So here's a quick story about the true power of franchising...

In the business world, more seems to get done via email and instant message than during board meetings and phone calls. This makes online communication etiquette an essential skill for professionals. Whether you’re sending a quick instant message to a family member, a lengthy, informative email to a supervisor, or a casual coffee invitation to a co-worker - you must learn, understand and apply the appropriate techniques to effectively communicate with others online.

Apply the…

Soft skills get a bad rep. “Either you have it or you don’t”, say some experienced managers. “If I have the job skills, I’m qualified to do the job”, say some employees.

But soft skills are more than just a nice-to-have. Employees and businesses who balance attention to soft skills like communication, teamwork and self-confidence with training for hard skills ensure that they retain customers, promote employee engagement and boost staff morale. Furthermore, companies that…

Bill.com enables a $30 million Burger…

Bill.com saved us over 1,800 hours in processing more than 5,000 bills.

McDonald’s is a company who can boast some impressive…

Bill.com saves us over two full work weeks each month, which allows us to focus on growing our…

Employers are ultimately responsible for the payment of income tax withheld, and both the employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes, even if they outsource their payroll responsibilities to a third party. Outsourcing payroll to a third party can help ensure that filing deadlines and deposit requirements are met and greatly streamline business operations. However, it's the employer's ultimate responsibility to pay these taxes, even if the failure to…

Integrated payroll and retirement plan systems use one information-technology platform to process payroll and to administer 401(k) retirement accounts and other employee benefits. Among the advantages of these systems are that they save time and money and help ensure greater accuracy. In addition, they help avoid major concerns when the consequences for missed deadlines and inaccuracies could incur IRS penalties.

Business owners should seek a payroll partner that is locally…

Most business owners are familiar with the tasks involved in tracking employee time and attendance. Typically, this involves the collection of time sheets or cards, adding and approving time totals, and the calculation of data — all of which are subject to error. What is not commonly understood is the extent to which automation can simplify and improve this essential

business process. 

Integrated time and labor management systems streamline the payroll procedure by…

In my courses on time management, I point out that the very worst use of time in life is to stay at a job for months and years for which you are completely unsuited. There are a great number of people who spend their whole lives doing something during the week so that they can somehow find something enjoyable to do on the weekends.

In every case, these are men and women with very little future…

 It’s amazing how many beautiful direct mail pieces with striking images and witty headlines fail to even tell the reader how to contact the business. In fact, there are three often over-looked elements that are absolutely critical to profitable direct mail campaigns.   

1. The Right List…

First and foremost I consider myself a direct marketer.  It also happens that I work for a commercial printer - PrintingForLess.com.  Being a marketing person at a commercial printer has given me some valuable insights into the manufacturing process – and how marketers can better work with their printers to minimize costs.

Our marketing team recently created and printed a double-postcard prospecting piece.  During the printing process, complaints started coming from our…

Tips to marketing your business in good conscience

Building a thriving business and protecting the environment doesn't have to present a tricky trade-off. When it comes to printing, the options in the industry are making it easier every day to find environmentally-friendly ways to successfully market your business in print.

Eco-conscious printing is about more than just the manufacturing process on press. It involves awareness of the entire manufacturing chain - the…

Learn Useful Hints to Help You Pinch Your Print Pennies

We know that marketing your business with professional printing materials can be expensive. And in these tough economic times, it's more important than ever to be efficient wherever possible. So, consider the following cost-saving tips to help you get the most bang for your marketing buck.

1. Plan Ahead for Affordable Printing

There are some areas in business where it is okay to…

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to ban the sale of sweetened beverages 16 oz. or larger was APPROVED today by the NYC Board of Health. This ruling (and future similar rulings across the country) could have a HUGE impact on franchisee profitability!

I'm curious to hear what Frantopia members think about this ruling? Is it the role of government to protect people who are too stupid to realize that a 32 oz. Mountain Dew from 7-11, or a Starbuck's Venti Carmel…

If you're like me, you probably struggle on daily basis getting everything done. There are so many great ideas on my to-do list (and it just keeps getting longer!) but like most entrepreneurs, I struggle with execution. Some of my struggles are simply an issue of delegation and letting go... but a lot is simply a matter of productivity. I'm a realist... I don't expect the problem to ever go away, but it can get better with a little help from technology!

Here's a list of …

Are their one or two reporters in your town that you are hoping to meet one day? Do you envision them covering your company and working on a glowing endorsement for your brand? Sometimes it’s hard to get your emails noticed or your phone calls answered if the reporter is busy and on deadline. But, why not approach them and ask them to meet you for lunch or coffee in order for them to get to know you or your company a little better? All reporters need to eat and many can’t pass up a free…

A:  Many people often ask what is a press kit, and do I need one? A press kit is an information packet about a business or product. It is called a press kit because often times reporters from different media outlets request these kits to learn more about a company or product they are covering.  Think of a press kit like a resume for your business. Inside is a collection of company information. Many press kits include company backgrounders, fact sheets, bios of the executive…

Regardless of how great a business you have, if people can’t find you on the Internet it doesn’t matter.  That means one thing.  You have to be Google-able.

HOW?

• Set up a Google Places page. 
• Make sure that you associate your franchise with all of the appropriate business categories, and none of the categories that aren’t relevant (search engines recognize superfluous associations and discount your reliability…