Flackery May 2018

How to Boost Your Career With Social Media Career networking May 2018 Drive Traffic With Facebook Ads for Business P. 10 affordable health care plans for self-employed & small business owners (check out the video) sales/ marketing P.30 A Conversation With Kevin Willett from New England B2B Networking P. 6 Wondering why we called a business magazine flackery? P. 49 Issue #1 Premier Issue 10 How to Hit A Networking Hole-in-One How to Find the Resources You Need to Grow Your Small Business How to Build an Empire One Dust Bunny at a Time How to Sell the Right Way (Hint: Your Clients Will Love You) How to Make Your Marketing Easy With the NH Business Directory Marketing Canvas: 5 Steps to Your Perfect Marketing Strategy How to Save Money & Have Fun at Your Next Event With Pour Me Bartending 5-Minute Q&A With Kevin Willett: New England B2B Networking Editor's Note Business Directory Listing 3 54 Services we offer: Staffing & Recruiting Consulting Services Outsourcing  Spectrum Consulting collaborates with businesses to enhance their business outcomes. 30 TABLE OF CONTENTS Contact us today! 866.533.3947 Spectrum.Consulting 6 Our experienced consultants, Steve Wood, Susannah Chance, Jessica Lapaglia and Fran Lefavour, help small and mid-sized organizations thrive by offering customized services that help drive a company’s success. Solutions for your business needs 27 39 14 21 25 35 38 40 44 49 How to Stand Out in a Pool of Candidates With Similar Experiences Take Control of Your Health & Gain Confidence Facebook Ads for Business: How to Use "Facebook Offers" to Drive Traffic to Your Door 18 How to Boost Your Career With Social Media HealthShare: An Affordable Alternative to the Insurance Industry Departments Wondering why the heck we named the NH Business Directory magazine flackery? When was the last time you looked in the Yellow Pages to find a business? Hi! My name is Pat Hammond and I am a writer and digital entrepreneur in Manchester, New Hampshire. Back in the day, long before computers or the internet, small business owners relied on the Yellow Pages and local newspaper ads to connect with customers. Those days are gone. Today we use the internet. It’s fast, efficient, and provides a lot of opportunities to customize a message in a way that print media never did. Sadly, between confusing AdWords, changing algorithms, and competition from national chains with deep pockets digital options can also be frustrating and expensive. Business owners need dynamic platforms that give them a way to connect to a broader audience. They want tools to promote their businesses, and those tools have to be packaged in a way that adds value instead of noise to a client’s inbox. Flackery is a quarterly digital business magazine that features articles by and about NH Business Directory members, articles of interest to New Hampshire small business owners, and provides an affordable platform for local business owners to advertise to a targeted local market. As a digital publication we are able to let you embed videos, podcasts, and web links in articles and ads. And unlike the competition, our publication offers New Hampshire business owners the opportunity to show their industry expertise by contributing content. Please take a few minutes to check out our articles and advertisers. If you like what you see, share the magazine with your friends and colleagues. Or better yet, join the NH Business Directory and have your business featured. Pat Hammond Editor/Publisher Flackery Here's a quick video with all the answers... Editor's Note (Just in case you missed it on the cover...) Send an offer to people who have "liked" your page Facebook Ads For Business: How to Use "Facebook Offers" to Drive Traffic to Your Door Mobile Say you are a gym owner, and you’re trying to drive new business. Choose something of value, like a free t-shirt, and offer it to anyone who comes to your gym for a free 7 day trial. Upload the information to Facebook and broadcast it far and wide. It’s lik a coupon, but better… and here’s why: you can get very creative with this! You can utilize different text and a variety of photos. As well, people can see how many others took advantage of your offer. This creates urgency and encourages peopel to follow suit. Facebook Offers can be an incredibly effective way to get your name into the marketplace at a low coast. You’ve probably seen Facebook offers before, but in case you have not, here’s what they look like: You can run these offers to hyper-targeted audiences, such as: People who have visited a specific page on your website. So, if you know someone has landed on your “Special Offers” page on your website, you can retarget them with a Facebook offer that mirrors what they saw on your page. If you’re wondering how to set this up, visit us here. People who are in your demographic or geographic location and are also interested in your product. Let’s say your business is a kids’ play gym, and you’re offering a “Visit 5 Times, Get 1 Free” promotion. You can easily target parents of young children with your offer… and this is likely to receive widespread “shares” and “likes.” People who already “Like” your page. Say your business is a sports bar and you want to bring people in the door for Sunday’s big game. Throw an offer out to your current “Likers” to get their attention. For instance, “$1 Cheese Pizza When You Join Us For Sunday’s Game.” Fans of “complimentary” pages. These are pages that would be “liked” by your target audience that are not necessarily in competition with your page. For example, if you’re offering a free video cooking class to people, you might want to target people who like “The Pampered Chef.” Or, if you’re offering a free bottle of organic tick spray to people who bring their dogs to your boarding facility for the night, target people who like “The Honest Kitchen.” The rationale is that fans of these pages will also take an interest in your offer because of the shared tastes and preferences associated with both. Fans of “competitor” pages. People who like your competitors’ pages are easy targets. Running a pizzeria? Target Papa Gino’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s customers. Selling home meal delivery services? Target Papa Murphy’s. People who have recently behaved in ways that make them great prospects for your offer. Are you a moving company trying to drum up business and get busy this summer? Offer $50 off the normal daily rate for customers in this audience. OK, so I’ve put the offer on Facebook. What happens when someone clicks “Get Offer”? Ah! Therein lies the beauty of “Facebook Offers!” The “click” triggers multiple events which remind your prospect that they took an interest in your offer. The click automatically takes the client to your landing page. The landing to which your traffic is sent should appropriately reflect the offer you’re advertising. Continuity and trust are so important in this process; having continuity and trust will help you generate the maximum number of conversions. The landing page should feature a form and a phone number. The form on the landing page should be straightforward and have as few fields as possible; generally speaking, the fewer the fields, the higher the likelihood of a lead. The phone number should be “clickable” and “textable.” You can also feature a video on your landing page, as well as pictures and testimonials. All of these elements should tie together to maximize your overall conversions. The click automatically prompts an e-mail to the prospect which includes links back to your offer. The click also “saves” the offer in the prospect’s “Saved Offers.” People will receive Facebook notifications and email notifications about your offer until it expires. Depending on their location settings, prospects can receive a notification about your offer when they are physically close to your business. See how powerful this is? See why it’s better than a coupon? Now, if your imagination is running wild with possibilities but you’re not sure how to get started or how to sort out which thing to offer first, let’s talk about it. Give us a call at 603-953-5212 or send us an email, and together we will formulate a winning strategy for you.  Desktop You have something special you want to propose to your customer base and you want a lot of people to know about it! “Facebook Offers” is the way to do it. By BRAD SOLOMON, SOLOMON STRATEGIC BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Solomon Strategic Business Development specializes in Digital Marketing Strategy and Internet Advertising Services including Website Design and User Experience Modeling, Search Engine Optimization, Facebook and Social Media Advertising, PPC Search and Inbound Marketing with the end goal of increasing your businesses sales and profitability. Reach out Today: 877-706-0997 www.sc-nh.com Update Your Profile Always Be Professional Which brings us to rule #1: Four easy tips to leverage social media like a pro. By LAURA BRUNSON, SPECTRUM CONSULTING Rule #2 – When in doubt, just don’t Social media has fundamentally changed the way we communicate. It reaches into every corner of our lives and has reshaped the way we share information, ranging from the way we broadcast milestone events to friends and family. The medium has changed everything, from politics to our professional lives. And as many of us have learned, social media has also become an invaluable tool for personal promotion…when used properly. And while there are no set guidelines for what is deemed “proper” in the ever-shifting online landscape, the team at Spectrum Consulting would like to offer up some suggestions on how to better leverage social media in your career. Be a pro. With “professional” social networking, the key is to focus on the various job seekers’ tools readily at your disposal, designed specifically for this purpose – and use them in the way they were intended to operate. Those tools like Glassdoor, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Dice, and