As a small business you may not think much about company culture. But I have learned that building a strong company culture is equally as important in a business with five to 10 employees as it is in a company with hundreds of employees. There are many reasons for this ranging from attracting good employees to fostering an atmosphere that promotes good communication, keeping employees happy and with your company.  Today, most people have several opportunities for employment so it is up to you to provide a strong, attractive company culture to attract this talent to your small business. 

• RELATED: Why employee motivation matters more in a small business.

Having an attractive company culture does not mean you have to provide extras like gyms, day care centers or yoga classes that most small businesses can’t afford. But it does mean that you provide a workplace that is open, communicative and is a pleasant place to work. It starts with a vision of your core values and how you run your company. The first steps toward developing your company culture are essentially knowing what your company does, what it believes in (your values) and what your vision of the future is. 

Once you have defined those, see if you need to make any adjustments or changes. Remember, company culture starts from the top down. Be honest when reviewing your current culture and be proactive when making any changes. 

When hiring, keep in mind if the new hire will fit into your company culture. Be honest with your expectations and in listening to their expectations. Your employees are your brand ambassadors. They are the ones who will share their feelings about what kind of workplace you have. Be open to talking with them and take any suggestions they offer seriously. Employee attitudes are as important as their skill sets. However, be careful not to hire clones of yourself. You want employees who can offer new thoughts and experiences and add to your company culture. 

• RELATED: Read more by Tim Dimoff.

In order to reinforce your culture, consider programs that award employees who meet or beat expectations. These programs go a long way toward making employees feel valued. Examples of this can include annual awards for the “best” sales leader or “best” example of your core values. This can also mean something as simple as just celebrating employee birthdays with a cake. 

Your employee turnover, reviews etc. will help you to determine if your culture is effective and positive. Be sensitive to what you see and hear when analyzing your environment. If you follow these suggestions, you will ultimately find yourself with lower turnovers, a more positive and friendly work environment and a happier and more productive workplace.

President, SACS Consulting & Investigative Services, Speaker, Trainer, Corporate Security ExpertTimothy A. Dimoff, CPP, president of SACS Consulting & Investigative Services, Inc., is a speaker, trainer and author and a leading authority in high-risk workplace and human resource security and crime issues. He is a Certified Protection Professional; a certified legal expert in corporate security procedures and training; a member of the Ohio and International Narcotic Associations; the Ohio and National Societies for Human Resource Managers; and the American Society for Industrial Security. He holds a B.S. in Sociology, with an emphasis in criminology, from Dennison University. Contact him at info@sacsconsulting.com.

According to Google, 97% of consumers use the internet to search for local businesses—which means a strong online presence is crucial to succeeding today, no matter what size your business or type of industry. How well does your website perform in an online world crowded with thousands of similar businesses and other distractions? Do you even know how to go about discovering the answer to this question?

The experts at LocalBizGuru—a Cleveland-based search engine optimization (SEO) and full-service digital marketing agency—are here to help put your small business on the map by upgrading its online presence.

What We Offer

As a full-service digital marketing agency, we provide you with expert local digital marketing solutions—driving targeted traffic looking for your products and services to both your website and brick-and-mortar location. Let LocalBizGuru be your one-stop shop for all your Cleveland SEO needs so that you can focus on what you do best—your business.

Our services include:

●       Website Design, Development, Hosting & Maintenance

●       Local Search Engine Optimization

●       Review Generation and Reputation management

●       Premium Social Media Marketing

●       Content creation and much much more!

Start by taking the temperature of your business with our free LocalBizGuru resources. Let us conduct a complete overview of your local SEO performance in minutes, including search rankings, local listings, reviews, on-site SEO and social media. Get your free local SEO report here. Also, check out our free audit tools and contact us for a free consultation.

When you’re ready to move forward with one of our competitive packages, our transparent and upfront pricing will enable you to choose the best Local SEO fundamental options and solutions to fit your budget.

Meet the Gurus

Aaron Garfunkel is the Co-Founder and President of LocalBizGuru. He has over eight years of experience as a business development and managerial professional with key accomplishments in operations management, process improvement, client relations, sales development and strategic marketing.

Nachum Langsner is the Co-Founder and CMO of LocalBizGuru. He has over 10 years of experience in the SEO industry and is a frequent presenter and instructor of SEO seminars for entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Greater Cleveland area for organizations such as Jumpstart, the Better Business Bureau, Score and the Ohio SBDC at CSU.

You can hear from LocalBizGuru's Nachum Langsner at COSE's Small Business Resource Fair on October 16 in his session titled Improve Your Business’ Online Visibility. Learn more about and register for this event focused on helping your small business access the resources, support and opportunities you need to grow.

For employers that have hourly employees working from home, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently released guidance to clarify your obligations to track an employee's teleworking hours. The guidance can be read here. 

