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Business Referral Network – Should I Join BNI?

business referral networking

Business networking is the key to a strong client base. But where do business networking groups fit into that picture? I’d love your thoughts.

Business referral networking

Business referral networking takes “meeting people” to a higher level. The goal is really to provide possible client referrals to your contacts. In return, your contacts will refer business to you.

From my perspective, networking in business needs at least some focus on providing referrals. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to invest time and money into meeting people just to know them. So some type of business referral system makes your networking truly valuable for everyone. Don’t you want to be the person that everyone is dying to friends with, because you pass them quality referrals?

Business networking groups

To help encourage referrals, people have organized formal (and informal) networking groups. I think that is part of the theory behind LinkedIn. You may have seen other types of groups in your own area.

Of course, the largest business referral network is Business Network International (BNI). A local Fredericksburg invited me to a meeting and asked me to submit my application.

BNI impressions

I went to my first BNI meeting yesterday. I met a nice network of business people, and the meeting was decently enjoyable.

Is it me, or are BNI meetings very rigid? The agenda has every step planned down to the minute. I understand that they need to stick to a schedule, but this seemed a bit extreme to me.

I’m certainly not the first person to point out that BNI has high dues. $330 per year. That’s definitely less than a yellow page ad, which probably wouldn’t even bring in a client in today’s times.

The attendance policy also concerns me. I believe members can only miss one meeting in a six month period. For a busy attorney, that seems almost impossible. Right now I have the time to commit to that, but hopefully I won’t have that time in a couple months.

Any thoughts?

I know that a business referral network requires an investment. But I am still wondering if BNI is the best use of my time and money right now.

I’d love your thoughts on local business networking events and how an entrepreneur can get the best bang for his buck. Let’s talk!

Update – 8-11-08 – The Virginia State Bar ethics hotline just told me that Virginia lawyers should not join BNI. It could be an ethical violation. I won’t be joining.

Update – 4-8-09 – The Virginia State Bar has issued a formal ethics opinion that says Virginia attorneys cannot ethically join a lead sharing organization such as BNI.

Photo by jurvetson

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Lunch Labor Laws – Federal and State

lunch labor laws

My original post on lunch break laws still remains one of the most popular articles on this blog. Many people are highly interested in lunch labor laws, as evidenced by the 98 comments that are still being posted.

Lunch labor laws affect us all

If you’re human, you have to eat. If you have a job, you’ll probably work several hours during the day, most likely across the normal lunch time. Thus, you probably wonder about lunch labor laws.

Hourly workers are most concerned about the law regarding their lunch breaks, but I routinely receive many questions from salaried workers as well. And interestingly, a Zogby study found that 90% of salaried workers held an hourly job at one time in their life.

As you can see, lunch break labor laws are a key topic for everyone.

No federal lunch break

You may be surprised to learn that there is no lunch break federal requirement. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require that your employer give you a lunch break.

Fact Sheet #22 explains this further.

Lunch break paid?

Federal law also does not require that your lunch breaks be paid. Generally speaking, if you are completely relieved from work duties for 30 minutes or more, you do not have to be paid for that time.

This rule makes sense, if you think about it. Most workers don’t expect to be paid for their lunch time. But if you are not relieved from duty, your employer must compensate you. That doesn’t really count as a lunch break, does it?

State lunch labor laws

But there’s still hope for some of you. Many states have passed laws regarding lunch break requirements. If you work in one of those states, your employer has to make sure that he complies with the state regulations.

Here is a summary of the individual state lunch labor laws. Note that not all industries are required to comply with these regulations in each state.

California – 1/2 hour after 5 hours worked, unless shift is only 6 hours

Colorado – 1/2 hour after 5 hours worked, unless shift is only 6 hours

Connecticut – if shift is 7.5 hours, 1/2 hour lunch after first 2 hours but before last 2 hours

Delaware – if shift is 7.5 hours, 1/2 hour lunch after first 2 hours but before last 2 hours

Illinois – required for hotel room attendants only

Kentucky – reasonable meal period between 3rd and 5th hour of shift

Maine – 1/2 hour after 6 consecutive hours

Massachusetts – 1/2 hour, if work is more than 6 hours

Minnesota – reasonable period, if shift is 8+ consecutive hours

Nebraska – 1/2 hour, off premises, at suitable lunch time

Nevada – 1/2 hour, if work is 8 consecutive hours

New Hampshire – 1/2 hour, after 5 consecutive hours – unless employee can eat while working

New York – 1/2 hour, if shift is more than 6 hours

North Dakota – 1/2 hour, if work is more than 5 hours

Oregon – 1/2 hour

Rhode Island – 20 minutes for 6 hour shift; 30 minutes for 8 hour shift

Tennessee – 1/2 hour, if shift is 6 hours

Washington – 1/2 hour, for 5 hour shift

West Virginia – 20 minutes, if work is more than 6 consecutive hours

If you have questions about your individual state, you should contact your state’s department of labor. Here is a link to each state’s labor website:

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

If I didn’t cover your question above, feel free to post a comment below.

