No one, not even the director of the CIA, is immune to exposure by way of electronic communications, said experts who pointed out that the Petraeus scandal presents a good opportunity to remind employees that using business and personal email accounts has drawbacks.
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Trend Micro issues cloud, mobile security assessment tools
Trend Micro issued a free security assessment tool designed to measure an organization's readiness for cloud, mobile security and targeted attacks. The firm says the assessment could help company's securely adopt cloud computing services and efficiently mitigate the risks imposed by mobile devices and targeted attacks.
The
online assessment bases its security recommendations on industry size and an individual's role in the organization. After answering 25 yes or no questions the tool provide an assessment of a company's current security posture, provides a comparison against industry averages and offer suggestions on how to improve the enterprise's current security practices. "This tool provides you with insight into your current cloud usage from a security perspective, and gives you guidance on how to improve your overall security measures as you make the move to virtualization and cloud computing," the security company said in a statement.
The company said it bases its recommendations on hundreds of assessments it has conducted globally.
U.S.-based enterprises appear to be the most cloud-ready, according to Trend Micro's analysis. Approximately 89% of U.S. organizations encrypt important data in the cloud. Meanwhile, about 39% of Japanese firms encrypt cloud data. "U.S. and Canadian organizations are the highest-ranked when it comes to having a cloud security policy shared regularly with employees," Trend Micro said.
The assessment also measures whether organizations have a documented process for handling targeted attacks and regularly communicate security policies with employees.
Guidance documents, cloud security recommendations:
A number of organizations have come forward offering guidance and best practices for data security in the cloud. The Cloud Security Alliance, a non-profit industry consortium has produced dozens of documents outlining ways to protect data in the cloud and assess cloud providers to gauge their their security postures. The organization issued a report on data governance in the cloud last year, helping organizations understand the top requirements of governing operating data in the cloud.
In May, the National Institute of Standards in Technology (NIST) issued a detailed report providing recommendations for risk management (.pdf), security controls and other issues based on the cloud environment. NIST warns organizations to understand the terminology inservice agreements to understand the obligations of the cloud service provider in the event of an incident. Organizations should consider incident response, monitoring, data backup and failover procedures, NIST said. Â The development of the NIST guidance highlights the complexity of the issue, experts say.
The U.S. federal government's effort to streamline cloud provider security evaluations is also underway. FedRAMP is designed to place standards on cloud service providers when being evaluated for government contracts. A number of cloud providers expect to get FedRAMP certified by the end of the year.
~ Robert Westervelt
Companies remain unaware of major threats and show dissatisfaction with anti-virus
Half of companies around the world are unaware of, and do not take effective measures against, the most pressing cyber threats that exist today.
According to research by Kaspersky Lab of more than 3,300 senior IT professionals from 22 countries, while more than half of those surveyed admitted they had begun to pay more attention to the issue, only 59 per cent felt that they are more or less prepared for cyber threats.
Asked about major threats, 31 per cent were aware of banking Trojans Zeus and SpyEye, while in terms of industrial espionage tools, 27 per cent knew of Stuxnet and 23 per cent of Aurora.
Also, 48 per cent said that they were not sure they could combat intellectual property theft or fraud, while 51 per cent believed that they were incapable of protecting their company from industrial espionage.
The overall statistics did show a rise in proactive measures from 2011, with 25 per cent seen to be reactive (in comparison with 21 per cent a year ago), and only 16 per cent fixed issues after an incident.
In terms of measures taken to avert security threats, 67 per cent rely on anti-malware, yet this was also the main technology to be improved according to 14 per cent of respondents. Two-thirds (62 per cent) rely on regular patching, while 44 per cent, a rise by seven per cent from last year, are encrypting ‘highly sensitive data'.
Eugene Kaspersky, CEO and co-founder of Kaspersky Lab, said: “Companies shouldn't underestimate global cyber threats. This issue has started to be taken seriously of late, and businesses have begun to worry, leading to increases in the number of IT staff working specifically in IT security (now about 40 per cent of IT staff in companies all around the world).
