From NBC News this morning:
“A new report finds charitable giving dropped by 11% last year because of the recession. That is said to be the worst decline in at least twenty years.”
While it’s no surprise that personal donations dropped as households tightened their belts and jobs became scarce, the reality is that another (often taken for granted) donor pipeline is over-stressed: locally owned, independent, brick and mortar businesses.
Do they want to continue helping out? Sure they do–assuming, of course, the non-profit asking for support is, in turn, supporting the merchant. [click here to continue…]
There’s been a lot of buzz about the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act recently passed in Washington, yet I’m amazed at how many small business owners know little about what’s included for them. From health insurance write offs to erasing capital gains taxes, there’s a lot to be happy about if you’re an independent brick and mortar. In my opinion, one of the best things to come from this is the influx of $30 billion pointed toward smaller, community based banks.
You know…the ones who actually loan money to small businesses (unlike their behemoth counterparts that typically don’t).
There’s a pretty concise rundown of the major points on the USA Today website. Check it out, call your accountant, and see if a piece of this pie has your name on it.
I seem to be a magnet for “teaching moments” when it comes to customer service lately. This time, a terrific server at a tiny little wine bar trumped a multi-million dollar airline when it came to doing things right.
As someone who practically lives on airplanes, I spend an inordinate amount of time in Delta Skyclubs—they’ve become my regional offices, once the laptop and cell phone are fired up. One of the perks to being a member is that you can “guest” someone in with you, which until now, I hadn’t had the opportunity to do.
And still haven’t, thanks to the staff at the Skyclub in Terminal E, Atlanta Hartsfield (the one nearest the central concourse area, not the second one further back).
The scenario: [click here to continue…]
At last…something I’ve wanted to do for ages…. The 3/50 Project Member Badge has been updated, making it easier to spot and far easier to read (a bit of a challenge, given the differences between computer monitors and how they read color). Those of you who include the badge on your site now will see the change automatically–voila!
That doesn’t mean I’ve tiptoed into your server account and made changes without your knowledge (which would be smarmy at best). The way this works: [click here to continue…]
Last week, I posted about a terrific Chamber of Commerce president who was putting her money where her mouth was, selling tickets to The 3/50 Project event through local, independent brick and mortars (as opposed to funneling everything through the Chamber office). Taking things a step further, she reduced the price for purchases made in those venues, who, by the way, aren’t all members of the Chamber.
Translated: She really “gets” the fact that saving a local economy is a community-wide endeavor. [click here to continue…]
