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Tolland County Chamber of Commerce Honors Between Rounds with Beautification Award

Between Rounds Vernon interior renovation.

Between Rounds Bakery Sandwich Café of Vernon, CT was recently presented with the “2016 Tolland County Chamber of Commerce Award” for “Beautification in Tolland County”.

In a ceremony, the Tolland County Chamber of Commerce presented Between Rounds Vernon founders, Jerry and Joe Puiia, with a beautification award for their extensive renovation of the shop, which is located in the Vernon Circle Shopping Center at 243 Hartford Turnpike.

Founded in 1990, Between Rounds is a unique bakery café and bagel shop renowned for their fresh, baked-on site bagels (in 14 different flavors), a variety of baked goods as well sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, specialty coffee and a unique line of giftware.

“We are absolutely delighted to receive this special recognition,” said Jerry Puiia. “The Vernon store redesign was so much more than a simple ‘refresh’ of flooring, lighting and equipment. It was a completely new and carefully considered design and renovation to improve the store’s layout so we could serve customers faster and also show off all of our products, including our unique giftware.”

A floor to ceiling interior renovation on Between Rounds’ Vernon location was completed earlier this year, resulting in a chic, upscale look with more comfortable seating, unique and artistic decorative lighting features, innovative flooring and carpet, dedicated giftware displays and a cozier atmosphere overall.

Exterior renovations on the shop included the addition of a vestibule as well as a new storefront, complete with low-e glazing windows, which are energy efficient to reduce sun penetration and glare. Even Between Rounds’ parking area was reconfigured to accommodate a new patio area surrounded by lush plantings.

Puiia continued, “We were able to create a modern, beautiful space where people can gather to relax and enjoy good food. We’ve had a very positive response from the community.”

Between Rounds has been in business for more than two decades and is the brainchild of brothers Jerry and Joe Puiia, who are Staten Island, NY natives. Between Rounds locations include corporate headquarters in South Windsor, Vernon Circle Shopping Center in Vernon, the Plaza at Buckland Hills in Manchester, the independently owned Tolland store adjacent to a Citgo Express Gas Station and a second independently owned Vernon store (slated to open next month) at 229 Talcottville Road, adjacent to a Citgo Gas Station.

For more information about Between Rounds, visit www.betweenroundsbagels.com.

About Between Rounds

Between Rounds Bakery Sandwich Café offers patrons an upscale, fast-casual dining experience with free Wi-Fi and the added convenience of a drive-thru window. Between Rounds is expanding and franchise opportunities are available. Between Rounds’ locations include South Windsor, Vernon, Manchester and Tolland, with a second franchise location opening soon at 229 Talcottville Road in Vernon. Corporate headquarters are located at 19A John Fitch Blvd, Route 5 in South Windsor, CT.  For more information about Between Rounds franchise opportunities contact (860) 291-0323 or visit www.betweenroundsbagels.com.

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The HR Engineers outline what marijuana legalization means for Employers

The passing of Question 4, which essentially legalized marijuana for recreational use for persons aged 21 and over (with certain provisions) in Massachusetts, brings a number of questions to the forefront for employers. Can employers enforce a “no marijuana smoking” policy during the workday if employees are not on company property? What about employees consuming edibles during their lunch break?

With more than two decades of experience, The HR Engineers, providers of human resource consulting and services for smaller businesses throughout New England, clear the “smoky” air and clarify workplace policies that can be enforced by employers when it comes to marijuana.

First and foremost, there are existing laws prohibiting operating while under the influence or consuming while operating any motorized form of transport or machinery, such as a motor vehicle. Additionally, wherever the smoking of tobacco is prohibited; the smoking of marijuana is prohibited. Nor, can marijuana be consumed in a public place (unless it is an approved marijuana establishment).

An employer is not required to allow or accommodate conduct in the workplace just because it is allowable by law. Similar to workplace policies regarding the consumption of alcohol, employers may enact and enforce policies limiting the consumption of marijuana by employees. This includes smoking and/or consumption of marijuana just prior to the start of the workday and during work hours, regardless of whether or not they are on company property.

The new law does not change the previously enacted law and its regulations allowing marijuana for medical use. So in this regard, employers may maintain their current policies regarding the medical use of marijuana.

