If you're looking for something unique to give that iPhone owner on your staff this year, Lantronix has a gadget for you. The device is ready to use, right out of the box, needing only to be hooked up to your network, your printer, and a power outlet to allow you to print from any mobile device.
The xPrintServer acts as a small print server for your iOS devices, supporting more than 4,000 printers. Your workers and clients can print from iPhones and iPads without having to install a special app. The xPrintServer responds to print jobs sent from the iOS device's native menu, making it easy for your workers and visitors to print from anywhere in your office building.
“If you're looking to print from your iPad, iPhone or other iOS device to your existing printer, there's nothing easier than the xPrintServer. xPrintServer prints from the native iOS menu to 4,000+ top brand printers (and growing),†a Lantronix spokesperson states. “It requires no apps, downloads, or workarounds.â€
Among the best news about xPrintServer is its price. The device costs only $99.95 for the home edition, which supports up to eight USB printers (using a separate USB hub) and up to two network printers. For unlimited network printers, you can purchase the network edition for $149.95. However, Lantronix cautions that the xPrintServer performs optimally with ten printers or less connected.
While the home edition may be sufficient for most small businesses, it doesn't provide the printer access management console that comes with the network version. However, the server automatically discovers all the printers on the network when plugged in, so you may not require this feature. If your printer isn't one of the 4,000 that comes pre-supported, Lantronix allows you to request that your printer be added.
Of course, xPrintServer isn't the only device to provide iOS printing capability. Apple's AirPrint is one option, but support for older hardware can be an issue. iOS 5 sealed up a hole that had originally allowed certain apps to print to non-AirPrint-compatible printers, leaving many iOS owners strapped for a way to print. The xPrintServer gives those users an affordable solution.
The xPrintServer is the recipient of numerous awards and positive reviews, including MacWorld's 2012 Best in Show.
“The xPrintServer made me giddy with glee,†InfoWorld's Galen Gruman wrote. “Not only can I and my coworkers now print from our iPhones and iPads, but the xPrintServer took all of a few minutes to set up - and it just worked.â€
Because the xPrintServer is ultraportable, you'll have no problem moving it if you ever have to relocate your operations. To get started with your xPrintServer, visit Lantronix and choose from the home or office edition. You'll be able to purchase either version from the site and have it shipped to your office in a matter of days.
Many business owners come to me and what recommendations for web designers that don't charge $5,000 or so to build a great web site.
The great designers (web architects) I know, such as Technology Therapy Group, Manoverboard, Andigo Media all cost several thousand dollars to even start creating a web site for you â€" and they are well worth it.
However, for those of you who are looking for solutions that cost $1,000 or less, vFlyer has some really nice services for you to consider. vFlyer's core service is a do it yourself website creation service, but they've got some new features as well. Here's the scoop, from them:
First, we are launching the vFlyer Hands-off Site Creation Service. Let our team of designers and consultants rapidly take your website requirements and turn them into a launched website in 5 business days. This service includes creating a customized site design, writing site content, enhancing images, configuring domain names (as needed), setting up Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools for your site, submitting your site to Bing, and more. Most websites can be launched for $600-1000.
Second, we are launching the vFlyer Content Migration Service. Have a website that you want to move over to our service? Let our team of website experts migrate some or all of the content from your old website to your new, dynamic vFlyer-powered website. This site migration service starts at $250 for a 10 page website.
Third, we know that some of you want a professional website but don't have the time to update it. You want to be able to pick up the phone or send an email with your content updates as needed. That's why we have updated the vFlyer Sites Professional plan to include one hour per month of content updates, design changes, or even search engine optimization. You name it. Our team does it.
I use TweetDeck for my social media management as I like the interface better than Hootsuite.
However, I've got to hand it to Hootsuite, they offer MUCH MORE integrated services than does TweetDeck.
Here's Hootsuite's latest announcement, below.
I must give a shout out to Dlvr.it for their awesome platform as well, which I use for sending posts to social media as well.
