Facebook Promoted Posts Allow Your Updates To Reach Users Outside Your Network

Facebook recently announced that it is testing a new advertising feature that would extend the reach of Facebook pages for brands. The new Promoted Posts feature would allow brands that run Facebook pages to post their content to the news feeds of users who aren't fans of their page.

Unlike some of Facebook's current advertising options, the new ads would show more than just the brands page and which friends have liked it. The promoted posts actually show content that the fans of that page see on their news feeds, similar to features on other sites like Twitter's Promoted Tweets.

The posts on Facebook include a “like page” option on the top right corner, so that Facebook users can subscribe to updates right from their dashboard. Posts also include a “sponsored” label.

The new ads can appear on both desktop and mobile versions of Facebook, and are currently being tested by a small group of advertisers. If the option rolls out to everyone, advertisers would have the option to choose what types of users see their updates based on factors like age, interests, and whether they use Facebook on their desktop or mobile device.

Another difference between the new promoted posts and other types of Facebook advertising is that the new ads are non-social, so users do not need to have friends who like a particular product or brand in order to see updates from that page on their news feed.

Other recent changes to Facebook's advertising lineup include Mobile Ads for Apps and Sponsored Stories. Facebook has been limiting the number of Sponsored Stories that can appear in the news feed so as to protect the quality of each user's feed.

If the promoted posts feature becomes available publicly, Facebook may have to cut down even more on Sponsored Stories, or users may become annoyed by the increased amount of advertising they see on the site.

Disttrack discovery highlights growing use of targeted malware

A vendor research team has discovered a new malware sample designed for use in targeted attacks. Experts say the discovery, the latest in a growing series of targeted malware samples found in the wild, further proves targeted malware has become the weapon of choice for enterprise attackers.

Cybercriminals are realizing the advantage of a targeted attack instead of a widespread attack.

Graham Cluley,
senior technology consultant,
Sophos Ltd.

Last week, W32.Disttrack became the most recent targeted malware sample discovered in the wild. Also known as Troj/Mdrop-ELD or the Shamoon attacks, Disttrack targets organizations in the energy sector, according to a blog post on Disttrack by Cupertino, Calif.-based antimalware giant Symantec Corp.

According to Symantec, it's a worm that spreads through network shares. It also corrupts files and overwrites a system's Master Boot Record (MBR) in an effort to render a computer unusable. Overwriting the MBR is an old malware tactic, experts said. It has become less popular with time, said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at U.K.-based security vendor Sophos Ltd., because it signals a computer user that his or her system has been compromised.

Damage done by Disttrack can be reversed, according to Sophos. The files Disttrack overwrites are non-critical and infected machines can be fixed by employing the "fixmbr" system command.

However, security experts agree that targeted malware attacks against enterprises are quickly becoming the norm.

"Cybercriminals are realizing the advantage of a targeted attack instead of a widespread attack," said Cluley, because they enable attackers to focus on specific information and can delay detection of the malware, due to the lower number of people or enterprises affected in an attack.

Recent targeted malware instances include Duqu, Stuxnet and Flame. Another recent discovery, Gauss, was identified earlier this month. Mac security vendor Intego Inc. also recently identified Crisis, a Mac OSX Trojan designed for targeted attacks against Apple endpoints.

Cluley said the directional shift in malware attacks from widespread to targeted signals a new era of cybercrime. Stephen Cobb, security evangelist at San Diego-based security vendor ESET LLC, said cybercriminals have not only changed their focus, but also the methods they use to develop malware.

Cobb said attackers have industrialized malware by dividing the creation of a threat into tasks allowing criminals to specialize in a part of the process. This, he said, makes it quicker to deploy devastating malware.

Enterprise security teams should be aware of the increasing number of targeted attacks, Cluley said, and should have layered defenses to protect against them.

"Like in a prison, you don't just have one gate or one door to get out," he said. Instead, an enterprise needs a defense that includes up-to-date security patches, up-to-date antivirus software, good encryption of sensitive documents and a strong password policy. He added that it is also important to pay attention to how data moves within an enterprise, so as to anticipate weak points where attackers might try to get it.

Cobb added that the No. 1 failing in security is that companies too often do not educate their users. He emphasized that enterprise security teams should not only inform employees of good security practices, but also keep them updated as threats evolve.

"If you were serious about security before, be more serious; if not, get serious now," Cobb said.

Investor sells $1.2b stake in Facebook

Peter Thiel - a director of Facebook with links to New Zealand - has sold most of his stake in the operator of the world's largest social-networking website, bringing his divestment to date to more than US$1 billion ($1.23 billion), after restrictions on insider sales ended.

Thiel, one of Facebook's earliest investors, sold about 20.1 million shares in the company on August 16 and August 17, raising US$395.8 million, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The venture capitalist has a house in Parnell and has invested around $6 million in New Zealand companies and projects.

In October 2010 he put $4 million in online accounting firm Xero and topped that up with a further undisclosed sum this year. In January 2011 he invested an undisclosed amount in the now-defunct Pacific Fibre, a company that planned to build a fibre-optic cable linking Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

Thiel also put an undisclosed amount into Booktrack, a startup which provides synchronised soundtracks for e-books.

Last March his firm Valar Ventures' existing New Zealand investments were rolled into Valar Ventures LP, a new $40 million fund comprising $20 million from the Government- backed New Zealand Venture Investment Fund, about $5 million from other New Zealand investors and $9 million of new money from Thiel.

The sale of his Facebook shares, including US$640.1 million in proceeds from the initial public offering, makes Thiel one of the biggest beneficiaries of Facebook's rise.

Concern that early investors, including Thiel - who initially invested US$500,000 in the fledgling startup in 2004 - would sell holdings has been weighing on the stock.

Shares in Facebook, which are down by almost half from the May 17 initial public offering, rose 5 per cent to US$20.01 at the close in New York yesterday.

Facebook last week unlocked 271.1 million shares, the first of five insider-sale restrictions scheduled during the company's first year as a public company. A further 1.44 billion shares will be freed up through November.

- Staff reporter

The Hottest Franchises

The other day, a reporter for a Hispanic business magazine asked me what I thought the hottest franchises were this year. I hesitated, like I always do when I get asked that question, and shared a couple of “categories” that are currently popular.

When he pressed me for the names of specific franchises, I hesitated again, but this time, I spouted off 2-3 concepts that have been getting a lot of PR, or have been selling a lot of new franchises lately. But, I really don't like naming names. I'm much more comfortable naming some of the trends in franchising.

A “hot” franchise opportunity can mean a number of different things. It depends on who you are and where you are in the franchise buying process. Take a look at the three things I listed below that could make a franchise concept “hot,” and maybe you'll understand where I'm going with this important topic:

High New Unit Sales

In my industry, things are measured in units. Franchisors are always on the hunt for new franchisees. New franchisees open new units. New units create new franchise fees, and a new stream of monthly royalty income.