“However, IT security staff are not always sufficiently trained and competent to protect businesses from the most pertinent threats. This is why our goal, as a leader in the IT security industry, is not only to produce solutions, but also to raise awareness.
“Increasing the level of computer literacy among staff is an essential element of security, while senior management needs to be fully aware of the potential consequences of cyber threats, and understand that reliable protection of the corporate network is vital in ensuring the effective development of a company's IT infrastructure.â€
ICO: Printer mistake led to information being sent to wrong recipient
Plymouth City Council has been served with a monetary penalty of £60,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) after details of a child neglect case were sent to the wrong recipient.
According to the ICO, the report included ‘highly sensitive' personal information about two parents and four children, notably allegations of child neglect resulting in ongoing care proceedings.
In the incident, a social worker used a printer on a different floor, which lead to papers being mixed up and the information being sent to the wrong person. The ICO said that another family received the information and called the data controller to report this, who advised the incorrect recipient that it was confidential.
An independent audit determined human error as the cause, as well a failure in the "level of checks in order to ensure the documents were being sent to the correct recipient".
The ICO's investigation found that the council had no secure system in place for printing reports containing sensitive personal data, and had failed to take reasonable steps to ensure reports were checked before they were sent out.
Stephen Eckersley, head of enforcement at the ICO, said: “It would be too easy to consider this a simple human error. The reality is that this incident happened because not enough care was being taken within the organisation when handling vulnerable people's sensitive information. The distress this incident will have caused the people involved is obvious, and the penalty we have issued today reflects that.â€
Obama issues guidance on insider threat detection and response
President Barack Obama has issued a memorandum to the heads of federal agencies, informing them of new guidance for deterring the information security threat posed by insiders.
The memo describes new standards, which have not been publicly released, to which the agencies must minimally adhere. They include best practices around gathering, analysing and responding to threat data, monitoring users who access classified information and offering security awareness training to workers.
It also provides "direction and guidance to promote the development of effective insider threat programs within departments and agencies", in order to deter, detect and mitigate actions by employees who may represent a threat to national security.
Obama said that "these threats encompass potential espionage, violent acts against the government or the nation and unauthorised disclosure of classified information", particularly with an eye on "the vast amounts of classified data available on interconnected United States government computer networks and systems".
"The resulting insider threat capabilities will strengthen the protection of classified information across the executive branch and reinforce our defences against both adversaries and insiders who misuse their access and endanger our national security," according to the memo.
The standards were developed by the Insider Threat Task Force, which was created in October 2011 through an executive order from Obama.
What Does Obama\'s Re-Election Mean for Green Business?
Many business owners heard little, if anything, from President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney during election season when it came to their stances on green issues such as clean energy, environmental regulations, energy-efficiency incentives and global warming.
So now that the election is over and Obama is re-elected, are they going to hear more from the president? Does his silence on environmental issues during his campaign signal it's not a high priority for him in round two?
It's clear that environmental sustainability issues have taken a backseat to reviving the American economy in recent months. While both Obama and Romney discussed the need to expand domestic energy production (including controversial “fracking†of natural gas) as a way to bolster U.S. growth, they spoke little about “green jobs†or renewable energy â€" both which were hot topics during the 2008 presidential election.
In coming weeks, it's likely that environmental topics won't get much airplay as President Obama focuses heavily on issues like taxes, economic growth and deflating the soaring national deficit.
Over the next four years, however, there's good reason to believe that Obama will put environmental issues higher in his agenda. His first term as president included several environment-related milestones:
- Instating the first-ever limits on heat-trapping gases from new power plants.
- Tightening fuel-efficiency standards on automobiles as part of the U.S. auto-industry bailout
- Earmarking about $90 billion toward the creation of green tech jobs, as part of the federal stimulus package passed in 2009. (A Reuters analysis later found that the number of green jobs created by that money fell far short of initial projections.)
It will be interesting to see which green business issues President Obama chooses to prioritize in his second term. Will he try again to pass “cap and trade†legislation and rein in carbon emissions? (A recent New York Times post suggests he doesn't see much political support for that in the near future, especially as part of the “fiscal cliff†talks.)