Monster are solid, time-honored career resources. Having a current (searchable) professional resume posted to these portals, along with a well written, updated profile can help recruiters and potential employers locate you – fast. Now, keep in mind the word “professional.” Says Google: Professional, in this context, specifically relates to career. Thus, focus your messaging on content related to your paid occupation – not a pastime. Every tool you use should be focused on the betterment of your professional standing and used exclusively for the purpose for which it is intended. Got political opinions? LinkedIn is not the place for advice. Keep boundaries. If you must make personal or idea-driven posts, learn to better balance the two worlds. Always be as professional online as you would want your employees to be in the real world. It might help to clarify the grey line that exists between being casual and professional if you think of your social media as a virtualized staff, actively promoting you when you are not looking. Think of every word you put online as your personal marketing team charged with presenting messages about you to the world. You would want them to show the facts, clearly – but in a positive light. You would want them to speak honestly, but avoid opinions or condescending attitudes, and you would want them to highlight accomplishments and opportunities wherever possible. You would want them to speak loud and proud about all the great things happening at your organization, freely. The words you post – including the tone, spelling, and grammar you use, are an ongoing reflection of you and your team. And while this is particularly true of career sites, the same goes for your social media. You can keep abreast of current events and happenings about yourself and the world around you without being insensitive to others, falling onto the trap of being overly critical or engaging in the unhealthy drama that sometimes occurs on these platforms. Always be professional. Here’s a social media rule of thumb to live by: not everything needs to be broadcast to the world. This is particularly true when it comes to specifics about your job search. Never announce the details of your job search, and never, ever complain about a company’s hiring process. In fact, avoid posting specific information entirely during the interview process, and never address particular people, companies, and experiences in any public posts. Instead, broadcast your interest in seeking a new career or role and ask for help and insight from others in your circle of peers. Training programs, online resources, ask smart questions of people that may have insights that could help your search. Then, once you connect, take your discussions offline. And while it is true that sites like Glassdoor allow you to review the interview process of specific companies, do so with healthy discretion – long after the experience has happened and once you are secure in a job. These reviews are an excellent tool for job seekers, but opinion, particularly in heightened emotional situations like a job interview, is best dealt with outside the heat of the moment, in retrospect. Many people do not realize the incredible number of hoops that HR and hiring managers need to jump through to make an airtight job offer happen. It is an internal negotiation with a lot of moving parts. The last thing you want to do is draw attention to yourself. Be social but be positive. You are an individual, and you are free to share your vision of an ideal world as you please but do it sensibly and with class. Unless you are actively working to campaign for a social cause you very much believe in, avoid expressing controversial positions. And no matter what, make it a point to avoid insensitive memes or “loose” information. In other words, be cautious about what you share and above all…no trolling! Now, don’t get us wrong. We are not saying to avoid social media. Be yourself and have fun, just keep it healthy. You want to be seen and highly visible to recruiters, peers and hiring managers – in a professional, positive light. Work on building a stronger online presence and using social networks to boost your persona, represent your skills and experience in the workplace and engage on those social networking sites that will increase your visibility and searchability with prospective hiring managers. Don’t waste your time exchanging comments that have little value. Instead, write an op-ed, or volunteer, do something you can tie back to your job search that is productive. Finally, strike a balance. Make sure that personal accounts are set to private so that non-professional information is visible only to friends. Recall that nothing you post online is safe from other people’s eyes and that your data is never as safe as you are led to believe. Check your privacy settings, regularly, as social media companies frequently change their policies. Keep your personal information closer to you and your friends, and less visible to the outside world whenever possible. Final Thoughts Social media is a real game-changer, and continuously evolving in unpredictable ways. Using social media and networking to connect with people and advertise yourself in a professional medium is a perfectly acceptable supplemental tool in your job searching quiver – if it is presented through a professional lens. So, keep plugging away on your job search, and attempting to stay current with social media trends. Good luck with that! And whenever you embark on a new career, reach out to local recruiters you know and trust. While they may not have the perfect job at the time, real-life networking still works better than almost any other medium. Finally, and almost entirely on queue – be sure to incorporate Spectrum Consulting in your professional social media mix! Connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Google and be sure to get to know our consultants just in case you ever need our help now or in the future. Avoid Opinions & Highlight Accomplishments How to Boost Your Career with Social Media Rule #3 – Keep your nose clean Rule #4 – Actively separate your personal and professional worlds Avoid Sharing Controversial Positions Kickstart your summer networking with a little golf. This old school classic is a great way to meet people & develop important business relationships while enjoying a little fun in the sun. By PAT HAMMOND It started on a sunny Thursday in May when I noticed a few golf tournaments on the events calendar. It was about the same time some of my networking friends began skipping regular lunches in favor of their weekly golf game. I didn't give it too much thought until the beginning of June when the number of golf tournaments popping up on Eventbrite jumped from five or six to twenty or thirty. That was the point when I realized that golf might not be a pastime limited to doctors, judges, and old guys. In fact, I was beginning to wonder if golf might be the perfect networking vehicle for people who don't like networking. I should start by saying I don't golf. My mother-in-law's old clubs sit ready and waiting in a dark corner of my basement and I live less than two miles from Derryfield; if I wanted to golf, I'd be golfing. Unfortunately, I can't imagine any situation where spending three hours dragging myself around a golf course would sound like a good thing. Until I think about the networking. Setting aside my prejudices, I consider the possibilities. A quiet morning, birds singing, a light breeze making the air feel deliciously cool. My mind conjures a picture of a sophisticated foursome standing on grass still damp and glistening from the sprinklers sharing sales leads and stock tips. It was 180o away from the typical meat market of cocktails and business cards and it sounded lovely. The problem was my one and only golf experience was two weeks of hell trudging across the links with my high school gym class at the Laurel Oaks Country Club and I had no idea if the image in my head had any basis in reality so I did what any writer would do. I picked up the phone and started calling everyone I knew who played golf. The first two people I called weren't available because they were out golfing. Inconvenient for me, but at least I knew I was calling the right people. After leaving messages and promising far too many favors, one of my networking friends introduced me to Jeff Young from Angus Insurance. Young is a dedicated golfer who has been playing for around 20 years and plays in a league. He tells me about the camaraderie that comes from spending 4 or 5 hours with the same people every week and my image of the four golfers standing on the green first thing in the morning starts to solidify until he says "The object of the game is to win. " He points out that golf is a major commitment and if you want to make connections and build relationships you have to do more than show up. Unless you're a golf pro playing at Augusta[1], you're playing with a team and if you want to succeed you need to "come prepared, practice, and play well." His advice to beginners is: Take a lesson Learn golf etiquette Join a league I'm thinking a league seems like a stretch for a beginner, but he assures me it's a great way to get support while building your golf and networking skills. Based on my conversation with Young, it was starting to sound like golf would be a great way to network, but I wasn't sure how many people have the kind of job that lends itself to taking an afternoon off in the middle of the week and I was wondering where all those tournaments came in. Fortunately, I didn't have to beg any more favors. There's a guy in one of my networking groups who seems to play in a lot of golf tournaments and all it takes are a couple emails to set up a time to talk. Brad Croteau is the Commercial Banking and Relationship Manager at NBT Bank in Manchester and has been golfing for around 10 years. I ask him how often he golfs and like everyone else I've interviewed, his first response is "not