Business Protocol: Facebook a powerful tool... use it wisely

Facebook is a business vehicle as much as it is a way to share and connect with friends and family. Most corporations have company Facebook pages to promote and extend their brands online. Every employee engaging in social media is an instant online ambassador representing their company brand 24/7 — and without an understanding of para­meters, the companies' brands could be abused.

Things to avoid include:

•   Over-sharing.

•   Posting too frequently.

•   Any negativity.

•   Vague posts.

• Overbearing or pushy posts — being loud versus being heard and understood.

Things you should do include:

•   Accept connections from those you know or those with/for whom you have actually worked.

•  Use their email address when provided on the profile page after connecting.

• Personally forward job opportunities to connections. This broadens your company's hiring pool for talent and signals to your connections that you are a resource and generous.

Remember, never post anything on Facebook you would not want to see on a billboard or on the World Wide Web. This will be out there forever and can impact your professional impression. Think before you post. Ask yourself if you really need to share that particular detail with the world.

Check your posts before you update your status; proof for grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. — and then double-check that you really want this content "out there."

With friend requests, personalize connections and use their names. Be discerning. Don't ask everyone to "like" your professional page. Do you really want to see the feed from someone who has nothing to do with your business, or who goes on and on and posts every little detail about their lives? And don't be that person on someone else's feed!

When unfriending, there's no need to announce this. Hide them from your feed. Should others ask, simply explain that you are "reorganizing." You can also limit the number of status updates you see from others and delete without fear of offending anyone.

Be intentional regarding format, tone and word choice. Proof for clarity and accuracy. Just as you strive to be fabulous in your work, respect the capability Facebook provides in business to help connect with others, reinforce your message, illustrate your professionalism and perpetuate your brand.

Judith Bowman is president and founder of Protocol Consultants International and author of "Don't Take the Last Donut: New rules of Business Etiquette" and "How to Stand Apart @ Work … Transforming 'Fine' to Fabulous!" Email her at Judith@protocolconsultants.com.

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Asia stock markets overshadowed by US interest rate outlook

TOKYO — Asian stock markets mostly fell Tuesday as the prospect of higher U.S. interest rates dimmed the outlook for equities.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.3 percent to 18,733.31 and South Korea's Kospi dropped 0.2 percent to 1,989.72. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.5 percent to 24,105.60. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.2 percent to 5,812.40. Southeast Asian markets were mixed.

FED WORRIES: Exceptionally strong U.S. jobs data on Friday, and the higher inflation that will eventually bring, raised the chances that the U.S. Federal Reserve will bring forward the timing of its first interest rate hike since the 2008 global financial crisis. Ultra-low interest rates and other monetary stimulus have been a boon for stock markets for several years as investors sought higher returns. But a return to more normal levels for interest rates in the world's biggest economy likely spells an end to the bull market for stocks.

THE QUOTE: "The news out of the U.S. on Friday has certainly sent shock waves through all global markets, as rate rises from the Fed build momentum," said IG strategist Evan Lucas in a market report. "Commentators are getting nervous about the direction of the US market in 2015" and rate rises are likely to "spell the end to the bull market," he said.

WALL STREET: The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 8.17 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,079.43 on Monday, clawing back from a sell-off after the jobs data. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 138.94 points, or 0.8 percent, to 17,995.72. The Nasdaq composite climbed 15.07 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,942.44.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude added 16 cents to $50.16 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 39 cents to close at $50 a barrel on Monday. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, gained 16 cents to $58.69 a barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: The euro fell to $1.0796 from $1.0844 late Monday. The dollar rose to 121.86 yen from 121.44 yen.

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Boylston St. gets Verizon anchor site

Verizon Wireless will open its fourth flagship store, on Boylston Street this month, complete with its longtime retail standbys, including a stationary bike and a selfie booth.

"It will have an entertainment value to it," said Mike Murphy, a spokesman for Verizon. "(We want to) help customers discover all the things their cellphones and wireless devices and accessories can do to support their lifestyle."

