Studies conducted by the University of Maryland?s Smith School of Business clearly indicates that the rate of social media adoption by small businesses have doubled in the past year. One in five businesses are incorporating social media strategies into their marketing plan. According to the chart, Facebook and LinkedIn are the most popular outlets and the engagement is being executed via articles of interest and status updates. Surprisingly, many small businesses have yet to adopt Twitter, whose popularity is increasing rapidly as it is approaching it?s 10 billionth tweet. Though it seems tedious and time-consuming in its beginning stages, many are quickly seeing the valuable. Essentially it is a new customer service channel that creates a more personal and authentic relationship between the consumer and the company.

As social media begins to play a larger role in one’s marketing campaigns, it is important to understand how to properly manage any negative feedback from your fans. The purpose of social media is to build a community sphere surrounding your brand and to initiate dialogue with your customers. A conversation is a two-way street so, in addition to all the perks of these more personal interactions, you are also opening yourself up to be vulnerable to negative criticism. However, the best way to solve any issue is to address it and that begins with identifying the type of feedback you’ve received. According to Josh Catone, Features Editor of Mashable.com, there are four types of negative feedback: straight problems, constructive criticism, merited attacks, and trolling/spam. Straight problems are literally direct problems that your customers have/have had with your product or service. Of course this is not something you want to be displayed to potential customers, however, a response is critical. Simply thank your customer for bringing it to your attention and assure them that steps are being taken to take care of the issue. If you find that the problem is a perceived problem rather than an actual problem, explain why you do it the way you do. There will always be customers who will provide constructive criticism and offer their own suggestions for how things should be done. Again, thank them for taking the time to bring this to your attention. As with some constructive criticism, the customer may be in the right and have just addressed a flaw that has often been overlooked. Merited attacks are the most difficult to deal with because they are personal attacks to your company. However, as is the case with constructive criticism, these actions would not have been taken unless there is something that provoked it. Thus, measures to mitigate these comments should not be take lightly. Finally, trolling/spam is simply that- spam. You do not have to respond to these comments, simply remove them. It is important to keep in mind that each and every one of your responses sound positive. When your customers see that you are taking this feedback seriously, you’re loyalty with them will only grow stronger.

Even in a recession, there are many entrepreneurial opportunities available. The most prevalent business trend in today’s economy is the green movement. With government support and public sentiment, billions of dollars have been poured into renewable energy efforts. An often overlooked market that is now becoming increasingly profitable is the senior market. As the baby boomers begin to retire, the demand for aging services are rising. Additionally, along with these aging baby boomers, there is a strong emphasis being placed upon the healthcare reform. Therefore, it should come as no surprise to see health and wellness businesses thriving. Discount retailers, such as Walmart and Family Dollar, are often occupied by low-income shoppers. However, these retailers are now reaping profits from middle class households. Additionally, mom-and-pop stores are seeing more business as the demand for locally grown products are rapidly increasing. Whether it is to reinvent themselves, escape the bad economy, or update their skill set, many people are going back to school. Thus, transforming the education system into a promising industry. Finally, even with all the economic turmoil surrounding us, consumers continue to drink like fish. However, the alcoholic beverage industry has found that their consumers’ shopping behaviors have changed. They’re drinking cheaper drinks in the comfort of their own homes.

When many small businesses find themselves in a financial rut, it is common for them to either completely eliminate or cut corners when it comes to their HR practices. Though it may help reduce costs in short-term, it certainly does not help the company itself in the long run. In a piece for Entrepreneur, Burton Goldfield, President and CEO of an HR outsourcing company, “highlights four areas where you should never slack: use mid-year reviews to manage expectations, recognize and reward good performance, watch workplace morale, and protect your benefits.” Goldfield explains that mid-year reviews are a good time to be honest with your employees. They may think the company is in a worse financial state than it actually is. It is also a good time to recognize and reward non-monetary performance. Distribute title promotions or allocate responsibilities across the board. Though workplace morale is not something you can measure statistically, it is something you can observe and control. You do so by providing your employees with perks or team-building exercises. When the job market picks up again, those employees who felt ignored will essentially be the first ones to leave the company. Finally, many companies tend to cut costs by removing benefits in their benefits package. There is no other way to push employees away then drastically changing their benefits for financial purposes. Consult with an HR professional to find a way to cut benefits while still retaining a competitive package.

The Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce created LeaP in 1982, which now represents more than 1,000 graduates including corporate CEOs, community organization directors, elected officials and emerging business and community leaders.

"LeaP is a wonderful team building experience," said Dana Cervantes, 2008 graduate and award-winning radio personality." I went in expecting to make great business contacts but instead made some of the best friends of my life."

