Printing From Your Smartphone Is About To Get A Whole Lot Easier!

Are you one of the few that has already embraced printing from your smartphone It feels pretty magical and it’s among the latest technology coming to this post-PC, cord-cutting world. I’m sure you’ve looked at something you need to print on your mobile device and then had to go through the middle man â€" your desktop computer. Emailing a file to yourself so you can open it up on your desktop and printing it off.

But with wireless printers and the ability to print from your phone, it’s instant. You see something that needs printing on your phone, you hit ‘print’ and it’s printed. Your kids will not understand why this is cool. I’m fairly young, but I’m old enough to remember a time when printing took a long time, was noisy and the edges of printer paper had a bunch of holes in it.

Anything that saves time is worth a look when it comes to small business owners. You’re busy and anything that makes your life easier is welcome.

So, good news: chances are if you have a smartphone in your pocket you can print from it. HP and Samsung collaborated on built-in mobile print technology that will enable the new Samsung Galaxy S4 to send a printable file to most HP inkjet and LaserJet network printers without having to download any apps.

The iPhone has AirPrint, which is also built-in and works with HP, Epson, Canon and Lexmark wireless printers, among others.

BlackBerry does it too, but you need to download their Print To Go app. Android also requires an app download.

According to HP internal data, a large percentage of smartphone users do not know how to print from their devices and only 26% of smartphone and tablet owners deem their devices as print enabled.

HP and Samsung’s new solution is a little different from the iPhone’s, in that it apparently requires no setup, tools, drivers or network configurations to adjust on the phone, and the print offering is one of the only solutions to offer sophisticated printer settings and options that include duplex printing, color, orientation and paper type. By offering these capabilities and much more, this new mobile print enablement will make printing on the go easier, saving time for the mobile worker and beyond.

The iPhone needs some time to download necessary drivers when you’re first setting up your new printer. It also doesn’t offer the aforementioned orientation options and such.

“Customers continue to look for ways to print from their smartphones and tablets,” said Stephen Nigro, senior vice president, Inkjet and Printing Solutions and Graphics Solutions Business, Printing and Personal Systems Group, HP. “This partnership with Samsung is the latest example of how HP is making it easy to print what you want from wherever you are.”

Did you know your smartphone could print, or did we teach you something new today What phone do you have and do you use it to print Why or why not Let us know in the comments!

Deliver Better Customer Service By Creating A Contact Center In The Cloud

A component of virtually every successful business is often an adequate contact center that responds to customer concerns. While you may not have the money for a full-blown PBX IP solution just for three or four people, there is a way to get champagne with a beer budget: Leverage the cloud and adopt communication as a service (CaaS) software.  This allows you to have a completely functional contact center without having to pay for overly expensive software or hardware.

CaaS isn’t always easy to get your hands on as a small business owner, but there is a solution out there on the market right now that might just suit you: Interactive Intelligence’s CaaS Small Center. This contact center solution combines practically every form of communication (chat, SMS, email, and regular phone calls), giving you the flexibility and interactive capabilities that larger enterprises have enjoyed for so many years.

This user-friendly interface unifies everything into one screen and lets you easily respond to support requests and calls. You’ll experience reduced response times, a higher level of customer satisfaction and an outward image that shows you have a professional business under your thumb. You don’t necessarily have to lose the “mom and pop” feel that customers get when they call you directly. It’s all about creativity and establishing a framework which recreates this environment with every one of your contact center employees.

If you’re spending a lot of time trying to organize your support infrastructure and have, at many points, resorted to improvising, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief with your own CaaS taking the helm. Employees can respond to calls whenever you’re not able to, and you can focus on other things, like the little crises that often pop up on a heavy ordering day.

CaaS Small Center costs $99 per user per month. But, to find out if the solution is right for you, Interactive Intelligence gives you a 14-day trial run without any commitments. Also, this is a pay-as-you-go service.

Where there’s a will, there’s a software package ready to pump iron for you. Markets are nothing if not innovative, and it’s your time to shine with enterprise-class software that’s finally at your fingertips. It’s time you adopt a solution that will help you retain customers by giving them a decent response time for their troubles.

U.S. Postal Service Will Keep Saturday Delivery After All

Small business owners still reliant on delivery by the United States Postal Service can breath a sigh of relief. The USPS recently announced that it will not cut Saturday deliveries later this year as it had previously planned and we’d previously reported.

In a statement this week, the USPS Board of Governors said that it is disappointed with a recent Congressional decision that blocked the postal service from receiving funding so it could implement a plan to cut mail delivery on Saturdays.

“Although disappointed with this Congressional action, the Board will follow the law and has directed the Postal Service to delay implementation of its new delivery schedule until legislation is passed that provides the Postal Service with the authority to implement a financially appropriate and responsible delivery schedule,” the letter states.

The Postal Service still had planned to continue to offer package delivery on Saturdays.  But the USPS had announced its intention to stop regular mail service on the weekend because it believed it would save USPS about $2 billion a year.

However, Congress balked and the USPS backed off.  Congressional resistance to the plan to discontinue Saturday delivery was expected, as was a similar dissent from the Letter Carriers union.  The impact, either way, was not expected to affect small business owners too much, possibly forcing them to alter delivery schedules in some cases.

The USPS is a self-supporting government enterprise funded through sales of postage stamps and other products and services and receives no direct funding from the federal government for its operations. The organization has been struggling financially for years.

The causes of that financial struggle are subject to debate.   The postal service points to the decline in paper mail, due to increased public reliance on e-mail and other forms of digital communication.

Other Issues Contribute to USPS Financial Woes, Say Some

But some observers, including the National Association of Letter Carriers, the union, point to other contributing factors. For instance, there’s the requirement that the USPS completely fund its pension fund.  Some consider that an unfair financial burden to place on the U.S. post office.  Market Watch notes: “Its pension funds are more than 100% funded, compared with 42% for all federal pension funds and 80% for the average Fortune 1000 pension plan.”

Special rates given to large corporations that mail out “junk mail” are another contributing factor to the financial mess, according to some.  Many of those corporations lobby hard against increasing rates that would help offset expenses.

