Many organizations were forced to move their employees over to remote working because of the pandemic but can this be a more permanent arrangement? Employers are realizing that jobs that had to be done on-site can in fact be done remotely. Twitter and Facebook are looking to make some of their roles permanently remote. There are many advantages to moving employees to a permanent virtual position.

1. Fully-remote organizations are able to access to distributed talent as a key competitive advantage.
2. Offering remote work options can help you attract and retain competitive talent.
3. Working remotely can save time.

There are some steps that can be followed to help transition your workforce to a permanent remote position:

1. Look at all the key tasks and responsibilities for a role and identify the critical tasks and needed competencies for the role.
2. Access the estimated costs of on-site versus remote labor.
3. Restructure roles to work as remote positions long-term.
4. Lessen unnecessary coordination among remote workers.

I personally have been a strong believer in allowing employees to work from home. It may not be for everyone but for those that need the flexibility for various reasons you want to be able to adapt your organization for remote workers. It is just like everything else you need to put together a plan and execute it. Go over the numbers. You may be surprised to see that allowing employees to work from home may end up saving your organizations a lot of money. For additional information on this topic you can reference:

https://hbr.org/2020/08/is-your-organization-ready-for-permanent-wfh

As we are adapting to our new normal it is always good to look at change and have an open mind. I hope you found this helpful. Please continue to stay safe and practice social distancing. Would love to hear from you!

Margherita C. Amplo
President, MCA Consultants
Email: Margherita
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margheritacamploconsulting/
Instagram: mca_consultants
YouTube: MCA Consultants

Submitted by:

Margherita Amplo
MCA Consulting Services, LLC.
https://mcacs.us

With the unofficial end of Summer, Labor Day weekend 2020 came and went. Hopefully you all were able to enjoy some down time with family and friends and the fabulous weather we had in the Northeast. This past Labor Day was one that we would have never imagined. As we are continuing our new norm with social distancing and wearing masks, and frequently washing our hands it looked very different than our celebrations in the past. I try to always keep things positive during this difficult time. I keep reminding myself that things will change for the better. “Be strong because things will get better. It may be stormy now, but it never rains forever.” When I talk to my clients, I always try to remind them that things will change soon. I am always looking to find good stories out there to share with my clients and friends about survival. I came across a great article in Entrepreneur Magazine about Sara Blakely, businesswomen, entrepreneur, and philanthropist and the founder of Spanx, an American intimate apparel company with pants and leggings. She has been through many highs and lows in the twenty years in business with both personal and global tragedies but has learned a lot on how to get through them.

Blakely needed to do what we all did back in March, pivot. Despite her having to close her stores and watched her sales fall and losing a line of new product when a cargo ship caught fire. She learned that blessings come in times of despair. This is what she believes has set her up for a successful career. She has been through many downfalls in her career. Spanx began being offered in stores like Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom but she noticed that it wasn’t enough. She needed to educate women on how this product can change their life, so she began traveling to the stores and doing promotions even using herself as the model for before and after look. She made a huge decision to invest in an advertising insert that would be sent out by Saks. The promotion would arrive in everyone’s mailboxes five days after the September 11th attacks. Talk about bad timing. But she kept with it and kept showing up at the stores to do her promos. She realized that she needed help from the sales associates on promoting her products since she noticed that no one walked through the hosiery department in which Spanx were placed, so she had a contest and offered the sales associate with the most sales that day with $100. She got everyone excited about her products and the word got out!

With the entire country facing the COVID-19 pandemic, Blakely feels eager to inspire entrepreneurs to gain strength from hard times. She feels that it is very important to develop a strong personal mindset. “As an entrepreneur, that’s your greatest asset, and you should work on it daily.” She recently partnered with 3DE, a national education nonprofit, on a module for high school students that teaches them to think for themselves and see opportunities. It is now being offered in 13 public schools and growing. Blakely has done what many of us business owners have done since March, cut costs, scaled back inventory orders, coming up with new products. She also donated $5 million to help other female founders. She is in survival mode and with her past experiences she is prepared for what is in her future.

