Giving Tuesday is on December 3rd this year and we are partnering up with mConnexions to develop a new page to tally the votes!
We are giving away a 60 second video to a local, Greater Lansing Area based non-profit. You can vote as many times as you would like, however, you cannot be a previous winner.
To vote, go to either:
https://www.unodeuce.com/
or
https://mconnexions.com/giving-tuesday/
There are so many career categories in this day and age. The computer world is particularly brimming with job opportunities lately. If you’re interested in pursuing a promising, fulfilling, and exciting vocational path, then it may be the right time for you to research jobs that call for in-depth backgrounds in the vast and constantly evolving computer realm. Jobs in computers pop up all of the time.
If you’re a methodical, logical, and detail-oriented individual, then you may perhaps want to look into working as a computer engineer. Computer engineers know a lot about electronic engineering and how it works. If you’re someone who is fond on all subjects that relate to network engineering, systems, and software, this type of position may be right up your alley.
Graphic DesignersYou may be an artsy individual who also happens to have a penchant for computers and technology in general. If you’re in that category, then it may be thrilling for you to work as a graphic designer. Graphic designers often have to stay updated on all of the latest and most updated computer design programs on the market. They often spend hours and hours a day navigating complex and in-depth computer design techniques.
If you want to find a tech job that will always have openings accessible, then it may be in your best interests to go after one as a computer repair technician. Tech jobs are pretty sought after in recent times, and that’s no surprise. These positions can be ideal for people who know how to fix and maintain servers and computers alike. If you want to help fix problematic laptop computers, then a technician career may be for you.
Working in website design can be a joy. Working in web development can be equally energizing. If you want to work in the computer sector, it may be smart to look into web developer positions that are out there. Web developers, in short, are programmers who are well-versed in all sorts of application development concepts. These people are professionals who know precisely how to put together website arrangements that are user-friendly and contemporary in vibe.
Jobs in computers abound. There are computer jobs for imaginative folks. There are computer jobs for technical ones all the same. If you’re keen on computers, you don’t have to settle for a career that you don’t want.
Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700
2019 will be the most significant year yet for search engine optimization (SEO). As in years past, SEO continues to serve as an invaluable stepping stone for small enterprises keen on competing with large corporations online on a near equal footing.
As part of their overarching digital marketing strategy, small companies need a coherent, consistent and well-thought-out SEO plan. Small enterprises must strive to appear in local search results. We are already halfway through 2019 but it’s not too late to take a look at the most popular SEO trends sweeping the market today.
Voice search is certainly not making its entry in 2019 but it hasn’t yet made as big an impact as one would expect it to. 2019 looks like the year that will start to change. Google’s speech recognition technology is fast approaching 100% accuracy and is the bedrock on which Google voice search is going to run on especially since mobile internet use is surpassing desktop use.
But what does voice search mean for SEO? Voice queries tend to use more complete sentences or conversational keywords as opposed to text search where users will simply type in the 2 or 3 most relevant keywords.
Someone wants to find information on a given subject. So they do a quick Google search and click on one of the websites that show up in the results. But it turns out that the content they find isn’t what they were looking for so they have to return to the search results and click on a different link.
Sometimes, this is because the keywords the person searched for weren’t the most relevant in the first place. Often though, it’s because a website’s content isn’t consistent with the keywords it’s optimized for. In 2019, small businesses are paying greater attention to how their content matches their keywords as a means of boosting user experience.
There’s arguably never been a time in human history where customers have had higher expectations of businesses than they do today. Online users aren’t willing to wait even a couple of seconds longer than they expect to. One study found that 2 in 5 internet users will abandon a web page if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load.
Delivering content quickly has always been a big deal for SEO but 2019 is seeing the standards of rapid delivery rise even higher. Whether users are accessing it on a desktop computer or a smartphone, businesses must ensure their website loads in the shortest time possible. That may be achieved in multiple ways including getting rid of apps, plugins and elements you don’t need.
Social signals play a major role in SEO. A quick look at the top 10 most popular websites and mobile apps in the world shows why. Facebook is the largest social networking app and has more than 2 billion active users. WeChat, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger each have over a billion users. About a dozen other social apps have hundreds 
of millions of users.
