Check Out These Contests and Awards for Your Business

A contest or award can make your business stand out from competitors. You also can win valuable monetary awards and  goods.  Check out our hand-picked list just right for small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs.

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2013 Infusionsoft Northern California Innovator of the Year Award
Enter by February 17, 2013

Infusionsoft is inviting all small businesses headquartered in Northern California to nominate themselves for the 2013 Small Business Innovator of the Year Award. Your small business could win the title of “Small Business Innovator of the Year” and the grand prize, valued at $10,000 in marketing education and promotion for your business. These awards honor the entrepreneurs in our community who exemplify the spirit of innovation.

One Spark
Enter by February 22, 2013

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan is partnering with One Spark to offer up to $1 million in capital investment for entrepreneurs who participate in the event in April.

One Spark, an arts-and-innovation festival with the goal of connecting entrepreneurs and capital resources, will hold its inaugural event April 17 to 21 in Downtown Jacksonville.

Inc. Enrich Your Pitch Contest
Enter by February 25, 2013

In this fast-paced competition, entrepreneurs will go head-to-head for the chance to win big. Contestants will have 90 seconds to pitch their business live on stage at Inc. GrowCo, and judges will ask questions and provide feedback about their pitch and business concepts. The all-star panel of seasoned experts will judge the pitches and choose a winner.

$35K Innovative Product Competition
Enter by February 26, 2013

Fishbowl and Intuit present a competition where entrepreneurs can enter their cool idea or recently launched product for a chance to win between $5,000 and $20,000 in cash prizes and more. See website for details.

2013 Small Business Online Marketing Contest
Enter by February 28, 2013

Constant Contact has launched the 2013 Small Business Online Marketing Contest in partnership with the Chicago City Treasurer’s Office. The contest is open from now until February 28th, and will award more than $12,000 in cash and prizes to Chicago small businesses for best email marketing and social media marketing campaigns.

The Small Business Book Awards
Nominations open through March 3, 2013

The 5th Annual Small Business Book Awards, presented by Namecheap.com, are open for nominations.  These  distinguished awards bring recognition from fans, the public, the industry and your peers.

Business books may be nominated in the following categories:  marketing, technology, management, social media, economics, startups, personal finance, leadership/memoirs, and self-help.

New this year is also a category for “Classics” which allows books regardless of year of publishing, to be nominated.  For the first time, there is also a category for book resources, which will recognize and honor publishers, publishing platforms, publicists and other resources for authors.  Print books and electronic books (ebooks) are welcome.

Brother CreativeCenter “Back to Business” Contest  
Ends March 4, 2013

BizSugar is running a contest where you get to show your creativity. Three winners will receive a prize suite of Brother products including a printer, labelmaker, ink and supplies - valued at approximately $500.  To enter just go to the Brother CreativeCenter and use the free tools to design a brochure, business cards, poster, calendar or other item.  Then post it at BizSugar.com.

Contest sponsored by Brother (@BrotherOffice).  Contest details here.

2013 Northeast Kentucky Small Business Awards
Enter by March 8, 2013

Morehead State University’s Ashland Small Business Development Center is accepting nominations for the 2013 Northeast Kentucky Small Business Awards. The public is encouraged to nominate outstanding small-business owners and/or advocates in three northeastern Kentucky counties â€" Boyd, Carter and Greenup.

Crain’s New York Business Top Entrepreneurs
Enter by March 15, 2013

Crain’s New York is seeking successful businesspeople for its annual Top Entrepreneurs feature to run in May. Companies must be located in New York City, been in business for at least three years, and have revenue of less than $100 million. See website for entry form and eligibility rules.

American Technology Awards
Enter by March 15, 2013

Known as the Termans after Frederick Terman the widely credited father of Silicon Valley, the awards are the only national “Best Of” for technology products and services across the technology industry. Awarded on the basis of a thorough evaluation by industry experts and technology leaders, the Termans are presented at the Technology and Government Dinner in Washington, D.C.