And the postal service loses money on some of its offerings.  Add to that the increased competition from package delivery services such as FedEx and UPS.

Yet another problem is outsourcing.  In 35% of cases last year, the postal service lost money on outsourcing (workshare) contracts,  according to the Postal Regulatory Commission’s annual compliance report.

However, the postal service remains important to some small businesses as the only delivery method that reaches every address in the nation.  And the postal service has other supporters, such as Steve Hutkins, a New York University professor who has set up a website SavethePostOffice.com.

Deliver Better Customer Service By Creating A Contact Center In The Cloud

A component of virtually every successful business is often an adequate contact center that responds to customer concerns. While you may not have the money for a full-blown PBX IP solution just for three or four people, there is a way to get champagne with a beer budget: Leverage the cloud and adopt communication as a service (CaaS) software.  This allows you to have a completely functional contact center without having to pay for overly expensive software or hardware.

CaaS isn’t always easy to get your hands on as a small business owner, but there is a solution out there on the market right now that might just suit you: Interactive Intelligence’s CaaS Small Center. This contact center solution combines practically every form of communication (chat, SMS, email, and regular phone calls), giving you the flexibility and interactive capabilities that larger enterprises have enjoyed for so many years.

This user-friendly interface unifies everything into one screen and lets you easily respond to support requests and calls. You’ll experience reduced response times, a higher level of customer satisfaction and an outward image that shows you have a professional business under your thumb. You don’t necessarily have to lose the “mom and pop” feel that customers get when they call you directly. It’s all about creativity and establishing a framework which recreates this environment with every one of your contact center employees.

If you’re spending a lot of time trying to organize your support infrastructure and have, at many points, resorted to improvising, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief with your own CaaS taking the helm. Employees can respond to calls whenever you’re not able to, and you can focus on other things, like the little crises that often pop up on a heavy ordering day.

CaaS Small Center costs $99 per user per month. But, to find out if the solution is right for you, Interactive Intelligence gives you a 14-day trial run without any commitments. Also, this is a pay-as-you-go service.

Where there’s a will, there’s a software package ready to pump iron for you. Markets are nothing if not innovative, and it’s your time to shine with enterprise-class software that’s finally at your fingertips. It’s time you adopt a solution that will help you retain customers by giving them a decent response time for their troubles.

Deliver Better Customer Service By Creating A Contact Center In The Cloud

A component of virtually every successful business is often an adequate contact center that responds to customer concerns. While you may not have the money for a full-blown PBX IP solution just for three or four people, there is a way to get champagne with a beer budget: Leverage the cloud and adopt communication as a service (CaaS) software.  This allows you to have a completely functional contact center without having to pay for overly expensive software or hardware.

CaaS isn’t always easy to get your hands on as a small business owner, but there is a solution out there on the market right now that might just suit you: Interactive Intelligence’s CaaS Small Center. This contact center solution combines practically every form of communication (chat, SMS, email, and regular phone calls), giving you the flexibility and interactive capabilities that larger enterprises have enjoyed for so many years.

This user-friendly interface unifies everything into one screen and lets you easily respond to support requests and calls. You’ll experience reduced response times, a higher level of customer satisfaction and an outward image that shows you have a professional business under your thumb. You don’t necessarily have to lose the “mom and pop” feel that customers get when they call you directly. It’s all about creativity and establishing a framework which recreates this environment with every one of your contact center employees.

If you’re spending a lot of time trying to organize your support infrastructure and have, at many points, resorted to improvising, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief with your own CaaS taking the helm. Employees can respond to calls whenever you’re not able to, and you can focus on other things, like the little crises that often pop up on a heavy ordering day.

CaaS Small Center costs $99 per user per month. But, to find out if the solution is right for you, Interactive Intelligence gives you a 14-day trial run without any commitments. Also, this is a pay-as-you-go service.

Where there’s a will, there’s a software package ready to pump iron for you. Markets are nothing if not innovative, and it’s your time to shine with enterprise-class software that’s finally at your fingertips. It’s time you adopt a solution that will help you retain customers by giving them a decent response time for their troubles.

Deliver Better Customer Service By Creating A Contact Center In The Cloud

A component of virtually every successful business is often an adequate contact center that responds to customer concerns. While you may not have the money for a full-blown PBX IP solution just for three or four people, there is a way to get champagne with a beer budget: Leverage the cloud and adopt communication as a service (CaaS) software.  This allows you to have a completely functional contact center without having to pay for overly expensive software or hardware.

CaaS isn’t always easy to get your hands on as a small business owner, but there is a solution out there on the market right now that might just suit you: Interactive Intelligence’s CaaS Small Center. This contact center solution combines practically every form of communication (chat, SMS, email, and regular phone calls), giving you the flexibility and interactive capabilities that larger enterprises have enjoyed for so many years.

This user-friendly interface unifies everything into one screen and lets you easily respond to support requests and calls. You’ll experience reduced response times, a higher level of customer satisfaction and an outward image that shows you have a professional business under your thumb. You don’t necessarily have to lose the “mom and pop” feel that customers get when they call you directly. It’s all about creativity and establishing a framework which recreates this environment with every one of your contact center employees.

If you’re spending a lot of time trying to organize your support infrastructure and have, at many points, resorted to improvising, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief with your own CaaS taking the helm. Employees can respond to calls whenever you’re not able to, and you can focus on other things, like the little crises that often pop up on a heavy ordering day.

CaaS Small Center costs $99 per user per month. But, to find out if the solution is right for you, Interactive Intelligence gives you a 14-day trial run without any commitments. Also, this is a pay-as-you-go service.

Where there’s a will, there’s a software package ready to pump iron for you. Markets are nothing if not innovative, and it’s your time to shine with enterprise-class software that’s finally at your fingertips. It’s time you adopt a solution that will help you retain customers by giving them a decent response time for their troubles.

Printing From Your Smartphone Is About To Get A Whole Lot Easier!

