Recently in Special Offers Category

Deborah Mackin, renowned team-building author, will be presenting on Building an Innovative, Multi-Generational Workplace in Tech Valley for the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Breakfast Leadership series on Thursday, May 30th, 2013 at Empire State College from 7:30-9:00 am.

To register, visit The SEDC Website

Building an Innovative, Multi-Generational Workplace in Tech Valley will be the second out of four presentations. The topic to be discussed: how do we get all three generations of our workforce working together effectively? What does it take to lead Baby Boomers, to groom Gen X and to build the leadership skills of Gen Y or Millennials?

Since the professional world has become a mix of generational knowledge, few have stopped to try and understand what assets they have by having all these generations in one area. Many find that the differing generations butt heads; however Mackin will be presenting on how to get these generations to work together to create more organizational leaders. Joining Mackin this time around is newcomer and fellow leadership author, Matthew Harrington, who will add a Gen Y twist to the presentation. Harrington is seen as a subject matter expert in the field of Millennial workers having presented and written on the topic extensively.

Mackin states, "Managing a diverse workplace can be difficult at times. Finding the key to using every generation's strengths can make the workplace more productive and less tense. I find that in order to keep the harmony going among those of the Baby Boomer generation, Gen-X and that of Generation Y, you need to find the skills that are divergent and develop them for the benefit of the organization."

Date: Thursday, May 30, 2013
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Location: Empire State College's Center for Distance Learning
113 West Avenue
Saratoga Springs,
NY 12866

Cost Per Person: $20.00

Braathe Enterprises is launching its 2013 Business Concert Tour on May 20th. We are seeking topic requests that people are looking for to "perform" business presentations. On May 20th, our first Business Concert will feature 15-20 3 to 5 minute presentations on business topics.

For more information on this concert series, visit http://businessconcert.eventbrite.com

To submit your topic suggestions, email us at info@braatheenterprises.com

There comes points in our lives when many of us realize that the best job we can have is to work for ourselves. While this doesn't mean you have to give up the job search, having your own business allows you the flexibility to work for others but on your terms.

Join us at the Business Lab in Latham on Monday Tuesday or Wednesday from 3-7pm at the Manfred Learning Center at 920 Albany Shaker Road.

http://businesslab.eventbrite.com

We feel spending 30-45 minutes with us discussing your business and ideas could lead to the next big idea for you. Look forward to seeing you!

In the spirit of the holidays, we are awarding three prizes to readers of our blog. Here are the contest rules and the prizes:

Prize 1 - Free 90 minute customized Q+A at Your Business on HR Strategies (within 50 miles of Albany)

Prize 2 - Free 60 minute customized Q+A Webinar for Your Business on HR Strategies

Prize 3 - Free 30 minute phone consultation on HR Strategy

To enter, send a 300 word essay on why your company deserves some HR advice by December 17th to robert@saratogacollege.com

Come to our presentation at 8am this Tuesday at the SmAlbany event. Here is the full lineup of workshops and presentations in our room (there are two other rooms also with presentations)

Boardroom (2nd Floor South Rotunda)
8am Customer Retention-Best Practices, by Betsy Kluska & Robert Braathe, A Plus Text Marketing

9am Cross-channel Online Display Marketing for SMBs by David Weinstein & Michael J. Massey, AdNeedle.com

10am You are Your Brand! Life Coaches: Lisa Jordon, Tom Denham

11am Innovative Hiring Tips: Attracting, Interviewing and Selecting Quality Employees (Panel Q & A at end of session) KCO Resource Management

12pm YouTube, Go Viral - Go Local! Video marketing for smAlbany Businesses, Tom Kearns, Hot Advertising

1pm Search Marketing For Business: SEO Basics and Strategy. Presented by Darcy Knapp, SEO Web Mechanics

2pm Facebook Firing: Setting up a Social Media Policy For Business. Presented by HR Attorney Melissa Fleischer

3pm Taking Control of Your Tech (the true cost of IT), Larry Zimbler, Liberteks.com

4pm 401(k) & Business Regulations presented by Timothy Smith, MetLife Pension Resource Center

I had the unfortunate experience of seeing a Groupon go wrong at a local business. I went to purchase something with a Groupon that was good through tomorrow, and the person at the counter told me that they were no longer accepting Groupons, and that I should contact them for a refund.

Luckily for the person behind the counter, I am pretty mild-mannered in these type of situations and I made a purchase anyway. However, I could tell by the look on her face that she was expecting nothing short of a temper tantrum.

When you do a promotion for your business, be sure to make sure your business can handle the additional traffic, as well as the stress it may place it may put on your employees. From the Groupon website, there was nothing to indicate this promotion was no longer valid, nor was there any type of indication that it was going to be easy to get a refund. I've contacted customer service to see what happens from here.

I haven't had an experience like this with Groupon before, but I have heard stories like this where businesses haven't really realized the impact a promotion can have on their business, whether it is a Groupon or other special offer. Too often, the businesses look at promotions as a quick way to bring in new traffic without thinking of the effects on the people that work there. Be sure if you consider any type of promotional offer that you look at the human factor as the well.

Are you out of work in the Albany and Saratoga area right now? Do you need more training to get yourself back to work? There are options.

Our SaratogaCollege.com learning platform offers a variety of courses in Marketing, Human Resources, and Communication as well as Project Management.

Don't let money stand in your way of finding a job. Send us your compelling story about why you need to be offered training and we just may have a surprise in store for some out of work area residents...

info@braatheenterprises.com

Track season doesn't mean business is on a break; we are launching The Saratoga Business Track series this summer at Braathe Enterprises.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during track season beginning the first Monday after track opens, we'll be opening our doors from 930-11am for some business networking, presentations and panel discussions on a variety of business topics.

We will be posting dates and topics in the coming days. If you'd like to sign up for one of our events, visit

http://saratogabusinesstrack.eventbrite.com

If you'd like to participate in one of our panel discussions or be a presenter at one of our events, contact us at info@braatheenterprises.com

As I reflect back on the past 7 years of having my own business, I discovered that with all the highs and lows I have experienced, there are some tremendous perks to working for yourself that no full-time position has been able to replicate.

1. Flexibility in work schedule - while I probably think about work 24/7, I have the ability to work how I want and when I want. I find that I can get more done in an hour working for myself than I could do in a day working in a traditional office

2. The thrill of the moment - every day it is all about sales and relationships. There isn't a day that goes by where these two aren't thought of and usually in the same breath. It is a thrill to wake up every morning to plan out where the next project may be or the next relationship that needs to be nurtured.

3. Working with other like-minded professionals - Many people think working for yourself means working alone; not true! More so than working for an organization, I have found that I have worked more closely with other entrepreneurs and organizations than any time within an organization as a full-time employee.

4. Being "on" all the time - There is no longer a separation between business and personal lives, and that isn't a bad thing. Sure, it means answering an email on the weekend or making phone calls at odd hours, but it also means the ability to catch a movie in the middle of the day or being able to work a Yankee game into a business trip.

There are more perks that I will talk about some other time, but it is clear to me that working for myself has been a tremendous choice and something I will continue to love for many years to come.

Our new Tech Lab is open regularly in Saratoga and Latham offering people a chance to ask questions about anything that could help their business. (Think Apple Genius Bar with a business and marketing focus).

The Tech Lab is a joint effort by Deb Vincent Evans (Princess Geek) and Robert Braathe (Professor RJB) who deliver 45 minute group workshops to answer your questions regarding business, education and technology.

Join us at an upcoming Tech Lab and bring your HR questions for Professor RJB!

http://saratogacollege.eventbrite.com