The Company Corporation Business Plan Contest
Enter by March 31, 2013

Open to participants from around the country, the Business Plan Contest encourages would-be entrepreneurs to grow their ideas into start-up and early-stage To win, entrants should write a one-page business plan executive summary and send it to The Company Corporation no later than March 31, 2013. Entries will be judged by a panel of The Company Corporation’s Small Business Specialists. The contestant who submits the most thought-provoking and well-reasoned business plan executive summary will bring home a $1,000 cash award.

Dell $100M Innovators Credit Fund
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.

To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.  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 Small Business Event and Contests Form (it’s free).

This list of awards and competitions is brought to you by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.

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.

Do You Know the Difference Between Delegating and Abdicating

Earlier we told the story of Bob, Mark and Jim and how Bob went from working solo to managing to directing.

But just like in real life, this story hasn’t ended.

Directing others involves delegation. It’s just that abdication and delegation can look pretty similar at the beginning.

How can you tell them apart Let the saga continue.

Mark Gets a Promotion, Bob Gets a Vacation

Bob started his business because he is good at what he does. As his reputation in the marketplace grew, so did his business. He reached the point where he could no longer do it alone. So he hired Mark and then Jim and then others. The roster may have expanded but the nature of the business stayed the same. Bob never got away from being busy all the time as the business grew.

Something had to give.

One day Bob made a big mistake: He forget to place an order for a critical inventory item. It just slipped through the cracks in all the commotion of a typical hectic week. He had multiple unhappy customers due to the lack of stock.

But Mark came in with a solution: Buy the items from a local competitor to deliver to their long time customers. It wasn’t a profitable solution but it at least kept the customers happy.

This got Bob thinking, “Mark is a ‘get it done’ kind of guy. He really understands what matters here. A happy customer was more important than the profit on one transaction. Mark is the kind of guy I can trust to make the right decisions.”

So on Friday afternoon, Bob tells Mark he has a crazy idea. If he doesn’t get a break soon, he is going to wig out. So he is taking a week off starting Monday. He’s heading up to the forest where there’s no Internet, no cell phones. Just pine trees, peace and quiet. He’s leaving Mark in charge. Mark already knows everything about the business. It will be just fine.

Mark is a little dubious about this. Sure, he is confident that he knows the business, it’s just that there are things that only Bob has ever done. Bob won’t hear it though. He thinks Mark is just being modest. So with a flourish, he hands the keys over to Mark and heads out the door with a big smile on his face.

Let’s Stop Our Story For a Moment

Delegation involves several steps. The first step is to determine the right person to delegate to. (I was very tempted to invent the word “delegee” there.) “Right” does not necessarily mean “presently qualified” and this will tie into why delegation is a multi-step process. Qualification can be created if need be, but qualification (new or existing) isn’t enough. The fact that the target of your delegation is presently qualified can get you into trouble. It can lull you into short cutting the necessary steps of delegation and turn you into an abdicator.

So after selecting and training, you need to provide two things: Assignments and authority.

It does no good to make someone responsible for paying vendors if they can’t sign the check. You can’t instruct someone to keep the store appropriately staffed if they aren’t allowed to alter the schedule. Sometimes we forget the authority we ourselves possess. It pays to think this through. It’s not a bad idea to ask them what authority they think they will need to carry out their assignments.

If you find yourself bristling at their reply, consider whether it is because they are overreaching or if you are just uncomfortable giving away the authority they will require to get the job done.

Delegation can be emotionally challenging for you. After all, they could fail. What is even scarier is - they could do it different than you. We are often more attached to our methods than the outcomes. Get clear if you are going to delegate. Outcomes are the only thing you truly manage going forward.

Once you have set them on their way, you must allow them the freedom to perform. Micromanaging (really, managing at all) will stifle their work and defeat the whole point of delegating. You intention needs to be to free yourself of these particular responsibilities. Plug into the possibility that your qualified people are now a part of your brain trust. Their ideas and innovations are an extension of you. Let them bring something to the table.

