Breaking the Small Business Code

Social Media Will Haunt You!

There is a great article at EduGeek Journal on how social media can result in undesired consequences. I want students and families to be aware of the risks and the responsibilities when it comes to using social media!  My recommendation is:

Don't use Social Media if you are not prepared for the consequences!

The blog discusses a story about a student posting a hate screed against a teacher on Facebook. The suspended student encouraged other students to also post hateful speech on her Facebook wall.  The student was suspended for her actions and as expected in America, the student is suing.

The blog is a great summary of positions on both sides of the "free speech" aisle - especially when it involves the education community. The situation raises many, many issues that students, families, schools, colleges and employers are just beginning to experience with social media "publishing".

What I find most illuminating is how NO ONE can agree on what net-based Social Media represents when it comes to "speech".

• Is it private free speech like "talking over a burger" or is it "print publishing" because it can be seen and read virtually forever everywhere?
• Does a private citizen have the right to publish an "opinion" and the opinion of others for public consumption OR is it "hate" speech that needs to be punished? 
• Is it private speech or is it "first amendment" press?
• Is it private speech or public incitement? 
• Is calling for an improper act with Social Media protected speech or opinion or something to be prosecuted?
• Does the "permanent nature", easy accessibility and freedom to forward virtually everywhere impact the free speech of the author if social media is used?

Facebook, MySpace and blogs are the equivalent of publishing private magazines and newspapers. Twitter is a public miniblog unless everything you do is a direct tweet. Even if taken down by the web host, many people print hard copy of sites to prove it once contained the information.And the print copy  is forwarded via the web after being scanned!

Once something has been forwarded, it will have an almost infinite life. How many times have you received the same set of cute puppy or kitten pictures from 3 different sets of friends?  Now imagine that the information is juicy gossip or negative information! As many celebrities have discovered, virtually everything posted to the web is stored somewhere and can be retrieved and passed around the world. 

Regardless of how this case turns out, this case and a growing number of others shows me that there is a BIG danger for students and others who fail to use social media in a positive way.  There are already stories about how social media information was used for denial of admissions to a college, kept someone from getting a job or even got users suspended or fired.

I agree with Matt Crosslin who posted the article that regardless of how the "legal" world spins this, you should ALWAYS be ready to take the responsibility for the action of posting, period.  Pulling out the "First Amendment" every time someone doesn't like the consequences of their postings is a disservice to the Amendment. If you do something "stupid" or hurtful on the web, be prepared for the fallout.

I recommend the simple guideline: "Don't post it if you don't want your grandmother to see it".  I also like what my mother used to say when I spread gossip: "if you can't say something nice, don't day anything at all".

ERROR IN THE 2009-2010 FAFSA?

      The 2009-2010 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) contains could be a major problem in how parent and student assets are being defined.  The FAFSA Worksheet and the online FAFSA form both include UGMA/UTMA accounts in the definition of parent assets!  This is either an error or a complete redefining of what is to be included as a parent asset by the Department of Education.

      A UGMA/UTMA account is the way a minor owns financial assets until they are 18 or 21, depending on their state of residence. The asset is in “trust” to a guardian who is an adult responsible for managing the account for sole benefit of the child owner.  Most UGMA/UTMA accounts hold mutual funds, stocks or bonds in the child’s name and are usually managed by a parent or grandparent who gifted the original asset.

      Until this current 2009-2010 FAFSA, a UGMA/UTMA account(s) was listed on the FAFSA as athe filing student’s asset regardless of their age. The good news is redefining a UGMA/UTMA asset as belonging to a parent reduces and could even eliminate the impact of the asset for calculating the Expected Family Contribution (EFC)!  Unfortunately, the FAFSA then uses the exact same definition of an asset including UGMA/UTMAs for the student asset section of the 2009-2010 FAFSA.  This could lead to three potential errors for families filing FAFSAs:

1.  Listing the UGMA/UTMA as both a parent AND student asset thus counting the same asset twice for calculating the EFC,

Social Media Simplified Event 10-27-08

      My personal expertise in college planning is helping small business owners during these critical cash flow years.  I help the whole range of small businesses - entrepreneurs, self-employed, home-based, solo-preneurs, and companies with less than 25 employees, and even multilevel and network marketing associates.  One of the most critical things is connecting with your target prospects and staying connected with your clients and customers.

     In the 21st century, much of the marketing dialog is taking place in Web 2.0 using social media, social networking and social networks.  Your clients and prospects are living on Facebook, reading blogs (hopefully like mine!), using Twitter, and optimizing their results with tools like Google AdWords.  You need to know about Web 2.0!

    That's why I am so excited about the upcoming "Social Media Simplified" Mastermind event happening on 10-27-08.  Because I am also a BIG supporter of nonprofits, it is being hosted at the Ventura Adult & Continuing Education (VACE)'s Technology Development Center with a share of the revnue going to the TDC!  Here is the press release about the event.  THINK about joining us but ABSOLUTELY order the DVD set with bonus CD.

On Monday, October 27 from 9AM to 5 PM, the Technology Development Center (www.TDCTraining.com) in Ventura is presenting a powerful Mastermind event for small business owners and nonprofits who want to understand and profit from the rapidly growing Web 2.0 Social Media phenomenon. The seminar will feature 5 of the nation’s leading experts who will share their insider information on how to use social media tools to prosper in a tough economy.