“With the passage of Question 4, which regulates marijuana for recreational purposes, employers have expressed a number of concerns,” explained Denise Noble, PHR (Professional in Human Resources), the firm’s founder and senior HR Consultant. “The bottom line is – employers may enact and enforce workplace policies that limit employees’ marijuana consumption, similar to policies that limit alcohol consumption. That being said, all policies and employee handbooks must be updated with very specific language that details these rules and regulations, leaving no ‘gray areas’ or room for interpretation.”

Establishing written policies and procedures helps avoid costly disputes in the workplace. The HR Engineers help employers by working with them to ensure their HR policies and practices are clear and applied consistently. The HR Engineers’ team also works with employers to establish new policies as needed.

To arrange for a complimentary HR compliance review from The HR Engineers, contact 508-785-4950.

About The HR Engineers
The HR Engineers provide outsourced HR services to businesses with 50 or fewer employees throughout Eastern Massachusetts. Founded by Denise Noble, PHR, who has more than 20 years of human resources, accounting and business management experience, The HR Engineers provide tailored solutions to help grow and protect small businesses. From the development of Employee Handbooks, Policies and Procedures to solutions for Optimizing Employee Engagement, Management Coaching, Labor Law, Compliance and more, The HR Engineers provide expert HR solutions to meet a small business’ needs and budget. In-person consultations are offered to companies within a 50-mile radius of their office in Franklin, MA. For more information contact 508-785-4950 or visit thehrengineers.com.

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Media Veteran Dean Mandel Launches Viamark Advertising in New York City

Dean Mandel of Viamark Advertising in New York City.

DATELINE: NEW YORK, NY…

In a Big-Apple move, it was announced today that digital and traditional media pro Dean Mandel will give the #1 media market in the country a local boost with the digital and broadcast solutions of Viamark Advertising. Mandel, a Syracuse grad and 20-year ad veteran, will head up the Viamark NYC metro office beginning this month.

Mandel began his marketing career on the digital side, helping local businesses develop an internet presence back when the concept was barely understood by the rest of the ad world. He honed his digital marketing craft over the years, navigating swift changes in technology and merging his marketing know-how with interactive concepts. His experience includes managing digital platforms in conjunction with traditional broadcast, print and out-of-home assets. Most recently, he served as Vice President and General Sales Manager of CoxReps, the largest television station rep firm in the U.S, where he helped build video solutions to fit the social media landscape.

Mandel’s unique experience, along with the tools and resources of Viamark Advertising, brings a fresh approach to NYC businesses starving for effective, yet cost-attainable campaigns— something for which Viamark has become known. Mark Storie, Viamark’s President, called Dean Mandel “a seasoned dual-media pro that’s difficult to find in today’s messaging climate.” “We’re talking about someone who ‘gets it’ on every level – something from which NYC Metro businesses will truly benefit and thrive. Dean brings incredible savvy to the local table. We’re thrilled to have his knowledge and talent in New York City,” said Storie.

Storie added that recruiting outstanding talent and experience is what makes Viamark’s model so successful. “People like Dean finally give smaller businesses in large cities a critical edge, and more bang for their media dollar. NYC businesses couldn’t ask for a better partner than Dean Mandel,” he said.

For more information, visit viamark.com

About Viamark Advertising

Viamark Advertising is a full-service ad agency with intimate local knowledge, offering ‘tradigital’ (traditional + digital) marketing and advertising to local businesses throughout the east coast. The agency handles over 150 accounts from Massachusetts to South Carolina, and specializes in strategic media buying, planning, and creative services for broadcast, print, digital and social media.

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Old Colony Elder Services Receives $10K Grant from Eastern Bank

Jacquelyn Meekins, Vice President of Eastern Benefits (in center), presented the check to OCES’ Executive Director Diana DiGiorgi (left) and Teresa Kourtz, Protective Services and Money Management Programs Director (right).

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the non-profit agency proudly serving older adults and individuals with disabilities throughout greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities, has been awarded a $10,000 grant from Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation.

The grant is for OCES’ Money Management Program (MMP), which assists older adults and individuals with disabilities with managing their household finances. The MMP serves individuals with limited income who are at risk of losing their independence due to their inability to pay rent, food and utility bills on a timely basis. MMP volunteers help these individuals by establishing a budget for them, organizing their mail, helping them write checks to pay their bills and balancing their checkbook.

MMP volunteers are needed in all 23 towns that OCES serves. Volunteers receive extensive training from OCES and must adhere to strict confidentiality guidelines. MMP volunteers make home visits at least once a month to help keep track of program participants’ income and expenses.