The Final Step is Feedback and Mentoring

Just because you have delegated doesn’t mean you have washed your hands clean of the whole thing. Monitor results and outcomes. Do the results meet your expectations If they do, offer praise. Positive feedback encourages people to keep up the good work.

If results are not up to par, understand it is your responsibility to help them make adjustments:

• Did you train them properly
• Do they need a refresher
• Were your instructions clear
• Did they understand the outcome you were seeking
• Did they have the resources needed
• Did they really have the necessary authority

Delegating involves these steps, in this order:

• Selecting
• Training
• Instructing
• Assigning
• Authorizing
• Mentoring

If you’ve stopped anywhere along this path - you didn’t delegate, you abdicated. The earlier you stopped, the worse the abdication was and the higher the potential damage.

So whatever happened with Mark

Tanned, Rested and Back On The Job

Bob strolls back into work with a new spring in his step. He’s asking himself why he waited so long to take some time off. After all, Mark could have covered for him long ago.

Mark is already in the office. He looks up haggardly and says:

“Oh man, am I ever glad to see you.”

Bob inquires:

“Why, what’s up”

Mark then launches into a litany of unexpected happenings. This broke and that person was late and the supplier shipped the wrong size and their latest customer wants a price break and…Mark wasn’t prepared for any of this.

Bob barely got past step one of a six step process before he disconnected. So here’s Mark, all stressed out that he “failed” - when it was Bob who failed him. He had abdicated rather than delegated.

So Bob has some work to do. It’s not just that he needs to clean up from last week. He needs to really prepare Mark so that next time, he can take it all on. Mark is up for it. Bob can do it right.

After all, Bob is going to need another vacation soon enough.

Man in Forest Photo via Shutterstock

14 Days of Facebook Marketing Tips. Tip #10: Use Facebook To Get Media Coverage / PR

14 Days of Facebook Marketing Tips. Tip #10:  Use Facebook To Get Media Coverage / PR

Welcome to 14 Days of Facebook Marketing Tips, on the occasion of the upcoming launch of “The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing” (Wiley) by Ramon Ray, of Smallbiztechnology.com and Infusionsoft.

Buy Ramon’s latest book on February 19th and get a digital box of goodies as your gift for buying the book, educating yourself and growing your business with Facebook.

In The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing, you will overall learn how to get more customers and keep the ones you have. You’ll also learn how to leverage overall online marketing, how to better use social media and, more specifically, how to use the power of Facebook for YOUR business.

Tip #10: Use Facebook To Get Media Coverage PR

In a review of my upcoming book, The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing, PR and Media guru Cheryl Connor writes in Forbes, shares how she has used Facebook to effectively get media attention for her clients. Here’s one example:

We were able to secure a breaking story for one of our clients in New York Times thanks to the reporter’s willingness to connect with me on Facebook during his camping vacation (yes, camping - connectivity is apparently everywhere). The reporter, Miguel Helft (now writing for Fortune), didn’t know me prior, but because I was connected to several of his co writers was willing to connect and converse about the story we’d hold for him until his return. The resultâ€"a breaking story.

In another case I was able to put out a note - I’ll be on the East Coast with [company X] on Tuesday, talking about micropayment technology. Have I missed anybody  Peter Kastner said “Me.” As original founder of the Aberdeen Group he regularly presents keynotes on micropayment technology, a fact we wouldn’t have known as it wasn’t a part of our editorial database. But now we knew, and set up a wonderful and productive discussion.

Journalists are people to and some might welcome a friendly connection on Facebook. Cheryl did it, maybe you can to.

Read the entire Forbes review here.

Why You Should Read “The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing”

With over 1.1 billion members, Facebook is a rewarding social media platform, but it can be a mystery as to who is enjoying the spoils.  A study noted in an Adweek article claimed media plans that included Facebook offered a 24% increase in sales than those without the popular platform.

Businesses large and small have jumped on the Facebook marketing bandwagon.

But the question remains: can small businesses profit from Facebook  If you use Facebook for your small business marketing, will it pay off And the answer, according to one author is “yes it can” â€" if you know what you’re doing.