Are you one of the few that has already embraced printing from your smartphone It feels pretty magical and it’s among the latest technology coming to this post-PC, cord-cutting world. I’m sure you’ve looked at something you need to print on your mobile device and then had to go through the middle man â€" your desktop computer. Emailing a file to yourself so you can open it up on your desktop and printing it off.

But with wireless printers and the ability to print from your phone, it’s instant. You see something that needs printing on your phone, you hit ‘print’ and it’s printed. Your kids will not understand why this is cool. I’m fairly young, but I’m old enough to remember a time when printing took a long time, was noisy and the edges of printer paper had a bunch of holes in it.

Anything that saves time is worth a look when it comes to small business owners. You’re busy and anything that makes your life easier is welcome.

So, good news: chances are if you have a smartphone in your pocket you can print from it. HP and Samsung collaborated on built-in mobile print technology that will enable the new Samsung Galaxy S4 to send a printable file to most HP inkjet and LaserJet network printers without having to download any apps.

The iPhone has AirPrint, which is also built-in and works with HP, Epson, Canon and Lexmark wireless printers, among others.

BlackBerry does it too, but you need to download their Print To Go app. Android also requires an app download.

According to HP internal data, a large percentage of smartphone users do not know how to print from their devices and only 26% of smartphone and tablet owners deem their devices as print enabled.

HP and Samsung’s new solution is a little different from the iPhone’s, in that it apparently requires no setup, tools, drivers or network configurations to adjust on the phone, and the print offering is one of the only solutions to offer sophisticated printer settings and options that include duplex printing, color, orientation and paper type. By offering these capabilities and much more, this new mobile print enablement will make printing on the go easier, saving time for the mobile worker and beyond.

The iPhone needs some time to download necessary drivers when you’re first setting up your new printer. It also doesn’t offer the aforementioned orientation options and such.

“Customers continue to look for ways to print from their smartphones and tablets,” said Stephen Nigro, senior vice president, Inkjet and Printing Solutions and Graphics Solutions Business, Printing and Personal Systems Group, HP. “This partnership with Samsung is the latest example of how HP is making it easy to print what you want from wherever you are.”

Did you know your smartphone could print, or did we teach you something new today What phone do you have and do you use it to print Why or why not Let us know in the comments!

April Patch Tuesday security update could cause system errors

Microsoft has pulled back a security update released as part of its April 2013 Patch Tuesday bulletins, saying it could cause system errors when paired with certain third-party software.

The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant has taken down update No. 2823324 from its download center, which was featured in security bulletin MS13-036. Users that have already downloaded that particular update are being advised to uninstall it.

MS13-036, rated "important," patches vulnerabilities that, if exploited, could lead to elevation-of-privilege attacks on affected machines. The vulnerabilities are found in the Windows file system kernel-mode driver (ntfs.sys).

In a blog post Thursday, Dustin Childs, group manager for Microsoft Trustworthy Computing, responded to reports on the various issues resulting from the faulty update, saying, "Contrary to some reports, the system errors do not result in any data loss nor affect all Windows customers."

He added that the MS13-036 bulletin remains available for customers, but the faulty update in question has been removed.

7 Tips From Media Experts On How To Put Your Small Business Into The Spotlight And Get Media Coverage

For a small business, exposure on a TV news show or in a newspaper or magazine can bring in big business. Whether a small business is pitching a local or national news outlet, there are several ways to set yourself apart from the competition. At a recent Meet the Media event, a panel of journalists and public relations experts shared a few tips to help small businesses increase their odds of media coverage.

1. Provide an angle. Most media outlets are looking for a good story that will draw viewers and readers in. NBC producer Alex Presha emphasized the importance of pitching a unique story idea that includes a news peg. A peg, also known as a hook, gives the reporter a jumping-off point and helps set your story apart from other stories currently being covered.
2. Research before you pitch. Rather than blanketing various media outlets with press releases, the panel recommended carefully researching each outlet and tailoring your release to their specific needs. Keep in mind the audience for each media outlet and alter your news release to meet that specific demographic. For some members of the media, certain times of day are better than others. Presha said at NBC, for example, pitches received at noon are more likely to get coverage than pitches made after 4 p.m.
3. Start small. The panel pointed out that many reporters find inspiration by doing the same thing you do to learn about the latest news-they Google. Don’t discount the value of coverage on web-based news sites and local media outlets. The panel pointed out that Huffington Post Live, a very search engine-visible news video site, provides insight from non-reporters from all over the country on a variety of issues.
4. Help the producer. Instead of simply writing a news release with generic information about the event, the panel advised giving the producer a boost by suggesting how the story could play out. Suggest interview subjects and an angle that would appeal to that outlet’s audience.
5. Build relationships. One of the best way to get consistent coverage is to network with select reporters. Instead of waiting until you need a favor, retweet your favorite media personalities and occasionally expression your admiration for stories they’ve reported.
6. If it Bleeds, it Leads. You’ve probably noticed the news tends toward the negative. The panel recommends pitching your story as a solution to a problem that regularly appears in news stories, such as crime or teen bullying.
7. Avoid Media Pet Peeves. The panel listed several absolute don’ts to avoid your release from being deleted without ever being considered. Avoid huge attachments, don’t ask a journalist what he or she covers (you should do research beforehand), and keep your pitches to one paragraph.

The panel also provided advice on social media coverage, emphasizing the value of a social media post going viral. Networking is everything, the panel stressed, noting that by retweeting and replying to others, you’ll be able to build followers of your own. For Twitter, the panel reminded everyone that hashtags are essential. The panel also recommended uploading a professional picture of yourself for all of your social media accounts, as well as avoiding engaging in negative online banter.

7 Tips From Media Experts On How To Put Your Small Business Into The Spotlight And Get Media Coverage

For a small business, exposure on a TV news show or in a newspaper or magazine can bring in big business. Whether a small business is pitching a local or national news outlet, there are several ways to set yourself apart from the competition. At a recent Meet the Media event, a panel of journalists and public relations experts shared a few tips to help small businesses increase their odds of media coverage.

