Sage One Gets Enhancements to Appeal to More Small Businesses

Annual customer conferences are typically a time to announce new products and enhancements to existing products. And the 2013 Sage Summit is no exception.

The software company announced this week that Sage One, its cloud-based accounting, project management and invoicing solution for small businesses, is getting enhancements.

According to Mike Savory, Sage One Product Manager for Sage North America, an iPhone app is coming in August. The mobile app is something business owners asked for so that they can perform work on the go, no matter where they are.

Then the fourth quarter of 2013 will see the introduction of Sage One Accountants Edition.  This is a module that will allow a business owner’s accountant or outside bookkeeper to log in securely to the business’s financial records on the Sage One cloud platform.  There will be no charge for an accountant to use the Accountants Edition. It will make the product more efficient for small businesses so that they don’t have to manually pass accounting records back and forth with their outside accountants.

A Canadian version of Sage One is also coming in the fourth quarter of 2013.  It will have bilingual (French and English) support, as well as integration with Canadian banks.

Adding High End and Low End Editions

In addition, two new levels of the product will be launched. This autumn will see the launch of Sage One Basic in the United States.  Sage One Basic will consist of a streamlined, online invoicing and payments application.  It will carry a lower price point than the existing product, which is priced at $24 per month.

In 2014 a higher-end level is coming, called Sage One Extra.  Sage One Extra will be a “true multi-user system” says Savory, and will add additional features.  

According to Connie Certusi, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Small Business Solutions for Sage North America, Sage One Extra will be more attractive to somewhat larger small businesses.  Currently the sweet spot for Sage One  is for a small business with under 10 employees, although businesses up to 20 employees may also use it today.  Sage One Extra edition will include more inventory management capability and other features appealing to the larger end of that range, up to around the 25-employee business, Certusi said.  The addition of Sage One Payroll in 2014 will also increase the appeal to small businesses that have a number of employees.

Sage One at Sage Summit 2013

 Sage One: A Young Product

Sage One was launched in the United States in the spring of 2012.  Since then it has seen several enhancements. Among the added enhancements is the ability to accept mobile payments and electronic payments on invoices, as we reported in February.

The company also added bank integration this year.  Customers can now download transactions from over 10,000 banks in the United States and import them into the Sage One online system (avoiding manual keying of data for each banking transaction).

Behind the scenes the product was also completely reworked to use a common global technology platform. Savory told us in an interview, “That’s not something customers see, but it’s important because it will allow us to speed up product enhancements going forward.”  Sage has a presence globally. In the past each Sage country unit more or less created its own technology - now they will share common technology on the back end.  ”On the front end there will always be product differences because of differences in the way business is conducted in different countries, different languages, different tax jurisdictions and different currencies,” Savory said.

Enhancing the product is something that goes on continually, Savory added.  ”We employ ‘agile development’ and make a regular stream of product improvements every two weeks, based on customer feedback.”

Analysts and small business experts we talked with at the conference generally were positive on Sage One and the product direction.  However, they see Sage North America as having work ahead of it to increase market adoption. Said Laurie McCabe, an analyst and Partner in the SMB Group, “CEO Pascal Houillon has been proven right in his strategy of unifying under one brand name [Sage] in order for Sage North America to gain market awareness and grow.  One of Sage’s challenges is how to get new customers.  Sage One is one of several answers. With that product they’re drawing in the small business that today is using paper or spreadsheets.”

But, she adds, Sage One’s current situation demonstrates how much work is left, as well as how much opportunity is available.  Out of Sage’s two million customers worldwide, about 10,000 use the Sage One product â€" “a small number when you think of how many millions of very small businesses are in the United States.  It demonstrates a market opportunity. But to capture that opportunity the company needs to increase awareness. They also need to be found in every app marketplace out there â€" the Google Apps Marketplace, and more.”

Expert Barry Moltz agrees that Sage North America needs to “get the name out there” more.  ”Awareness among really small businesses is the key.”

Sanjeev Aggarwal, Founder of the SMB Group, suggests that one avenue toward expanding awareness could be developer partners. Sage One is now poised for developer partners to “add value to the product.” He adds, “Sage has created the building blocks for developers to step up and extend Sage One by adding features and integrating with other products.”

Image: Sage NA, Sage One at Sage Summit 2013 (full sign reads “Gain the freedom to achieve your ambitions”)  

Affiliate Marketing: Key to eCommerce Revenue Growth

If you are planning on using affiliate marketing and are wondering if it really works then the answer is, yes it does work. However, it takes time and effort to set up. But the obvious question is “Why” should you use affiliate marketing?

Because:

• You do not have to buy or hold any stock.
• You do not need to deal with customers or sales.
• You do not have to deal with dispatches and refund.
• You can run your affiliate marketing business from any part of the world.

Let’s move onto “How” to go about affiliate marketing. There are several types of affiliate programs. However, the most important is to develop a creative advertising strategy. Let’s start with a few to expand your eCommerce business.

Ad Banners

Banner ads are the most predominant type. Affiliate managers should establish multiple sets of ad banners. One set should feature standard branding and the other set should emphasis various things such as seasonal promotions or product categories. It is important to set dynamic banners, which are ads merchandised by affiliate managers that the affiliate places on their site. It’s quite similar to ad network and display. For instance, affiliate managers can update the set of dynamic banners to feature engagement rings during the wedding season or attractive gifts during Christmas.

Widgets

Widgets are ads that interact with customers or the website page they reside on. If an affiliate manager puts a search box on their site, then consumers enter in a search term and are automatically delivered to a page of search results on that site. For example, if a customer wants a particular food recipe, the search widget offered by Foodily can share menus, recipes and everything related to that particular food item.

Bloggers

Most blogs have a sidebar and the majority of affiliate traffic originates from posts. Therefore, the goal should be to include your brand in the body of a post. One of the best ways to implement this is to fish for product reviews. Identify blogs whose viewers match your target demographic and reach out to offer your products for review. But, know that not every blogger who accepts your products will actually write a review.

Search Marketers

Instead of pre-written content you provide to bloggers, search marketers simply require your best-selling products, your landing pages and your conversion rates. Provide them with effective Adwords copies as they are great in getting top-ranked results. The positioning is wasted if the ad copy they use is inconsistent with the marketing message you want to convey.

The best option is to put together ‘search kits’ around each of your broad product categories and for each of these categories, list your best selling products, keywords, associated landing pages and ad copy. Remember that search marketers are using their own budgets to drive traffic to your site. The best part is that you are expanding your reach and seizing more real estate in search results. Once you establish a healthy relationship, you can coordinate efforts and secure multiple placements on distinct search, fencing out your competitors.

The next question is, how will you promote your newly-launched program?

Affiliate networks generally list newly launched programs on the main page of the affiliate interface. Many affiliate networks also offer paid announcement opportunities such as an email to all affiliates featuring your program or ad banner placement within the affiliate platform. For instance, if you want to launch your program on ShareASale, you can pay to advertise it through a banner on the affiliate home page, the data feed page, within the network directory.

A Best Web is a paid option that allows you to announce your program in its forums. This forum facilitates two-way discussion by enabling affiliates to post questions and comments. Such conversion creates a more engaging relationship which benefits affiliate managers in the long run.

