Small business owners need experts to keep the books straight while they make money. Small Business Trends spoke with the founder of Phlexable, Chad D Cummings, about the best approach for finding an accountant if you don’t have one.

Find a Small Business Accountant

Take a Look at Your Needs and Comfort Level

He began our conversation by saying small businesses need to make a big initial choice when they’re looking for an accountant.

“There are about 650,000 licensed CPAs in the United States alone and about half of those are engaged in private practice,” he says. “Those are local Mom and Pop type CPA firms you can find with a Google search.”

Use Online Portals  

The other option still revolves around the internet, but it approaches selecting an accountant a little differently. Portals give you a wider swath to choose from. Cummings says the small businesses that do well with this option need to be comfortable transacting business online.

Everything from posting the project, to requesting a proposal, to paying is done in cyberspace.

Cummings explains an important caveat for small businesses to consider.

“This is more about a one off ad hoc type project solution. A small business owner looking for something more ongoing without a fixed time limit, should probably still go the old school route,” he says.

As an example, if your small restaurant needs an income tax preparer because their regular accountant is on maternity leave, a portal could be your best choice. On the other hand, if you’re a plumbing shop that needs someone to keep your books in order at tax time and beyond, you might want to look for something more permanent.

Watch Out for The One Stop Shop

There’s a large degree of specialization in accounting. Small business owners need to be on guard for the places that tell them they can do it all. It’s often better to have several experts on board  so you’ve got all the tax bases covered.

“They shouldn’t shy away from having multiple points of contact,” Cummings says. “Maybe  one guy that does the taxes and somebody else to handle the day-to-day bookkeeping.”

The advantage goes to the portal here because it’s easier to hire several different people at once at least for year end tax projects. 

Check Credentials

Regardless of the route you decide to take, it’s important to make sure the CPA you’re considering has the right credentials. You can find all the information you need to be sure the accountant you’re considering has the right background for your state here.

It can be as easy as looking for the license on a wall in a brick and mortar office. A good portal like Phlexable will actually check the credentials for you.

Look for Experience

Even after you decide between a portal or brick and mortar store, you need to narrow down your choices. Make sure you wind up with a firm or individual CPA who has experience in your industry and understands what your specific needs are.

“Not only do I want to make sure this person has experience with tax but also with textile’s tax if I am a textiles manufacturer,” Cummings says adding this extra filter can help smaller enterprises take advantage of all the credits available to their specific businesses.

“You might very well be leaving money on the table by not going with someone who has previous experience in your industry.”

Get Clear Work Arrangements

Finally, it’s important that everyone’s on the same page as far as work arrangements. Make sure you and your accountant understand whether you’ll be using the telephone, emails or texts for communications. It’s also a good idea to decide on information formats to use when you’re transferring files.

If you rely on the Internet, it’s a good idea to be clear on working hours for you and the CPA you choose.

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This article, “How to Find an Accountant for your Small Business” was first published on Small Business Trends

Governor Jay Inslee of Washington State signed a bill into law which counteracts the federal net neutrality rules passed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The bill makes Washington the first state in the country to sign such a law.

The FCC created the net neutrality rules in 2015 in order to stop service providers from controlling or “throttling” internet traffic. In December of 2017, it reversed the ruling. This has resulted in numerous lawsuits by consumer groups, several state attorneys general as well as governors vowing to overturn the ruling. The New York Times reported tech companies Etsy, Foursquare, and Kickstarter have also filed suits on Monday.

Business leaders are divided on the change in rules. Some arguing net neutrality rules could hold back innovation while some small businesses and large web companies supporting the rules as the only way to insure a level plating field for all companies on the web regardless of size.

The Washington State Net Neutrality Bill

In Washington, House Bill 2282 will protect its residents and small businesses from throttling of internet traffic at the state level.  When it goes into effect on June 6, internet service providers will be barred from blocking or throttling speeds for websites.

