PLASTIC BAG BAN AND PAPER BAG FEE BEGIN MARCH 1

We are on the eve of the New York State Bag Waste Reduction Act plastic bag ban, which begins March 1. Businesses that are not exempt from the law are required to provide paper carryout bags to consumers, at a fee of five-cents per bag. Currently, a grace period is in effect, to April 1. After that time, the first offense will be a warning, but a second offense will result in a monetary fine. If you have questions, consult our extended informational flyer here: http://bit.ly/FABBagBanFlyer

CONNECT WITH NYC AGENCIES AT A FREE BROOKLYN RESOURCE FAIR

Do you have a question for any City agencies? Representatives will be on hand to discuss the most commonly issued violations and answer questions at a Small Business Resource Fair in Brooklyn, Wednesday, March 4 from 10am – 1pm, at the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (10 Grand Army Plaza). Register for this event from NYS Small Business Services here: tinyurl.com/twgrandarmy

SPRING CLEAN YOUR BUSINESS WITH THESE 4 TIPS

Warmer temps, daylight savings time, blooming flowers… yes, we can almost feel it — spring is on the way! Why not spring clean your business?

No matter what type of FAB business you have, check this short list of four tips from MindBody Business, and commit to at least ONE way you’ll shape up for the new season!

• Evaluate your staffing needs. Take a moment to consider how many employees you’ll need this season. Is spring typically busy for you? You may just need to reshuffle some of your current employees to meet your staffing needs without going through a hiring process or losing valuable staff.
• Refresh your marketing strategy with email. Connect with customers and share what’s going on at your business. If you’ve never used one before, research affordable email marketing services that do a lot of the work for you. If your marketing strategy already includes email, take this time to clean your subscription list and delete inactive email addresses.
• Jump into spring with an event. Create a sense of community, by bringing your customers together to get a better idea of what they’re interested in. An open house or “spring social” is always inviting. Hold contests or promotions and promote them through your website or social media.
• Deep clean your space. Head into spring with some good energy by doing a deep cleaning and decluttering. Spend a day washing windows, overused machines and those muddy floors left neglected during the colder months. Take this time to “go green:” moving from paper to digital is not only practical but it means less clutter.

Read more on these tips here: http://bit.ly/BusinessSpringClean

ABOUT FAB FULTON
The Fulton Area Business Alliance (FAB FULTON) is a non-profit organization that advocates for and collaborates with small businesses and property owners along Fulton Street in Brooklyn’s neighborhoods of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill to maintain a safe, clean, and welcoming community while securing resources and partnerships for initiatives that enhance and promote the district.

This post contains links to the articles and information referenced in our latest FAB BIZ BLAST email communication. You can subscribe to future newsletters; sign up here for the FAB FULTON BIZ BLAST to get the latest information and resources for FAB FULTON Businesses!