BBB eNewsletter February 2023

What’s New? BBB in the Community

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Employee Spotlight

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Letter from the CEO:

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Newly Accredited Business - Feb 2023

BBB Business Tips

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Most Inquired about types of businesses

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Action Line A weekly advice column written by CEO Blair Looney

BBB News & Media

Revocations & Unanswered Complaints

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Upcoming Events & Contact Us

Thank you for your continuing support to BBB. Your BBB is a non-profit, standards based community benefit organization created by local trustworthy businesses in support of BBB’s vision and mission.

Your commitment supports reliable and unbiased information on the local marketplace to benefit consumers and businesses with purchase decisions.

BBB Accreditation symbolizes your business as ethical and trustworthy in the crowded marketplace.

Your support to our standards is the foundation on which trust is built.

Thank you for helping us promote this trust in the marketplace.

Appreciatively,

Blair Looney President/CEO Better Business Bureau Serving Central California & Inland Empire Counties

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Deadline is March 15th!

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CONGRATULATIONS!

Employees of the Year: Veronica Herrera & Diana Montoya

Salesperson of the Year: Diana Montoya 6

Nominate A Business Today!!!

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CLICK HERE TO SEE NEWLY ACCREDITED BUSINESSES When a business has been accredited by the BBB, it means BBB has determined that the business meets accreditation standards, which include a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints.

For a list of newly accredited businesses click here.

NEWLY ACCREDITED? DON’T FORGET TO:

CHECK YOUR LISTING ON BBB.ORG/CCIE

MAKE SURE YOUR WEBSITE DISPLAYS BBB DYNAMIC SEAL

CONTACT YOUR BBB REP WITH QUESTIONS cindy@ccie.bbb.org

ACCREDITED BUSINESS HOTLINE 1-800-675-8118 x 5

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PERSONALIZED BUSINESS PROFILE ON BBB.ORG You can customize your BBB Business Profile to reflect the description of your business, products/services, refund policies, hours of operation, and service area.

Add multiple photos, company logo, and videos, to create a unique and long lasting first impression! Photos, videos and links are critical for marketing on the internet.

BBB DYNAMIC SEAL

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

If you have a website, you need a BBB Dynamic Seal! It assures your customers that your company meets strict BBB standards, and that yours is a site they can trust! Apply for a Dynamic Seal by contacting Tish at tish@ccie.bbb.org.

Take full advantage of BBB Customer Reviews. Ask your customers to post their review for you! We review the submissions to make sure they are truly your customer before they are posted.

BBB GET-A-QUOTE

BETTER BUSINESS TOOLBOX

Is a lead generating program consumers may access through our website to request price estimates for products and services. We send the actual proposal to Accredited Businesses that could fulfill the request for an opportunity to gain a new customer.

The Business Management Platform for Out-Call Service Providers. Toolbox applications drive success for service providers through functionality, simplicity, and price.

FOR A FULL LIST OF BBB ACCREDITATION BENEFITS CLICK HERE

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BBB BUSINESS TIPS: Key strategies for rising above your competition As a small business owner in 2023, you are facing more competition than ever before. With approximately 32.5 million small businesses now operating in the United States, it can be challenging to stand out and attract new customers. By using the right strategies, however, you can differentiate yourself from the competition and prove that your small business is a unique, invaluable resource for customers in your area.

5 key strategies for getting ahead of the competition 1. Conduct regular competitor research One of the most important things you can do as a small business owner is to conduct regular competitor and market research. Your competitors are constantly evolving based on changes in the market, and the best way to get ahead of the competition is to figure out what they’re doing and how you can capitalize on those trends.

It’s easy to get side-tracked when you’re first getting started with your business. However, you need to learn to prioritize and focus on certain goals. This doesn’t mean ignoring opportunities to grow your business, but it does mean identifying your key priorities and setting aside time to focus on them. This will help you strengthen your brand and build a loyal following, giving you a competitive advantage.

Conducting competitor research will not only help you understand your competition, but it will also give you valuable insight into:

3. Don’t be afraid of collaboration

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The demand for your product/service Who is interested in what you have to offer Who is your ideal audience Overall market saturation Pricing models Strengths/weaknesses of your competition Potential barriers you may face

This information will help you understand how your competitors are performing and where the market is headed. Then, you can use these insights to create a strategic plan for growing your business and setting goals for the future. Just remember, this isn’t a one-and-done process. You need to conduct competitor research on a regular basis to ensure you’re staying ahead.

2. Get focused One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is trying to be everything to everyone, contributing to approximately 20% of all small businesses failing within a year of opening their doors.

It’s important to remember that you can’t do it all alone.

Collaborating with other small businesses in your area and with other industry experts will allow you to leverage each other’s strengths and expand your reach. In turn, you will establish a strong network that can help you grow your business.

4. Act on customer feedback One of the most important things you can do as a small business owner is listening to your customers. This will help you identify areas for growth and opportunities to improve your business. The best small businesses are the ones that listen to their customers and evolve their offerings to meet their needs, which includes listening to their concerns and feedback.

5. Create an omnichannel experience that surpasses the rest

Finally, create an omnichannel experience for your small business to outshine your competitors. This means creating a seamless customer experience across all your channels, from social media to your website. This will help you build a loyal following and a strong network, resulting in increased business growth.

