mbc today - wild apricot · pdf fileby nancy friedman . 18. negative employee = negative...
TRANSCRIPT
Formerly News & Ideas The voice of the mail & business industry since 1982
www.ambc.orgtoday
$8.95
Follow AMBC on Twitter: twitter.com/ambctodayMBCVol. 18 Issue 2 | March/April 2016
Like us on Facebook facebook.com/ambctoday
Marty Johnson takes us on a store tourof Island Ship Center, owned by AMBC’s new Director of Social Media, Fahim Mojawalla and his wife, Seema.
page 8
New Social Media Column:
GET SMart™ with FAHIM
page 12
MBC Veterans Retreat in Hawaii 6
7 Traits of a Successful Leaderby Nancy Friedman 18
Negative Employee = Negative Impact by Doug Fleener 24
Join AMBC at the2016 Retail Shippers Expo & Trade ShowAugust 10 – 14, 2016 – Las Vegas, NV
page 11
Questions?Association of Mail & Business Centers has trained staff
available to answer questions regarding your membership.
Please contact Member Services at:
815-316-8255
MONDAY – FRIDAY8:00 am – 5:00 pm CT
2058 N Mills Ave #626, Claremont, CA 91711www.ambc.org
www.findashippingstore.com
2 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
Copyright 2016 by Association of Mail & Business CentersAll Rights Reserved. Trademarks AMBC and MBC Today used
under license from Association of Mail & Business Centers
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ambctodayFollow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ambctoday
Contents 4 News & Information ....................................................................................................
6 MBC Veterans Retreat in Hawaii ....................................................................................................
8 Store Tour of Island Ship Center by Marty Johnson ....................................................................................................
12 Get SMart™ with Fahim by Fahim Mojawalla ....................................................................................................
16 7 Traits of a Successful Leader by Nancy Friedman ....................................................................................................
18 Ask Uncle Marty™ by Marty Johnson ....................................................................................................
22 MBC Funnies ....................................................................................................
24 Negative Employee = Negative Impact by Doug Fleener ....................................................................................................
26 AMBCNOT4Profit Forum (formerly Hot Talk) ....................................................................................................
30 AMBC Vendor Directory ....................................................................................................
31 AMBC Opt In Programs ....................................................................................................
A Publication of
Association of Mail & Business Centers
FOUNDER, JIM BAER
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: PRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SARAH ROHDE
TREASURER, JEFF BALLANTYNESECRETARY, MARTY JOHNSON
DIRECTOR, JAN SANGLDIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA, FAHIM MOJAWALLA
2058 N Mills Ave #626 | Claremont, CA 91711
phone: 815.316.8255
fax: 866.314.2672
AMBC WEB SITE: www.ambc.org
PRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SARAH ROHDE
EDITOR: Ellen Peters, [email protected]
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Doug Fleener | Nancy Friedman
Marty Johnson | Fahim Mojawalla
MBC Today is distributed bi-monthly to members of theAssociation of Mail & Business Centers by electronic delivery and a print
copy is mailed to AMBC members at Classic level or above.
DISPLAY ADVERTISING and/or AMBC SUPPLIER MEMBER INFORMATION: Contact [email protected]
815-316-8255
PERMISSIONS: Materials in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Requests for
reprint permission should be directed to [email protected].
AMBC INC. STAFF & SERVICES DIRECTORYPRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SARAH ROHDE, [email protected]
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, KIM CONBOY, [email protected]/AMBC FREIGHT DIRECTOR, JEFF BALLANTYNE, [email protected]
SECRETARY, MARTY JOHNSON, [email protected], MIKE DILLON, [email protected]
DIRECTOR, EX OFFICIO, DAVID SHAPPEE, [email protected]
MBCFormerly News & Ideas The voice of the mail & business industry since 1982
www.ambc.orgtoday
MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org – 3
News from Headquarters
Sarah Rohde Executive Director
It’s been an exciting couple of months as the first applications have been coming into the office for the new AMBC Certified Gold Store program. As owners are getting their certified store designations, they have been posting articles including the certified seal on social media, in their businesses, and some have even been successful in getting local news-papers to circulate the story about the nationally recognized gold industry status awarded a local community business.
More excitement as I look forward to seeing many of you in Las Vegas this coming August at the Retail Shippers Expo where you will all have the oppor-tunity to take the required certified packaging class, as well as many other brand new electives that you can use as credit toward your own Master of Retail Shipping degree and certified store status.
I am also very excited to announce Fahim Mojawalla’s new social media col-umn in this publication. Fahim posts timely, easy to follow, useful information and social media tips on the AMBCnot4Profit user forum every Friday. He is also posting wonderful content on our AMBC Facebook page. If you are
Marketing with Marty™: Fun with Cardboard
not signed up for the forum, call or email [email protected] today!
Fahim will be presenting a social media breakout at both the upcom-ing MBC Veteran’s Retreat in Hawaii this April and the Retail Shippers Expo in August. Don’t miss an opportunity to expand your social media skills with #FahimFix
In the meantime, if you are among the 50 store owners attending the upcoming first ever veteran store owner retreat in Hawaii this April, I will see you in Waikiki!
#Kawabunga
4 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
NEWS & INFORMATION
from AMBC Headquarters
USCIS Hosts I-9 Webinars For NotariesAttn: Notaries. This is an educational webinar hosted by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Best practices include understanding your risks and potential liability before taking on I-9 signing as an authorized representative.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is hosting a series of interactive, educational webinars about the Form I-9 and is specifically inviting Notaries to listen in and ask questions. The first webinar was on February 18, with more scheduled through August 2016.
In advance of the webinars, the Notary Bulletin inter-viewed Francine L. Hill, Acting Chief of the Outreach Branch, Verification Division of the USCIS, about the series and some of the issues Notaries encounter with Form I-9 requests.
What topics will the webinars cover?The webinar platform will be a two-way discussion cov-ering various topics including how to complete, store and retain Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
Participants will also receive an overview about E-Verify, the Internet-based system that compares informa-tion from an employee’s Form I-9 to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility.