“We are very grateful for this grant from the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation,” said Diana DiGiorgi, Executive Director. “Because of the MMP’s positive impact, we have a number of older adults and individuals with disabilities who are waiting for financial management support. We are in need of MMP volunteers and we encourage those who are able to help to contact us.”

For more information on the MMP program and how to volunteer, visit ocesma.org or call Jean-Marie Doyle, Volunteer Coordinator at 508-584-1561.

About OCES

Founded in 1974, OCES proudly serves greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities. OCES is a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Brockton with a second office in Plymouth. OCES is designated as one of 26 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OCES’ mission is to support the independence and dignity of elders and people with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy and safe living. The agency has 247 employees and operates more than 15 programs serving older adults, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. For more information call 508-584-1561 or visit www.ocesma.org.

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Rodman CPAs Names Carol Latorre as Tax Manager

Carol Latorre

Rodman CPAs, a full service tax and accounting firm serving small, mid-market, and multi-generational companies throughout the greater Boston area, has named Carol Latorre, CPA, MST as Tax Manager. Ms. Latorre is a resident of Sudbury, MA.

Ms. Latorre is a Certified Public Accountant with 25 years experience in public accounting. In her new role at Rodman CPAs, she will be responsible for individual, partnership and corporate tax management.

Previously, Ms. Latorre was with the tax and accounting firm Fougere & Associates, Inc. in Winchester for 21 years, spending the last 9 years as a Tax Partner. Fougere & Associates merged with the firm of O’Connor & Drew, P.C. in September 2012, and Ms. Latorre continued as a Principal in the firm of O’Connor & Drew, P.C.

Ms. Latorre holds a Bachelor of Art in Business from Northeastern University in Boston and a Master’s degree in Taxation from Bentley University – Elkin B. McCallum Graduate School of Business in Waltham. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

For the last decade, Ms. Latorre has been a regular participant in the Pan-Mass Challenge fundraiser for cancer research and treatment at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She looks forward to getting involved with Rodman CPAs’ Volunteer Outreach Team and participating in firm-wide initiatives that give back to the community.

About Rodman CPAs

Rodman CPAs provides tax advisory, accounting, and business strategy to small and mid-sized emerging and established businesses. Named one of Accounting Today’s Best Accounting Firms to Work for, and one of the largest accounting firms in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal, Rodman CPAs offers an innovative and strategic approach with the personal touch of a smaller regional CPA firm. For more than 50 years, Rodman CPAs has been specializing in customized accounting and tax solutions that improve business performance, processes, financial operations, and information technology.

The firm serves as a true business partner, helping clients perform and succeed during each stage of the business lifecycle. As domain experts in alternative energy, the “Green Team” at Rodman CPAs works with renewable energy producers and businesses throughout the U.S. offering tax advisory, financial, accounting services, and Investment Tax Credit (ITC) studies.

Rodman CPAs is an independent member firm of BDO Alliance USA, which enables them to expand services to clients by accessing the resources of BDO USA, LLP and other Alliance members, ensuring greater flexibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

For more information, email info@rodmancpa.com, visit their website at www.rodmancpa.com or contact (617) 965-5959.

 

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Old Colony Elder Services employees hold drive to help those in need in Brockton and Plymouth

Avery Moore, Lenilda Carvalho, Mirchelle Ange-Laveus and Frank Faria from OCES’ Brockton office gathering personal care items for delivery to MainSpring House.

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the non-profit agency proudly serving older adults and individuals with disabilities throughout greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities, are helping to support those who are experiencing homelessness this holiday season.

Led by OCES’ Protective Services (PS) and Money Management Program (MMP) team, OCES staff collected donations of socks and personal care items in an employee outreach drive held at OCES’ Brockton and Plymouth offices. The donations were delivered to MainSpring House shelter located at 54 North Main Street in Brockton and New Hope Chapel located at 89 Court Street in Plymouth.

“Each year, our Protective Services and Money Management Program team holds a drive to collect needed items for individuals experiencing homelessness in our community,” explained Teresa Kourtz, LSW, PS/MMP Director, who led the drive. “There are a number of people facing uncertain circumstances who are in need of emergency shelter. We strive to help by providing personal care necessities to those who don’t have ready access to these items.”

To learn more about MainSpring House, visit helpfbms.org. To learn more about Plymouth New Hope Chapel, visit www.newhopeplymouth.org.