Check out this Introduction to Franchising to learn about these fees, which are the lifeblood of the franchise model. If a franchisor is selling a lot of new franchise units, it could be considered to be a “hot” franchise concept.

Locations Everywhere

Let's say that you travel a lot for business. Let's also say that you've been thinking of leaving your job and becoming the owner of your own business, maybe even a franchise. Since you're in the “looking for an opportunity” mode, you've been keeping your eye on certain businesses that populate all the places you travel to. And, there's this one restaurant franchise that you keeps popping up everywhere you go. Not only are these franchises everywhere, they all seem to be new. In your eyes, this franchise seems like a “hot” one.

Publicity

Some franchises get a lot of publicity; the reasons why, vary.  For example, Dunkin' Donuts tends to get a lot of PR. Like this story featuring two very-well known sports figures that just purchased the rights to 50 Dunkin' Donuts franchises.

Earnings announcements can be turned into PR, too. Here's a story that discusses Burger King's 2Q profit going up 60%. (The reasons include their new menu, and recent marketing initiatives.)  Then there's the recent publicity surrounding a certain chicken-sandwich franchise, that may or may not be considered what's termed, “good' publicity.

So, based on the publicity that those three franchises have been getting as of late, one could say that they are pretty “hot” franchises.  The reason I chose to attempt to define what a hot franchise is by using the examples above, was to get you to stop and think for a minute.

Now, I understand why you want to find out what the hottest franchises are these days. You're equating popularity with higher income opportunities. That's completely normal. But, it's not necessarily the case, every time.

Look at the recent Facebook IPO, for a moment. Didn't you want to secretly “get in on the ground floor,” so that you'd have a chance to make a lot of money on a brand new stock? And, wasn't the fact that Facebook has been considered a “hot” social media site-a hot company the main reason for your interest in it?

Investigating a franchise because its “hot,” and using whatever criteria you're using to make it so, can be really tricky. Does the franchise concept you're interested in have the potential of becoming a fad? Are there too many locations nearby for you to really have a chance to make money? Can the franchisor keep up with all the new units being opened?

Those are all great questions that you need to ask yourself before you sign on the dotted line. Of course, one of the best things about franchising is that you get to ask actual franchisees, the ones that took a risk already and that are in business, all the questions you want.

But, in your excitement to become an owner, to finally be in control of your career, don't forget to ask yourself this question:

“Is the franchise I'm thinking of purchasing right for me?”

If so, maybe it can become a “hot” franchise for you and your family.

Make sense?

Burger King Photo via Shutterstock

Use LinkedIn To Date Your Leads and Marry Your Customers – NYC Event on 8/28

 

Grow Your Business Using LinkedIn and Lifecycle Marketing

 

When: Tuesday, August 28th - 8:30am â€" 10:30am (we will start at 8:30am sharp)

Where: Emerge 212 â€" 1515 Broadway, 11th floor (near 44th Street), New York, New York 10036

Click here to register for this event or get more information.

 

Event Summary

Join Jasmine and Ramon as they guide you into getting more customers and keeping the ones you have using LinkedIn, lead magnets and other powerful insights.

Ramon Ray will give you a 7 step process, which includes using lead magnets to attract an audience and nurture your leads. Social media is awesome, but we'll show you how to purposefully use social media and other technologies to GROW your business.

Jasmine will guide you through 4 steps you need to use Linkedin effectively to develop and sustain client relationships. We all have LinkedIn, but how many of us are using LinkedIn as a powerful and strategic tool to develop and sustain relationships?

Session will Include a Light Breakfast and Networking Opportunity.

Ramon Ray of Infusionsoft and Jasmine Sandler, CEO of Agenty-Cy Online Marketing

Your Hosts

Jasmine Sandler, CEO, Agenty-Cy Online Marketing and Digital Marketing Consultant is a veteran in online marketing. She has over 15 years client experience in helping companies, both large and small, use the web to develop and grow business.  Jasmine is a frequent speaker and writer for organizations including: New York Times Small Business Blog, The New York Enterprise Report, The Association of Strategic Marketing, The Online Marketing Institute and multiples of women business organizations.

Agent-cy Online Marketing, Inc., is an interactive agency in NYC with a team in Digital Strategy, Web Design & Development, Search Marketing Strategy and Management; Social Media Marketing and Online PR.

Ramon Ray is the Regional Development Director, Infusionsoft (and Tech Evangelist, smallbiztechnology.com). Infusionsoft provides all in one sales and marketing software to small businesses â€" integrating ecommerce, analytics, contact management, CRM, automation (and more) in one software suite with one database for a comprehensive view of the customers.

Ramon is a technology evangelist, author (3 books), event producer, national speaker, journalist and freelance writer with over 8,000 articles to his name. As a former technology consultant Ramon has hands on knowledge of technology and as a business owner, knows the challenges and joys of growing a business.

Social Analytics Tools That Let You Harness Engagement

Your website can only take you so far. It provides a point of reference when people are looking for your business. You should never treat it as more than that, regardless of how interactive the site is or whether you sell things online through it or not. It's irrelevant when it comes to customer engagement. In 2010, the average American spent 32 hours per month online. This number is expected to have increased. How many minutes out of all those hours do people spend, on average, talking to your business?

If you answered “zero,” then you're probably one of several struggling businesses that can't seem to keep up with the social sphere of the web. There's no magical secret that will engage your visitors, but you can always do some trial and error to see what they want the most. Measuring engagement and relevant interests can get you very far in reaching out to whomever has followed one or more of your social media presences. If there's one thing that attaches a customer to your business the most, besides selling a product that no one else sells in your city, it's the simple pleasure of having a conversation with that person.

Here are a few tools that will assist you in this adventure:

• PeopleBrowser Playground - If you're looking for someone with an enormous amount of data, PeopleBrowser could be your kind of thing. They store 1000 days of historical data from famous social media outlets, all sorted in several different classifications and demographics such as age group, gender, and sentiment. This is a place where you can start brainstorming and learning from the past.
• Infegy Social Radar â€" If you're looking for a solution that can “do it all,” Infegy's super-flexible, ultra-fast, and comprehensive service will probably entice you. Reviews say that this product gives you all the ins and outs of your social presence with astonishing detail. You'll be able to accurately measure engagement and find out what makes your followers tick.

To truly keep your customers loyal on the Web frontier, you must take a genuine vested interest in your social presence. Your website will only go so far. Giving your prospects a medium by which to communicate issues and questions will make them trust your business much more than simply showing them what you've got and asking them to order.

ICO disputes Freedom of Information Act findings on cookie reporting

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has dismissed claims that it is unprepared when it comes to investigating cookie compliance failures.

As detailed by SC Magazine, a Freedom of Information (FoI) request submitted by PC Pro found that 320 websites have been reported to the ICO through its online submission tool, but none of those sites have been investigated.

