Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Centel Media Evaluates When Expansion Should Be Avoided

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In business, expansion is good, very good. In this scenario, your company has become so successful with profit increases to the point you are forced to branch out and plant your flag in other areas. There is also bad expansion that can come in the form of negative comments that can spread from one place to another. It is your job to keep negative comments from expanding and limiting your ability to expand in the way you want to.

As a business owner, your first goal was just to open and manage your company and hope it would outlast the standard 5-year period that most businesses fall prey to. But look at you now, a decade in and you have become a major success. Now you are faced with the possibility that you can expand your business further domestically or internationally. It's a far cry from starting out, but it is also a major task and you need to be aware of the pitfalls that potentially lie ahead.

The most important of the pitfalls is making sure your reputation is squeaky clean. I'm talking so clean you can eat off of it. The reason it does is because you are venturing out of your small market and into a bigger one and now more eyes are on you. That means people will dig for gold in hopes that they can have something over you that might dissuade you from making this move.

But, you already know that having a clean reputation is a must. I mean, how else would you have survived 10 years in the industry? But in the event that you did have some kind of negative reputation, you have several options to choose from, most notably hiring a professional firm to help repair your reputation. It is important to hire help if you can't do it on your own, because they will catch the things you have missed. If you are working on expanding and business operations, how much time can you devote to trying to repair your reputation both online and in print? Not much I am sure.

Having a negative reputation beat you to the place you want to expand to is the last thing you want to happen to you. Now, instead of setting up shop and getting familiar with the locals of that area you are spending your time trying to explain and show how you have changed your company and that you are going to do business the right way from here on out. It's a tough sell and an even tougher buy, so your best bet is to take care of all of that from the beginning to avoid this happening later.


Failure to prepare will lead to bigger failures down the road, especially when it comes to you running your own business.

The Importance of Engaging with Society


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When we think of corporations and their upper management workers, we think of suits and ties, and we think business high up and very strict. To change that perception, I believe that the workers not the company, should engage in some sort of social media to give the public a different view of them and show they are human after all.

Today, perception seems to be what defines you. It doesn't matter who you are as a person, what you stand for or how clean and sturdy your reputation is. Living in New York City, I see first hand how perception often defines people, especially those that work on Wall Street and in the Financial district. When you mention that to people, you can see the disgust and anger swiftly come out. They often have a few choice words to describe their feelings about the area, words I can't repeat here.

Still recovering from the financial collapse in 2008, the image and reputation of Wall Street is still trying to rebuild. Unfortunately, this repair process is going to take a very long time to fix, unlike other businesses. The culture that hangs over is what is going to make the process even slower. As much as we may think they do, not everyone buys into that culture. But, as I mentioned before, working within that area automatically includes you in the batch of bad apples.

In my opinion, if more CEO's and COO's and all of the other three letter title holders begin to open up and engage with the public more, there is a chance that repairing the reputation of Wall Street won't be so drawn out. I will say that they do their fair share when it comes to charity and other humanitarian efforts, but I believe more can be done.

Imagine how much of the public opinion would change if you found out the same CEO that you see everyday on the cover of your daily paper, or on the news being vilified, shops at the same place you do. It shows you actually do have something in common amongst the millions of things you don't. If they showed they were just as human as we are, they would not be so reviled when they are brought up. They can't say it doesn't hurt that people feel like that towards them, and in no way am I defending them. I am simply just giving them a cheat sheet or a blueprint on how they can change their image.

I would not suggest using the corporate social media account, because that is for the company, not for your own personal use. If you are too busy, you can hire an online reputation management firm to help you with this process and make sure your presence is seen on social media. To shed the reputation that Wall Street has given you, it is in your best interest to be proactive to save your reputation from suffering in the hands of public perception.

Public prosecution is at an all time high. The culture in which you work may be bringing your reputation down. It is your best interest to make sure that does not happen by engaging yourself in positive public activities. 

Using the Internet to Research Businesses

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When searching for a business, the first place you go 99 percent of the time is the internet. But as we all know, the internet can be a confusing place with reviews and rankings coming from all over the place. It is very hard to know who is telling the truth, who is lying, who is paying for reviews or who is the victim of slander and trolling.