I hope that you are inspired to move forward. Here is the complete article, https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/352188. Please continue to stay safe and practice social distancing. Would love to hear from you!

Margherita C. Amplo
President, MCA Consultants
Email: Margherita
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margheritacamploconsulting/
Instagram: mca_consultants
YouTube: MCA Consultants

Submitted by:

Margherita Amplo
MCA Consulting Services, LLC.
https://mcacs.us

It is said that habit formation suggests that the average time for a new habit to form is a minimum of 21 days. Our country is well past that 21-day mark from the beginning of the Pandemic. With that said, the change of habits has changed supply and demand. For organizations to understand changing habits they should look at behavioral trends to identify business opportunities. In an article from Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/2020/09/adapt-your-business-to-the-new-reality, they outline some easy steps that organizations should follow:

1. Map the potential ramifications of behavioral trends to identify specific products or business opportunities that will most likely grow.
2. Look at the data
3. Look at multiple perspectives
4. Adjust your Business Model

As companies look at growth opportunities, you will see digital transformation. An example of that is how we are seeing many people working from home as utilizing video conferencing. It is important that IT investments are focused on a specific business-model innovation to address new opportunities. It is also important that you look at reallocating your capital investments. Research studies show that the most successful companies invest more than their peers in new opportunities and put more than 90% of net spending to segments with higher growth and returns. These organizations realize that a crisis offers opportunities for a new competitive position.

Organizations tend to default to old habits when times are tough. Again, it is important to think outside of the box and find some new approaches. I hope you found this to be inspirational. Please continue to stay safe and practice social distancing. We are all in this together. Would love to learn how you are looking for your growth opportunities.

Margherita C. Amplo
President, MCA Consultants
Email: Margherita
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margheritacamploconsulting/
Instagram: mca_consultants
YouTube: MCA Consultants

Submitted by:

Margherita Amplo
MCA Consulting Services, LLC.
https://mcacs.us

School will be back in session for many children in our area in the next couple of weeks. With many of them going Virtual until the Thanksgiving break, many parents are struggling with juggling their work and their children’s school schedules. There are many things parents can do to be sure they are ready. Here are 4 things I make sure I do:

1. All members of the home should have their own workspace
2. Write your and your children’s to do lists for the day, make sure the day is planned including breaks and lunch
3. Stay in communication with your children’s educators by email, phone, Zoom.
4. Build a support system (caregiver, tutor, teacher or college student teachers to help with homeschooling pod).

Parents will have various needs depending on the age of their children. For younger children, if you just need someone to keep an eye on them while you work from home you may turn to a college student or caregiver. Older children need more help with their academics so you may want to get some help from an educator.

If you are a parent that feels your child will not be able to handle virtual learning and needs more in person instruction you may want to consider a tutor or learning pods. Learning Pods are groups of three to 10 students that learn together in homes under the instruction of the children’s parents or a hired professional teacher. Learning Pods could provide families with schooling options that are safe while allowing your kids to still have that social interaction with their friends. If costs are an issue you may want to contact any local colleges or universities to see if their Education Majors will be willing to do it for a smaller fee or if a few parents wanted to get together and share the responsibilities that can work too. Here are some additional resources that can help with Learning Pods.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/22/parenting/school-pods-coronavirus.html

https://www.vox.com/2020/7/28/21340222/learning-pods-covid-private-pandemic-education-school

I hope this was helpful. Please continue to stay safe and practice social distancing. We are all in this together so let’s help one another when we can. Feel free to contact me, would love to hear from you!

Margherita C. Amplo
President, MCA Consultants
Email: Margherita
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margheritacamploconsulting/
Instagram: mca_consultants
YouTube: MCA Consultants

Submitted by:

Margherita Amplo
MCA Consulting Services, LLC.
https://mcacs.us

With all the uncertainly in our lives lately, there was a recent news story that was likely overlooked by many people. I wanted to have the opportunity to share with you some critical information that might impact the short-term and long-term nature of your income.

