The key to outsourcing success for a small business is to go about it professionally. Out of pure necessity, small businesses started outsourcing long before there was even a term for it. Most small firms don’t have the in-house expertise to perform many different functions. So they hire someone else to do it for them. An outside specialist can do everything from payroll to building Web sites, managing computer networks or handling telephone sales and credit card processing.

Developing a successful long-term relationship with an outsourcing partner requires effort on both sides. It’s important to treat it like a partnership, because that’s what it really is. A vendor who supplies a vital service for your business is like part of your staff, so you should go through a similar interviewing and reference checking process before you “hire” them.

Using outside service providers who have experience working with your particular type of business is important. You’ll also want someone with the technology and expertise to deliver cutting edge services.

Be sure to ask detailed questions about the service you will receive, and access to someone who can answer questions and solve problems as they arise. For most small business owners, this kind of accessibility and service are top priorities. If the firm you are considering won’t be available when something goes wrong, look elsewhere. Since they are not likely to sell you this themselves, ask to speak with current and past clients. Most importantly, meet with the key people involved and evaluate for yourself how you think they will perform for your business.

The Outsourcing Institute, www.outsourcing.com, is a professional association for the outsourcing industry and a neutral “go-to” resource for information, connections and solutions to help businesses both large and small become successful outsourcers. The Outsourcing Help Desk lists of regional outsourcing events and solutions for small business buyers.

For additional planning help for your small business, contact SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business.”  SCORE is a nonprofit organization of more than 10,500 volunteer business counselors who provide free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small business owners.  Call (570) 851.1608 or visit www.scorescranton.org to contact the Greater Scranton Area SCORE Chapter.

First Friday Scranton

Join us this week for First Friday in downtown Scranton! For a full list of venues and a .pdf of the map, visit http://firstfridayscranton.com.

First Friday art walks are held on the first Friday of every month at galleries and businesses around Downtown Scranton. Paintings, photography, sculpture, music, performance art…you never know what you’ll find at First Friday in Scranton.

Support local artists and mingle with your Northeastern Pennsylvania neighbors, all in a casual atmosphere. Hope to see you there!

A = Access to lending! Since 1997, MetroAction has been committed to providing flexible small business loans to start-up and expanding small businesses in northeastern Pennsylvania. MetroAction is one of the only nonprofit organizations in northeastern Pennsylvania authorized to provide microloans to small businesses through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

MetroAction specializes in working with people who cannot borrow from a bank due to lack of business experience, credit history or insufficient collateral.  To learn more about all of our funding programs, visit http://metroaction.org/loans.html.

B = Build better credit! MetroAction loans provide an opportunity for small business owners to build or rebuild personal credit history and raise credit scores.  As clients make on-time payments on their small business loans, MetroAction reports the payments to the major credit bureaus. This builds positive credit history and increases a borrower’s level of creditworthiness in the eyes of lenders.

If you need help repairing your credit, we partner you with Consumer Credit Counseling of NEPA. Together, we can help you assess your credit and make necessary changes to improve it!

C = Coaching through Smart Start! MetroAction’s Smart Start mentoring program, through an innovative collaboration with SCORE, pairs borrowers with a SCORE counselor for free one-on-one small business coaching.  Counselors can help develop various aspects of your business including:

•    Starting a business: licenses, taxes, permits, resources
•    Business plan development and review
•    Marketing
•    Financial and cash flow analysis
•    Management
•    Business operations
•    And much more!

Full details on our lending and mentoring programs can be found at http://www.metroaction.org/.

Whether you are a brand-new entrepreneur who wants to learn the basics or a veteran business owner looking to acquire new skills so you can expand your business, MetroAction has a variety of training options.  Click on a link below to sign up or call (570) 341-0270 for details!

Business Basics Carbondale, 9/23

Small Business Institute Scranton, 9/30

Meet the Lender Honesdale, 10/15

Financing Your Business Carbondale, 10/26

Marketing Mastery Wilkes-Barre, 10/22 AND 10/29

This article is provided by the Greater Scranton Area SCORE chapter.

Not so long ago, millions of small business owners turned almost exclusively to the tried-and-true Yellow Pages to advertise their wares. But the Internet revolution has changed that, as small businesses have rushed to embrace new ways of attracting customers with technology.  

Internet search advertising is the hottest marketing trend to hit small business in decades. These are tiny, text-only paid ads that you create and which pop up as search engine results when potential customers type in key words and phrases related to your business.

Business owners in every industry and location are turning to these low-cost online advertising campaigns conducted through search engines to help drive business. The trend is unmistakable. According to an A.C. Nielsen survey, consumers are not letting fraud concerns stop them from shopping online. Results of this survey, commissioned by eBay, indicate that consumers are buying more each year online and that most believe the Web is becoming a safer place to shop.

Meanwhile, the spread of high-speed Web connections and hardware improvements are giving the Web advertising market a boost, and paid search engine advertising, also known as keyword advertising, is leading the way.

Small businesses are showing a marked preference for the new online marketing tools, which offer tremendous flexibility to control costs and test various marketing approaches almost instantly.  For example, florists can quickly change from prom to wedding season or an air conditioning service can exploit an early heat wave.  What’s more, results from these types of ads can be tracked, and return on investment measured in tremendous detail never available with traditional print types of advertising.