What is a Form I-9?Employers are required by law to attest under pen-alty of perjury on Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, that all of their newly hired employees are authorized to work in the U.S. by verifying their identity and employment eligibility.
Who can an employer designate as an authorized representative?Employers may designate an authorized representative to complete Forms I-9 on their behalf. Authorized rep-resentatives can include personnel officers, foremen, agents and Notaries Public.
When an employer designates a Notary Public to com-plete its Forms I-9, the Notary Public does not act as a Notary, but must perform the same required actions with regard to completing Form I-9 as any authorized representative.
In this capacity, the Notary Public should not provide a Notary seal on Form I-9 and should indicate “autho-rized representative” in the title block.
What should the employer or authorized representa-tive do to complete Form I-9?The employer or its authorized representative must ensure that the employee has completed Section 1 prop-erly and on time.
When completing Section 2, the employer or its autho-rized representative must physically examine each origi-nal document presented by the employee from the Lists of Acceptable Documents to determine if it reasonably appears to be genuine and relates to the employee pre-senting it. Reviewing or examining documents via web-cam is not permissible.
The person who examines the documents must be phys-ically present with the employee during examination of the document and must be the same person who signs Section 2. This person must record the document title, issuing authority, document number and expiration date (if any) of each document.
The employer or authorized representative must provide his or her name and title, record the employer’s business name and address, and sign and date the attestation on the date Section 2 is completed. The employer or its authorized representative must complete Section 2 no later than three business days after the employee’s first day of employment.
What is the goal of the Form I-9 and E-Verify webi-nar series?Every employer is required to complete a Form I-9 for all new hires. We hope the Form I-9 webinar series will increase awareness about how Notaries should prop-erly complete the form as authorized representatives, answer questions from the Notary Public community and give information on free resources to help employees and employers — including their authorized representa-tives — know their rights and responsibilities during the employment eligibility verification process.
The E-Verify webinar series will demonstrate how fast and easy it is to use E-Verify, the free service, to elec-tronically confirm information from Form I-9. E-Verify is the best way employers can ensure a legal workforce.
How many employers use E-Verify?E-Verify is a voluntary program with over 600,000 employers representing more than 2 million hiring sites nationwide. The latest E-Verify customer satisfaction survey score continues to grow and demonstrates our customers enjoy using E-Verify.
MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org – 5
Our mission is to provide our members the opportunities for success through advocacy,
education, resources, research, and programs.
Sign Up for Cayan CC Processing and Get $100 Toward AMBC RenewalCayan, formerly Merchant Warehouse, offers our mem-bers tremendous rates on processing. AMBC will put $100 toward AMBC membership renewal. $100 incentive just for trying Cayan! The Genius terminal scans the cred-it card and determines the best interchange rate for your store for each individual credit card. Store owners with the Cayan and Genius terminals are already reporting tre-mendous savings on their credit card processing rates.
The best part is that it is a risk free offer. They are so sure you will love it, there is no minimum contract time, you can cancel at any time. They have live tech sup-port to help walk you through the transition. The new Apple Pay interface on the Genius terminal is a real winner for smart phone users, and these terminals are in compliance with the new technology required in Oct when the smart chips become a full time reality. Are you prepared? Call us today and we’ll help you start saving money right away!
If you are using ShipRite Software as your current POS system, go to http://tinyurl.com/ox4q7tk to learn about the rates and benefits of switching to Cayan.If you are using PostalMate or ReSource for your current POS system, go to http://tinyurl.com/pghbk6f to learn about the new Genius System, rates and benefits of switching to Cayan. L
What resources on these topics are available?USCIS has a number of resources available to employ-ers and their authorized representative:
Employer Hotline: (888) 464-4218Employee Hotline: (888) 897-7781Form I-9 E-Mail: [email protected] E-Mail: [email protected] I-9 Website: www.uscis.gov/I-9CentralE-Verify Website: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify
How do I participate in one of the webinars?Approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of a session, login to the link provided for the NNA (https://usciscon-nect.connectsolutions.com/nationalnotaryassoc/) and dial, toll free, to (866) 928-2008 and enter code 998957#.
Here is the full schedule of I-9 webinars and their subjects:
Feb 18 1:00 ET Form I-9Mar 17 12:00 ET Form I-9May 19 2:00 ET Form I-9Jun 16 12:00 ET Form I-9Aug 18 2:00 ET Form I-9
Participants can chat their questions during each ses-sion as questions will be addressed the last 15 minutes.
In addition, the USCIS has scheduled two, 30-minute webinars on E-Verify:
Apr 21 1:00ET E-VerifyJul 21 1:00ET E-Verify
***USPS Stamp Prices Reduced April 10WASHINGTON — Absent Congressional or court action to extend or make permanent an existing exigent sur-charge for mailing products and services – including the Forever stamp – the Postal Service will be required to reduce certain prices on Sunday, April 10, 2016.
The surcharge removal means these First-Class Mail prices will be adjusted to the following: Current Reduction
• Letters (1 oz.) 49 cents 47 cents• Letters additional ounces 22 cents 21 cents• Letters to all international destinations $1.20 $1.15• Postcards 35 cents 34 cents
Commercial prices will also decrease. A complete listing of the new prices, effective April 10, is available at www.usps.com.
Association of Mail & Business Centers’ award for stores that achieve a high standard of training, store features, and services, as well as being in good standing with all carriers. Contact [email protected] for more information.