Under the new law, service providers are also required to disclose information about their management practices, performance and commercial terms. Companies violating the law will be forced to comply as the state can use its Consumer Protection Act to enforce it.

The bill had bipartisan support, passing by 35 to 14 in the state Senate and 93 to 5 in the state House. On the Governor’s press page, Inslee said, “Today we make history: Washington will be the first state in the nation to preserve the open internet. We’ve seen the power of an open internet. It allows a student in Washington to connect with researchers all around the world — or a small business to compete in the global marketplace. It’s allowed the free flow of information and ideas in one of the greatest demonstrations of free speech in our history.”

More States to Come

Washington is not the only state making this stance. To date, there are at least 25 other governors across the country who are looking into their own net neutrality bills. But executive orders have been signed by the governors of Hawaii, Montana, New Jersey, New York and Vermont which ban state agencies from doing business with companies violating net neutrality rules.

As for the service providers, The Washington Times has reported Ron Main, executive director of the Broadband Communications Association of Washington, said, “The cable companies his group represents have already pledged not to block legal content or engage in paid prioritization.”

Main, who opposed the bill, added, “There should not be a state-by-state patchwork of differing laws and regulations.”

The FCC ruling takes effect in late spring. Stay tuned for more lawsuits!

Image: Governor Jay Inslee

This article, “Washington State Approves Its Own Net Neutrality Rules” was first published on Small Business Trends

Having a mind open to learning new things and being flexible are two hallmarks of a strong and successful business leader. As a businessperson, whether you are running a corporation or are just flying solo, you will have to learn how to lead your company while educating yourself on how to be a digital marketing, IT, and human resources expert, all at the same time.

And if you insist that you do not have the luxury of time or money to spend on a formal class, you will be happy to learn that the internet has a plethora of high-quality, self-paced educational resources that can help you equip yourself to run your business.

Websites for Building Leadership Skills

Dive into any of the courses and turn yourself into a unicorn leader in your industry:

1. Coursera

Coursera has consistently been a good resource for all things university. This year, more universities have started offering massive open online courses (MOOCs) for free. You can opt to take a course on “Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills” from Columbia University or study management approaches such as lean operations from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School through the site’s user-friendly platform.

2. University System of Georgia’s Six Sigma Online Courses

Six Sigma has been a popular course of study across online educational providers as it equips business professionals with a set of efficient management techniques to transform them into unicorn business leaders. The University System of Georgia offers a specialized list of strategic management courses through Coursera. The range of topics covers both the basics such as the “Six Sigma Principles” and more advanced lessons like “Six Sigma and the Organization.”

3. EDX

Like Coursera, EDX has partnered with both universities and non-academic institutions to provide you with self-paced courses that target business areas you might want to dive into. Interested in learning more about omnichannel retail? How about beefing up on evidence-based technology management?  With an assortment of topics and courses, there is no reason for you not to check out the EDX site.

4. HarvardX

Partnering with EDX, Harvard University empowers students from around the world through its MOOCs. The high-quality courses offered are mostly free, but you can also opt to receive a verified certificate for a small amount. The university’s selection of courses is completely beneficial for both professionals and entrepreneurs. Courses include “Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies” and “ContractsX2017.” Taking a certificate     course from Harvard University? Not a bad way to start your workweek.

5. Udemy

If your business is going to achieve what you envisioned for it, you need to set clear goals. Udemy offers several courses that will take you deeper into the strategies, tools, and principles associated with establishing structured goals and evaluating the feasibility of such goals.

6. FutureLearn

Since its founding in 2012, FutureLearn has been providing a wide selection of course programs for its more than seven million users. In collaboration with top universities and specialist organizations, FutureLearn offers a massive library of business-related topics, including modern empowerment in the workplace, digital leadership, and even managing public money.

7. MIT OpenCourseWare

MIT OpenCourseWare makes it possible for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to provide higher education on a vast scale. The coursework is divided into core and supplemental courses offered for undergraduate and graduate levels and are taught by the esteemed instructors and professors of the university. Courses include communication for managers, organizational behavior, and business ethics.

