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Deborah Merkin

Author image of Deborah Merkin
Deborah Merkin, CEO and Founder of GiftCard Partners™, Inc. and Engage2Reward™ LLC, brings two decades of experience to the forefront of the gift card industry. Armed with a BS from University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MBA from Babson College, Deborah's career spans technology startups and corporate giants, including AT&T Capital and Staples. A pioneer in establishing and shaping lucrative new distribution channels, Deborah’s expertise grew through consultancy roles with Linens’N Things and CVS®. This journey marked her entrance into the gift card and incentives industry and ultimately laid the foundation for the conception of GiftCard Partners. A Certified Women Owned Business, GiftCard Partners was founded in 2005 and has received the prestigious Best and Brightest Company to Work For® Award for 10 years nationally. With a focus on assertiveness and balanced steadiness, Deborah continues to drive innovation and growth in the dynamic world of gift cards. Beyond her professional success, Deborah is deeply involved in community service, recently joining the board of JBBBS.org and previously serving on the board of JFSMW.org for 5 years.
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Recent Posts

Annual Pay Raises Replaced by Better Benefits?


Annual pay raises: something employees look forward to and sometimes count on. But has the annual pay raise gone the way of the anniversary lunch and the 10-year watch? In a post-recession economy, with a young workforce that is more focused on benefits and flexibility, organizations are taking a new approach to investing in their employees. Employees are looking for less money and more alternative compensation. Benefits now make up 31.6% of employees’ total compensation, which according to government data is a figure on the rise.

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What You Need to Know About the 2015 Flu Season

The 2015 Flu season is still a few months away, but now is a great time to start getting prepared. Every year the United States experiences an epidemic of seasonal flu. While flu season peaks in the winter months, flu outbreaks can happen as early as October and can last all the way into May. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older. This is the first and most important step to protecting oneself from this very serious disease. People should start getting vaccinated as soon as the flu shot becomes available. Many flu shot providers receive the vaccine as early as July or August. The CDC encourages getting the shot preferably by October. But as long as the flu virus is spreading, it’s not too late to get vaccinated. The flu shot has become easy to obtain. Even without insurance or appointment, CVS/pharmacy offers adolescent, adult, & senior flu shots right in the store while CVS/minute clinic locations offer all that and pediatric flu shots as well. All vaccines are administered by a certified immunizing pharmacist or through a nurse practitioner or physician assistant at Minute Clinic locations.

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The B2B Gift Card Market is Changing, Are You Keeping Up?

The B2B gift card market is ever changing, especially in the Business-to-Business or B2B sector of the market. The B2B sector, which includes third party gift cards, loyalty and incentive programs, corporate wellness and more, now stretches to make up a significant piece of the gift card market.

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Create Employee Loyalty: What Do They Want?

It's often a conundrum for most employers to create employee loyalty within their company. Figuring out how to motivate employees, keep them happy and prevent them for looking for other employment is a major concern, especially given the diverse interest and priorities between Baby Boomers and Millennials. Where do you start? What would the budget look like, if there even is one? Maybe this will help. Towergate Insurance performed a recent study and created an infographic to try to answer the question,

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3 Ways to Help Millennials in the Workplace

Millennials are an increasing portion of the workforce in America. But employers aren’t sure quite how to handle millennials in the workplace, and often times they can be misunderstood. They are often viewed as job hoppers (but it might just be because they have a constant fear of being let go), they are viewed as overconfident (but they’ve actually had more experience prior to graduation than any previous generation) and employers have a hard time helping them reach their full potential. Fast Company has offers strategies to help millennials in the workplace in their article,  How to Bridge the Gap Between Potential and Performance. Here are my top three:

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