Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 20, 2013

10

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, July 20, 2013 


ANALYZE THIS

PLANNING, POSTING, PARTICIPATION 
AND PERSISTENCE

Planning, Posting, Participation and Persistence are the 
new 4P’s for social media marketing.

Plan 

Think about your message, its purpose, its call to action, its value. Create a simple calendar and jot 
down when and how often you will post and check in. Just like you need to regularly check your 
phone messages and email, you also need to check your Social Media activity. There are free tools like 
Hootsuite and Nutshell Mail that allow you to look at all your social media tools in one place.

Post

If your last post was six month’s ago, the perception is your business no longer exists. Ouch! Social 
Media loves fresh content. Frequent posts create content that can help a prospective customer who 
may be searching for you online, to find your products and services. We suggest posting 3-5 times 
a week. You can schedule posts in Facebook and you can also use Hootsuite to schedule on Twitter, 
LinkedIn and Facebook.

Build a system. We think one of the best practices is to feed your Facebook or Twitter posts right into 
your website. It is an easy way to freshen up your web site and let your visitors see what is happening 
with your company. Our mantra is Post once, populate many. Create a system that will become your 
online marketing machine and it will save you time.

Participation

It’s important to engage with your audience. That not only means posting regularly, but also listening 
to them and responding and commenting on their posts. Let your audience know you care about 
them with active listening.

Persistence

There are no silver bullets. Simply having an account on Facebook, Twitter or any of the other Social 
Media tools will not make you millions over night. You’ll find you will get more out of social media 
if you roll up your sleeves and keep at it. Try new things, repurposing content that has value, build 
relationships and get to know others better by listening to them.

About MJ: MJ and her brother David own HUTdogs, a creative services business that specializes 
in Internet Marketing strategies. They are known for providing valuable information at their Social 
Media and Email Marketing classes. “Like” them on Facebook for trending news in social media, 
internet marketing and other helpful tips, www.facebook.com/hutdogs.

Sign up for their upcoming classes and presentations at: www.hutdogs.com/workshops/schedule 

When you’re ready to make an offer on your dream home, will you gaze into a crystal ball for mysterious 
guidance to determine the magical price that the sellers will accept? Oh, if only it were that easy! 
There are a number of factors to consider when formulating your offer, but one of the most important 
tools is the Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) prepared by your real estate agent.

The CMA takes the characteristics of your house (number of rooms, square footage, age, location, 
etc.) and compares it to similar listings in the area. You’ll see the prices of properties that are currently 
for sale, have recently sold, or have expired without selling. Current listing prices are irrelevant, but 
pay attention to the prices at which properties SOLD, because that’s what buyers were willing to pay.

Throw out the highest and lowest prices in the range and figure an average sales price for the remaining 
homes. Your agent will help you determine how those “average” homes compare to the one you 
want, so that you can adjust your offer accordingly.

Be sure to note how recently those sales took place, too, because sales from six months ago are probably 
no longer relevant or useful for your decision. Your agent will help interpret the information so 
that you can make a fair offer likely to be accepted.


BUSINESS TODAY

The latest on Business News, Trends and Techniques


By La Quetta M. Shamblee, MBA

NATIONAL HEALTHCARE REFORM AND COVEREDCA.COM 

The firestorm of controversy that surrounds the historic passage of the nation’s broad sweeping 
healthcare reform continues to fuel rumors and falsehoods. A constant barrage of media sound 
bites and uninformed coffee shop conversations continue to influence and shape opinions rooted in 
nothing more than personal opinion. Fortunately, there are a plethora of details readily available for 
anyone with genuine interest in learning the facts about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
Act, routinely referred to as Obamacare. The following list provides an overview of a few key aspects 
as they pertain to California:

• Covered California (www.CoveredCA.com) is the statewide exchange established for 
individual and small businesses to access health insurance.
• Effective January 1, 2014 everyone who meets eligibility requirements will be required to have 
health insurance or be subjected to a penalty. Citizens and individuals who are “lawfully present” 
are eligible, with the exception of individuals who are exempt (including low-income and/or elderly 
individuals who qualify for MediCare, MediCal and the incarcerated).
• 13 insurance companies have undergone a rigorous application, review and approval process 
to participate in CoveredCA.com. The state is divided into 19 geographic regions, with the selection 
of insurance companies varying in each region. For example, in Los Angeles County, consumers will 
have the choice of Anthem, Blue Shield, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, L.A. Care Health Plan and 
Molina Healthcare.
• Individuals and small businesses will enroll with the insurance company of their choice, 
whether to select an HMO, PPO or EMO, and will also have the option to purchase enhanced or 
premium benefits.
• No one can be denied health insurance coverage or be charged a higher rate due to a pre-
existing health condition.
• Currently, nine Essential Health Benefits are included in the cost of the annual premium, like 
preventative health screenings, wellness programs and other routine services.
• Based on household income, an individual or family may qualify for premium assistance to 
help cover the monthly cost of health insurance
• Also based on income, many Californian’s will qualify for some level of tax credit that can be 
applied to pay a portion of the monthly health insurance throughout the year, or applied in part or 
in full to reduce one’s annual tax liability.
• In California, small businesses with 1 – 50 employees will be able to offer insurance to their 
employees through Covered CA. However, there is no requirement, nor is there a penalty for small 
businesses that choose not to participate. Their employees who are eligible, can still obtain insurance 
and individuals through Covered CA. Penalties that will become effective in 2015 apply to business 
with more than 50 employees.


During the first year of implementation for the Affordable Care Act, the initial enrollment period 
begins October 1, 2013 and ends March 31, 2014. Watch for additional information in this column 
on Covered CA and the ACA in upcoming months. For an easy-to-use website with facts about 
health care options that will become effective on January 1, 2014, visit www.CoveredCA.com.

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