Here's the new integrations Hootsuite users enjoy!
Explore the Web
reddit (Install in HootSuite now): The reddit app for HootSuite allows users to stream the hottest content from reddit, including the Subreddits they subscribe to, share content with their social networks and more. The self-proclaimed ‘front page of the internet,' reddit is an online community that displays news and content based on personal preference and what the community votes up as interesting.
StumbleUpon (Install in HootSuite now): The StumbleUpon app for HootSuite allows users to discover new content by filtering for sites, topics, users and channels, view StumbleUpon pages in stream, and share StumbleUpon content to their social networks. StumbleUpon is an easy way to discover new and interesting content from across the Web.
Curate and Publish Information
Scoop.it (Install in HootSuite now): The Scoop.it app for HootSuite allows users to find more relevant and quality content that can be shared seamlessly to their social networks in HootSuite, curate content from Twitter and Facebook streams to Scoop.it and more. Scoop.it provides easy content curation for users, allowing them to take online content and create engaging web magazines.
Nexalogy (Install in HootSuite now): The Nexalogy app for HootSuite allows users to view interest maps to see ideas and connections in their social graph, view details on top concepts and hashtags on Twitter, and see top links related to their account or search term. Nexalogy helps users navigate the torrents of information online to find the streams of conversation relevant to them.
The news that a U.K. court will force Apple to apologize again to rival Samsung for claims that the company copied Apple's tablet device when creating the Samsung Galaxy raises the question of intellectual property rights again in small business. While it's true that few small businesses worry much about patent issues, stealing ideas ranging from the content in your blog posts to the contents of information products, etc. can be a concern. On one hand, as we'll see, attempts to control concepts or ideas unreasonably can stifle business development. On the other, if your intellectual property is your main product or service, you must do what you can to protect it. We look now at the balance every entrepreneur must strike.
Original Sin
The case of the petulant apology. The court drama following Apple's claims against rival Samsung's Galaxy tablet have become a kind of ongoing soap opera in the tech business field. For businesses of all kinds, the lesson is clear. Claiming a competitor stole your idea is an expensive and sometimes unsuccessful strategy when trying to come out ahead in the marketplace. You may want to focus your efforts on continuing to innovate instead. TechDirt
The marketplace of ideas. The marketplace of ideas is changing once more as controversial online figure Kim Dotcom announces the launch of his latest file sharing site. Dotcom and others like him are making the copying of content from popular music to any other form you can name easier than ever. If your business depends upon the safety of your unique content, it's time to get a new plan. The Next Web
True Crime
Do your best. No matter which side of the intellectual property debate you come down on, the most compelling argument against being over-protective of your ideas is that you may focus on this to the exclusion of creating great products and getting them into the hands of your customers. Ultimately this leads to bad business, Jeff Yablon says. It means you aren't really doing the best work you can. The Answer Guy
To catch a thief. On the other side of the fence are businesses that play it far too fast and loose when copying from competitors' Websites and other materials. In case there are any doubts in your mind about the difference between referring to someone else's content and swiping it, Web design art director Chris London has this overview. Pixel Blog
Line in the sand. The rules of the information economy have become even more complicated, with the increase in content sharing and the trend toward “content curation.†However, the line between sharing content as part of the normal conversation between businesses and customers and stealing someone else's ideas without giving credit is still pretty clear. Blogger Daniel Sharkov has this simple primer. Reviewz ‘n' Tips
Security Alert
Protect your product. This post from blogger Cendrine Marrouat looks at a very specific concern among online entrepreneurs, the “scraping†of original content created especially for your site and copied (sometimes endlessly) on other fly-by-night Websites as cheap filler. This is often done without so much as a link back to your site or a reference giving you credit. “Scraping†can hurt online businesses in a variety of ways. Here are resources offering at least some protection. Creative Ramblings
Head into stealth mode. Startup expert Mike Abasov generally tells startups he advises not to get so uptight about the possibility of someone stealing their idea. Of course, as we've discussed, there are times when the phrase “keep it secret, keep it safe†might apply. There is a set of specific criteria which Anasov says justifies the “deep and dark†approach. Here are some thoughts about when going into stealth mode is advisable. Marketing Before Funding
“Higher-ups†was always a term I disliked. If a boss wants to see you, that's one thing. Management wants to see you? Getting worse. But the higher-ups? Oh boy, you're in for it, pal.