The ICO claimed that this was due to it not having a team in place to investigate, despite the laws being announced in May 2011 and enforced a year later.

However in a statement sent to SC Magazine, the ICO claimed that the suggestions were "dramatically wide of the mark".

It said: “The reality is that the ICO has been working to ensure compliance with the cookie law since it was introduced, with enforcement work complementing an education programme and significant liaison with the industry.”

The ICO said that after the 12-month grace period it gave companies to comply with the law ended in May 2012, its enforcement team wrote to 75 of the most visited websites, asking what steps they had taken to achieve compliance and its recently-established intelligence hub is monitoring the 75 websites contacted.

“So far 45 have been analysed, of which 27 have clearly taken action to increase the visibility of the information about cookies. Only three sites make no specific mention of cookies on their home page, and these, along with the six sites that failed to respond to our letter, will be set a deadline to take steps towards compliance, with formal enforcement action likely for the organisations that fail to meet this deadline,” it said.

The ICO also said that it has reviewed the 331 responses collected from its online cookie concern reporting tool, and its next step is to write to all of the websites highlighted.

It said: “It should be noted that a significant number of the responses do not provide any intelligence that can be analysed, while a proportion also highlight websites that rely on implied consent, which is in line with the EU law.

“A progress update, including a list of all the websites contacted, will be published on our website in November, six months after the cookie concern reporting tool was established.”

Recovery Steps For Small Business Owners

“Everyone has a plan â€" until they get punched in the face.” ~ Mike Tyson, Retired American Professional Boxer

Business is easy until things go wrong. Our dreams are big on paper, but in the daylight, where the work has to get done and we have to face our competition, things can easily fall apart without a recovery plan.

There are all kinds of disasters that your company can face:  weather, health, economic, team issues.

Regardless of the nature of the beast, the first step is still the same - plan for what you can and you will find yourself prepared for the unexpected.

Create Systems and Then Plan for System Failures

Every company has a modus operandi, a way that they do things. That standard needs to be documented and taught to every new team member as well as drilled into the entire team periodically. But plan for the system to fall apart.

For example, if bad weather blocks your traditional way of communicating with your staff, how will you get a message to them? Phone, text, email, the news, carrier pigeon? If your regular system fails, plan for a back-up - ahead of time.

It's true, you can't catch or anticipate every issue. But the practice of preparation will train your mind to see answers. It will also train your team to do the same thing.  Think about it, you did it in school. You had fire drills and tornado drills so that everybody knew how to move, just in case. Do the same thing in business.

Attract a Core Clientele and Then Find a Way to Reach a New But Relevant Secondary Market

It's easy to weather the storm when their isn't one.  But what if something happened to your core client base? What if their income changed, like the middle class spending habits in this ongoing economic shift?

When you're recovery minded, preparing for the punch in the face, then you look for options. You may reposition and repackage what you have. You may expand your market to one income bracket above or below your current clientele. You may add a complimentary product.

This is not about grasping at straws, but expanding your brand in a natural direction and on purpose.

The key to effective recovery planning is to start it before you need it. That simple decision will cause you to have fewer emergencies.

Business Punch Photo via Shutterstock

Ballpark Gets An Upgrade: A Hit for Small Businesses?

Let's be real â€" we're all on the hunt for great tools to help us grow our businesses. We're looking for apps or services that allow us to perform business tasks quicker and easier than before.

Well, last week the Internet was abuzz with the news that Ballpark, a popular business tool geared toward small business owners and consultants, underwent a major upgrade to make even more powerful. If you weren't using Ballpark before, you may want to see what it's up to now.

If you're not familiar with Ballpark, it's an app that prides itself on giving small business owners and freelancers everything they need to run their businesses â€" including the ability to track time, invoice, and manage cash flow. The old app has been redesigned from the ground up and now boasts a number of new features that were requested directly from small business owners themselves.

What can you expect from Ballpark 2.0?

Time Tracking: According to the team at Ballpark, this was the most requested feature and looks to go head-to-head with popular time tracking tool, Harvest (which I currently use). Ballpark allows teams from 1 to 100 track their team via browser or mobile app to help them stay on track and on budget with projects.

Invoicing: Freelancers and SMBs can now create attractive Web-based invoices, as well as keep track of open/paid up invoices through the Ballpark dashboard. Personally, I like this feature a lot and the ability to see immediately which clients are paid up, the date they paid, where you still have outstanding money, and what you've received this month/last month/this year. By putting everything in one dashboard it becomes easier for small business owners to visualize cash flow.

With the new version of Ballpark also comes the ability to create client or project estimates, as well as the addition of a new Discussion tab on these estimates where both parties can talk back and forth.  This provides an interesting way to solve an old problem â€" getting the client and vendor on the same page for the work that is to be completed. Because clients can ask questions related to the work or the scope of the project directly on the estimate, there's less likely to be any surprises after the project is completed.

Reporting: The reporting features of Ballpark help SMBs to make sense of their businesses by monitoring payments, time tracked, and upcoming cash flow. It also provides insight into where your team's time is spent and how your business is developing so that you can increase profitability and visualize potential time sucks.

Mobile App (coming): And, of course, a new Ballpark iPhone app is on its way so that business owners can track their time, be notified of payments, and stay up to date on their businesses while on the go. The app is currently awaiting App store approval, but should be available for download shortly.

While there are many apps available to help SMBs track time and invoice, where Ballpark hits a homerun for me is with the reporting and CRM features. They're potent, while remaining lightweight and easy to use. Also, the ability to quickly create estimates and then have discussions on-page will provide valuable to SMBs. All consultants know how difficult it can be to manage client expectations and this type of communication will allow everyone to better do that. More communication results in happy clients, which just may get those invoices paid on time.

If you want to give Ballpark a try, small businesses can take advantage of the 30-day free trial available. If you like it, individual rates are $13/month, while team rates with unlimited users are $100/month. So shouldn't break the bank for most people.

3 Ways to Fix Bad Online Reviews On Your Business

For every review site, there are at least a dozen businesses that promise to clean up a bad review…for a fee. As the Wall Street Journal recently pointed out, however, clean-up isn't quite as easy as these businesses make it look.

“You can't remove bad reviews,” Brent Franson, vice president of sales for Reputation.com told the newspaper. “The goal is to make sure the tip-of-the-iceberg reviews are good.”

Yelp, Angie's List, and other review sites confirm that businesses can't simply have a negative review removed. These sites are set up to allow users to freely post about experiences with a business. If a company could control which comments remained, the integrity of review sites would be greatly weakened.

That would be a great system if it were 100% tamper-proof. Unfortunately, there's no way to know that a posted review is posted by a legitimate customer. Anyone can post a review anonymously. Imagine an angry business partner, disgruntled former employee, or even your own competition writing a negative review in order to steer customers away from your business. With no recourse, that can be pretty frustrating.

When faced with bad online reviews, small businesses aren't helpless. Here are three ways your business can turn negative online reviews around.

