

1. We guarantee your satisfaction. If not completely satisfied with ABC product, return the unused portion within 30 days for a full refund of the purchase price.

2. Satisfaction Guaranteed! Full refund available upon written request within 60 days of purchase.

3. Just return the ABC product in its original package within six months and we will fully refund your money, no questions asked.

Vanity Awards Prey on Small Businesses

Be cautious of emails from marketing companies posing as legitimate credentialing organizations. The emails say that you've won their 2013 "Best of – fill in the blank" award for your industry and congratulate you for joining "such an elite group of small businesses."

You are then offered the opportunity to purchase a plaque, a crystal award or both at a cost ranging from $79.99 to $199.98. A complimentary digital award image and personalized press release are also included in the package.

The awards can be part of a widespread scheme designed to get businesses to pay for vanity awards of little or no value. They mirror offers made in the past by U.S. Commerce Association, an organization whose phony vanity awards were the subject of several BBB complaints.

Phony vanity awards prey on small businesses who are trying to make their companies stand out in their industry. The program's website tells business owners that "a select few have been able to benefit from the strategic value of business awards" and that "a business award can be an account executive's ace-in-the-hole."

BBB offers the following tips to businesses to avoid being taken by this or similar schemes:

Most awards of value to any business will come from a local business organization such as a chamber of commerce or a known, recognized trade organization for a specific industry. Award schemes often have little or no value to the business within the community in which they do business.

Most businesses are not charged to receive honors that they are awarded. If you are being charged to receive a plaque or trophy, it is likely a money-making scheme that has little to do with business performance.

Start With Trust. Always check with the BBB before doing business with a company, even if they seem to be doing you a favor. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, especially if you have to pay for the honor.

Why You Should ‘Like’ Using Social Media For Your Business

A guide for using sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to grow your business


Sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are important for your business because they provide an open forum for the community. They offer a free venue to market your brand, let you share news about your products and services and provides a virtual place where you can interact directly with your customers. Social media leaves a door open for potential customers and gives you a quick and easy way to share special offers.

Social media marketing works best when you are transparent, when you engage with your customers and when you give something back. It doesn’t work as well if you oversell, rush, or forget to listen.

Here are some popular social media sites and how you can use them to your advantage:

Facebook offers a mini, all-in-one marketing firm for your business. By using Facebook, you can:

• Advertise deals, new services and products
• Post pictures of events
• Customize your page with a profile picture, cover photo and applications (apps)
• Share future products or events
• Interact with customers
• Make connections 

Twitter is a short-but-sweet blogging service that gives your business 140 characters to:

• Promote your services and products
• Interact with current and potential customers
• Comment on other companies
• Share links and pictures
• Advertise deals and coupons

Google+ is your communications tool:

• Think of Google+ as your brand hub
• Your page, profile image and recent posts are eligible to show up when relevant to a customer’s search
• Relevant posts can also show up within search results for your page’s followers
• Host Hangouts (similar to group video chats)
• Communities allows groups to form around particular interests
• Content sharing on Google+ is similar to Facebook

Pinterest is a virtual pin board for your business, focused primarily on photos and videos:

• Post pictures and videos of your products and services as well as other interesting content
• Follow popular brands and organizations
• Interact with your brand’s most loyal customers 

LinkedIn is a professional networking website to help you:

• Build up your business contacts
• Find and hire talent for your business
• Discuss business solutions and tips with other businesses in your field
• Develop a network with professionals in different areas to improve your business

Seven Scams that Target Small Businesses

Being vigilant against fraud is not only important for a company’s bottom line, it also strengthens customer trust in the business. 

Every year the BBB receives thousands of complaints from small business owners who fell for an invoicing scam or were misled into paying for products and services they didn't want. Scammers aren't always trying to steal money from a business; sometimes they are after a company’s financial or customer data and will use many kinds of high and low-tech methods for getting it.