1. Provide an angle. Most media outlets are looking for a good story that will draw viewers and readers in. NBC producer Alex Presha emphasized the importance of pitching a unique story idea that includes a news peg. A peg, also known as a hook, gives the reporter a jumping-off point and helps set your story apart from other stories currently being covered.
2. Research before you pitch. Rather than blanketing various media outlets with press releases, the panel recommended carefully researching each outlet and tailoring your release to their specific needs. Keep in mind the audience for each media outlet and alter your news release to meet that specific demographic. For some members of the media, certain times of day are better than others. Presha said at NBC, for example, pitches received at noon are more likely to get coverage than pitches made after 4 p.m.
3. Start small. The panel pointed out that many reporters find inspiration by doing the same thing you do to learn about the latest news-they Google. Don’t discount the value of coverage on web-based news sites and local media outlets. The panel pointed out that Huffington Post Live, a very search engine-visible news video site, provides insight from non-reporters from all over the country on a variety of issues.
4. Help the producer. Instead of simply writing a news release with generic information about the event, the panel advised giving the producer a boost by suggesting how the story could play out. Suggest interview subjects and an angle that would appeal to that outlet’s audience.
5. Build relationships. One of the best way to get consistent coverage is to network with select reporters. Instead of waiting until you need a favor, retweet your favorite media personalities and occasionally expression your admiration for stories they’ve reported.
6. If it Bleeds, it Leads. You’ve probably noticed the news tends toward the negative. The panel recommends pitching your story as a solution to a problem that regularly appears in news stories, such as crime or teen bullying.
7. Avoid Media Pet Peeves. The panel listed several absolute don’ts to avoid your release from being deleted without ever being considered. Avoid huge attachments, don’t ask a journalist what he or she covers (you should do research beforehand), and keep your pitches to one paragraph.

The panel also provided advice on social media coverage, emphasizing the value of a social media post going viral. Networking is everything, the panel stressed, noting that by retweeting and replying to others, you’ll be able to build followers of your own. For Twitter, the panel reminded everyone that hashtags are essential. The panel also recommended uploading a professional picture of yourself for all of your social media accounts, as well as avoiding engaging in negative online banter.

Checkout by Amazon Makes Digital Payment Easy

With the recent explosion of online marketplaces, many companies are vying for control of the digital payment space. One from a well-known internet presence is Checkout by Amazon. With an already large customer base, adding Checkout by Amazon to your small business allows millions to buy with pre-established accounts, using a system known for its ease and security. Using the same security as Amazon.com, Checkout by Amazon offers full protection from fraud-related chargebacs from transactions that meet their payment protection policy. Further, it has no start-up costs, hidden feeds, or monthly charges.

One of the main selling points of Checkout by Amazon is that the entire process can be placed on your website. While some other digital payment services redirect your customers to other pages, Checkout by Amazon allows sellers to control the buying experience and could help lower shopping cart “abandonment” rates, when many consumers rethink their potential purchase. Further, you can upsell and promote other products through the checkout process.

The only costs associated with Checkout by Amazon are when something is purchased. The seller is charged 5% plus $0.05 for purchases under $9.99, and 2.9% plus $0.30 for purchases over $10.00. They even offer volume discounts ranging from 2.5% plus $0.30 for average transactions of $3,000-$9,999.99, to 1.9% plus $0.30 for average transactions over $100,000. In terms of costs, this makes it very comparable to Paypal, another player in the digital payment market.

Another feature is how it can be implemented in a way that fits your business. The inline checkout allows customers to select their information from their Amazon accounts, through your existing checkout flow with no pop-ups or redirections. The standard checkout creates a pop-up screen where the customer selects their information. The pre-integrated cart allows users to keep track of their items to be purchases, and a buy now button allows users to select and purchase a single product without a shopping cart.

Overall, Checkout by Amazon seems to be a great way to let your customers manage the checkout process, assuring them a secure and quick method of payment many are already familiar with. When compared to Paypal, it lacks the ability to transfer funds to another person, but the brand recognition and security of transfers and financial information more than make up for it. Further, with the many ways to pay and incorporate into your business, Checkout by Amazon is not only consumer friendly; it’s very business friendly.

Melinda Emerson on Transitioning From Employee to Entrepreneur

Have you dreamed of starting your own business but find yourself unsure of how to make the transition from employee to entrepreneur Melinda Emerson, the Small Biz Lady, joins Brent Leary to share her “Emerson Planning System;” six steps to transition from employee to entrepreneur.

* * * * *

Small Business Trends: Can you share a bit of your background with us

Melinda Emerson: I am an entrepreneur just like you. I was somebody who was getting headaches on the way to work in the morning. I knew that I was meant to do more. In 1999 I started my first company, Quintessence Multimedia which was a video production and a multimedia production company. I ran that company and still have it.

I am a voracious reader. I have read almost every startup business book out there. I literally wrote the book I’ve never read. I wrote the book that would be the advice I wish somebody had given me back in 1999 when I quit my good job and started a business. That is how ‘Become Your Own Boss In 12 Months’ came about.  My life has never been the same since.

You have to evolve, you have to continue to sharpen your own knife and gain new skills. So what I was able to do for myself, and my business, was I started learning social media. It just so happens that when I went out to social media my name, Melinda Emerson, was taken on Twitter. I had to come up with a new name for myself and so that is how I became SmallBizLady. Fast forward five years, that was the best branding accident that has ever happened to me. But that is what happened.

Small Business Trends: One of the other things you are very well known for are weekly Small Biz Chats

Melinda Emerson: Absolutely. Every Wednesday from 8 to 9PM EST on Twitter, I host a weekly #SmallBizChat where we get on Twitter with another small business expert and answer small business questions. It really has become incredibly helpful for people. If you have a question and you can’t afford a coach, it is a way for you to ask your questions for free and get helpful information and help everybody else, too.

Every Thursday I post the complete Q&A from the night before on the Small Biz Chat on my blog, SucceedAsYourOwnBoss.