• Participate in your online presence. If your business has social media profiles, take an active part in them. Your updates should be informative, inviting interaction from your customers. This not only provides regularly updated content that will rank well in search results, it will provide a wealth of information to those searching for your business.
• Craft well-written content. If your website has a blog, use it to post informative articles about your business. Use LSIKeywords to determine the words most often searched in your topic range. Several other free search engine optimization tools exist that can help you determine if your site will make the cut.
• Work with a reputation management firm. A carefully chosen reputation management company can expertly obscure negative content in a fraction of the time it would take a novice. Those reputation managers know how many keywords to use, where to post articles, and what to expect from postings. Beware of companies that claim to be able to remove negative reviews from sites like Ripoff Report and other consumer review sites for a large fee. A legitimate reputation management company will tell you up front that they restore a business's reputation by posting positive information. When it comes to reputation management, the goal is to help the business take control of its online reputation.

Your small business doesn't have to wait until something negative is posted to build a reputation. By setting up an online presence, businesses provide a variety of places to post information if the need should arise. Having a strong online presence also increases a business's chance of showing up in search results, potentially increasing business.

Most importantly, be patient. Your positive content may not overtake the negative postings overnight. In fact, it may take multiple articles over multiple weeks to begin to see serious results. But with each article you post, you'll be creating valuable content for any customers looking for information on your business.

ICO yet to investigate cookie failings due to staff shortage

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is yet to begin investigating websites accused of breaking the new cookie laws, due to it not having a team in place to do so.

Despite the laws being announced in May 2011 and enforced for three months, since the year's grace ended for websites to ‘get their house in order', a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by PC Pro found that 320 websites have been reported to the privacy watchdog through its online submission tool, but none of those sites have been investigated.

The ICO said that the submitted information had not been analysed, as the team who will have responsibility was not yet in place, however it has subsequently hired employees to investigate allegations of cookie non-compliance. It also said that these staff will be responsible for other areas of the new Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations (PECR), including electronic marketing and unsolicited text messages.

The ICO told PC Pro: “It is intended that once the data has been analysed any organisations not in compliance will be identified, then further action will be considered as appropriate.”

Recent research by business IT solutions provider Prism found that as many as 90 per cent of UK website owners were currently ignoring the legislation.

Gary David Smith, co-founder and business development director of Prism, said: “All UK websites that use cookies in any form need to get consent from the user before the cookies are placed on the user's PC or the site must be adjusted to redirect to a cookie free version if the user rejects the consent form.

“The legislation does allow for sites to work on ‘implied consent' if they know visitors have been made aware of revised privacy policies but it's no good relying on a policy page that is out of date or difficult to find. Even in the case of simply applying Google Analytics to your site you need to let your visitors know that you are doing that.”

McAfee\'s defected update causes user chaos

McAfee users had their internet access severed and were left exposed to malware after the company issued an anti-virus update containing glitches.

The update affected all Windows McAfee suites and VirusScan products, including the latest version of VirusScan Enterprise and McAfee SecurityCenter, after anti-virus signature updates (DAT 6807, 6808) disabled the anti-virus clients and in some cases, severed internet access.

McAfee issued an enterprise 100Mb Super DAT (Hotfix 793640) and a consumer fix (DAT 6809) overnight for the faulty updates, which it rated as ‘critical'.

Enterprise customers had to apply the hotfix as a product update through the e-Policy Orchestrator, while consumers were advised to remove McAfee anti-virus from affected machines and re-install the product in order for the fix to be applied.

Furious enterprise and business customers posted comments yesterday on the McAfee blog claiming they were left high and dry after thousands of machines within their companies were left exposed by the updates.

One user had 70 of more than 2,000 systems affected, including two ‘high-profile' users. Some consumers took to McAfee's Facebook page, where support officers were assisting with technical support, to vent their anger.

McAfee said that it appreciated the seriousness of the situation, apologised for the inconvenience and said that the development teams were working to get a solution ready as fast as possible. It later offered guidance to solve the problem and recommended users who had not deployed DAT 6807 or 6808 to go directly to DAT 6809 or later.

More than a thousand children\'s details displayed online following cyber attack

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has said it is opening an investigation into a cyber attack that led to the online publication of 1,367 children's details.

According to the Telegraph, sensitive information on children, including details of their behavioural problems, was leaked online after an alleged attack on Gabbitas, a company that advises parents about applying for top independent schools.

The information included the names and addresses of pupils and parents, and confidential notes about their children's personality and school achievements and, in some cases, illnesses and learning difficulties.

Gabbitas parent company Prospects Services has shut down the website after being alerted to the issue. A spokesperson said: “We apologise unreservedly to any individuals who may be affected.”

The website had a database containing parent inquiries into independent schools and breached data included comments on children and parents' personal details.

A spokesman for the ICO said: “We are grateful to The Sunday Telegraph for bringing this possible data breach to our attention. We will be making inquiries into the circumstances of any potential breach of the Data Protection Act before deciding what action, if any, needs to be taken.”

Researchers claim that Adobe failed to patch Reader vulnerabilities last week

Adobe missed dozens of vulnerabilities in Reader on last week's Patch Tuesday, according to Google engineers who reported the flaws.

Sixteen vulnerabilities still affected the Windows and Mac OS X versions, while 31 critical and ‘trivially exploitable' bugs were found in the Linux application.

Of the 60 crashes affecting Adobe Reader for Linux, nine were potentially exploitable for remote code execution, according to Google security engineers Mateusz Jurczyk and GynDream Coldwind.

Adobe fixed 20 of the 50 vulnerabilities affecting Reader, including all five critical and high severity holes. Jurczyk and Coldwind reported the flaws to Adobe as part of Google's fuzzing program, which examines the PDF viewer in its Chrome browser.

Following the Patch Tuesday release, the researchers published details of the unpatched vulnerabilities to help users mitigate security risks, and have been in contact with Adobe's product security response team to help develop patches.

They said eight of the 16 Windows and OS X Reader bugs appeared to represent unique problems, some of which could be exploited by attackers.

“Though we have no evidence these bugs are being exploited today, we are concerned that functional exploits can be built without much effort based on knowledge derived from binary diffing of the old and newly patched Windows builds,” Jurczyk said in an advisory.

“Given this, we consider users of Adobe Reader to be exposed to serious risk. Since the Linux Reader version remains unpatched and the Windows and OS X patches are now available for diffing and reverse engineering, we have decided that it's in the best interest of users to be aware of these security issues without additional delay.”

They also said that all discussed vulnerabilities were found using publicly available PDF documents, altered using conceptually trivial mutation algorithms such as bit flipping.

Windows users were urged to upgrade to Adobe Reader X, which contains a sandbox that would make exploitation more difficult, but not impossible. The feature does not exist for Mac and Linux.

Jurczyk said Adobe did not plan to release an out of band update, but would work on a fix for the remaining bugs.