The President issued an order for a payroll tax suspension, essentially hitting the "pause" button on workers' payroll taxes. This order will impact everyone in some way, whether you’re an employee, self-employed, or an employer. This order also has potential to impact the future of Social Security income as we know it.

Join me for a 15-minute discussion of the Payroll Tax Delay.

You are invited to a Zoom meeting. You do not need a Zoom account to join, simply your name and email address are needed to register. You will be able to join the meeting either by video or phone. If you join by video, you have the option of keeping your camera off (you’ll see me, I won’t see you).

There are 2 times available to choose whichever best fits your schedule. Please register in advance for the meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Wednesday: Aug 19, 2020 12:30 PM Eastern Time

https://financialguide.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIodeiopj0uGtS5I3rRIQbWXMmQNG8kkhp7

Wednesday: Aug 19, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time

https://financialguide.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAode-tpjIuGNRMB7gDhLDTE7NEL-TEnZY4

Dominic Marinucci, RICP®

Financial Adviser

111 E. Uwchlan Ave

Exton, PA 19341

call me: 484.348.6266

visit my website

follow me on Facebook

Orders to buy or sell securities will not be accepted via e-mail, fax, or voicemail. Dominic G. Marinucci is a representative of MML Investors Services, Inc. and offer securities and investment advisory services through MML Investors Services, Inc., member SIPC. Supervisory address: 5001 Louise Drive, Suite 300, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 phone: 717-791-3300

Insurance offered through Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and other fine companies.

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication may contain information that is proprietary, privileged and/or confidential, and is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the intended recipient or the intended recipient’s designees. Other use is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient or his/her designee, please notify the sender immediately by email, fax, or telephone and destroy all copies.

The FIVE STAR Award is granted by Five Star Professional, an independent marketing firm. This award is not indicative of future performance and is based on nominations by industry professionals in a given market area and objective criteria including favorable regulatory and complaint history, reviews conducted by the firm, retention rates, and client assets.

This e-mail transmission may contain information that is proprietary, privileged and/or confidential and is intended exclusively for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. Any use, copying, retention or disclosure by any person other than the intended recipient or the intended recipient's designees is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient or their designee, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and delete all copies.

Registered Representative of and securities offered through MML Investors Services, LLC, Member SIPC and a MassMutual subsidiary. Transactions may not be accepted by e-mail, fax, or voicemail

During the COVID Pandemic there is one word that is getting used more and more every day, that is the word pivot. Pivot is defined as a shift to a new strategy. It is often believed to entail drastically changing a whole company by focusing on a different set of customers, market or vertical. For Event Planning, this means having to develop new digital event strategies. Organizations are having to make decisions on how they are handling their events this year:

1. Cancel your 2020 event and reschedule in 2021
2. Have a smaller attendee list to have to accommodate to the COVID CDC Requirements
3. Have a live/virtual hybrid event
4. Have an all-virtual event

Many venues are making it difficult to have live social events due to many restrictions from COVID that many companies are leaning more towards having a live/virtual hybrid or an all-virtual event. Many business owners that I talk to tell me they miss the social interactions with their clients. That is why it is important that when going virtual that you are sure to engage your audience and allow them to have an experience that will allow them to come back.

There are many types of platforms that you can use to help you accomplish this whether it is Zoom, GoToMeeting, or Facebook Live. They all have a way for you to have a discussion, see a presenter, share slides and some even have a recording option. Again, you need to make sure that you are providing the experience and the engagement side. It is the networking piece that everyone struggles with. We all are humans and miss the human interaction. Yes, it is important that you have great content to share with your audience but don’t forget to keep them engaged. You want them to remember you when COVID is over and we can get back to seeing one another in a larger social event again. There are many ways you can do this by using your creativity.

