Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 3, 2013

Mountain Views News Saturday, August 3, 2013 13BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS Mountain Views News Saturday, August 3, 2013 13BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS 
BUSINESS TODAY 
The latest on Business News, Trends and Techniques 
By La Quetta M. Shamblee, MBA 
ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT 
CASH FOR OLD 
STUFF 
CALL 626-264-2085 
A BALANCED MANAGEMENT STYLE 
For sole proprietorships and small businesses 
to survive and thrive, it is imperative to develop 
and establish solid management skills and 
systems. A successful management approach 
involves multitasking and the constant juggling 
of multiple priorities related to key areas of the 
business. A strong foundation for management 
in the areas of administration, operations and 
personnel will greatly increase the likelihood for 
success and profitability. 
The administrative aspects of management 
will have the most profound impact on the 
entire business since this component deals with 
decisions that can only be made at the top, by 
the owner(s) or top-level executives. Employees 
should be able to count on having the resources 
readily available to do the jobs they were hired 
to do; this is one of the primary functions of 
business administration. This includes all of 
the “systems” needed to support the work of 
everyone in the company (i.e. adequate and 
appropriate office space, computer equipment, 
printers and/or copiers with readily-available 
supplies and if applicable, timely reimbursement 
for out-of-pocket expenses like mileage for a 
field sales rep) 
The operational aspects of management will 
dictate how smoothly the day-to-day and ongoing 
workflow is executed. Written guidelines should 
be developed for every business process that is 
likely to be repeated on an ongoing or interim 
basis (i.e. ringing up a sale, weekly social media 
postings/promotions, ordering and stocking 
inventory, opening/closing the store). By 
developing and following standard guidelines, 
policies and procedures, you will be able to 
establish consistency to help your business 
achieve and maintain a reputation for quality. 
This will also make it easier and quicker to train 
new staff as your business evolves. 
The personnel aspects of management are often 
easier said than actually executed. Labor laws 
at the federal, state and regional levels dictate 
guidelines for many aspects of employer-
employee responsibilities. In addition to legal 
considerations regarding different classifications 
of personnel (i.e. exempt “salaried”, non-exempt 
“hourly” and independent contractors “non-
employees who work under a contract”), the 
ultimate success of management and the business 
rests upon the shoulder of the individuals who 
actually carry out the work. 
Management talent can make or break a 
business, particularly in key areas that serve as 
pillars to support the business as a whole. The 
better the management, the greater likelihood 
that a business will make progress, succeed and 
prosper. 
In spite of the real estate roller coaster of the last few years, homeownership remains the bedrock 
of financial and familial security. Having a long-term investment that provides the satisfaction and 
pride of ownership beats just about anything else you can do with your savings.
When the market exploded several years ago, the expectations of many consumers grew too high, 
too fast. Homes became more commodities than investments, and now markets and attitudes have 
been forced to realign. 
Conditions today make it an opportune time to secure your future. Home prices and interest rates 
are still low, and tax advantages are abundant. You just have to get past all the negativity in the media. 
All the bad news has drained consumer confidence, and frankly, you cannot underestimate the effect 
of intangibles like confidence and expectation on the real estate industry. 
Real estate transactions are unlike any other financial transaction. The demand and desire for homeownership 
doesn’t expire like other flashy investment instruments. The inherent value of a stock can 
be calculated by a formula of company profits, earnings ratios, performance history, fund managers, 
and so on. 
However, a home’s value is ultimately determined by what a buyer is willing to pay for it, and the 
security and well-being that owning your own home provides 
MEASURING THE CONSUMPTION OF 
CONTENT ON FACEBOOK 


To find out if you are creating content that your Facebook audience is gobbling up, take a look at 
Facebook’s Insights. It allows page owners to measure metrics around their content and get a better 
understanding of the audience subscribing to the page. If you have a page for your business, you can 
find this tool in your Admin panel. Note: in order for you to be able to access insights on your page, 
you need to have more than 35 “Likes.” 

Here are some of the things you can measure on a Facebook page: 

Last 5 Posts by Reach, Clicks, Engagement 

You can learn about the types of posts (photos, links, text, video or links) that get the most interaction 
from your Facebook. For example, I find that posts that have a picture in them get the most action so 
I try to use more images in our content. 

Page and Tab Visits 

This metric will show how many people visit your Facebook page and tabs. There are several types 
of tabs/apps you can install on a Facebook page, for example, job listings, trending industry news, 
download a coupon, view videos, sign up forms etc. If you have installed a lot of these tabs, Insights 
will show you what tabs are getting the most attention. This is very helpful especially if you are running 
a campaign on your page (give-away, free download or promotion). 

People Reached 

You can compare the people who “like” your page with the demographics of Facebook’s total 
population. You can find out if more men than women like your page and what age the majority 
of your audience falls into. You can see what country or city your audience lives in and language(s) 
spoken. This type of information can help you shape your content. For example, if your audience is 
younger, they might respond to more acronyms. If your audience is older, they might appreciate some 
old-school jargon. 


When your Fans are Online 

You want to be able to catch your fans when they are on Facebook. If you are scheduling your posts, 
insights will let you know the best time and day to post for your fans. If you find your fans are 
midnight users on Sunday night, use Facebook’s scheduling tool so you can sleep and still reach your 
target audience. 

Learn where you need to make some changes 

Facebook’s insight tool allows you to measure your overall Facebook strategy. Are you reaching your 
target demographic and are they engaging with your content? If you market to women, but more men 
“Like” your page and engage with your posts, it’s time to make some changes and test new content 
and targeting strategies. Insights will reveal what’s working and what’s not. Use this feature to identify 
your Facebook activities that may be a waste of your time, then you will be able to focus on doing 
more of the things that actually work best for your business. 

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 


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Model CTS 250 LE 
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