6 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
8 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
Every customer that walked through the door on that busy Saturday morning was immediately greeted —nearly every one by name — and wholeheartedly welcomed. Their customers aren’t just numbers; their customers are their friends. #Community
I stood aside for a while and watched Seema and Fahim in action. It was like watching a well-choreographed ballet, and not just because Fahim was wearing a tutu. #JustKidding #OfCourseHeWasInUniform
During our visit, the Mojawallas kept telling me about all of the action items that they took back from the AMBC “Work”shop weekend in Portsmouth, NH, just weeks before. They immediately rearranged their store to direct traffic through their retail area on the way to their counter. As a result, they’ve seen a growth in retail item sales, which was clear as I watched customers
Anyone who’s been to an AMBC event recently surely knows Seema and Fahim Mojawalla. In case you need a reminder, Fahim (AMBC’s new Director of Social Media) is the gregarious, cheerful fellow who
always makes great points and speaks in hashtags. #LifeoftheParty
Every time I see Fahim and Seema, I’m impressed. I’m impressed with their enthusiasm at our events. I’m impressed with their new, current, out-of-the-box ideas. I’m impressed with what they share of their store and its refreshing marketing. They’ve truly become two of the peeps I look forward to seeing the most. #TheMojawallasRock
The Mojawallas own Island Ship Center in Grand Island, NY. It’s right next door to Canada, Niagara Falls, and Buffalo. When my friends and I took a recent trip that way, I made sure to take advantage of the opportunity to visit what is now one of my favorite stores!
Island Ship Center is very appropriately known as “The Spa of Shipping.” There’s a warm, cozy, comfortable, and almost luxurious feeling that hits you as soon as you set foot in their door. The aroma from Seema’s handmade soaps, lotions, and balms is intoxicating, and the atmosphere is calming. #Aaahhh
Island Ship Center #GemofGrandIslandMy visit to a store that’s doing things right
By Marty Johnson
MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org – 9
shopping before shipping. They do very well with leather goods (their original business before becoming a ship-ping and business center) and feature many locally made products like laser-etched glassware made at the local high school.
As another take-away from New Hampshire, Fahim and Seema felt empowered to accept the pending freight job that they were tossing around. And not only did they accept the job, but they were able to get it crated and shipped with much less headache than they anticipated. They told me, “It helps to be located next to a hardware store and lumber yard.” #LocationLocationLocation #AMBCFreight #ThanksJeff
Island Ship Center is about to get a fresh makeover in conjunction with an impending expansion. They’ve recently received approval from their landlord to build on to their shop adding a loading dock and plenty of new warehouse, office, packing, and freight space. They’re incorporating a second entrance into the expansion with a hall full of private mailboxes. It’s going to be epic! #GrowingStrong
To list everything that Seema and Fahim do well would make this article entirely too long for the editor to publish. But I will mention a few things that really stood out to me.
• Their customer service is over-the-top outstanding.
• Their branding is spot-on, modern, and appropriate.
• They remain open to new ideas, always looking for ways to change and grow.
• Many of their retail items were branded with their own logo on the price tag.
(continued on page 10)
Seema’s handmade lotions on display. Customer Erin Singleton enjoying the aromas.
10 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
Ready for Smart Cards?
Pick your own credit card processor using OLSON & IVES and VeriFone’s Point™ program. We also give you the option to purchase or lease the VX820 or MX915 terminal below. E-mail us at [email protected] and we’ll send complete details. Please use “Smart” in subject line.
Using Point™ either terminal has a seamless interface with PostalMate..
• They keep their signage fresh, switching it often to stay current and seasonal.
• They seek mentors, heartily par-ticipate in industry events, and give back more than they accept.
Angelo, a loyal Island Ship Center customer, summed it up when he told me, “When you walk out of here, you walk with a smile. You can’t do that at the Post Office!” L
Marty Johnson owns Uncle Marty’s Shipping Office in Ithaca, NY, where he’s also a Co-Founder of the Collegetown Small Business Alliance. He serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for AMBC and can be reached at [email protected]. For more information, please visit unclemartysoffice.com and follow his store on Facebook and Twitter (@unclemartys).
STORE TOUR…Continued from page 9
Job perks...
“When you walk out of here, you walk with a smile. You can’t do that at the Post Office!”
Angelo, a loyal Island Ship Center customer
MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org – 11
Join AMBC at Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa & Casino for a chance to grow your business, meet your industry leaders and network with the best of the best in the industry, and of course, have a little fun while we are there.
2016 Retail Shippers Expo & Trade ShowAugust 10 – 14, 2016
Las Vegas, NVWhether you are a new store owner or 20 year veteran, this convention will be right up your alley! 5 days of training, 2 days of Expo, over 30 Vendors, vendor sponsored meals and unlimited networking time, this is an event NOT to miss.
We hope to see you all there!
More info and registration at www.rscentral.org/Events/RS-Expo
• The Industry’s Largest Trade Show • The State-of-the-Industry General Session • Breakouts Sessions • Industry Group Meetings • Point-of-Sale Training Tracks
GREEN VALLEY RANCH RESORT, SPA & CASINO2300 Paseo Verde Pkwy Henderson, NV, 89052 (866) 782-9487www.greenvalleyranch.sclv.com
Room rate is $125/night and last year this was a sold out event, so book your rooms right away!
AMBC booth at 2015 Trade Show. Sarah addressing the General Session in 2015.
12 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
I’m very excited to share with you all the latest happen-ings in the social media world. As you all know, social media is here to stay and it is revolutionizing business and shifting the paradigm of business in the 21st century.
If you’ve been following my emails in the AMBC forums, you’ll know that I try to post pertinent information about social media every Friday. I’ve started to use the hash tag #FahimFix in my subject lines so that if you miss a week, you can always go into the forums and search them using the term #FahimFix (entered just like that without spaces), and see the list of all of my weekly posts. Moreover, I highly encourage you to visit the AMBC Facebook page regularly, using the following link:https://www.facebook.com/AMBCToday/
Every Monday, I try to post motivational sayings on the AMBC Facebook page, complete with images and tag them with #MondayMotivation, so be sure to check the AMBC Facebook page every Monday morning at least for your weekly inspiration.
Here are excerpts from my first two Friday posts as AMBC Social Media Director:
One of my favorite social media gurus, Ms. Mari Smith, a certified Facebook marketing specialist, had an excel-lent blog post this week about Facebook app permis-sions on Facebook.
I encourage you all to read it and adjust your settings accordingly:http://www.marismith.com/how-to-review-and-edit-your-facebook-app-permissions/
Here’s the first paragraph:
If you’ve ever downloaded and used a Facebook quiz app such as a personality test, friend comparison, most liked photos, most used words, etc., you may be unwittingly providing these app companies with a ton of your personal data. Some of this data may be used to guess your pass-words, hack accounts, and even steal your identity. Yikes...