Would love to learn more about your Digital Event Strategy. Please continue to stay safe and practice social distancing. Feel free to contact me, would love to hear from you!

Margherita C. Amplo
President, MCA Consultants
Email: Margherita
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margheritacamploconsulting/
Instagram: mca_consultants
YouTube: MCA Consultants

Submitted by:

Margherita Amplo
MCA Consulting Services, LLC.
https://mcacs.us

Businesses are still seeing social media campaigns as being among the top digital PR tactics during the coronavirus pandemic according to a new report conducted by Fractl and Buzz Stream. Even more so than ever, businesses need to communicate any COVID-19-related changes that may have occurred to their customers. Now we are seeing 1 in 4 business owners increased their digital PR spending during the pandemic, and 71.6% of business owners found digital PR very or extremely important in the age of COVID-19. Twenty-six percent of business owners went on to say that digital PR efforts helped their business stay open during the pandemic. https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/perceptions-of-digital-pr.html

In a recent article in Forbes, Digital Campaigns are no longer just an extra tactic to have in your marketing strategy. It needs to be considered and often prioritized at every step of the planning process. It is important that you maintain a Social Media Calendar and have a mix of different outreaches because your clients all don’t prefer one way of getting information from you. There are many different Digital Campaigns you can consider:

1. Social advertising – an example is advertising through Facebook, a cost-effective way to bring brand awareness
2. Blogs – a way for businesses to communicate, educate, and inform clients as well as offer personal thoughts.
3. Email Marketing Campaigns – using email to target customers or prospects. A successful email marketing campaignwill get the recipients to act, engage with your business, and help you to get more leads and sales.
4. Written and Video Content – have a mix of written content and video content. Video content shows 38% more engagement on social media than text-copy without a visual component
5. Podcasts - combines interviews with global experts, together with the latest news, tools, strategies and techniques to give your digital marketingthe edge. Aims to be both entertaining and informative.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2020/07/02/business-owners-still-see-benefits-of-social-media-during-pandemic/#2856382f2cb6

As more people are spending more time at home using the internet it is very important that businesses maintain a better online presence. You will see that it will bring new clients to businesses and help to engage existing customers. It is important that business owners know the importance of digital PR, and are they maintaining enough budgets for an in-house or external team. I hope that you find this information to be helpful. Would love to learn more about your Social Media Strategy. Please continue to stay safe and practice social distancing. Feel free to contact me, would love to hear from you!

Margherita C. Amplo
President, MCA Consultants
Email: Margherita
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margheritacamploconsulting/
Instagram: mca_consultants
YouTube: MCA Consultants

Submitted by:

Margherita Amplo
MCA Consulting Services, LLC.
https://mcacs.us

For many businesses it has been difficult to focus on business as usual during this pandemic. Senior Living Communities have taken a harder hit during this pandemic but that is not stopping Eagleview Landing from opening their doors later this summer. I had the pleasure of meeting with Michele Darreff, Community Relations Director at Eagleview Landing. Michele’s career has always been in Sales and Marketing she even owned her own Gymboree. Then after spending a summer working at Sunrise Senior Living in Exton she realized that she had a love of working with seniors. She focused on providing them with the best quality of life they can have. When she heard about the opportunity at Eagleview, it was a great way for her to put her passion to work.

Merrill Gardens is the managing company for Eagleview Landing and The Hankin Group is the developer for the community. They wanted to bring back the feel of the old row home neighborhood in Philly and bring it to Eagleview Landing. They are focused on providing the best quality of life for your loved one by:

1. Educating the adult child with options
2. Providing Long Term Care

The community will be opening very soon, hopefully in a matter of weeks. They have 103 Apartments, 45 focused on Memory Care and 58 for Personal Care. For more information on Eagleview Landing, check out their website at: https://www.eagleviewlanding.com/ or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/EagleviewLanding

Adult children struggle with finding ways to help their aging parents. Senior Living may or may not be the right decision for you and your family but looking at the many options that are out there are important. Be sure to educate yourself. I hope that you find this information to be helpful. Please continue to support small and local businesses. We are all in this together! Please continue to stay safe and practice social distancing. Feel free to contact me, would love to hear from you!