The store, at 745 Boylston St., will be an 8,000-square-foot retail "destination," Murphy said, and will span two storefronts.

Verizon said Boston was chosen for the first store on the East Coast in part because of its roots in 
early telecom innovation.

The focus of the store, split into six areas, will be to highlight accessories such as fitness trackers and services such as home security by making products interactive inside the store.

"We're at a point where customers are looking for mobile solutions" beyond cellphones, Murphy said.

The store will include:

• A stationary bike, to use while customers test fitness-trackers.

• A selfie booth, stocked with Boston-themed props.

•  DJ equipment, so customers can mess around while trying out headphones.

•    A station to design and print custom phone cases.

Opening later this month, this store will be Verizon's fourth destination store. The other three stores are in Chicago, Houston and Bloomington, Minn.

The new store comes at a time when some retailers are packing up and focusing on online shopping.

"We're seeing things go in the opposite direction, going away from the brick and mortar quite a bit," said Chris Christopher, an economist with IHS 
Global Insight in Lexington. "Online retail sales are growing very rapidly, and nothing's going to prevent that."

Still, it may be worth a shot, Christopher said.

"There's still a need for people to walk in, touch and feel and get a sense of (products)," he said. "What a lot of stores are finding out is they could have specialty stores that fill a special niche."

Murphy said the store is also designed to attract people who don't plan to buy anything specific, but just want to look around or take a selfie.

"We think some customers will walk in with a particular product in mind, but we think there might be other visitors who don't," he said.

Verizon is also updating all of its more than 1,700 stores, emphasizing 
accessories beyond 
mobile phones.

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Purcell joins Dirty Water as senior VP

Dirty Water Media, the parent company of Dirty Water TV, has hired Patrick Purcell Jr. as senior vice president of sales and business development.

In this newly created role, Purcell will be at the helm of some major plans for growth and development for the emerging new media company.

For the past five years, Purcell has worked to build Patch.com from the ground up. After leading top teams in multiple departments, he rose through the ranks to become vice president of sales. Purcell was previously the director of retail advertising at the New York Post and display manager at the Boston Herald.

"I am joining Dirty Water TV because I not only see a company with great leadership and vision, but also a tremendous amount of potential," Purcell said. "Dirty Water TV is doing something original and unique within the Boston media landscape. They have only scratched the surface of their potential for growth. I have known the company's founder, Billy Fairweather, and the Dirty Water TV team for years and it is no surprise that this they have grown Dirty Water TV from an unknown startup to an established brand over the last seven years."

"We are both incredibly excited and fortunate to have Patrick Purcell join our team to help take the Dirty Water brand to the next stage of development," said Fairweather, founding owner of Dirty Water TV. "His reputation for hard work and innovation precede him. And his enthusiasm for our brand is both inspiring and exciting. He has hit the ground running, and we cannot wait to see where we go next."

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Repair shops unable to find source of van’s ‘clunk’

I have a nice '93 GMC conversion van that has been stored winters since new. There is a clunking sound when moving forward or backward while turning left or right, and it's getting worse. It has been in two shops with no results. One shop removed brake backing plates and lubricated parts, the other said they couldn't tell where the noise was coming from. I feel this needs to be repaired before something happens.

Without identifying which model van — full-size or mid-size — or from which end of the vehicle the clunking originates, troubleshooting is much more difficult. But here are several possibilities:

• If the noise is coming from the front, the most common source is a broken sway bar link. These tend to rust and when broken often generate a solid clunk. Other potential front-end culprits are worn ball joints, control-arm bushings, worn steering tie rods or drag link, a failed shock absorber, broken coil spring or loose steering box or rack. If the vehicle is equipped with a tilt steering wheel, the noise could also originate in the steering column due to a burr or wear in the upper bearing assembly. This noise is typically heard as the steering wheel returns to center.
• If the noise originates in the rear, possible culprits include a rear axle/bearing assembly, differential or spider gear problem, leaf-spring bushing, failed shock or loose exhaust.
• If the clunk originates in the brake system, it could be the brake pads moving back and forth in the calipers. If the issue is with the rear drum brakes, wear on the backing plate can cause the brake shoes to "catch" or clunk when applied.