Her website is filled with very useful information, includ-ing free videos and training sessions and I encourage you all to take a look when you get a chance:http://www.marismith.com/
I have been following Mari online since early 2009 and her best strength is the use of simple language to
explain complex tech terms and procedures, a huge plus in the tech world.
Recently, I was at a board meeting as a parent liaison for the BOCES Career and Tech Education Center. They were having similar issues that some of our members are having with social media. They have fantastic kids who are doing outstanding things with hands-on learning and education, yet they are unable to fully show the kids’ accomplishments via their Facebook or Twitter accounts.
Some of them were very nervous about social media and scared of the challenges; most, however, just did not know where to begin. I suggested the following: use your kids to connect with your social media accounts and share the wonderful pics and stories that way! They loved it.
So I’m telling you all the same thing: let’s use OUR CUSTOMERS, our best resource, to share our pics and stories on social media and have them connect their posts to our websites and Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media accounts.
Here are some relevant and recent examples that I have used in my store:1) Taking pics with students and social media savvy customers and ask them to post those pics on their accounts and tag my social media accounts. (No cost except conversation and a little bit of time.)2) Engaging drop off customers in conversation and then making things easy for them with taping and seal-ing. Many ask if they can do something for us. I just tell them to go to GOOGLE, type in my store name, and click on “WRITE A REVIEW” on the right hand side and just say a few good words. I don’t have to give discounts to customers to write reviews for our store. They love the excellent service and are happy to oblige. Of course, we have nasty, grumpy customers, too, and I don’t ask them for reviews.3) Asking my customers tips about social media. That’s the best help. I work with students a lot and I recently signed up for Snapchat. They love that I ask THEM for advice. It makes them feel empowered and they feel valuable. They give me great tips, too.4) I recently took a selfie with a 65+ year old client who requested it! She’s on Facebook and wants to share
Get SMart™ with Fahim SMart = Social Media art
By Fahim Mojawalla, AMBC Director of Social Media
(continued on page 14)
#FahimFix
MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org – 13
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14 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
her experience at my store with all her friends, most of whom told her to come to my store in the first place. Once we begin engaging even a little bit, social media will grow like a snowball effect. But, it requires just a little bit of consistent time and dedicated effort.
5) Let’s all “Like” each other’s Facebook pages to get the ball rolling. I’ve started doing that with several peo-ple this week. If you like my page (http://www.fb.com/IslandShipCenter), I’ll automatically know and “Like” your page. You can see what I post and then start posting similar things. Do the same for other members as well. Don’t pay for people to get Facebook or Twitter followers PLEASE. Grow your followers organically. More on this later…
Please note, that contrary to popular belief, I’m only on my social media twice a day (maybe three times if nec-essary), and for only 15-20 minute intervals! That’s it. I’m super busy with my schedule and cannot afford to allo-cate more time to social media. So, I try to maximize my exposure in minimum time. I use several apps to help me save time as well. Evernote is a great app for note taking, sharing and saving time.
GET SMart™ with FAHIM…Continued from page 12
Please contact me directly if you have any social media questions, concerns, or input. I love interacting with and helping people. I learn every day through this interaction. My direct email is [email protected]. L_______________________________________
Fahim Mojawalla was born in Mumbai, India and moved with his family to New York City when he was three years old. He went to school in Long Island and graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 2002 with an honors degree in Economics and a Minor in Business Management. He moved to Grand Island, NY, in 2005 with his mother, wife, and five children. Currently,
he is the effervescent owner of Island Ship Center, a successful, popular, experienced-based retail shipping outlet, business center, and unique gift store, located 10 minutes south of Niagara Falls. Along with his wife Seema, he is very involved in the Association of Mail & Business Centers and is honored to volunteer on the AMBC Board of Directors as Social Media Director. He is also the VP of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce, helping connect other local businesses with social media trends. He loves being able to live and work on Grand Island, so that he can spend a lot of time with his kids during after school activities. He shares a lot of motivational quotes through his Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages and uses plenty of hashtags to keep track of online activity, specifically #KindnessIsContagious and #ExudeExcellence. In 2015, Fahim was recognized for his involvement with the community by being award-ed the Excellence in Education award.
AMBC Members levels Basic+ and above: ................. FREEAMBC Associate Members and non-members: ......... 99¢ per word
*Words include, but are not limited to, any abbreviation, full name, number, store name, phone num-ber, city, state or price. There is no charge for the ad title or one image. Ads must be pre-paid.
AMBC ClassifiedsAs of July 14th, please post all classifieds posts on our new Yahoo Group – AMBCClassifieds:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/AMBCclassifieds/info
This is a monitored site and only members at a Basic level and above will be able to post for free. Associate and Non-Members fee will stay the same at $0.99 per word. Once a week we will send out an email to all members including all classifieds listings from this group.
Store to Store services are accepted. Please keep the items and services for sale related to the MPC Industry. Images are allowed and encouraged on the site. AMBC reserves the right to review, edit, or refuse all ads submitted for publications. You must include contact informa-tion, including the state in your ad.Any questions or issues please email Kim at [email protected] for further assistance.
Rates:
MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org – 15
Order your supplies now!New item for sale: Warning labels!You can download the appropriate order form by choosing below. Premium and Lifetime Members receive a discount on all AMBC products. Any ques-tions, please contact [email protected] for more information.
Make sure your customers know how to properly handle a damaged package by using these Warning Labels. You can purchase these by downloading the form at http://tinyurl.com/o7rlkcq. Pricing starts at $27.50 per roll for 250 4”x4” labels (includ-ing shipping)
AMBC is selling Copy Bags for $60 for 250 bags (including shipping). Run these bags through your copier to add a coupon or advertisement to the back and make sure your cus-tomer comes back for more copies! Download the order form at http://tinyurl.com/nlfz8tn.
Sell peanut bags in 1 cubic foot bags and turn a great profit! AMBC is selling these bags for $55 for 250 bags (including shipping). Download the form at http://tinyurl.com/ob5tpet.
