I think Peter (Office Space) said it best when he said, "It's a problem of motivation... The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care."  What are you doing to keep your employees motivated?

With possibly one of the toughest market years in history behind us, many employees have had more than their fill of added responsibility, hard work and stress.  Younger employees are less driven by job security, and they don't think twice before jumping on an opportunity with your competitor.  Now that we're seeing an increase in job openings, ask yourself this, Why will your employees choose to work with you over the next opportunity that comes their way?  Each year, we find some common threads of innovation in Fortune's 100 Best Company's To Work For list.  These are just a few of the ways that America's favorite employers are retaining their valuable talent:


1. Work Life Balance - Yes, this is a big one.  We're living in a time where mom's are able to hold down a full time management position while taking care of her family and her personal health and fitness goals.  While some people are more effective in the morning... early in the morning, others are more productive or creative at 11PM.  We're not all the same yet corporate America still embraces this 9-5 mentality (8 - 7ish if you're working in New York City).  Small things can improve your employees productivity.  Here are a few options:

• Half day Fridays during the Summer months
• Work from home options... even only one day per week can be a huge boost for employees
• Flexible hours
  
• Allow Employees to work out during business hours as long as they put in a full day's work
• Personal Time - Allow employees to have an hour to themselves each day to work on personal projects - This is straight from the Google handbook.  It encourages personal projects.
  

2. The Extra Benefits - Although employees love healthcare, retirement and so on.  It's going to take a little more than the norm to set yourself apart from the competition.

• Free Yoga Passes / Gym Membership - Healthy employees are more productive.
  
• On-site Child Care
• On-site Fitness Facility
• Loans or incentives toward a computer, vehicles or real estate
• Employee Referral Rewards
• Dry Cleaning Services
• Transit benefits such as TransitChek or commuter vehicles for employees

3.  Team Building Events and Outings - They say that couples who play together, stay together.  That goes for teams too.  In many companies, employees go to work and go home without learning about all of the interesting things that their co-workers do on the side.  I once sat across the hall from a blues musician who played gigs in the local area for about a year before it spontaneously came into conversation one day.  The more you know and like the people you work with, the more productive you can be as a team. 

• Winery Visit - Most states have a wine region these days.  See if you can locate a day trip where interested employees can go wine tasting and/or learn how to make wine.
• Food Class - Find a local chef who will conduct a one-night cooking class for the group
• Take the team out for lunch once per month
• Lunch & Learns - Employees take turns learning about something of interest to them such as a new software program or social networking website and presenting it to the rest of the team.  You provide the lunch, the employees bond as they learn all sorts of new things.
• Corporate Parties - Many companies schedule a corporate party around the holidays, but what about a costume party at the local pub, a summer beach bash or a treasure hunt around town.  If your company is very laid back, you may opt for a bar crawl.  There's a good chance your employees are hanging out at the bar for happy hour anyhow. 

4. Take an interest in your employees. - When was the last time you asked your employees how they were doing?  Take him or her out for an afternoon cup of coffee just to chat.   When employees feel appreciated, they will work harder for you and they will stay longer.  Find out what makes each of them tick.  Are they motivated by money, by personal time, by gifts, by appreciation?  Figure it out, and mark it in your calendar to tend to their needs on a regular basis.  Knowing you care may be all they need.

5. Company Image - Employees want to work for a company that they can respect.  They want to work with a manager who portrays enthusiasm and integrity.  How many of the following are you currently doing?

• Greener Office - Look around.  How many printers are sitting around your office at this moment?  How many of them have printed paper sitting on them that never got picked up? There are many things you can do to show employees that you're being environmentally responsible.  Doing something good each day (even if it's recycling once piece of paper) makes that person feel that they've contributed to the greater good.  For tips on making your office greener, visit Go Green.
  
• Internal Social Network - Encourage employee communication and openness of new ideas for the company through an internal social network.  This will give each employee a level playing field for suggestions.  Some of them may be so small yet so powerful that you can even implement them today.
  
• Personal Emails - Send out enthusiastic weekly emails to your employees updating them on company successes.  Forget the newsletter system, this one should come straight from your email account.  Give a semi-public shout out to those employees who really excelled during the week.  Again, this bridges the gap between upper management and the bottom floor.  If you don't have a direct relationship with the bottom floor, get feedback from their managers on who deserves mention in your weekly shout out.
  

