Motivated by the potential for growth, small businesses across the country are taking advantage of this movement with more enthusiasm year after year, given strong consumer response. GS1 US, an information standards organization that helps small brands identify their products for commerce, recently spoke with small business owners who have run successful Small Business Saturday campaigns. They discussed three big benefits to buying from small businesses this holiday season. 

Unique Products 

Consumers are hungry for a wide variety of unique products, which provides prime motivation for shoppers to support small businesses.

"People shop small because it makes them feel good. It allows people to discover interesting products, and feel like they are helping a real person, as opposed to a big corporation," says Andrew Jacobs, CEO of JAM Paper and Envelope, an e-commerce paper company.

According to a study by the NFIB and American Express last year, nearly two-thirds of online shoppers (65 percent) are likely to seek out small, independently-owned retailers. This helps unique products from small brands compete right alongside products from larger, well-known brands.

"It's so important for small businesses to be recognized in order to compete with big businesses," says Lisa Burginger, founder of Qubits Toy, Inc., a company that makes colorful building sets for kids. "For our company, it's our busiest time of the year." 

Community Support 

For many consumers, shopping small is driven by the desire to support their local communities. When consumers spend $100 at a local business, roughly $68 stays in their local economy, according to a recent Civics Economy study. The local impact, which helps benefit food, service and civic organizations within the community, could be 50 percent larger than a similar purchase from a regional or national retailer.

"I believe people want to support their communities," says Allison White, founder of Scout Cart, a unique personal utility cart company. "They often know the owners of local small businesses and these small businesses often provide employment opportunities for the young adults in our families." 

True Connections 

Small businesses can use the extra consumer attention to nurture brand loyalty beyond just one day. According to the 2018 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, 96 percent of consumers who reported shopping on Small Business Saturday say the day makes them want to shop "small" all year long, not just during the holiday season.

"Small businesses can give you special services, discounts, and one-to-one customer service that big businesses can't always offer," says Burginger.

Increasingly, shopping is about a shared experience - the small businesses that create memorable moments for consumers will likely experience growth.

"The next generation is looking for more than just a product, they want an experience," says Travis Wayne, product manager, TEKLYNX, a barcode software company that is certified as a GS1 US Solution Partner, a program that helps small businesses find qualified partners to help them reach more consumers.

"When you walk into a hardware store, for example, or if you shop online, it's more about personalizing that experience and ensuring that the consumers get what they need. Some businesses teach instructional courses on a product, or supply some kind of educational information. It's about going above and beyond consumer expectations with the hopes of increasing the sale and maintaining a customer for life."

Taking advantage of Small Business Saturday is ultimately just one way small brands are setting themselves up for growth. Beyond the holiday season, businesses of all sizes need to think strategically to succeed in a competitive retail landscape. Visit www.gs1us.org/small-business to access research from GS1 US on the ambitions and challenges of small businesses, watch videos featuring entrepreneurs, and learn more about their growth journeys.

Consider this: as with anything worth having, there are expenses and hassles associated with boat ownership that you may not even be aware of. But partial (fractional) ownership offers "all of the luxury and none of the hassle" according to the website of yacht co-op management company Saveene.

It works like this: The more fractions you purchase, the more yacht usage you can experience. For example, a 10 percent purchase equals approximately four weeks of yachting time each year; 20 percent entitles you to eight weeks, and so on.

For those who enjoy the periodical pleasure of luxury boating, fractional ownership is more cost-effective than sporadic charters, and has several other advantages:

- Predictability. Saveene fractional owners hold equity in the yacht and have the option to sell their fraction any time they like. Purchase as many fractions as you want, up to 10 fractions per yacht. When you choose your dates, contact Saveene and they will schedule and prepare your yacht for your arrival.

- Pampering. When you arrive at the marina, the yacht is clean, stocked, and safety-checked. Chart your course in advance, or allow your captain to create a memorable itinerary. Bring any food and beverages you choose, or Saveene yachts accommodate a chef or catering service.

