For Small Business – Session A: With the deadline for compliance with the Affordable Care Act inching closer, health care reform is at the forefront of decision making by many small business employee benefit plan advisers. In this session, our subject experts will cover the pros and cons of offering health insurance, as well as how to communicate these changes to your employees. Time will be allowed for questions and answers. This session is intended for businesses not likely to grow past 50.

Presenters:
Manda Sanders, Senior Government Affairs Representative, Highmark
Joseph Vater, Jr. , Esq., Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP
Jason Mettley, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP

Thursday, June 6, 2013

8:30 – 9:00 Registration/Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 11:00 Presentations and Discussion

Location:
SMC Business Councils Headquarters
Bldg 801, 1382 Beulah Rd
Pittsburgh, PA 15235-5068

Attendees: Business Owners, CEOs, Presidents, and senior executives responsible for employee health benefit decisions.

For more information about this session and to register click here

Session B – This session is provided for businesses that employ more than 50 or those that may get there by the end of the year. As the deadline for compliance with the Affordable Care Act gets closer, the business and benefit decisions you make now through the end of the year can dramatically impact your level of health care reform compliance come January 1, 2014. In this session, our subject experts will cover the definition of FTEs and navigate you through calculations in specific situations. Time will be provided for questions and answers.

Presenters:
Manda Sanders, Senior Government Affairs Representative, Highmark
Joseph A. Vater, Jr. , Esq., Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP
Jason Mettley, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP

Thursday, June 6, 2013

12:30-1:00 Registration/Refreshments

1:00-3:00 Session/Presenters

Location:
SMC Business Councils Headquarters
Bldg 801, 1382 Beulah Rd
Pittsburgh, PA 15235-5068

Attendees: Business Owners, CEOs, Presidents, and senior executives responsible for employee health benefit decisions.

Cost:
SMC Members: No Fee
SMCIA Clients: No Fee
Non-Members/Clients: $50

Click Here to Register >>

Tell the truth: Do you answer email during conference calls (and sometimes even during calls with one other person)? Do you bring your laptop to meetings and then pretend you’re taking notes while you surf the net? Do you eat lunch at your desk? Do you make calls while you’re driving, and even send the occasional text, even though you know you shouldn’t?

The biggest cost — assuming you don’t crash— is to your productivity.

In part, that’s a simple consequence of splitting your attention, so that you’re partially engaged in multiple activities but rarely fully engaged in any one. In part, it’s because when you switch away from a primary task to do something else, you’re increasing the time it takes to finish that task by an average of 25%.  Most insidiously, however, it’s because if you’re always doing something, you’re relentlessly burning down your available reservoir of energy over the course of every day, so you have less available with every passing hour. I know this from my own experience. I get two to three times as much writing accomplished when I focus without interruption for a designated period of time and then take a real break, away from my desk. The best way for an organization to fuel higher productivity and more innovative thinking is to strongly encourage finite periods of absorbed focus, as well as shorter periods of real renewal.

If you’re a manager, here are three policies worth promoting:

1. Maintain meeting discipline.

Schedule meetings for 45 minutes, rather than an hour or longer, so participants can stay focused, take time afterward to reflect on what’s been discussed, and recover before the next obligation. Start all meetings at a precise time, end at a precise time, and insist that all digital devices be turned off throughout the meeting.

2. Stop demanding or expecting instant responsiveness at every moment of the day.

It forces your people into reactive mode, fractures their attention, and makes it difficult for them to sustain attention on their priorities. Let them turn off their email at certain times. If it’s urgent, you can call them — but that won’t happen very often.

3. Encourage renewal.

Create at least one time during the day when you encourage your people to stop working and take a break. Offer a midafternoon class in yoga, or meditation, organize a group walk or workout, or consider creating a renewal room where people can relax, or take a nap.

It’s also up to individuals to set their own boundaries. Consider these three behaviors for yourself:

1. Do the most important thing first in the morning.

Preferably without interruption, for 60 to 90 minutes, with a clear start and stop time. If possible, work in a private space during this period, or with sound-reducing earphones. Finally, resist every impulse to distraction, knowing that you have a designated stopping point. The more absorbed you can get, the more productive you’ll be. When you’re done, take at least a few minutes to renew.

2. Establish regular, scheduled times to think more long term, creatively, or strategically.

If you don’t, you’ll constantly succumb to the tyranny of the urgent. Also, find a different environment in which to do this activity —preferably one that’s relaxed and conducive to open-ended thinking.

