Despite the still-weak economy, Americans of all ages and incomes are continuing to grow increasingly unhappy at work.  According to a study conducted for The Conference Board, only 45% of people in 5,000 U.S. households surveyed said they were satisfied with their jobs.  In 1987, when the survey was first conducted, 61.1% of those surveyed were satisfied with their jobs.

So, what has changed so drastically in the last 23 years?  According to The Conference Board, the drop in job satisfaction can be attributed to a number of factors including interest in work and job security.  One of the main drivers of this trend is a lack of confidence in leaders and organizations.

How can you ensure that your employees are happy with their jobs and satisfied working for your company?  Below are 5 characteristics shared by the most inspirational, effective leaders:

1. Anchored. Anchored leaders are well-positioned in an organization’s culture and flow.  They understand contemporary trends and how they affect business.
2. Optimistic. The most inspirational leaders share a world view of possibility and choose to focus on future success rather than dwell on challenges and difficulties.
3. Purpose-driven. Leaders who inspire understand that a workforce will embrace a well-communicated purpose.  Inspirational leaders coax results through sharing a vision that engages employees.
4. Unselfish. Leaders who focus on creating a positive environment for employees first are often considered inspirational.  Unselfish leaders are also more likely to make decisions to benefit the business in the long-term.
5. Respectful. Inspirational leaders recognize that, with the economic dust starting to settle, businesses may require extreme changes.  They appreciate the value of treating employees with respect and keeping the lines of communication open.

Are you an inspirational leader?  Do you think that you have what it takes to turn around job satisfaction numbers?  What advice do you have for other leaders to help them increase job satisfaction in their own companies?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

Source:  The Conference Board (http://www.conference-board.org/)

Rational:  of or based on reasoning, able to reason, sensible or sane.

Do you think rationally?  Are your decisions based on data and calculated thoughts?

Do you follow your gut?  Do faith and conviction guide your decisions?

Seth Godin, author of 12 books including “All Marketers are Liars” and “Survival is Not Enough,” makes some interesting arguments for irrational decision making here.

What are your thoughts?  Should we follow Seth’s advice and start thinking more irrationally?

I realize we’ve all heard these before, but certain things are worth repeating every now and again.  So, please, bear with me as I present The Top Marketing Mistakes to Avoid:

1. Marketing to everyone. Do your research, find your target audience, and gear your marketing message to that audience.  Don’t try to reach everyone.

2. Fractured brand unity. All of your marketing efforts should present a cohesive feel for your product, service, and company.  The more unified your advertisements, website, etc, the better.

3. Using a single marketing medium. Your marketing efforts should employ a variety of media from television to the internet and everything in between.  Ensure that your message reaches your entire target audience, market creatively through a cross-section of channels.

4. Ignoring current customers. Repeat purchasers make up 80% of customers in most businesses.  However, most marketing campaigns focus on new customers instead of current ones.  Use messages that reach both potential and repeat customers.

5. Sending mixed messages. Marketing messages that are too confusing, too subtle, too long, or too complicated can easily miss your target audience.  Keep your campaigns simple.

6. Not asking for feedback. Testing your marketing messages is extremely important.  Test your marketing ideas on focus groups and ask for feedback.  Don’t launch new marketing campaigns blindly.

See, that wasn’t so bad was it?  Not to mention, I can almost guarantee that, even though we can all recite them by heart, we’re all guilty of committing one of these sins a time or  two in our professional lives.  Like I said, some things are worth repeating on occassion.

It’s that time of year again.  College classes are beginning to wind down and in the next 6 to 8 weeks students will be set free for the summer.  For many college students, this is the perfect time of year to start looking for, and securing, those coveted summer internships.

For many small businesses, utilizing summer interns is the perfect way to handle increasing work loads without the cost of hiring more full time employees.  But how do you create an internship program that worthwhile for both students and your company?

1.    Fill them in. Your interns should be trained thoroughly and filled in on every aspect of the company.  Match them with mentors who share their interests and can help them grow as professionals and individuals.
2.    Keep them accountable. Oftentimes, interns come with little to no work experience.  Because of this, it is extremely important that you set up a system of checks and balances that gives them a more structured experience.
3.    Set goals with them. To ensure a quality internship experience, help interns set personal goals to be accomplished throughout the experience.  Meet to discuss goals periodically throughout the internship period.
4.    Compensate them. Interns need to be compensated in some form or another.  Whether it’s a paid position or gas and food stipends are offered, an internship should not place a financial burden on someone.