Small Business Trends: Let’s talk a little bit about the book, ‘Become Your Own Boss In 12 Months.’  Can anybody start a small business in 12 months

Melinda Emerson: Yes; I have developed a planning system called the ‘Emerson Planning System.’ It helps people transition from having a job to having a business. The first step is developing a life plan.

First, you need to figure out what you want out of life first and then you need to build a business around that.

Second, you have to figure out whether or not you can even afford to become an entrepreneur.  You have got to get your money together, because the reality is the money to start your business is going to come from your right or left pocket. You have to be able to afford to leave your job and start a business. You have to have money to support your family, your household and you have to have the money to launch the business.

Once you get that together, the third step is really evaluating what skills you have, and what skills you need to run your particular kind of business. How do you do that You need to get a part time job working for a business like the one you want to start. Do not start a business in an industry you don’t know anything about. It is a wrongful deed for disaster.

Step four is figuring out who is going to buy from you and why. The most important thing you need to know about your new business is who is your customer and how are you going to stand out and be unique in the marketplace against your competition

The fifth step is writing a business plan. You really do need a business plan. You do not spend more time planning your vacation then you do figuring out how you are going to support your family in this new business. Think things through.

The sixth step, and this is the secret, is to start your own business while you are still working in your part time job if you can. It takes 18 to 36 months for a small business to break even, let alone replace your previous corporate salary. You are going to need the time to get your money together and to figure out what you are doing and who your real paying customer is.

Small Business Trends: Are some of the reasons small businesses fail led by these principles you just put out there

Melinda Emerson: There are five reasons why small businesses fail. The number one reason is because people think about what their lives are going to be like running their business. They think some magic person is going to come and lock and unlock the door every day in their business.

The second reason is because people have no network to sell to. People do business with people they like, know and trust. If you are somebody with no friends and that doesn’t keep in touch with people, you will need to keep your job because you are not going to be in business long. Ninety percent of all small businesses get business from referrals. It is extremely important for you to spend time building your network.

The third reason is because people simply do not save enough money before they start their business. What happens is some emergency in their personal life will torpedo their entrepreneurial dreams.

The fourth reason is because people try to sell to anyone they think has money, as opposed to having in a specific niche target customer.

Step five, and this is the deadliest reason, Brent; people don’t manage their household budget. So guess what They don’t manage their business with one either and that doesn’t make much sense.

Small Business Trends: Where can people learn more

Melinda Emerson: If you are interested in purchasing my book, an autograph copy of my book, go to my website SucceedAsYourOwnBoss. There you can order an autograph copy of my book. It is also available anywhere books are sold.

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.

Checkout by Amazon Makes Digital Payment Easy

With the recent explosion of online marketplaces, many companies are vying for control of the digital payment space. One from a well-known internet presence is Checkout by Amazon. With an already large customer base, adding Checkout by Amazon to your small business allows millions to buy with pre-established accounts, using a system known for its ease and security. Using the same security as Amazon.com, Checkout by Amazon offers full protection from fraud-related chargebacs from transactions that meet their payment protection policy. Further, it has no start-up costs, hidden feeds, or monthly charges.

One of the main selling points of Checkout by Amazon is that the entire process can be placed on your website. While some other digital payment services redirect your customers to other pages, Checkout by Amazon allows sellers to control the buying experience and could help lower shopping cart “abandonment” rates, when many consumers rethink their potential purchase. Further, you can upsell and promote other products through the checkout process.

The only costs associated with Checkout by Amazon are when something is purchased. The seller is charged 5% plus $0.05 for purchases under $9.99, and 2.9% plus $0.30 for purchases over $10.00. They even offer volume discounts ranging from 2.5% plus $0.30 for average transactions of $3,000-$9,999.99, to 1.9% plus $0.30 for average transactions over $100,000. In terms of costs, this makes it very comparable to Paypal, another player in the digital payment market.

Another feature is how it can be implemented in a way that fits your business. The inline checkout allows customers to select their information from their Amazon accounts, through your existing checkout flow with no pop-ups or redirections. The standard checkout creates a pop-up screen where the customer selects their information. The pre-integrated cart allows users to keep track of their items to be purchases, and a buy now button allows users to select and purchase a single product without a shopping cart.

Overall, Checkout by Amazon seems to be a great way to let your customers manage the checkout process, assuring them a secure and quick method of payment many are already familiar with. When compared to Paypal, it lacks the ability to transfer funds to another person, but the brand recognition and security of transfers and financial information more than make up for it. Further, with the many ways to pay and incorporate into your business, Checkout by Amazon is not only consumer friendly; it’s very business friendly.

Checkout by Amazon Makes Digital Payment Easy

With the recent explosion of online marketplaces, many companies are vying for control of the digital payment space. One from a well-known internet presence is Checkout by Amazon. With an already large customer base, adding Checkout by Amazon to your small business allows millions to buy with pre-established accounts, using a system known for its ease and security. Using the same security as Amazon.com, Checkout by Amazon offers full protection from fraud-related chargebacs from transactions that meet their payment protection policy. Further, it has no start-up costs, hidden feeds, or monthly charges.

One of the main selling points of Checkout by Amazon is that the entire process can be placed on your website. While some other digital payment services redirect your customers to other pages, Checkout by Amazon allows sellers to control the buying experience and could help lower shopping cart “abandonment” rates, when many consumers rethink their potential purchase. Further, you can upsell and promote other products through the checkout process.

The only costs associated with Checkout by Amazon are when something is purchased. The seller is charged 5% plus $0.05 for purchases under $9.99, and 2.9% plus $0.30 for purchases over $10.00. They even offer volume discounts ranging from 2.5% plus $0.30 for average transactions of $3,000-$9,999.99, to 1.9% plus $0.30 for average transactions over $100,000. In terms of costs, this makes it very comparable to Paypal, another player in the digital payment market.

Another feature is how it can be implemented in a way that fits your business. The inline checkout allows customers to select their information from their Amazon accounts, through your existing checkout flow with no pop-ups or redirections. The standard checkout creates a pop-up screen where the customer selects their information. The pre-integrated cart allows users to keep track of their items to be purchases, and a buy now button allows users to select and purchase a single product without a shopping cart.

