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Submitted by Ginny Grimsley of News and Experts of Wesley Chapel, FL Asset Protection Lawyer Offers 3 Steps to Take Now Now, you really can live forever, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. Many of your online accounts – from automatic bill payments to eBay – may remain active after you pass away, unless you take steps to ensure they don’t, says attorney Hillel Presser, author of “Financial Self-Defense (Revised Edition), www.assetprotectionattorneys.com. Automatic bill pay, for example, can theoretically keep tapping your bank account long after you’re gone or, at least, until your money is. “It’s important to make sure your online bank and shopping accounts, even your social media, can be closed out, or that your loved ones are authorized to access them,” Presser says. “You may ask, ‘Why would I care if I’m gone?’ I can tell you from experience: because it can create real headaches, and more heartache, for your family.” Bank and shopping accounts will be vulnerable t...

The Community House presents “ How To Be a Good Mentor and Good Mentee,” as part of  its Bulletproof Your Success Business Lectures. It is 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. July 10 at The Community House, 380 South Bates St., Birmingham. The lecture is presented by Camille Jayne, President and CEO of The Community House. John Schamante, of Clear Vision will end up the last 30 minutes of the lecture.The cost is $35 per lecture, add $10 for lunch. For more information and to register, visit tchbulletproof.org or call 248-644-5832.

If you are going to do business online, secure payment processing is a must. We just completed a three part series posted on the ERP Software Blog about payment gateways, obtaining PCI Compliance and encryption methods. In part one, the key players of secure payment processing online are discussed. These include the merchant, the cardholder and payment gateways. Different merchant levels are also provided in details. Then in part two of the series, obtaining PCI Compliance is the focus. There are 12 steps in this process that are separated into six categories: build and maintain a secure network, protect cardholder data, maintain a vulnerability management program, implement strong access control measures, regularly monitor and test networks and maintain an information security policy. These were taken directly from the PCI DSS website. How to get started on these steps is also highlighted in part two of the series. And finally, part three details the two ways to handle sensitive data ...

In conventional print media press releases are simply news articles released for the primary purpose of informing readers about particular news worthy developments. The news focus can be a company launch, expansion thrust or the opening of a new branch, etc. In the cyber business landscape press releases take a totally different and powerful function and purpose. Press releases are  powerful marketing tools   for businesses that need an authoritative online presence. The guidelines outlined in this piece will empower you to know how to get exposure through press release writing and submitting.  Why you should submit press releases  Press releases are cost-effective.  Press release spread far and wide through news wires giving your website maximum exposure. Press releases achieve the double impact of communicating important developments about your company while also generating valuable back links to  improve the visibility  and ranking for your website....

NOVI — The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) 43rd Annual Michigan IDEA Exchange and Alliance Program will convene on July 18 at The Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. It will begin with a morning keynote address by Paul Glantz, Co-Founder and Chairman of EMAGINE Entertainment. The program includes a "Municipal Runway" devoted to success stories from six Michigan communities, 12 interactive roundtable discussions, a "Retail Runway" (Biggby Coffee and Shoe Carnival are confirmed), a luncheon keynote address by Mr. Kim Yost, CEO of Art Van Furniture and two hours of networking and deal making.  The ICSC will host a golf outing, the previous day, July 17 with a shotgun start at 10:30 a.m. at Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield Township. A cocktail reception is  5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration is open. For information, visit www.icsc.org/events-and-programs/details/michigan-idea-exchange-alliance-program/.

If you run a business and have a website, chance are good you’ve been introduced to three powerful but often misunderstood letters: SEO.  It’s no longer good enough to simply have a web presence, now that web presence must be easy to locate through a search engine.  With only 6% of Google searches making it past the first page- and about 1/3 not making it past the first result- poor SEO could have a tremendous negative effect on your business.  Here are some common mistakes to avoid in your efforts to raise your ranking: Keeping it too simple with keywords: Do your research!  Don’t assume you know the best keywords to use, or how to use them.  You could end up missing opportunities to integrate search friendly terms into your website.  Think synonyms and words with similar meanings that could be substitutes for each other in a search term. Picture and photo, for example, or optometrist and eye doctor.  You should also try to get inside the mind of pot...

