MN Digital Sales Tax and Affordable Health Care Act

MSAE's Financial & Accounting Networking Group met last November to discuss the MN Digital Sales Tax and Affordable Health Care Act.  Here are the top takeaways from the meeting:

• Health care is a moving target, no firm plans to change.
• It was not legislative intent to tax on demand education, dealing with how to handle it now.
• Can't have tax that is discriminatory (some taxed) - in-state vs. out-state.
• To change the MN Digital Sales Tax, we need a coordinated effort - stay tuned for updates and contact your congressperson.

These issues are sure to come up again, we'll keep you posted as we learn more.  

Reimbursing Members & Policies

MSAE's Financial Networking Group met today to discuss reimbursement policies and procedures - what works, what doesn't and how we can be more efficient.  Here are the top takeaways:

• Have your cancellation and expense policies in writing - and be specific on what can be expensed and what can not - for example, first class airfare, limo transportation, spouse travel, specific date for cancellation, etc.  
• Sample Expense Reimbursement Policy from the MN Attorney General's Office
• Receipts, Receipts, Receipts - Require Them! 

Networking Group Day

60 members joined MSAE for our first-ever Networking Group Day on 1/31. It was a great way to kick off 2013, showcase and participate in MSAE's six networking groups, connect with members and share ideas. Here are the top takeaways from each Networking Group discussion:

Allied Networking Group

Marketing Sales Techniques

• “Cold calling” / prospecting – utilize resources like LinkedIn, Google search and Facebook; rethinking preferred method – email; send subtle follow up.
• Concessions – comp stay “secret shopper” evaluations with video testimonials; making sure both parties are benefitting.
• Building the relationship / creating the experience.

Creative Approaches to Close the Sale

• My competition doesn’t have “me” – the relationship is the close.
• The authentic close – engaged and aware of their needs. Listen.
• Simple gestures go a long way and sometimes inexpensive gestures go further and mean more to the clients.

Communications Networking Group

Google Apps & the Cloud

• Utilize Google Alerts to have specific web content delivered to you via email on the regular basis you specify.
• Use the "trick" of searching a specific website right from Google's homepage by typing into the search bar: "search term" site:[website domain]. Example: "communications" site:msae.com
• Consider the potential issue of "Who owns the data?" when it comes to cloud applications.

2013 Communication Trends

• The idea that we are no longer in the "information age" - we are in the "attention age" - you must communicate to get people's attention and then keep it!
• Websites are the primary source of communication today and "responsive web design" is a trend to watch - part of the evolving conversation of what it means to "go mobile."
• Infographics are a new communications tactic that you can use to deliver information in a visually interesting, easily digestible way. Reconsider "stock" print collateral like membership brochures, annual reports and holiday cards to see if infographics could be employed to better deliver this content.

Financial & Accounting Networking Group

Budgets & Project Allocation

• Consider line item for reserve line item.
• Project allocation – consistency and look at big picture time allocation from software.
• Need detail to produce good reports and good association management software to provide accurate information.

Controls & Fraud

• Separation of duties, multiple people review purchases and statements.
• Credit card controls protect from unauthorized access.
• Financial audit is not fraud investigation. 

Meeting Management & Education Networking Group

Special Events

• Serve meal without dessert and auction off desserts.
• Incorporate community/charity outreach projects within events.
• Hold an event at a high-end car dealership.

Great Meeting Ideas

• Social Media Bar to train and increase social media presence.
• Ignite sessions – igniteshow.com.
• Experience – people want an experience at meetings/committee meetings.

Membership Networking Group

Increasing Dues and Revenue Streams

• Affinity programs / partnerships.
• Establish ROI – professionally and personally for members.
• Proprietary packaging brings in money.

Member Engagement

• To create an experience for everyone to take away.
• Engagement is about feelings; if you can create positive feelings in all events, communications, etc., you’ll be creating engaging experiences.
• Take join OFF your website; you’re not joining, you’re connecting.
• Have fun!

Young Professionals Networking Group

Generations in the Workplace

• Using a “mentor” to go to about advice / approaches with different generations can help in challenging situations.
• Important to find right communication styles between generations – will help working relationships.
• Build mutual respect is key.

Managing Relationships

• “It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.”
• Follow up after initial contact with something light to maintain your relationship with the planner.
• Find a mentor.

For more information on MSAE's Networking Groups, visit www.msae.com.

Budgeting & UBIT

MSAE's Financial & Accounting Networking Group met recently to discuss budgeting for associations and UBIT (unrelated business income tax), as it relates to the financial side of business.  Below are the top takeaways from the meeting:

• Rolling Forecast - seeing more nonprofits use this type of budgeting, there is no set budget but the organization is constantly looking at numbers (for example, 12 months ahead at all times, vs. one calendar year).
• UBIT - the group talked about the difference between sponsorships (no qualitative statement about product or service), endorsements (hands on activity or call to action for preferred vendor) and royalties (excluded from UBIT).  
• Always remember that profit is good and if UBIT is required, it's still profit

The group will meet next on Tuesday, October 2 to discuss Health Insurance & Benefits. To register, visit www.msae.com/calendar.

Teachable Moments

Sad and horrific images from Japan. Let's hope this is a teachable moment, across the world, around the expansion and safety of nuclear power plants.

Crisis and Communication

As our largest program of the year approaches, I have been spending time working on our Emergency Operations and Communications Plan. Whenever we bring large groups of our members together for an event, we coordinate with the hotels, vendors, security staff and local convention and visitors bureaus to be sure that we have a plan in place should the worst case scenario happen. Thankfully, we've only had to implement the Emergency Operations and Communications Plan once in the past ten years, and that turned out to be a false alarm.

One of the strangest things that happens when I work on this plan is that I become "hyper-sensitive" to the different warnings and notifications about security, as well as the way in which the threat or problem is communicated. So, when I read this article about the toxic sludge in Hungary I was shocked to read this line:

The aluminum factory has said it will pay for the victims funerals.

I understand that disasters happen. Further, I understand that during these times you want to comfort those people who are left grieving or in need (especially due to your negligence). However, isn't there a better time and place to make a statement like that?

I quickly reviewed our Emergency Operations and Communications Plan, and was relieved to see that our guidelines say that only authorized people are allowed to talk with the media. Further, the authorized people are listed out so it is clear for anyone reviewing our document who can speak in an official capacity on behalf of our organization. Finally, we offer some tips:

• Be prepared with the facts. You must have a clear, factual and complete understanding of the situation (as possible).
• Remain calm and in control.
• Be honest. If you tell the truth, you do not need a good memory.
• Be sincere.
• Do not release the names of any victim(s) without authorization.
• Do not speculate. Do not assign blame to others. Do not estimate financial loss.
• Respond to media inquires immediately.
• Give the reporters the respect that you want them to give you.
• Do NOT allow yourself to be hurried by reporters.
• Do NOT allow the media to wander around unescorted at any time.
• Never go off the record. Tell the media only what you want to see on the headline news.
• Be prepared. Be truthful. Be prepared.

Now, using these guidelines may not have prevented someone from saying that the aluminum factory was going to pay for funerals...but it may have made someone think twice about what they were saying, and how it was going to be perceived...and that's as much as you can ask in a crisis.