About OCES

Founded in 1974, OCES proudly serves greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities. OCES is a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Brockton with a second office in Plymouth. OCES is designated as one of 26 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OCES’ mission is to support the independence and dignity of elders and people with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy and safe living. The agency has 247 employees and operates more than 15 programs serving older adults, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. For more information call 508-584-1561 or visit www.ocesma.org.

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To Celebrate 75th Birthday, Artist, Priscilla Beadle Makes 52 Necklaces in 2017

Priscilla Beadle

To celebrate turning 75, many people choose a relaxing vacation or a great party; some people are happy just to make it through the day. Priscilla Beadle, Hull MA artist, challenges herself.

Inspired by a friend who was fascinated by the 52-drawer apothecary chest in her studio, Beadle decided to create a one-of-a-kind beaded necklace each week in 2017. Each neckpiece will originate from a different drawer. “I consider this an adventure fantasy trip,” enthuses Beadle. “Do I think about slowing down for 75? Do I think about maintaining? Or shouldn’t I speed up for a year?!” she laughs. “The fact I’m turning 75 makes me want to speed up!”

An English major in college, Beadle has lived her life by Robert Browning’s line, “…a man’s reach should exceed his grasp,/ Or what’s a heaven for?” This quote is the driving force behind all Beadle’s difficult and exciting endeavors. “It gives me permission to push myself,” she says. For her, this challenge is self-motivating as it produces a real accomplishment each week. “Sometimes you just have to push yourself to grow, stretch, and do things for yourself,” Beadle advises. She has already begun to write a maker’s journal that she will keep throughout the year.

Adding to Beadle’s motivation, her large vintage apothecary chest has 52 drawers; seven square drawers arranged in seven rows, with three large drawers at the bottom. Purchased in Hong Kong, the inspirational 1940’s era Elm wood apothecary chest is more than seven feet tall, four feet wide, with each drawer going 16 inches back.

“I’m going to start in the upper left corner drawer and work my way through every drawer, from left to right, top to bottom,” confides Beadle. She uses the chest to organize her vast collection of beads based on color and material. Each drawer has three compartments. The first necklace of the year will be drawn from Venetian glass beads which have been divided into silver/gold, blue/green, and red/orange groups. The second drawer has different color Venetian glass; black/white; purple/yellow; and multi-colored. The last drawer of the year contains faux amber—cherry, butterscotch, and yellow mock amber—resin beads from Indonesia.

Beadle keeps clasps and centerpieces in a special cabinet, not in the drawers. Center pendants can be made of glass, jade, silver, brooches, semi-precious gems, and oddities such as extraordinary buttons or other upcycled adornments.

Creating bead jewelry art since 1993, Priscilla Beadle first found inspiration for her bold, eclectic designs in the bazaars of Tibet and Nepal, in dusty shops in Beijing, on remote Indonesian islands reached by catamaran, in beautiful Bali, and in verdant Indochina—Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Each Beadleful design starts with a centerpiece—add whimsy, color excitement, texture, chunky beads, a fabulous clasp—a collectable necklace is born.

Priscilla Beadle returned to her hometown, Hull MA, in 2011. For 34 years she had lived in California, eleven in the historic mission town of San Luis Obispo. She brought her business, Beadleful, with her and crafted a comfortable studio for her work on the ground floor of her home. The spark of Beadleful ignited when, after 23 years in the corporate world, Priscilla retired in 1993 to accompany her husband on his job assignment in Hong Kong. Southeast Asia became her handicraft fantasy world as she hunted for beads: –odd, large, ethnic, contrarian beads; antique or contemporary glass beads; rare and unusual colors; textures that lead to touching. Whether traveling the world or stalking New England galleries, successful bead hunting inspires the bold eclectic designs that characterize Priscilla’s unique necklaces and bracelets.

For more information or to arrange a studio tour, please visit https://priscillabeadle.com/

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Content Marketing and PR Opportunities in Commercial Construction

Perhaps no other business offers more marketing and PR opportunities than commercial developments. Yet surprisingly, many companies don’t take advantage of the myriad of media and marketing opportunities the natural course of doing business presents. PR Works has worked with one company that certainly fell into that category.

A Massachusetts-based general contractor, the company had a well-earned niche in rehabs and new construction for assisted living and nursing homes, as well as in educational, institutional and hospitality. Better yet, the majority of customers were repeat business. The owner wanted to take the company to the next level but wasn’t exactly sure how. PR got the ball rolling.