3. Take real and regular vacations.

“Real” means that when you’re off, you’re truly disconnecting from work. Regular means several times a year if possible, even if some are only two or three days added to a weekend. The research strongly suggests that you’ll be far healthier if you take all of your vacation time, and more productive overall.

A single principle lies at the heart of all these suggestions. When you’re engaged at work, fully engage, for defined periods of time. When you’re renewing, truly renew. Make waves. Stop living your life in the gray zone!

Source: Priority LearningLink, March 2013, Vol.27, Issue 3.

Read more from the May 2013 issue of HRM UPdate HERE.

Pricing Strategy Session 2: Executing A Value Pricing Strategy
Tuesday, June 11, 2013  8:30 – 10:30 a.m. 

Attendees: Business Owners, CEOs, Presidents, CFOs, and senior executives responsible for directing overall pricing strategy and their direct reports responsible for implementing pricing strategy. 

Presenter: Matt Cottrill, President of Growth Track Advisors
Click here for bio

What’s covered:
o    Key elements of value-based pricing strategy
o   Customer value drivers and how to identify
o   Calculating the value equation
o   Integrating value-based pricing into the sales process
o   Departmental interaction and collaboration
o    Pricing “Leaks” and ways to eliminate
o   Compelling client communication on value 

• Frustrated with being perceived as just another salesperson instead of a trusted adviser?
• Unsure why prospects aren’t buying from you?
• Annoyed with constantly accepting think it overs instead of getting a clear next step?
• Angry with providing costly “unpaid consulting” that never goes anywhere?

Are you managing your sales team, or are your prospects?

Break the Rules and Close More Sales – Mark Your Calendar and Sign Up Today!
This executive-level workshop is a two-hour training session where you can see firsthand how we tackle the same critical sales issues that you deal with every day. Invest two hours of your time and discover how to break the conventional sales rules and close more business.

Location:
Sandler Training
790 Holiday Drive, Foster Plaza, Building 11
Pittsburgh, PA 15220

Date and Time:

Wednesday, June 19, 2013
11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Bring a Lunch (beverages provided)

Members $25
Non-Members $50
Click here to register today >>

If you or someone you know is interested in receiving information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Don Stewart at 412.342.1611 or e-mail don@smc.org

Successful talent search projects require three foundation elements.  When these elements are aligned, the outcome is typically very successful. When any one of these three elements is missing the search project usually ends short of the desired result. The Three “P” elements for success:

Process:

Starting with a well-defined search process establishes a roadmap for success. Spending time at the start of the search to clearly define the candidate profile expectations, decision makers, interview steps and timing is important. Carefully determining who will be involved in the selection process and how that process will be structured prevents delays and misunderstanding later. Will the candidate need to visit your site once, twice or four times? Having a plan at the start manages expectations and provides clarity. Companies are reminded that the interview process is a two-way street. Top candidates are highly sought after and have choices in the employment market. Engaging in a search project without a plan can spell trouble and confusion for a candidate. Setting expectations up front provides clarity for candidates who may have more than one employment option. Like all good project plans, the process should include checkpoints to monitor progress.

Partner:

Engaging an effective search partner will ensure that you are only interviewing candidates that were effectively screened for a fit. There is a clear difference between a staffing firm and an effective search partner. Staffing firms will typically maintain a volume of candidate resumes and can respond quickly to a need. These providers are very effective with lower level roles. As you work to engage a higher- skilled leader in your business, selection based on organizational fit becomes much more critical. An effective search partner will work to not only understand the skill and experience requirements, but also the cultural fit for the role. An effective search partner will take a long-term perspective and work to help you build the capabilities in your organization. An search partner will allow you to approach passive candidates with strong skills who need to learn about your opportunity. They will represent your company and your interest in the market.

Passion:

The hiring manger and organization must demonstrate passion for the recruiting effort. If the hiring manager does not demonstrate passion and excitement for the project it is very difficult to get top candidates excited and interested in the position and organization. I have seen top candidates turned off when the hiring manager does not engage and move the process forward. In a labor market where attracting a candidate to leave a secure, certain job for a new, unknown, uncertain venture requires a commitment and passion. A hiring manager who lacks passion will not effectively attract top talent. Reasons for this lack of engagement can include being too busy to devote the necessary time and attention to the search effort. If the hiring manager is not engaged and passionate about this position why should anyone be interested in the role. Top positions open and close quickly. Candidates who learn of the same opening months later begin to ask what is wrong with this position and organization. People leave jobs and organizations because of their relationship with their boss. They are also attracted to and join organizations because of the boss.