...

I've been changing my own oil for nearly 50 years and I have some questions. Is there really a necessary difference between 5-20 and 5-30? Why do manufacturers have such odd capacities? My Escape needs 5.3 quarts, my Tacoma uses 5.5 and my son's Contour uses 5.8. Can't they just keep it in full-quart or half-quart amounts for ease of changing? If a car uses a blend can you top the odd amount with a regular oil, blend or full synthetic? Finally, when I first started to change oil I was told to put a bit of oil on the filter gasket to help it seat. Is this correct?

One of the easiest ways to improve fuel economy is to fill the engine with lighter weight oil. The less viscous the oil, the less power needed to pump it through the engine under pressure. I remember when car makers switched from 10W-30 to 5W-30, fuel economy improved by 1/10th of 1 mpg. Today's lubricants are so far superior in performance that we now see 0W-20 oil recommended for many new cars.

Regarding oil capacities, I suspect there are two main factors. First, adequate volume to continually lubricate and cool the engine's mechanical components while maintaining continuous flow during acceleration, braking and cornering. Secondly, design constraints for oil pan size, shape and location. And finally, some engines were designed to metric sizes, which are different than SAE measurements. The issue of partial quarts isn't much of a factor since today's oils come in resealable plastic bottles.

As long as the oil meets the car maker's specs, there is no harm in topping up with petro­leum, semi-­synthetic or full synthetic.

Not only is it a good idea to "wet" the rubber seal on an oil filter to help it seal, partially filling (if possible) the filter before installation helps the engine build oil pressure faster at first start-up.

...

Is it better for mileage or the car to cycle heating/cooling on and off or just leave them on?

Just leave the HVAC system on. Cabin heat is generated by waste heat from the engine in the coolant, so there's no significant cost or impact on the vehicle. The A/C compressor cycles on and off automatically to minimize cost, wear and tear.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrandstartribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. Because of the volume of mail, we cannot provide personal replies.

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Wicked Good jars cupcake business

Something's cooking in Marshfield — good enough to get the attention of "Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary.

The celebrity entrepreneur was in town for a promotional photo shoot with one of his most successful investments to date: Wicked Good Cupcakes, the retail and mail-order bakery headed by mother-daughter duo Tracey Noonan and Danielle Vilagie.

"They were doing $15,000 a month (in revenue) when I met them (in 2013)," O'Leary told the Boston Herald. "Now they're doing over $400,000 a month. We have all kinds of new products and plans for the year ahead."

Noonan and Vilagie opened their first retail location in Cohasset in 2011, achieving national notoriety for their cupcake-in-a-jar concept. Business exploded after their appearance on ABC's "Shark Tank" venture capital competition in April 2013, which the women described as "intimidating."

"You get only one shot in front of them and there are no retakes," Noonan said. "It's nerve-wracking on many levels."

O'Leary, the bottom-line businessman who admitted he has a weakness for cupcakes, invested $75,000, which was used to help build a commercial kitchen in Pennsylvania and a retail outlet at Faneuil Hall.

"That is one damn good jar of cake," O'Leary said during the broadcast.

"You go on the show to get the money," said Wicked Good Cupcakes COO Scott Noonan. "But the bigger impact was the media exposure and now having a partner in your camp like (O'Leary)."

He said Wicked Good Cupcakes' revenue grew 600 percent in 2013 thanks to that single appearance on "Shark Tank." Business rose 50 percent last year and is on pace to add another 45 percent this year. O'Leary made a wise choice: As part of the "Shark Tank" deal, he gets 45 cents of every cupcake sold.

Wicked Good Cupcakes won't yet share the nature of the new product that brought O'Leary to the Noonans' Marshfield home.

"But it was inspired by my 9-year-old niece Samantha (Wheeler)," Tracey Noonan said. "It's her product line. It's a yummy treat that's customizable and giftable."

