TV: It's Prime Time for Volunteerism
USA Today
TV audiences are about to be peppered with celebrity public service announcements (PSAs), end-of-episode pleas from casts and volunteerism segments on reality shows, talk and news programs from The View to Today. But most of the messages will be more subtle, weaving motivational themes and dialogue into dozens of scripted sitcoms and dramas as plot points or character-driven story lines. "Embedding something into entertainment plants a seed that has value in ways a (PSA) doesn't. You're not beating someone over the head with it," says CSI: NY's Hill Harper, whose character, medical examiner Sheldon Hawkes, has volunteered as a first-responder physician.More

Recognizing Online Volunteers and Using the Internet to Honor All Volunteers
Coyote Communications
Organizations need to fully recognize the efforts of remote, online volunteers, and not differentiate the value of online versus onsite service. In addition, organizations should incorporate use of the Internet to recognize the efforts of ALL volunteers, both those who perform most of their service from home, work, school or other remote computers, and those who perform their service onsite, face-to-face. With cyberspace, it's never been easier to show volunteers - and the world - that volunteer contributions play a key part in an organization's successes.More

Using Small Groups to Maximize Training
The Corporation for National & Community Service
Small groups provide a valuable training tool that can simultaneously transmit information, teach project-specific as well as general skills, and reinforce the "sense of team" among members. Mosaica's newsletter, Training Briefs, presents ideas for program staff and site supervisors with limited time and resources for training.More

Study: Why Empty Shelves Make Shoppers Buy More
CNN
Shoppers are more likely to buy a product if they are told that another item has sold out, according to a new study. Paul Messinger, professor at the University of Alberta School of Business, led the study. He told CNN, "When one product is sold out, customers have the perception that an available product might also sell out if they don't buy it now.More

The Dangers of Being a Micromanager
D & B Small Business Solutions
You may wonder exactly why being a micromanager is bad for your business. On the surface, it seems wise to make sure that your staff is doing a good job, to pitch in and help with a project now and then. It seems to demonstrate a solid work ethic and set a good example for the team. What could be wrong with that? Well, if you're a manager, there's a lot wrong with that. More

Tips for Handling Store Returns
Susan Ward via About.com
How a small business handles customers' complaints and store returns defines its customer service. It shows whether or not that company "gets" that customer service is not just about making a sale but about nurturing a relationship, a relationship that a small business keeps sweet by making a customer's every experience with the company a positive experience.More