8. Canvas Network

Like a good educational content curator, Canvas Network partners with educators and experts worldwide to give both learners and teachers a collaborative space where they can chart their continuing professional development and engage in a fruitful learning experience. Canvas’s free online courses include topics such as quantitative academic finance, project management process, applied investing, and global human capital trends.

9. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

For more focus on startups and small-business management, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania offers a selection of courses ranging from management development, market insight and research to strategic planning and execution.

10. Class Central

Class Central is not exactly an academic provider but instead curates a giant catalog of MOOCs from hundreds of online course platforms. The site also offers insightful reviews from learners who have gone through the courses offered to help you choose the best online course for your business needs.

If you want to turn your donkey vision into a unicorn, these online courses are available for you to explore any time of the day. Develop into the successful business person that you have always wanted to be.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “The Next 10 Websites You Should Visit for Success as a Business Leader” was first published on Small Business Trends

A quick scroll through your social media feeds, especially Facebook, will show the many different ways video marketing is being used.

Videos can increase the likelihood of an offline purchase by as much as 64%, and one study showed that just over half of marketers believe videos have a higher return on investment than any other media.

Video Marketing Growth for 2018

According to YouAppi’s Second Annual CMO Mobile Marketing Guide Survey, 85% of Marketers Plan to Increase Investment in Video in 2018, up from 75%.

Review the PDF of the entire guide for many more brand new statistics related to the growth of video marketing. Highlights include these insights:

• Increases across all 5 channels are up in 2018;
• Over 75% of respondents said video was very or critically important to the customer journey;
• Video priorities have changed from 2017 to 2018;
• There are two top concerns for video advertising;
• Reengagement difficulties doubled year-over-year; and
• Some cutting edge technologies may be priorities over others.

Branded videos are engaging and informative, and can do wonders for your business. If executed correctly, videos can dramatically enhance your digital marketing strategy.

With a bit of clever video magic, you can stand out from the influx of videos published every day.

Still, it’s a particularly challenging medium because viewers have little freedom in terms of how they consume it.

Unlike content, there’s no real way to skim it — jumping forward causes the viewer to feel like they’ve missed something important, yet watching a video in its entirety just to get to the useful bit feels like an awful waste of time.

Video Marketing Best Practices

Although video is a different medium, you should still follow content marketing best practices:

• Grab their attention immediately! Do not make the mistake many videographers do of having a long, drawn-out introduction on your videos.
• Don’t manipulate your audience. You never want your customers to feel tricked or misled when viewing your videos.
• Provide highly useful information. When they understand that your video content is useful, this creates trust between you and your visitors. One bad video could deter them from ever watching another video from you again.
• Tell a story. Viewers expect to follow a narrative when consuming video content.
• Keep it simple. Your video shouldn’t feel like a research paper or operations manual. The who, what, where, why and when of a video should become clear early on.

How to Increase Profits With Video Marketing

The effectiveness of video marketing also makes it a highly competitive area on the web. To stand out from the crowd, it’s imperative you take a unique approach to your video strategy.

Take Viewers Behind the Scenes (BTS)

There’s no better way to humanize a brand than by taking viewers behind the scenes (BTS). However, it’s just as easy to botch a behind-the-scenes clip as it is to get it right.

This is because BTS videos can easily start to feel mundane if they don’t take an interesting angle or have something unique to show.

This is where your brand personality can truly shine, offering a glimpse into your world. Use it to show your team’s dedication to the craft, and make your viewers interested in learning more.

To help get you started, take a look at some existing behind the scenes videos. Your research doesn’t have to focus exclusively on brands.

Example Behind-the-scenes Videos

This Vimeo blog post focuses on behind-the-scenes tips for movie makers, and the suggestions are still relevant to any video content you create.

The nuts and bolts — tell your story, explain why you’re here, what the viewer is seeing, etc. — are all the same.

