Your BottomLine Text Version
SeaComm Business Newsletter
3rd Edition 2023
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: BSeen24-7.com
Bseen24-7.com is a well-established advertising company that has been serving the Franklin, St. Lawrence, Jefferson, and Clinton counties for years. Its footprint covers all of northern New York; from Plattsburgh and Champlain on the east side of the state, to Alexandria Bay and just north of Watertown, on the southwest side of the state. With over 207 strategically placed billboard faces, they have become a go-to solution for businesses looking to increase visibility and sales.
As a premier advertising company with over 38 years of experience in advertising and marketing, owner Royal Forgues understands the importance of providing customized solutions that resonate with clients' unique needs. “Our team of experts work closely with businesses to develop custom campaigns that increase brand awareness and drive sales. We offer a wide range of advertising solutions, including billboards, digital advertising, and more, to help businesses achieve their goals.”
What sets Bseen24-7.com apart is its commitment to providing high-quality advertising solutions that deliver results. Its team of experts work closely with clients to understand their unique needs and develop custom campaigns that resonate with target audiences.
Bseen24-7 billboards offer high visibility and have the potential to reach thousands of people every day. This makes them a cost-effective option for businesses of all sizes, as they can provide a significant return on investment. “Billboards can cost less per day than one small newspaper ad or one 30 second radio ad”, states Forgues.
In addition to the traditional billboard advertising, Royal at Bseen24-7 also offers 4-digital billboard solutions in Potsdam, Massena, and Malone; which allow businesses to display dynamic, eye-catching content in real-time. This is a great way to grab the attention of potential customers and increase engagement with your brand. Unlike other media; billboards are big, bold, and in your face. “You can’t turn the sound down, you can’t skip or block the ad, you can’t turn the channel, and you can’t turn the page,” adds Forgues.
With its extensive experience in the advertising industry, Bseen24-7 is a trusted partner for any business looking to take its advertising efforts to the next level. When it comes to the complete service offerings, Forgues states, “We offer a wide range of advertising solutions for our clients, which includes mobile billboards, digital advertising, and more.”
As for his experience working with SeaComm, Forgues is very pleased. “We have had a great experience working with SeaComm as our credit union. The team has been extremely supportive and have met all our financial needs,” he said. "We highly recommend SeaComm to anyone looking for a reliable and trustworthy financial institution.”
If you're looking for an effective advertising partner that truly cares about your business’ success, then look no further than Bseen24-7.
Contact them today to learn more about how they can help you reach your business goals. To get started, email Royal Forgues at: Royal@bseen.24-7.com, Call 518-383-0110, or visit their website: Bseen24-7.com to learn more.
Manager's Notebook
The Fed Aims for a Soft Landing
Set your TV to a financial news channel and you might catch a pundit warning that Fed rate hikes will surely result in a hard landing. Another pundit might interject and claim that the landing will be soft.
With all the jargon tossed around in finance, getting the terms down can make it easier to follow the conversation.
Before jumping into landings, it's important to understand the U.S. Federal Reserve's official mission. The Federal Reserve is required by Congress to pursue stable prices (meaning, among other things, low inflation) and to promote low unemployment. The key tool the Federal Reserve uses is raising and lowering interest rates.
Low-interest rates encourage lending and also spur increased economic activity. Businesses can borrow money to invest, for example, and consumers sometimes take advantage of low interest rates to buy on credit. However, low interest rates can result in high inflation, which can hurt both consumers and businesses. If inflation becomes too high, the Fed could very well raise interest rates to curb inflation and potentially cool an overheated economy.
In recent months, the Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates in an effort to cool inflation. So far, some data indicate that the Fed's actions are working and that inflation is tapering off. However, some analysts have warned that the Fed's interest rate hikes will hurt the economy and might even set off a recession. If the economy does contract, it would be viewed as a hard landing.
If the Fed can lower interest rates and cool the economy without causing a contraction, it would be considered a soft landing. So far, the Fed has been aiming for this soft landing, hoping to cool the economy and moderate inflation without causing a recession.
"Assume any career moves you make won't go smoothly. They won't. But don't look back."
- Andy Grove
Hoarding Talent: The Latest Business Strategy
In the face of recessionary fears, many businesses have maintained staff, even though they expect an economic downturn. Going against conventional wisdom, there are companies that hoard labor.
According to Insight Global, many executives believe that if a recession hits, it will be shallow. Some are looking ahead to a rebound, and one way to do that is to stockpile talent.