 The Mastermind event will feature the 4 most powerful social media tools and their expert:

· Mari Smith on Facebook for small businesses (www.MariSmith.com)

· Deborah Micek on using Twitter to build loyal customers (www.RPMSuccess.com )

· Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff AKA “The Blog Squad” on blogging for business profit (www.BlogSquad.biz)

· Simon Leung – Insider from Google AdWords!

The event is hosted by Linda P. Taylor, (www.LindaPTaylor.com ) an expert in college planning for small businesses including LinkedIn. She will present the “blueprint” to help small businesses take the information they will receive to build a successful social media program for their special needs.

“We are excited to host this first ever event at the TDC” said Teresa Johnson, TDC Director. “Not only does the community get to learn from these 5 fabulous social media experts, our students will get see first-hand how their training can qualify them for jobs in the Web 2.0 world.”

Program host Linda P. Taylor agreed. “I have spent over 30 years helping small business owners with college-bound children or grandchildren use marketing to increase their revenue to pay for higher education. Most wanted to try using social media but had no idea where to even start! So I invited these international experts to come share their insider knowledge.”

Director Johnson continued, “If you’re like me, you probably don’t know a Twitter from a Pownce much less how to use them. You wonder if you should blog, use Facebook, do podcasts or YouTube, and how to fit it into current operations.” She then encouraged EVERYONE who is interested in this rapidly growing set of marketing tools MUST be at this event!

For those that can’t attend, the entire event is being filmed and will be available on DVD with a bonus CD for pre-order for $149 – a 25% discount from the $197 price. 

Reservations and more information can be found at www.SocialMediaSimplified.com.

Warning about HIDDEN Scholarship Traps

WARNING, what you are about to read is what I call the second "dirty little secret" about scholarships (the first dirty little secret is Resourcing).   What I am talking about is the sale of  the information you provide for a scholarship application or search!

With fewer and fewer exceptions, almost ALL the scholarships on the web are simply fronts for marketing and list-building companies.  Once you finish this posting you may never want to apply for an on-line scholarship again!

I spend most Sundays watching auto racing while surfing the web for tidbits and to find "safe" websites for my clients like the College Leadership Foundation's College eCoaching Program.  Well, I just found another one of those HIDDEN relationships between a marketing company and a scholarship that make me so angry! 

I don't mind a company using a scholarships as a marketing tool as long as it is absolutely clear ON THE SAME WEB PAGE as the scholarship offer that they will be sending you information from their sponsors and partners.  A "good guy" example is Financial Aid Podcast with Chris Penn which makes no secret that its $10,000 scholarship is directly related StudentLoan Network.

What I call the "bad guy"  sites are ones where the only thing you see is information about  scholarships and maybe some window dressing about financial aid.  Their relationship with marketing and list companies is buried in 7 point font on page 15 of micro-mini pages under Terms & Conditions or Privacy which is usually at the bottom of the page, again in micro print but in such a light color that it is almost invisible!  Oh they cover themselves legally by asking you to opt-out by unchecking an already completed box.  But unchecking the box make it look like you might miss out on another scholarship or special offer!

These people attract MILLIONS of students by offering one scholarship worth as little as $500 all the way up to $10,000. Your email and any other information you include to "qualify" for the scholarship is then used, sold and re-sold for years.

What is insidious about these marketing scholarships is they get "filtered" and passed along in ways that make them seem safe.  Aggregators like FastWeb are full of  marketing scholarships like BrickFish.  These not-so-nice sites also get passed along by high school counselors and groups like NACAC who are just trying to help students.  But others are affiliates who get paid to send you to these scholarship sites! Now social media is passing them along and it's pissing me off!

Today I found a GREAT example of how families are being duped through SOCIAL MEDIA!!  It started with a Twitter message I got that referred me to the blog "College Finance 101".  Inside the site was a blog entitled FREE COLLEGE MONEY.  Inside the blog was a link to ScholarshipExperts dot com site.  What made me mad was this was an affiliate tag so the blogger is either being paid per click or per applicant.  From there, I was asked to fill in my basic information on the squeeze ScholarshipExperts front page. 

So what's so bad about that process I just described? Several things.  First, I now don't know whether or not I can trust the content of College Finance 101.  There may be some fabulous information in that blog but it is now tainted because I have to worry what else is a hidden front for affiliate marketing.  I have no problem with ads or banners or stated affiliate relationships.  I do have a problem with a link that looks like an endorsement without revealing the relationship is financial!

Finally, here is what ScholarshipExperts says in its Terms & Conditions (I added color and bolding for emphasis): 

When You submit a profile or application, ScholarshipExperts.com may access, store, and use all information included therein for any purpose. Additionally, if You provide permission to do so, ScholarshipExperts.com may sell, share, distribute, or disclose to third parties all information You provide, including scholarship providers, educational institutions and others.

This is why I wrote my Insider Secrets to Scoring Scholarships.  It shows ALL the good, the bad and this ugly kind of stuff that everyone else leaves out!  I hate scholarship hyprocrisy.  I like my data straight and to the point.   If you are an affiliate, carry the ad or banner, don't bury it in your blog.  If you sell the information, say so.  If there is going to be someone calling you about the offer, say so.

To learn more about my crusade against scholarship abuses, visit www.LindaPTaylor.com