What works for your company?  Leave us a comment with your innovative ideas for boosting employee morale!

Economically, last year's winter season was a bit gloomier than usual.  Smart companies will take this opportunity to get themselves noticed and remembered with a thoughtful gesture or seasonal gift for their clients!

Rather than heading straight to your favorite promo company, give this one some thought.  What would you like to receive as a gift... a personal gesture of thanks may go further than a key chain with your logo on it?  Afterall, it is the thought that counts.  These are our picks for the Top 5 clients gifts for this season!  Remember: creativity will get you far.




1. The Client Gift Basket - A themed gift basket is always welcomed with open arms.  If you're looking to hit all of your clients with one general gift idea, a gift basket is usually the way to go.   Potential themes are as follows: Fall, Halloween, Environment (Green), Breast Cancer Awareness, Wine, New Years, Coffee, Sports, Animals, Winter Wonderland.  Consider implementing a theme that goes well with your brand and incorporate your corporate colors if possible.

Contents:

• Something permanent - Add something permanent that can potentially be kept in your client's office as a reminder of you. 
• Something handmade or baked - This will always pull on their heart strings. Adding your company colors into cookies or baked goods is a great way to bring your brand into the basket without being over the top.
  
• Something that reminds them of your company - As mentioned above, cookies with your brand colors work.  In addition, maybe you add a coffee mug or a planter with your logo for their desk (again, this is dependent upon theme).  Try to keep the logos to a minimum, but it's a good idea to have it in there somewhere.
• Thoughtful Card - Handwritten cards are few and far between in this digital world.  A handwritten note will always be noticed.
• Donation Certificate - In the case of a foundation or organization theme, a donation may be a necessary addition.  Organizations are usually able to print multiple certificates for use in client gifts or to provide you with a digital certificate that may be printed or reproduced.
  

2. Tickets To A Show or Sporting Event - Put your relationship building efforts to good use.  Have you learned over the years that your client loves the NY Giants or Broadway?  They're surely to be impressed that you were listening.

3. Baked Goods / Handwritten Card - If you're looking for a budget option that still gets you noticed, maybe your time is a good investment.  This may also depend upon where your clients are located in proximity to your office.  Keep in mind, some baked goods are shippable.  Try not to choose items which will melt or crumble easily when shaken around a bit.  As mentioned above, a handwritten card will get you noticed.  It adds that humanistic element that many companies are lacking today.

4. A Unique Must-Have - If you're better at shopping than baking, and you still want to be remembered, go with something unique.  There are always new innovations like travel mugs that plug into a car lighter.  If you find something that your clients don't already have and will want to use, that's a great gift.  At the sake of sounding repetitive, I have to mention... if you're purchasing a gift, you must put a handwritten card with it to be effective.  You need to lend a personal aspect to this gift.

5. Gift Certificates - If you're working with clients all over the country, consider checking Yelp.com for a highly rated wine bar or restaurant in your client's area.  Everyone loves to be taken out to dinner (and/or drinks), and they'll be thinking of your during (and in remeberance of) this experience.  Therefore, be sure to pick out a nice place, and send a note to let them know how much you appreciate them.  Also, gift certificates are a great way to save on shipping if you're dealing with numerous clients in multiple locations.

Online Social Networking is a necessity in staying competitive in today's marketplace.  On-going maintenance can be very demanding, and many executives are left wondering about the best option for their company.  Here, we've uncovered some pros and cons to help you decide.

click on image to enlarge

Internal Employee
Sometimes an internal employee is interested in taking on the challenge of learning and maintaining their company’s online social network.  This was the case for Dunkin Dave who now manages the Dunkin Donuts social network full time.  You can find him each day drifting from conversation to conversation with internal employees, those who just finished their morning DD coffee or even MC Hammer.  (See twitter.com/dunkindonuts)  To many companies, hiring an internal employee to manage their campaign seems like an obvious choice, but adding the OSN campaign to a current list of responsibilities can many times be too overwhelming and unsustainable.  When hiring an internal employee to handle your OSN campaign, find a dependable individual who can understand the technology, be trusted as your company’s online representative and can actively focus on maintenance.  If you’re spending time and resources to build a community online, you don’t want to lose your identity.  This is the main reason why interns are not the ideal choice for this position.