Support the Charmaine Fennie Scholarship Fund!AMBC has great quality t-shirts for sale that will benefit the scholarship fund.
We are selling these AMBC t-shirts for $10 each (plus shipping). The shirts were generously donated by our sponsors, so every dime goes directly into the schol-arship fund for some very deserving students. To qualify for a scholarship, you must be a high school graduate enrolled in college or trade school, be the child or employee of a mail and business center owner. Check out our cute model Zoe Deters :)
If you order four t-shirts or more, you get a FREE AMBC carton sizer!
Contact [email protected] to place your order
or call (815) 316-8255.
16 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
7 Traits of a Successful Leader
Do you ever wonder how and why some folks are successful, natural born leaders and some aren’t? How some folks learn to deal with the ups
and downs of life and find a way to make things better while others are so down and find the smallest thing to complain about? And keep complaining. They don’t deal or play well with others.
Successful leaders seem to have a trait, or several traits as a matter of fact, traits which allows them to move for-ward in a more positive mode.
There are many traits successful leaders have. Here are seven we believe in and want to share.
1. Your Attitude is Your Choice – Successful leaders have great attitudes. No one else can make you have a great attitude but you. So you are totally in control of this factor. You can wake up, smile, and feel this is gonna be a great day. That’s your choice. Or, you can wake up and decide it’s gonna be a crappy day. Again, your choice. Which would you rather have? And let’s not forget, there is a difference between an attitude and a mood. Know what it is?
Attitudes are permanent; moods are temporary. Big difference. Those with a better attitude get out of bad moods quicker.
Why? Because those of us with a great attitude do not want to wallow in the manure of a bad mood. (And yes, I cleaned that up.)
2. Visualize Success – Successful leaders visualize success. They see a positive outcome. If you watch American Idol (as I do), you know each and every one of those kids sees themselves as the winner. They visu-alize it. Any political candidate running for office sees themselves winning. Whether they do or don’t isn’t part of visualization. It is, however, the key to how they got where they are. Seeing yourself winning is critical in hav-ing a great attitude. You know that old saying “whether you say you can, or you can’t…you’re right.” (Henry Ford I’m told.)
3. Humor, Energy and Enthusiasm – A huge part of being a successful leader are these 3 magic ingredients. Successful leaders, laugh more, walk and work with energy, and they keep their enthusiasm up in all areas. My dad told me years ago: “Enthusiasm is contagious; let’s start an epidemic.”
4. Resist Negative Tendencies – Successful leaders don’t want to participate with those folks who want to bring you down. They keep away from them. They’re downers. “It’s too hot. It’s too cold. I’m too fat. I’m too thin. I hate my hair.” the list goes on. No one wants to be with people who are constantly down and complaining. Keeping that positive mental attitude is very important. Successful leaders resist negative tendencies.
5. Be a Whatever It Takes Person – There’s a won-derful poem I memorized years ago and while it’s too long to print here, it’s called “Somebody Said It Couldn’t Be Done.” Bottom line, it mean to be a double checker. Successful leaders take the time to double check. Be a ‘whatever it takes’ person. It’s a thrill to make it happen when someone else doesn’t think it can.
6. Embrace Change – Difficult we know. However, those successful leaders realizing when and where there is change, it’s normally for the better. And worse case, if it’s not better, accepting and embracing change, will help the attitude. My dad had a fun saying. He would say, “Nancy, the next time you change your mind, get a good one.” The key to embracing change is to accept it. Successful leaders work with it. They make it work.
7. Be Grateful for What You Have – Successful lead-ers have no room for jealously. We can be envious of something or someone, that’s a normal trait. Example, I’m envious of those who can sing. I’m not jealous; just envious. When you’re jealous you can hold grudges. (Successful leaders don’t normally hold grudges.) Why wait for a life-altering experience to be thankful for what you do have. It might be too late. L
By Nancy Friedman, the Telephone Doctor
Nancy Friedman, president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a fea-tured keynote speaker and subject matter expert on customer service, communications skills and capturing & navigating the call, at franchise, association and corporate meetings. She was the keynote speaker at an AMBC (formerly AMPC) national convention in 2009.
She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and hundreds of other radio and TV shows. Nancy is the author of eight books on sales and customer service and is the spokesperson in the popular Telephone Doctor customer service training programs.
Visit www.nancyfriedman.com. (email [email protected])
MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org – 17
Whether your store needs a 20 page
per minute convenience walk-up copier to a 150-page-per-minute High End Digital Press, the National
Program has something for you.
The AMBC National Account Program includes special pricing and service on Konica Minolta, Ricoh, and Canon equipment. AMBC Members get the purchase power of a large group on the industry’s leading brands. The right copier with the right service agreement can improve your production and lower your costs.
The AMBC National Account Program is run by Pacific Office and our dedicated account representative, Kevin Keating. You can contact Kevin at 855-530-5790 or email at [email protected].
The right copier with the right service agreement can improve your production and lower your costs.
Kevin Keating, 855-530-5790 or [email protected]
Konica receives Buyers Laboratory’s Manufacture “Line of the Year Award” for two consecutive years!
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18 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
Dear Uncle Marty,Someone recently asked me why they should come to my store instead of going to my competitor. I found myself at a loss for words, not knowing how to explain how or why I was the better choice. Do you have any advice on how to handle this sort of question?
Dumbfounded,Muted Mable
Dear Mable,Questions such as this one tend to catch us off guard, and stop us in our tracks.
We could respond with a long list of things that set us apart: our years of experience, training, certifications, status as an authorized shipping center for multiple car-riers, comparing all options in one screen cross-carrier to help the customer find the best option for their needs and budget, business services that all gel together (packing, shipping, mailboxes, printing, fingerprinting, etc.) making our one-stop shops super convenient, blah, blah, blah…
But, just as you probably just glazed over, the customer will also lose interest quickly. So I advocate a simple answer: “Because we care and we’re the best!” (Said, of course, with a confident grin.) If they then want more explanation, go into some bullet points that make your store special, showing how much you do genuinely care about every aspect of the customer’s experience.