Will he focus on the expansion of renewable energy production by providing incentives to companies that generate wind and solar energy? Or will his environmental and energy agenda look totally different this time around?
How much he can accomplish is another big question. The balance of power in the U.S. hasn't shifted much, with Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress. So even if he tries to instate new green business incentives or environmental laws, he will need bi-partisan support.
Regardless of what happens politically in the next four years, it doesn't change the fact that green business practices continue to be smart business. Businesses that lower their footprint, run cleaner operations and reduce costs will be better positioned to grow and recruit talented employees in the future â€" with or without government help.
Host Pinterest Contests and Promotions With Pinfluencer
Since Pinterest announced its new initiatives for business users recently, many small businesses have been thinking more about ways to use the site effectively. One of the tools available to these business users is Pinfluencer, which recently launched some new features.
The recently unveiled promotions platform is more than just simple analytics â€" it can help businesses use Pinterest to run contests and sweepstakes, and also to scale their audience and turn interactions into real website traffic.
These promotions can be run either on your company's website or even Facebook landing page. To start a contest or promotion, you can enter eligibility requirements such as number of pins from which website, hashtags, and more.
The photo above shows what you might see if you were managing a promotion through Pinfluencer. On the left you can see where you'd enter eligibility requirements and rules for the contest. And on the right, you can see where you'd track the number of participants, pins, re-pins, and similar factors. You can also judge boards using a custom rating system and rank participants based on eligibility requirements, number of pins, and more.
Previously, Pinfluencer served mainly as an analytics platform for Pinterest users. The tool works by crawling Pinterest for both the top pins from your website and from your Pinterest boards. The algorithms can then turn this data into scores for things like engagement, influence, and popularity.
Pinfluencer still offers these analytics tools, along with its promotions platform and content management system. CEO and Co-Founder, Sharad Verma, said:
“The idea was always to help brands understand their data on Pinterest and drive merchandising and content marketing insights. We have evolved from being a pure analytics play to a marketing and analytics suite.â€
Pinterest can be a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target consumers on a visual level. A tool like Pinfluencer can help businesses actually understand what is working for them on Pinterest, so that they can make the most out of their social media promotions. There are several analytics platforms available for businesses using Pinterest, but few that offer the other services Pinfluencer does.
Pricing for different plans is available upon request, depending on your business's particular needs. Pinfluencer also offers a 14-day free trial version.
The company first launched back in August with $1.4 million in venture funding. The team of eight is based in San Mateo, California. Pinfluencer is currently helping 2,500 brands and small businesses track their Pinterest networks.
Consumers Spend $5.5 Billion on Small Business Saturday
The results are exciting! Saturday's special event sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday as a day set aside for promoting small businesses not only exceeded revenue projections but raised consumer awareness. Here are some details from this year's Small Business Saturday:
A Big Day for the Little Guy
Small business has over-sized success. Not only did estimated consumer spending with independent merchants exceed expectations in the amount of $5.5 billion, a survey released by the NFIB and American Express indicates consumer awareness of Small Business Saturday jumped to 67 percent from just 34 percent two weeks before the event. What's more, American Express reports that card-member transactions with small businesses increased by 21 percent over last year, an impressive showing. National Federation of Independent Business
Some stories of success. We've already given an overview of Saturday's event, but individual success stories are also important. Here small business owners Leah Daniels of Hill's Kitchen in Washington D.C. and Alan Au, co-owner of Jimmy Au's For Men 5'8″ and Under in Beverly Hills tell about how the special small business event has given them a boost. Read their stories and some other reactions to the success of Small Business Saturday. USA Today
From the office of the President. Average consumers were not the only ones lending support to small merchants this weekend on a day set aside to help this important segment of the business community. After a U.S. election that focused prominently on the role of small businesses in revitalizing the nation's economy, President Barack Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia paid a high profile visit to One More Page Books, a small bookstore in Arlington, VA, in an effort to promote the importance of small business. Daily News
Can't Keep a Good Business Down
