DSEF & CBBB: New iPhone App May Help Us Say Goodbye to Our Wallets

DSEF & CBBB: New iPhone App May Help Us Say Goodbye to Our Wallets

The tech industry is buzzing about a new iPhone app that may one day be able to function as our virtual wallet. The app is called Passbook, and is currently being used as a central hub for all of consumers’ digital coupons, tickets, and loyalty cards.

Over the past few years, companies like Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Google have been working hard for widespread mainstream adoption of mobile payments, but the technology has not yet caught on. Many tech analysts like Shaw Wu, believe that Passbook will be Apple’s vehicle for mobile payment once it catches on and becomes mainstream.

According to Gartner research, the mobile payments industry will grow to over $600 billion by 2016, so it may not be long until the only thing we will need when making a purchase will be the swipe of our phone.

To read the full article, visit http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-09-11/apple-passbook-app/57749550/1.

DSEF and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) foster honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visit www.bbb.org/us for more information.

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DSEF & CBBB: Does Your Business Plan Have ADD?

DSEF & CBBB: Does Your Business Plan Have ADD?

By Lance Trebesch

In a recent podcast, Daniel Ek, the CEO of Spotify, was asked if he feels that he is a visionary or a genius. He demurred, replying, “Absolutely not. For me it’s all about execution.”

I completely agree with this twenty-seven year old millionaire.Execution is everything. It doesn’t matter how many great ideas an individual, team, or company comes up with. Until you implement one, you haven’t made any progress. Execution is what builds lasting success, and splitting your business’s energy among too many outcomes can hinder your ability to execute good ideas and achieve your goals.

Planning: Fragmentation versus Integration

Many organizations go through an elaborate planning processes. While their goals may be strategic, their process is lengthy and involved. If your method is overly time consuming, it takes away from more important work. More problematic, reliance on the idea generation phase of planning frequently results in a fragmented outcome. Whether you measure the results of your planning process in goals, objectives, or KPIs, if you’re trying to achieve too many outcomes, your business starts to suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder.

It’s tough to achieve your desired execution when your attention is split in a million directions.

Your Top Three Goals

One of the keys to execution is focus. You may want to achieve a hundred different things, but most of us find it impossible to focus if we’re intent on more than four all-important goals. In fact, four may be too many. I would suggest erring on the side of success: choose your top three goals and be uncompromising in your pursuit of excellence in these areas. A relentless focus makes a positive outcome all the more likely.

At TicketPrinting.com, we’ve found success by choosing three goals on which to focus:

Customer satisfaction
Revenue
Products (improving existing base or adding new ones)

It may not seem like a lot on paper, but executing these three goals is our focus, and we devote one hundred percent of our efforts into their integration. It’s become our formula for success, and it’s become the hallmark of our company. Every year we add or improve hundreds of products. Every day we work to improve customer satisfaction. And every moment, we seek to increase our revenue. For us, a focus on executing these three goals is the key to prosperity.

What are your 3 goals?

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DSEF & CBBB: Facebook Wants To Hear About Phishing Scams

DSEF & CBBB: Facebook Wants To Hear About Phishing Scams

By Amy Fowler

Facebook Security just announced a new way to report phishing attempts to the company. Phishing is a way for scammers to steal your personal information, including username, password, bank account numbers, Social Security numbers and more.

If you see or receive a phishing email or message, then forward the information tophish@fb.com. Facebook Security encouraged consumers to report these malicious messages:

By providing Facebook with reports, we can investigate and request for browser blacklisting and site takedowns where appropriate. We will then work with our eCrime team to ensure we hold bad actors accountable. Additionally, in some cases, we’ll be able to identify victims, and secure their accounts.

BBB has identified several common phishing scams related to Facebook, including:

Friend in Distress Scam: Facebook users may receive a message in their inbox from a friend saying that they are in a dire situation — such as stranded in a foreign country — and need money wired to them. The recipient of the message doesn’t realize that their friend’s account has been hacked and that the message was actually sent by scammers. If the Facebook user does wire money to the scammers, they have no way of recovering the money after they learn that their friend is actually safe and sound.
Phishing Friends: You see a provacative post on a friend’s wall or receive a personal message from a friend enticing you to click a link to watch a shocking video or read an unbelievable story. You click on the link and are asked whether you are 18 or are told you must agree to certain conditions. When you agree, you are actually allowing scammers access to your account or computer. Sometimes the link includes a computer virus or other malware.
Viral Wall Post: This also involves provocative messages enticing readers to click a link. However, the end result is that the post you fell victim to is posted to your wall for your friends to see and proliferate.