With users spending ever more time on social media, small businesses can create active social media business pages and direct the traffic they receive on these pages onto their websites via inbound links. Social media marketing and optimization isn’t new but 2019 will see a clear distinction emerge between the small businesses that take social media seriously and those who are happy to just get by.
If you search for the words ‘commercial bank’ or simply ‘bank’ on Google, the first page results will feature well-known local or international banking brands. Typically, large established businesses have huge marketing budgets and can afford to target generalized keywords.
Small businesses cannot compete on these keywords. They can however find opportunities for growth in more conversational long-tail keywords. So instead of ‘commercial bank’, something more local or niche like ‘sacramento small business banking’ would have less competition and still deliver relevant leads that have a higher likelihood of getting converted.
For many people, the Internet is the first place they check when they are thinking of making a purchase. That is irrespective of whether they intend to make their purchase online or at a brick and mortar store. In this regard, making sure your website ranks highly on search results is important.
But this won’t matter if your business or product has a bad reputation. A good reputation all starts with having a good product. After that, keep an eye on customer complaints and seek to resolve them quickly and conclusively. Provide excellent service consistently as that’s what will keep your Google and Facebook reviews highly positive.
Ride these trends through 2019 and give your small business the edge over your competition.
Ashley Lipman is an award-winning writer who discovered her passion for providing knowledge to readers worldwide on topics closest to her heart – all things digital. Since her first high school award in Creative Writing, she continues to deliver awesome content through various niches touching the digital sphere.
In this 1st of 3 videos produced for the Ingham County Health Department on early dentistry care, the first focus is on caring for your teeth during pregnancy.
For more information: http://hd.ingham.org/
Launching a successful eCommerce store requires more than the ability to offer high-quality products and services to an audience in need. In order to stand out amongst today’s competition, developing a thoroughly enjoyable digital storefront is a must. Knowing how to design your eCommerce storefront to deliver a positive experience to your visitors is a great way to gain trust and loyalty among your customers.
Define your brand and the aesthetic you are going for before choosing a layout and design that is optimal for your storefront. If you want your visitors to view your storefront and brand as chic and modern, using outdated, grainy, blurry, or discolored graphics and imagery should be avoided. Align the design and imagery of your website with the brand you are trying to establish with your digital storefront.
Create a Site MapImplement a site map into your website after you create a customer success journey map. A customer success journey map can be useful to determine how you intend to entice customers, gain their trust, and help them navigate throughout your digital storefront. Using a journey map is also a great way to develop your site map to help users better navigate your website when they are searching for items, looking to create an account, or want to check out.
Easily accessible navigation is a key element involved in building any successful website, including eCommerce storefronts. Ensure that your digital storefront has a navigation bar or system in place that can be accessed via a desktop browser, a mobile browser, or even with the use of a tablet device.
When you are choosing or creating a design for your digital storefront, it is important to ensure that the layout you choose is responsive and mobile-friendly. As more individuals turn to use their mobile phones and tablets to browse the web, having a website layout that is responsive and mobile-friendly is essential. If a user visits your digital storefront and is unable to easily access your inventory, promotions, blogs, or navigation, they are much more likely to seek out an alternative online source.
Knowing how to design a thoroughly enjoyable digital storefront is a way to stand out with your eCommerce store in any market or industry. With the right design, maximize your eCommerce storefront’s online reach and your ability to generate sales.
Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. She went to college at The Ohio State University, where she studied communications. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and long walks in the park with her three-year-old husky, Snowball.
Maybe your business has never experienced a natural disaster. But the truth is that hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and floods are happening more and more often and inflicting billions of dollars of damage on businesses and economies each year.
It’s critical that your business prepares for the worst. That may seem pretty obvious, but the shocking fact is that 70% of small business owners say they don’t have a written disaster plan in place. And, without a detailed disaster plan in place before a crisis, your business might not reopen after. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reports that 40% to 60% of small businesses don’t reopen after a disaster.
There are a number of simple things you can do before a disaster happens, from backing up your important documents and contact information, to verifying your Google My Business listing, to installing smart devices to ensure that the small business insurance claims process is easier. There are also a number of best practices during and after a disaster.
Check out this infographic to learn 12 tips to prepare your business for a disaster and to get up and running after.