Think of your interns as an invaluable resource to your company.  As an employer, it should be your goal to prepare interns as best you can for entry into the real world.  While it may be tempting to fill their days with mundane, mindless work, in doing this no one’s experience is maximized.

In the end, whether you hire your intern to a full time position or they move onto another company, take the proper steps to ensure the best experience for everyone involved.

Public relations is not easy to jump into if you’ve never done it before.  However, with the economy still weak, many small business owners have had to forgo the fancy PR agency and handle all public relations activities themselves.

The good news?  A do it yourself public relations campaign can be simple, cheap, and effective.  For those getting ready to take the leap into DIY PR, here are some important elements to take into consideration:

Start a blog: These days, corporate blogs are popping up all over the internet.  Blogs can act as a portal that allows consumers to come in and get to know the people behind your company.  Blogs also allow for the quick, easy dissemination of information and the creation of dialogue between your company and your current or potential customers.

Participate in social media: Social media can be an invaluable resource for your company.  One of the best ways to cultivate and encourage discussion about your company, products, or services is to begin the conversation yourself.  Using channels like Twitter (where you can tweet new blog posts and company updates) and Facebook fan pages, you’re providing your customers a place to interact with your brand on a personal level, enhancing their experience.

Establish traditional media relationships: Don’t leave traditional media out of your public relations mix.  Nearly all journalists publish their email addresses somewhere online.  Additionally, you can connect with them via social media channels, online publications, and personal blogs.  Share stories, information, and ideas with them.  Compliment pieces that they write.  Never ask for anything.

Start your own newsroom: Open an online newsroom for your company.  This hub of information can be linked directly to your company website and acts as a place to store news stories, press releases, and other media tidbits about, or featuring, your company or employees.  Using a service like Press Kit’n, Marketwire, or PitchEngine makes opening an online newsroom inexpensive and simple.

It is important to remember that a successful public relations campaign takes time.  Figure out what works best for your company and use it to your advantage.

DIY PR doesn’t have to be difficult and a successful campaign does not require an agency or staff.  Go ahead and give it a try.  After all, you might just be your company’s own best advocate.

We know, we know.  We’ve kind of fallen off the face of the earth since the start of 2010.

You’ll have to forgive us.  We’ve been busy bees creating and rolling out new marketing efforts and working on our own corporate image.  Not to mention, we’ve been busy hiring and training a slew of new interns to help us manage a bunch of new projects.

But, rest assured, we’re finally back and better than ever!

Stay tuned to www.blogs.vbpoutsourcing.com for valuable information and tips on marketing, accounting, and small business/entrepreneurship.  It’s our hope that the changes we’ve made will ultimately make your experience with us better and keep you coming back for more.

If there’s anything you’d like to know more about, whether it’s our favorite color, how to kick off a successful marketing campaign, or what cash flow means to your company, drop us an email at pr at] vbpoutsourcing [dot] com or leave us a message in the comments.  We’ll be glad to help you out as best we can!

Again, we’re sorry we went away for so long.  We look forward to the good times, and good conversation, that lie ahead – And we won’t let it happen again.

The VBP Team

Finally, there’s good news for all of us coffee addicts. Dunkin’ Donuts has built a site and iPhone app to make getting your caffeine fix even simpler.

I stumbled upon this wonderful creation by pure chance. A visit to Chris Brogan’s community and social media blog this morning netted, quite possibly, my greatest discovery ever. To top it off, the site is simple to use.

The next time you’re planning an office java run simply head to www.dunkinrun.com and invite your office-mates to join via email or text message. You can ask for their orders, set your departure/pick-up time, and get everyone’s order exactly right. You can even opt to have the order texted to your cell phone instead of printing it out.

Not only will you be the office hero, you’ll also receive other cool perks. Since you have to login to an account to use Dunkin’ Run, you can save your friends emails and phone numbers in separate groups (i.e. office, friends, etc) as well as your favorite menu items. You can even link to Facebook and display your “run” status. You’ll even receive special offers and promotions that are available via text or email only.

What could possibly be better than a simple, organized coffee run? That’s right, nothing. Like the site says, “Invite+Order+Run+Enjoy. A major boost in group morale is just a few clicks away.”

If you own a small business, especially in this economy, then you’re aware of how difficult it can sometimes be to get customers to make repeat purchases. However, it is possible. Sometimes it just takes a little bit of effort.