The fact is, you do care and you are the best. You’re the best because you’re writing to me seeking advice on how you can better serve your customers. You’re the best because you’re part of AMBC: networking, learning, training, and growing with other store owners across the country. You’re the best because you’ve been doing this a long time and know the business inside and out, and have access to resources to explain the things you still don’t know… yet.
Get into the habit of educating your customers, show-ing your knowledge base, demonstrating your bona fide level of care, and proving why you’re the best. Offer a little quip, like explaining a hybrid label and how you're going to send it with a certain carrier because it'll get a pickup scan and be safer. Or, as you’re taping their box, explain why you're using a certain type of tape and how it's much safer than the duct tape that they brought in. Do it in a kind, caring, informative way, as the expert and shipping authority that you are. This builds trust and marks you as the go-to professional in the confusing, overwhelming world of shipping that the customer has become lost in. Become their problem solver.
I had the privilege of participating in some marketing roundtables recently in Philadelphia with marketing guru Pam Moore (@PamMktgNut). (Follow her. She’s amaz-ing.) A mainstay of Pam’s teaching is getting customers to “know, like, and trust” you and your business. Make that your goal and they’ll never question whether or not they’re in the right place.
Let your actions speak loudly,Marty
---
Dear Uncle Marty,I’m getting to the point that I’d like to sell my store. However, my store bears my name and I wonder if it’ll be hard to sell because the name’s not very generic. Should I rebrand before I put my store on the market?
At a crossroads,Tito of Tito’s Corner Shipping and Printing
Dear Tito,As anonymity is a keystone of Ask Uncle Marty, I’ve changed your name for publication in MBC Today. But I know your store, and I know the reputation you’ve established. People in your town don’t get excited to go to the Post Office, but they do get excited to go to Tito’s Corner!
(continued on page 20)
JOIN THEBEST
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While our technology is second-to-none, our objective is to pWhile our technology is second-to-none, our objective is to provide you the most ef-fective, easy to use software in the industry, backed by unrivaled customersupport. We invite you to “Join the Best” and become part of the over 3300 retail shipping centers using PostalMate® daily.
For more information and a FREE trial, contact us at:800-485-6901 or www.pcsynergy.com
If you would like to submit an industry related question to Ask Uncle Marty™, please email him at [email protected]. Anonymity is guaranteed. ™
MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org – 19
JOIN THEBEST
PROVIDES YOU THE VERY BEST TOOLSAVAILABLE IN THE INDUSTRY.Simplify your store’s operations, enhance customer service and maximize your profits. Our software includes everything needed to automate your business and be more efficient.
While our technology is second-to-none, our objective is to pWhile our technology is second-to-none, our objective is to provide you the most ef-fective, easy to use software in the industry, backed by unrivaled customersupport. We invite you to “Join the Best” and become part of the over 3300 retail shipping centers using PostalMate® daily.
For more information and a FREE trial, contact us at:800-485-6901 or www.pcsynergy.com
20 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
sale. Make it a hard condition of the sale agreement that the new owner rebrands within a few months and removes your name from all of their product, systems, and marketing.
Wait until you have a buyer on the line, then have these discus-sions with her or him. If the deci-sion indeed is to shift to a new name, perhaps they can use your current name in campaigns like “Tito’s Corner Shipping and Printing is now Central Shipping and Printing: Growing Strong in Your Neighborhood!” I think this will appeal to a buyer, as they’ll get access to all of your customers and can transition them to their new brand in their own way, pitching it as natural growth and improvement.
I know you haven’t made up your mind yet to list your store or wait for the right buyer to show up on your doorstep, but I trust that the right opportunity will come in due time. Until then, continue to build your loyal customer base, therefore add-ing great value when it does come time to sell.
Whether or not you decide to sell your name along with your business, the bottom line is that your current brand has tremendous worth. Don’t undermine that.
With impending congratulations,Marty
---
If you would like to submit an industry related question to Ask Uncle Marty™, please email him at [email protected]. Anonymity is guaranteed. L
ASK UNCLE MARTY™…Continued from page 18
In your case, I wouldn’t recommend preemptive rebranding. Your current brand is very successful and that success is what will appeal to potential buyers. They want your loyal customer base more than anything else.
Your business will change considerably after it’s sold. No two owners are alike, and the business will morph to reflect its new ownership and culture. So be very, very careful if you’re considering selling your own name — your personal brand — along with the rest of your assets.
If you’re hoping to use your personal brand for further business ventures after your store’s sale, or if you just plain don’t want it associated with the new owner, then you can easily divorce it from the business at the time of
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22 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
MBC Funnies “Straight from the Customer’s Mouth”
Customers say the darndest things. We all hear it, so let’s share!
Send in your favorites to [email protected]
Customer came in with a FedEx number they wanted to ship with. We gave him a FedEx form to fill out. He puts in the number and hands the form back to us. We told him he had to fill out the entire form: who from and where to. He asks, “Don't they know that from just this number????”
***Customer came in with a giant lamp box to return but didn't know the company's address. She said, "I think it needs to go to Syria." So I said, "Syria? It looks like the company is located in California." Then the customer said, "No, it's marked 'Syria' right here" and pointed to a FedEx sorting label that said "SYRA." So I informed her that that meant the package was sorted through Syracuse on its way to her from California.
***Customer: If I want to ship something, do I have to bring it in?
***Customer: Do I save anything if I buy a whole book of stamps?
***
Customer asked for a box 3 feet by 3 feet by 1 foot and ended up buying a box 20 inches by 12 inches by 8 inches.
***Customer: I’ll send it First Class in case anything hap-pens to it.
***Customer: Do you actually pack and mail the stuff from here? (Our store's named Pack & Mail.)
***Customer: Your other location never charges me for a box.
***Customer, while looking at the helium tank: Do you blow up the balloons here too?
***Employee: OK, I need to weigh it now.Customer: But do you have something to weigh it on?!
***Customer: If they pick a letter up from my mailbox, does the same guy drop it off here? L
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24 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
The good news is that most peo-ple will change when confronted. Some people will even be surprised wthey’re perceived as being negative.