Source: Gerry Peterson – Managing Principal – Tartan Group, LLC, email: Gerry@TartanGroupLLC.com or phone: 724-327-0916. Website: TartanGroupLLC.com

Read more from the May 2013 issue of HRM UPdate here.

Presenters:
Manda Sanders, Senior Government Affairs Representative, Highmark
Joseph Vater, Jr. , Esq., Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP
Jason Mettley, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP

Thursday, June 6, 2013

8:30 – 9:00 Registration/Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 11:00 Presentations and Discussion

Location:
SMC Business Councils Headquarters
Bldg 801, 1382 Beulah Rd
Pittsburgh, PA 15235-5068

Attendees: Business Owners, CEOs, Presidents, and senior executives responsible for employee health benefit decisions.

For more information about this session and to register click here

Written by Julie Strickland and posted to Inc.com on May 13, 2013.

For small businesses looking to grow, the focus is on technology and the economy–here in the U.S.  A whopping 84 percent of American small businesses and start-ups see greater growth opportunities at home than abroad, according to research by Dell and Intel released Monday.  Of the business owners surveyed, more than half expect their sales and finances to improve, and 77 percent say their growth is largely dependent on technology. The data, gathered during Dell’s nine-city Business “Think Tank” tour, was gleaned from more than 940 interviews with U.S. small business decision makers in nine cities across the country.

While 89 percent of small businesses and start-ups reported being satisfied with how their technology needs are currently being met, 41 percent report struggling with tech needs that are increasingly complex. One-third said they consider a dedicated IT staff to be crucial for success, yet only 15 percent have actual IT personnel on staff. Instead, 47 percent handle IT themselves and 42 percent outsource those needs to freelancers.

“Small business owners are now more dependent than ever on technology for growth since their customers and employees are so geographically dispersed,” said Barry Moltz, small business consultant and author, in a press release. “This technology challenge is becoming increasingly difficult with customers and employees expecting to be able to access information from anywhere, and on any device.”

Another big concern, according to the business and start-ups surveyed, is the U.S. economy’s impact on small business. Concerns about inflation plague 28 percent, while 33 percent eye interest rates and 39 percent are wary about the global economy.  With economic and technology concerns in mind, across all metro areas most start-ups and small businesses are holding steady, with 76 percent neither hiring nor firing. The hiring outlook is brightest in Chicago, where one in four small businesses are looking to take on new employees, and the San Francisco Bay Area, according to the report. Seattle reported the lowest rates of hiring over the last three years (24 percent), as well as the lowest rates of business looking to hire in the future (16 percent).

“Entrepreneurs and small business owners tend to be most comfortable hiring freelancers or interns that they can ‘mold’ into potential full-time employees as their business grows, but many struggle when they get to the stage of needing someone with more experience who can take over some of their own duties,” said Abbie Lundberg, president of Lundberg Media, in a press release. “The key to success is to identify the constraints that are holding the business back and to design a job around that.”

Return to SMC.org for upcoming events, information, and helpful publications!

By Catherine Clifford and posted to entrepreneur.com on May 8, 2013

The Small Business Administration removed the cap on government contracts set aside for women-owned and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses.

Before this week, federal government contracts were capped at $6.5 million for manufacturing contracts and $4 million for all other contracts under the Women-Owned Small-Business Program. According to a rule change published Tuesday in the government’s official journal, the Federal Register, the thresholds placed on those programs have been lifted, effective immediately.

The rule change aims to help the federal government meet its mandate of 5 percent of contracts going to women-owned small businesses. In 2011, the most recent year for which the data has been compiled, women-owned small businesses received 3.98 percent of distributed contracts, falling short of the mandate.

To be considered a woman-owned small business and be eligible for the contracts under that designation, a company has to be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by at least one woman and has to be primarily managed by at least one woman. To be considered economically disadvantaged, a business has to meet financial requirements and be considered socially disadvantaged according to rules set out by the SBA.   Will this change in procurement caps affect your business?

Return to smc.org for publications, news, and event information.