Another option is to submit your program to different affiliate directories. They are searchable online directories that enable affiliates to locate relevant affiliate programs based on specific products or keywords.

The practice of inviting your customers to join the affiliate program is an option. By inviting your customers, you are incentivizing them to promote your products to audiences through different social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest. However, you may have to walk them through the affiliate application process and guide them. Gradually you will realize that converting a loyal customer into an incentivized brand advocate strengthens their voice.

Affiliate marketing can extend your venture to a wider array of audiences.

Affiliate Marketing Sign Photo via Shutterstock

Affiliate Marketing: Key to eCommerce Revenue Growth

If you are planning on using affiliate marketing and are wondering if it really works then the answer is, yes it does work. However, it takes time and effort to set up. But the obvious question is “Why” should you use affiliate marketing?

Because:

• You do not have to buy or hold any stock.
• You do not need to deal with customers or sales.
• You do not have to deal with dispatches and refund.
• You can run your affiliate marketing business from any part of the world.

Let’s move onto “How” to go about affiliate marketing. There are several types of affiliate programs. However, the most important is to develop a creative advertising strategy. Let’s start with a few to expand your eCommerce business.

Ad Banners

Banner ads are the most predominant type. Affiliate managers should establish multiple sets of ad banners. One set should feature standard branding and the other set should emphasis various things such as seasonal promotions or product categories. It is important to set dynamic banners, which are ads merchandised by affiliate managers that the affiliate places on their site. It’s quite similar to ad network and display. For instance, affiliate managers can update the set of dynamic banners to feature engagement rings during the wedding season or attractive gifts during Christmas.

Widgets

Widgets are ads that interact with customers or the website page they reside on. If an affiliate manager puts a search box on their site, then consumers enter in a search term and are automatically delivered to a page of search results on that site. For example, if a customer wants a particular food recipe, the search widget offered by Foodily can share menus, recipes and everything related to that particular food item.

Bloggers

Most blogs have a sidebar and the majority of affiliate traffic originates from posts. Therefore, the goal should be to include your brand in the body of a post. One of the best ways to implement this is to fish for product reviews. Identify blogs whose viewers match your target demographic and reach out to offer your products for review. But, know that not every blogger who accepts your products will actually write a review.

Search Marketers

Instead of pre-written content you provide to bloggers, search marketers simply require your best-selling products, your landing pages and your conversion rates. Provide them with effective Adwords copies as they are great in getting top-ranked results. The positioning is wasted if the ad copy they use is inconsistent with the marketing message you want to convey.

The best option is to put together ‘search kits’ around each of your broad product categories and for each of these categories, list your best selling products, keywords, associated landing pages and ad copy. Remember that search marketers are using their own budgets to drive traffic to your site. The best part is that you are expanding your reach and seizing more real estate in search results. Once you establish a healthy relationship, you can coordinate efforts and secure multiple placements on distinct search, fencing out your competitors.

The next question is, how will you promote your newly-launched program?

Affiliate networks generally list newly launched programs on the main page of the affiliate interface. Many affiliate networks also offer paid announcement opportunities such as an email to all affiliates featuring your program or ad banner placement within the affiliate platform. For instance, if you want to launch your program on ShareASale, you can pay to advertise it through a banner on the affiliate home page, the data feed page, within the network directory.

A Best Web is a paid option that allows you to announce your program in its forums. This forum facilitates two-way discussion by enabling affiliates to post questions and comments. Such conversion creates a more engaging relationship which benefits affiliate managers in the long run.

Another option is to submit your program to different affiliate directories. They are searchable online directories that enable affiliates to locate relevant affiliate programs based on specific products or keywords.

The practice of inviting your customers to join the affiliate program is an option. By inviting your customers, you are incentivizing them to promote your products to audiences through different social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest. However, you may have to walk them through the affiliate application process and guide them. Gradually you will realize that converting a loyal customer into an incentivized brand advocate strengthens their voice.

Affiliate marketing can extend your venture to a wider array of audiences.

Affiliate Marketing Sign Photo via Shutterstock

Tech Thursday (7/25): News from Staples, Nuance, Billtrust, and Leef Technology

It’s Tech Thursday from Smallbiztechnology.com. Each week we take a quick look at business and technology news and updates for the small business community and share them with you in a quick and simple round-up.

Workers More Productive Today Than Five Years Ago; Still Room for Improvement

Staples Advantage offers solutions to improve worker productivity    

While nice weather and too many meetings rank high on the list of things that decrease productivity in the office, more than 70 percent of both office workers and managers believe that workers are more productive today than they were five years ago, according to a recent survey from Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples, Inc.

“We’re seeing a trend in the right direction with 70 percent of workers and managers saying they’re more productive now than five years ago,” said Tom Heisroth, senior vice president for Staples Advantage. “Providing employees with the right tools and resources is essential to improving office-wide productivity. At Staples, we make it easy for businesses to be productive with everything they need including technology, breakroom supplies, furniture and office products.”

For the entire press release, click here.

Nuance Dragon Notes Cloud App Now Available in the Windows Store

Nuance’s Note-Taking App for Windows 8 Supports More than 25 Languages
 

Nuance Communications, Inc. announced the availability of Dragon Notes Cloud for the Windows Store. Dragon Notes Cloud in the Windows Store expands support for Windows 8 devices, including Windows RT-based tablets such as the Microsoft Surface RT. Dragon Notes Cloud is a convenient and fun app that gives people a simple way to speak notes, to-do lists, reminders and emails, and to easily share notes to popular apps such as Microsoft OneNote through the Windows 8 Share charm.

Dragon Notes Cloud in the Windows Store supports more than 25 languages across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Its multilingual capabilities use the cloud to provide access to all languages once the English-language version has been downloaded.

For all the details, click here.

Billtrust Announces Invoice Central 2.0: New Connectivity with A/P Networks and Accounting Apps, Integration of Open Balances

Popular eBilling and ePayment Service Growing at Record Pace; Version 2.0 Adds Even More Convenience for Billers and Their Customers

Billtrust, the leader in Customer Centric Billing, today announced the debut of Invoice Central 2.0, adding new features to its groundbreaking, cloud-based business invoice network. The additions, which offer benefits for both vendors and their small-to-medium business (SMB) customers, include a new invoice data import capability for bill recipients; a new Open Balance functionality that reflects all forms of payments made; and the ability to seamlessly link with leading Accounts Payable (A/P) networks OB10 and Avidxchange, all to make invoice processing easier than ever.

For vendors, Invoice Central delivers a fully electronic billing and payment solution that allows them to automate the billing and payment posting and reconciliation process. Invoice Central delivers an easy-to-deploy eReceivables solution. Version 2.0 of Invoice Central adds new capabilities that make it even easier to manage the receipt and payment of invoices.

For all the new features, click here.

Leef Technology Introduces Bridge, First USB Flash Drive for Android Phones and Tablets, Macs and PCs

Leef Technology announced Leef BridgeTM, the first USB flash drive for file sharing between Android phones and tablets, Macs and PCs. Leef Bridge is a simple, innovative USB flash drive that allows users to easily transfer files to other devices without the need for cables, cloud services, Wi-Fi or any type of data connection. 