Every now and then you get some-one who either won’t or can’t change. Don’t wait them out. You give a final warning, and then they’re gone.
Retail is challenging enough without a negative person on the staff who is directly, and nega-tively, impacting business. You and the rest of your amazing team deserve better.
So let me ask, do you have a nega-tive person that is hurting your busi-ness? If not, congratulations. I hope it stays that way. If you do, what actions will you take this week to turn them around or move them on? L
I suspect we can all agree that positive people have a positive impact on customers and results. So why aren’t we also assuming that employees with a negative attitude will have a negative impact on customers and
results?
I have a client whose business was on a roll this summer, and then all of sudden took a dive. At first she thought it was traffic or the local economy, but as she poked around she discovered that one of her employees was very negative when the boss wasn’t in the store.
The owner made a change, hiring a positive, upbeat person in place of the negative person. Sales went up over 30%. A negative employee was killing her business. Not hurting it. Killing it!
Why are employees negative?
The number reason is because they’re allowed to be. We’re accepting the behavior. We don’t require them to stop acting the way they do.
Why do we accept negative behavior? There are a host of reasons. I’d say the number one reason is that an owner or manager hates confrontation. Who doesn’t? Okay, some people do, but most of us don’t.
Even if you’re someone who will go to great lengths to avoid confrontations, you have to ask yourself this: Which is worse, lost sales or a confron-tation? As far as I’m concerned that’s a pretty easy question to answer. I wouldn’t let a negative person kill my sales.
Another reason we accept negativity is because we hate having to find, hire, and train new people. I totally get that. At the same time, though, you have to remember how much that negative person with the negative attitude is cost-ing you in sales. The effort you put into replacing that negativity will easily pay for itself, and then some.
There are other reasons we accept people being negative and I’ve heard them all.
They’re good salespeople. Yes, but they would sell a lot more if they weren’t negative.
He’s a good person. I’m sure he is, but imagine how much better he’d be if he knocked off the negativity!
She has a lot of problems. Okay, but it still isn’t okay to create more problems at work.
I firmly believe that you must take hard and swift action with negative people. They either turn it around immediately or they’re gone. They don’t need weeks or months to change their behaviors and actions. They don’t need training. They need to quit acting they way they are currently acting. Period.
Negative Employee = Negative Impact
by Doug Fleener
Doug Fleener, the former director of retail for Bose Corporation, is a veteran retailer with over 25 years of hands-on retail experience with world-class retailers including Bose Corporation and The Sharper Image. He has also owned and operated his own specialty stores. Doug is now president and managing partner for Dynamic Experiences Group LLC, a proven retail and customer experi-ence consulting firm based in Lexington, MA. Learn more at www.DynamicExperiencesGroup.com, or call 866-535-6331.
MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org – 25
AMBC Freight – a members only ben-efit – offers you online and assisted quote options that help you quickly and easily find the best and lowest rate available. Once you have selected your price you can purchase insurance coverage, then proceed to ship it, all on the same site.
• Not only can you get carrier discounts of 70% and more, you get greatly reduced, sometimes free, lift gate service and greatly-reduced residential service!
• Pass the savings on to your customers – and make sure they know you can beat your competition on both price and service. Or add the extra margin to your bottom line.
• With AMBC Freight, you can be sure you’re not overpaying for freight services.
With AMBC, You’re Not AloneEvery business owner has questions about day-to-day operations, technical approach-es, profit strategies and service enhance-ments. Get answers fast on AMBC’s member-only “Freight Chat” Online Chat Room – the 24/7 networking resource for mail and parcel centers.Help is only an email away. In most cases you receive an answer within minutes, not hours.
Questions?Call Jeff Ballantyne at AMBC Freight, 603-431-0718 (weekdays 8:30 am – 6:00 pm EST), or email [email protected]
We’re at your service!
With AMBC Freight, you don’t just get 70% dis-counts and greatly reduced accessorial fees, you also get assistance from a professional in the industry. Jeff Ballantyne of PackFreight will walk you through your freight shipments, guiding you safely to a profitable shipment. Jeff has learned the freight systems the hard way, and has prom-ised to share his information with any AMBC member that asks.
Learning to do freight properly and profitably is as simple as sending an email asking for help. AMBC has an online freight quote system that allows users to access rates instantly. There is also an assisted quote form set up for the beginner in freight. Submit your information to Jeff, and he will research the items, find the best class and send back rates and information.
All you need to do is to package the item and Jeff can either finish the shipment for you or lead you through doing it yourself.
AMBC’s goal is to allow its members access to the best rates and services available in the industry. The more stores that use the services, the better we stand with carriers in obtaining better rates.
Please log into AMBC.org then click on the freight tab at the top of the page to log onto the AMBC Freight site.
26 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
AMBCNOT4Profit… our online newsgroup
SHIPPING DILEMMAHeavy bucket (wt 39lbs), need to ship two to the same location.
1) Ship separate with additional handling – no box.
2) Ship separate in box.
3) Ship together in box.
Any ideas?***I would stack one on top of the other then put the com-bined weight and size into ShipRite. After, I would figure shipping one each then look at shipping charges. This will give you the best price to offer to your customer. Don’t forget to add a couple of inches all around for boxing + your boxing fees. As a general rule, shipping one box is less expensive than shipping two. If those are 5 gallon buckets, they should stack and ship within two 13x13x13 boxes stacked one on the other. I would layer cardboard between them and of course add cut cardboard around the box insides after the buckets are in place. Joe Scott | Connections Unlimited LLC | Meridian, MS***Also, if you end up deciding to ship both in a single box, check the certificate stamp for the box and make sure it is certified for the combined weight.
Also, check the carrier tariff, as they have limits on the weight covered by dimension.
Weights over what is stated on the box certificate and the shipper’s tariff would void any claims associated with the shipment… yep, I did this.Jan Sangl | Carmichael Box ShopCarmichael, CA*** BUSINESS INSURANCE OPTIONSOur current policy will be up soon and would like to get some new quotes. Any recommendations for business insurance tailored to the pack & mail store industry?