The new product will launch this fall, in time for the big holiday rush.

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US job market faces hurdles even with 5.5 pct. unemployment

WASHINGTON — Unemployment in the U.S. has dropped to a seven-year low of 5.5 percent — a level normally considered the mark of a healthy job market. Yet that number isn't as encouraging as it might sound.

While U.S. employers added a solid 295,000 jobs in February, and the jobless rate fell from 5.7 percent, it went down mostly because many people gave up looking for work and were no longer officially counted as unemployed, the government reported Friday. What's more, wage gains remained sluggish.

Those trends suggest that the job market, while improving rapidly, isn't quite as healthy as it looks.

That complicates the Federal Reserve's task of figuring out when the economy has strengthened enough to withstand higher interest rates. The Fed is considering a rate increase as early as June.

With Friday's report, employers have now produced 12 straight monthly job gains above 200,000. It's the longest such stretch since 1994-95.

The U.S. is easily outshining most other major economies. For example, the unemployment rate in the 19 countries that share the euro is 11.2 percent, or twice the U.S. rate.

The robust U.S. job gains appear to have convinced many investors that the Fed will soon raise the short-term interest rate it controls. Investors on Friday sold ultra-safe U.S. Treasurys, a sign that many anticipate a rate increase. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.24 percent from 2.11 percent.

And they dumped stocks. The Dow Jones industrial average plummeted 276 points in afternoon trading.

A 5.5 percent unemployment rate is typically consistent with what economists call "full employment" — when the proportion of unemployed people has fallen so low that employers must raise pay to find enough qualified workers.

Companies then raise prices to pay for the higher wages. And the Fed usually follows suit by raising its benchmark short-term rate to cool growth and ward off inflation.

But the scars of the Great Recession have made the process hazier and more complicated.

"5.5 percent doesn't mean what it once did," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial. Full employment "is always a moving target, and it has moved down."

Since the recession ended in June 2009, the percentage of adults working or looking for work has fallen to a 37-year low of 62.8 percent. It has hovered around the mark for most of the past year.

Economists calculate that about half that decline reflects the aging of the population as the baby boom generation retires.

But another factor is that many Americans have become discouraged about their job prospects and have given up looking. Those out of work aren't counted as unemployed unless they are actively looking for jobs.

That has helped artificially lowered the rate since its peak of 10 percent in October 2009.

Many economists also argue the economy can't be near full employment if wages aren't growing. And average hourly earnings rose just 3 cents to $24.78 in February from the previous month.

Megan Greene, chief economist at John Hancock Financial Services, noted that hourly pay fell in February from January in the construction and mining industries. Such figures will outweigh the falling unemployment rate in Fed chair Janet Yellen's mind, she said, and perhaps discourage a rate increase soon.

Yet many other economists expect the Fed will put a rate increase into effect in June or September.

The short-term interest rate is usually at 3 percent or 4 percent when the economy is at full employment. It is now at a record low of zero, and inflation is practically nonexistent.

Tim Hopper, chief economist at TIAA-CREF, said that if unemployment keeps falling and inflation starts to pick up later this year, "the Fed will be behind the curve if they haven't already started raising rates."

Nearly 3.3 million more Americans are earning paychecks than 12 months ago. That has boosted U.S. consumer spending and the broader global economy. Many leading exporters, particularly China, Germany and Japan, depend on Americans' spending for a chunk of their growth.

February's hiring gains were broad-based. Some of the industries with the biggest gains include mostly low-paid work: Hotels and restaurants added 60,000 jobs, retailers 32,000.

But higher-paying fields also added jobs: Professional and business services, which include accountants, engineers and lawyers, gained 51,000, construction 29,000 and financial services 10,000.

Growth slowed in the final three months of last year to an annual rate of 2.2 percent after roaring ahead at nearly 5 percent last spring and summer. But consumer spending rose, a sign demand remains strong.

Dave Long, chief executive of Orangetheory Fitness, said the improving economy has given a boost to his fast-growing exercise studio business. He opened the first location five years ago in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The company now has nearly 200 sites in the U.S.