The internet has a place that can offer an unbiased opinion unlike a newspaper, TV news or even word of mouth. While all those are very reputable and honest selections, they tend to favor one side over the other because of personal preference. It is good that they have their opinion, but how is that helping you? In fact, it is probably hurting you because by placing bias, you may veer away from the answer you were searching for.

So, you venture onto the internet, a place you may feel you can get a more direct answer. This is true, but it's going to take a little work. The benefit of the internet is you get good and bad reviews on all businesses, something you might not get a lot of using other resources for research. The tricky part comes when you are trying to decide whether these reviews should be taken seriously. The reviews may instead be just a ploy to get your business or via someone who has too much time on their hands and wants to troll.

One thing to keep in mind is all businesses will have some type of negative review, it is extremely odd not to find one that doesn't. That review could be simply the business not providing what the customer was looking for, and as a result an honest negative review was given. Situations like that are common and should be used as a guideline when researching a company. Before you even look at the reviews for a business, you should find out if this business is going to provide you what your are looking for. If it isn't going to, move on. It will save you time, as well as the business. They don't have to worry about someone saying something negative about them.

The more research you do, the better it will be for you in the long run. The internet is a tool for you to not only save time, but to explore a variety of different choices and selections you have available to you.

Physicians and Online Reputation

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Hotels, professionals, college students, and everyone who's online needs to maintain a positive online reputation in today's day and age. Physicians also are starting to realize how crucial it is to maintain a positive online reputation so that they are not looked down upon by their peers and patients. In the past, it was all word of mouth, and that is how you were given your reputation. Discussions during any social gathering was the best way for someone to recommend a physician to their friends or family. Today, the internet is where people come to in order to get that information.

Now that you understand that people get most of their information online, you need to start building the type of online reputation that is needed to be viewed positively in the online community. You are never going to be in control of what others have to say about you, but you can however, practice good medicine and provide a high quality of care to your cliental. This is the first crucial step in building online reputation, practicing in good faith.

Creating a website indicating all of your online activities and having it done in a professional manner is also very recommended. It is here where you can link all of your social media accounts so that you can communicate with your patients. Respond to the comments people make throughout your website. This will show them that you care about the issue that they are experiencing and you are willing to be as helpful as possible.

Be willing to engage in the online community and take up blogging to best illustrate that. Blogging will help patients to get a better understanding on who you are as a person. You need to connect and build a trust within your patients in order for you to better serve them. It could aid your reputation tremendously and possibly have you known as an expert.

Physicians today need to monitor their online reputation--many people search online for everyday needs. Google has made it very convenient to search anything online in order to get a better understanding on a certain person or business. Make an effort to help build your online reputation so that your image is not destroyed by negative content.

How to Deal With Negative Reviews on Yelp

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As many people know, Yelp is an online site where reviews and comments are made by customers regarding all types of businesses. A positive online reputation is extremely important when it comes to business owners because you want your company to have positive remarks, and therefore happy customers. In order to build a professional and positive online reputation, you need to deal with certain issues in an efficient and professional manner.

Negative reviews are never going to go away. There is always going to be some dissatisfied customer who did not go through a good experience. This is perfectly fine. He or she will most likely write a negative comment on Yelp, but remember to remain calm and take the right approach to this matter. Reacting without reflection always lead to more problems, and a comment made without reflection will only make your situation worse.

Do not attack the comment directly, or have a full on argument on display for others to see. Instead, try to take the conversation offline. Direct them to your Facebook for a private conversation in order to deal with the manner in a more reasonable and effective manner. Dealing with negative reviews will also prove to be a learning experience for you and your staff as well. You will learn that negative comments should be resolved fairly quickly in order to stop any other problems from occurring.

Searching for negative comments will become extremely important when it comes to your online reputation. Not only will you at least try to understand the frustration and the complaint from the customer, but you will also learn what not to do in the future. Maybe your approach on what customer service is about is not at a high standard. Reading a negative comment made by a customer regarding such will help you come across areas that need to be addressed.