***We use CNA through:
Wortham Insurance1600 West Seventh Street Suite 300Fort Worth, TX 76102Direct Line: 817.339.3127Fax: [email protected]
I also have a “transportation” addendum that covers packages in transit.
Three items to note with CNA:
1. There is a $250 deductible for pretty much anything
2. The transportation addendum has exemptions on USPS, international, art, jewelry.
3. “Glass” coverage is sketchy depending on your lease agreement with your landlord. (They wouldn’t pay for mine when we were broken into last year.)
Other than that I have heard they are tough to beat rate-wise for business policies.Rajan DorasamiBox & ShipFort Worth, TX
***I discovered last year that State Farm Insurance has a package geared to our industry. It was lower than any other I got a quote from.
Your local agent should be able to find the package. They also can write one for workers comp in most states.Edward FlorreichThe Mail BoxLexington, KY***QUICKBOOKSI really need to get Quickbooks for my store but there are so many choices and versions that I’m unsure which one I should get! Can anyone give me some advice on this? I will be hiring an employee soon and need to do payroll. I see that
Are you taking advantage of instant access to decades worth of longtime mail & business center owners’ experience? If you aren’t on our online forum, contact the office at AMBC and we’ll get you on board today!
(continued on page 28)
MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org – 27
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28 – MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org
there is a retail store version… is that they best one in our industry? Then there is the choice of online or desktop version. Which one is most cost efficient?
***Get Quickbooks Pro. I always get the desktop version, just to ensure I have a disk to reinstall if needed.
You set up your Chart of Accounts for your particular store. I have used it for 13 years.Elizabeth BeckmannPack & Mail EtcCharleston, SC***I use Quickbooks Pro with the payroll module (up to three employees). My QB file is housed in Dropbox. This allows me to access it from work or at home, without having to pay extra for multi-users.
I also use a memorized transaction for entering my daily closeouts (sales by department; cash check & credit card income). I have been using QB since 2003. It is very powerful software, but can be complex and difficult to master.Darren AndreasonEugene Mailbox Eugene, OR***I’ve been using Quickbooks for years, and I also use it for my payroll. I was running an old version on a Windows XP computer. Both the Windows and Quickbooks version became obsolete, so it was time for an upgrade (keep in mind that no matter what version of Quickbooks you have, you will need to upgrade it at least every few years). Since I switched to Mac (for my own personal computing) a few years back, I really did not want to maintain a Windows envi-ronment just for Quickbooks. So, on my CPA’s recom-mendation, I switched to Quickbooks Online, which can be used on any computer.
I have to admit that the conversion and learning curve were a huge challenge for me! However, once set up, I can really appreciate the benefits of the online version: I can use it anywhere and on any computer. My CPA can log in any time and work on it (no longer needing me to provide him with backups). Tax forms and reports are much easier. In fact, after learning how to use it, everything is easier and a LOT more efficient. And, unlike the other versions of Quickbooks, you do not have to pay a big chunk of money every few years for upgrades. Instead, you pay a reason-able monthly fee.
So, if it’s not already obvious, I’m recommending Quickbooks Online.Evan KellerSUPER POSTAL CENTERBoca Raton, FL***We use Quickbooks and have it integrated with ShipRite to upload all of our daily sales and $ transac-tions.
As for payroll, if you have two or more employees I would spring for the payroll service but with just one employee payroll will be fairly simple, you just have to input in manually and keep up with tax changes. I did this for years. However, I DO LOVE the payroll mod-ule now with multiple employees and it saves a ton of time and headache on taxes and tax form prep.Rajan DorasamiBox & ShipFort Worth, TX***I use Quickbooks Pro with payroll and love it. I input my daily sales, pay bills, payroll, print reports for my accountant annually. A class on Quickbooks would be smart.Ruth RussellMail RoomManchester, CT***MAILBOX STORAGE FEESWe are having some issues with a few of our mailbox customers in terms of mail storage. They rarely come in and they have months of mail that we are storing in the back room. We currently don’t have a clause in our contract about storage fees. We are looking for suggestions. How much per month? How do you define “space”? Is it by cubic foot, banker box, etc? What if they don’t pay the storage fee?
***We don’t have storage fees for our mailbox holders. We addressed this issue in our mailbox contract pack-et. The wording is: “You can receive unlimited amount of mail as long as it fits in your box. If it’s constantly more, we will have to move you to a bigger box.”
And we have prices set for small box, medium, large, and “ex-large and high volume box”. The latter is in the back for customers that constantly have letters that don’t fit. As for packages, we have a set number per month for each size box in our contract packet as well. And since its in the contract, and we make sure to refer to it and mention it when they open the box, we successfully upgraded many of our mailbox hold-ers to a larger box without loosing a single customer
AMBCNOT4Profit… Continued from page 26
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MBC Today | March/April 2016 | www.ambc.org – 29
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AMBCNOT4Profit… Continued from page 28
or make them upset, and it also encourages them to come more often to empty their box.Ahmed Elnaggar Parcel Plus Washington, DC***
We bump them up to the cost of the next box size. We define it as mail delivery requiring more space than mail-box accommodates. In the end, if it doesn’t fit in the box, it requires more handling and is more likely to get lost.Jan Sangl Carmichael Box Shop Carmichael, CA***Issue a notice to all your mailbox holders that as of the 1st of a certain month, all mailbox holders must empty the box once full. If the box overflows the mail will be set aside behind the counter and the rent then doubles. What we usually do is for repeat offenders is we bump them to a large size box. Their option is to empty on a regular basis or pay rent for a large box. Mail must still be picked up on a regular basis, they just have more space to put it. If mail is not picked up within X period we close the box as being abandoned and start shredding mail.
You need to put this into the contract with the renters, you should give them all several months to comply. The ones now that are not complying I would set up an email notification to notify them each day the box is overflow-ing. If really bad we would start tossing now. They rent the BOX not the store.Jeff Ballantyne | Parcel RoomPackFreight Network | Portsmouth, NH L
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