enough." His job doesn't give him much time to play in a league and he does most of his golfing in tournaments. Croteau says "I do 5 - 7 tournaments a year and I just did the Boys and Girls Club of the Lakes Region tournament on Monday. It was a lot of fun." I ask him to describe a typical golf day and tell him about my vision of dewy grass and birdsong and he bursts out laughing and says, "No." He explains that the senior leagues who golf first thing in the morning are generally more serious and reserved when it comes to golfing, but tournaments are anything but quiet. "You still have a dedicated 3 - 4 hours you wouldn't normally have with a client. It gives you a chance to learn about them, their family, and their interests, but it's not quiet. There's lots of excitement and a lot of side things going on." Tournaments sound like they might be a good option for a person who can't commit to a weekly tee time, but I wasn't sure how well a novice golfer would fit in. Croteau says that tournaments are typically fundraisers. They're designed to be more fun than competitive and most use a scramble format which takes the best player's score from a team for each hole. "It takes the pressure off of people who feel like they're not good enough to play in a tournament." His average golf day sounds a lot different than Young's and I'm getting a better idea of how most people could fit a weekly round of golf or a tournament into their schedule, but I was pretty sure golf was out of my budget. I was wrong. Like any other sport, the initial outlay for equipment is going to set you back a little, but the day to day cost of playing is pretty affordable. According to Cost Helper Fitness, a basic set of clubs and the bag to carry them will run between $200 - $400 .[2] This is pretty consistent with every other online source I found. As for green fees, there seem to be a lot of variables in pricing no matter which course you choose. Stephanie Edwards from SocialWize, LLC is an avid golfer who plays in a league. She says "It's roughly anywhere from $55 to $150 per an 18-hole round on weekends and $25 to $45 per an 18-hole round on weekdays. The price varies per course, per age (55+), if you walk or ride and if you're a member or not." My last call is to another networking buddy, Nate Roxo of Roxo Realty. He's short on time and keeps it simple. "Golf, especially if you're in a league, is a great way to network and bond with other professionals." And that's probably all I really need to know. I'm still a long way away from joining a league, but with so many pros and very few cons, it's easy to understand why golf is a perennial favorite of power networkers. How to Hit a Networking Hole in One Golf: An Old School Classic That Never Gets Old... I tell him about my vision of dewy grass and birdsong and he bursts out laughing and says, "No." Resources: 1. Augusta National Golf Club is the host of the annual Master's Golf Tournament http://www.augusta.com/ 2. Cost Help Fitness is a website that gathers information from the web and breaks down the real cost of sports activities. http://fitness.costhelper.com/golf-clubs.html Is your weight causing health problems like diabetes or hypertension? Are you tired of being sick and tired? Whether you need to lose 20 pounds or 100, Stephanie Edwards from Ideal Health, LLC, can help. Edwards is a nutritionist and a weight loss coach who has helped hundreds of people not only lose weight but keep the weight off. quickly lose 2 - 5 pounds a week learn how to read labels & plan meals understand how your body processes food so you can make better choices enjoy a healthy lifestyle! The Ideal Health program is a scientifically proven, easy-to-manage weight loss plan and maintenance system. No gimmicks, no magic pills, and no requirement to buy expensive supplements for the rest of your life. This program will help you adopt a healthy lifestyle, eating real food so that you lose weight and keep it off forever. Edwards utilizes education, eating plans, one-on-one coaching, and weekly accountability appointments to help clients achieve maximum fat loss and muscle preservation. She says “The Ideal Protein weight loss program offered here at Ideal Health has helped many clients meet their weight loss goals and better manage their diabetes, hypertension and the overall wellness they have always wanted.” The advantage of Ideal Health as a weight loss solution, and the reason it works for so many people, is Edwards’ focus on helping clients develop healthy lifestyles and her partnership with Ideal Protein. The program works for clients because it isn’t just another diet. Ideal Protein was medically developed to address metabolic disorders and clients enjoy quick weight loss and glycemic control improvements within just a few weeks. More importantly, Edwards provides the skills necessary to maintain the healthy lifestyle changes her clients achieve. Edwards says “There are few things more rewarding than seeing clients transformed into completely new people and why I develop strong relationships with all of the people I coach.” Ideal Health offers a comprehensive, safe and effective weight loss option designed to help clients sustain their weight loss for the rest of their lives and invites anyone interested in losing weight to visit one of Ideal Health’s educational seminars. Learn more about the Ideal Protein weight loss solution, why it works, and why people chose it over other programs. If you’re ready to take control of your health and regain your confidence, visit one of Ideal Health’s free educational seminars to learn more about what Ideal Health can do for you.   On the fence about trying another weight loss plan,? Check out the video to learn more about Stephanie Edwards and Ideal Health. Depending on your weight loss goal, you can be half-way there by July. 603-206-5846 idealhealthllc.com Take Control of Your Health & Gain Confidence BY PAT HAMMOND Stop the Madness! Planstin Inc specializes in distinct benefits for small businesses that include health plans, payroll, and HR solutions. Whether you are a small business with 50 employees or a one-person shop with no employees Planstin has health coverage that is designed to meet your companies needs. Health coverage rates for a single business owner or employee are $343 monthly and families of all sizes can get covered for $894 monthly. This coverage is available to business across 50 states. Members can see any doctor or hospital without network restrictions. Members will enjoy low-out-of pocket costs and flexible plan design. Affordable Full payroll services are $100 per month plus $2 for each employee. This full service offers unique HR solutions, tax filings and much more How to Find the Resources You Need to Grow Your Small Business The SBA, It's Not Just Loans I get a lot of questions from people about what resources are available for small business owners and where they can find help for basic, and not so basic, business questions so I decided it was past time for me to sit down and share the skinny on the big daddy of small business resources, the Small Business Administration. The first thing most people think of when they hear Small Business Administration (SBA) is loans. And yes, the SBA guarantees a variety of loan programs through local lenders, but that is a topic for another day. Today I am giving you an overview of who the SBA is and how the NH District of the SBA can help you. Originally created as the result of the Small Business Act of 1953[1.], the goal of the SBA was to provide "aid, counsel, assistance, etc., to small business concerns" so they could compete with larger corporations. The idea was that with a little help, regular people could live the American dream of starting and owning a business and today's SBA has evolved to include a vast network of people, programs, and resources right here in New Hampshire to help you take your business from your initial concept to startup, growth and every step in between. business planning general & industry specific business counseling assistance with loans & venture capital government contracting mentoring in person & online workshops & classes The SBA contracts with strategic partners to provide almost every type of service or training that a small business owner could need. Strategic Partners NH District, Small Business Administration Since the local office is quite small and the majority of programs and services are provided online via their website or in person through local partners, the primary role of the district office is to connect with the business community. In fact, district staff spend a lot of time on the road meeting with business owners and participating in community events. As you would expect, the SBA has numerous tools and articles on common business topics about starting and managing a business, government contracting, and how to find local resources. One particularly useful tool is their online business plan builder. A lot of people get overwhelmed by the idea of putting together a business plan, but the SBA online business plan tool does a nice job of walking you through the process of thinking about the essential key points and putting them together in a cohesive outline that will make your banker and business adviser swoon. Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) SCORE is probably the most visible resource after the loan programs under the SBA umbrella. New Hampshire has six local SCORE chapters who provide free mentoring services and low-cost workshops to local business owners. Merrimack Valley Seacoast Monadnock Lakes Region Mt. Washington Valley Upper Valley Every effort is made to match the mentor's expertise and experience to the business owner's industry. There are currently between 150 - 160 active advisers within the local SCORE network, but if a business owner needs advice in an industry or topic that isn't represented in any of the New Hampshire chapters, they will reach out to the national SCORE community to find an expert for you. On a personal note, I had a SCORE mentor with my first business and I know several people who have also had SCORE mentors and I cannot stress the value of getting feedback and advice from someone who is not a friend, relative, or spouse. NH Small Business Development Center (NH-SBDC) The NH-SBDC provides 1-on-1 business counseling and a large catalog of free online classes for entrepreneurs. Unlike SCORE, who relies on volunteers, SBDC maintains a paid staff of certified business professionals to help local business owners with writing a business plan, seeking venture capital, exporting goods abroad, as well most general business challenges. They also offer a Business Sustainability Program to provide 1-on-1 advisory services "in the areas of environmental management, energy efficiency assessment and funding, employee safety, and other issues that impact the sustainability of a business."[2.] The NH-SBDC program is a partnership between a local university, the SBA, the state and private sector. They currently maintain seven[3.] regional locations throughout New Hampshire to connect small business owners to programs and resources within their community as well as an excellent list of partners and other local business resources.[4] This is another group that I've interviewed for other articles and know several people who have used their services. Just like SCORE and the NH District SBA offices, everyone I've met at NH-SBDC is very outgoing, friendly, and genuinely interested in helping people succeed as small business owners. Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) Their only location within New Hampshire is in Nashua, but their free and paid workshops cover almost every business topic from determining whether business ownership is right for you to how to promote your business on social media and are worth the drive if your local SCORE or SBDC office can't help you with a particular topic. Don't let the name fool you. While it may seem like their focus is on women entrepreneurs, the Center for Women & Enterprise is a regional New England non-profit SBA partner whose primary goal is to "help people start and grow their businesses"[5.] and men are definitey welcome. Veterans Business Outreach Center for New England (VBOC) In addition to general business and startup programs, CWE also manages the Veterans Business Outreach Center for New England. (VBOC) Free VBOC resources are available to veterans, active duty service personnel, and their spouses interested in starting or expanding their own business and include information about how to start a business, business planning, funding, and other general business topics. I don't have a lot of information about VBOC programs, but my feeling is that the fact that they include military spouses would make them very helpful for anyone who is trying to plan for the unique challenges of being a military spouse and small business owner. What About the Loans? Now that we've seen all the ways the SBA and their partners can help you find the information and training you need to get your business up and running, let's take a look at the money. I'm going to start by saying that the SBA is a government agency and does not directly lend money to anybody. What they do is offer guarantees to local banks to encourage their investment in small businesses. If the lender follows a specific set of guidelines when they lend money to small business owners, the SBA will promise to honor the loan if the borrower defaults. I asked Director Johansson if there is a particular industry that seeks SBA funding more than another in the New Hampshire, but she says there is no typical customer and that they have guaranteed loans for less than $5,000 up to 5 million for people right here in New Hampshire. Five million seems to be a popular threshold for the SBA as it is also the upper limit of their Surety Bond Guarantee Program (SBG). Sometimes companies need to obtain a surety bond in order to participate in bidding and secure contracts. If they cannot obtain a bond through normal channels, the SBA offers what they call the SBG program where they will act as the guarantor instead of the insurance company. This program is particularly important for new businesses, underserved groups, and minorities when competing against larger, more established companies for large projects. Finally, the SBA has a venture capital program called the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC). Just like the loan program, the SBA doesn't actually give money to small business owners, but they do lend money to privately owned companies licensed as SBICs who then extend capital through long-term loans or equity securities to small businesses. I don't want to go into too many details about the various lending programs because they are topics that deserve far more attention than can be given in a brief overview, but I would be remiss if I didn't say that the NH District of the SBA is dedicated to supporting local small business and would like to see more small business owners, especially veterans and women, take advantage of the loan program. If you need capital to start or expand your business and are not sure if you're ready to try for a loan, talk to one of the SBA partner agencies near you. They all offer free business counseling and can help you work through your business plan and loan document preparation. A Smart Business Owner Uses All the Tools No matter where you stand on government programs, no one can dispute that the Small Business Administration has put together an A-team when it comes to strategic partners and programs to help small business owners start and grow their business. It may be different down in Massachusetts or some of the other larger states, but here in New Hampshire we enjoy not only the online tools and programs developed by the SBA, but we also have a team of business professionals who are hands-on and invested in seeing our local economy thrive. District director Greta Johansson says that "You don't have to go it alone, we are here to help." And she is serious. She points out that between their own staff, online tools, and New Hampshire-based partners "There is a 99% chance we have a product or partner that can help," no matter where you are in your business cycle. All it takes is a visit to their website or a quick call to their office to find the program or information you need to jump start your small business. For more information about the tools and resources available from the NH District of the SBA please visit their website sba.gov or give them a call at 603-225-1400. If I had to sum it up with one line, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is your strategic partner for starting and growing a business in the United States. Located at Gateway Hills in Nashua NH Planstin can help you by phone, by appointment at our office, or your office location. Contact: 603-560-3851 TimothyHirsch@planstin.com The SBA contracts with strategic partners to provide almost every type of service or training that a small business owner could need and most of the services are FREE. By PAT HAMMOND PLANSTIN.COM How to Build an Empire, One Dust Bunny at a Time MANCHESTER — At first glance, the empty desk, bare cinder block walls, and three plastic chairs give the new headquarters for Uni-Star Cleaning Service a vacant look, but looks can be deceiving. Between a string of new hires, a growing fleet of vehicles, and new digs, Ryan Van Orden is living the dream. In fact, this Manchester native and owner of Uni-Star Cleaning Service says he's taking his business to the next level. He explains that cleaning is a competitive industry because of the low barrier of entry. You don't need an office, you don't need a lot of equipment, and you don't even need employees. This is a business that one person can start on their own with very little upfront cost and that's where most cleaners stop. They get a couple jobs cleaning offices at night and they're happy because they're making enough money to pay the bills. It's freelancer thinking. They're working one job at a time and their livelihood depends on the owner being able to go out and scrub toilets. Van Orden is a businessman. He's not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty, but he's also looking at the big picture. In the cleaning industry, that means his company has to stand apart from the one-man shops advertising on Craig's List. Over the past two years, Uni-Star has evolved from a startup taking every job they could find to becoming an established business. Never happy with the status quo, Van Orden listened to customers and the residential side of his business took off. Homeowners want to hire people they can trust. They want to know that the people walking in the door are upstanding citizens and they need to know that if something happens and a cleaner gets hurt they won't be responsible for medical bills. Which is where Uni-Star differentiates itself. He says "We provide a professional service, and offer the safeguards that customers demand." Rigorous hiring process Background checks & drug testing Bonded & Insured Industry Certifications Professional training Providing homeowners and employees a safe environment is rule number one. He concedes their exacting standards can make hiring a challenge but says you need the best employees to provide the best service. Van Orden is proud to say that Uni-Star is an industry leader in residential cleaning. " We're a company with world-class service at an affordable price." Based on reviews, he might be right. A quick online search shows top ratings on Google, Facebook, and Home Advisor. Customers are happy. In less than three years Uni-Star has grown to eight employees providing commercial and residential cleaning services. The company has a fleet of vehicles and just expanded their territory by adding the Seacoast to their metro Manchester service area. Commercial Cleaning Residential Cleaning Carpet Cleaning Window Cleaning Move In/Move Out Cleaning Van Orden