Here are seven scams that commonly target small businesses:

1. Directory Scams – A perennial problem that has plagued businesses for decades involves deceptive sales for directories. Commonly the scammer will call the business claiming they just want to update the company’s entry in an online directory or the scammer might lie about being with the Yellow Pages. The business is later billed hundreds of dollars for listing services they didn't agree to or for ads which they thought would be in the Yellow Pages.
2. Office Supply Scams – Some scammers prey on small business owners hoping that they won’t notice a bill for office supplies like toner or paper which the company never ordered.  Every year BBB receives thousands of complaints from small business owners who were deceived by office supply companies and billed for products they didn’t want.
3. Overpayment Scams – Be extremely cautious if a customer overpays using a check or credit card and then asks you to wire the extra money back to them or to a third party. Overpayment scams target any number of different companies including catering businesses, manufacturers, wholesalers and even sellers on sites like eBay, Craigslist and Etsy.
4. Data Breaches – No matter how vigilant your company is a data breach can still happen. Whether it’s the result of hackers, negligence or a disgruntled employee, a data breach can have a severe impact on the level of trust customers have in your business. You can learn how to defend your company from a data breach for free with BBB’s Data Security – Made Simpler at www.bbb.org/data-security.
5. Vanity Awards – While it’s flattering to be recognized for your hard work, some awards are just money-making schemes and have no actual merit. If you are approached about receiving a business or leadership award, research the opportunity carefully and be wary if you’re asked to pay money.
6. Stolen Identity – Scammers will often pretend to be a legitimate company for the purposes of ripping off consumers. When it comes to stolen identity, the company doesn’t necessarily lose money, but their reputation is potentially tarnished as angry customers who were ripped off by the scammers think the real company is responsible.
7. Phishing E-mails – Some phishing e-mails specifically target small business owners with the goal of hacking into their computer or network. Common examples include e-mails pretending to be from the IRS claiming the company is being audited or phony e-mails from the BBB saying the company has received a complaint.  If you receive a suspicious e-mail from a government agency or the BBB, don’t click on any links or open any attachments. Contact the agency or the BBB directly to confirm the legitimacy of the e-mail.

What other scams have you heard of?

OSHA in the Workplace

If you operate in the construction or manufacturing industry, you’re likely familiar with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, or OSHA. OSHA can be a scary acronym, but understanding their practices and why they’re important can alleviate some of that confusion and stress.

We've compiled some basic tips when communicating with OSHA before and during an inspection:

• OSHA exists to ensure safe working conditions, and to help you avoid citations rather than just give them.
• When an OSHA Inspector arrives at your office, factory or construction site, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask for their credentials and verify they are who they say they are. If something seems not quite right, call the OSHA regional office.
• Wait until the proper person arrives before authorizing the inspection to begin. The Inspector may have a lot of questions regarding safety and business practices, and you want to have a properly-trained employee there to answer these questions.
• Keep copies of any documentation provided to OSHA during the inspection, and try and record the things they are recording. Inspections may result in further questions and investigations, and you want to have comprehensive documents to refer to.
• If you’re issued citations you agree with, pay them! You will have a limited time frame to make payment, or penalties may be issued.
• If you’re issued any citations you don’t agree with, take the extra step to set up an informal conference. Present your side of the story, give evidence, bring records, and show good faith efforts for your corrective actions.

So what can you do to be ready?

• Train your employees! Especially the person at the front desk, or the first point of contact for your business.
• Make a checklist with a “What to Expect” list for your employees. OSHA Inspectors often arrive after unexpected accidents—you don’t want confused employees assisting an Inspector during a potentially critical time.
• Make a readily-available inspection kit. Include contact numbers (HR, store manager, etc.), camera, pencils/pens and measuring tape.
• Review your safety policy ever 7 years, and have appropriate training so employees know it’s serious and relevant.
• Post safety and labor-related posters in well-seen areas, and update them frequently.
• Contact OSHA to find out which safety standards apply to your business and implement policies specific to those standards.

It's important to keep safety a top priority. If a citation is discovered, it will be a fine. Non-payment of fines and failure to correct issues can end up being extremely costly to your business and sometimes you perso
nally.

When “Free” Doesn't Mean “Free”

Recently, a mailer was sent out that advertised a FREE service valued at over $800.  A consumer called and asked how it could be free. The answer… “It wasn't.” Sometimes, consumers get so caught up in the excitement of a valuable product or service being offered at a free or reduced rate that they forget to ask this very important question. Of course, the advertisement says “free” so how could it not be, right?

Technically, businesses should not use the word at random, unless you truly mean it. There are exceptions though. Frequently in advertisements, businesses will promote something as being “free,” but then in order to get the product or service, there are accompanying fees. This practice is not uncommon and is used in various industries.

