Have you ever been to a dinner meeting where almost everyone had their noses in their smartphones? It's easy to be impolite in the modern age not only because distractions are everywhere, but also because face-to-face encounters are no longer the only option to communicate.

There are more than 27 million small businesses in the United States today, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. If you work for such a company, you likely know that employees in small businesses rarely have just one job assignment. The nature of small companies means that everyone has to pitch in and help wherever and whenever needed. Because of this dynamic, your boss may not always have the time he or she would like to teach you about succeeding in your job and in business in general. There are likely a few things that he or she would like you to already know. Below are just three such things to consider:

1. Attitude is everything. How you address your fellow employees and the company's customers sets the tone for the entire business. Do you treat everyone with respect, from the mail person to the CEO? An atmosphere of professionalism and courtesy makes your office or store a place that not only employees want to work in, but that customers will want to frequent. Make sure that your attitude is courteous, on the phone, in your written communications, on social media and in face-to-face meetings.
2. It is okay to ask for help. In a small business where the boss' and manager's time is drawn in many directions, he or she may not always notice when you need assistance in completing a project. Although it may seem like a sign of weakness to ask for help when you're struggling or unsure of how to proceed, your boss or manager will likely welcome your questions. After all, the boss can't be in all places at all times.
3. Numbers count. Although immeasurable things like good customer relations, a healthy social media following and a cache of future prospects are important, numbers are what pay the bills and that includes salaries. The employee who adds to the company's bottom line will always be more valuable that the one with great ideas, but few concrete results.

Working for a small business is different from working in a large corporation. For one thing, the departmental boundaries are less rigid and employees are often called on to wear multiple hats. For another, advancement possibilities are often more available as small businesses grow and expand. Being aware of what your boss expects you to know can help you be prepared to take advantage of these opportunities when they arise.

Small business owners can accomplish much without spending too much money. In fact, marketing in today's connected era doesn't have to be hard or expensive. Even the simplest idea, when planned carefully and executed well, can get you great results.

Modern technology has given us unprecedented access to everyone and everything. The tools therein can be used to either help or harm your business. One unavoidable tool that can either be a boon or a burden to your business is social networking. If you try to avoid it--or worse, don't run your social media platforms correctly--your business could be harmed as consumers flock to your more social network media savvy competitors. However, if you properly engage consumers on your social media platforms, which many of them will be tethered to from the moment they wake up until--or even while--they are sleep, you will receive many benefits.

Health care reform has allowed millions of Americans to gain access to health care through affordable insurance for the first time and that's great news for medical offices. The increase in patients making appointments at doctor's offices across the country is great for business but forces those health care providers to consider round-the-clock availability. While staffing a medical office 24/7 may not be a possibility, the doctor is only a call away with an answering service.

Bad weather creates all kinds of problems for nearly everyone. The worse the weather, the more problems there are. If there is snow, everything slows and the call volume really increases. When there’s ice, and especially if it’s on top of the snow, it’s the worst ever. Trees and limbs are either broken or bent over limbs kissing the ground from the weight of the ice, power lines are down, electric is off, no water, food supplies are dwindling, streets clog with traffic and the ice causes accidents which stop any movement – businesses close and if anyone is coming in at all, they’ll be late, schools close, parents stay home to watch their children, family and friends call from out of town to see if everyone is alright, and so many other reasons why people can’t get all their incoming phone calls. It’s bad – really bad – and no one knows when the situation will improve.

2014 - A fresh start! 2013 has come and gone, you've hopefully wrapped up the last of your projects and preparing for this year's new ones. Are you planning on doing anything differently this year? Did you feel you had enough time to finish everything you started? If you're like most people, chances are, you definitely wished you had more time to complete things. It happens to all of us: we're ready to hit the ground running on getting our work done, and about 20 minutes in, a distraction comes along and we get sidetracked.

Barbara started working for A Better Answer 32 years ago almost to the day!

Barbara started working for A Better Answer December 20th, 1981 back when we wrote all of our messages by hand and used the very earliest computers that would connect callers to another.

She has won many awards for her outstanding performance and efficient productivity and her skills have allowed her to wear many hats within the company. Barb has served ABA in bookkeeping, supervising and training as well as being a telephone secretary!

Barbara's niche was being a truly wonderful telephone secretary as she assisted callers from all over the world, making sure she helped them to the best of her ability. Barb made many friends over the years, of our clients as well as co-workers. She will be missed greatly by all! We wish her the best as she encounters the next stage of life, retirement has a lot to offer and we are sure she will experience many new things and we are sure she will stop in from time to time to tell us all about it!

Thank you for the 32 years of service given to A Better Answer, we all feel it was an honor working with you! Farewell Barbara, until we meet again!

2013 - Thank you for coming to an end!

For the second year in a row, all three A Better Answer Call Centers have won the CAM-X (Canadian Call Management Association) Award of Excellence.