Overall, Checkout by Amazon seems to be a great way to let your customers manage the checkout process, assuring them a secure and quick method of payment many are already familiar with. When compared to Paypal, it lacks the ability to transfer funds to another person, but the brand recognition and security of transfers and financial information more than make up for it. Further, with the many ways to pay and incorporate into your business, Checkout by Amazon is not only consumer friendly; it’s very business friendly.

Checkout by Amazon Makes Digital Payment Easy

With the recent explosion of online marketplaces, many companies are vying for control of the digital payment space. One from a well-known internet presence is Checkout by Amazon. With an already large customer base, adding Checkout by Amazon to your small business allows millions to buy with pre-established accounts, using a system known for its ease and security. Using the same security as Amazon.com, Checkout by Amazon offers full protection from fraud-related chargebacs from transactions that meet their payment protection policy. Further, it has no start-up costs, hidden feeds, or monthly charges.

One of the main selling points of Checkout by Amazon is that the entire process can be placed on your website. While some other digital payment services redirect your customers to other pages, Checkout by Amazon allows sellers to control the buying experience and could help lower shopping cart “abandonment” rates, when many consumers rethink their potential purchase. Further, you can upsell and promote other products through the checkout process.

The only costs associated with Checkout by Amazon are when something is purchased. The seller is charged 5% plus $0.05 for purchases under $9.99, and 2.9% plus $0.30 for purchases over $10.00. They even offer volume discounts ranging from 2.5% plus $0.30 for average transactions of $3,000-$9,999.99, to 1.9% plus $0.30 for average transactions over $100,000. In terms of costs, this makes it very comparable to Paypal, another player in the digital payment market.

Another feature is how it can be implemented in a way that fits your business. The inline checkout allows customers to select their information from their Amazon accounts, through your existing checkout flow with no pop-ups or redirections. The standard checkout creates a pop-up screen where the customer selects their information. The pre-integrated cart allows users to keep track of their items to be purchases, and a buy now button allows users to select and purchase a single product without a shopping cart.

Overall, Checkout by Amazon seems to be a great way to let your customers manage the checkout process, assuring them a secure and quick method of payment many are already familiar with. When compared to Paypal, it lacks the ability to transfer funds to another person, but the brand recognition and security of transfers and financial information more than make up for it. Further, with the many ways to pay and incorporate into your business, Checkout by Amazon is not only consumer friendly; it’s very business friendly.

Melinda Emerson on Transitioning From Employee to Entrepreneur

Have you dreamed of starting your own business but find yourself unsure of how to make the transition from employee to entrepreneur Melinda Emerson, the Small Biz Lady, joins Brent Leary to share her “Emerson Planning System;” six steps to transition from employee to entrepreneur.

* * * * *

Small Business Trends: Can you share a bit of your background with us

Melinda Emerson: I am an entrepreneur just like you. I was somebody who was getting headaches on the way to work in the morning. I knew that I was meant to do more. In 1999 I started my first company, Quintessence Multimedia which was a video production and a multimedia production company. I ran that company and still have it.

I am a voracious reader. I have read almost every startup business book out there. I literally wrote the book I’ve never read. I wrote the book that would be the advice I wish somebody had given me back in 1999 when I quit my good job and started a business. That is how ‘Become Your Own Boss In 12 Months’ came about.  My life has never been the same since.

You have to evolve, you have to continue to sharpen your own knife and gain new skills. So what I was able to do for myself, and my business, was I started learning social media. It just so happens that when I went out to social media my name, Melinda Emerson, was taken on Twitter. I had to come up with a new name for myself and so that is how I became SmallBizLady. Fast forward five years, that was the best branding accident that has ever happened to me. But that is what happened.

Small Business Trends: One of the other things you are very well known for are weekly Small Biz Chats

Melinda Emerson: Absolutely. Every Wednesday from 8 to 9PM EST on Twitter, I host a weekly #SmallBizChat where we get on Twitter with another small business expert and answer small business questions. It really has become incredibly helpful for people. If you have a question and you can’t afford a coach, it is a way for you to ask your questions for free and get helpful information and help everybody else, too.

Every Thursday I post the complete Q&A from the night before on the Small Biz Chat on my blog, SucceedAsYourOwnBoss.

Small Business Trends: Let’s talk a little bit about the book, ‘Become Your Own Boss In 12 Months.’  Can anybody start a small business in 12 months

Melinda Emerson: Yes; I have developed a planning system called the ‘Emerson Planning System.’ It helps people transition from having a job to having a business. The first step is developing a life plan.

First, you need to figure out what you want out of life first and then you need to build a business around that.

Second, you have to figure out whether or not you can even afford to become an entrepreneur.  You have got to get your money together, because the reality is the money to start your business is going to come from your right or left pocket. You have to be able to afford to leave your job and start a business. You have to have money to support your family, your household and you have to have the money to launch the business.

Once you get that together, the third step is really evaluating what skills you have, and what skills you need to run your particular kind of business. How do you do that You need to get a part time job working for a business like the one you want to start. Do not start a business in an industry you don’t know anything about. It is a wrongful deed for disaster.

Step four is figuring out who is going to buy from you and why. The most important thing you need to know about your new business is who is your customer and how are you going to stand out and be unique in the marketplace against your competition

The fifth step is writing a business plan. You really do need a business plan. You do not spend more time planning your vacation then you do figuring out how you are going to support your family in this new business. Think things through.

The sixth step, and this is the secret, is to start your own business while you are still working in your part time job if you can. It takes 18 to 36 months for a small business to break even, let alone replace your previous corporate salary. You are going to need the time to get your money together and to figure out what you are doing and who your real paying customer is.

Small Business Trends: Are some of the reasons small businesses fail led by these principles you just put out there

Melinda Emerson: There are five reasons why small businesses fail. The number one reason is because people think about what their lives are going to be like running their business. They think some magic person is going to come and lock and unlock the door every day in their business.