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Most Inquired about Types of Businesses 1. Online Retailers

2. General Contractor 12,883 Inquiries

5. Furniture Stores 3,798 Inquiries

8. Collection Agencies 2,907 Inquiries

Data from Jan. 2023

21,688 Inquiries

3. Roofing Contractors 4,247 Inquiries

4. Solar Energy Contractors 4,033 Inquiries

6. Plumber

7. Auto Repair

3,685 Inquiries

9. Electrician 2,596 Inquiries

3,068 Inquiries

10. Real Estate 2,469 Inquiries

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A Weekly Column in the Fresno Bee where CEO & President, Blair Looney answers questions asked by consumers looking for advice.

Q: The other day, my friend approached me and asked if I could help him wire some money to an account overseas, which set off all kinds of alarm bells in my head, so I immediately pressed him for more information. I guess my friend’s been in a long-distance relationship with someone he met on a dating site a few months ago. He explained that his girlfriend wanted him to act as an intermediary and was to receive a wire transfer, which he would then pass along to another account. Naturally, I recognized that for the huge red flag that it was. I’ve been telling him that this is a scam, but he’s on the fence about it, but has agreed not to do anything until we get a second opinion, which is you. So, now that I’ve given you the rundown on this situation, what’s your take on all this?

A: It was a good thing that you were able to stop your friend before it was too late. These are the tell-tale signs of a classic romance scam. However, unlike many other scams, your friend could face criminal charges as an accomplice. They’re known as ‘Money Mule’ scams. Much like the situation you described, it starts when individuals that use dating websites will match with a fake profile set up by these scammers. After gaining their trust through some friendly chats, they’ll try and take the conversation off the dating website and instead start communicating over the phone or some kind of messaging app. It’s at this point that these scammers will try and convince their victims to receive some money and subsequently send it to a foreign bank account on their behalf. Although they are the victim, those that do end up going through with these transfers can be charged with wire fraud and/or money laundering by the authorities. For future reference, here are some tips your friend should follow so that he doesn’t run the risk of this happening again: ●

Do your research. Many scammers steal photos from the internet to use in their dating profiles. You can do a reverse image lookup using a website, like

Google Images, to see if the photos on a profile are stolen from somewhere else. You can also search online for a profile name, email, or phone number to see what adds up and what doesn’t. Scammers most often pose as men and target women in their 50s and 60s. ●

Ask specific questions about details given in a profile. A scammer may stumble over remembering details or making a story fit.

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Never send money or sensitive personal information to someone you’ve never met in person. Cut off contact if someone starts asking you for financial or personally identifiable information (PII), like your credit card number or government ID numbers.

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Be very suspicious of requests to wire money or use a prepaid debit card. These are scammers’ favorite ways to send payments because, like cash, once the money is gone, it can’t be recovered.

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News & Media

How the local factor gives your business a competitive edge After navigating the last few years of economic flux, it’s clear that being a local business carries a lot of weight these days. As consumers trend toward local options, the time is ripe to lean into this advantage. This begs the question: As a small business owner, are you playing the local card?

Here are eight tips on how to lean into the local factor to drive success for your company.

Painter Industry Outlook for 2023 and beyond The past two years have been more difficult than painting stucco without an airless sprayer for the painting industry. Those that survived the pandemic downturn shared an overabundance of work. But now many painters wonder whether to expect a flat or high-gloss outlook. This white paper provides painters with an unbiased look at the industry and the emerging trends reshaping the painting industry's future.

READ HERE

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Revocations On 1/25/2023 this business's accreditation in the BBB was revoked by the BBB's Board of Directors due to its failure to adhere to the BBB requirement that Accredited Businesses meet and abide by.

Cosmic Cell Foods Academy Standard 6A. Provide a response to each complaint that Is professional, addresses all significant issues raised by the complainant, includes appropriate evidence and documents supporting the business' position, and explains why any relief sought by the complainant cannot or should not be granted.

Unanswered Complaints BBB assists in the resolution of disputes between businesses and consumers who have had a marketplace relationship. BBB is an impartial party in the process, and BBB professionals facilitate and foster ethical communication between the parties to try and resolve the dispute. For a list of businesses with one or more unanswered complaints in the last 45 days click HERE.

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The CEO Forum Group Exclusive BBB Accredited Business Benefit BBB is committed to building better businesses and advancing trust in business. One important way to accomplish this is by partnering with other like-minded organizations and groups to work together to achieve a common goal.

BBB has a new partnership with The CEO Forum Group (CEOFG) that allows our BBBs and their Accredited Businesses the benefit of thought leadership content and insights. Through in-depth interviews with over 1,000 top CEOs, The CEO Forum Group brings expertise from across the nation that you can use in your business.

This partnership aligns with BBB’s goal of building better businesses and advancing trust in business with TCEOFG’s goal of disseminating wisdom from CEOs to elevate business, the economy, and society.

As a benefit of Accreditation, our Accredited Businesses have access to The CEO Forum Group’s content at no charge (a value of $195, annually). Every Wednesday you will receive a new CEO video interview that includes the transcript and polls. Accredited Businesses will also have access to the CEO Institute Library, which allows you to access all of the interviews with CEOs.

Sign up today for this free benefit today by visiting institute.theceoforumgroup.com/iabbb-partners-membership

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Upcoming Events MAR 3 FRI

Spring Fresno Home & Garden Show

APR 22 SAT

Shredding Event at Fresno High School

We hope to see you all at the 37th Fresno Home & Garden Show on the weekend of March 3-5, 2023.

View Event

Protect yourself from identity theft, and shred your documents! Join us at Fresno High on Saturday, April 22.

View Event

BBB.org/CCIE

info@ccie.bbb.org

800-675-8118 ext. 5

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