Leef Bridge features a micro USB connector and full-size USB connector that access the same memory so users can share content, photos, videos, music and documents to and from any compatible device. The memory utilized within Leef Bridge has fast read and write speeds to ensure slick video and music playback directly from the USB drive, without the interruptions or delays that accompany low-grade USB flash drive products. Designed in California by the Leef Design Team, Leef Bridge boasts a unique design featuring an exposed slide-and-lock tray, which enables users to easily switch to the USB connector appropriate for their device connection.

For all of the press release, click here.

Tech Thursday (7/25): News from Staples, Nuance, Billtrust, and Leef Technology

It’s Tech Thursday from Smallbiztechnology.com. Each week we take a quick look at business and technology news and updates for the small business community and share them with you in a quick and simple round-up.

Workers More Productive Today Than Five Years Ago; Still Room for Improvement

Staples Advantage offers solutions to improve worker productivity    

While nice weather and too many meetings rank high on the list of things that decrease productivity in the office, more than 70 percent of both office workers and managers believe that workers are more productive today than they were five years ago, according to a recent survey from Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples, Inc.

“We’re seeing a trend in the right direction with 70 percent of workers and managers saying they’re more productive now than five years ago,” said Tom Heisroth, senior vice president for Staples Advantage. “Providing employees with the right tools and resources is essential to improving office-wide productivity. At Staples, we make it easy for businesses to be productive with everything they need including technology, breakroom supplies, furniture and office products.”

For the entire press release, click here.

Nuance Dragon Notes Cloud App Now Available in the Windows Store

Nuance’s Note-Taking App for Windows 8 Supports More than 25 Languages
 

Nuance Communications, Inc. announced the availability of Dragon Notes Cloud for the Windows Store. Dragon Notes Cloud in the Windows Store expands support for Windows 8 devices, including Windows RT-based tablets such as the Microsoft Surface RT. Dragon Notes Cloud is a convenient and fun app that gives people a simple way to speak notes, to-do lists, reminders and emails, and to easily share notes to popular apps such as Microsoft OneNote through the Windows 8 Share charm.

Dragon Notes Cloud in the Windows Store supports more than 25 languages across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Its multilingual capabilities use the cloud to provide access to all languages once the English-language version has been downloaded.

For all the details, click here.

Billtrust Announces Invoice Central 2.0: New Connectivity with A/P Networks and Accounting Apps, Integration of Open Balances

Popular eBilling and ePayment Service Growing at Record Pace; Version 2.0 Adds Even More Convenience for Billers and Their Customers

Billtrust, the leader in Customer Centric Billing, today announced the debut of Invoice Central 2.0, adding new features to its groundbreaking, cloud-based business invoice network. The additions, which offer benefits for both vendors and their small-to-medium business (SMB) customers, include a new invoice data import capability for bill recipients; a new Open Balance functionality that reflects all forms of payments made; and the ability to seamlessly link with leading Accounts Payable (A/P) networks OB10 and Avidxchange, all to make invoice processing easier than ever.

For vendors, Invoice Central delivers a fully electronic billing and payment solution that allows them to automate the billing and payment posting and reconciliation process. Invoice Central delivers an easy-to-deploy eReceivables solution. Version 2.0 of Invoice Central adds new capabilities that make it even easier to manage the receipt and payment of invoices.

For all the new features, click here.

Leef Technology Introduces Bridge, First USB Flash Drive for Android Phones and Tablets, Macs and PCs

Leef Technology announced Leef BridgeTM, the first USB flash drive for file sharing between Android phones and tablets, Macs and PCs. Leef Bridge is a simple, innovative USB flash drive that allows users to easily transfer files to other devices without the need for cables, cloud services, Wi-Fi or any type of data connection. 

Leef Bridge features a micro USB connector and full-size USB connector that access the same memory so users can share content, photos, videos, music and documents to and from any compatible device. The memory utilized within Leef Bridge has fast read and write speeds to ensure slick video and music playback directly from the USB drive, without the interruptions or delays that accompany low-grade USB flash drive products. Designed in California by the Leef Design Team, Leef Bridge boasts a unique design featuring an exposed slide-and-lock tray, which enables users to easily switch to the USB connector appropriate for their device connection.

For all of the press release, click here.

Social Recruitment: Go Social, Be Mobile, Get Hired, Move Ahead

If you have any reservations or doubts about the importance of social media for job search, career development and networking you are seriously vulnerable and compromising your potential for advancement and success. Social recruitment is not only viable and working but it is going to be a key job and career practice and tool used to research, screen, hire and qualify candidates moving forward.

Are your social sites ready to be viewed by job seekers, your current employer or a prospective employer? If not, get them and yourself ready now.

Here’s why:

• 37% of employers use social networks to screen potential job candidates.
• 65% said they do it to see if the job seeker presents himself or herself professionally.
• 45% want to learn more about his or her qualifications.

Companies are increasingly using social recruiting to source candidates for employment, as well as to investigate applicants they are considering hiring. If you are not socially and mobile savvy, in addition to going in person, regardless of your age or generation, you are missing out on a substantial 50% of your career and job opportunities.

The 21st century job and career landscape is dense, wide, diverse and challenging for anyone, but it’s also rich, full of potential and opportunity. Social media, mobile tools and apps offer bridges and highways to cross and travel to meet people, explore, connect and build relationships in between phone calls and in person networking.

Forbes career journalist Jacqueline Smith writes:

The good news is that hiring managers aren’t just screening your social media profiles to dig up dirt; they’re also looking for information that could possibly give you an advantage.

Twenty nine percent of surveyed hiring managers found something positive on a profile that drove them to offer the candidate a job. More proof that monitoring your online presence is critical.

Searching company Twitter feeds, Facebook pages and LinkedIn Groups dramatically improves the odds of finding job opportunities that are not posted on job boards. They are often shared between connections, so making smart ones is critical, especially on LinkedIn.

I was recently connected to 15 year career professional Chris Russell, who I believe has a smart, timely site called CareerCloud.com, that connects job seekers to employers with social tools and mobile apps.

Chris knows the hiring and job search process well through his background and has created a great blend of tools, templates and apps for today’s social and mobile job seeker and companies looking for them. They are designed to maximize online and social connections for job seekers but especially younger workers and college grads, most comfortable with the online and social technologies. They make it easier for older workers to learn and use the simple templates and easy connectivity tools for job search too.

Their Social Resume, Jobs with Friends and custom apps features aggregate social media accounts, leverage Facebook and LinkedIn connections to get referrals, and help you stay informed on trends, jobs and career news on the go.

Social recruitment is going to be a primary way to network, get noticed, find qualified candidates and hidden job opportunities.

If you have any skill gaps in this or any other technology area, close them by hiring a career consultant, taking some webinars, checking on workshops available in your community or educational institutions.

Get ready and be ready to go social, be mobile, get hired and move ahead. Learn more about how companies are using social recruitment successfully with this useful and helpful social recruitment guide.

How are you using social media, mobile and apps to further your career advancement?

Social Recruiting Photo via Shutterstock

Social Recruitment: Go Social, Be Mobile, Get Hired, Move Ahead

If you have any reservations or doubts about the importance of social media for job search, career development and networking you are seriously vulnerable and compromising your potential for advancement and success. Social recruitment is not only viable and working but it is going to be a key job and career practice and tool used to research, screen, hire and qualify candidates moving forward.