Freelancer
With the number of unemployed holding strong, there are plenty of self-proclaimed social networking “experts” out there who would be happy to maintain your network.  Although this can be a cost-effective option, hiring a freelancer can be risky if he or she will only be available until they find another job.  You may not even be informed of this situation.  Your community will develop a relationship with your freelancer.  Your twitters will follow his or her tweets for months and then all of a sudden, he or she is gone.  So, the community you've spent time and resources building begins to slowly unfollow you as they don't identify with the new freelancer.  Basically, with freelancers and interns, you don't have the reliability you'd have when outsourcing to an established company.

PR Firm
By hiring a PR firm, you will most likely get the reliability, the professionalism and a significant price tag to go with it.  This may seem like the best option if you're a large corporation with a considerable budget for PR services.  Keep in mind, not all PR firms handle online social networking maintenance.  They may set up a strategy for your OSN and expect that you’ll find a solution for on-going maintenance.  In many cases, PR firms may enlist the assistance of freelancers or social networking firms to manage the client’s account.

Java Social Networking (JSN) is a Social Networking Firm.
JSN was built with small to mid-sized businesses in mind.   Social Networking demands a considerable amount of time, yet maintaining appearances online is necessary in today’s competitive marketplace.  JSN saw a void in the current options for Social Networking maintenance, and therefore developed a system that incorporates everything necessary in OSN management while providing an approachable and cost-effective solution ideal for small to mid-sized businesses.  At the end of the day, JSN sets itself apart from the competition by providing personal attention, competitive strategies, low pricing and physical results.  This ensures each client is drawing more traffic to their websites and ultimately profiting from their Social Networking campaign.

For more information: http://www.javasocialnetworking.com or email info@jsncafe.com

Some would say a difficult economy is a horrible thing to waste. When the special-needs students of LESA Pathway School in Livingston County, MI were given the obstacle of obtaining starter jobs in a down market, they thought of no better way to utilize the school's stimulus money than to invest in a profitable company where they can better themselves and the community.

"Roughly 25 to 30 of Pathway's 18- to 26-year-old special needs students are running Lacey's Love Dog Biscuit Company, a fully inspected and licensed business that hopefully will lead them toward a career." MILive.com

Lacey's was named after the school therapy dog, Lacey, who receives much love from the students of Pathway. The biscuit recipe has been approved by the Federal Drug & Food Administration, the business passed their first surprise inspection and each biscuit is made with love.

"I love Lacey's Love Dog Biscuits, and I'd recommend them to all of my dog friends." - Baxter

The pathway students have been working double-time to get ready for the holiday season. Lacey's biscuits would be a great addition to:

• Halloween treat bags (for festive canines)
• Client gift baskets for dog lovers
  
• Holiday gifts for dogs
  

How To Order:

Lacey's Love Dog Biscuits:
$3 per bag of 15 biscuits.
Call the office at 517-546-3030.

Made by Pathway School students.
Let them know that Baxter sent you.

Give this dog a bone!
Baxter's Top 10 Best Dog Blogs are (drumroll please):





1. Celebrity Dog Watcher - It looks like the puparazzi has been busy at work on this site. These celebdogs are living large in Louis Vuitton. We should all be so lucky. There's a place for everyday dogs too; check out the Top Dog Of The Day feature.

2. Once Upon A Dog Blog
Meet PeachPops. He loves Art, Johnny Cash and sleeping under his Wisteria tree. Then again, who doesn't? Straight out of SoCal, his blogs are always eclectic and interesting.

3. Tibby Tales "A Dog-Gone Blog"

6. Eduardo The Snuggle Puggle
Eduardo enjoys donating his time for a good cause. You can find him walking for cancer care or spending time with his girlfriend, Roxy. We commend Eduardo for always looking out for his fellow dog... and people friends.

7. Frankie The Walk N Roll Dog
Our Top 10 list would not be complete without this well-known and much loved roller dog. This weiner dog has one of the most popular dog blogs. Frankie's disability doesn't detour him from participating in fundraisers for the Humane Society. Keep up the good work, Frankie.

8. Owned By Pugs
This dogblog is very clean and well designed. Plus, it's owned by pugs! These dogs sleep, tweet, and blog. That's a lot of work for one dog, but when they share these tasks it makes for entertainment and lots of updates. We love that.