Photo by rockygirl05

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Easy Male Haircut – Remington Shortcut Review

 

Buy for $34.99

I’ve been cutting my own hair for several years. I used to use a standard hair clipper with a #1 blade guard. When it broke last week, I set out to find new hair clippers.

A few Google searches brought up the Remington Shortcut. This new little toy is designed just for men who want to buzz their own head. I’m now the proud owner of one, and I love it!

“You can’t mess this up”

That’s what the Remington Shortcut package says. After using it once, I completely agree. You’ll find the Shortcut easy, even if you’ve never cut a single hair before.

As you can see from the picture, the Shortcut is curved. Your head is curved. Cool, right?

Just hold the Shortcut like a hairbrush. Move it back and forth and around your head. It will cut your hair to the dialed length. That’s all you have to do!

One piece of advice: Set the length wheel to a longer setting than you think you want. The Shortcut trims a little closer than regular clippers (a #1 on the Shortcut is shorter than a #1 on a Wahl clipper). You should test the actual length on your head before trimming too close.

Shortcut specifications

Two guards – The Remington Short Cut combines your clippers with all the blade guards. To select a hair length, you just dial a little knob on the handle. If you want to shave your head bald, you can use the secondary guard: the balding comb. With these guards and the dial knob, you can buzz your head anywhere from bald to 1/2″.

Bidirectional – These clippers are bidirectional. Traditional hair clippers only work in one direction, so the Shortcut is inherently easier to use.

Titanium blades – The Shortcut has Titanium blades that never need sharpening or even oiling. You can rinse the clippers under the faucet to clean out stray bits of hair. If you do that, you’ll need to re-oil the blades with the included oil.

Rechargeable – If you’ve ever tried cutting your hair with corded clippers, you’ll enjoy the cord-free Shortcut. The battery is good for 40 minutes fully-charged. But you’ll only need 5 minutes to buzz your own head.

Even a monkey can do it

If you don’t think the Remington Shortcut is easy, check out this video. Even a monkey can use the Shortcut!

Buy yours!

You can buy the Remington Shortcut at Amazon for only $34.99. I promise that it will be a good investment!

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Extreme SEO – Keyword Business Address

If you’re like most entrepreneurs today, you want the absolute most SEO you can get. You either learn how to do it yourself, or you hire an SEO firm to handle it.

Here’s a new SEO idea for you: Have your office on a street that contains one of your keywords.

I thought of this idea while on a bike ride the other day. I was bicycling through Spotsylvania County near Lake Anna, and I went down Lawyers Road. As an attorney, “lawyer” is obviously one of my keywords.

If I had an office on Lawyers Road, anytime my address appeared on my website, two keywords would be there: lawyers and Fredericksburg.

Of course I won’t be moving from my home office anytime soon. And Lawyers Road is a bit far from civilization. But you get the idea.

I guess instead of moving your office, you could change your company’s name. Or you could petition the local government to rename your road. With enough money, I suppose the options are unlimited.

Photo by TrevinC

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Get $100 of Free Facebook Advertising

Have you tried Facebook advertising yet? What if I told you that you could get a $100 coupon for Facebook Ads?

The process is quite simple, and it’s completely legit. You can use the $100 coupon to try out the Facebook Ad system and see if it can work for your business. I’m trying it for my law firm to promote my free seminar for entrepreneurs.

Here’s what you do to get $100 in free Facebook Ads:

1. Add the Visa Business Network Facebook application to your account. This application is focused on helping business owners meet each other and network.

2. Complete the Visa Business Network process to register the application. I had to add the application to my page as well as my profile.

3. Check for an email from the Facebook Ads Team with the subject “Facebook Ads Alert: Coupon Code Assigned.” This email will contain your $100 coupon code.

4. Add the coupon code to your Facebook Ads account: Log into your Facebook Ads account. Click on the “Billing” at the top of the Ads Manager. Click on the “Funding Sources” tab on the Billing Summary page. Click on “Enter Coupon Code” and enter your code as shown in the email.

5. Create your ad and use the coupon!

Do you have any tips for maximizing Facebook Ads? Let us know!

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Have Your Finances Prepared Before a Disaster

This is a guest post by Tisha Kulak. If you would like to write a guest post, email me.

With the increase of natural disasters around the country, it is just as important to have your finances in order as it is to have an emergency evacuation plan and sufficient insurance. As part of any family emergency plan, keep the following check list handy and avoid even more devastation after a fire, hurricane, flood, or earthquake happens.

1. Compile a Master List

In order to stay prepared for the worst, make a point to write down all of your various creditors and other account’s names, phone numbers, and account numbers. Having telephone access to your bank, your creditors, your mortgage company, and your car loan company can help prevent your finances from going crazy in an already bad situation. You can also keep a photocopied record of credit cards and driver’s licenses in the event you need to provide proof of identity and you have lost your belongings. Keep all of your financial information secured and stored at an off-site location, such as a safe deposit box. Update this list frequently so it remains accurate.

