SFS: Small. Fast. Smart.

Ten Tips to Improve Your Social Media Strategy

Paska Nayden is a business coach in Easton, CT, who works with SCORE.

Is Social Media worth the effort, will it pay off or is it just a fad?  When working in a large corporation known for white shirts and blue suits, I recall the internet was initially seen as a potential threat to our relationship with our clients.   Today with social media, large and small businesses seem to be embracing this technology hoping to crack the code on how to create revenue by engaging clients or prospects in conversations. Big, small or one person companies at the end of the day focus on two things: improving profits by selling more stuff and/or reducing cost which should be the goal of your social media strategy.

The shift to social media is real and will only continue to grow as we learn to adapt our marketing and blend it with our traditional techniques.  Who would have imagined 500 million FaceBook users and over 75 million professionals on LinkedIn with most of the growth in the last 12 months?  Join the conversation, do not push your product, create value, and you will reap the benefits of being social online.


Here are few thoughts if you are just starting or want to improve your experience:

1.  Pick one platform to start with such as FaceBook or LinkedIn or another site relevant to your audience. Start with one to gain experience

The Dark Fiber Advantage For Your Business

Bob David is the Regional Market Manager, Bridgeport and New Haven, for Fibertech Networks in Stratford, CT.

Having the right amount of bandwidth has become as critical a resource to local businesses as clean water or electricity. Exacerbating this demand for broadband services is both the continual deterioration of legacy information technology facilities and the reduced investment in network infrastructure by incumbent providers.

Bridgeport businesses such as schools, healthcare facilities and regionally-focused banks are finding it increasingly beneficial to link their locations, online resources and databases to take advantage of efficiencies. One solution in Bridgeport that continues to gain momentum is leasing strands of dark fiber optic networks.

Diving Into Social Media and Developing a Strategy

Cynthia Cavoto is the President of Marketing That Works For You in Stratford, CT.

Social media is here to stay AND it has huge merits for promoting a business. These include:
• Reaching people immediately – targeted audiences, no less!
• Engaging in discussions and building relationships with existing and potential customers
• Learning of potential business growth areas.

Great, what next? Do you start a FaceBook page, Twitter, blogging, LinkedIn? That depends largely upon your marketing goals. As with traditional promotions, having a strategic approach is better than randomly dabbling in these venues. This facilitates the best use of time and budget.

First, start thinking about messaging. Take comfort in knowing you cannot – and do not need to - be everywhere. Here are basic guidelines for using some of the proven (and FREE!) channels:

Maximize Your Competitive Advantage by Leveraging Telecommuting to Enhance ROI

Jean Stimolo is a professional at Telecommute Connecticut in New Haven, CT.

Telecommute Connecticut’s New Cost-Benefit Calculator Quantifies Savings

Return on Investment!  It’s one of the key components to a successful business.  Balancing ROI, remaining competitive, retaining key employees in critical functions and improving job satisfaction are issues Connecticut employers are struggling with.

Implementing a telecommuting program help employers effectively manage such issues. According to a 2009 CBIA survey, the top reasons Connecticut companies offer telecommuting to their employees are employee retention, increased productivity, recruitment and business continuity.

Telecommute Connecticut, a free service available to Connecticut employers, believes now is the perfect time to reassess ways to maximize your competitive advantage through telecommuting. Most often, cost savings achieved through telecommuting are attributable to increased productivity, decreased turnover and reduced office/parking requirements. So how do you quantify these savings?

How to Comply with the Recently Enacted Data Protection Laws

Mark W. Klein is an associate with Brody Wilkinson PC in Southport, CT.

 In recent years, an alarming number of businesses have victimized by the theft of their customers’ and/or employees’ personal data. Many of these thefts occurred because the businesses did not have adequate safeguards in place. In response, new laws have been enacted requiring businesses to implement data protection policies and imposing stiff penalties for non-compliance. It is important for your business to comply with each applicable law.

Connecticut’s Law. Connecticut General Statutes §42-471, requires all businesses collecting personal information, including Social Security numbers, driver’s license, state ID card, alien registration and health insurance numbers, credit, debit card or account numbers to "safeguard the data, computer files and documents containing the information from misuse by third parties" and "destroy, erase or make unreadable such data, computer files and documents prior to disposal." It also requires businesses collecting Social Security numbers to create, and publicly display (including on its website) a privacy protection policy that: (1) protects the confidentiality of Social Security numbers; (2) prohibits their unlawful disclosure; and (3) limits access to them.