The researchers published stack traces for the 16 Windows and OS X vulnerabilities but omitted meaningful data that attackers could use to find the vulnerable code paths.

Presidential campaign apps accused of collecting a large amount of user data

Research by GFI Labs into the free Romney and Obama Android apps has revealed that they collect large amounts of personal data, including locations.

GFI Labs found that both apps can harvest credentials and user details. This follows a recent news story from Reuters that touched on the security concerns surrounding President Obama's app, where it said that the implications of having a stranger's name and address at one's fingertips has raised the hackles of privacy advocates.

Users of Romney's app ‘MyMitt' are given the option to connect with Facebook or either create an account, which would involve giving a users' name, email address, password, home address or a mobile phone number (this is optional). Logging in via Facebook would give the app permission to post on their behalf and to collect data available from their Facebook friends.

Randall Griffith, junior threat researcher at GFI Labs, said that the app also collects other information, such as device ID, carrier, phone number, GPS location, phone location and package info on other installed apps.

“According to the app, users may be included in the Romney for President's contact list upon signing up. Its terms of service also mention the possibility of MyMitt members' usernames location being used for contest or programs, but users can opt out,” Griffith said.

“There are two other permissions this app seeks that caught our attention, including access to the audio recording features of a mobile phone and its camera. The app doesn't appear to take advantage of those features now, so why does it need those permissions?”

Users of the ‘Obama for America' app are required to consent to an agreement that essentially allows the app to gather information, such as GPS and mobile phone location.

Griffith said: “This app has permissions to access the user's phone contact list (which includes names and numbers), call and message logs (only the phone numbers and not the actual voice or text communication), data on currently installed apps, and contents of the SD card. Furthermore, this app constantly collects user location information.

“Users of this app are capable of accessing information on registered voters near them via the app feature called Canvass Neighborhood. Information such as the registered voter's first name and last initial, age and home addresses can be viewed. The app then encourages users to go to the homes of these voters to campaign for Obama. It gives a quick pop-up about safety tips when canvassing, as well as information on what to say and how to say it.”

Griffith concluded by saying that this underlines the importance of knowing what apps are doing and what personal information users are divulging about themselves, and potentially their contacts and social network connections.

“Even reputable sources like the official presidential campaigns may encroach on what many of us consider a reasonable expectation of privacy and limitations on data collection. Read the fine print before installing any app,” he said.

Registrations for second Sophos Linux Forensics challenge close this week

Sophos' Linux Forensics competition, in association with Cyber Security Challenge, will begin next week.

The infosec company is set to launch its second Linux challenge on Monday 27th August that will test contestants' skills in identifying security issues on a Linux system. As well as detecting a series of attacks against the server, competitors will be asked to detail exactly how it has been compromised and make recommendations on how to fix the problems. Registrations close on Wednesday 22nd August.

James Lyne, director of technology strategy at Sophos, said: “Last year we ran the first Linux competition and we're keen to boost the numbers in this year's competition and also to make some more noise about the Linux skills gap.

“There have been some steps towards improving the ICT curriculum in schools but we can no longer stick our heads in the sand. The web is the main tool used by cyber criminals to target both business and consumers so we still need to do much more to teach vital skills such as Linux programming in schools and universities and to nurture the young Linux generation.”

Tony Campbell, CIO of InfoSec Skills, said: “While Microsoft Windows remains the most widely used operating system in the home, it is important to realise that most IT utility services we rely on as consumers do not use Microsoft technologies.

“Computing appliances that apply services such as our e-commerce systems, telecommunication services and web hosting, are almost certainly based on one of the many Unix/Linux variants available, however the skills deficit for managing these systems is a growing problem.”

ICO to investigate Tesco following data security claims

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is to investigate Tesco after research revealed failings in the retail giant's security.

According to Computing, Tesco will be asked to explain the alleged poor security practices of its website, including allegations that it stores login and password information in an unhashed and unsalted format, does not use HTTPS on some pages and emails passwords to users in plain text.

The ICO said that it was "aware of this issue and will be making inquiries".

The research released by Troy Hunt last month caused Tesco to respond to claims that it was "well short of industry standards on a number of fronts". A Tesco spokesperson told SC Magazine that it knew how important internet security was to its customers and the measures it had were robust.

“We are never complacent and work continuously to give customers the confidence that they can shop securely,” it said.

In an email to SC Magazine, Hunt said that he found it interesting that a governing body may take an interest without a breach having occurred, but was unsure on what powers the ICO has in the UK.

“I'm yet to see anything beyond hearsay regarding their investigation,” he said.

Asked if he felt that this is something that Tesco should have rectified before a regulator got involved, Hunt said: “Absolutely. You'd have to be living in a cave not to have witnessed the continued, persistent activities of groups such as Anonymous and be very aware of the risks of a poorly secured website.

“Of course they were also told this many times by many people over many years so it's somewhat astounding that nothing has been done about it.

“So yes, I think it is welcome news and with any luck it might set a good precedent about the responsible handling of customer data. It will be interesting to see the detail that comes out of it (i.e. what was the basis of the investigation - just password storage?).”

Hunt had previously highlighted a blog published at Jemjabella.co.uk from 2007 that focused on flaws in Tesco's email security.

LinkedIn: The Professional Playground For Professional Connections

There are so many tangible examples of how online networking, especially LinkedIn can, has and does open doors and connections, not only for me but many others I know who are using it with very good results.

Very good results come from not only understanding how it works technically, but why it works. LinkedIn is a professional platform - not a social platform.  That's important to know so you use it right and get the best results.

People connecting with each other, making referrals, introductions and recommendations are nothing new really in business. The difference today is how BIG the networking world has become with the web and social media. This is why LinkedIn used strategically can help you make  those smart, qualified connections.

LinkedIn is the professional playground for professional connections. If you seriously want to engage the professional community and their decision makers, then LinkedIn is THE place to play. LinkedIn profiles are now hybrids of resumes, websites, Facebook and blog pages. It's the most complete presentation of who you are and what you are up to … professionally. I send people to LinkedIn first!

Here are 7 benefits of LinkedIn that professionals should take advantage of:

• Make smart, right connections.  Only the serious apply here. This is where the professional community engages, interacts, connects and refers. Start your process on LinkedIn if you want to get a company or person to notice you. Develop your profile, put up a professional head shot, link your blog, and post good content as often as you can and respond to other people's posts.
• Who do you want to meet?  Make a target list of who you want to meet-companies and people. Make LinkedIn a prospecting, research and engagement tool.   Use the information you gather to send thoughtful, smart messages.
• Who do you want to meet you? This is where “mutual magnetism” works both ways. There are people we all want to meet for the value they bring to us, but there is value in what you bring to others too. Use your connections, wisdom, experience and personality to both meet people and initiate people meeting you. Develop your profile and keep it up to date!
• Link up on LinkedIn:  Identify people in your sphere and community that would be great to meet each other and make introductions. When you want to be connected, those connections you made can come in very handy!
• The Rules of Engagement:  There is an etiquette on all the social platforms, but especially LinkedIn. Just because we connect doesn't give anyone permission to start sending  frequent, non-permission based sales emails. Spend some time interacting with people, supporting their content, causes and company before launching into salesy stuff.
• Use brand power - your brand, your company brand, your industry brand:  LinkedIn is the perfect environment to leverage ‘brand power'. Remember there's your brand, your company brand and your industry brand. Promote and connect all three and watch relationships grow.
• You + new media = smart connections:  Your strategic,  consistent and value driven communications used in a thoughtful way on LinkedIn can and will open doors. LinkedIn is a great place to start, it makes it easy to add Twitter, your blog and other sites that all work together to professionally present you in a single page snapshot.