Here are a few tips to keep your best customers coming back to you again and again:

• Deliver quality customer service every time. Customers will remember the businesses that treated them like people.

• Reward customer loyalty. Offer discounts and specials for repeat purchasers.

• Keep in touch. Text messages, emails, and phone calls can serve as friendly reminders about your products or services.

• Say ‘Thank You.’ Simple, right? But believe it or not, most businesses just don’t do it enough.

What’s the best way to build a repeat customer base? Follow the Golden Rule. Continually treat your customers the way you would want to be treated and you’re sure to reap the benefits of a repeat purchases.

These days everyone has a blog and, naturally, some are better than others. For many businesses, blogging has become a way to reach clients in an informal way. It gives employees the chance to show that a company is staffed by “real people” and it can serve as a commentary on current topics. A blog can even position you as an expert in your field.

The benefits of a blog are pretty much endless, so long as that blog is properly written and maintained. At VBP, we like to consider ourselves old pros when it comes to blogging. Here are our tips for making your corporate blog a serious player in your company’s field:

• Write like an adult. Don’t swear or use slang. Remember that your audience is made up of professionals, you should write like one.
• Edit, edit, edit. Even in the informal setting that is the blogosphere proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation are essential. Always re-read your posts prior to posting or have someone else do it for you.
• Objectivity is key. Don’t treat your company’s blog like an advertisement. If you have something relevant to say, go ahead, but don’t feel like you need to repeat your company’s name a thousand times.
• Think before you write. Take the time to write well-thought out blogs. If you don’t have anything relevant to say, don’t say anything at all. Provide your readers with quality information and they’ll keep coming back.

If you’re going to start a company blog, make sure that it’s something you can keep up on. If you’re not committed to it, don’t even start. It may also be wise to recruit some other employees to write posts every now and then to keep the perspective fresh.

Writing a company blog can add value to your business and help to create loyal customers. If managed properly, a blog is also a great way to show your expertise on a topic and keep your company relevant. Just be sure to use this marketing tool wisely.

Whats your take?

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”  When Billy Ocean sang these lyrics in 1985, he probably didn’t see an economic downturn in the future.  He probably didn’t think that these lyrics would ever be applied to business practices.  Unfortunately, he was wrong.

As the economy continues to slide downward, many small business owners are being forced to cut back on marketing efforts, customer retention campaigns, and even employee appreciation.  Sadly, these business owners are making the wrong decision.

History has shown that companies who continue to market themselves during slow economic times are more likely to re-emerge first in the consumer’s mind when things start picking up.  While many companies may not have the budget for a full-time marketing staff, implementing a consistent, yet affordable marketing campaign will allow you to capitalize on competitors and weather the volatile economic storm.

Here are a few tips for kick-starting your “tough” marketing efforts:

• Start at home. These days, it’s more important to let your employees know that you appreciate them.  You may not be able to offer raises or bonuses, but a simple “thank-you” goes a long way.  When you’re positive, so is your staff.  Your clients will feel it too.

• Reach out to current and former clients. Contact new and old clients via email, handwritten notes, or phone calls just to check in.  In the end, your customers will be the best measure of whether or not your company will survive in the industry.

• Meet new people. Check weekly business publications for calendars of events and meetings.  Networking events are great places to meet new personal contacts and build relationships that could bring you leads and referrals.  When attending any networking event, always make sure you have plenty of business cards.  They’re inexpensive and the best way to market yourself as well as your company.  Also, don’t discount establishing contacts on Social Networking websites such as Linked In or Twitter.

• Play the PR game. Public Relations is a function of marketing. Grab a media schedule from a local business publication and see if you can contribute to an upcoming article.  You may be featured as a knowledgeable expert in your field which may generate a phone or better yet, a sale.

• Hit the streets. Cold-calling, door-knocking, and blast emailing are simple, cost effective ways to get your company’s name out there.  By employing these tactics, you’re establishing a connection with people you may not have reached otherwise.  Plus, it shows that you are actually a “real person.”

Remember, when executing any marketing tactics; make sure that they are well-aligned with already established marketing plans.  All of your tactics should work towards the same goal and clearly communicate what products or services you offer.  The same goes for your brand and image.

Billy Ocean said it best, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”  Take his advice to heart.  Get up, get out, and keep your marketing efforts going.