Part of the strategy was taking advantage of the built-in PR opportunities every commercial construction project offers:

  • Winning a project
  • Starting construction
  • Significant project milestones
  • Project completion
  • Growth and additional personnel

Each of these happenings presented an opportunity to issue a release, with photos, to the local media and trade publications. These releases were easily repurposed into content for company website, social media sites and e-newsletter. Coverage from press releases also was repurposed into content for the latter.

This approach translated into coverage in major regional newspapers and magazines—Providence Journal, Boston Magazine—and trade publications—High Profile Monthly, New England Real Estate Journal.

This coverage was often featured in the monthly e-newsletter with a message from the owner about goings on with the company. With this kind of content and a 20 percent open rate (4,000 are on the e-mail list), the e-newsletter developed a following. In fact, it was not uncommon for the e-newsletter to generate requests for proposals from former clients and prospects.

The company’s good work remains its best marketing. Yet letting their mailing list know what’s going on with the company played a role in their growth and success:

“Over the past 10 years, over 87 percent of our revenue (a time in which we grew from over 1,000%) has been derived from clients we have worked with in the past, ”noted the client.

Are you ready to make headlines and process the warm leads generated by them?

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LinkedIn’s Treasure Trove for Small Business Owners

(This Huffington Post article included quotes from Steven V. Dubin.)

 Tavis Bucklin Author/Journalist, Huffington Post

For me 2016 has been a year of invaluable connections. The professionals I’ve connected with, and the people I’ve collaborated with through LinkedIn, have brought me closer to reaching some of my goals much faster than I had anticipated. That said, a LinkedIn resource I have yet to use to it’s full potential is LinkedIn groups.

I have received advice and have found great content in various group in the past, but, I couldn’t help but wonder what would be possible with an active group of entrepreneurs dedicated to helping one another with advice, and in solving problems when they needed it?

I decided to ask other entrepreneurs about their experiences and I quickly realized how powerful LinkedIn groups can be and decided to start ENTREPRENEUR Life Line.

To prime your enthusiasm for 2017, and to align your thoughts with how you can use LinkedIn groups, I have some great ideas from some amazing entrepreneurs.

Support

“I am part of a private LinkedIn community of change makers who are all women.

Within the group are Fortune 500 execs, authors, and even speakers from The Makers. It is a community of support, inspiration and change making.

When I joined the group, I had about 60 clients and $15k in revenue. In less than 6 months with the support of my group we have connected with thousands of women, are on track to hit $200k, increased my pricing of my coaching by 300% and am now on a college speaking tour to 25 Universities.

The group shared press contacts with me, taught me how to market to parents (because many are fabulous moms), urged and helped me apply to be a Ted Speaker, offered input on my pricing structure etc. It has been life changing and has allowed me to change the lives of hundreds of other girls.” -Rachael Bozsik, CEO and Founder of The Brand Girls

Insight

Audience insight. Join groups tailored to your target audience and get a glimpse into their interests, needs, and common questions.

“The biggest benefit I have experienced from being a LinkedIn group member as an entrepreneur is feedback from other like-minded entrepreneurs and successful business owners. As most entrepreneurs know, a lot of times you are on your own. This includes getting feedback on ideas and projects you’re looking to launch. Being a member of various LinkedIn groups, I’ve found that being in a group setting with other like-minded individuals has helped me to solve problems faster and move my business forward. At the same time, I’ve found that it is very empowering to be able to also give back and help answer questions other members might have as well.” -Christian Karasiewicz, CEO and Founder of Social Chefs

“The biggest benefit I have experienced being a member of these industry LinkedIn groups is the great input I receive from group members when I am considering new features or capabilities to add to our software. We do ask our customers for feedback, but extending beyond our customer base for input is vital so that we are expanding our product to meet the growing needs of all event professionals and not just our customer base, which is a small sampling compared to the number of events professionals on LinkedIn.” -Jeff Kear, Planning Pod

Advice

This is where the power comes in. Getting advice from professionals that can help when you need it.

“The advice I get from being in a LinkedIn group, has been amazing. This weekend another member asked the group for advice on ways to obtain new clients. I read all 35 responses and implemented them today, and by lunch time I had an appointment to meet with a possible new client.” -GinaRiley Clearview Bookkeeping, Inc.

Collaboration

“In my experience, the best value of working in a LinkedIn group is the collaboration in brainstorming. As a start-up, I look for many ways to grow my company into new fields, and the LinkedIn groups are great inspirations.” -AJ Saleem, Academic Director, Suprex Tutors Houston

Peers

Learn from your experienced peers. Group members share insights, and you can learn a lot by reading through fellow members’ posts.