doesn't take his success lightly. He is a community-driven man who uses his business to lend a hand to those in need. He says they've recently signed on with Cleaning for a Reason, a non-profit that matches local cleaning companies to provide free house cleaning to women with cancer. "It hits home with us. A lot of our team members have had people in their lives or have struggled themselves with cancer. It's such a simple thing for us to send a team over and do our job, but it means so much to them." It sounds so easy when he says it. Someone has a problem and he finds a solution. And maybe that is the reason for his success. Stellar customer services and attention to detail help this start up shine in a crowded market. By PAT HAMMOND How to Stand Out in a Pool of Candidates with Similar Experiences There are so many talented HR people in the world, and this, of course, includes you! However, being recognized in a vast talent pool can prove challenging to even the most successful job seekers. So, the question is, how can you stand out in a pool of candidates with similar experiences? The answer is more straightforward than you might expect! Just be yourself. Sounds easy, right? The fact of the matter is, people in similar jobs tend to acquire related skills, all of which can look the same on a resume. However, what makes a candidate stand out isn’t by highlighting the same old skills that everyone has acquired, it is by demonstrating a personality and a positive attitude that people want to work alongside. In other words, be unique, be human – be yourself. Whenever you find yourself speaking with people, try to connect on a personal level, be pleasant, personable and talk briefly about you are and what makes you tick. Demonstrate both a passion for your work as well as a mastery of the skills required – never losing sight of the fact that you are the complete package that someone is hiring. You are not just a resume. It is Ok to laugh, tell a story or show that you can relate to your peers on a person-to-person level, always keeping things professional of course. Do not be afraid to be human while interviewing since managers tend to hire those people they relate to. Don’t be status quo – be something special. Even if you are shy or introverted, try to connect to company culture by demonstrating an interest in similar values. And particularly when applying to jobs – always go the extra mile. After every encounter with a hiring professional, always deliver a friendly follow up. Don’t ever send a resume, blind, and consider your job done. If you find yourself waiting for the phone calls to come rolling in after you click “submit” you may be waiting a lot longer than you expected. Take the extra step to show that the hiring team’s time is worth more than just a resume. Always be sure to inquire after you apply – with an email, a call, or even by connecting on LinkedIn (include a brief personal message!) Don’t leave it as a one and done submission to job applicant tracking software, differentiate yourself by showing dedication and determination to the human beings on the other side. Work your network to see if you have an ‘in’ with the hiring manager, a shared hobby, a similar interest, a degree from the same school. Look deep for the ties that bind people and use them to relate on a personal level. Never merely upload a resume and hope for the best – be active, and assertive, without going overboard. It is simple – try to be remembered as someone an employer would want to have on their team. Someone that can be trusted to step up to the plate – perhaps to fill in in a meeting, for example. Be that person who would willingly go the extra mile to deal with situations that may fall outside their normal realm of work duties. Since we spend so much time at work, and with coworkers, most hiring managers want someone on their team they can get to know and trust. Skills can be learned; it is the raw materials that matter. So, the next time you stop and ask yourself how to best stand out from the pack, dig deep and ask yourself just how you can show the hiring manager the real you. Don’t just “show up,” there are gangs of other applicants doing just that, be yourself and be the person you would want to have on your team and you’ll very likely find doors opening in your future. Give me a call, and we’ll talk about your career goals and making sure your resume stands out above the rest! – Jessica  For more information about Uni-Star Cleaning ,you can give them a call at 603-867-6243 unistarcleaning.com This advice is for Human Resource professionals, but can be applied to any job candidate. By JESSICA LAPAGLIA, SPECTRUM CONSULTING Need a quick answer to an HR question? Call our hotline. 866-533-3947 We offer a 24-hour callback guarantee. The webinars are 60-minutes long and the format is a standard presentation with the opportunity to ask questions. Content is geared towards HR professionals, small business owners, and managers and the webinars do qualify as credits for both SHRM and PHR certifications.  Spectrum Consulting is a full service firm specializing in Human Resources. In addition to Human Resource consulting, organizational development, and strategic planning, Spectrum also provides HR staffing & recruiting, and outsourcing. For more information about Spectrum Consulting, contact Jessica LaPaglia spectrumconsulting.com Did you know Spectrum Consulting offers FREE monthly webinars? To me, a plan with $7,000 out-of-pocket deductible is not a solution to the high cost of healthcare. What if I said there is an alternative called HealthShare that provides the healthcare your family needs at a price you can afford? Offered through non-profit organizations similar an association, HealthShare is a community-based way for members share the cost of medical bills. It is NOT insurance coverage nor is it offered by insurance companies. The most important features of any HealthShare include: Lower monthly cost No (or limited) pre-existing conditions coverage Lower out-of-pocket costs No financial assistance or proof of income required Large PPO networks (often times the ability to see ANY doctor) Availability in 50 states with no state lines No government open enrollment deadlines - you can sign up anytime during the year! Compliance with the government mandate while still in effect for 2018. Although these plans offer a phenomenal value to millions of people in the United States, I need to point out that healthcare is not one-size-fits-all. If you are eligible for significant financial assistance (subsidy) or have pre-existing conditions, the plans offered through Healthcare.gov are probably your best option. But if you are healthy and do not have employee-sponsored coverage and would like an affordable plan with low copays and deductibles, HealthShare may be the right choice for you. Health Share plans benefit individuals, self-employed people, and families who are not eligible for financial assistance and are not in need of specific coverage for pre-existing conditions. The best candidates are people who are generally healthy and only need annual wellness care and catastrophic coverage. To put it plainly, HealthShare plans serve the forgotten part of the population who the Affordable Care Act does not help, but rather as many argue, hurts. There are currently five HealthShare options available to individuals and business owners across the country. Each HealthShare can design its own plans and coverage based on what the HealthShare and its members feel is best. In many cases, members’ out-of-pocket exposure are a fraction of standard insurance with costs limited to $500 or $1000 per claim.[1.] One type of HealthShare is specifically people who are self-employed or own a business. This option takes a layered approach of blending three plans together to create a comprehensive health plan designed for the self-employed. The cost for this plan is the same rate for business owners aged 30-64 (a little less for younger members) and members can see any doctor anywhere in the country. The small business plan provides cash reimbursements for accidents directly to the member, and $1,000 is the “member responsibility amount” per incident on the plan. Members pay a flat, affordable co-pay for most services with no deductible. Services include: Doctor Visits Specialists Lab Work Urgent Care Prescriptions X-Rays. MRIs and CT scans The cost of this plan is $343 for an individual, $563 for a couple and $894 for a family, regardless of family size. This can mean a savings of roughly 40-60% lower than traditional health coverage, and an even less out-of-pocket cost. Sound too good to be true? Well, it’s not. While there are some differences between a HealthShare and a traditional insurance plan, the coverage is comparable and the savings is compelling. Many people believe HealthShare plans are only available to Christians and do not qualify as compliant for the federal insurance mandate. They are wrong. The fact is many HealthShares were grandfathered in through the Affordable Care Act and are recognized by the IRS as meeting the requirements for health care coverage. HealthShares also come in many shapes and sizes, some are faith-based, some not. Each HealthShare has their own member guidelines and either a statement of faith or a statement of standards. These guidelines explain how the coverage works and explains any limitations or exclusions that may affect coverage. One example of a typical HealthShare plan is Altrua. Altrua is a popular HealthShare that pays claims and works much like traditional health coverage. Altrua members do not have to pay claims directly and enjoy access to a large national PPO network of providers. Their “Silver Advantage” plan offers six annual doctor or urgent care visits to each member with a $35 copay per visit. When faced with hospitalization or surgery, members pay the first $3,500 and Altrua shares in 100% of the cost thereafter, up to one million dollars. Members under the age of 40 pay $202 monthly for a single person, and a full family with up to three children pays $420 monthly. The cost is much less traditional insurance with about half the exposure from a catastrophic event. If you choose to add the recommended supplemental plan to cover limitations and exclusions in Altrua’s basic coverage, the combined monthly cost is still about a 30 - 60% savings versus traditional health insurance options. You can find more information about Health Share plans at planstin.com. To contact Tim Hirsch you can find him on Facebook, or give him a call 603-560-3851 What is a HealthShare? Small Business Group HealthShare The member is only responsible for the first $1,000 in claims and the rest is paid in full by the HealthShare. Is the high cost of healthcare coverage forcing you into a high-deductible plan you can't afford to use? By Timothy Hirsch, Planstin Insurance Health Share: An Affordable Alternative to the Insurance Industry Who Can Benefit? HealthShare members enjoy lower monthly fees and out-of-pocket expenses than traditional insurance plans. Choosing the Right HealthShare - Get the Facts Visit Planstin.com to learn more about Individual, Family, & Small Business coverage.  