In addition to reporting any such scams to Facebook Security’s new email address, BBB offers the following tips to stay safe on social media sites:

Be extremely wary of messages from friends or strangers that direct the user to another website via a hyperlink.
Before wiring money to a friend in a jam, users should attempt to contact their friend outside of the social networking site, such as over the phone or via e-mail to confirm the situation. If that’s not possible, BBB recommends asking them a question that only they would know the answer to.
Users should always make sure their computer’s operating system and antivirus and firewall software are up to date.
Social networking sites are about sharing information, but BBB recommends that users take steps to keep important information private, espeically details like contact information, vacation dates and other information scammers can use to trick you, your family or friends.
Be selective when choosing friends. While a user might not want to be rude, BBB recommends that it’s best to decline a request for friendship if the user doesn’t actually know the person.

For more tips and information, visit Watch Your Buck, the local blog for BBB Serving Central, Coastal, Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin.

DSEF and Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) fosters honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

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DSEF & CBBB: “Truth in Advertising FAQs: Did You Know…?”

DSEF & CBBB: “Truth in Advertising FAQs: Did You Know…?”

By Marjorie Stephens

The BBB’s Code of Advertising was created to be a helpful guide for advertisers but also is very useful to consumers. It
can help in understanding whether an advertisement is misleading and what stipulations should be met. Should you see or hear an advertisement that you might question, please bring it to a local BBB’s attention so we can check into it further. Here are some questions below to test your knowledge of advertising Do’s and Don’ts:

If an advertised product is marked as “free”, is it or isn’t it acceptable to use an asterisk(*) to refer to conditions in the fine print below that must be met, to receive the “free” product? According to the BBB Code, an “advertiser must disclose this condition clearly and conspicuously together with the “free” offer (not by placing an asterisk or symbol next to “free” and referring to the condition(s) in a footnote”.
True or false? When ordering products online, do sellers need to include the cost of postage, tax, shipping and handling, installation, and other fees? “Whenever a price is mentioned in advertising, any extra charges should also be disclosed in immediate conjunction with the price, (e.g. delivery, installation, assembly, excise tax, postage and handling).”
Is it an advertising offense to place an ad in the paper, where a computer or other product is marked way down and to not have the product available? If the product is intentionally unavailable by the seller, is it a good business practice to promote another more expensive product? Obviously, there are certain, very popular products that are impossible to keep on the shelves, and it is next to impossible to keep up with the demand. However, a business may promote a product because they know it is a draw for consumers and not have it in stock, with the intention of up selling a different product. Since the consumer is already in the store, time is of essence and rather than taking the time to look for this product at another store at the marked down price, a consumer may opt to just buy the higher-priced product. This tactic is known as “bait and switch” and is a big no-no.
“An advertiser should have on hand a sufficient quantity of advertised merchandise to meet reasonably anticipated demands, unless the ad discloses the number of items available or state ‘while supplies last.’ If items are available only at certain branches, their specific locations should be disclosed. The use of ‘rain checks’ is no justification for inadequate estimates of reasonably anticipated demand.”
If “easy credit” is offered at a used car business for those, who have bad credit or no credit, is it acceptable to charge higher interest fees? No, it is not acceptable to charge higher fees. The fee schedule and down payment should be the same as for someone with good credit. Phrasing such as “no credit rejected” should be avoided, unless absolutely true. There are definitely consumers, who cannot and will not honor a credit agreement, no matter how good their intentions.
If a warranty is offered on a product or service, must a business disclose the terms of the offer in writing? “When the term ‘warranty’ (or ‘guarantee’) is used in product advertising, the following disclosure should be made clearly and prominently: a statement that the complete details of the warranty can be seen at the advertiser’s store prior to sale or in the case of mail or telephone order sales are available free on written request.”
Is it okay for a company to say, “We’re the best!” or “Our product is the best!” in their advertising? Claims of superiority should be objective, measurable against an accepted, industry standard or “performance values of a product or service”. Substantiation should be provided for the claim and should disclose negative as well as positive details. Subjective claims, personal opinions, etc. should be avoided.
What credentials are required for a person to endorse a product or service in an ad? Can anyone do it? It is recommended that an endorsement is genuine and is quoted in its entirety so misleading information is not given. An endorser should be qualified in a certain area of expertise. For instance, it doesn’t make sense for a world champion boxer to give an expert medical opinion on a new medication, just released for use by the FDA.
An ad for a new diet product says that you can lose hundreds of pounds and that it is doctor recommended. Does this meet the BBB’s Advertising Code? Ad claims with results such as this should be “based on recent and competent scientific, engineering or other objective data”.
A retailer has been selling laptop notebooks like crazy and decides to increase the “sale” price of it in an ad? Is this an acceptable practice? “Sale may only be used in advertising, if there is a significant reduction from the advertiser’s usual and customary price of the merchandise offered and the sale is for a limited period of time. If the sale exceeds thirty days, advertisers should be prepared to substantiate that the offering is indeed a valid reduction and has not become their regular price.”
If a car dealer sells a car “As Is”, is he or she responsible for telling the consumer about any problems with the car? The car dealer does not have to disclose any problems with the car. It is up to the consumer to have the car physically inspected by a reputable car mechanic, prior to agreeing to purchase the vehicle. Should any problems arise, once the vehicle is purchased, it is the consumer’s responsibility to have them fixed.