"As people have a little extra money ... it opens up their minds to spending a little more on a product like ours," he said.

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3 reasons Apple's watch will... or won't... change the game

SAN FRANCISCO — No one can argue that Apple has changed the way people live their lives. The company's iPod, iTunes, iPhone and iPad have shaken up music, phone and computer markets worldwide. Is the Apple Watch going to be able to do the same?

The stakes are big for Apple CEO Tim Cook: the watch is the first brand-new Apple product to be launched without legendary co-founder Steve Jobs. But the market is awash in smartwatches that have gained little traction. Here are three reasons the Apple Watch will finally move the needle in the smartwatch industry — and three reasons it might not.

WHY IT WILL CHANGE THE GAME

MORE FEATURES THAN RIVALS: Along with email, texts and phone calls, Apple says its watch will present news, health readings and other notifications in creative ways that can be read at a glance. It will have a heart rate monitor and accelerometer, and an internal motor that can signal the wearer with a subtle "tap" on the wrist. And Siri and Apple Pay will be built in. Apple is working with outside companies to create more apps; Cook has talked about using the watch as an electronic "key" for hotel doors or even cars.

A POWERFUL BRAND: The world's biggest tech company has a reputation for quality and a direct conduit to customers — it operates more than 400 retail stores around the world. And it has deep pockets to spend on advertising — it is showcasing the watch this month with a sleek, 12-page insert in Vogue and other fashion magazines.

APPLE'S TRACK RECORD: This wouldn't be the first Apple product that revolutionized a market where rivals had struggled to break through. Other companies made digital music players before the iPod, smartphones before the iPhone and even tablets before the iPad. Most of those products failed to catch on until Apple made devices so appealing they set new standards and created new demand, said Forrester Research analyst J.P. Gownder.

OR NOT

WHAT'S THE NEED?: Most smartwatches — including Apple's — only work with a smartphone nearby, so you can't swap one expensive gadget for the other. "What we've seen is that it's not obvious why people would want a smartwatch," says Gownder. A recent Forrester survey found some respondents didn't see a reason to buy one because they already owned a less-expensive fitness band or a full-featured smartphone (although it also found Apple fans ready to buy the new watch).

CONSUMERS NOT EXCITED: You can already buy smartwatches made by giant tech companies like Samsung, Sony or LG, or from a tech startup like Pebble, that track your heart rate, show you email and deliver other online services to your wrist. None of them have really caught on. Only about 5 million smartwatches were sold worldwide last year, according to market researchers at Strategy Analytics. By comparison, Apple sold 74.6 million iPhones in just the last quarter.

PRICE AND OBSOLESCENCE: Many of today's smartwatches sell for $200 or less. Apple plans to sell three models, starting at $349, but Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster predicts the average buyer will pay $550 for a watch and extra, interchangeable bands. Apple's high-fashion "Edition" model, made with 18-karat gold, is expected to cost thousands. While affluent consumers might pay that for a watch they can wear for years, or even hand down to their children, it's a lot of money for something that could become outdated if Apple releases a new model every year or so — as it does with smartphones.

Cook will make his case for the Apple Watch at a press event Monday, where he's expected to show off more features and apps. Expectations are high.

But even the iPhone didn't become a mainstream blockbuster in its first year, notes Creative Strategies analyst Ben Bajarin. Of the Apple Watch, he says, "people need to understand more about what this product is, and what it does, and I think that will evolve over time."

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Defunct parenting company Isis to pay $260G fine to AG’s office

Isis Parenting, the Needham-based prenatal and parenting retailer that abruptly shut down last year — leaving many parents and expectant parents in a lurch — will pay a $260,000 penalty for failing to provide services and refunds to its customers after its abrupt closure.

The settlement reached with state Attorney General Maura Healey's office provides for refunds to eligible Massachusetts customers who had prepaid for merchandise and services, including classes, and received no refunds, according to documents filed today in Suffolk Superior Court.