The second reason is because people have no network to sell to. People do business with people they like, know and trust. If you are somebody with no friends and that doesn’t keep in touch with people, you will need to keep your job because you are not going to be in business long. Ninety percent of all small businesses get business from referrals. It is extremely important for you to spend time building your network.

The third reason is because people simply do not save enough money before they start their business. What happens is some emergency in their personal life will torpedo their entrepreneurial dreams.

The fourth reason is because people try to sell to anyone they think has money, as opposed to having in a specific niche target customer.

Step five, and this is the deadliest reason, Brent; people don’t manage their household budget. So guess what They don’t manage their business with one either and that doesn’t make much sense.

Small Business Trends: Where can people learn more

Melinda Emerson: If you are interested in purchasing my book, an autograph copy of my book, go to my website SucceedAsYourOwnBoss. There you can order an autograph copy of my book. It is also available anywhere books are sold.

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.

VMware sells Shavlik product portfolio to LANDesk Software

Systems management vendor LANDesk Software has acquired VMware's Protect product family of IT management solutions.

Previously Shavlik technology, which VMware acquired in May 2011, LANDesk said that this will enable it to strengthen its IT management solution offering, to centralise IT management and simplify deployment and automation of core IT functions.

Financial terms of the transaction, which was completed yesterday, were not disclosed. LANDesk plans to name the products the Shavlik Protect products and the range will include the: Shavlik Protect Standard (formerly VMware vCenterTM Protect Standard); Shavlik Protect Advanced (formerly VMware vCenter Protect Advanced); Shavlik SCUPDates (formerly VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog); and Shavlik Patch SDK (formerly VMware vCenter Protect Engine).

LANDesk said these solutions include: centralised patch management and asset inventory for Windows and third party applications for both virtual and physical machines; centralised anti-virus; and the ability to leverage a single Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) workflow for deploying updates for both Microsoft and non-Microsoft applications and patches in a Windows environment.

Stephen Daly, CEO of LANDesk Software, said: “With the Shavlik Protect portfolio, we are also adding an important new go-to-market channel that will allow us to make some of our offerings available for download.

“It will become immediately apparent to Shavlik Protect customers that LANDesk is committed to their current investment in Shavlik Protect products, committed to how they do business, and committed to continued product evolution and innovation.”

Ramin Sayar, vice president and general manager of virtualisation and cloud management at VMware, said: “In transitioning the Shavlik Protect product family to LANDesk, we are confident that customers will be in good hands with seamless product support and further technology innovation.”

Proofpoint acquires SaaS email security provider Maildistiller

Proofpoint has acquired Maildistiller, a provider of SaaS email security solutions to bolster its cloud architecture.

As part of a plan to expand its Proofpoint Essentials suite of software-as-a-service (SaaS) security and compliance solutions, it acquired the Northern Ireland-based company, which is specifically designed for channel distribution through multi-level distribution and managed service providers (MSPs).

According to Proofpoint, the technology will enable Proofpoint Essentials to combine the security and threat detection capabilities with ease of use, multi-level channel management and modern SaaS architecture required to serve the mid-to-small enterprise market.

Gary Steele, CEO of Proofpoint, said: “This new acquisition will enable us to offer the same core technology used by the world's largest and most successful security conscious companies to a new set of customers served through broad security resellers and MSP partners who are currently experiencing a lot of pain.

“We see tremendous value in being able to deliver a superior and scalable solution through the channel to this important customer set.”

Colm McGoldrick, formerly CEO and founder of Maildistiller, will now act as vice president of Proofpoint Essentials. He said: “We're excited to become part of a company with such leading edge technology and global market presence. We see this as the perfect opportunity to accelerate the market success we've already had through a channel distribution strategy."

Barry’s Bite: How to Pick Your Next Webmaster

Welcome to Barry’s Bite, a weekly article series from Barry Moltz, host of Business Insanity Radio.  This week Barry shares with us 10 steps  you should follow when picking your next (or first) webmaster.

 

Hiring a company or freelancer to build and manage your website is still a confusing task. There are so many choices. While prices have dropped drastically as functions of web sites have increased, it is still difficult to find the right match for your small business:

Here are 10 steps to follow:

1. Set a budget. How much do you want to spend on the initial build or update This will dictate the type of company or freelancer that is hired. It is a waste of time to search for a company that only works on million dollar projects if the budget is $5,000.
2. Who will update the content Will this be your employees, the webmaster or another consultant This affects the tools and design that will be used.
3. Use a major open platform. Pick a SaaS open source tool like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla. It will then be easy to get talented people to work with the site and upgrade it as needed. Using more obscure software will only lead to higher costs later.
4. Ask for current examples of their work. Is it something that relates well to what your company needs They should have designed a similar website in the past.
5. Ask for customer references. Many companies can do the work, but how are they to actually work with Attitude is as important as skills when picking a partner.
6. Show them examples of what you like. This will also reduce the cost if you can give them a basic layout of what is needed. Copying is cheaper than being creative.
7. How will they optimize the site for search If your website is to be found, this is important. Choices will include more written content and less pictures or Flash.
8. What will the security around the site be How will users login What will happen when the site crashes or is hacked Who do you call and what will their response be
9. Who owns the site Specifically, if you hire a freelancer, ensure there is a “work for hire” contract.
10. How much will it cost Is this an estimate or a fixed cost What will the ongoing maintenance of the site cost

What guidelines did you use to hire your last webmaster

Barry is a nationally recognized expert on small business who has given hundreds of presentations to audiences ranging in size from 20 to 20,000. As a member of the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, he has also taught entrepreneurship as an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He has appeared on many TV and radio programs such as CNBC’s The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, MSNBC’s Your Business and NPR’s The Tavis Smiley Show. He hosts his own radio show, Business Insanity Talk Radio, and writes regularly for the American Express Open Forum, and Forbes.com.  

Barry’s Bite: How to Pick Your Next Webmaster

Welcome to Barry’s Bite, a weekly article series from Barry Moltz, host of Business Insanity Radio.  This week Barry shares with us 10 steps  you should follow when picking your next (or first) webmaster.