When was the last time you looked at your calendar and said "Wow! I get to make sales calls today"? Book Your Appointment Today! Check out our new service -- Thai Massage Ialways say that the number one complaint I hear from small business owners is that they hate networking, but the underlying cause of their disdain is the fact they really hate the idea of sales. Between the old cliche about the slimy used car salesperson and the real fear of rejection, it's no surprise that the average small business owner has a hard time warming up to the idea they have to actively go out and make a sale. But what if I told you that your idea of what makes a good salesperson is all wrong? What if I said a good salesperson: Leads with conversations instead of pitches Asks questions and listens to answers Understands the value of building relationships that will open the door to new conversations and referrals No, I'm not crazy. In fact, I've found a local resource that can help you let go of your fear mindset and embrace a proven professional sales technique that will make selling as easy as having a cup of coffee. I recently had the opportunity to attend a free workshop from Sandler Training called "Wimp Junction: Which Way Will You Go?" and I was very impressed by not only the Sandler System but by how much information they were giving away for free. In case you're not familiar with Sandler Training, they are a national franchise of corporate training specialists. Their primary focus is sales and according to their information packet "Sandler Training champions honest, no-nonsense consultative sales and management techniques." Led by franchise owner Kevin Hallenbeck, the two-hour training was an overview of the 7-step Sandler sales process called the Sandler Submarine The Sandler Submarine is a sales strategy that emphasizes qualifying prospects by building rapport, asking questions, and listening to the answers before you open up a sample case or power up a slide deck. Using real-world examples Hallenbeck explained the hows and whys of what makes the system work and showed us how easily any person, no matter how much they hate the idea of doing sales, can feel comfortable with the process. More importantly, when you use the Sandler process your prospects will love working with you because they know you will listen to what they are saying, never waste their time and aren't going to try to sell them something they don't want. This stuff is business gold and they're giving it away for free. Obviously, the workshop is a marketing vehicle to attract potential clients and share information about how Sandler can help your business, but there were no sales pitches and very little mention about Sandler's paid training programs other than an oblique suggestion that anyone who was interested should circle the "yes" on the questionnaire. If you're wondering about Sandler's paid services, they offer coaching and training programs for sales, sales management, and leadership. They have standard programs suitable for anyone as well as custom programs for corporate clients. Training can be in-person, on-site, or virtual and can be tailored to almost any product or service, whether you are a one-person shop or a Fortune 500 company. Don't be overwhelmed or put off because you think your business is too small or doesn't sell the right product. Hallenbeck says many of their clients are small contractors and people who never thought they'd have to do sales when they quit their corporate jobs. The bottom line here is that no business can survive without sales, but the sales process does not have to be an agonizing experience for you or your potential customers. If you feel like your sales could be improved with coaching and a proven sales process, give Sandler Training a call. They run regular free workshops throughout the year and I'm pretty sure they'll be more than happy to sit down and have a conversation with you. ------------------ For more information about Sandler Training, including upcoming events and training programs, you can find them on LinkedIn and Facebook, or visit their website www.bestsalespeople.com. 167 S River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 603-738-6393 How to Sell the Right Way (Hint: Your Clients Will LOVE You!) BY PAT HAMMOND peacefulstrengthmassage.com www.bestsalespeople.com Popular Sandler eBooks Over 100 How to Succeed podcast Online Course Samples and Demos Quarterly Sandler Advisor Newsletters 10+ webinars on sales and sales leadership topics 20+ Whitepapers on Sandler success principles Some of the resources are restricted to Sandler members, but there is a stunning amount of top quality training materials available for free. If you are looking for proven sales advice be sure to sign up for your free account today. In addition to the complimentary introductory trainings, Sandler also has an e-learning library filled with tools, tips, and strategies to fire up your sales process. Sandler E-Learning Library Back in the day, if you wanted to reach a local audience you took an ad in the Yellow Pages or the local paper. It was an expensive, but effective way to reach a targeted local market, but times have changed. The internet replaced old-school print as the preferred search tool for people looking for local businesses and services, and while you can't argue that digital is a whole lot easier on the average small business owner's budget, the results aren't necessarily the better. Unlike the local phone company or newspaper who conveniently delivered your ad right to your customer's doorstep, internet searches frequently result in companies located across the country or even the other side of the world. I don't know about you, but I want to support the local economy and I definitely want to do business with people I know, which is why I created the NH Business Directory. We're all small business owners, right? None of us has the time or budget to waste on guessing Google keywords or buying print ads that hit the circular bin as soon as your customer is done with the paper. But what if I told you there is a super easy, budget-friendly way to tap into a targeted New Hampshire audience? Introducing the NH Business Directory The NH Business Directory was designed to give you two ways for people to connect to your business all in one place. The Business Card The Business Card is a snapshot of your most important information that appears in the main directory when a client searches for your business, products, or services. Contact Information Logo List of Products & Services Social Media Links Your Business Listing And if that's not enough, we take it five steps further by throwing in a complete full-page, stand-alone Business Listing that gives every piece of information from your business card plus the ability to add and edit custom content so that your listing stays fresh. Graphics Video Coupons & Specials! Testimonials Even better, your directory listing can be used as marketing tool to share on social media, send to people you meet at networking events, or as a printed handout when you need a quick one-page overview. (See the NH Business Directory in action - visit NHBusinessDirectory.com Bottom Line A smart business owner knows how to use the right tools for the job. If you're on a tight budget trying to reach a local New Hampshire audience, the NH Business Directory is definitely the tool you need to get the job done. So what are you waiting for? With the cost of a one-year membership breaking down to $10 a month, NH Business Directory is a very budget friendly option for getting your NH business in front of a local audience. Queen City Buzz is already the go-to source for business information and resources in the Granite State, why not put your business in front of the fastest growing NH audience? Click the Link & Join Today! How to Make Your Marketing Easy With the NH Business Directory BY PAT HAMMOND Tip: Keep it simple. Bullet points are all you need for your marketing canvas to point you in the right direction and keep you on track If you're like most people, you probably hate the idea of writing a marketing plan almost as much as you hate marketing. I get it. You're a small business with an even smaller budget. You'll be lucky if you can put up a website and run a few newspaper ads and you don't really need a marketing plan for that, right? Wrong. It's essential that businesses with a tight budget have a marketing plan so that those limited dollars get used wisely. Marketing is a science that involves analyzing your target market and products, identifying your competitors, making SMART goals and following through by putting that plan into action. Now that you're thoroughly overwhelmed I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You probably don't need a full fledged fifty page marketing