The perfect storm. After suffering through super storm Sandy last month, many mom and pop stores in areas of the country impacted by the October disaster were hoping Small Business Saturday would prove a perfect storm of another kind. Small business owners in Manhattan, in particular, some of whom have been hurt substantially, hoped an influx of business on this day dedicated to patronizing small merchants would help them recover some of their losses. ABC News
Cyber business success. Some small businesses saw success not only on Small Business Saturday but on Cyber Monday, a day designated for online shopping, too. For example, the owner of one store in Newtown Square, PA whose store was closed on Monday said sales more than doubled over both Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Some small businesses have yet to develop a large online presence, but are quickly seeing the potential increase in revenue online shopping can bring. Mainline Media News
How David Beats Goliath
A different kind of experience. But while small businesses have done their best to compete with bigger companies this and other holiday shopping seasons, offering discounts and promotions in an effort to outdo the big chains, columnist Carmine Gallo wonders if this is a step in the wrong direction. Don't get him wrong. Carmine isn't down on small businesses. He thinks we should all give them our full support. But he also believes that instead of discounts and deals, small businesses should concentrate on what they do best: creating a unique experience for customers every day. Forbes
Small Business Saturday all year long. There are many ways small business owners can keep the momentum of Small Business Saturday going all year long, beating out the bigger competition and winning over one customer at a time. Here, Rieva Lesonsky suggests eight simple ways you can keep the spirit of small business entrepreneurship alive 365 days of the year. Let's not wait for the next Small Business Saturday. Make your small business a big success today. Open Forum
5 Ways Negative Reviews Are Good For Business
We talk a lot about online reviews. We talk about how important they are in influencing buying decisions, how SMBs need to respond to them, and how Google is starting to give more weight to reviews as social signals. But in doing that, we also create a lot of fear around the reviews that exist out there about our businesses.
There's the sense that a single bad review can kill your business. Or that a handful of unhappy customers can send new customers away and ruin your brand in the search engines. And while it's important for a small business to build an online review strategy, it's equally important to remember that we're all human. A few bad reviews won't kill your business. In fact, those negative reviews may even help.
Sound crazy?
Below are five ways negative reviews can actually be good for business.
1. They give you legitimacy
What would you think when checking out a new business and saw nothing but glowing reviews and five stars? You'd think the reviews were fake. Or paid for. Or written by the business owner's mother. We don't trust businesses that appear “too good to be true†because we know that we're all human. We all make mistakes. And we all have bad days. If your online reviews are a true reflection of who you are, they'll account for some of those bad days.
The simple fact is we trust a business more if there are at least some negative reviews because it helps us feel like we're seeing both sides. We want to know the soup was cold or that the dress didn't fit. As a consumer, these reviews also help us feel more prepared. If we can see the problem points in the service or product, we can determine whether they're “deal breakers†for us. If they're not, we feel confident making the buying decision.
2. You identify (fixable) weak points
As noted above, consumers look for negative reviews to identify weak points in your product or service. Maybe your dresses run small and they should order up. Or maybe your waitresses don't spend enough time tending your customer's needs. Consumers value this information so they know what to expect. As a business owner, this is valuable information so you know what to fix.
Negative reviews help your business to improve by showing you areas where you can do better. Instead of fearing these types of reviews, welcome them as an unfiltered look into your business. Once you know what's not working or areas where customers got tripped up, you can solve the problem and make the experience better for everyone. Instead of fearing these comments, thank the people who leave them.
3. You show off your customer service skills
Yes, that's right. I just said you should thank your customers who take the time to let you know where you can do better. This is invaluable information. It also gives you a chance to show off your customer service skills and let onlookers see how much you value your customers. Consumers can tell a lot about a business by how they respond to criticism. If you handle the situation with grace, maturity and (when appropriate) humor, it tells them you're a business confident in what you offer and how you treat people in business. If you get defensive or argumentative, it tells consumers you're a business they may want to avoid. So respond wisely.
4. You give your army a chance to respond
If someone has left a negative review on your business that you feel is unfair or undeserved, show it to some of your biggest supporters and ask what they think. If they feel the review is warranted, they'll tell you and then you can fix it. But if they don't, they're likely to go respond to that comment for you and help set the record straight. They'll actually come to your defense and serve as an army of support for your brand.