Bio: Meredith Wood is the editor-in-chief at Fundera. She has specialized in financial advice for small business owners for almost a decade, and is sought out frequently for her expertise in small business lending. Meredith’s advice has appeared in the SBA, SCORE, Yahoo!, Amex OPEN Forum, Fox Business, American Banker, Small Business Trends, and more
In this video, Tashmica, the executive director, invites you into the facility and introduces you to the space and some of the staff.
For more information: http://thefirecrackerfoundation.org/
An easy way to obtain the best employees in your field is by offering workplace benefits. Retirement benefits are something that workers all want to have to ensure their financial stability in their older years. Here are some of the most common types of retirement benefits you should be offering employees at your small company.
If you’re looking for simplicity, then MyRA is right up your alley. This is as simple a retirement account as you’ll find anywhere. MyRA provides Roth IRA accounts for employees. They contribute their after-tax income into their IRA account. There’s no matching on the employer’s end when it comes to funding a MyRA account. Your employees can contribute up to 5,500 dollars per year to this account or 6,500 dollars if they’re over the age of 50. Interest earned is based on the G fund of the government’s Thrift Savings Plan.
Simple 401kA simple 401k plan is another popular choice of small businesses. Simple means that this is a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees. It requires employers to contribute to their employees’ 401k accounts each year. As a good 401k advisor can tell you, employees are not required to contribute to their 401k account on an annual basis. The main difference between a simple 401k and a simple IRA is that the 401k plan can allow for loans while the IRA cannot.
Simplified employee pension plans allow employers to contribute to an IRA for their employees without the hassle of filing paperwork with the government. Most optimal for sole proprietorships and partnerships, employers are required to provide the same contribution to every employee. Employers can contribute annually up to 25 percent of an employee’s net compensation. Employees can contribute up to 5,500 dollars per year or 6,500 dollars if they’re over the age of 50.
The last retirement account we’re going to discuss is the simple IRA. Again, simple stands for Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees. This type of IRA account works for businesses that have 100 employees or less. Your employees can opt to contribute if they so choose, but they’re not required to. The employer is required to contribute on an annual basis for this type of account. Employees are allowed to contribute up to 12,500 dollars per year.
As a small business owner, planning your retirement and the retirement of your employees is a must. Many employees will turn down job offers due to a lack of proper retirement benefits. Be sure that you stick to offering one of the main benefit programs above so you don’t lose viable talent.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter: @BrookeChaplan
In this video, we help DayStarr carefully detail what customers should expect when they get their fiber internet installed.
For more information: https://daystarr.net
The appropriate management of marketing data ensures the future success of your business model. If your data gets lost or corrupted, you’ll have to start over from scratch. Here are some of the techniques that you should invest in to streamline the management process.
Software and hardware updates should be completed in a timely fashion. This is what protects your systems to data breaches and loses. Making security your top priority is more than just good customer service. If you manage sensitive customer information as a part of your marketing database, having this information stolen gives your company a bad reputation in the industry. You don’t want to have to inform your customers that their information was stolen when you could have prevented it.
Invest in Database ManagementDatabase management can be a time consuming task if you don’t have the right tools in place to help you handle it. Using cloud managed services for cloud data and IT support gets you started down the right path. What this essentially does is takes those tasks off of your plate so that you can focus on the matters of running your business. Queries for information can be formulated for the specific needs of your business and eliminate lost productivity time.
Backups can occur in a variety of manners. Using cloud based software is becoming one of the more common ways to store your information offsite. This can be especially important if one of your systems crashes or introduces a virus into your whole network. Restoring from these backups takes out some of the risk that may be associated with doing business. Another reason for a backup is that you won’t lose data from your server platform.
When marketing files or profiles are no longer valid, clearing them out saves on the amount of data that you need to store. It also eliminates the chance of sending out old data to your customers. You won’t make the mistake of not being able to anticipate the needs of your customers if you’ve kept your marketing files up-to-date. Another aspect to this involves developing a user interface that’s intuitive so that your customers can update their own information in a reliable manner.
The importance of managing your data works to increase your chances of success in the business world. Use these strategies to keep performing at an optimal level when it comes to your marketing platform.
Bio: Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700