For further questions regarding the BBB Code of Advertising, visit us online atwww.bbb.org/us/code-of-advertising. For any concerns with advertisements that you may see on the internet, TV, billboard or hear on the radio, please contact your localBetter Business Bureau.

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DSEF & CBBB: Is Your Business Plan Fractured? Focus and Execution are Key

DSEF & CBBB: Is Your Business Plan Fractured? Focus and Execution are Key

By Lance Trebesch
In a recent podcast, Daniel Ek, the CEO of Spotify, was asked if he feels that he is a visionary or a genius. He demurred, replying, “Absolutely not. For me it’s all about execution.”

I completely agree with this 27-year-old millionaire. Execution is everything. It doesn’t matter how many great ideas an individual, team, or company comes up with. Until you implement, you haven’t made any progress. Execution is what builds lasting success. Splitting your business’s energy among too many outcomes can hinder your ability to execute good ideas and achieve your goals.

Planning: Fragmentation versus Integration

Many organizations go through an elaborate planning process. But if your method is overly time-consuming, it takes away from more important work. More problematic, relying on the idea generation phase of planning frequently results in fragmented outcomes. When you try to achieve too many outcomes, your business starts to suffer.

It’s tough to execute your desire when your attention is split in a million directions.

Your Top Three Goals

One of the keys to execution is focus. You may want to achieve a hundred different things, but most of us find it impossible to focus on more than four all-important goals. In fact, four may be too many. I would suggest erring on the side of success: Choose your top three and pursue excellence uncompromisingly in these areas. A relentless focus makes a positive outcome all the more likely.

At www.TicketPrinting.com, we’ve found success by choosing three goals on which to focus:

· Customer satisfaction

· Revenue

· Products (improving our existing base or adding new ones)

It may not seem like a lot on paper, but accomplishing these three goals is our focus, and we devote one hundred percent of our efforts to their integration. It’s become our formula for success, and the hallmark of our company. Every year we add or improve hundreds of products. Every day we work to improve customer satisfaction. And every moment, we seek to increase our revenue. For us, a focus on executing these three goals is the key to prosperity.

What are your 3 goals?

Free e-book “Business Owner’s Road Map to Success.” It has over 50 pages of techniques for everything a small business owner needs to master, from business planning and ethical selling to a success mindset. It’s all there and it’s free for you. To get it, just “Like” our Facebook Page here: http://on.fb.me/KsIN6P Pass it on!

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DSEF & CBBB: 7 Tips for Optimizing Your Professional Profile Blog

DSEF & CBBB: 7 Tips for Optimizing Your Professional Profile Blog

By Lindsey Max

Mashable lists 7 tips for ensuring you have the best online professional profile:

1) Keep it up to date: Post as often as you can with any new changes, statements, or recommendations. Try getting a new recommendation once a month; or, if you receive multiple recommendations at once, spread them out in your postings.

2) Refresh your keywords and specialties: Find popular terms from job search websites that describe specifically what you do and integrate them into your profile. Be careful not to overuse these keywords, however, and be sure to include them in a natural way.

