July 2012

Social media is acknowledged by most business owners today, yet there is still confusion over how it should be used. According to Systems Administrator Bryan Walderman, the question is not if, but how you should use social media as a marketing tool. “Social media is here to stay, and it’s too large a market to ignore. The sheer number of people using these sites is staggering – it’s been said that all Facebook users together would constitute the third most populated country in the world.” Of the hundreds of sites available, the most popular are Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter. Each site has its own demographics, cutting across all ages and groups, enabling business owners to target specific markets. Best of all, these sites are free.  Where do you start in creating a social media presence?

Bryan offers this advice:

• Identify the site.
  “Do your research. The type of business determines the media channel used. Tap the know-how of younger members of your staff or family.”
• Create a policy.
  “Obtain legal advice. The policy outlines the conditions of use and comprises human resources, information technology, legal and marketing principles. One aspect should cover employee use of social media during work hours.”
• Maintain your page.
  “Maintain your presence by updating your page regularly so it remains relevant to your target market.”
• Consider security.
  “Social media sites are password protected and encrypted. However, if you want 100 per cent security, these sites may not be for you.”
  For more information, please contact your Liptonadviser.

Senior Tax Partner Jeff Nightingale values the same things at Lipton LLP today as he did when he joined the firm 25 years ago. “We are a true partnership. Even
with all the changes in business and technology, our core values have remained the same. We share ideas freel and collaborate as a team to deliver the best solutions for our clients.” As taxation has evolved over the years, Lipton’s tax team has also grown significantly under Jeff ’s leadership, keeping pace with the complex changes in estate planning, tax planning and compliance. The team now consists of a second tax partner and two tax professionals, including two U.S. CPAs.

A graduate of the University of Windsor, Jeff obtained his MBA from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He was recently appointed to the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountants Appeals Committee, which conducts appeals of decisions made or sanctions imposed on Chartered Accountants by the Discipline Committee. Jeff is also on the Budget and Finance Committee and Audit Committee of Temple Sinai Congregation, having previously served as its treasurer.
With Jeff and wife Sherri’s three children now young adults, he plans to even further increase his time and involvement at Lipton. He explains, “We pride ourselves on serving clients with an entrepreneurial bent, which in turn means that the partners and staff must always be leading edge.”