Check out these LinkedIn Demographics and Stats further demonstrating the power of LinkedIn. 

How are you using LinkedIn to make smart connections?

 

Small Businesses Continue Saying: Yes, We Did Build It!

A statement by President Barack Obama on the campaign trail still rankles some small business owners a month later - and the issue doesn't seem to be going away.

In a speech in July 2012 President Obama made the statement, “If you've got a business. you didn't build that.  Somebody else made that happen. ” ABC News

That set off a firestorm of reaction.  Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's campaign seized on the comment and organized a series of  ”We Did Build It!” rallies.

The President fought back with speeches and a television commercial explaining that his words had been pulled out of context by his opponent.  He restated his support for small businesses.

How Do Small Business Owners Feel?

There is no single “small business position” on this or any other election issue.  Small business owners have varying political beliefs and can be found on every side of every issue.

But “We DID build it” has become a rallying cry for some small business owners to voice how they feel about government, taxation and spending.  They are waging protests in their places of business, as recently as this past week. Small business owners are not known for protesting or mixing politics with business.  To do so at all is remarkable.

It's a sign of deeper discontent by some small business owners. A Gallup poll from the 2nd quarter of 2012 (before the President's comments) found business owners are the group LEAST approving of President Obama's on-the-job performance, with 59% disapproving.  In other words, a majority of small business owners did not think the President was doing a good job according to the Gallup poll - even before the political dust-up over the “You didn't build it” comments.

Fast forward to today, a month after the President's comments were made:

Business Owners Speak Out

Sending a message. Just to be sure President Obama knows who built his company, biz owner Al Letizio put up signs in front of his small New Hampshire food service business so that the President was sure to get his message while passing in his motorcade through the state. Breitbart

An inside job. Deli owner Ross Murty got even closer to the Obama campaign to make his point about his small business. While catering an Obama visit to Iowa, Murty wore a shirt stating “Government Didn't Build My Business. I did.” Washington Post

Sweet revenge. Chris McMurray, co-owner of  “Crumb and Get It”, a family owned bakery in Radford, Va., said “no” when campaign workers for Vice President Joe Biden asked whether Biden could make a campaign stop at the local mom and pop. His objection stemmed from Obama's comment about business. WDBJTV

Summing up.  A small business owner sums it up.  Note: includes language NSFW (not safe for work).  Ace of Spades, via Instapundit.

Look at All Sides

Pulled out of context.  Erica Nicole says President Obama's comments were pulled out of context and misrepresented by the media. Business owners should consider “the story behind the story,” she cautions. Young, Fabulous and Self-employed

Who built what? It's a chicken and egg argument. While it's certainly true that government expenditures for infrastructure from highways to the Internet help entrepreneurs create and sustain businesses, it's also true that the money for these projects comes from taxes paid by those businesses in the first place, writes blogger Erica Holloway. BlogHer

That nobody can deny. The core idea of the President's statement, that everyone has been helped by someone else on their way to being successful, is something no one can deny. But that doesn't mean the people we owe our success to are politicians sitting in Washington, says Professor Richard Grant, nor should it. Forbes

Much ado about nothing. The problem with the debate over who really creates business success however, completely misses the point, says business advocate Nelson Davis. Here in the U.S., small businesses have traditionally viewed government as a support system for their operations, but certainly not as the agent responsible for their success. The Huffington Post

Public Perception

We're not alone.  According to another recent poll, 72 percent of Americans believe small business owners are responsible for their own success.  Rasmussen Report

Why Clean Energy Investments Aren\'t Bearing Fruit

A123 Systems, which received $250 million of the $2 billion that the Obama administration has invested in electric battery companies, recently averted bankruptcy with a $450 investment from Wanxiang Group that could give the Chinese company nearly fourth-fifths of A123's stock.

In the currently politically charged environment, the President's opponents have criticized the deal, saying that it highlights the failure of his clean energy policies.  Government should stay out of the marketplace, they say, because policy makers usually make poor investment decisions.

To me the issue is more subtle. The President's clean energy policies have run into trouble in large part because the administration didn't pay enough attention to uncertainty. They assumed that investment alone would be enough to ensure success.

Consider electric vehicles:  Customer adoption of new technology, economists explain, often depends on technical breakthroughs that cut costs and make new alternatives more attractive than old ones. When these advances do not come and costs don't fall, adoption is usually slow.

A123 Systems invested in new battery technology. But it wasn't able to lower the cost of its batteries quickly. Needed technical developments didn't come fast enough because technology development is uncertain.

The result? Electric vehicle batteries remain pricey, keeping electric vehicles expensive, and making them relatively unattractive to car buyers.

When providing federal support to clean energy companies like A123 Systems, the President and his staff ignored uncertainty and made it seem that all we needed to establish an electric vehicle industry right now would be to spend taxpayers' money.

As the President claimed in his 2011 State of the Union Address:

“With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.”

We aren't even close to this pace of adoption. Currently, there are fewer than 50,000 electric vehicles in operation. At our current pace, we will have about 100,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2015. To hit the million vehicle target in less than three years would take a huge, and highly unlikely, acceleration in the adoption of electric vehicles.

To me the lesson is clear: When seeking to develop high tech industries, policy makers need to keep their hubris in check. They shouldn't just assume that all it takes to make their optimistic projections come true is a little investment. The path of technology development is far too uncertain for that.

Electric Car Photo via Shutterstock

14 Tips to Help Startups Keep High Potential Talent Growing and Happy

Congratulations! Whether with an attractive amount of equity or a persuasive pitch of promised impact, you've successfully recruited high-potential talent to your business. But the hard part isn't exactly over, as nothing in this economy is ever guaranteed. Bringing on top talent is one thing; keeping them there is another.

Instead of continually dangling costly perks in front of their eyes, providing support and mentorships may be the way to maintain company loyalty from your high-potential talent. By investing in their work ethic and well-being early on, their productivity at present may grow while their career trajectories align with your business well into the future.

We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation only nonprofit organization comprised of the country's most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question to find out their advice for supporting - and therefore, retaining - top team members:

“How can small companies make sure that high-potential talent is getting the best possible support and mentorship?”