Are your social sites ready to be viewed by job seekers, your current employer or a prospective employer? If not, get them and yourself ready now.

Here’s why:

• 37% of employers use social networks to screen potential job candidates.
• 65% said they do it to see if the job seeker presents himself or herself professionally.
• 45% want to learn more about his or her qualifications.

Companies are increasingly using social recruiting to source candidates for employment, as well as to investigate applicants they are considering hiring. If you are not socially and mobile savvy, in addition to going in person, regardless of your age or generation, you are missing out on a substantial 50% of your career and job opportunities.

The 21st century job and career landscape is dense, wide, diverse and challenging for anyone, but it’s also rich, full of potential and opportunity. Social media, mobile tools and apps offer bridges and highways to cross and travel to meet people, explore, connect and build relationships in between phone calls and in person networking.

Forbes career journalist Jacqueline Smith writes:

The good news is that hiring managers aren’t just screening your social media profiles to dig up dirt; they’re also looking for information that could possibly give you an advantage.

Twenty nine percent of surveyed hiring managers found something positive on a profile that drove them to offer the candidate a job. More proof that monitoring your online presence is critical.

Searching company Twitter feeds, Facebook pages and LinkedIn Groups dramatically improves the odds of finding job opportunities that are not posted on job boards. They are often shared between connections, so making smart ones is critical, especially on LinkedIn.

I was recently connected to 15 year career professional Chris Russell, who I believe has a smart, timely site called CareerCloud.com, that connects job seekers to employers with social tools and mobile apps.

Chris knows the hiring and job search process well through his background and has created a great blend of tools, templates and apps for today’s social and mobile job seeker and companies looking for them. They are designed to maximize online and social connections for job seekers but especially younger workers and college grads, most comfortable with the online and social technologies. They make it easier for older workers to learn and use the simple templates and easy connectivity tools for job search too.

Their Social Resume, Jobs with Friends and custom apps features aggregate social media accounts, leverage Facebook and LinkedIn connections to get referrals, and help you stay informed on trends, jobs and career news on the go.

Social recruitment is going to be a primary way to network, get noticed, find qualified candidates and hidden job opportunities.

If you have any skill gaps in this or any other technology area, close them by hiring a career consultant, taking some webinars, checking on workshops available in your community or educational institutions.

Get ready and be ready to go social, be mobile, get hired and move ahead. Learn more about how companies are using social recruitment successfully with this useful and helpful social recruitment guide.

How are you using social media, mobile and apps to further your career advancement?

Social Recruiting Photo via Shutterstock

Syncing Contacts Is A Whole Lot Easier With These New Tech Tools

A key area to success in business is keeping contacts, emails and appointments organized.  It can, however, become a daunting and time-consuming task.  Applications that can ease and speed up the process are worth investigating.

Newer and more seasoned companies offer services to ease your organizational ills.  Take Plaxo, an experienced team that has provided address book services since 2002 and has evolved to make it a snap updating and cleaning contact information, syncing your contacts with your computer and mobile devices, and storing that information safely in the cloud.  For a complimentary 30-day trial period, Plaxo grants you access to a toolbar that can be installed within the Outlook program.  After the trial period, you may  continue benefiting from its time-saving toolbar by buying Plaxo Platinum Sync for $5 per month.  This allows you to sync your contacts with Outlook, Gmail, Blackberry, iPhone, Windows Mobile, and Mac Address Book.   Other services offered by Plaxo include a free version of a href="http://www.plaxo.com/products/PlaxoBasic?src=overview" target="_blank">Plaxo Basic that cleans up duplicate entries, creates addresses and mailing labels, and receives up-to-date contact cards via email.

Plaxo is an example of technology customized to ease our daily grind, but it is by far not the only company dedicated to such endeavors.  There are a plethora of available and highly competitive companies, tools and sources that excel at organizing and syncing contacts.  These include, but are not limited to, Salesforce, which continues to expand and provide relevant services, and Scrubly, which will import contacts from multiple sources while deleting junk and duplicates.  For Scrubly, the price ranges from a free version (250 contacts) to $39.95 yearly for unlimited contacts.  Other contact-management apps are available fo your smartphone such as addapt and Smartr for keeping contacts organized and in sync while on the go.

Overall, the goal is the same: to keep you organized painlessly.  The prices across the board range from free trials that last up to 30 days to all-inclusive services that go into the hundreds. The services run the gamut of most basic to the all-encompassing, including 24/7 toll free support, should you run into any challenges along the way.

Understanding how many of us struggle with keeping contacts well-organized, each company is adding its unique spin to efficiency.  Some, like Plaxo, have features that link you with Facebook and LinkedIn, keeping a list of profile photos of contacts, and providing access to contacts from any synced source.  Others, like Salesforce, offer personalized assistance.

We are a far cry from the Rolodex era, and more sophistication is needed to stay ahead.  An online service that syncs to our mailbox might just be a pivotal ingredient to achieve success.

Syncing Contacts Is A Whole Lot Easier With These New Tech Tools

A key area to success in business is keeping contacts, emails and appointments organized.  It can, however, become a daunting and time-consuming task.  Applications that can ease and speed up the process are worth investigating.

Newer and more seasoned companies offer services to ease your organizational ills.  Take Plaxo, an experienced team that has provided address book services since 2002 and has evolved to make it a snap updating and cleaning contact information, syncing your contacts with your computer and mobile devices, and storing that information safely in the cloud.  For a complimentary 30-day trial period, Plaxo grants you access to a toolbar that can be installed within the Outlook program.  After the trial period, you may  continue benefiting from its time-saving toolbar by buying Plaxo Platinum Sync for $5 per month.  This allows you to sync your contacts with Outlook, Gmail, Blackberry, iPhone, Windows Mobile, and Mac Address Book.   Other services offered by Plaxo include a free version of a href="http://www.plaxo.com/products/PlaxoBasic?src=overview" target="_blank">Plaxo Basic that cleans up duplicate entries, creates addresses and mailing labels, and receives up-to-date contact cards via email.

Plaxo is an example of technology customized to ease our daily grind, but it is by far not the only company dedicated to such endeavors.  There are a plethora of available and highly competitive companies, tools and sources that excel at organizing and syncing contacts.  These include, but are not limited to, Salesforce, which continues to expand and provide relevant services, and Scrubly, which will import contacts from multiple sources while deleting junk and duplicates.  For Scrubly, the price ranges from a free version (250 contacts) to $39.95 yearly for unlimited contacts.  Other contact-management apps are available fo your smartphone such as addapt and Smartr for keeping contacts organized and in sync while on the go.

Overall, the goal is the same: to keep you organized painlessly.  The prices across the board range from free trials that last up to 30 days to all-inclusive services that go into the hundreds. The services run the gamut of most basic to the all-encompassing, including 24/7 toll free support, should you run into any challenges along the way.

Understanding how many of us struggle with keeping contacts well-organized, each company is adding its unique spin to efficiency.  Some, like Plaxo, have features that link you with Facebook and LinkedIn, keeping a list of profile photos of contacts, and providing access to contacts from any synced source.  Others, like Salesforce, offer personalized assistance.

We are a far cry from the Rolodex era, and more sophistication is needed to stay ahead.  An online service that syncs to our mailbox might just be a pivotal ingredient to achieve success.