Leadership Pensacola Class of 2011 applications are now available through the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. Each year, LeaP takes 50 class members through an extensive program from August through May, including an orientation, overnight trip to the state capital, weekend retreat and various site visits to build community awareness and leadership skills.

Nominations are due March 16th, and self nominations are accepted. Program tuition is $1,100.

For more information on LeaP, visit www.PensacolaChamber.com/LeaP or call (850) 438-4081.

There’s a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel for our economy and as the recovery process begins, the workforce will face new challenges. Some believe that it will be a “jobless recovery,” which puts small businesses in quite the predicament. With the lack of manpower, small businesses will need to maximize the productivity of their employees without facing issues of fatigue. These businesses need to encourage their employees that their hard work will only lead to career advancement and corporate growth. With the larger organizations that will seek to hire again, they need to keep in mind that workforce talent is slim. Their hiring strategy should focus on seeking prospective employees with key talents as they are in high demand at the moment. Finally, it is important to note that those companies who have yet to enter the social space do so in these beginning months. The first step is to establish corporate social media policies and train your employees on how to properly and effectively utilize the social media networks to expand your brand’s presence and build more customer loyalty.

As the economy corrects itself, more workers are finding themselves working on a temporary basis with the hopes of it turning into a full-time position. However, this recession has taught employers to be more cautious of their costs and execute cost-effective strategies at all times. Therefore, many employers are hiring workers for job specific duties on a part-time basis. Littler Mendelson, a law firm that specializes in workforce development, suggests changes in the configuration of the workforce by 2015. The firm conducted a report where results demonstrated that the growth of social networking sites correlated with the increase of freelancing. However, some argue that following the recession, employers will want to secure valuable employees for permanent positions.

Technology developments of the first decade of the 21st century has shaped our culture. First, there was the development of wireless internet that allowed web users to access the Web from almost anywhere. Then there was the introduction of the BlackBerry smartphone. The BlackBerry came equipped with email, text messaging, and Web browsing, and later it would find itself with additional applications that can be downloaded onto the mobile phone. One company whose profits soared in the last decade was Apple, Inc. The creation of the iPod changed the way people listened to music. Later generations of the iPod enabled users to watch videos and take photos with the tiny portable device. With the iPod came iTunes and the iTunes Store, where downloading music was legal. The iTunes store not only offered music downloads, but also offered downloadable podcasts, audio books, TV shows, and movies. YouTube quickly became the hub for all video downloads. People began using YouTube as a way to showcase their own home videos and share it with the world. With graphic displays becoming more advanced, it is no surprise when tech gurus became fascinated with the creation of avatars and virtual worlds. Many people were also very receptive to the new video game consoles such as Nintendo Wii where you could actually become a part of the game you’re playing. Finally, there are the social networking sites ranging from Twitter to Facebook to MySpace to LinkedIn. These sties have changed the way our culture communicates. Instead of calling someone to ask them a question, write on their Facebook wall. While some businesses are spending thousands of advertising dollars on getting one message out, others are creating a presence on these social networking sites to send multiple messages out that are reaching their customers right away.

Steve McKee, President of McKee Wallwork Cleveland Advertising, discusses the significance of "internal branding which is defined by having a continuous process in place by which you ensure your employees understand the 'who' and 'why' behind your business proposition." Though is it important that your customers recognize your brand and build a loyal relationship to it, the same is true for your employees. Without the proper tools and resources, it will be difficult for your employees, especially those who interact directly with the customers, to successfully represent your brand and deliver results. For many businesses, a large amount of their marketing money is spent on compiling the demographics and psychographics of their customers as well as other marketing research. However, rather than sharing that information with other employees and reaping the benefits of what they can do what that knowledge, it is simply filed away in the marketing department. With employees in the know of your consumer research, they can better identify risks and seek opportunities. Do not underestimate the benefits of internal branding as it plays just as big of a role in your company’s success as external branding does.

Senator George LeMieux met with the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce yesterday morning in Pensacola to express his support for several subjects vital to Florida, such as the support for the military, education, and the economy. He discussed major points of the present health care legislation and the impact it will have on Americans, including future premium increases for health insurance, reductions in Medicare and cost shifting to state budgets. He pointed out that the state budget has been reduced from $73 billion to $66 billion due to the state of Florida balancing their budget while the national debt expands. He also commented on the taxation of “Cadillac” health insurance plans and the impact on small businesses. Senator LeMieux discussed the need to address health care fraud, referring to it as “excessive,” and using successful business and consumer models as public sector solutions. According to Senator LeMieux, “by setting up a predictive model, we can save $20 billion yearly.”