9. New York Dog Blog
We just can't get enough pugblogs. It's true, Pugs love blogging, but New York Dog Blog includes a group of four dogs on the town. New York City, Times Square, Chelsea piers... it's a dog playground out there.

10. Dogster's "for the love of dog" blog
Every dog should have this site in their blogroll. With insightful and refreshing content, a nice array of dog photos from all over the net, and an easy to navigate design, Dogster's is showing blog pups how a dogblog should be. Register to win a photo contest or "bark back" to the dogster blog. You can even get Dogster's delivered to your inbox. We give this one two paws up.

Did we miss your favorite? Let us know...

For those who didn't have a chance to make it to Starbucks this weekend to experience the Starbucks Challenge, here are my thoughts...

First of all, finding a store which had the Challenge in full operation was somewhat challenging in itself. On my second attempt, at the Short Hills mall in New Jersey, I found a table set up with a barista pouring instant brew and Pikes Place into Dixie cups. There are two options for the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew: Columbia (Medium) and Italian Roast (Bold). Click here to learn more about the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew: http://www.starbucks.com/VIA/.

For this particular Challenge, Starbucks was comparing the freshly brewed Pikes Place with the VIA Ready Brew Columbia. In my experience, the Pikes Place is quite a bit milder than the VIA Ready Brew Columbia, and the barista at Starbucks Short Hills told us that many of the tasters between Friday and Saturday had similar feedback. He told us that his store statistics showed the majority of tasters choosing incorrectly... good news for Starbucks.

My boyfriend guessed correctly. He claims that he can smell the difference between a freeze dried coffee and a freshly ground bean. You can always leave it to a wine conniseur to detect the faintest scent nuances in everything. With that said, most tasters would undoubtedly assume that the instant coffee would have a weaker taste than a fresh brew. The Columbia VIA Ready Brew (even considering that it's the medium option) was still bolder than the Pikes Place.

I give props to Starbucks as I believe this is the best instant coffee I have had. However, I'm lucky enough to live in the New York City area where Starbucks is never more than a few blocks away. When given the choice, I will always choose a fresh cup. Next time I head cross country or plan my next camping trip, I may add some Starbucks VIA to my packing list.

How did you do? What was your initial reaction to the instant coffee?

Many companies are interested in utilizing Facebook as a marketing tool and communication forum for their customers and clients. Follow these steps to easily set up a Facebook Fan Page.

Account Setup

1. Set up a personal Facebook account if you don't already have one. www.facebook.com

2. While logged in, click on this link to begin setting up your fan page.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php

3. Fill out the form

• Choose a category
• Name your fan page. It's best to use the name of your business or organization here.
• Place a check in the authorization box, and type your name
• Click "create page"

4. Update your fan page with information about your business or organization. Each editable section has a pencil graphic in the upper right corner that you can click on to edit that section. Insert a photo or logo.

5. Invite Your Friends. In the right column under your photo or logo, click on "more". The full menu of options will appear which includes "Suggest to My Friends". You can choose which friends you'd like to suggest this fan page to.

6. Marketing. Facebook has an advertising option with Fan Pages which can be accessed in the upper right corner of your fan page screen. "Create an Ad". There is cost involved with this option.

7. Status update. Post an update in the "What on your mind?" box. This status will be posted for all Fans to see and will remain on your "wall" unless you delete it later. Fans are also able to update their status on your "wall". Some examples of what companies post on their wall are as follows:

• Job openings
  
• Award Announcements
  
• Articles or Blog entries that feature their company or industry
• Helpful tips for consumers
  
• Event Announcements and Reminders

How do I get back to my Fan Page once I've logged out?
This is easy. Log back into your personal account and type the name of your fan page into the search bar in the upper right corner of your screen. Click on your fan page. Once you get to your fan page, you'll have full editing access.

What if I want one of my friends or employees to manage the updates?
You can give any of your fans administrative access. In the left column fan box, click on "see all". A box will open which displays all of your fans. By clicking on the "make admin" button next to a fan's photo, you'll allow them to have administrator access in addition to yourself.

How do I add a Facebook Fan Page button to my website or blog?
Facebook has many options for promoting your fan page on your personal website. These options (widgets) range from a simple fan page button to an entire status box which shows who your fans are and what they're saying about your business at all times. Click here to visit the Facebook Widgets page.

Do you have a question? Let me know.