Syncing Contacts Is A Whole Lot Easier With These New Tech Tools

A key area to success in business is keeping contacts, emails and appointments organized.  It can, however, become a daunting and time-consuming task.  Applications that can ease and speed up the process are worth investigating.

Newer and more seasoned companies offer services to ease your organizational ills.  Take Plaxo, an experienced team that has provided address book services since 2002 and has evolved to make it a snap updating and cleaning contact information, syncing your contacts with your computer and mobile devices, and storing that information safely in the cloud.  For a complimentary 30-day trial period, Plaxo grants you access to a toolbar that can be installed within the Outlook program.  After the trial period, you may  continue benefiting from its time-saving toolbar by buying Plaxo Platinum Sync for $5 per month.  This allows you to sync your contacts with Outlook, Gmail, Blackberry, iPhone, Windows Mobile, and Mac Address Book.   Other services offered by Plaxo include a free version of a href="http://www.plaxo.com/products/PlaxoBasic?src=overview" target="_blank">Plaxo Basic that cleans up duplicate entries, creates addresses and mailing labels, and receives up-to-date contact cards via email.

Plaxo is an example of technology customized to ease our daily grind, but it is by far not the only company dedicated to such endeavors.  There are a plethora of available and highly competitive companies, tools and sources that excel at organizing and syncing contacts.  These include, but are not limited to, Salesforce, which continues to expand and provide relevant services, and Scrubly, which will import contacts from multiple sources while deleting junk and duplicates.  For Scrubly, the price ranges from a free version (250 contacts) to $39.95 yearly for unlimited contacts.  Other contact-management apps are available fo your smartphone such as addapt and Smartr for keeping contacts organized and in sync while on the go.

Overall, the goal is the same: to keep you organized painlessly.  The prices across the board range from free trials that last up to 30 days to all-inclusive services that go into the hundreds. The services run the gamut of most basic to the all-encompassing, including 24/7 toll free support, should you run into any challenges along the way.

Understanding how many of us struggle with keeping contacts well-organized, each company is adding its unique spin to efficiency.  Some, like Plaxo, have features that link you with Facebook and LinkedIn, keeping a list of profile photos of contacts, and providing access to contacts from any synced source.  Others, like Salesforce, offer personalized assistance.

We are a far cry from the Rolodex era, and more sophistication is needed to stay ahead.  An online service that syncs to our mailbox might just be a pivotal ingredient to achieve success.

10 Best Online Tools Available for A/B Testing Conversions

What are the best tools available online for A/B testing conversions?

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

1. Unbounce

When creating a new landing page, Unbounce is our company’s go-to for A/B testing conversions. It is quick, gets the job done, and the analytics are actionable. We can’t live without is its confidence score rating, which tells you how likely a good conversion rate is, or whether it is mere luck.

- Brian Curliss, DeckPresenter

2. Visual Website Optimizer

In creating a landing page, we installed Visual Website Optimizer for A/B split testing. Because of this software, we discovered a new variation that increased our conversions over 62.5 percent higher than our previous control. It’s easy to install and track metrics.

- Charles Gaudet, Predictable Profits

3. MailChimp

Email marketing can potentially be helpful with traffic and attracting conversions; however, a lot of factors come into play when determining a successful campaign. In MailChimp, you can A/B test the send time, subject line, email content and even the name that appears as the sender. You can test different metrics, see what works best and tailor your marketing efforts.

- Fabian Kaempfer, Chocomize

4. Optimizely

Optimizely has a super easy-to-use interface for creating A/B test experiments and an easy-to-read admin interface that shows the results. I’ve used many other A/B testing tools that were very complex to use and impossible to understand when it came to the actual results.

- Tim Jahn, matchist

5. Split

We rely heavily on the Ruby on Rails plugin called Split. It allows you to heavily customize the A/B testing you are doing. If you have good developers, I’d recommend customizing a plugin to your unique needs as opposed to relying on third-party software.

- Chuck Cohn, Varsity Tutors

6. Crazy Egg

Crazy Egg is a tool to A/B test landing pages, squeeze pages or home pages to determine how users move about the page. This is extremely insightful when trying to understand why customers don’t follow through on a conversion because it reveals which links are not being clicked and that users may not be navigating about the page in the way you think they are.

- Michael Costigan, Youth Leadership Specialist

7. Monetate

Monetate lets you launch campaigns with more than one page, and it comes with a comprehensive set of performance analytics. Campaign segmentation is available, and editing your test pages is simple.

- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

8. KISSmetrics

I use other split-testing tools, such as Optimizely, but KISSmetrics is a must if you’re serious about getting accurate results. The problem with many of the tools out there is they don’t measure the impact of the test throughout your entire funnel. That’s why I love KISSmetrics; it will show you exactly what the impact is for a test at every step of the buying process (not just the next step).

- Ruben Gamez, Bidsketch

9. Google Analytics

Google Analytics now offers “experiments,” which allow you to split-test a multitude of pages at once. If you already use Google Analytics, as most of us do, these tie into your existing stats and goals perfectly. The depth of data is fantastic. Plus, it’s easy to set up and free.

- Nicolas Gremion, Free-eBooks.com

10. Qualaroo

It’s easy to test anything on your site. But how do you know where to focus your testing efforts? Most people test button colors when they have bigger problems in the user funnel. That’s why we like Qualaroo. It’s a great way to find out from your website visitors where confusion exists in the conversion funnel so you can focus your testing efforts there to get the biggest wins.

- Chuck Longanecker, digital-telepathy

European web hosting company reports breach

Web hosting company OVH has admitted it suffered a security breach last week.

In an update, the French company said that its internal network at its offices in Roubaix had been compromised and after internal investigations, it discovered that a hacker was able to obtain access to an email account of one of its system administrators.

It said: “With this email access, they [were] able to gain access to the internal VPN of another employee. Then with this VPN access, they were able to compromise the access of one of the system administrators who handles the internal back office.”

After discovering this, it has assumed that the attacker aimed to discover the database of its European customers, and gain access to the installation server system in Canada. It confirmed that the European database includes names, addresses, telephone and fax numbers and encrypted passwords, which are salted and based on SHA-512.

It said: “In the coming months the back office will be under PCI-DSS which will allow us to ensure that the incident related to a specific hack on specific individuals will have no impact on our databases. In short, we were not paranoid enough so now we're switching to a higher level of paranoia.

“The aim is to guarantee and protect your data in the case of industrial espionage that would target people working at OVH. Please accept our sincere apologies for this incident.”

John Worrall, chief marketing officer at Cyber-Ark, said: “This breach is yet another example of why the theft and exploitation of privileged accounts is a critical and devastating part of the advanced threat attack cycle. In this case, the details of how the perimeter was breached have yet to be divulged, however, this is arguably a secondary concern.

“Businesses now have to assume that attackers are already on the inside. Indeed, the critical part of this attack, and what every organisation should take away from it, is the fact that the attacker specifically targeted the system administrator to gain their privileged access. Once successful, the attacker was effectively able to move from system to system undetected until they reached the information they were looking for.”

Sol Cates, chief security officer at Vormetric, said: “The incident paints a disturbing picture of what can happen when the access rights of someone already within the company walls are hijacked for a cyber criminal's own renegade purposes.