While this guidance responds directly to needs created by new telework or remote work arrangements that arose in response to COVID-19, it also applies to other telework or remote work arrangements.

Other useful information about the DOL's response to the coronavirus pandemic including OSHA's guidance on preparing workplaces for COVID-19 can be found here.

Issue 68, the levy for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, was by passed by voters this week. The 15-mill renewal and 5-mill increase will make it possible for the District to continue the progress made under the Cleveland Plan, funding its operating budget for 10 years.

In July, the GCP Board of Directors announced its support for the CMSD’s decision to limit its November levy to a 10-year term, instead of proposing a permanent tax levy ballot question. Due to the importance of the CMSD levy for future generations, and an increased level of accountability through a 10-year term, the GCP also moved to support the November levy increase because the initiative addresses a severe and urgent societal need in our community.

The operating levy will help maintain and improve the learning experience of Cleveland’s students, prepare them for the future, and help guarantee a quality education for all students.

Last week, GCP, in partnership with Global Cleveland and Ideastream, hosted a networking seminar about how the E-1 and E-2 visas can be used as a tool for economic development in our region. Immigration lawyer and Partner at Ulmer & Berne, David Leopold, presented—providing a foundational background of the E Visas and how businesses and economic developers can benefit from them. This event took place as part of Global Cleveland’s annual Welcoming Week—a week devoted to highlighting the benefits of immigrants in our community.

The E-1 and E-2 visas promote trade and investment between countries to spur international investment in businesses that create jobs and help communities grow. E-1 visas—or treaty trader visas—allow individuals from outside the U.S. to trade goods like technology between the U.S. and their home country. E-2 visas—or treaty investor visas—allow individuals to direct operations of an enterprise in which they have invested, or are actively investing, in the U.S.

The visas allow an investor or trader and his or her family to live in the U.S. To view a current list of countries with which the U.S. maintains trader and investor treaties, click here. The E-visas are another tool that can strengthen are region’s talent pipeline by attracting highly skilled foreign workers or investors. You can learn more about these visas here.

Last month, we discussed some strategies to consider when you realize you’re not the right choice for a product or service your prospect needs. We had many positive comments about the piece and some people even indicated that they had never even thought about some of the strategies. 

So, this month’s topic should be obvious--What if Your Business IS the right choice? And some of the brief answers will be obvious, too. But, some won’t…so read and heed.

Step 1: Thank the client and review the agreement and timeline to make sure you’ll be giving them what they want, when they want it. I like an email or phone call for immediacy, but a hand-written note card for impact really works. 

Step 2: Ask what other providers they were considering, unless they told you up front. This information will help you analyze the competitive landscape.

Step 3: Ask why they chose you, your product or service. You need to compare why you think they picked you with why they actually selected to work with you. You may have focused your pitch on service when the client made the decision based on cost. This information will help you analyze your branding and brand promise. And, remember, your prospect’s perception is your reality.

• RELATED: We’re all in sales, so get better at it.

Step 4: If you’re providing a product, give periodic status reports on design, production or delivery. Some variation on a project plan can be helpful.

Step 5: This is even more important with a detailed process or project. Your plan should include dates for regular client status updates.

Step 6: Make sure there aren’t any surprises. Whenever you encounter a problem, communicate quickly. If it’s your fault, fix it fast but let the client know about it. If it isn’t your fault, analyze probable causes and likely solutions for the client and collaborate on fix. And fix it fast.

Step 7: If the client asks for changes in scope, timing or content, carefully analyze the impact any changes will have in cost and delivery. Quickly share this update with them. Seek approval or negotiate options.

• RELATED: Read more by Phil Stella.

Step 8: Lots of small businesses wrongly assume the job is done when the check clears the bank. Not so. Follow up in a timely manner to see how the product, service or project is working out and gauge their level of satisfaction. Depending on the scope or details of the deal, check in regularly. Hey, if my dentist can call the next day to see how I feel, so can you.

Step 9: Where appropriate, consider customer satisfaction surveys, either created in-house or administered by a third party. If you can respond directly, thank them for their comments and suggestions. Periodically communicate the positive actions you’re taking to improve quality or service resulting from the surveys to your whole customer base.

Step 10: Create and launch a Customer Contact Program. It can include a grid or spread sheet with customer contact and current volume on the vertical axis and various ‘Customer Touches’ on the horizontal axis. Examples include holiday greetings, those notes seeing how things are going, articles of interest to them, especially if you wrote them and links to resources or events they might find useful. 

So, there’s a lot more to successfully interacting with customers when you win the business than simply thanking them and beginning work. These simple strategies will enhance your customers’ experience, helping you win more repeat business. 

Happy Pitching!

Phil Stella runs Effective Training & Communication, www.communicate-confidently.com, 440 449-0356, and empowers business leaders to reduce the pain with workplace communication. A popular trainer and executive coach on writing, communication styles and sales presentations, he is also on the Cleveland faculty of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.