 

Hiring a company or freelancer to build and manage your website is still a confusing task. There are so many choices. While prices have dropped drastically as functions of web sites have increased, it is still difficult to find the right match for your small business:

Here are 10 steps to follow:

1. Set a budget. How much do you want to spend on the initial build or update This will dictate the type of company or freelancer that is hired. It is a waste of time to search for a company that only works on million dollar projects if the budget is $5,000.
2. Who will update the content Will this be your employees, the webmaster or another consultant This affects the tools and design that will be used.
3. Use a major open platform. Pick a SaaS open source tool like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla. It will then be easy to get talented people to work with the site and upgrade it as needed. Using more obscure software will only lead to higher costs later.
4. Ask for current examples of their work. Is it something that relates well to what your company needs They should have designed a similar website in the past.
5. Ask for customer references. Many companies can do the work, but how are they to actually work with Attitude is as important as skills when picking a partner.
6. Show them examples of what you like. This will also reduce the cost if you can give them a basic layout of what is needed. Copying is cheaper than being creative.
7. How will they optimize the site for search If your website is to be found, this is important. Choices will include more written content and less pictures or Flash.
8. What will the security around the site be How will users login What will happen when the site crashes or is hacked Who do you call and what will their response be
9. Who owns the site Specifically, if you hire a freelancer, ensure there is a “work for hire” contract.
10. How much will it cost Is this an estimate or a fixed cost What will the ongoing maintenance of the site cost

What guidelines did you use to hire your last webmaster

Barry is a nationally recognized expert on small business who has given hundreds of presentations to audiences ranging in size from 20 to 20,000. As a member of the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, he has also taught entrepreneurship as an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He has appeared on many TV and radio programs such as CNBC’s The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, MSNBC’s Your Business and NPR’s The Tavis Smiley Show. He hosts his own radio show, Business Insanity Talk Radio, and writes regularly for the American Express Open Forum, and Forbes.com.  

Spring Clean Your Small Business, Twitter Chat Recap

It’s that time of year again. It’s time to spring clean your small business. This means cleaning your workspace, of course. But it also means getting more organized in general.

A recent Twitter chat looked at how to clean up, get organized and start running your business smarter. And it drew enough attention to make #SMBspringclean the #1 trending topic on Twitter for the evening.

Be sure to follow the hashtag or me at @SmalBizTrends to checkout the last night’s chat in its entirety.

You’ll read tweets from small business leaders about how to straighten up and organize your business from paper to digital files. But you will also read ideas for shaking things up and bringing in new ideas to make your business better.

Read excerpts from our spring cleaning Twitter chat below presented by presented by FedEx Office and follow them at @FedExOffice.

Disclosure: FedEx Office compensated me to participate as a small business expert during the FedEx Office Tweet Chat program and write this post. The ideas in this blog post are mine and not ideas or advice from FedEx Office.

At a Crossroads in Uncharted Territory

Sometimes the ideas just sort of present themselves in a tidy little package for you.

I was perusing some articles online and ran across “at a crossroads” so I wrote it down.

The next article contained “uncharted territory” and I wrote that down right underneath “at a crossroads.”

Then I looked at what I’d written and thought to myself, “It can’t be that easy.”  Then decided that it was, in fact, going to be that easy and this cartoon came out the other side.

That’s a good day.

At a Crossroads in Uncharted Territory

Sometimes the ideas just sort of present themselves in a tidy little package for you.

I was perusing some articles online and ran across “at a crossroads” so I wrote it down.

The next article contained “uncharted territory” and I wrote that down right underneath “at a crossroads.”

Then I looked at what I’d written and thought to myself, “It can’t be that easy.”  Then decided that it was, in fact, going to be that easy and this cartoon came out the other side.

That’s a good day.

Microsoft recalls patch after blue screen reports

Microsoft has acknowledged problems caused by a patch released this week that can cause system errors.

Dustin Childs, group manager of response communications at Microsoft Trustworthy Computing, said in an update that users may be experiencing difficulties after applying security update 2823324, which it provided in security bulletin MS13-036 on Tuesday.

He said: “We've determined that the update, when paired with certain third-party software, can cause system errors. As a precaution, we stopped pushing 2823324 as an update when we began investigating the error reports, and have since removed it from the download centre.”

However he denied that the system errors result in any data loss or affect all Windows customers, and recommended following guidance to uninstall the update if it is already installed.

The announcement came after claims were made that the update can crash a system, or cause a ‘blue screen of death'. According to Winbeta the update results in an infinite reboot loop, while a blog by Woody Leonhard said that the update is causing blue screens on machines running Windows 7.

He said: “So far the problem is widely reported in Brazil, and at least one other credible sighting has occurred in South Africa and one in the UK - but it isn't clear if they were running the Brazilian version of Windows. Apparently the patch corrupts ntfs.sys. One fix that's been floated is to copy ntfs.sys from a good machine (same version of Windows) to a bluescreened machine.”

The moderate-level patch was released to address a vulnerability that requires an attacker to have physical computer access to exploit.

Business and management skills training launched by Cyber Security Challenge and Infosec Skills

Registrations for online competitions for information security management, business continuity management and information risk management open today.

These are new initiatives from the Cyber Security Challenge and InfoSec Skills are specifically aimed at business professionals without a technical background and are intended to develop online security skills to protect their businesses.

Accredited by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT,  the top scorers in each challenge across all rounds will produce three winners who will each win a five-day eLearning course of their choice, and the official BCS exam resulting in a career enabling BCS professional certificate.

Also as part of the challenge, the top ten scorers from these three challenges, across all nine rounds, will produce 30 contestants, who will be invited to the PWC/Symantec Face-To-Face challenge in February 2014. Contestants may then move onto the Master Class in March, with a chance of becoming the new 2014 Cyber Champion.

Terry Neal, CEO of InfoSec Skills, said: “Not only does this open up the challenge to non-technical candidates, but it also showcases careers and potential job roles in information security that young people may not be aware of.”

Registration opens today and can be accessed here. The online competitions will take place from 9:00am on Monday 22nd April.