"Massachusetts companies have an obligation to treat customers fairly and deliver on the promises they make," Healey said in a statement. "When Isis Parenting went out of business, it left many new and expecting parents without the prenatal and parenting courses they paid for and were depending on. We are pleased that this settlement will provide restitution to these consumers."

The settlement follows an investigation of Isis by the AG's Office after it received numerous complaints from customers of Isis' alleged unfair business practices.

"The commonwealth alleges that while attempting to sell its business operations as a going concern, Isis Parenting marketed and sold goods and services when it knew or should have known it had insufficient reserves to ensure it would be able to provide (them)," the court documents state. "Isis Parenting failed to provide such goods and services or provide refunds."

Isis cancelled all of its ongoing and future classes when it closed, including prenatal education, early parenting groups and child development classes.

Isis Parenting's going-out-of-business sales at its four stores in Boston, Needham, Arlington and Hanover violated state law on termination sales, which requires companies to file a bond, pay a fee and provide advanced notice and an inventory list to the the AG's Office and towns or cities where the business is located, according to the court documents.

The company also violated the state's Consumer Protection Act regarding unfair competition and unfair or deceptive business practices, the court documents state.

The $260,000 penalty will be paid on behalf of Isis by its insurer.

Customers can go through a claims office to receive restitution.

The AG's Office urges consumers with questions to contact its consumer hotline at 617-727-8400.

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Can Etsy keep its folksy brand and make shareholders money?

NEW YORK — If craft seller Etsy goes public later this year it will be a test of how well the company can balance an explicit social mission with shareholder expectations for making money.

Founded in 2005, Brooklyn-based Etsy sells everything from a $110,000 antique desk from the 1800s to a $20 handmade antler pendant, and everything in between. In 10 years it's grown from a scrappy startup offering craftspeople a way to sell necklaces and needlepoint online to a marketplace of 54 million members that generated $1.93 billion in sales in 2014. And on Wednesday, Etsy filed for an initial public offering of stock valued at up to $100 million.

The company is more than a folksy, funky brand. It's a B Corporation, which is a for-profit company with a stated social mission certified by a nonprofit organization called B Lab. In its prospectus filed with the SEC, Etsy says its mission is to build a "human, authentic and community-centric global and local marketplace," and cites any loss of its B Corp status as a risk factor to its brand.

There are only about 1,000 such B-Corporations worldwide, including Warby Parker, Patagonia and Ben & Jerry's. But none of them are public companies on their own (Ben & Jerry's is owned by Unilever). If Etsy does go public, it will be the first test of how well certified B Corps can work on Wall Street.

Analysts agree it makes sense for Etsy's growth to go public or seek a buyer, but some say it is difficult for companies to maintain their entrepreneurial or social spirit in the face of Wall Street pressure for financial returns.

"It's going to be a tall order for a management team in the future to be true to its core company values while also delivering shareholder value," said Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru on Thursday. "When companies go public they're held accountable for quarterly goals that shareholders want and it's very, very difficult to stay true to core values." An Etsy spokeswoman declined to comment citing the company's quiet period ahead of the IPO.

But the cash infusion that an IPO brings could juice Etsy's growth. And some Etsy sellers welcome the added awareness an IPO would bring.

"I am excited about the additional attention the site will be receiving," said Michael Webb, 41, a Colorado artist who sells his art through Etsy and other sites and galleries.

Others are playing wait-and-see.

Holly Marshmueller, 32, has sold her line of new mom and baby products, like handmade changing pads and car seat covers, on Etsy since 2011. She said she understands that an IPO will help Etsy grow, but expects it will bring some changes to the site. When she heard about the expected IPO, she signed up for Shopify to host a shopping cart on her own site so she can sell her goods outside of Etsy.

"I was a little nervous and I wanted to protect my brand," said the Portland, Oregon, resident.

But she added that she has no plans to close her Etsy shop.

"I'm positively curious about how things are going to go," she said.

Etsy Inc. plans to list its shares on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "ETSY."

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