If your business uses a Web site to sell or market products and services, online marketing will be critical to your success. Targeted ads attached to keyword search results are the clear winner among Web-based marketing methods. Their simplicity, low cost and popularity among small businesses have pushed flashy banners aside as the main method for connecting buyers and merchants online. You pay only when someone clicks your ad and visits your site. A prospect that reads your brief ad but doesn’t click it costs you nothing.

Two leading search ad outlets are Google AdWords, www.google.com/ads, and Yahoo! Search Marketing, http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com. Visit the sites for complete details and to open an account.

For additional planning help for your small business, contact SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business.”  SCORE is a nonprofit organization of more than 10,500 volunteer business counselors who provide free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small business owners.  Call (570) 851.1608 or visit www.scorescranton.org to contact the Greater Scranton Area SCORE Chapter.

You’ll also discover how to adapt Disney’s strategies and methods to your own business. Learning is enhanced by stepping into Disney’s “living laboratory” for field experiences and an exclusive “Business-Behind-The-Magic” Tour.

By starting early and extending the morning session into the early afternoon we’re utilizing your most productive hours while also providing time for Resort activities.  Play a round of golf on one of Disney’s four PGA Championship golf courses; visit the Theme Parks with your Family; or simply relax poolside in the Florida sun.  Go ahead, you’ve earned it!

Seating is LIMITED for this exceptional program. Watch a short video about the program  and visit our website for complete program and pricing details or contact Christina Hitchcock at (570) 342-7711.

This program may be a tax deductible business expense.  Check with your tax advisor.

MetroAction can help!  Today, we have unveiled our brand new webinar series designed specifically for those who want to attend seminar and training programs, but can’t make it to our “live” programs.

MetroAction has converted some of the most popular seminars to launch the webinar program.  These include:

• Business Basics
• Financing Your Business
• Marketing 101
• Applying for a Small Business Loan
• Writing a Business Plan
• Submitting Your Business Planning Templates

And, we’re planning on offering more topics this fall, such as Facebook for Beginners, Grant Writing 101 and Building Better Credit.

There is no special equipment required — all you need is an internet connection and a phone line!  It’s really that easy.

Stay tuned for more details!

First Friday Scranton

Join us this week for First Friday in downtown Scranton! For a full list of venues and a .pdf of the map, visit http://firstfridayscranton.com.

First Friday art walks are held on the first Friday of every month at galleries and businesses around Downtown Scranton. Paintings, photography, sculpture, music, performance art…you never know what you’ll find at First Friday in Scranton.

Support local artists and mingle with your Northeastern Pennsylvania neighbors, all in a casual atmosphere. Hope to see you there!

This article is provided by the Greater Scranton Area SCORE chapter.

Small business owners are not always the best employee motivators. They are often so wrapped up in operational issues that “people skills” fall short. If your business already has employees or plans to hire some, these individuals will be critical to your success. And aside from handling all of the legal, tax, insurance and other employer paperwork responsibilities, you also need to learn how to elicit good results from your employees without micromanaging every detail of their workday.

Most business owners have delegated work to an employee, only to find a finished task or product that’s nothing like what they envisioned. In most such cases, the culprit is simply poor communication.

It’s important to have direct contact to make your message clear. Some owners try to save time and manage by email. That works only to a point. But direct contact builds trust and rapport.

Establish your business “mantra” and keep repeating it. Don’t assume that everyone involved in the business understands and buys into the mission as you do. After all, you’re the one who created it, not them. They haven’t lived and breathed every detail as you have.

Here’s one simple step to make certain you communicate clearly. Instead of asking if an employee understood your instructions, ask what specific steps the person will take to complete the task. That way you can be absolutely certain they not only understood, but also plan to complete the assignment in an appropriate way.

Avoid constantly criticizing employees. That hurts morale and can make people less motivated. If you highlight the positive and correct mistakes without getting personal, employees are more likely to deliver what you want.

Strive to be a visible manager. Sure, all business owners are busy. But the people who work for you deserve your attention. Carve out some time for one-on-one as well as group meetings. Offer your undivided attention to demonstrate to others that they are a priority in your business.

For additional planning help for your small business, contact SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business.”  SCORE is a nonprofit organization of more than 10,500 volunteer business counselors who provide free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small business owners.  Call (570) 851.1608 or visit www.scorescranton.org to contact the Greater Scranton Area SCORE Chapter.

A $70,000 loan from MetroAction allowed the limited liability corporation, with six partners, to purchase new kitchen equipment for the restaurant which overlooks PNC Field in Moosic.  Enlisting MetroAction’s help, Bo Brothers secured an additional $70,000 in financing through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s First Industries loan program.

The new restaurant features casual dining, a full service bar and a 65-square-foot smoker for Bo Brother’s signature Kansas City-style cooked ribs, pulled pork and chicken wings.  It also serves burgers, pizza and sandwiches, year-round, and provides catering and delivery.

In today’s changing economy, small businesses are finding it harder to obtain bank loans.  “We are pleased to be able to assist Bo Brothers as they bolster business at PNC Field and add to the fan experience.” says Kristine Augustine, vice-president of business and community development for MetroAction.

MetroAction provides small business loans up to $75,000 to start-up and existing businesses in northeastern Pennsylvania.  We specialize in helping small businesses that may not be eligible for traditional bank financing.