So with this cartoon, I played with the idea that higher-ups weren't necessarily something to be concerned about, they were just literally higher up. Maybe they're really tall? Or possibly up on some sort of raised platform? In any case, a ladder is probably a good idea, and it's easier to draw than a trampoline.
As a side note, while I was writing this, I came up with an idea for someone in management being summoned by the “lower-downs.†I don't think it's going to go well for anybody.
Are you listening to your customer? Â Do you hear what they say and then take the appropriate action based on what you've just heard? Â Or do you hear it and turn a blind eye? Â Listening combined with action can have a powerful impact. Â Tune in as John Pepper of Boloco shares with Brent Leary his personal experiences of how giving his customers a voice and following up with immediate action has positively impacted his business.
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Small Business Trends: Can you tell us a little bit about Boloco, and a little bit of your personal background?
John Pepper:Â Boloco is a 20 unit restaurant chain based in Boston. We specialize in what we call globally inspired burritos. Â What that means is that while we serve burritos very familiar to people, we actually look for culinary traditions from all over the world. Â We take the best of those that are most popular to our customers and put them into tortillas.
We have been around for about 15 years. Â We built ourselves on two tenants. One is using burritos to improve the quality of life of the average person who works in fast food, which is most of our employees. The second is how to give customers a different kind of voice with the company. Â Allowing their voice to help steer how our company develops.
We serve about 60,000 people a week. Â That's a lot of transactions and a lot of opportunities to interact with customers.
Small Business Trends: How important was it to build the business on the voice of the customer?
John Pepper: There have been many businesses that don't do that. Â And there have been, unfortunately for all of us, successful ones that haven't always given the customer a voice.
One of the things we thought we could do, just because we could, because we are so small, was say:
“Let's see what happens if we always respond to the guest, if we always value what they say, even if we don't like it.â€
It has really become a part of our culture.
Small Business Trends: There was a study that said the vast majority of employees feel they would be able to increase the experience that customers had if they were given the opportunity. Â How do you think that plays into the overall customer experience, giving employees what they need to create those better experiences?
John Pepper: First of all, there is the orientation that comes along with hiring new employees and saying to them:
“You are allowed to do this, don't worry about the rules, don‘t worry about getting into trouble, your job is to take care of the customer, your job is to make that person leave happy.  And you have all kinds of leeway to do that.â€
When it really comes time to deliver that, it's amazing how people will go back to what they knew from a more restrictive company, because people don‘t want to get into trouble. But what we found is that over time, if we continue to say it over and over again, it really frees them to do things that even customers aren't expecting.
You can't just say it from the top down, the CEO. It has to be every single employee throughout the company free to deliver a great service.
Small Business Trends: So you set the tone, you're not just selling it â€" you are living it?
John Pepper: Right. One requirement you can't fabricate interest in is listening to customers. Â So it turns out I am either paranoid, obsessed, one or the other, or any other combination. Beyond that, you know I do listen to social media. I'll glance at Twitter when I have a free moment, mostly just looking at what people are saying about Boloco, so that if we have an opportunity to respond, we can do it quickly.
When we were first installing a software called Desk.com, we did a free burrito day sponsored by those guys. Â People were coming in and a few people were parking illegally. One person who came in to get their free burrito tweeted later, that free burrito cost me a $55 parking ticket.
That is the easiest layup example there is. Should we really cover that customer's parking ticket? Our response is without even thinking about it, just do it. Trust. And somehow, what comes around goes around.