Consumers are passionate about the people and the places they do business with. If they see someone talking badly about “their†coffee shop, they're going to hop into that conversation and fight for you.
5. You can change the conversation
As much as we don't like to see negative comments left about our businesses, they do give you the chance to change the conversation and that person's experience. By responding maturely, validating the critique, and offering a promise to do better, you can significantly increase someone's impression of your brand. And, really, if someone is unhappy with your service, don't you want the chance to make it right?
Reviews are important and the more positive reviews you have, the more likely it is a new customer will feel comfortable taking a chance on your business. But negative reviews also have their place and can offer some benefits to any business.
Speaking of reviews, the holidays are coming. Have you created your holiday online review strategy? Get crackin'!
Santa Shouldn\'t Be The Only One Worried About Getting Gifts Under The Tree: 5 Tips on How To Improve Your Holiday Shipping Process
Jason Hodges, founder and President of Auctane LLC, a provider of cloud-based shipping solutions for eCommerce merchant, including ShipStation, has offered us five tips to help small businesses better manage the shipping process this holiday season. Â Here are Jason's tips:
- Use A Consolidated Shipping Solution. If you are selling on multiple channels, consider using a software solution that will consolidate all of your orders into a single place and automate the communication between those channels.  With a single click, you can create a shipping label with packing slip, email the tracking information to your buyer, and communicate tracking information to the sales channel.
- Take Advantage of the USPS SCAN form. If you ship with the US Postal Service, consider printing a SCAN form at the end of each day. The USPS SCAN form (Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notice) consolidates all of your shipments for the day into a single barcode. USPS employees then scan this barcode instead of each individual package.  This allows the tracking information for all packages to be recorded in the USPS tracking system, providing your buyers with confirmation that their package has entered the mailstream.
- Process Orders in Batches Instead of One At A Time. If you are creating a single shipping label at a time, you're likely fulfilling 30 to 60 orders per hour. If you use software that can print labels in batch, you can double or triple your efficiency! Some sellers are concerned that batch shipping will increase the chance for human errors, but this can be minimized with a few safeguards. Many shipping solutions can print identifying information such as the order number or product SKU(s) on each shipping label. You can also print a shipping label on half of a page and a packing slip on the other half so that you can easily match labels with inventory.
- Use A Thermal Label Printer.  If you are printing labels on a laser printer, consider switching to a thermal printer such as the Zebra ZP 450 or DYMO LabelWriter 4XL. These printers can speed up label generation and they don't use ink! UPS leases the Zebra ZP 450 thermal printer for only $2 per week and they provide thermal labels for free. If you are not ready to move away from your laser printer, make sure you are printing on label sticker sheets instead of plain paper. You can waste a considerable amount of time by cutting and taping labels.
- Pay AttentionTo Shipping Carrier Deadlines. Â Shipping deadlines vary for each carrier and service, so keep a list handy to ensure that you don't ruin Joey's Christmas. Check out the image below for various deadlines and important calendar dates.
Â
Hopefully these tips will help to take some of the stress out of meeting your holiday shipping deadlines and make your processes even more simple and efficient.  By doing so, you'll save time and money â€" both of which you can quickly spend doing your own shopping for your loved ones!
Reward Programs Are Nice, But Boring. Except The One From Belly
I participate in only three rewards programs, not including airline travel.
My local supermarket â€" so I can get discounts.
My local CVS â€" so I can get discounts.
My local Panera â€" so I can get free feed.
Overall, however, most people do not participate in that many loyalty programs, just based on my observations of my local market.
Why? My guess is loyalty programs don't offer enough incentives.
MOST every frequent flyer is signed up to one or more frequently flyer programs â€" we all want that first class upgrade or other perks of frequent travel. But local merchant's don't have that much to offer.
The local loyalty program marketplace is just beginning to heat up â€" enabling every day local merchants to offer their own rewards program.
