QUESTION I have heard a lot about Big Data. Is that just for big business?

ANSWER Big Data analytics are useful for any company. Whenever a customer interacts with your business on line, they create bytes of data. You can analyze many factors stemming from their interaction, including the device used, the time of day, where they were, what actions they took and the outcomes. It is critical that you mine and analyze that data to better understand how to appropriately engage with each prospect and customer in order to strengthen that relationship and establish brand loyalty. Analyzing this

data gives companies insight to take standardized approaches in the collection, management, analysis and presentation of data, creating a process that improves the customer journey, taking advantage of cross and up-sell opportunities, and increasing conversion rates. Companies that are able to harness the power of Big Data will be able to implement smart, targeted business strategies and excel in the age of the digital consumer.

QUESTION One of my employees is returning from maternity leave soon, and she has informed me that she intends to nurse her newborn. As an employer, do I need to make special accommodations for her?

ANSWER Providing accommodations to nursing mothers on the job isn’t just a matter of sensitivity, but of compliance with the law. When the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act became law, it amended the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to require employers to provide appropriate breast milk pumping/storing accommodations to non-exempt employees. A restroom, even if private, won’t do. An employer must provide access to a functional location shielded from view, free from intrusion and available on request. Employers with fewer than 50 workers may be exempt from the FLSA requirement, if compliance would impose an undue hardship. But it’s important to note that applicable state and local laws must also be observed. Pennsylvania doesn’t have a similar law, but Philadelphia does mandate that employers may not “fail to reasonably accommodate an individual’s need to express breast milk.”

QUESTION How do I know when it’s time to bring in someone to begin handling

things like finances/accounting and human resources?

ANSWER Many businesses don’t realize they need to outsource until the optimal time to do it has passed. You should ask yourself, “What is my job description?” And, “Do I spend most of day performing tasks outside that description?” If you answer “yes,” you probably should’ve made the move to outsourcing months ago. A big key to success is knowing that there are people far better at certain things than you. The amount of time you spend on these

tasks can be cut in half by experts, who have the required specialized training. There may a temporary decrease in your profits, but that also means you are actively growing your business. A short-term loss to focus on what it is you do for a living and grow your brand is money well spent. You’ll see the value when the business has grown so big that you now have your own accounting and HR departments!

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