Take advantage of a drone’s powerful technical prowess to create stunning imagery. Large offices, events and demonstrations could benefit from aerial footage.

However, as stated by DroneBase.com, there are a handful of FAA rules accompanying drone coverage, and it’s important you read up on them before you put out any content.

Here are a few BTS ideas:

• Show off your inception skills. Film your team shooting a commercial or marketing video, and detail what goes into making a video for the public. This is similar to what radio producer Alex Blumberg did with his podcast Startup. He gave listeners real-time updates into the trials and tribulations of starting up a podcast business.

• Put your company culture on full display. If culture is your strong suit, let it shine. Show your employees during a team-building exercise or work event.

• Feature your progress. If your business is going through any changes, like a major office renovation or new product version, update your audience and use videos to take them on the journey with you.

Edit your events in mini feature films. Events take quite a while to plan. A well-shot, edited mini-feature film can help you show off your event AND provide a glimpse into what goes into making an event happen.

Use Influencer Marketing

The power of influence is phenomenal. One Nielson study found that 92% of consumers trust opinions from people they know, both directly and indirectly. Celebrity influence is a great example of how this works.

Though the majority of people have never met Tony Robbins, if he endorses a product on any of his social channels, those product sales are likely to skyrocket.

Many studies have shown just how effective influencer marketing can be, and this is because the consumers of today trust the opinions of those they follow.

Google published a report that showed 70% of teen consumers trust YouTube bloggers over traditional celebrities — a trend expected to gain momentum.

First Consider Niche and Local Influencers

When choosing influencers, remember they need to be influential to your target audience. Although celebrities have wide appeal to many, they may not be best for your particular brand.

First consider people who are influential locally and in your specific niche over any general influencer including a celebrity.

Who Uses Influencer Marketing?

Other research reveals that 86% of marketers used influencers in some capacity in their 2016 campaigns, and most marketers had plans for doubling their 2017 budget.

There’s a good reason why dollars are being funneled into the pockets of influencers: Influencer marketing can build brand awareness and increase profit.

Combine video marketing with influencer outreach, and you’ve got a winning recipe that can multiply your results.

Example of a Successful Influencer Video Marketing Campaigns

This is exactly what Lynda.com, an online learning resource owned by LinkedIn, did with their video marketing campaign.

The company teamed up with a handful of YouTube bloggers across different industries and commissioned them to post how-tos that were most relevant to their channels.

They also discovered it was a unique way to circumvent ad blockers. This video shows that 46% of consumers use some form of ad blocking on a daily basis:

It was a win-win situation; video bloggers were able to post useful content, and Lynda.com received more unique visits.

Influencer Marketing for B2Bs

Another way to work with an influencer is to interview them. Let them test out your product or service, and broadcast a conversation that shows how they’re using and benefiting from it.

Not only can you turn these into fun videos for social media, but you can also use these as testimonials on your site.

Lastly, influencer marketing can help boost your SEO. When people are talking about and linking to your brand, it results in organic reach.

These SEO improvements are a byproduct of your video marketing that stick around long after the video is published.

Customer Service and Explainer Videos

Brands have ample opportunity to use customer service and explainer videos to their advantage. In fact, this is an untapped area of potential for many businesses, especially those in the tech industry.

Think about all the instances you’ve had to Google how to operate a certain product. Let’s say you’re trying to figure out how to work an Apple TV.

You’d search for the phrase “how to turn on an Apple TV” and would see several videos appear in search results — mostly from YouTubers and tech aficionados. These videos have huge branding potential.

Not only would you be able to provide your customers and potential leads with valuable, straight-from-the-source information, but you’d be able to promote other products or services, too.