Intuit's QuickBooks Point of Sale offers a coupon/reward type component  for some years now. Then there are other the myriad of local deal providers such as Groupon, SaveLocal from Constant Contact and Living Social. I do find that Swipely has a powerful loyalty engine and I like it because it appears to use one's existing POS system and have possibly even more intelligence as you can track them via their credit card purchases. More on this later.
but today, I wanted to introduce you to Belly, a loyalty reward service, is that they are able to offer their merchants very UNIQUE ways to be reward. A local restaurant can offer, if you eat here 10 times, we'll name a table after you for one month! That's very unique and pretty innovative.
Belly has over 4,000 merchants in 35 states, so far.
Here's a bit more on Belly from a recent press release:
Belly removes the friction in traditional loyalty programs by allowing small businesses to begin a digital relationship with their customers. Belly installs the iPad interface and works with merchants to create a personalized rewards program that leads to increased customer acquisition and deeper levels of engagement seen almost immediately. With repeat customers comes a drive in incremental revenue for merchants â€" coffee shops using Belly decreased the time between customer visits by over 20 percent. As one of the first apps integrated into Apple's Passbookâ„¢, Belly brings new opportunities for SMBs to transform loyal customers into brand advocates. Belly has already established itself in over ten markets with over 650,000 active users. Belly works, and it's time for the Bay Area to see it in action.
“We were using punch cards and we knew we didn't want to do anything that involved texting or invading our customers personal space, but beyond that we didn't really know how to get started,†said Courtney Lauder, owner of Ground Up in Palo Alto. “The Belly team made it ridiculously easy for us to get up and running and the feedback from our customers has been awesome. They love the unique rewards and the convenience of using a card or their phone to earn points. In the short time since we implemented the Belly rewards system, we've already seen an uptick in repeat customers.â€
Here's a video on Vimeo to understand it more.
Looking For A Database With Brains? RegPack Is Much More Than Simple Forms.
Be it a simple form for event registration (you might as well just use Eventbrite) or a form to capture customer information (Google Docs forms, WuFoo come to mind) or maybe you want a bit more complexity (then Formstack, Quickbase, Trackvia, come to mind). Or maybe you need a “full blown†database solution then the three solutions for you to consider are Microsoft Access, File Maker Pro or Alpha Software.
Of course if you need a form that interacts with your CUSTOMERS than all the CRM providers such as Infusionsoft (my employer), Zoho, BatchBook, have web forms you can easily embed in your web site or blog to capture information.
There's a new online form/database service that I've been looking at, RegPack which offers the form (data entry) you need but with advanced intelligence. For example, as your user fills out their RegPack powered form, only what you want them to see is displayed â€" based on who they are â€" with conditional logic.
I also like RegPack's trigger based communication system â€" based on what people fill out â€" you can be alerted and your team can quickly communicate with applicants. Maybe you have a form and if someone is from Texas and owns an oil well you want o immediately call them â€" you can do this with RegPack.
RegPack starts from free to $149 per month and this includes a ‘digital concierge'  who actually creates the RegPack form for you.
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Looking To Save Money? Use Your Credit Card More Often (New Program From MasterCard Launches)
Well all the credit card companies have a variety of programs that allow small businesses to be rewarded by using their credit card.
On my Small Business Technology Tour I was pleasantly surprised to get some cash back every time I used Fedex Office to print my local tour program in each of the 6 cities I visited. I used my credit card and got money back.
One of the new programs launched is by MasterCard and it's the MasterCard Business Network.
By signing up with the Network you can save money at over 65,000 merchants, and also use it as a central portal to book and manage travel and create expense reports.
Members of MasterCard Business Network get free shipping on all orders as well. (This is one thing I really, really liked about Amazon Prime membership as well).
Business travel is not always easy, but if you can save money and make it easier to do, then do it and consider your credit card as one of the first places to consider capturing those savings.
Here's a few other ways you can save money or just be more productive:
- Use Tripit to manage your travel when on the go â€" their app is powerful
- Use Concur to manage your staff's travel expenses and travel claims
- Download the app of your favorite airline(s) for even smoother travel
- Ensure you know how to save money with your frequent vendors â€" every little bit of money back matters
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Contests & Awards: Dough to Grow, SMB Innovators, Dinner with Tony Hsieh and More
There are some great contests and awards in this week's roundup.
