I only just discovered this tool (thanks to Pixetell’s recent tweet) and I have to say it has me drooling. If you’ve ever tried scheduling a meeting in large organization full of busy people, then you know what a pain in the rump trying to put together a meeting can be. Oh sure, everyone has their calendar shared, and you can see exactly when they’re available. But statistically speaking, the more people you have to include in the meeting, the fewer options you have to choose from.
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When interacting online, there are several methods businesses (and some individuals) can use to signal to one another that they really are who they claim, and that their intentions are legitimate. Through the use of correct signaling, any business can help alleviate concerns that consumers might have about engaging with them online.
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Small businesses like to feel that they’re “entrepreneurial” organizations, that don’t want to be bogged down with the large corporate encumbrances that typically come with being a large enterprise. In fact, the phrase “entrepreneurial spirit” has become a standard deflection used by small-business owners to keep from having to do anything that might be defined as “best practice” by a trained manager.
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I’ll give you an abstract thought for the day. It’s one that I don’t know the answer to, so you’re free to make up your own mind. Back when the depression was just starting, IBM kicked off their “Smarter Planet” marketing campaign, claiming that it was the opportune time to makeover the world in a new, analytics drive network.
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Picture this: you just enjoyed a very relaxing massage in the privacy of your own home. Inga, the tall Swedish woman who’s blond hair and blue eyes already unnerves you, is standing there patiently waiting for you to pay for the bliss you just received. Now, thanks to a cool new app, no longer will you suffer the awkward silence as you shuffle through your pants pockets, looking for the wallet with the cash you took out of the ATM that morning to pay this heaven-sent masseuse. She’ll just run your debit card through her Android or iPhone.
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While Apple may have the largest number of Apps out of any smartphone manufacturer, developers are finding good reasons to start exploring what the competition has to offer. And I don’t just mean because of the plethora of reasons Steve Jobs is giving them with the ridiculous restrictions on what developers can and cannot use to create new software. Consider the following:
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Freshbooks is home to some very smart people. I know, I probably rave about them too much to anyone who’ll listen, but I find them to be a really fascinating, innovative company. They’re working with the dull-as-dishwater area of Accounts Receivable, and making it fun and easy to do; something the small business gorilla QuickBooks hasn’t really done too well yet. Last March, they released the results of a survey they did, looking at their data. They did some quick averages of the days-to-pay and percentage of invoices paid based on the payment terms. The results?
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Are you a software development business that’s trying to cook up some advanced, plant-saving analytics? If so you’re in luck. IBM (short for I Blame Microsoft) is taking a similar move to that of their arch nemesis, and creating a program to connect entrepreneurs with support, access to funding, and (you guessed it) IBM technology to power their designs.
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Realtor or Real Estate Agent, they’re never the best source of financial advice. Mostly due to conflicts of interest. A financial advisor who gets paid just on commission has a clear conflict of interest, and the same is true of any real estate agent. They are going to push you into the most expensive house you can afford (with Mortgage and Taxes equal to about 33% of your annual income.) That way, they can maximize their commission, even if it leaves you in the poor house.
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One marketing heuristic is that the typical redemption rate of coupons is only 1-3%. That is, if you send out 100 coupons, only one to three will be redeemed with a purchase. Over the last ten years, coupon usage has also been in decline. I imagine it’s because there’s forces at work in companies that are, but shouldn’t be, competing: the pressure to have high margins, and the pressure to have sales growth.
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For years there was a terrible trend in corporate America. Automate, eliminate, exacerbate (our customers’ frustration). There are so many instances where having a real person, who thinks real thoughts, and can make real empowered decisions is the difference between a customer for life and just another RMA. For small businesses, this knowledge can be both a blessing and a curse.
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Authoring white papers is something almost every type of technical company has done or will do at one point or another. Even non-technical companies publish them (along with case studies) to show thought leadership and ‘enhance’ brand reputation. But for those who are new to this 20-something year old marketing device, what is it exactly and how do you write one?
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December 21st, 2009
| Making Money,
Publicity | Chris
| View CommentsI know vanity presses usually get a bad rap. After all, if anyone can get themselves published at any time, without having to go through the vetting process of editors, fact-checkers, and publishing agents, then why should anyone buy their books? In a lot of ways, that’s what our world has become though. Bloggers and webmasters have been circumventing the traditional media for almost two-decades, and over time one would almost expect that to run over to the print media.
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Little background on myself: when I first started out in the working world, I took a job as a bookkeeper for a small jewelry store. To describe the role, one would say I was a “full-charge” bookkeeper, responsible for accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory, payroll, pretty much everything finance and accounting related.
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September 19th, 2009
| Making Money,
Motivation | Chris
| View CommentsOne of the biggest slights that one person can give another is to call them “unprofessional”, or to put it another way: amateurish. What they’re really trying to say is that your performance is so substandard that they think you are, in fact, unworthy of payment. A hobbyist at best. Its true that we all start out that way, hobbyists in our chosen craft. But what does it take to move beyond just a hobby venture?
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