3) Be Everywhere: Create multiple online profiles, making sure your message is consistent throughout all of them. Participate in online discussions, post recommendations, and comment on blogs to get yourself out there!

4) Get the recognition you deserve: Don’t be modest! If you have received any awards or have had special accomplishments, SHARE THEM!

5) Diversity your professional and peer recommendations: Having recommendations from more than one group will add to your credibility. Don’t have all your recommendations come from your coworkers at your previous job, for example.

6) Request personal and professional recommendations: Ask for specific recommendations, but always remember to say thank you. It is very important to show your appreciation, and little things like a thank you note or a $5 Starbucks card may help more than you think.

7) Get involved in groups on LinkedIn and other job forums: Look for LinkedIn groups and job forums that relate to your specific career goals and get involved. Such groups and forums can be great ways to network with company executives and recruiters.

To read the full article, visit http://mashable.com/2012/07/17/optimize-online-professional-profile.

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DSEF & CBBB: Study Finds Cut-Price Merchants Less Reliable; Reflected in BBB Ratings

DSEF & CBBB: Study Finds Cut-Price Merchants Less Reliable; Reflected in BBB Ratings

By Holly Doering

Remember that scene in “Guys and Dolls” where the band girl’s grandfather gets a screaming deal on a street watch? And then it turns out to be fake? Well, online merchants who use dollar signs and advertise low prices in search engine results may be the equivalent of that street vendor. Loud voice, low price, but if it breaks, you’re on your own.

Researchers in a recent University of Iowa study performed 243 internet searches on Google, Yahoo and Microsoft for digital cameras made by major manufacturers and sold online. They looked at how search engine results on the first few pages correlated to merchants’ BBB business reviews.

The study found that merchants who used dollar signs in their Google results earned markedly lower grades from the BBB. In addition, many of the merchants who appeared only in the paid results received low marks from the BBB. Iowa’s Professor Gautam Pant stresses that this doesn’t mean all retailers in the paid results are less reliable. But it does mean that merchants who can’t compete on reliability can get more visibility by paying for results.

Pant also found a correlation between lower price and lower reliability. “Merchants who can’t compete on service attract customers using the lure of a good deal,” he says.

Remember, reliability is an important consideration when making a major purchase. You can always Start With Trust by checking the company’s track record at www.bbb.org. Selecting a purchase on price alone can lead to trouble.

The study “Can visible cues in search results indicate vendors’ reliability?” was published recently in the journal Decision Support Systems.

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DSEF & CBBB: Get More Money Now

DSEF & CBBB: Get More Money Now

This is the name of a pamphlet published by the BBB some years ago in partnership with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. It is still helpful today. Who couldn’t use more money, right?

The sad truth is that many of us were not well-educated about how to use money…if we were educated at all. I remember a class in high school called Consumer Economics. All I learned from it was how to properly make out a check! And maybe balance a checkbook.

But how do you save for goals? Handle medical expenses? Improve your home? Pay all your bills? Take care of your student loans? Take care of your pets’ medical expenses? If you’re like me, you’ve already thought about finding a cheaper place to live or brown bagging lunch more often.

Here are some additional tips from the FINRA/BBB publication:

Lighten your load. Pay priority household expenses first, in full.
Take care of bills right away. This will help you avoid fees and penalties and it will improve your credit.
Get rid of high-cost debts. Don’t just pay the minimum balance—pay as much as you can and avoid extra purchases, until the debt is gone.
Don’t max out your credit cards. This hurts your credit rating, and increases interest rates.
Pay the monthly bill for your goal. Decide how much you can afford to spend on your goal. Then put that money aside each month, just like you would for the rent or house payment.
Remember your goal before you spend. Ask yourself: once I get this thing home, will it make me happy? Do I need it or want it? Will it get me closer to my goal? Once you handle basic expenses, try to spend on things that will help you achieve your goal.

And remember, you can keep more of your money by paying attention to the real costs of services. You’ll be singing all the way to the bank if you can avoid:

Bounced check fees.
Payday loans.
Check cashing and wire transfer service fees.
Tax refund anticipation loans.

For more tips and resources, check out www.finrafoundation.org and www.bbbmoneyhnow.org.