Here are some tips for using explainer videos in your video marketing strategy:

• Start by repurposing some of your most frequently asked questions as explainer videos.
• Don’t be afraid to show your staff and let them have fun with it. A little humility goes a long way. You may not realize it, but seeing brand representatives fix common issues helps humanize the brand.
• Write a rough script that each of your explainer videos will follow. This creates a cohesive string of branded videos that your customers will come to learn, and this format will eventually become synonymous with your marketing videos.
• If possible, keep recurring actors or pinpoint video hosts. This helps increase recognition and build loyalty.

Consider taking the Lynda.com approach to combining influencer outreach with explainer videos. For example, maybe you could partner with the tech YouTuber who showed your customers how to successfully use your product.

At the end of the day, video marketing isn’t about being a salesman. Remember, you have a limited amount of time to engage your audience, and this isn’t the place for it.

Where to Share Your Videos

It isn’t enough to just have your videos on YouTube or your own site. Know what platforms to share your videos on natively, as well.

• LinkedIn recently rolled out native video, but this doesn’t mean you should post any type of content onto its platform.
• While professional explainer videos might be relevant, funny BTS videos would be better suited for Facebook.

The key is to be engaging. Hook them during the first 10 seconds, and maintain the momentum throughout the video.

Infographic Source

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This article, “Video Marketing is Crucial to Your Business, Learn Why!” was first published on Small Business Trends

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has announced full guest access support in Teams will be rolling out soon. This comes after Microsoft added partial guest support for Azure Active Directory account holders in September of 2017.

Guest Access in Microsoft Teams

With the new availability of this feature, users with business or consumer email address (Outlook.com or Gmail.com) can be invited to participate in Microsoft Teams. Once they are in, they will have access to team chats, meetings and files.

For small businesses hiring freelancers and collaborating with other partners, it means the ability to bring in these individuals to join the conversation and collaboration with just an email account. All you have to do is select Add Members and put the guest’s email address in next to the team name.

Teams with guests will be identified with text and icons throughout the Teams UI to give all team members a clear indication that there are guests in that team.

The video below goes into more detail about how this works.

What About Security?

When a guest is added to your team, their content and activities are covered with the same compliance and auditing protection offered to all Office 365 users. Their account is managed in Azure AD through Azure AD B2B Collaboration, which enables enterprise-grade security. Team administrators can place conditional access policies on guests to further limit their access.

Microsoft also includes the adaptive machine learning algorithms and heuristics in Azure AD to detect suspicious activities and initiate mitigation or remediation actions.

More Improvements in Office 365

The guest support in Teams comes with more improvements to Office 365, which include a new set of AI-powered features to improve content creation and collaboration.

Microsoft Word has a new Editor to improve your writing. A summary will highlight opportunities for correcting and refining your documents with enhancement, including stylistic suggestions that take the context of the overall document into account.

The improvement to Word also extends to creating more compelling resumes using the AI enabled tool called Resume Assistant released last November. Resume Assistant is now available to Office 365 subscribers on Windows.

Some of the other enhancements are: faster access to information with StaffHub; better enforcement of naming conventions across Office 365 Groups; ability to create advanced network diagrams in Visio Online; ability to prepare for GDPR (The European Union’s Global Data Protection Regulation goes into effect May 25, 2018) with new compliance capabilities; and ability to make changes to Office and Windows servicing and support.

Image: Microsoft

This article, “Small Businesses Can Now Invite Freelancers, Partners into Microsoft Teams” was first published on Small Business Trends

With the oldest millennials now 35 years old, this generation is entering the ranks of management — and, as with everything else they do, they’re shaking it up in a big way. Here are four ways millennial managers are different from their predecessors, according to a recent American Express study.

They’re purpose-driven. It’s not all about profit for millennials. Nearly seven out of 10 want to make a positive difference in the world, and expect the companies they work for to do the same. More than eight in 10 (81 percent) believe that to be truly successful, a business must have a purpose that resonates with people, and 78 percent want to work for a company that shares their values.

What it means at work: Millennial managers will be looking for people who share those values, too. Employees need to value the company’s larger purpose, not just getting a paycheck.

