Announcing the 2016 Jump START Your Nonprofit Finalist!

Help us congratulate the 2016 Jump START Your Nonprofit Finalists! Each of these great organizations have a chance to win a $10,000 office technology makeover!

Cincinnati Finalists:

• Cancer Family Care
• Faith Community Pharmacy
• Magnified Giving
• Music Resource Center
• New Life Furniture Bank
• Pathways to Home
• St. Vincent de Paul
• The Center for Family Solutions
• Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation
• YWCA Greater Cincinnati

Columbus Finalists:

• Advocacy and Protective Services, Inc.
• Children First, Inc.
• Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center
• Columbus Speech & Hearing Center
• Fairfield County TeenWorks
• Franklin County Residential Services, Inc. (FCRS)
• Lancaster-Fairfield Community Action Agency
• Neighborhood House
• PCMA Food Pantry of Pickerington
• The Neighborhood Design Center

Dayton Finalists:

• Brunner Literacy Center
• Five Rivers Health Centers
• Life Essentials
• Lions Eye Bank West Central Ohio
• Miami Valley Life Alliance
• Middletown Fine Arts Center
• Nova Behavioral Health, Inc.
• Preble County Council on Aging
• Safe Harbor House
• Senior Resource Connection

Starting Monday, the MOM Team will be out visiting all 30 Finalists. Then, the voting stage of the contest begins onMonday, September 26 and will conclude on Friday, October 7. These great organizations need your help to win, so vote once per day at www.momnet.com for your favorite nonprofit! Good luck to all of the finalists!

The Heartbreak Market

A friend in the coaching business recently asked me why small-business owners tend to shy away from training and coaching. 

These were my thoughts:

Entrepreneurs tend to distrust consultants of all kinds (they've all been burned once or twice). 

As you probably already know, you have to have a relationship with them (or a prominent reputation) before they'll usually consider buying from you. They're wired to get the best bang for their buck, and they're looking for sure bets and guarantees - which of course don't exist.

Also, they don't really want to change. So when you say that coaching is all about transforming them and their results, they may just feel threatened. 

To sell to entrepreneurs, you need to stand out. What's your brand differentiation? Of all the coaches and consultants in the world, why should they rely on you? 

My friend offers a free initial coaching call. This might seem like a great door-opener, but he doesn't describe what it is or how it can help. Plus, he offers no reason why someone should call NOW! Busy entrepreneurs will always put off calls that cost them money, unless you can convince them an opportunity is slipping away! 

I call small business a heartbreak market. Entrepreneurs are always being sold to, so they have developed very strong resistance to conventional pitches. Unlike corporate types, it's their own money they're spending, so you really need to prove yourself first (case studies and success stories can help, and anything that reverses the risk).

You CAN sell discretionary good and services to small business. They just have to trust you first.

The New Overtime Rule

Recently a new overtime rule was passed.  Currently, salaried employees making less than $23,660 are eligible for overtime pay IF they work more than 40 hours in a week.  That amount is being raised to $47,476, effective December 1^st, 2016.

This will be a big adjustment for small business owners and they will have some tough decisions to make regarding salaried employees making less than $47,476.

What can you do?

1. You can simply pay those employees time-and-a-half for all hours worked beyond 40 each week
2. Scale back their hours to just 40 per week and still pay the same salary
3. Give the employee a raise to $47,476 or above so they can continue working more than 40 hours per week without overtime pay

You can also use any combination of the three options.

You will not be the only business owner impacted.  In fact, 4.2 million employees will be affected, which means your business could be impacted as well.

It is not time to panic, however, it is time to make some decisions.  Have you looked at your options?  Do you have the correct systems in place to handle those options?  What will be your best cost benefit?  

I would recommend talking to your payroll company or your accountant to make the best decision for you and your employees.