If you've entered and won a contest or award listed here, let me know so we can share your news.
This list is brought to you every other week by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.
*****
Enter by November 30, 2012
The recession has claimed thousands of small businesses in recent years. Valpak plans to do its part in fueling local business growth with the Dough to Grow Award.
The winner will receive $10,000 to help grow their business. Entrants do not need to be Valpak customers to nominate their business.
Enter by November 30, 2012
Are you a small business mover and shaker? The SMB Innovator Awards celebrate the trailblazers among today's small business owners and recognize their courageous approaches to driving business success.
You could win $20,000 as the grand prize winner in this contest by PhoneBooth.com. As a top 10 winner, you may also have the opportunity to win $2,500 through a People's Choice Award.
Enter by December 3, 2012
General Assembly is teaming with Thrillist to give one lucky winner (and a friend) round-trip domestic flights to Las Vegas, three-night stay in a hotel, a tour of Zappos HQ and Downtown Vegas, and dinner with Tony Hsieh (Zappos CEO and author of #1 New York Times Bestseller Delivering Happiness).
Enter by December 12, 2012
Plantronics is running a sweepstakes to support small businesses throughout this holiday season. To enter, share your story about the craziest spot you've ever taken a business call, for a chance to win the Marque 2™ Bluetooth® headset.
Deadline: Dec. 12, 2012. To share your story for a chance to win, go here: http://soundingboard.plantronics.com/community/small-medium-business.
Ongoing
Dell has launched a $100 million Innovators Credit Fund, with the purpose of helping entrepreneurs “maximize potential for innovation, speed to market and job creation.†The credit fund will offer both funding and technology resources with IT support, depending on what each start-up needs.
To be eligible, you must have already received some angel funding or venture capital before you can apply. Start-ups can get up to 10% of its current funding or up to $150,000 with limited credit terms. See website for details and application.
Multiple Contests & Entry Dates
Toshiba, Intel and Staples have teamed up to help small businesses share their stories and win thousands of dollars in new technology. Throughout 2012, they will award $10,000 technology makeovers to American businesses and free Intel-powered Ultrabooks to the people who support them.
Categories include Powering Knowledge, Powering Innovation, Powering Service, Powering Products, and Powering Good. See website for details and entry guidelines.
Infusionsoft Battle of the Apps
Enter by December 31, 2012
Do you have a great idea for an Infusionsoft App, integration or plug-in that will enhance the Infusionsoft user experience? Then you have a shot at being crowned the Kick Apps Champion in the Battle of the Apps 2013. First prize is $10,000. See website for details.
Enter by December 31, 2012
Shopify has teamed up with four world-class entrepreneurs to
help you build a million-dollar business in just months. Come up with a product to sell, open your online store and pick a mentor. The Shopify community and your mentor will give you great advice and guidance along the way. At the end of the competition, the four stores that sell the most over a two month period will each win a $50,000 investment from their mentor.
2013 National Small Business Week Awards
Enter by January 3, 2013
The U.S. Small Business Administration is accepting awards for:
- National Small Business Person of the Year (chosen from among state award winners from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam)
- Phoenix Awards (recognizing outstanding accomplishments during disaster recovery)
- Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year
- Small Business Subcontractor of the Year
- The Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence (recognizes large prime contractors who have used small businesses as suppliers and contractors)
- SBA 8(a) Graduate of the Year (for recent graduates of the SBA's 8(a) contracting program)
- Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Excellence and Innovation Award (nominations of SBA-funded SBDC Service Centers)
- Women's Business Center (WBCs) of Excellence Award (nominations of SBA-funded WBCs)
- Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence in Service Award (nominations of SBA-funded Veterans Business Outreach Centers)
Enter online. Or send your nomination directly to your local SBA District Office (find an office here).
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Events & Contests Submission Form. (We do not charge a fee to be included in this listing.) Only events of interest to small business people, freelancers and entrepreneurs will be considered and included.
Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award.
[photo credit: Shorts and Longs Flickr]
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