“Our company, Scorely has learned about creative marketing tactics from participating in Linkedin group discussions. There was a post about using a feature on Facebook that we weren’t previously using that helped our conversion rate triple. The groups on Linkedin have helped us grow much faster.” -Shawn Porat, Co-CEO of Scorely

Validation

“I follow comments on groups avidly as it gives me an indication of whether what I am doing is right or if I need to change things. Additionally as many people of groups share my interest areas I get more honesty than from closer connections.” -Armin Hierstetter, CEO of bodalgo

Extend your network

One of the great benefits of getting involved in Groups is the extended networking opportunities you are exposed to beyond just your inner circle of current colleagues and friends. By actively participating in discussions – sharing your thoughts on a new development in the industry, or about a new way you have managed to solve a particular problem – you’ll build yourself a reputation within that particular industry.

“LinkedIn has allowed me to quickly establish connections in areas, both geographical and corporate, I could never have before. Thanks to LinkedIn groups, I could connect and meet with influential people across multiple continents in specific industries. Something like this would have been impossible just 10 years ago.” -Ron Ben-Zeev, entrepreneur, professor, and founder of World Housing Solution

“LinkedIn groups are invaluable, especially alumni groups for companies and organizations. That’s how I’ve managed to establish a roster of talent at my company.” – Mark Organ, CEO, Influitive

“A reporter, Jessica Silver-Greenberg with the Wall Street Journal found my LinkedIn profile. She was researching a piece on the role Native American Indian tribes play in the payday loan space by employing their sovereign nation status.

The result? A portion of my comments made to Jessica resulted in a quotation attributed to me and my consulting company. Following this, Allen Parker, a tribal consultant who read the Wall Street Journal front page article, reached out to me in order to collaborate on a tribal lending online company. I made tens of thousands of dollars in referral fees.

More? A lender received a letter of termination from their bank. Basically, they had 15 days to find a new bank willing to service their $150M online loan portfolio. Via LinkedIn, the lender found me, reached out and I secured a new bank for them. My fee? $40K; took less than an hour of my time! 2 phone calls.” -Jer Trihouse, Trihouse Consulting

Establish yourself as an industry leader

By regularly posting insights and great content, you’ll be seen by your peers as an industry leader. If that is a little far off from now, you will at least boost exposure for your profile: according to LinkedIn, Group participants who comment on a discussion get four times the number of profile views.

“I belong to a number of small and mid-market business groups. As I’ve established an authoritative and objective voice (posting “how to” articles and trend pieces) about advertising and marketing for this niche, I have become that guy who know his stuff and understands our challenges. More importantly this had lead to new clients!” – StevenDubin, PR Works

Reach

Reach new audiences. Posting in groups can spread your company’s name and content to an audience who otherwise may be unfamiliar with you.

“Content marketing is a big part of SEO these days and getting your content in front of the right audience is key. LinkedIn groups provides an avenue to do that and also to see what others in your niche are writing and talking about.” – Matt Herrera CEO –Fiolpy

Networking

With professional groups, you’ll be exposed to a wide range of professionals you otherwise might not come into contact with. When they interact with your post, you can send them a friendly message to connect and discuss the topic further. It’s a more personable way to acquire new connections across cyberspace.

“Recently a LinkedIn group membership helped me obtain a speaking gig at last year’s Global Big Data Conference in the Silicon Valley. It turns out that the conference organizers were browsing through various data science groups on LinkedIn looking for group members with impressive credentials in the local area who would be willing to speak.” -Matt Bentley, Founder, CanIRank

“LinkedIn Groups have been extremely beneficial to me for networking purposes. For example, I’m a member of a group called Copywriters International, where I have both found writers to work on my sites, and found freelance writing jobs for myself.” -Eric Brantner, founder of Scribblrs.com

If you are ready to maximize the groups you are part of, be active, bring value to the group, help those that ask for it when you can.

Remember -in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. One small piece of advice that may seem trivial to you may help others in a BIG WAY. On the other side of the coin, you will have a support when you need it most.

Let’s DOMINATE 2017!

LinkedIn’s Treasure Trove for Small Business Owners

 

Get more LinkedIn and PR/Marketing insights –

Steven V. Dubin, 18 Main Street Extension, Suite 409, Plymouth, MA  02360

office – (781) 582-1061,email – SDubin@PRWorkzone.com

Connect on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenvdubin

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