plan with full color graphics, charts and footnotes. The truth is that an easy five-step one page Marketing Canvas is all you need to highlight the key points and optimize your marketing strategy. Getting Started Before you do anything, you need to download the marketing canvas. Each box on the canvas represents one of the core components of a basic marketing plan. Start with Customers on the top left and work your way through to Funding on the bottom right. Step 1: The Secret to Great Marketing is to Know Your Customer Many small business owners mistakenly think they can reach a larger audience by casting a wider net, but find that instead of attracting more people their message is watered down and ignored. The good news is that with a slight change in focus you can use the marketing canvas to easily identify your ideal customer as a subset of all people who might potentially buy your product and tailor a plan to reach that specific group. identify a specific niche clearly define what that group values & needs single out what problem(s) your product solves If you're really afraid of losing potential sales by focusing on a micro-niche then identify your top three prospects and create a marketing canvas for each. Step 2: What is Your Product & Why is it Better? This one sounds like a no-brainer, but sometimes when you drill down you realize that while you may be selling widgets, your target customers are really buying convenience, novelty or some other intangible. This distinction is especially important when you are competing with big box stores or online portals. You know you can't compete on price so you have to give the customer a reason to choose you over some other perceived value and you can't do that until you identify what that unique value is. Step 3: Know Thy Enemy The second principle of Sun Tzu & the Art of Business is to "avoid your competitor's strengths and attack their weaknesses," but before you can do that you need to know who your competitors are. identify your competitors determine their strengths know their weaknesses Step 4: How Will You Reach Your Customers? It's not enough to make a list of potential touch points, a marketing plan has to include specific information about what those channels are, how you will leverage them and how you will measure success. choose your channels define metrics for measuring success The data is all over the place when it comes to how many times a customer needs to see an ad before they buy, but the one constant is that if your target market is not already familiar with your brand it will take multiple points of continuous exposure before they think of you when they go looking for your product. A good rule of thumb is to follow Dr. Jeffrey Lant's Rule of Seven. According to Dr. Lant you "must contact your buyers a minimum of seven times in an 18-month period for them to remember you." It can be any combination of internet, traditional advertising, direct marketing, meetings, cold calls, networking events, etc... as long as you connect with the customer at least seven times. Don't forget, you also have to find a way to quantify all those points of contact so you know which methods work and how to change the one's that don't. Step 5: Show Me the Money $$$ Like everything else in life marketing costs money. In this case you need to identify how much your marketing campaign will cost and how you are going to pay for it. Remember, sweat equity counts as a cost so if you plan to create your own ads, curate your own content or build your own website, you have to include the cost of your time. That's it. Five steps, eleven questions, 30 minutes and one page. So what are you waiting for? Download your marketing canvas today. RESOURCES: marketing canvas: a fill-in-the-blank pdf of the basic marketing canvas Marketing Canvas: 5 Steps to Your Perfect Marketing Strategy BY PAT HAMMOND Does your small business have a marketing strategy? Did you actually sit down and think about how your company is going to attract new business? What about the competition? Contact us today! 603.880.7184 | jobs4u@careerconnectionsnh.com |careerconnectionsnh.com Career Connections, established in 1982, has been providing best-in-class staffing solutions to Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts. Specializing in the administrative, accounting/finance, customer service, human resources and sales/marketing industries, Career Connections expertly matches qualified candidates with appropriate permanent and supplemental positions at numerous local organizations. What We Offer: Significant industry experience Strong, reciprocal community relationships An excellent network of local contacts and a well-established clientele Knowledge of local business dynamics and market trends An extensive database of talented candidates A proven, multi-step screening process to ensure that we find the very best candidates to meet each client’s specific needs Mixing up memories with Pour Me Bartending. By PAT HAMMOND How to Save Money & Have Fun at Your Next Event With Pour Me Bartending!  A Mobile Bar? Do they make house calls? My first thought when I saw "mobile bartending service" was lunch truck with liquor and I thought "Wow, that is brilliant." Tea and water are my standard work beverages, but there was a time back when I was a cube dweller when a quick shot at lunchtime wouldn't have gone amiss, so when I saw Kathy Torres' post about her mobile bartending business, Pour Me Bartending, LLC, on meetup.com I knew I had to meet her. Between you and me, that was the best decision I made that week. The first thing I should say is while Pour Me Bartending, LLC is a mobile bartending service, they don't have a lunch truck and don't bring the liquor. What they do bring is the bar setup and an incredible staff of experienced bartenders who will take the pressure off you so you can enjoy your event with your guests. No worries about how to mix someone's favorite drink, how much liquor you should have on hand or what kind of mixers you need. Instead of getting stuck behind the bar, you get to spend your time dancing, socializing and eating with everyone else. And if that isn't enough, Pour Me Bartending, LLC is going to save you a lot of money. Pour Me Bartending = Big Savings $$$ Anyone who has ever worked in the service industry knows the money is in the markup. And that is especially true when it comes to drinks. Even a 16-ounce soda in a restaurant costs far more than a 2-liter bottle from the supermarket. And that's what makes Pour Me Bartending, LLC such a great service. You bring the ingredients. Their crew sets up a full-service bar, mixes drinks, and makes sure no one is over-served. Their service even includes the insurance so you're protected if Crazy Cousin Bob spills his beer and falls, at no extra cost! They currently offer three levels of service based on the type of event and the number of guests and all of these services can easily be customized to meet your needs. Full Bar Experience: Shopping List Shopping Guidance Event Setup Event Breakdown Customized Drink Menu Garnishes Liquor Liability Insurance if needed for your event Hours are customized per each event Ultimate Bar Experience: Lights for Bar Area Shopping List Shopping Guidance Event Setup Event Breakdown Customized Drink Menu Garnishes Liquor Liability Insurance if needed for your event Hours are customized per each event Bar Package Upgrades: Frozen Drink Machines Martini Bars • Tiki Bars Other themed bar packages Fireball Fountain Torres meets with every client to ensure they have the best experience. She reviews the number of guests, creates drink menus, and curates shopping lists. She even customizes the colors of frozen drinks to match your wedding, corporate logo or event colors. Her goal is to give you the best experience possible and she must be doing something right because she tells me "One of the grooms was so happy with us he recently started bartending for us." Overflowing with praise I'm not surprised. Torres is fresh and bubbly and outgoing and puts so much emphasis on guest and client experience it would be almost impossible for people not to have a good time at one of her events. All of her staff are hand-picked. Each bartender has at least five years of experience and based on the reviews and comments I saw on Yelp and other review websites, they mirror their boss' outgoing personality and attention to detail. Whether you are getting married, hosting a birthday party, barbecue, or corporate event, Pour Me Bartending, LLC has the right service for you. No stress. No worry. No surprises. Mixing Up Memories As their website says, Pour Me Bartending, LLC specializes in "Mixing Up Memories." If you're looking for a professional crew to provide outstanding, personable drink service at your next event, this is the bar service for you. Not only do they provide the bar, the lights, the tools and the frozen drink machines, they bring a friendly, professional team who take all the fuss and worry out of offering drinks at your next party. Pour Me Bartending, LLC currently provides service throughout New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine and their rates are determined by the number of guests, hours and staff needed to tend your event. They even have an online form to make it easy for you to check availability and book their services. Torres tells me that they are already booking for next September, but don't let that stop you from calling about a party or event for next week, next month or even the holidays. They have been around since 2010 and with 15 bartenders on staff, their well-oiled team can service your wedding, rehearsal dinner, corporate event, birthday party or barbecue. For more information about the services offered by Pour Me Bartending, you can find them on Facebook or visit their website pourmebartendingllc.com F Not only do they provide the bar, the lights, the tools and the frozen drink machines, they bring a friendly, professional team who take all the fuss and worry