Here's what YEC community members had to say:

1. Prioritize It Highly

“I find support and mentorship has to be a vocalized priority, or else it goes ignored. Especially in a young company full of young people, I think it's crucial that everyone recognizes they're only beginning their personal growth - and that they've got a lot they can learn from everyone else!” ~ Derek Flanzraich, Greatist

2. Ask the Right Questions

“I make a point of hiring team members who have plenty of ambition (and a few side projects of their own). When the business of the day is complete, I make a point of asking about their progress - that gives me an easy way to offer specific advice, connections and other mentoring, rather than trying to help in a way that might not be so useful.” ~ Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting

3. Inspire the Mentorship

“Inspire up-and-coming leaders to mentor high-potential talent. I will usually talk to my rock-star employees about spending some extra time with the new talent. It's a win-win. The mentor feels that she is taking more of a leadership role, and the new talent gets the support he needs.” ~ John Hall, Digital Talent Agents

4. Engage in Retention Coaching

“Set up monthly, one-on-one meetings with your most talented professionals and ask how you can better support them. Talk with them candidly about their challenges and share your own experiences. Being relatable and helpful on an individual level is the most effective way to get high-potentials to stick around.” ~ Alexandra Levit, Inspiration at Work

5. On-Boarding Training Program

“Whenever we hire someone, we've developed in-house training modules to bring them up to speed as soon as possible. We also organize one-on-one training sessions with various people in the office; this serves a dual purpose of training along with networking!” ~ Jesse Pujji, Ampush|social

6. Give Them That Love

“There is no substitute for real face time with your new talented employees. If you want them to develop and grow, you need to give them the attention they deserve. Make sure to meet with your team at least once per week to touch base on their progress and questions. Solicit feedback from them and do your best to improve as a manager.” ~ Lucas Sommer, Audimated

7. Measure Results Through Analytics

“I put extra emphasis on analyzing the results of the efforts that my high-potential talent gives to my organization. If you know exactly where a high-potential person is lacking or succeeding, you can apply more of your resources at that point to ensure maximum results.” ~ Lawrence Watkins, Great Black Speakers

8. Suggest Leadership Positions

“Encourage them to take on leadership roles earlier than they're comfortable. This will force them to interact with senior team members in a more productive way and will allow them to grow at a much quicker rate.” ~ Brent Beshore, AdVentures

9. Go for Company Coaching

“We utilize a coaching company to help set structure and mentor our talent. It really helps to have an outside opinion when dealing with team members (and keeping them happy). It's been one of my best investments, and I find it is most successful when we go through rounds of growth. It keeps the support system consistent during these hectic periods.” ~ Jordan Guernsey, Molding Box

10. Make Many Introductions

“In addition to providing personal support to top talent, you should introduce them to other potential mentors and support them in joining relevant professional groups. This will broaden their horizons and help them to bring back fresh ideas to your company.” ~ Elizabeth Saunders, Real Life E®

11. Solicit Weekly Meetings

“Managers should individually meet with all their direct reports once a week so the employees' voices are heard - this meeting is an opportunity for employees to voice opinions and concerns, and for managers to make sure their team has the support it needs.” ~ Bhavin Parikh, Magoosh Test Prep

12. Invite Other CEOs and Leaders

“We have a relatively small team, but a pretty great network. We often ask those leaders and managers who we know at other companies to meet our team. While my liberal arts and consulting background is relevant for some of our team members, others need to learn from top technical folks. There is only so much that you can teach a young person; support them further by opening up your Rolodex!” ~ Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches

13. Create Deeper Dialogue

“Beyond typical training and mentorship, it's important to create a deeper dialogue with high-potential talent. Provide an opportunity for open brainstorming to spurn creative ideas and let them know they are “heard” on a regular basis.” ~ Melissa Cassera, Cassera Communications

14. Balance Out the Dynamic

“Communication is essential. You should have weekly meetings, both one-on-one and with the whole team. This gives everyone a chance to see where others are having trouble, need help, or are succeeding. It ensures everyone is working together, and it creates the opportunity for real relationships.” ~ Patrick Ambron, BrandYourself.com

Development Photo via Shutterstock

Increased Approvals of Small Business Loans by Big Banks Are a Good Sign for Entrepreneurs

Lending at big banks (classified as banks with $10B+ in assets) are rising, thanks to increased activity by mid-sized institutions within this category.  This is welcome, positive news for small business owners.

The July 2012 Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index, a monthly analysis of 1,000 loan applications on my company's platform, revealed that approvals by big banks improved for the second consecutive month to 11.3% from 11.1% in June 2012.  This figure represents the highest approval rate by big banks since March 2012; a positive indication that small business lending is gaining momentum among large and mid-sized banks.

Conversely, small bank lending dropped slightly to 47.4% in July 2012 from 47.5% in June 2012.   However, this number is still up two and a half percentage points from 44.9% last July.

We are continuing to see more mid-sized banks, such as Sovereign, reemerge in the market. Big banks, which have been under pressure to increase small business lending, are continuing to close more deals.

Meanwhile, the July 2012 loan approval rate of credit unions dipped to 54.6%, down from 55.8% in June.  The figure represents the lowest approval rate for credit unions since August 2011, when the figure stood at 54.2%. Some credit unions have reported that they had reached their lending limit, which currently is 12.25% of total assets.

The slowdown is due, in part, because some credit unions reportedly ‘capped out', while others are being more cautious in their lending because of greater scrutiny by the SBA.  The Credit Union Small Business Jobs Bill proposed by Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) seeks to raise the credit union business lending cap to 27.5% of total assets from the current figure of 12.25%.

Although credit union lending dropped, alternative lenders - accounts receivable financers, merchant cash advance lenders, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI), micro lenders, and others - are picking up the slack.  In July, alternative lenders approved 64.1% of loan requests, up from 62.9% in June and nearly 12 percentage points higher than a year ago.  The 64.1% approval rate was the highest figure since the Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index began in 2011.

While credit union approvals slowed, alternative lenders picked up the slack with their highest approval rating since we began measuring the category.  Alternative lenders should continue to reap the benefits of capped out credit unions.

Although it is not yet time to pronounce that the credit crunch is over, things have certainly improved for entrepreneurs in search of capital this year.

Loan Approval Photo via Shutterstock

New Klout Feature Lets Users See Most Influential Posts

Klout has just started rolling out a completely new system for measuring influence. The new interface has already begun updating scores for many users, based on a different set of criteria that mixes online influence with real-world influence. The site has also begun adding some new features that let users see their most influential posts and topics.

Previously, Klout only accounted for things like number of friends on Facebook and number of retweets on Twitter when calculating influence. But now a user's Klout score goes beyond that to include things like job titles from LinkedIn and the importance of that user's Wikipedia page.

In addition, +K's from other users now impact Klout scores, whereas before they only influenced that user's influential topics.