They’re focused on employee well-being. I don’t just mean employees’ physical health, but also their mental, emotional and financial health. Millennial managers want to give employees opportunities to improve their skills, help them achieve work-life harmony, and keep them happy at work. For example, 75 percent of millennials in the survey say a successful business needs to be flexible, rather than forcing employees to adhere to a rigid structure, and 74 percent believe a successful business should support employees outside of work. In addition, 39 percent say paying employees fairly is the top challenge in the workplace today.

What it means at work: Employees working for millennial managers will likely enjoy greater freedom in their jobs and a workplace that views them as people, not just employees.

They’ll invest in employees. Millennials are willing to put their money where their mouths are when it comes to employee training. Employee development (94 percent) is the number-one area where millennials say they would invest time and money as managers; 87 percent would also invest in executive education.

What it means at work: Employee development is a highly effective way to retain talented employees and boost employee satisfaction. This will help millennial managers keep their top people from jumping ship.

They define success differently. While millennials are eager for new challenges, they’re not about work for its own sake. When asked to define what success means to them personally, 62 percent of millennials say it’s enjoying their work, while 58 percent say it’s having good work/life balance. To achieve that balance and enjoy what they do, millennials are willing to make some sacrifices. Thirty-five percent say they would settle for less responsibility at work, 35 percent would lower their expectations for career advancement, and 30 percent would take a lower salary.

What it means at work: Keep millennial managers happy with meaningful work and job flexibility, and you’ll keep them on your team. But don’t expect them to be satisfied with a fancy title or hefty salary. If a managerial job interferes with their overall life goals, they won’t hesitate to step down to a more relaxed role.

Millennials are ready and eager to take on management roles. Seventy percent of millennials say having a C-level executive job appeals to them, compared to 63 percent of Generation X. However, they’re also very open to change. More than one-third predict the role of the CEO will no longer be relevant within the next 10 years — maybe because millennials are shaking things up.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “4 Important Stats About Millennial Managers – And Why They Matter to Your Company” was first published on Small Business Trends

Job seekers can now use Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) to search and apply at local businesses directly on the site in more than 40 countries around the world. This gives small businesses a whole new way to recruit talent.

Job Seekers Can Now Apply to Jobs on Facebook

When Facebook allowed job postings on its site in February of 2017, it was limited to the US and Canada. But with 70 million businesses on Facebook already using the platform to connect with potential employees, making it official globally was the next natural step.

Local businesses are primarily made up of small firms, and they employ more than half of the working population in the US. This percentage is similarly high in other countries as well. Bringing together both sides on Facebook provides a forum for more open communications to find the right fit.

To illustrate this, Facebook highlighted the experiences of several businesses in its newsroom announcement. In one instantce, Benjamin Hammel, operations manager at Sky Zone, an indoor trampoline park in Illinois, said, “We had more of the right type of candidate apply through Facebook… It was also much easier to look through applications on Facebook, and I think it was easier for candidates to complete job postings.” Sky Zone filled 11 positions after receiving more than 200 applications through the social network.

If You are a Business

You can create job posts from your page with details about what you are offering and what you are looking for in a candidate. The post will then appear in News Feed, Marketplace, business page, and jobs dashboard. The post can also be boosted so you can reach candidates best suited for the position.

When applicants respond, you can communicate with them, schedule interviews, and send automated reminders directly by using Messenger.

Separating Your Personal and Professional Profiles

One of the challenges for applicants on social media is the content on personal profiles. Businesses now look at social media accounts to vet their potential employees. And having your personal and professional profile on one site might provide more information than you would prefer to share.

It is important for job seekers to remember they have options when it comes to the privacy settings of their social media pages. And by separating professional and personal pages and implementing the right privacy settings, they can avoid an embarrassing picture from landing in the HR department.

It’s a good tip for small businesses to remember too when using the site. Keep personal and professional content separate.

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This article, “Job Seekers Can Now Apply to Your Facebook Job Posting Right from the Site” was first published on Small Business Trends