Learning how to improve your online reputation and what to do in certain situations, as described above, takes time and patience. An online management company such as  Centel Media™ will help you go through this process in a much more effective manner. They have professionals that know exactly what to do with negative comments, and will work towards giving you the type of online reputation you need in order to be successful.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Strategy For Growth.

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A strategy is more than just writing down a plan or a list of goals you aspire to achieve one day. It is something that you should use a your guideline for future growth for your business. It should help you get through rough patches that you will face during your time as a business owner.

A strategy is really something simple that we all use, but it is weighted heavily and can determine if your company will survive or will crumble under pressure. All businesses have some type of strategy that they are using as a guide to see if they are on the right track and if they are satisfying their customers. All businesses have a strategy, but some are better than others.

What cannot be understated is the fact that before you plan or decide that you are going to operate a business, you need to have a strategy. The strategy does not have to be effective just yet, but it should map out the moves you are going to make. In the event that move doesn't work out, figure out what your backup is. I have never heard or seen a business that did not have a plan, especially a big business. You are marking yourself for disaster before you even begin.

Just because you have a strategy in place does not mean you will still be successful. You must adjust it with time. Your core values should always remain the same, but how you plan to make profit should change at least every five to 10 years. You can't use the same strategy you used 20 years ago in today's business world. It won't work. The technology we have access to today would stop that strategy right at the door. Businesses that do not adjust their strategies with the changing times are doing more than stunting their growth, they are on the verge of making themselves extinct.

The growth of your business depends on how successful your strategy has been in its developmental stages. If you planned on expanding overseas by your tenth year of operation, those 10 years you spent operating domestically should have been successful and will have provided you with a springboard to jump overseas with an international strategy in hand. While it may seem like the logical choice to use your domestic strategy for your international plan, it is the worst thing you can do. The cultures are different as are the rules and regulations that are in place over there.

While you are operating in your own country, you should be developing a strategy for when you make your move overseas. You're a granted a little more wiggle room because you are in a foreign country. Your strategy will change on the fly, but by the time you are fully doing service overseas you should not have to change your strategy any more.

The businesses that have survived for five or more years are the businesses that created a strategy that would keep them operating year after year, going beyond the lifespan of a new business.

Stand Your Ground!

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As a business owner, you know very well there is no room for indecisiveness, hesitation or second guessing. Those actions can cost you dearly and you watch your opportunities pass right by. This gives your rivals an even bigger chance to one-up you.

Stand for something other than profit or bragging rights. What does your reputation stand for? After all, that is what is going to keep you afloat and making profit. The minute that starts to turn sour, the profit slows and the heckling and hate speeds up. It is imperative for any owner to take a stand on what he or she values and what direction to take the company in. Yes, your decision will not go over smoothly with most people, but you can sleep easy knowing the ground under your feet is as solid as a rock.

Weak footing leads to a weak company. Your company will get pulled in all sorts of directions and you will have opinions coming from all over place trying to tell you what is best for your company. What we do know is that the customers you are servicing are going to suffer tremendously. That is the last thing you want to happen. You want your customers to be able to rely on you and know that you are providing the best service and product.

It comes down to how you want your business to labeled, and in my opinion, there are only two labels. The strong label that only businesses with a plan, a goal and the desire to execute their plans are assigned. Then, you have the weak or timid label that is given to businesses that cannot make up their mind on which direction they are going to take the company. These businesses are under the impression that the customer will wait for them to finally make up their mind. This is a big mistake. Today's customers follow more trends then they know what to do with. Good luck trying to recoup that profit back.      

To stand for something, you must have a great foundation that cannot be moved. If your foundation is solid, the more successful you will be, in my opinion. Trying to persuade you to switch sides will be a tough task for anyone. A weak foundation, on the other hand, will cause you to be all over the place-- you will be constantly repairing your reputation with the promise of "this time it is different," or some other pathetic ploy to get your customers back. Don't let that be you. When you build your business, make sure it is on a solid foundation that is built to last.

Businesses that last are built on a strong foundation that has held them up through any, and every kind of storm imaginable. Make sure your business can survive the storms.