A Letter from the President and CEO
According to Bloomberg , Texas continues to be one of the fastest growing economies in the country , and with that distinction comes business growth . As business trends alter the face of Central Texas , your BBB continues its commitment towards establishing an ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each other . This year , your BBB focused on creating new , innovative tools for consumers and businesses to build trust . BBB also maintained its social and community relevance through customer engagement , a variety of online platforms and its work with local media outlets .
BBB started the year by launching a new website with better search capabilities , easier navigation and a fresh new look . This new website has links to more than 4.5 million BBB Business Reviews and more than 11,000 reports on charities .
BBB also repackaged its Advantages of Accreditation specific to BBB Accredited Businesses . These features include the ability to upload photos and videos to Business Reviews , social media links in our online directory of Accredited Businesses and a new live chat feature that allows people to connect with a BBB expert online with just a click . BBB introduced embedded Twitter feeds in Business Reviews , enhancing the ways customers and businesses interact .
In 2014 , your BBB continued to provide information to help people find and recommend businesses , brands and charities they can trust . This year alone BBB hosted 2,089,412 website sessions and provided more than 2.7 million BBB Business Reviews on more than 112,000 local businesses . People clicked on the BBB Dynamic Seal more than 230,000 times in order to verify a company ’ s BBB Accreditation status .
2015 Annual Report
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Better Business Bureau ®
BBB also worked towards a sustained and relevant social media presence in 2014 through its social networks , such as Facebook , Twitter , BBB ’ s watchyourbuck . com blog , Instagram , YouTube , LinkedIn and Vine . BBB ’ s presence in traditional and online media outlets reinforced its status as an unbiased evaluator and objective expert on the subject of trust .
This year , BBB increased the value of its Business Reviews and implemented a new customer review feature . In response to the demand for more information , now , people can post positive , negative or neutral comments about their experience with businesses outside of the formal BBB dispute resolution process . BBB also launched a new mobile app that makes accessing BBB information easier for people on the go .
Your BBB followed through on its commitment to create awareness about substandard business practices and news alerts to protect the public . In 2014 , BBB sent out 117 news releases and was mentioned in the media over 16,700 times . Through BBB ’ s partnerships with media outlets in its 79-county area , your BBB guaranteed that thousands of BBB messages from tips to scam alerts and investigations made an impression on millions of consumers and business owners .
The International Academy of the Visual Arts , the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals , PR Daily , the 2014 Videography Awards , the Marcom Awards and the Davey Awards recognized your BBB for its marketing and communications efforts . These awards are symbols of the high quality , effective efforts your BBB puts towards enhancing trust in the marketplace . BBB was also recognized as one of Austin American-Statesman ’ s Top Workplaces and , for the fourth year in a row , as one of the Best NonProfits to Work for in 2014 by the NonProfit Times , a nationwide publication .
As one of the largest business organizations in Texas , with a budget of more than $ 6.5 million and $ 3.4 million in assets , we are proud to serve over 12,400 Accredited Business locations throughout five locations in 79 counties . As BBB ’ s region grows , we are helping more and more businesses do better business through the use of our products and services . These accomplishments would not be possible without strong support from the business community , an innovative Board of Directors , and a dedicated , award-winning staff .
As we look back at the past year , I want to express my gratitude to all BBB Accredited Businesses for your steadfast dedication to BBB ’ s mission of advancing marketplace trust . On behalf of the BBB Board and staff , I am honored to present this year ’ s Annual Report .
Respectfully Submitted ,
Carrie A . Hurt , President / CEO
BBB serving Central , Coastal , Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin
President / CEO : Carrie A . Hurt