It is not acceptable to mask or to try and hide costs with small print or confusing verbiage. The BBB Code of Advertising specifically says that if a “free” offer is contingent upon another purchase, this fact must be stated “clearly and conspicuously together with the offer.” The use of an asterisk next to the word “free” referencing a footnote is not an acceptable practice.

Do you offer anything for free? How do you advertise it?

Yellow Pages Look-A-Like Scams

As a small business owner, have you received an official looking invoice from what appears to be the Yellow Pages? This scam continues to gain steam despite numerous investigations and enforcement actions taken by the FTC.   

The “walking fingers logo” and the Yellow Pages name have no copyright or trademark protection, making it easy for scammers to make it appear legitimate. 

If you receive an invoice like this, you should request additional information from the solicitor and check with your local Yellow Pages for affiliation. 

If you have been a victim of this type of scam, contact us at bbb.org.

#Hashtags Are Coming To Facebook

On Wednesday, Facebook announced that hashtags will now be clickable in an effort to create more public conversations on the social network.

Initially, the hashtag feature is being rolled out to a small group of users. Within the coming weeks, more users can expect to see clickable hashtags.

According to Facebook, users can now:

• Search for a specific hashtag from your search bar. For example, #NBAFinals.
• Click on hashtags that originate on other services, such as Instagram.
• Compose posts directly from the hashtag feed and search results.

What is a hashtag?

A hashtag is the number sign (#) combined with a word or phrase.

Here's how to use hashtags to promote your business.

Businesses: Hang Up on Utility Bill Phone Scam

Scammers are calling small businesses and impersonating utility staff, claiming to be collecting on late bills.

How the Scam Works:

The phone rings, and the person on the other line identifies her/himself as a representative from your local electric, water or gas company. He or she tells you that you are late on your bill. You need to pay immediately, or your utilities will terminated.

However, instead of accepting payment by credit card or check, the caller wants you to pay by prepaid debit card. The scammer instructs you to obtain a prepaid debit card and call him/her back.

Prepaid Debit Cards and Scams:

Prepaid debit cards are becoming an increasingly popular method of payment for scammers. Wire transfer services have tightened their security, so crooks have turned to these prepaid cards instead. The cards are difficult to trace, and you do not need photo identification to collect or spend the money.

Be sure you treat a prepaid debit card like cash and remember that transactions cannot be reversed.

Tips for Spotting a Utility Scam:

Because local gas, water and electric companies do sometimes contact their customers by phone, it can be difficult to tell a scammer from a real agent. Here are some tips:

• If a caller specifically asks you to pay by prepaid debit card, this is a red flag. Your utility company will accept a check or credit card.
• If you feel pressured for immediate payment or personal information, hang up the phone and call the customer service number on your utility bill. This will ensure you are speaking to a real representative.
• Never allow anyone into your business to check electrical wiring, natural gas pipes or appliances unless you have scheduled an appointment or reported a problem. Also, ask utility employees for proper identification.

Have you received any suspicious calls lately?

Four Tips for Public Speaking

If you are like most people, the thought of speaking in public strikes fear in your heart. No worries; you can overcome your fear of public speaking.

Public speaking is a great skill set to have, no matter your career path. If public speaking is not something you already do on a regular basis, you will probably need to brush up on your skills. The Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF), a BBB National Partner, offers four helpful tips to help ease the pressure of public speaking.

Prepare, prepare, PREPARE! If you have not done the legwork before a public speaking engagement, you may feel flustered, nervous, and incompetent. These worries will be evident to your audience, so prepare as much as you possibly can. Write down or type out your content, and frequently rehearse using your notes; also, make adjustments where necessary.

Show confidence. This is easier than it may seem, especially if you have adequately prepared. You know the material, you are a successful leader, and you have been given the responsibility to speak in front of a group of people. Take pride in this role by holding your head high, making frequent eye contact, and speaking in a strong, clear voice.

Focus on key points, but provide personal stories to balance them. Your main focus should be on the key points, or main ideas, of your speech. If you nail those, the rest will not matter as much. However, it is also important to give your audience a way to relate to you personally. So be sure to provide a few personal stories that will illustrate your main points.

End with a call to action. You do not want your speech to fall flat because of a boring conclusion. End with a call to action from the audience. Doing so helps give your speech purpose and drives your point home. Concluding with a call to action also helps your audience figure out where to start.

What other tips can you recommend?