- Peace of mind. With fractional ownership, you avoid many headaches associated with owning a boat outright, including maintenance, repairs, storage, transportation, and insurance. Saveene handles the business transactions of purchasing and selling the fractions as well when the time comes.

Saveene offers a range of options for yacht enthusiasts - a Sea Ray Sundancer for $19,995, a 36' Carver Mariner for a one-time fee of $ 39,995, a 64' Aicon for $89,980 or a combined usage of these for $69,985. All types are available at the same marina for viewing before making a purchase.

Sea Ray Sundancer: This 34-foot cruiser is ideal for families, and easy to maneuver along intercoastal waterways for boating, snorkeling, and dining at dockside restaurants.

Carver Mariner: This 37-foot boat features a fly bridge suited for parties, a home-size galley to accommodate larger food prep or catering, and a full entertainment center.

Aicon: The 64-foot yacht includes four full-sized cabins plus crew quarters to handle an extended excursion. All cabins include their own facilities and TV/DVD setups, and the yacht includes a collection of water toys for kids of all ages.

Want to go bigger? Saveene is also taking orders for an 85-foot Azimut yacht.

Other benefits include the opportunity to check out Saveene yachts for a risk-free trial and the ability to write off your fractional purchase on your taxes.

For more information about the benefits of yacht co-ownership, visit saveene.com.

Making a commitment to your professional fitness doesn't have to take a bite out of your bottom line, either.

The Professional Development Academy, an online leadership training company with top-notch faculty from business, industry, and government, offers programs in areas including high performance leadership, frontline information technology leadership, and maximizing your personal brand, all for a fraction of the cost of a traditional MBA program and easily accessible at your convenience.

The Professional Development Academy Faculty includes individuals who are proven outstanding leaders in a range of fields, including Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and retired 4-star general; Cheryl Smith, IT expert and former CIO of McKesson Corp.; and Peter H. Thomas, one of the most savvy and successful entrepreneurs of the modern era, whose six-decade career highlights include founding Century 21 Real Estate Canada, and the Four Seasons Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, along with developing emerging companies such as Dogtopia.

Some top tips from the Professional Development Academy experts:

"Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier," says General Powell. When you bring an optimistic attitude to the office every day, others will follow your lead. The Professional Development Academy curriculum includes practical insights from Powell and other world-known thought leaders highlighting the power of a positive mindset.

Smith notes that the best leaders don't just dictate, they listen.

"Ask for feedback," she emphasizes. "Then listen and learn." Constructive and critical feedback can feel harsh, but it can provide tremendous insight for future growth.

Finally, be true to your values, says Peter Thomas.

"To be truly successful, ensure your decisions at work align with your core values. When your values are clear, your decisions will be easier," he says, and "be open to opportunities and be ready to move on them."

Starting in 2020, the Professional Development Academy is partnering with Peter H. Thomas to launch the Peter Thomas High Performance Leadership Academy, a 12-week course divided into "learning bursts" that can be completed in 4-5 hours per week at any time to suit busy schedules. The course is designed to share Thomas's secrets for success at nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit in conjunction with a values-based life.

For more can't-miss ways to boost your leadership skills in 2020, visit the Professional Development Academy at pdaleadership.com.

"The big wild card is the need people have for the product. That trumps everything," states best-selling author Lonny Kocina, CEO of Media Relations Agency. "If a product works well, even bad marketing can't kill it. But if people don't need the product, the best marketing in the world isn't going to save it."

Kocina, author of "The CEO's Guide to Marketing," explains how to tell the difference. His book has been an Amazon best-seller since it was released in 2017 and was a 2018 Axiom Business Book Silver Award winner.

Kocina says most marketers don't know enough about marketing to understand whether it is responsible for a sales problem or whether it is accelerating a product's natural lifecycle. "If a product doesn't work, you're going to find out faster when you're using a good marketing process," he explains. "So, when someone in the room tries to blame marketing for all the problems, you'd better have your facts in order.