According to ComScore , today in the United States, 89 million people will watch 1.2 billion videos on the Internet. These videos of course include those purely for entertainment purposes, but some will also be viewed on ecommerce websites. As online shopping evolves, consumers are demanding more and video is one resource available to marketers that can be used to fulfill this request. In the past, images and text were used to paint a picture of a product for consumers. These were further enhanced with the use of color swatches, alternate views and zoom. Now ecommerce websites are increasingly incorporating video to provide consumers with a clearer picture of different product offerings. The use of video in this way has been proven to improve conversion rates and SEO. Video can also increase product visibility when shared in email newsletters and across social media sites in addition to web stores. Overall, the use of video in ecommerce is a more engaging way to showcase products. How ...

Submitted by Ginny Grimsley of newsandexperts.com, Wesley Chapel, FL   The top five leaders most admired by the world’s business executives are Winston Churchill, Steve Jobs, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela  and Jack Welch – in that order, according to the 2013 Global CEO Survey conducted by PwC. The qualities the surveyed CEOs most admired? Strong vision, motivational, caring, innovative, persistent and ethical. “These results tell us a lot about what it takes to be a strong business leader in today’s rapidly changing global marketplace,” said Barbara Trautlein, author of “Change Intelligence: Use the Power of CQ to Lead Change that Sticks” ( www.changecatalysts.com ). “The respondents cited a broad range of qualities to describe the same individual leaders, which tells us they recognize today’s leaders need a combination of strengths.” Trautlein, who has a PhD in organizational psychology and more than 25 years experience helping businesses lead change, says contemp...

Online retail is really going to get your business jumping. The internet is as well used throughout the retail world as the high street for shopping. In fact the popularity of web is a tremendous boost to your company. Emailing customers does not just give you more chance of making a sale, it is about value, customer relationship and putting your marketing right in-front of the user, and in a much more direct way then any commercial could have been able to do for you before. Think of it as an advertisement board, hooked up to the shop you want to get to.    There are many things that can make or break your email. And really I need to go over them in some detail for you to understand and master it. The stages of an email begin with building a campaign idea.  Planning your sell Think of the items you’d like to promote, it may well be a themed range, such as new in, summer, men’s, women’s, shorts, hats, sneakers.  During this time, your marketing team must strategize a ...

Many of the most popular SEO practices a few years ago are now cursed and considered foolish because they will either get you penalized or the costs far outweigh the benefits. While the Penguin update has certainly changed many things about online marketing, you can still gain exposure by abiding by Google’s rules. Not Just Content First of all, content isn’t the only thing that you need to worry about. All of the major search engines are checking your website's loading speed. A website that loads very slowly takes away from the user experience. Many studies show that if your website just takes a tenth of a second longer to load than similar websites, then your sales will drop by one percent. Not only that, but the search engines penalize slow websites because people don’t like them. If you want to do some serious marketing, then ensure that you choose a fast Web host. Organic Linkbait Before Penguin, many marketers would use automated programs to build hundreds of links. These aut...

1. The Cloud welcomes you! The new storage utility is simple, fast and welcoming. Enter into an enlightened path of digitally managing your work loads and times. You will find with cloud computing that there’s an endless trail for building up your data and your network. Users may access data as and when they there are needed to see it.  You’ve probably seen more domesticated services including iCloud and Drop Box incorporate cloud-ware applications to users. They have easy to deploy and simple attitudes, enabling cloud share between you and your devices. Share from desktops, phones, tablets, between yourself and friends, family or businesses. 2. What’s for me to expect? With differencing levels of services, from basic file sharing to more advanced platforms with apps, to infrastructure such as data servers and firewalls, there’s a plethora of cloud software offerings to think of. Over time cloud computing will simplify existing systems, as people are more widely accepting of the in...

Every Thursday, the Oakland County Business Center offers Walk-In Start-Up Thursdays Free Business Counseling, 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township. (closed July 4) The center also holds monthly workshops for business owners and entrepreneurs: Writing a Business Plan is 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 20. This workshop is $40 per person. Business Research - Feasibility to Expansion is 9 a.m. to noon, July 10. Free workshop, registration is required. CEED Microloan Orientation is 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. July 17. Free workshop, registration is required. Writing a Business Plan is 9 a.m. to noon, July 17. This workshop is $40 per person. Legal & Financial Basics for Small Business is 9 a.m. to noon July 30. Free workshop, registration is required. For registration, visit AdvantageOakland.com/expand or call 248-858-0783.

The Inventors’ Council of Mid-Michigan monthly meeting is a great place to move an idea forward. The group meets in Burton, which is east of Flint. The next meeting is 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 13 at Walli’s, 1341 S. Center Road, Burton. The meetings help inventors pursue their dreams of bringing new and innovative products to market and includes networking time, guest speaker and time for members to showcase new products. It costs $5 to attend plus meal, if desired. The best part is having access to the group leadership who help people take an idea to fruition. For more information, visit www.inventorscouncil.org/ .