The old factors like Facebook friends and Twitter followers still count when calculating Klout scores, but now they're just balanced against some new factors. Klout takes into account factors from Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Wikipedia, Instagram and more.

The site has also introduced a new feature called “Klout Moments” that showcases a user's most influential tweets and posts from the last 90 days. For companies that use social media for promotion, measuring influence using a service like Klout can help to determine what types of posts work and what types of posts don't.

With the new Klout interface, companies can specifically see what posts are the most influential and what people are most influenced by them.

Old features like True Reach, Amplification, and Network impact scores have been removed in order to make room for Klout Moments. Moments are available for some users now and the rest will begin to see the new feature within the next few weeks.

Klout also has a few new features currently in the works, including more networks like YouTube and Tumblr, and an enhanced topics system.

Bing Gains on Google in Search Market Share

Small business owners using online marketing to bring in customers must always keep the big search engines in mind while creating and distributing their content. Up until recently, that's essentially meant Google, which clearly has retained the majority share of the search market. But all of this is about to change. Here are some things you ought to know about the shifting sands of online search.

Searching for Trends

The once and future king. A recent comScore report shows that Google's iron grip with 66.8 percent of the search market remains unshaken. What the report also shows, however, are continued gains by Bing over the last two months while Google remained flat. Additionally, the report shows that Yahoo!, the search giant's other rival, has halted its decline. Search Engine Watch

For better or for worse. Changes in Google search results may push even more queries toward the search engine's rivals and may also be a good reason for small online businesses to pay more attention to ranking better with Bing and Yahoo! Experts say Google is returning fewer search results now and showing many from the same domains. Search Engine Land

Spreading your risk. Not surprisingly, many experts are advising us to expand our search engine options. In this post we take a look at some of the other search tools in the world beyond Google and its two largest competitors. These alternatives may prove important in a future where one search engine may no longer dominate all results. Information Today

Tools and Techniques

Analyze this. No matter what its overall search results, there's no doubt Google creates some unsurpassed tools small business owners with an online presence will want to go right on using. Google Analytics is one of these. Here are some tips for setting up the perfect dashboard for your company, ready to deliver all the search data you need. Capture Commerce

Searching high and low. Even when considering a single search engine, search marketing is now increasingly complex. When tailoring your search marketing campaign, be sure you remember not only content marketing but local search marketing and mobile marketing too. Leave no stone unturned when looking for new ways to build a customer base and communicate with it. E-Marketing Associates

Marketing Measures

A beautiful site. Despite recent changes in search engines, there are some basic principles that will keep you out of trouble if you pay careful attention while marketing your site online. Quality content that is search engine friendly yet written for humans is still the best thing to put on your Website. And here are some other things to think about. Brick Marketing Blog

The right set of tools. Google's greatest competitor at this point, Microsoft's search engine Bing, has done much more than simply gobble up an greater share of the market. It has also rolled out a set of free Webmaster Tools similar to Google's in an effort to help Website  owners create more search engine friendly content. It's time for online entrepreneurs to consider more than one set of tools while trying to get their Websites noticed. Keep Up With the Web

Listening to Reviews Is Just As Important As Marketing

While you're trying to maintain the front on your business by keeping your Facebook page updated and sending new offers to your mailing list subscribers, there's probably one thing much more important than all that. Your customers will, once in a while, write a review on one of your products and/or your own establishment. This review could be positive or negative, based on the customer's experience doing business with you and using the product that they've purchased.

Whether you're selling baskets, batteries, or balloons, you need to know what your customers are thinking about your services or products. Even if the review is negative, listen to it! There are two reasons why you should:

1. Reviews tell you how one of your products are doing. If you have a bad product, you'll know this immediately when you see a bad review. In fact, you don't have to look for reviews particular to your business. If you're looking for a review on a new monitor you're thinking about including in your stock, type something like “LG W2343S-PF review” on Google. You'll find a number of reviews on that product, which will tell you whether it's a smart choice to include in your stock for your customers. That's very effective in preventing a bad experience on behalf of customers who don't know any better.
2. Reviews give you insight on how you are doing. Any negative reviews or issues with a product your customers are complaining about should be responded to promptly. Read this article for more details.

Now you know why listening to what others say, whether good or bad, can turn into something positive. Put your business' name under Google Alerts and you'll get an email every so often showing what people say about your business. Take some time to make a little change in how you run things when people are mentioning shortcomings. This will benefit you greatly and give your customers the touch they're looking for.

Selling the Cloud: Businesses Now Offering Cloud Services for Sale

CDW is one of the latest corporations offering Cloud-based services for sale. The company, which is known for providing storage media and equipment to businesses, will provide Salesforce.com access to its customers.

This move to the Cloud is no surprise for the retailer, considering CDW found in a 2011 tracking poll that 84 percent of Cloud users reported a noticeable savings by moving applications to the Cloud. The average savings reported in the poll was 21 percent annually. Acknowledging that Cloud-based offerings are the future of technology, businesses like CDW are finding ways to evolve offerings to keep up with trends.

“Traditional computer retailers like CDW are looking for more products and services to sell,” SmallBizTechnology's Ramon Ray says. “Companies like Salesforce are looking for new avenues of marketing and sales opportunities.”

CDW won't be the first company to offer a Cloud-based application to its customers. In fact, Dell sells Salesforce, as well as SAP solutions, Cloud hosting, and Cloud-based data center services. It's a win-win for Dell, Salesforce, and Dell's customers, who can obtain  everything they need in one stop.

There is a downside for customers, though. Cloud-based software is often packaged in one-size-fits-all price plans, giving small businesses the option between having limited usability or having far more than they need. Salesforce.com, for example, has a basic plan for only $5 a month per user that only covers up to five users. This edition focuses on contact management but it doesn't provide e-mail templates or a dashboard. To obtain these features, a customer must upgrade to the $15 per user per month edition, which includes multiple marketing features that a small business doesn't need.

Small business owners often find themselves between plans, with no way to customize to add only those features they need. A small business with ten workers, for instance, may find itself stuck between an inexpensive plan for businesses with five workers or less and a much more robust system for businesses with fifty users or more.

In this case, Ramon Ray recommends custom consulting. If not offered through the reseller, the small business should go directly to the software manufacturer to ask if a package can be tailored to their specific business needs. Sometimes, custom solutions can save money for a small business.

So what's the benefit of buying Cloud solutions through a retailer? Usually, Cloud-based solutions like Salesforce are provided as part of a much larger package of online services. ERP software, purchasing software, and other offerings may be available through a retailer, whereas buying software packages individually requires much more shopping around. Also, a small business could contact the retailer to even further customize offerings so that only the features that business needs are included. Elements of Salesforce could be included with purchasing and billing software without the customer having to work with three separate companies.

One final benefit to buying Cloud services through companies like Dell and CDW is the ability to tailor solutions to your particular business. Each business has different requirements and, by working with a consultant, the business can state its specific needs and receive exactly what it needs.