2. Keep On-Site Documents Safe

For insurance policies and other documents that remain in your home, purchase a sturdy fire-proof filing cabinet and store important papers in plastic, leak-proof bags.

3. Establish an Emergency Only Card

Having one credit card designated for emergency purposes only will ensure that when tragedy strikes, you will have enough room to purchase things you really need like food, shelter, and clothing.

4. Reserve Some Emergency Cash

Depending on the emergency, you may loose your purse or wallet and will be left without cash. Set aside some emergency funds in a protected area that you can easily access during an evacuation. Keep enough money to be able to adequately split it between the other family members in the event you become separated for any reason, otherwise some of your family will be left without.

5. Program Your Cell Phone

Most people have pre-programmed friends and loved ones into their phones but do not think about the other important numbers, such as those on the Master List, for easy accessibility. The sooner you are able to contact your creditors, banks, and other service providers, the more likely you will receive immediate help.

During an emergency or natural disaster, life can quickly become chaotic and confusing. By being fully prepared, you will not only give yourself a peace of mind but also will benefit from being able to deal with your finances and your insurance providers immediately. No one can ever be truly prepared when disaster strikes but getting a good head start is more than worth it in the end.

Tisha Kulak is a writer for Creditorweb.com, where she writes about credit card offers, finances, credit cards, and responsible credit card use.

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Free Software – Vista, Photoshop, or VMware

Would you like some free software? How about Windows Vista Ultimate, Photoshop CS3, or VMware Workstation 6? BA Software will give it to you!

I’ve been trying to find the catch to this offer, but I can’t. It looks legit, so I’m giving it a try. I’ll post the results here for everyone.

Basically, you can get a free license to any of the above software titles. If you’re a blogger, you just write a post about this giveaway, subscribe to updates at BA Software, and Stumble their giveaway page. Then you email them that you’re done. They will send you the license key within 48 hours.

You can read their post about this free software giveaway for more information.

I honestly have no clue how they can afford to do this. And I wonder if they are actually giving away legal licenses. I’ll let you know what happens!

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Productivity for Students – Slick New Blog

productive student

If you’re a student looking to improve your productivity, read on!

A Legal Andrew reader just notified me about a slick blog for all the students out there. It’s The Productive Student.

Honestly, when I received Arjun’s email, I thought the blog would be just another boring, stale-template website. It’s anything but that!

I think Arjun has hit the sweet spot of quality content and slick design. I’m certainly impressed!

Here are a few articles that caught my eye.

What are you waiting for? Visit The Productive Student or subscribe via RSS.

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New Business Card Ideas

business card cube

A reader responded to my article about law student business cards, and she asked some very thoughtful questions. In fact, there are some good ideas here for everyone to consider.

Business card and address

First of all, should your business card contain your address?

Let me answer that question with a question: Does it need to?

When you’re designing a professional business card, you should always remember the purpose. You want people to be able to contact you. How are people most likely going to do that? Probably via email or phone. Who needs a physical address!

The obvious exception is a store or other place of business that needs people to come to it. Their customers need to know where to go to shop or eat.

But most professionals (including law students and college students) primarily use their cards for networking. If somebody needs your accounting services, they’ll probably call to set up an appointment. They usually won’t just pop in.

Leaving off your address saves space and it also saves money. While many people are on the lookout for free business cards, you can spend a little extra on some slick cards that you won’t have to replace every time you move.

Student on the card?

The reader’s next question is whether or not she should put her law student status on her business card.

My response: yes!

Business cards should have your job on them. When you’re a student, that is your job. You can’t put “lawyer,” since you’re not a lawyer yet. But you can indicate that you are a law student. The same goes for college students and other graduate students.

But how should you indicate your student status?

Try this: University of Timbuktu, ’09

I think this clarifies for your state in life and what you’re looking for. At the present, you’d be interested in an internship or part time work. And you’re hoping to establish contacts for the future.

More business card questions?

I love writing about business cards. If you have a question or thought, send it my way.

Photo by Randy Cox

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Fastcase Customer Service – The CEO Called

I wrote the other day about a customer service snafu I encountered with the legal research company called Fastcase. They definitely redeemed themselves!

The day after my post went up, the Fastcase CEO called me. He had read my post and wanted to see how he could resolve the situation. Cool!

The history

Apparently Fastcase did have a security issue a while ago, so they implemented an automatic data cutoff. They did this to prevent people from bringing down the system during the night and interrupting access to legitimate users.

Here’s the neat part: no legitimate users had even come close to the cutoff limit before. I was the first legitimate user to be cutoff.

Great customer service

I can now confidently endorse Fastcase’s customer service, as well as their product. Here’s why:

1. Responding quickly. The CEO himself called me within 12 hours of my post going up.

2. Open to ideas. Since I was the first person to run into the security measure, Fastcase simply hadn’t realized that it would cause problems for users. They aren’t ignorant; I just added a new, unique piece of data for them.

3. Fixing the problem. Most importantly, Fastcase restored my access to the sytem. And now they are researching ways to improve their security without impacting users.

Not like Lexis and Westlaw

Have their CEO’s ever called you?

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