Yahoo is Currently Recycling Inactive Email Accounts

Starting back on July 15th and going through August 15, Yahoo is engaging in a deactivation process of email accounts that have received no activity for the last 12 months.

Why is this good?
This is good news because Yahoo will soon make those inactive ID's available to new users.

Why this complicates things?

In a statment made to Wired, Yahoo is taking precautions to securely close these accounts. The actions include:

• Sending bounce back emails to alert senders that the account has been deactivated and no longer exists.
• Automatically unsubscribing deactivated accounts from commercial email databases including newsletters and email alerts.
• Once deactivation is complete, they will send notification of these recycled accounts to merchants, financial institution, email providers, social networks and e-commerce sites.

If you are a business who maintains an email database, it's likely that you have contacts with Yahoo email addresses. If you have contacts with inactive emails, this current change could affect (or be affecting) you in several ways.

• You may notice a higher than usual opt out rates.
• You may receive a notification from Yahoo when trying to email a deactivated account.
• New users who begin using a previously deactivated account could report your email as SPAM

What Should I do?
Many email providers and email marketing clients are aware of this issue so any uptick in opt outs and SPAM may be "forgiven" during this time but you should still be proactive to preserve your email reputation.

• Make sure all emails have an "unsubscribe" link at the top or bottom of the email
• Monitor contacts with yahoo emails that have never been opened or have not been opened in the last 12 months and remove them from your database
• Be sure that you are getting permission for all email contacts that you market to and avoid buying outdated email lists

If you are worried that your account might be one of these that are deactivated - we suggest logging in to you Yahoo product immediately. And if you are wanting a specific"short, sweet and memorable" Yahoo ID - go check - it might be available!

Photo Credit: guardian . co . uk

Facebook Increases Security on Inappropriate Ads

Facebook has been modifying their security and enhancements over the last few months. Now they have updated their advertising guidelines in response to some concerns over the placements of ads.

Facebook posted the following statement - “Beginning [today], we will implement a new review process for determining which pages and groups should feature ads alongside their content. This process will expand the scope of Pages and Groups that should be ad-restricted. By the end of the week, we will remove ads from all Pages and Groups that fall into this new, more expansive restricted list.”

This review in process was made in response to some concerns from larger companies who advertise on Facebook who noticed that their ads were appearing alongside other ads containing inappropriate content. This kind of placement makes users doubt the validity of the company or ads and are less likely to click-through. Facebook will now evaluate and restrict ads that contain sexual, graphic or violent content. They have posted their community guidelines for business' reference which all advertisers are asked to comply.



Facebook has grown into a large and expansive social network which complicates the process of monitoring page content for validity and appropriateness. This enhanced security is just another step in which the social giant is working to ensure that the personal Facebook experience aligns with their interests which in turn keeps the value high for companies looking to advertise.

Remember - you can report an ad as inappropriate which will help Facebook continue to improve your experience.

Every Entrepreneur Can Learn from George Zimmer (and how he was fired!)

"You're going to like the way you look. I guarantee it." ~ George Zimmer

Over the last four decades, the founder of Men's Wearhouse has shined in the spotlight with his well priced men's fine clothing and deep bravado signature phrase...until last week when the Board of Directors fired him.

It can be emotional and disheartening to watch an icon of an industry dispelled by his own company. How could something like this happen? How can a brand built by a man who regularly embraces his image (Zimmer was forefront in most of the company's advertising) decide to fire their shining star.

This is where we - as fellow business owners - must take note. We are all striving for growth in our own endeavors. We want our company to be successful and earn recognition. Often one of the biggest struggles for start-ups is financial capital and so many of us are more than thrilled when the opportunity to gain investors appears. But just as there is reward...there is risk when you give away the control of your company. George Zimmer is feeling the pains of those risks now.



When someone becomes an investor or shareholder in your company - you are taking on a partner. With each additional investor - you give away a portion of your control of your company. While a founder may retain the largest portion of stock at first - this can soon become a weaker controlling interest when IPO's and investment growth occurs quickly.

Some suggestions to ensure you make the best decisions for your company:

• Always, always, always ask an attorney about your options and possible outcomes. The more you know - the better informed you will be as you direct your company through growth phases.
• Grow Slowly and operate within your means. This sounds a little like advise that a financial planner might give to a family but it remains true for a business. The more you control your assets and stay on top of your expenses - the less you will need from other investors.
• Create dual classes of stocks. If you do need to offer shares, you can choose to create one set of stocks which have limited voting power (available to the public) and another for your founders, executives and family members which has the dominate controlling interest.

All of us started our businesses for a reason. Perhaps it was a dream - a vision that your idea could become a steady income for your family or even change the world. Or maybe you wanted to create a start-up that could gain popularity so that a bigger company could buy it. As long as you understand where your business is going and the risks along the way - you won't be blindsided. Learn from the mistakes of others (like George Zimmer) and protect your controlling interest to execute your business.

Photo: Opinuns