Margherita C. Amplo
President, MCA Consultants
Email: Margherita
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margheritacamploconsulting/
Instagram: mca_consultants
YouTube: MCA Consultants

Submitted by:

Margherita Amplo
MCA Consulting Services, LLC.
https://mcacs.us

In today’s fast-paced world it seems like most people are under some type of stress. In fact, the World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease Survey reports by the year 2020, stress-related conditions will be the second leading cause of disability.1 Stress is defined as, “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation”.2

It’s important to remember that not all stress is bad, but if the stress response isn’t dealt with properly, it can turn into chronic stress, which can have a negative impact on a person’s health. According to an article in Forbes, workplace stress alone accounts for up to $190 billion of the healthcare costs in the US.3 Chronic stress has been associated with a number of different health conditions such as depression, high blood pressure, and heart and metabolic disorders and can be an important predictor of health.4

Stress can be managed in a variety of ways. Understanding the cause of stress and utilizing different lifestyle modalities to manage it may produce beneficial health outcomes in the long run. Along with healthful nutrition, regular physical activity, good sleep, and hygiene, incorporating adaptogens in a person’s daily routine has been found to be beneficial in managing stress.4

Adaptogens are natural substances such as herbs that positively impact the body and help it adapt to stress. In times of increased stress, these herbs help to decrease cellular sensitivity to stressors, resulting in a balanced, eustress state (i.e. normal physiological stress).5 The proposed mechanism of action of adaptogens’ stress-protective ability has been linked to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its ability to regulate several stress response mediators, such as, cortisol, nitric oxide, and c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase 1 (JNK1).5 There are several herbs with adaptogenic properties, but one of the most widely studied adaptogenic herbs is Withania somnifera, commonly known as ashwagandha.

Ashwagandha is also referred to as Indian ginseng or winter cherry.4,6 The name ashwagandha literally means “smell of horse” because the roots of the plant produce a strong aroma that smells like a horse.4 Traditionally, it is believed that consuming this herb will confer vitality and strength similar to that of a horse.4 Ashwagandha has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries due to its various rejuvenating effects on the endocrine, neurological, reproductive, and immune systems.4 Several preclinical and clinical trials have shown ashwagandha to possess anti-inflammatory, antistress, antiarthritic, antioxidative, and neuroprotective properties.6

Submitted by:

MICHAEL BRIGGS
Lionville Natural Pharmacy
https://www.lionrx.com

News from West Whiteland Township! More Details About the Sinkholes Near the CVT Energy Transfer just finished boring under Lincoln Highway and the Chester Valley Trail to install casing that will house new pipelines. That work caused sinkholes to open up. The sinkholes follow the construction path of the bore and did not expose any nearby pipelines in operation or create hazards in Lincoln Highway. The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and PA Public Utility Commission (PUC) have been on site to inspect the sinkholes. The PUC continues to investigate whether there could be voids underground in that area that have not yet opened up as sinkholes. As part of the investigation, Energy Transfer conducted geophysical tests around the Chester Valley Trail (CVT) and found a void 30 feet underground, which is being filled. Until that work is complete, the CVT is closed near the intersection with Lincoln Highway. Pipeline construction will continue in that area as Energy Transfer pulls the pipes into the casing. That work could take around 10 days to complete. During that time, Energy Transfer will continue to monitor 24/7 for signs of any more sinkholes. West Whiteland Township does not own or regulate the impacted infrastructure or regulate the pipeline construction and therefore does not have jurisdiction to impose requirements. However, Township officials have urged the PUC to require further testing around the sinkholes to confirm the integrity of the operating pipelines, Lincoln Highway and the Chester Valley Trail. West Whiteland Township | 610-363-9525 | www.westwhiteland.org