out of offering drinks at your next party. Pour Me Bartending, LLC currently provides service throughout New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine and their rates are determined by the number of guests, hours and staff needed to tend your event. They even have an online form to make it easy for you to check availability and book their services. Torres tells me that they are already booking for next September, but don't let that stop you from calling about a party or event for next week, next month or even the holidays. They have been around since 2010 and with 15 bartenders on staff, their well-oiled team can service your wedding, rehearsal dinner, corporate event, birthday party or barbecue. For more information about Pour Me Bartending, LLC, you can find them on the web www.pourmebartendingllc.com or visit their Facebook page. "Kathy and her staff were the friendliest people I have ever met! They were extremely helpful, interacted with all of our guests and asked us if we needed any help! Kathy even fixed my dress before walking down the aisle!" - Susan J., Uxbridge, MA on yelp.com Pour Me Bartending has packages for all your party needs. Corporate Events Weddings Barbecues Birthday All events include: Free Consultation Custom Drink Menu Detailed Shopping Lists Insurance Cocktail Straws Cocktail Napkins Cocktail Picks Plastic Shot Glasses Bar Tools For more information about Pour Me Bartending, contact Kathy Torres 603-315-7353 pourmebartendingllc.com New England B2B Networking -- The perfect group for anyone looking to meet specific people in specific industries. By PAT HAMMOND Location: Various locations around southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts Date: Various — currently 20 different meetings per month, check website newenglandb2bnetworking.com or eventbrite.com for latest meetups. The Facts price: $20/per event atmosphere: casual, business professional, friendly amenities: varies by location content: networking, peer support, open discussion, networking The Details: I had a conversation with Kevin Willett from Friends of Kevin the other day and as you would expect, the main topic was networking. For anyone who doesn't know Kevin, he is the man behind the Friends of Kevin, New England B2B Networking, and the Friends of Kevin Radio Show. He's also the author of "One Connection: How You Can Grow Your Business (and Change the World) One Connection at a Time." In case it isn't obvious, Kevin knows networking. He understands what makes people nervous, how to overcome obstacles, and how to meet the right people. He preaches the long game where the connection you make today doesn't have to be a potential customer, but they'll likely introduce you to other people who will lead you to paying clients and referrals. He also encourages people to invest in themselves by setting aside time for networking. Which brings me to today's topic, New England B2B Networking. QCB: Your Friends of Kevin group is already wildly popular, why start New England B2B? KW: In true entrepreneur fashion, he says that he saw a need and filled it. "Friends of Kevin is mainly B2C and I got tired of turning people away."  Friends of Kevin usually has about 30 people in attendance and most of them are either in the market to sell directly to consumers or people looking to find or change a job, which left all of the business-to-business people with nowhere to go to connect with other business people. QCB: How does New England B2B differ from Friends of Kevin, besides the B2B factor? KW: The biggest difference is that the New England B2B events are "small and give people the opportunity for deeper conversations." Willett says that unlike his Friends of Kevin events, which are open to everyone, the New England B2B meetups are exclusive with only one person per industry and attendance is capped at ten people. He concedes there is value in including people who are there to facilitate connections and says he will occasionally make an exception to the one occupation per event rule and invite someone like me as a "connector" rather than in my role as a web developer or writer, but I get the feeling that is the exception rather than the rule. QCB: Do you find that limiting the group to 10 people at each event limits the opportunity to effectively network? KW: One of the reasons New England B2B is so popular is "because people can have real conversations." When they go to the big events with 80 or 100 people it gets overwhelming and people start collecting business cards instead of talking, but at New England B2B you have plenty of time to get to know everyone. He points out that the same people don't come every month. The B2B events are during the work day, so people come when their schedule allows and with 20 different events every month a lot of people will go to Manchester one month, Nashua, Woburn or Dracut the next. It keeps things fresh. QCB: One of the things I discovered from doing Coffee Buzz Networking is that people really like structure when it comes to a meetup. What's the usual format for a New England B2B event? KW: We usually do 30 minutes of introductions and 30 minutes of open networking. Afternoon events include lunch and they run 30-minutes longer than the morning meetups, but both "have my Kumbaya circle where we go around the circle and everyone introduces themselves followed by open networking."  Willett is one of those open, effusive people who always seem to be smiling. I suspect he's a compulsive hugger and as soon as he starts talking about the Kumbaya circle I picture him sitting in the middle of a circle strumming a guitar and crushing people with hugs. I've met a lot of people who have been to Willett's events and no one has ever mentioned a guitar or hugging, so it might just be my overactive imagination. The one thing everyone does say is that if you want to connect with a specific person, or someone in a particular industry or occupation the first place to start is to contact Willett then go to one of his events. I'm not making any promises, but it's been rumored that he knows almost everyone in a hundred-mile radius of Dracut and if he doesn't personally know the person you're trying to reach, someone in his network surely does. QCB: Let's talk about the elephant in the room, New England B2B Networking isn't free. KW: "That's correct. Friends of Kevin is a free open networking event, but New England B2B Networking costs $20 per event." Before you balk, keep in mind that Willett is a professional networker. He provides an incredible number of free tools and resources, including the Friends of Kevin meetups, his radio and tv shows, websites and social media to help people in New Hampshire and Massachusetts expand their networks. He is always gracious and available when someone asks for an introduction or referral and is more than happy to share his advice and tips on how to overcome networking challenges. The things he gives away for free take up enough time for two full-time jobs. I know from my own experience as an entrepreneur and an event organizer that in the business-to-business arena, it takes both time and money to organize, promote, and host an event. Willett puts a lot of effort into carefully curating the New England B2B meetups so you have a better chance of meeting the people that can help you succeed in your own business goals. He's a nice guy who will go out of his way to do a favor, but with I'm pretty sure even he has to draw the line at buying lunch for 200 people a month. Final Thoughts: My feeling is that people new to networking in the B2B arena may object to paying for a networking event, but the established business people and enlightened startups will have no problem with the price of admission. As small business owners, we live in a pay-to-play world and there are going to be times when you will have to ante up if you want to stay in the game. I'm about as frugal as they come and I see no problem paying to attend an event that delivers high value, and New England B2B Networking does just that. Kevin Willett has combined the best parts of all the other networking groups and created a product that will suit just about any entrepreneur's networking need. they are small they are exclusive they are budget friendly and there are enough events in enough locations to fit just about every schedule Compared to a BNI type group that has steep dues and membership fees, requires regular weekly attendance, and has quotas on how many referrals you have to give, New England B2B Networking is a breath of fresh air. They provide everything people love about the rigid, expensive national networking groups and leave out all the parts that chafe. Even better, it's local. If you're looking to make meaningful local business connections, especially if you have very limited time for networking, give New England B2B Networking a try. They have at least 20 events a month, and if you only have time to go to one it's definitely worth your time. Resources: 1. The Small Business Act, July 30, 1953, officially created the organization we know as the SBA to "aid, counsel, assistance, etc., to small business concerns" 2. For more information about NH-SBDC Business Sustainability Program visit nhbdc.org. 3. To find an NH-SBDC office near you visit nhsbdc.org/locations 4. For a list of NH-SBDC partners visit nhsbdc.org/partners 5. Center for Women & Enterprise mission cweonline.org 5-Minute Q&A with Kevin Willett - New England B2B Networking New England B2B Networking 603-206-5846 www.idealhealthllc.com 170 S River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 Networking & Job Search Tips: Discover the REAL you with one of our free seminars! No gimmicks, no magic pills, and no requirement to buy expensive supplements for the rest of your life Call Today! quickly lose 2 - 5 pounds a week learn how to read labels & plan meals understand how your body processes food so you can make better choices enjoy a healthy lifestyle! 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