To put forth your best Facebook effort, turn to The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing.  Ramon Ray (@RamonRay) of Small Business Technology wrote this Wiley-published book.

Ramon Ray has been on the small business scene for over a decade, and he is a well-known figure in this space. You may have seen him in a webinar or moderating a panel.  If so, you’ve witnessed firsthand his crisp overview of technical issues. He has a gift for presenting complex material in an understandable fashion.

I am proud to say I and Carolyn Crummey of VirTasktic helped research material for this book.  So instead of burdening you with a biased review of an exceptional book (including - ahem - a super-awesome analytics segment) I’ll highlight what the book offers to your business plans to conquer Facebook.

Making Facebook Easy To Understand 

Ray’s approach to technology supplements this book well. The length of the book is similar to Chris Brogan’s Google Plus for Business.  To me, the reader benefits from the structure because it compliments Ray’s ability to cover details without being overwhelming.  Thus  your business team or marketer can easily understand the Facebook details within the context of your business.

In the chapter on Facebook apps, for example, Ray explains the choice of offering a Facebook app in understandable wording.   You will find interviews from small business owners with their experiences with apps and other Facebook features.  For example, when explaining the value of Facebook Places, Ray notes how Wood’s Coffee, a 100 employee coffee shop in Whatcom County, Washington, uses it to connect to customers.

Small businesses of varying sizes are interviewed or case studies from them included. So no matter what size your small business â€" one person to 100 people â€" you are bound to find relevant examples.

The first few chapters cover how to build a Facebook page for your business. You will get straight-to-the-point instructions for setup, as well as how to choose additional applications  to customize your page and attract more engagement from fans once you have them.  For example, Ray’s instruction on creating a timeline post includes simple points such as:

1. Below the cover photo of your Business page, there is a box on the left side that says Status, Photo/Video, and Event, Milestone. This is called the composer. From this box, share or post.

2. Once you finish adding the information you want to post on your Timeline in the appropriate box, you can choose if you want to share this with everyone by keeping it public or define exactly who you want your audience to be.

3. Click share to add you post to your Timeline.

If you run a brick-and-mortar business, then I am willing to bet you’ll mostly use the chapters that explore the activity small businesses pursue offline.  Chapter 6 reviews how to announce events such as trade shows and presentations on your Facebook page.  Chapter 7 examines Facebook Places Check-In Deals, which are designed to draw foot traffic into your retail store.  Ray offers solid tips.  For example, he notes that when beginning a check-in program, a business should evaluate staffing:

“Before you market your Check In Deal, familiarize your staff with mobile phones and Facebook…. Anticipate the customer demand for your Check-In Deal. If you have a well-trafficked store on normal days, you can bet that you’ll have even more traffic with your Check-In Deal.”

The book goes on to offer tips for how to set the proper value of a Deal offer.  It takes you for a walk in the customer’s shoes. Take this example about Facebook Offers:

“If you are taking the time to make a Facebook Offer, don’t make it for 1 percent off or an offer that people can get easily somewhere else. Make it big enough so people care and can take advantage of it.”

When it comes to marketing your business, Facebook can feel like a complicated platform to follow.   The number of books on the market about Facebook makes understanding where to start even tougher.  I recall three variations of Facebook for Dummies books, each old-school phone book thick.

But thanks to Ramon Ray, this book simplifies and demystifies what is otherwise a sometimes complex tool.  As a result, you’ll grasp the Facebook basics much faster.  And it lets you cut to the heart of how to use Facebook to market your business, engage the public, and build loyal customers.

Whether your business is just getting started with Facebook, or you are already using the platform but you and your team have a desire to use it more effectively to grow your business’s bottom line, The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing is ideal.

The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing is available this week, starting February 19, 2013.

14 Days of Facebook Marketing Tips. Tip #10: Use Facebook To Get Media Coverage / PR

14 Days of Facebook Marketing Tips. Tip #10:  Use Facebook To Get Media Coverage / PR

Welcome to 14 Days of Facebook Marketing Tips, on the occasion of the upcoming launch of “The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing” (Wiley) by Ramon Ray, of Smallbiztechnology.com and Infusionsoft.