“This latest compromise shines a light on a fundamental flaw in our systems. Privileged users are a target because of their access to data, and systems. By taking over the access rights of someone already on the system, hackers are able to easily circumvent the traditional perimeter defences that would have once foiled their efforts, and gain access to the corporate network.

“Decisive action must be taken. It's time to limit what impact these accounts have within our walls, to reduce exposure to data, detect activity, while allowing them to continue to perform their expected functions.”

Loose lips trouble CISOs

Employees openly discussing business outside of the office cause equal problems for businesses as data breaches.

According to research by Salamanca Group of clients' employees who are on cigarette breaks, in taxis and in lifts, there is often open discussion and revelation of company dealings and news.

Heyrick Bond Gunning, managing director of the merchant bank and operational risk business collective, said that people often do not think before acting; and as much as effort is put into technology, the human factor is tricky to manage.

He said: "It is because of loose lips where things get out. You can get a lot of information that is not achieved because of a penetration test. An initial reaction for businesses from clients was that quality information and intelligence was leaving the business and they have to tighten up on training.

“That doesn't cost much; it is about management and putting training in, and making sure that the contents of policies reflect the level of confidentiality of the company. If you get the confidence up to a standard, everyone starts listening.

“If you are happy to write something on a postcard and put it up downstairs, then you know that it doesn't need to be protected as much.”

Asked how this research was done, Gunning said that this was done with a client and while the employees were not wasting time, in large buildings it can take five minutes to get outside, so that is when information can be picked up.

Feras Tappuni, managing director of Si-SecureView, which formed Salamanca group in a joint venture, said: “Attacks are opportunistic and attackers are often snooping as they want to get in and stay on the network.

“They look at stuff, or see who has social networking accounts, and get in via employees' information. There is some business that people should know not to talk about in the community or on email, but that is the world we live in.”

10 Best Online Tools Available for A/B Testing Conversions

What are the best tools available online for A/B testing conversions?

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

1. Unbounce

When creating a new landing page, Unbounce is our company’s go-to for A/B testing conversions. It is quick, gets the job done, and the analytics are actionable. We can’t live without is its confidence score rating, which tells you how likely a good conversion rate is, or whether it is mere luck.

- Brian Curliss, DeckPresenter

2. Visual Website Optimizer

In creating a landing page, we installed Visual Website Optimizer for A/B split testing. Because of this software, we discovered a new variation that increased our conversions over 62.5 percent higher than our previous control. It’s easy to install and track metrics.

- Charles Gaudet, Predictable Profits

3. MailChimp

Email marketing can potentially be helpful with traffic and attracting conversions; however, a lot of factors come into play when determining a successful campaign. In MailChimp, you can A/B test the send time, subject line, email content and even the name that appears as the sender. You can test different metrics, see what works best and tailor your marketing efforts.

- Fabian Kaempfer, Chocomize

4. Optimizely

Optimizely has a super easy-to-use interface for creating A/B test experiments and an easy-to-read admin interface that shows the results. I’ve used many other A/B testing tools that were very complex to use and impossible to understand when it came to the actual results.

- Tim Jahn, matchist

5. Split

We rely heavily on the Ruby on Rails plugin called Split. It allows you to heavily customize the A/B testing you are doing. If you have good developers, I’d recommend customizing a plugin to your unique needs as opposed to relying on third-party software.

- Chuck Cohn, Varsity Tutors

6. Crazy Egg

Crazy Egg is a tool to A/B test landing pages, squeeze pages or home pages to determine how users move about the page. This is extremely insightful when trying to understand why customers don’t follow through on a conversion because it reveals which links are not being clicked and that users may not be navigating about the page in the way you think they are.

- Michael Costigan, Youth Leadership Specialist

7. Monetate

Monetate lets you launch campaigns with more than one page, and it comes with a comprehensive set of performance analytics. Campaign segmentation is available, and editing your test pages is simple.

- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

8. KISSmetrics

I use other split-testing tools, such as Optimizely, but KISSmetrics is a must if you’re serious about getting accurate results. The problem with many of the tools out there is they don’t measure the impact of the test throughout your entire funnel. That’s why I love KISSmetrics; it will show you exactly what the impact is for a test at every step of the buying process (not just the next step).

- Ruben Gamez, Bidsketch

9. Google Analytics

Google Analytics now offers “experiments,” which allow you to split-test a multitude of pages at once. If you already use Google Analytics, as most of us do, these tie into your existing stats and goals perfectly. The depth of data is fantastic. Plus, it’s easy to set up and free.

- Nicolas Gremion, Free-eBooks.com

10. Qualaroo

It’s easy to test anything on your site. But how do you know where to focus your testing efforts? Most people test button colors when they have bigger problems in the user funnel. That’s why we like Qualaroo. It’s a great way to find out from your website visitors where confusion exists in the conversion funnel so you can focus your testing efforts there to get the biggest wins.

- Chuck Longanecker, digital-telepathy

5 Ways Your Small Business Can Beat the Summer Slump

It's the dog days of summer, and your small business might be starting to feel like a ghost town. Everybody seems to be working shorter days, or on vacation, or just not ready to shift gears from browsing to buying. You may be thinking of throwing in the towel, but your business doesn't have to suffer from a summer slowdown.

While you can't expect people to stop taking summer vacations, there are plenty of things you can do to give your small business a summer boost in unexpected ways. At the least, these tips will help you build a stronger foundation for when business shifts back to normal after the nice weather ends.

Put a Shine on Your Social Media Accounts

Chances are good that when your business is rocking, you don't put much time into Facebook or Twitter. Use your summer breather to work on the social media profiles you keep meaning to improve, but never get around to.

Now you can get to things that take a lot of time, like changing the background and themes of your Facebook business page from the standard white and blue to something that matches your branding, or bulking up your LinkedIn profile with all the details you haven't been able to add yet.

Working on social media over the summer will also help you get into the habit of spending a few minutes a day actively posting and responding to comments-something you can carry over when the slow season ends.

Get Creative with Your Campaigns

Have a wacky marketing idea that just might work, but you've been afraid to try it?

Summer is great for experimenting with new strategies for putting your small business out there. Start that blog you've been thinking about since the turn of the century, launch a new product or service that you've been on the fence with, or try your hand at viral videos or guerrilla marketing tactics.

If your business is already slow, it can't hurt-and the results might surprise you.

Meet New People (And Learn Stuff, Too)

When you're running a small business, you don't get much of an opportunity for face-to-face networking unless you make one. Summer is the perfect time for seeing new faces and forging new contacts, because it's conference season.

Look for conferences, seminars, and summits in your industry that are nearby and affordable, and try signing up for a few of them. Head out prepared to network with business cards-printed, virtual, or both-and other material about your business, and remember to ask the people you meet for their contact information, too.

You never know who might become your best small business friend.

Reconnect With Your Customers Through a New (Or Improved) Newsletter

Subscriber lists are still the best form of digital marketing. If you don't have one, it's time to start putting it together-and if you've got one that you've been neglecting, now is your chance to use it.

A regular newsletter is a great way to stay connected with your customers, even when they're on vacation or running a laid-back summer schedule. It costs about five times as much to land new customers as it does to cultivate repeat business, and a newsletter is a low-cost strategy to let existing customers know that you're still around and available for them.