"Does your team truthfully understand marketing? Were you on point with your messaging and your positioning? Did you use the promotional mix and schedule correctly? Did you cycle through it as you should? If you can say yes to all that, and the product didn't work, then you can say it wasn't your marketing." 

The six-step process designed to increase marketing results 

In his fully illustrated book, Kocina outlines a six-step process designed to dramatically increase your marketing results. "I call it Strategically Aimed Marketing, or SAM 6, for short. This process will assure creative people stay focused, on track and doing their best work."

The SAM 6 steps are:

1. Gain competence in marketing concepts and principles. "Wouldn't it be great if we all spoke the same marketing language? Dentists know bicuspids from incisors. Lawyers know affidavits from briefs. A competent marketer has a clear understanding and a working knowledge of marketing concepts and principles."

2. Developing code sheets. "Code sheets are a means of gathering and documenting important information about your company and the products it promotes."

3. Select channels. "The promotional mix channels you choose to employ depend on many variables, including your message, the market and your resources."

4. Schedule calendar. "Your marketing calendar is a trusted guide to ensure that you cycle through each product and its primary value points with a maximum flow of on-point promotional messages."

5. Develop a control template. "Your control template provides the guidelines for your writers, designers and other creative staff to follow without losing sight of the marketing necessities"

6. Assemble your creative team. "You need to assemble the right people for the job, and then let these creative souls work their magic within the parameters you set."

Kocina also says those who follow these steps will feel more empowered by their marketing.

"SAM 6 brings a clarity and process to this tension-filled field. "I've been CEO of Media Relations Agency for three decades. I've worked with hundreds of clients across the country. I get to see what's behind the scenes. I can tell you, the companies that follow a logical process are the ones getting the most bang for their marketing dollars."

To access free SAM 6 tools, go to Publicity.com.

Practically overnight, businesses have been forced out of the comfort zone of face-to-face contact, now having to heavily rely on digital platforms. Businesses, especially, are struggling with figuring out how to survive by using digital communication techniques.

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and government officials emphasizing "social distancing and mandatory nonessential business closures," technology such as live video conferencing, chat boxes, and email will be the basis for millions of Americans for their jobs, schooling, and everyday communication. So, with so many players in the game, how can businesses continue to function successfully?

Higher Images, a 20-year-old full-service digital marketing agency located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is helping organizations, businesses, and the community re-imagine what their lives and work-life will look like through web-based technology and mobile devices.

President and CEO of Higher Images, Bryan Thornberg, says, "Rather than going into crisis mode, businesses should take this as an opportunity to expand their knowledge and reach. With many more people relying on digital communication, this is an ideal opportunity for businesses to break boundaries and try new techniques when connecting with clients."

Thornberg and his team want to help people not just survive this crisis but to thrive during it and come out with an organization and business model stronger than ever.

Thornberg has already been able to impact his clients by thinking outside the box and recommending the usage of technology such as live feeds and Facetime.

For example, a hot tub distributor - a business that relies on their retail location for sales - took the recommendation of Thornberg and is now offering live video conferencing for customers to do live demonstrations of products and make purchases.

Higher Images also urges businesses to utilize their existing websites to drive business: for example, adding a chat-box function to their website for customer communication, allowing organizations to respond to clients in real-time from the convenience of a cell phone or office computer from any location in the world.

With higher internet traffic, this is also a key time for organizations to utilize search engine marketing, Google ads, and mobile in-app advertising technology such as Webtracker, which geo-fences homes to enhance brand visibility. Strategizing with a digital marketing company like Higher Images will provide businesses with the tools they need to succeed.

Visit www.howcanmybusinesssurvivethecoronavirus.com for more information.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is a non-profit trade group for the kitchen and bath industry.

