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? 

Where are Consumers Spending their Money?

BBB offers a free online service, Consumer Purchase Planning Trends. This service is offered exclusively on BBB’s website and indicates current purchasing trends made by consumers for ten different industries. 

Business owners can check out the purchase planning trends from the last six to thirty-six months, which is a great indicator for future purchases. Each month the public checks out a business with BBB serving Eastern Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont, over 300,000 times.

Last month, Home Remodeling, Construction & Maintenance saw a 2.01% increase in consumer purchase planning in June 2013 from May 2013, with 96,897 inquiries.

The purchase planning information will help predict where consumers are thinking of spending their money on a monthly basis.

To take advantage of this new feature or to learn more, visit bbb.org/boston/public/trends.

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.

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?

#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?

Important Tips for Businesses Regarding Checks

A BBB-accredited ad agency in San Antonio, TX recently discovered that bogus checks claiming to be from their company were being used in an over payment/money wiring scam. The checks looked very professional, with the company name and actual routing and account numbers.

People who answered work-at-home want ads on Craigslist were caught up in the scheme. One woman was asked to send out fake checks on behalf of the scammers and was paid by Western Union. When she noticed the Western Union payment was in someone else’s name, she called the real ad agency and asked, “Am I working for you?” The answer was “no.”

She had already sent out 200 bogus checks.

According to the ad agency, the scammers somehow intercepted a check that was sent to a client. They knew something was wrong when someone tried to cash it in another state. Scammers “washed” the check and used it as a template for numerous fake checks in the ad agency’s name.

Which brings up some important tips for businesses regarding checks:

• Monitor your accounts payable. Stop payment on the check and send out another one if too much time goes by and the check appears to be “lost.”
• Use tamper resistant checks. Checks with security features make it harder for crooks who may intercept them to counterfeit or alter them.
• Keep track of check orders. Notify your check supplier and bank if you order checks that don’t arrive in a reasonable amount of time.
• Keep checks secured. Keep reserve supplies of checks, deposit slips and other banking documents locked up and limit the number of people who can access them. 
• Keep your eye on the ball. Don’t leave checks or other bank records unattended while you serve customers. Someone might take them while you aren’t looking.

Beware of Facebook “Fan Page Verification” Scam

Do you have a Facebook page for your business? If so, beware! There’s a new phishing scam that is targeting admins and page owners, according to Hoax Slayer. 

The scam works like this; the user receives an email, which purports to be from Facebook Security, telling them about a new security feature for page owners called the “Fan Page Verification Program.” 

The email explains that to complete the process, the user must choose a 10-digit number that will be assigned as a security code. It threatens that if you do not choose a code, your page will suspended because it is “not considered safe for the wide audience.” 

The link provided at the end of the email brings the user to a fake “Fan Page Verification Program” website, where they are prompted to enter their Facebook login details and the 10-digit code.  However, this is nothing more than an attempt to steal Facebook account details.

If you receive an email like this, BBB recommends that you:

• Do not click any links in the email
• Delete the email
• Keep your virus software up-to-date

(Image courtesy of  http://www.hoax-slayer.com/fan-page-verification-scam.shtml)

What Does it Mean to be Green?

Many products advertised as “green” or “organic” can sway purchasing decisions, but companies can also position themselves as socially conscious at a corporate level to attract customers. Such position begs the question though, what does it mean to be green and how can you communicate it in your advertising?

To help promote your company’s green efforts to all audiences, BBB offers the following advice for making “green” claims in advertising and marketing:

Tell the truth. A recent study by a Canadian-based marketing firm found that many products aren't as earth-friendly as they say they are. While most products reviewed made exaggerated claims, a few carried outright lies – mostly involving supposed certification from watchdog organizations. Few things destroy a company’s credibility with consumers faster than false advertising – tell the truth in all marketing efforts.

Make concrete claims. An honest advertiser will not make vague statements such as “environmentally friendly” or “sustainable” without providing solid examples to back up the claim. If your packaging is made from recycled paper, then say so. If your company has reduced energy costs, then brag about! Making fuzzy claims, however, can get you into trouble with any and all consumer segments.

Provide evidence. Being a green company isn't just about putting a recycling bin by the copier. You also need to be able to explain how you’re making the world a better place. Consider creative ways of quantifying your company’s impact such as: How many hours have your employees volunteered? Who has benefited and how have they benefited from your firm’s efforts.

Get a stamp of approval. While there is no universal “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” for green claims, there are independent third-party organizations that will certify your environmentally-friendly statements such as EcoLogo (www.ecologo.org) or Green Seal (www.greenseal.org).

Get expert help. As a result of the green-frenzy, many boutique marketing and advertising firms have sprung up that specialize in branding companies as environmentally friendly and socially responsible. Getting professional PR help is typically costly; however, the rewards could be substantial in terms of revenue, reputation and goodwill.