Buy Ramon’s latest book on February 19th and get a digital box of goodies as your gift for buying the book, educating yourself and growing your business with Facebook.

In The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing, you will overall learn how to get more customers and keep the ones you have. You’ll also learn how to leverage overall online marketing, how to better use social media and, more specifically, how to use the power of Facebook for YOUR business.

Tip #10: Use Facebook To Get Media Coverage PR

In a review of my upcoming book, The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing, PR and Media guru Cheryl Connor writes in Forbes, shares how she has used Facebook to effectively get media attention for her clients. Here’s one example:

We were able to secure a breaking story for one of our clients in New York Times thanks to the reporter’s willingness to connect with me on Facebook during his camping vacation (yes, camping - connectivity is apparently everywhere). The reporter, Miguel Helft (now writing for Fortune), didn’t know me prior, but because I was connected to several of his co writers was willing to connect and converse about the story we’d hold for him until his return. The resultâ€"a breaking story.

In another case I was able to put out a note - I’ll be on the East Coast with [company X] on Tuesday, talking about micropayment technology. Have I missed anybody  Peter Kastner said “Me.” As original founder of the Aberdeen Group he regularly presents keynotes on micropayment technology, a fact we wouldn’t have known as it wasn’t a part of our editorial database. But now we knew, and set up a wonderful and productive discussion.

Journalists are people to and some might welcome a friendly connection on Facebook. Cheryl did it, maybe you can to.

Read the entire Forbes review here.

Computer Networks Special IP address definition

In the IP protocol, there are several standards that ought to be followed regarding particular interpretations of IP-addresses.

The following special IP addresses are defined by international standards:

1. If the overall IP-address involves only binary zeros, then it indicates the address of the node that generated the packet. This mode is barely utilized in some reports of ICMP protocol. 
   
2. If the network number within the field are just zeros, then the default is that the destination node belongs to an identical network because the node that sent the packet. 
   
3. If all of the bits of the IP-address are equal to at least one, the packet with this destination address must be sent to all nodes at the same network because the source of this packet. This traffic flow known as a limited or directed broadcast. 
   
4. If the number field of the destination node are just ones, the packet has an address that's sent to all network nodes with a given network number. For instance, consider the network 192.190.21.0 with mask 255.255.255.0. Then a packet with destination address 192.190.21.255 is a packet which need to be dropped at all network nodes of the particular network. This communication known as a printed message.

IP addressing and IP configuration are concepts which are core in computer networking, so while you're interested to pursue a networking certification (along with Cisco CCNA for instance) you ought to learn all information about IP addresses and routing.

7 easy steps to unlock Android Phone

Some cell phone producers design cell phone to apply a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card, or microchip that stores subscriber data. These phone only recognize those SIM card issued by a selected carrier and only works by activating any phone into which it's inserted. This sort of phone is named locked phone. When a cell is unlocked by means of certain software, it's going to recognize a SIM card from any carrier. The locked state in a phone is software setting that keeps the mobile phone works just for a definite carrier.

Many Android users wish to unlock their phones to make use of them with local SIM cards when traveling or on domestic carriers that don't offer an Android phone on the market. To Unloc an Android Phone, you have to Android unlock code and SIM card. Follow the setps to unlock your Android phone

1. Get an unlock code. The users of T-Mobile must wait three months from the date their contract starts they usually can request a free unlock code from T-Mobile. In case you are not a T-Mobile customer or would like to unlock your phone immediately, you should buy an unlock code online.
   
2. Find International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) variety of your cellphone which you could find by going to Settings > About Phone > Status.
3. Turn off your Android phone and take away the back cover and battery. 
4. Remove the SIM card from the telephone whether it is already in use.
5. Insert a brand new SIM card and replace the battery and back cover.
6. Turn i! n your cellphone. Once it boots up, it would ask you for an unlock code for the recent SIM.
7. Enter the unlock code and your phone could be unlocked.

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