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Saving Up For Something Big

Saving Up For Something Big

Guest post by Michelle Willits, CUNA

Second grade: Nintendo DS. Fourth grade: iPod Touch. Sixth grade: Alienware computer. As my son nears the teen years, he has more expensive items on his “big wish” list. He knows our budget can’t handle purchases like that, so he is working to save for it.

After becoming a single mom, I put even more emphasis on sticking to a budget. He’s aware of how much his shoes cost and steers clear of the expensive ones that his classmates have (and outgrow quickly). He likes to calculate cost per unit for me at the grocery store. He declines my offers to bring home dinner from Subway or McDonald’s, citing the cost. (It’s not the money, sweetie. It’s “Mom is too darn tired to cook tonight so she’s spending the $11.74 for dinner.”)

We talk about how you have to save for the big stuff—he saw me do that when I bought my road bike last year. I took the money previously allocated to craft supplies and redirected it to my bike fund. What’s nice about that? I have an awesome bicycle that gets me out and moving, and I have a lot fewer unused or unnecessary supplies stacking up.

Once he decided he wanted the DS and, later, the iPod, he saved everything. All of his allowance, all of his birthday money, all the “fun money” that his grandparents and aunt sent him. When he got a pre-paid gift card, he “sold” it to me in exchange for cash that he could save.

My 12-year-old’s funds are primarily electronic. Every month, I deposit his allowance into his credit union account. Any money received as a gift, he gives to me to take to the credit union. (I’m lucky—I have a branch on my work campus so it’s convenient for me to make the deposit for him.) I bring back the deposit slip, and he knows where he stands.

Now, my son’s goal is a high-end computer system that can handle graphics-intensive online video games. Pretty much every penny is going toward the computer fund.

Well, almost.

The $2 he earns per week taking out the trash for our elderly neighbor? Generally that goes to buying songs or apps from iTunes. I admit, Mom doesn’t begrudge him when he may want a couple of extra songs. I’m pretty sure my mom covered the cost of a Commodores, Styx or Billy Joel 45 for me on a few occasions.

Even cooler, he is doing research to find out what computer would make the games run better, what keyboard and mouse are compatible, and what speakers have the best sound. He’s investigating the how-to for using his TV as a computer monitor, bringing his overall cost down. He’s determined to get the best computer system for the money he has, and he’s willing to save until he gets there, which looks like mid-August at this point.

I’m just afraid his next savings goal is going to be … a car.

Michelle Willits is manager of new alliances at CUNA Strategic Services in Madison, Wis. She joined Credit Union National Association in 2003 as a web associate editor for News Now. Michelle worked in newspapers in Montana, Illinois, Colorado, and Nevada before moving to Wisconsin. A 1988 graduate of the University of Montana-Missoula, she is involved with the UM Alumni Association House of Delegates and the UM Alumni Band. Her 12-year-old son rocks.

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DSEF & CBBB – Go On, Trust Me: Why We Trust Some People But Not Others

By Holly Doering

Ever think about why you trust some folks and not others? Author and psychologist Michael Lovas once conducted an experiment using body language. He stood at one end of the airport and walked toward someone at the other end, copying their gait, head position, and hand gestures. Almost always, the other person nodded, smiled, or otherwise acknowledged — even kids who looked like gangbangers.

I can remember a customer review on www.bbb.org that mentioned the author was initially inclined to trust a certain business because of the store cat, a well-fed, rescued animal. But the customer ended up unhappy. I don’t know who is wrong, right or misunderstood in that situation, but I do know this: If you want to “start with trust” when you research a company, it’s great if they’re kind to animals, a family-owned, multigenerational minority business, donate to charity, or in some other way seem similar to you. But!

The real substance is their track record. When you check out a company at www.bbb.org, you’re starting to build a picture of its past actions in the marketplace. Are they properly licensed? Do they generate a pattern or volume of complaints? How do they handle complaints? Remember that scam artists love to prey on your sympathies by telling you they, too, are Christian, policemen, disabled, teachers or something else that seems trustworthy.

A recent study at the Kellogg School of Management found that using subliminal clues, like the name of a good friend, could stimulate feelings of trust for a stranger without people realizing it. Con men, the professor says, commonly drop names to stimulate trust. So investigate before you invest: A gut feeling is fine, but trust ideally is earned.

Previously published in the Spokane Spokesman-Review.