The series opens with Jim Nowakowski, a marketing and marketing communications specialist with more than 20 years of experience, notably in the manufacturing and publishing industries. Mr. Nowakowski brings his considerable expertise in communications and business-to-business advertising purchasing patterns to the webinars. The series kicked off on January 10 with "Staying in Front of Your Customers in a Digital Environment."

Positive feedback from attendees emphasized Mr. Nowakowski's enthusiasm and business acumen, with comments about his material and delivery such as, "his examples were detailed and easy to understand, with stories that made a point," and "he was the best presenter I have seen in a while, very engaging and entertaining."

"It's always an honor to present my business topics to designers, showroom consultants, architects and manufacturers," Nowakowski said after the presentation.

"When I received the feedback, I was thrilled that the audience walked away with knowledge they can use," he adds.

The webinar focuses on providing the audience with information on digital disruption in the marketplace and what strategic tools can keep a business relevant and valuable in servicing customers.

For example, participants learn how value comes from differentiation, and the importance of what makes a business unique.

"What do you do that your competitor doesn't do? What does your competitor do that you don't?" Mr. Nowakowski asks.

Mr. Nowakowski also emphasizes how business basics never change, even in the age of disruption, and reviews tactics on how to stay in front of customers in a digital environment that includes using advertising, phone surveys, and quality service.

The full presentation of Staying in Front of Your Customers in Digital Environment is available http://intrln.com/front.

Visit www.interlinegroup.com for more information and additional webinars offered.

(NewsUSA) - Here's a TERRIBLE MAT!  You probably HATE IT!

(NewsUSA) - The last thing anyone should ever question when considering an outpatient procedure is their safety. After all, you trust that the facility performing your procedure has gone through rigorous standards to ensure the unthinkable never happens. Unfortunately, the unthinkable not only can happen, but does, particularly when healthcare facilities aren’t held accountable.     

Since 1980, The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF) has worked with thousands of healthcare facilities to standardize and improve the quality of health care they provide – believing that patient safety should always come first.     

Recently, AAAASF completed a rebranding initiative that included a name change, from AAAASF to QUAD A.     

The rebranding is part of an extensive review process of the organization’s mission, which has continued to grow not only in the United States, but worldwide, according to a press release from the organization.     

“As we continue to expand into new domestic and international markets, we thought it was a good time to take a closer look at our internal and external identity,” says QUAD A CEO Thomas Terranova.     

“We eventually decided on an updated name and look that not only honored our past but also positioned us as the globally recognized accreditation organization that we have become,” Terranova adds.     

In 2020, the leadership team and board of directors of QUAD A began to reassess the organization’s internal processes. They sought feedback from their accredited facilities to help them understand what works and what could be improved. The result was a confirmation that QUAD A’s mission remains the same -- a commitment to the core belief that patient safety always comes first.     

QUAD A was founded by physicians in 1980. The non-profit, physician-led organization provides accreditation and establishes standards for thousands of outpatient and rural health facilities to improve the quality of patient care. QUAD A is a global accreditation authority and remains committed to providing its members with an efficient and easy process that focuses on education, reliability, and communication.     

One of the keys to maintaining high standards for patient care with QUAD A is the process of Patient Safety Data Reporting (PSDR). Accredited facilities contribute to this important work by sharing their data and allowing QUAD A to identify trends in patient outcomes and adjust their standards as needed. This collaborative effort helps set QUAD A apart from other accreditation organizations, according to the organization’s website.     

In addition, patients can feel secure in knowing that the facilities where they receive care meet the highest standards, and that the privacy of their data is protected.     

For more information, visit www.quada.org.

(NewsUSA) - A decade ago, Infographics were the “it” tool to promote your business, but became a less desirable way of promoting your business a few years ago. NewsUSA, a brand content agency, argues that infographics are still one of the best marketing tools to pitch your clients. 

Here's a TERRIBLE MAT!  You probably HATE IT!