Each month Azox hosts three webinars to showcase our solutions. Customers, prospects and partners are all invited to attend these free webinars to watch live demos of each of the three Azox solutions. This June, our webinars will be held the 18, 19 and 20. Read more about our products and signup to attend one of these webinars today. Follow the links below to register. Advantages of Online Bill Pay Tuesday, June 18, 2013 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. EST Adding Online Bill Pay to your ecommerce website gives your customers a portal to log into and view, print and pay outstanding invoices. This self-service feature adds convenience and allows you to collect payments 24/7/365. Azox Online Bill Pay solution integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Dynamics GP. Attend this webinar to see a live demo of this product. Secure Credit Card Processing in Microsoft Dynamics GP Wednesday, June 19, 2013 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. EST Accept ACH and credit card payments from your web store when you implement Azox Credit Card ...

TROY — The Troy Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has named Ara Topouzian president/CEO. As an opportunity to meet Topouzian, the Troy Chamber is hosting an “After-Hours Networking & Meet the President” event 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13 at Tre Monti Ristorante, 1695 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy. It includes complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The cost to attend is $12 in advance. $17 at the door. To register, call 248-641-8151 or visit www.troychamber.com/cal/

Google Checkout, an online payment processing service, will be discontinued November 20, 2013 Google announced at the end of May this year. This service, which acted as an alternative to PayPal, will be integrated with Google Wallet, a tool that allows shoppers to store credit and debit card information, loyalty cards and more using their Google account. This service additionally provides fraud protection as well as purchase history and status. Merchants who currently use Google Checkout will be able to continue doing so until November 20, 2013. At that point, however, if the merchant does not have their own payment processing solution, a new option will need to be implemented. In an attempt to make this process easier for merchants, Google has partnered with several solutions, none of which are free. These options include Braintree, Freshbooks and Shopify. Google has described these as “discounted migration options.” On the other hand, U.S. merchants that have other payment processin...

Robin Luce Hermann, shareholder and attorney at Butzel Long, will offer a presentation titled "Business and Social Media: The Legal Issues," at the Macomb-OU INCubator's next Lunch & Launch event, noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 6. Business professionals who use computers for requesting and providing quotes, obtaining job applications and displaying products are affected by social media regulations. Luce Hermann is a practice group leader of Butzel Long's litigation practice and the head of Butzel Long's media group. She serves as general counsel to the Michigan Press Association, the official trade association for the newspapers of Michigan. The free lecture will include a question and answer period. Coffee and dessert will be served, though guests are asked to bring their own lunch. The Macomb-OU INCubator is in the Velocity building at 6633 Eighteen Mile Road in Sterling Heights. Those interested in attending the lecture are asked to register in advance by co...

As with anything in life, it pays to have a mix of things in order to ensure balance. The same is true of marketing, and including PPC  (Pay per Click), as part of a balanced plan of digital marketing can add to the overall efficacy of your promotional strategy. Research has shown that companies from start-ups through to multi-national global enterprises invest a considerable proportion of their online marketing budgets in PPC. So what’s all the fuss about? What is PPC? PPC is a way in which advertisers pay to bring their products to the attention of people who may be interested in them. Choosing keywords that are relevant to the product, marketers develop adverts specifically tailored to the individuals searching for that keyword that will hopefully find their way to the eyes of people who are interested in the product.  Get the clicks and convert them to sales There are two ways in which advertisers can pay for the clicks their adverts receive. Most content websites – that i...

The National Association of Women Business Owners – Greater Detroit Chapter (NAWBO-GDC) will collaborate with sponsor Macy’s for their annual meeting and fashion show entitled, “Runway To Success”. The event will be held at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 20 at the Somerset Collection. The event will also include induction of the organization’s new board of directors for the 2013-2014 year as well as recognition of outstanding member’s contributions. The event festivities will take place on the second floor of Macy’s By Appointment at Somerset Collection, 2800 West Big Beaver Road in Troy. The event will also feature representatives from NAWBO corporate sponsor’s General Motors, DTE, Comerica Bank, Sam’s Club, among others, modeling the summers hottest and latest fashion trends. A networking reception will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. followed by the board swearing-in ceremony and fashion show from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets for NAWBO-GDC members are $60 and $85 for non members. With the purchase ...