Head for the Hills (Or the Beach, or the Park)

In between all the work you're putting into your small business this summer, don't forget that you deserve a break, too. Small business owners are less likely than their traditionally employed counterparts to take a vacation-but it's essential to give yourself a little downtime.

So take an afternoon to hit the beach, or give yourself an extended weekend away from it all. When you head back to work, you'll do so refreshed, revived, and ready to beat that business summer slump.

The Toughest Franchise Business In The World

You're already a customer of this type of franchise business. That means you know it…from a customer perspective. You've also probably heard that's it's a “tough business.” And, you'd be right.

It Always Wins The Popularity Contest

Almost 50% of the people that contact me are interested in buying one. Hands-down, it's the most popular sector in my industry. It's also very visible.

If you guessed that I'm referring to food service…mostly restaurants of the QSR (quick service restaurant) variety, you're right.

Before I get into why the food-service business is the toughest around, I want to share some industry data and trends:

• Fast-food restaurants, categorized as limited service restaurants by the Census Bureau (which did an economic survey of the franchise industry in 2007), topped the list of all franchise operations with 125,898 establishments.
• If you're thinking about opening up a food franchise, the location you choose is crucial…even the city in which you set-up shop. Here are some great places to start a business.
• Today's consumers are on all sorts of schedules. It's rare to see an entire family sitting down for a meal at the same time anymore. That's why more and more food franchises are developing bite-sized meals for people on the go. It's really a growing trend, and one that won't be going away anytime soon.
• Did you know that there are 20 countries that make up the Mediterranean? According to Mary Chapman, director of product innovation for Technomic, Mediterranean food is a next-step type of cuisine. That's why franchises like Zoës Kitchen and Roti Mediterranean Grill are gaining interest.
• Fast food franchises have been adding healthier items to their menus for years. But, consumers still order a significant amount of less-healthy food according to this New York Times article.

Owning A Food Franchise

If you're seriously considering becoming the owner of a fast food franchise, you need to make sure that you know exactly what your role is going to be as the franchisee.

For example, if you wanted to own a McDonald's franchise in your area, not only would you have to have deep pockets; you'd also have to be prepared to be an owner-operator. In other words, if you have visions of opening up a McDonald's restaurant and managing it from afar, you had better adjust your lenses.

That's because McDonald's expects you to be there. They also have a serious (and ongoing) training program, and it's not one of those 2-week ones.

Another thing that's worth asking (yourself) is what type of lifestyle it is that you want to have as an owner.

For example, are you looking for a franchise opportunity that will allow you to have a lot of flexibility when it comes to the hours you'll be working? If so, the food-service business may not be right for you. In most cases you'll need to be working in the business. In other words, you'll be there a lot.

And, while you're there…working in your food service franchise, you're going to have to be a Jack or Jill of all trades. You'll need to be flexible. If an employee doesn't show up for work, you may have to drop what you're doing and fill-in yourself. I was in food-service and employee no-shows are very common.

Why It's A Tough Business

In a nutshell, it's the absolute lack of control that makes owning a QSR…or any food-service establishment, very challenging.

Now, I don't want you to feel that I'm trying to deter you from going after your dream. If you've “always wanted to own a restaurant” by all means investigate the opportunities that exist today. Just know that:

You'll be Spending a Lot of Time Recruiting, Hiring, and Firing Employees

Turnover rates in food service can be as much as 50% annually. So, be prepared to go through a lot of employees.

You're Going to Have a Total Lack of Control When it Comes to Food Costs

They vary tremendously. A lot of things can affect your food costs. Things like fuel prices (which affect delivery costs), natural disasters (which can wipe out crops) and other assorted maladies can and do affect food costs - your food costs.

Translation: your profit margins can drop quickly.

Your Restaurant Equipment Can Go on the Fritz

In my experience, this tends to happen on your businesses busiest days and times.

For example, if you own a full service restaurant and the dishwasher breaks, plan on experiencing one of the grossest jobs imaginable in food service; washing dirty dishes by hand. If you don't have clean dishes available, you can't serve your food.

Websites like Yelp Can Sometimes Make or Break Things for Your Franchise

On a positive note, a series of lousy reviews can help you figure out what's wrong quickly so you can address it. And, if you can't your franchisor can. Of course great reviews are just that; great.

You'll be Working Harder Than You Ever Have in Your Life

It was true for me during the many years that I was in the food business. Of course there's nothing wrong with hard work, but talking about having to work really hard and doing it 15 hours a day, 7 days a week, are two vastly different things.

If you want to become the owner of a food franchise, start your search for the right one with your eyes wide-open. There are great opportunities in food service these days. You should be able to find one that suits you. Just talk to a lot of existing franchisees before you become one yourself.

That way, you'll know what to expect as an owner.

Fast Food Collage Photo via Shutterstock

4 Powerful LinkedIn Tips To Generate Sales

Many people think of LinkedIn as just another social networking tool that lets them connect with people who share their career interests. Those in the know, however, can take advantage of powerful LinkedIn tips to generate sales.

Follow these 4 tips to start making your LinkedIn profile work for you.

1. Join Discussions, Groups and Associations

Discussion Photo via Shutterstock

The more connections you make through LinkedIn, the more people you'll meet who might want to buy items from your company. That means you should get involved.

Join discussions, groups, and associations so you can find other people working in your industry. You can even start a group to attract people who might want to buy from you.

Make sure that sales is your secondary goal. Making connections should always be at the front of your mind. If you make the right connections and get involved in the community, then the sales aspect will become much easier.

2. Select an Account Type That Meets Your Needs

Click Photo via Shutterstock

The standard LinkedIn account is free, but it doesn't give you access to many tools. If you really want to connect with more people to boost your sales, you should consider upgrading to a premium account.

Good account options for businesses include:

• Sales Basic
• Sales Plus
• Sales Executive

Even if you choose a Sales Executive account, which is the most expensive, you'll spend less than $75 a month. That's worth it if it helps you make more sales. Of course, you can start with the cheaper Sales Basic option ($15.95 a month) to see if it works for you.

These premium accounts let you:

• See who has viewed your profile
• Manage your leads to close deals
• Have LinkedIn introduce you to people who might help grow your business
• View full profiles

3. Display Your Expertise

Stand Out Photo via Shutterstock

LinkedIn has over 200 million members. That means you face a lot of competition from other people using the site to make connections and sales.

How do you plan to stand out from the crowd?

Displaying your expertise is a powerful way to get noticed. Post insightful, well researched information in discussions. If you can teach something to other people in your industry, then they will start to see you as a leader.

Once you become an industry leader that others rely on, you should have a much easier time converting leads into sales.

4. Manage Your Flow of Information

Manage Information Photo via Shutterstock

People want to buy from a company that offers good customer services and reliable products. That doesn't mean they want a barrage of information from you.

Don't use LinkedIn as your personal advertising forum. That will make people dislike you. After some time, it will even make them disconnect from you. No one likes to get spammed. If you become a spammer, then you will lose potential sales.

At most, you should send updates only once every two days. Anything more than that is overkill.

What are some of the most successful ways that you've used LinkedIn to generate sales?