We have been doing those kind of things since day one. It really does come around. In a few of these cases, including this one that can be retweeted, the case that may cost you $55 has a very high rate of return in terms of just people really believing in the brand.
Small Business Trends: You mentioned the story where somebody was in one of your stores and tweeted that the music was a little too loud?
John Pepper: That was early on in social media and someone said ‘I wish Boloco would turn the music down.'
I saw it and I called the restaurant. I was at least two hundred miles away. I called the restaurant and said would you guys mind turning the music down? Then we delivered her a cookie and let her know that we have turned the music down.
That was a great example of being able to deliver a better experience through social media then putting a customer in a sometimes uncomfortable position of asking a manager to turn it down. It made it more fun and effective.
Small Business Trends: With this approach, what has it meant to the business?
John Pepper: People look at you and say ‘What are the things that allow you to feel comfortable doing that? What are the metrics? What are the measures?'  I guess it's still pretty rare in this world to give the benefit of the doubt to customers, to human beings in general.  But we have been growing very significantly. Not just with new restaurants, but with sales increases, and more loyal customers.
Small Business Trends: I think it's really cool you are using social media not to avoid customer interaction, but to enhance face to face customer interactions.
This interview is part of our One on One series of conversations with some of the most thought-provoking entrepreneurs, authors and experts in business today. This interview has been edited for publication. To hear audio of the full interview, click the right arrow on the gray player below. You can also see more interviews in our interview series.
Whether you're growing your business or starting a new venture, BlackBerry solutions provide you with the freedom you want and the control you need. [Series sponsor]
There are four kinds of managers that I have seen and heard much about. They find their way into one small business or another and just help things unravel. Sometimes the owner brings them right through the front door, tucked behind their own personality.
Mr. Or Ms. “Over-Does-It†Says Too Much, Too HarshlyÂ
The team can barely breathe around them. They're the kind of manager that wants their employees to generate great ideas and innovative solutions. But they oppress the atmosphere and then wonder why nobody comes up with anything interesting.
Most of the time Mr. or Ms. “Over-Does-It†is not coming from a bad place. They just want to keep a handle on things and the business moving forward. Mostly, they don't want a team of employees who are wasting time and money and who neglect the core business.
They know how to keep the doors open, but struggle with making room for creativity.
Mr. Or Ms. “Head-In-The-Sand,†The Manager Who Never Addresses Anything
They're everybody's friend and nobody's leader. The team enjoys their company. They can think around them. They can laugh and be silly. They can be themselves, good-bad-or indifferent. They may be their favorite person, until there's a problem.
Because Mr. or Mrs. “Head-In-The-Sand†never addresses a single issues, their team can often be undisciplined and disrespectful to one other - and them. With a leaderless leader as the head of the team there is no true voice of reason. Small issues tend to fester because they're never addressed.
This can impact your company's ability to innovate as the more creative team members may not feel safe enough to develop or promote their ideas.
Mr. or Ms. Depressed and Mr. or Ms. Overly-Ambitious
One is clearly in the wrong career path and barely hiding their sadness and disconnection from the work it takes to lead an effective team. The other is operating from the wrong motives, looking for countless opportunities to relentlessly promote themselves instead of the business, the customers or the team.
Remember, successful teams don't manage themselves. The manager/the owner has to set the atmosphere for creativity, innovation, a little laughter, timeliness and respect. The goal is to have room for all those great ideas and a system for actually getting something done after the ideas come.
No business can dream all day. Somebody has to oversee the business of turning those dreams into reality.
Many business owners come to me and what recommendations for web designers that don't charge $5,000 or so to build a great web site.
I use TweetDeck for my social media management as I like the interface better than Hootsuite.
Small Business Trends: Can you tell us a little bit about Boloco, and a little bit of your personal background?
Whether you're growing your business or starting a new venture, BlackBerry solutions provide you with the freedom you want and the control you need. [Series sponsor]