For many months, companies have struggled to fill open positions and retain their current employees. Perhaps feeling burned by the tight labor market, organizations would now rather maintain headcounts even if a recession does set in.
This way, when markets rebound, companies may not have to wade back into the tight labor market to fill positions opened by downsizing. Often, it's more expensive to hire new workers than to retain existing ones. Not only do companies have to account for training costs, but attracting candidates from other companies often means luring them with substantially higher wages.
One way companies are trying to hoard labor is by retraining staff to work on different projects. Recessions tend to hit some industries and operations harder than others. Rather than lay off staff in softer areas of business, some firms are instead trying to shift labor to more resilient business operations.
Some bosses and owners have also proven willing to take pay cuts if it means maintaining headcounts. However, it's not all good news. In some cases, companies may cut hours across the board so they can retain more employees while paying them less.
Further, while many companies are maintaining headcounts, they aren't always expanding them. Some organizations are still trimming workers as well. For those who do get laid off, finding a new job may prove to be more difficult.
Quick Tip:
Sometimes things happen that are out of your control and unexpected costs arise. Put some money away to create an emergency fund. It’s a great habit and will come in handy during a time of need.
Find more helpful tips and articles at seacommblog.com
How Much Cash Should You Stash?
Money is going digital. When your check goes straight to your account and you pay your bills directly from that account, you might never see an actual bank note.
But should you have some cash on hand? You might need to tip someone, or pay for a service, and what about an emergency? If a tornado hits your area, the power goes out, and your home is so damaged you can't stay there, you might need some cash to get lodging and food.
The question is how much cash to keep. Many people have different views on that. First, you don't want to keep too much around. Cash is an insecure asset -- it can be lost or stolen or even burned in a fire. You want to store your cash in a safe place. Cash loses value to inflation, so you want most of your cash in your credit union.
Danielle Miura, founder and owner of Spark Financials, told Go Banking Rates in an interview that she thinks we need $100 to $200 -- enough for some gas, a tip, or an emergency expense.
Yasmin Purnell, the founder of The Wallet Moth, thinks the amount should be more like $1,000. Enough to get a hotel, dinner, water, gasoline, and medication.
Other personal finance types say you might be better off protecting yourself with extra food like canned goods in a closet or other staples.
One situation where having cash might be handy (or not), is in the case of a devastating emergency, such as a hurricane or tornado.
Disasters can create mini-economies of need. Five gallons of gasoline might be priceless. Four gallons of water might be irreplaceable. Canned goods might be essential, especially during extended periods of need.
In these situations, scarcity will cause prices to rise. While cash could be handy, you might need the commodities more.
Jerry Manor
Business Development Manager
jmanor@seacomm.org
800-764-0566 ext. 546
Christina Smutz
Member Business Loan Officer
csmutz@seacomm.org
800-764-0566 ext. 510
Locations
Main Office
30 Stearns Street
Massena, NY 13662
Malone Branch
3349 Route 11
Malone, NY 12953
Potsdam Branch
6 Sisson Street
Potsdam, NY 13676
Canton Branch
101 East Main Street
Canton, NY 13617
Ogdensburg Branch
3001 Ford Street Extension
Ogdensburg, NY 13669
Plattsburgh Branch
139 Smithfield Blvd
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
South Burlington Branch
1680 Shelburne Rd
So. Burlington, VT 05401
Essex Branch
125 Carmichael Street
Essex, VT 05452
Watertown Branch
20565 State Route 3
Watertown, NY 13601
Branch Managers
Joanne Langdon
30 Stearns St. Branch Manager
Christine Marshall
Malone Branch Manager
Barbara Bessette
Canton Branch Manager
Elizabeth Holliday
Ogdensburg Branch Manager
Ashley Allen
Potsdam Branch Manager
Melissa Comer
Plattsburgh Branch Manager
Jess Roach
Watertown Branch Manager
Joseph Feltz
Essex Branch Manager
Mark Kalloz
South Burlington Branch Manager
Business Development
Jerry Manor
Business Development Manager
Christina Smutz
Member Business Loan Officer
315-764-0566 / 800-764-0566
www.seacomm.org
Let us Spotlight your business!
We are proud of our business members and want to share your story! Contact Jerry Manor for more information. Call (315) 764-0566 or toll-free (800) 764-0566 or email jmanor@seacomm.org
SeaComm
30 Stearns St
Massena, NY 13662
*This publication does not constitute legal, accounting or other profesional advice. Although it is intended to be accurate, neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage due to reliance on this material.