Stand Out Photo via Shutterstock

New Lumia Smartphone Has Largest Screen of Any Nokia

Your business needs a smartphone. But you aren't ready to pay the price hanging off some of the more ballyhooed models available today. Fortunately, your options are opening a bit.

This week Nokia unveiled the Lumia 625 set to reach markets in Europe, China, Asia Pacific, India, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America by September. There's no word yet on when it will be available in the U.S. But other Nokias released in emerging markets have eventually found their way here, so no worries.

Lumia 625: Not a Flagship Phone

Though not a flagship phone, most notably because it packs only a 5 megapixel camera, the Lumia 625 does have several things to recommend it.

At 4.7 inches, the Lumia 625′s LCD screen is the largest on a Nokia phone ever. The display is bright enough to be easily visible in daylight and the phone comes in an attractive pallet of colors: orange, green, yellow, white or black.

The Lumia 625 is also a Windows phone running on Windows 8 with Amber updates of new features included, important to many business users.

Most attractive, of course, is the price. The phone is being introduced at 220 euros (just under $300 if offered in the U.S. market, Computer World estimates.)

At that price and with available features, the Lumia 625 makes an attractive introductory phone however, reports Mat Smith of Engadget in a video overview below.

No Need to Wait

Fortunately, if you're located in the U.S., there is no need to wait for the Lumia 625. Another Lumia phone will be available at an even lower price by the end of the week.

AT&T will introduce the Lumia 520 for $99.99 to customers of its prepaid GoPhone wireless service beginning July 26, CNET reports.

Also introduced in emerging markets earlier this year, the phone features a 4-inch 800×480-pixel resolution screen of the same quality available on pricier Nokia phones.

Like the Lumia 625, the phone also runs on Windows 8, carries a 5 megapixel camera, and comes in a variety of colorful shells.

Cash Isn\'t Always King: Accepting Credit Cards Can Increase Your Business

If you don't already accept credit cards at your business, you are missing out. There are many advantages to accepting payments via credit card, but the most notable of them have a positive effect on your bottom line. Here's how:

1) Increase Sales Overall

The simple act of accepting credit card payments can give a significant boost to your business.

Research shows that sales can double or even triple versus current sales. One survey, sponsored by Intuit, found that 83% of small businesses that accepted credit cards saw increased sales. Fifty-two percent of those surveyed made at least $1,000 more a month and 18% made at least $20,000 more a month.

2) People Spend More with Cards

This is probably not a new concept to you: there is seemingly endless research that shows it's easier to spend money with a credit card than with cash. The pain of paying is greatly diminished when handing over plastic instead of cash or a check, so customers spend more. Credit cards also increase impulse purchases (and tips for those in the service sector, such as cab drivers, waiters and other). Why? Simple: consumers are not tied to what is in their wallets at that moment.

3) It's Just Good Customer Service

Cash payments are decreasing. Almost one of every three purchases is made with a credit card, according to Visa. Providing the option to pay with a credit card is becoming less a courtesy and more an expectation. Customers are more likely to do business with you if you accept the form of payment that offers them the most convenience and flexibility. Especially when dealing with big-ticket items, consumers appreciate the ability to pay up front with a credit card and pay off their purchase over time.

4) Broaden Your Customer Base

Credit cards are like a global currency. Because purchases are automatically converted to the appropriate currency, selling internationally with credit cards is easy for both the buyer and you, the seller. If your business has an online presence, the world is your market, not just your city or town.

5) Give Your Business an Instant Facelift

Accepting credit cards gives your business a better image with greater credibility. In the eyes of the customer, it means your business is established and trustworthy.

6) Increase Cash Flow

Credit card payments take the waiting out of getting paid. No more waiting weeks for checks to clear, and no more waiting weeks or even months for a payment after sending a bill. Instead, your funds are deposited automatically and directly to your bank, usually within a few days, giving you faster payment cycles and better cash flow for your business.

7) Time is Money Too

Credit card payments are more efficient and less time consuming. The payment process is automated: automatic approvals and automatic deposits into your bank account. That means fewer trips to the bank, no invoices to print and mail and no more dealing with bounced checks. With the time you save, you can focus on other important aspects of your business-like making even more sales.

Sometimes, getting the process started to get your business ready to accept credit and debit cards can be complicated. To make it easier, Community Merchants USA has put together free tools and resources on everything you need to know about credit and debit card acceptance. Check them out and add more value to your business!

Credit Card Photo via Shutterstock

Offer Newsletter Sign Up Incentives to Your Site Visitors With Incentivibe

Imagine you have a small business website with plenty of traffic. Unfortunately, you don't have many subscribers to your regular email newsletter. These visitors are finding your site okay, but once they leave, they never return.

Now imagine you could give them an incentive for signing up for your newsletter. This might include a chance to win a big prize like a great weekend getaway, a new Tiffany Co Gift Card, an iPad and Apple TV combo or other prize.

A startup called Incentivibe gives you a way to offer high ticket prizes on your website as an incentive for the leads you need. Incentivibe CEO and Co-Founder, Adeel Vanthaliwala, took time out recently for an exclusive interview with Small Business Trends to explain.

The Conversion Problem

Here's the problem, said Vanthaliwala. While website businesses have worked long and hard to build traffic on their sites, converting that traffic into leads is a bit more difficult. In fact, according to data supplied by Incentivibe, 95 percent of the people who visit your website leave without ever becoming leads.

One solution is to offer free ebooks or white papers to visitors in return for newsletter signup or other actions. But Vanthaliwala said this generally only works for business to business websites with less success if you sell to consumers.

Worse yet, he added, for some visitors white papers or other information just aren't enough of an incentive to sign up and give you their email addresses.

Larger prizes might create more incentive, Vanthaliwala said. But the cost is sometimes prohibitive to small startup websites. they may not have the budget to spend for giveaways week after week or month after month.

Newsletter Incentives: How Incentivibe Works

Incentivibe offers websites the ability to pool their resources by paying a fraction of the cost of a larger prize. For example, for a $24.99 monthly fee, small websites can participate in a giveaway for a prize worth $500.

A site owner simply install a widget with the giveaway information to his or her website. Incentivibe offers integration with a wide variety of platforms including Magento, Shopify, Big Commerce, Volusion, Unbounce, WordPress and any custom made website.

The contest widget includes only the name of the site on which it appears. So site owners don't need to worry about promoting other sites inadvertently. They can even co-sponsor a contest with a competitor, said Vanthaliwala.

Incentivibe also offers free administration of the contests and free contest rules tailored to legally meet the requirements of your country or region.

How They Got the Idea

Vanthaliwala and co-founder and chief technology officer Abdul Basit Munda came up with the idea for Incentivibe while wrapping up a previous venture in February 2012.

Carrying $50,000 in debt and working two to three part-time jobs at a time to support their families, Vanthaliwala and Munda decided to learn from their own mistakes and built a new business as a result.

Vanthaliwala explains in a post on the company's official blog:

We looked at [the] previous startup and diagnosed major problems. We realized that one of the big problems was that we were lacking incentives, big contest prizes, like the big brands. All the big brands offered big contest prizes and got tremendous leads and fans. So we asked ourselves, why can't we combine the purchasing power of small businesses and help them do the same?

For a basic overview of Incentivibe's service, view the video below.