New Budget iPhone Unveiled Starting at $99

new iphone 5

For small business owners seeking a lower cost iPhone, take note. Apple unveiled the iPhone 5c yesterday. The long awaited budget iPhone will start at just $99 with contract and will go on sale Sept. 20.

Aside from the price, the dressed-down version of the popular smartphone offers other departures from the norm. The phone has a plastic shell, but Apple has glossed over the cheaper covering by offering it in five bright colors: white, pink, yellow, blue, and green.

In an official announcement on Apple’s website yesterday in conjunction with a special keynote announcement at Apple’s Cupertino, CA, headquarters, Philip Schiller, the company’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing said:

“iPhone 5c is everything iPhone 5 was and more, in an all-new design packed with great features, iPhone 5c is designed with a beautiful polycarbonate enclosure that looks and feels so solid in your hand.”

Reviewers agree the phone is in many ways a recasting of the iPhone 5 at a cheaper price. Features include:

  • 4-inch diagonal widescreen multi-touch display
  • A 8MP iSight rear-mounted camera capable of shooting 1080p HD video
  • A FaceTime HD camera in front
  • A slightly larger battery which Apple claims in specs will be good for up to 10 hours of 4G LTE data download (but obviously battery life will depend on what you are doing with the phone)The new phone runs Apple’s new iOS 7 operating system and will be available from carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon and from the Apple Online Store and Apple Retail Stores.Though the phone starts at $99, this will get you only a 16 GB model. The 32GB version of the phone will cost you $199. For more watch the below review from CNET.
 

Image: Apple


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New Budget iPhone Unveiled Starting at $99

new iphone 5

For small business owners seeking a lower cost iPhone, take note. Apple unveiled the iPhone 5c yesterday. The long awaited budget iPhone will start at just $99 with contract and will go on sale Sept. 20.

Aside from the price, the dressed-down version of the popular smartphone offers other departures from the norm. The phone has a plastic shell, but Apple has glossed over the cheaper covering by offering it in five bright colors: white, pink, yellow, blue, and green.

In an official announcement on Apple’s website yesterday in conjunction with a special keynote announcement at Apple’s Cupertino, CA, headquarters, Philip Schiller, the company’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing said:

“iPhone 5c is everything iPhone 5 was and more, in an all-new design packed with great features, iPhone 5c is designed with a beautiful polycarbonate enclosure that looks and feels so solid in your hand.”

Reviewers agree the phone is in many ways a recasting of the iPhone 5 at a cheaper price. Features include:

  • 4-inch diagonal widescreen multi-touch display
  • A 8MP iSight rear-mounted camera capable of shooting 1080p HD video
  • A FaceTime HD camera in front
  • A slightly larger battery which Apple claims in specs will be good for up to 10 hours of 4G LTE data download (but obviously battery life will depend on what you are doing with the phone)The new phone runs Apple’s new iOS 7 operating system and will be available from carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon and from the Apple Online Store and Apple Retail Stores.Though the phone starts at $99, this will get you only a 16 GB model. The 32GB version of the phone will cost you $199. For more watch the below review from CNET.
 

Image: Apple


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Mad Marketeer Finds a Niche In Nonprofits

niche in nonprofits

Katherine Coles started early as an entrepreneur. She started her first business at age 12 offering yard services to her neighborhood.  She solidified her reputation when she founded her high school pom pom squad and college sorority chapter, both of which are still in existence today. She later tried her hand at a gift basket service and a color consulting company, and eventually got to Mad Marketeer, her current venture.

Mad Marketeer is an online marketing agency that targets smaller organizations with enough sustainable infrastructures and solid revenues to need marketing solutions, but without the budget to hire a full-scale marketing agency. It provides services that are geared to meet these needs and are packaged into bite-sized, affordable programs perfectly suited for small firms.

Mad Marketeer has found a niche to focus on within smaller to mid-size organizations.  This is due in part to Katharine’s life long dedication to “giving back.”  From serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused children in Northern Virginia to mentoring inner-city children in Boston to providing inspirational education programs to at-risk children in Southern California, Katharine is committed to improving the community.  And she does so at Mad Marketeer by providing corporate solutions for nonprofits at prices they can afford.

Guidestar states there are more than 1.8 million nonprofit organizations registered in the U.S., including public charities, private foundations and other types of nonprofit organizations.  Seventy four percent of all public charities and 83% of all foundations are “small,” meaning they have less than $500,000 in expenses and few paid staff.   This is quite a strong target audience for Mad Marketeer to appeal to.

Mad Marketeer has worked almost exclusively with nonprofits since its founding in 2007. Its website division, PowerSite123, has been working with nonprofits for over 14 years.  In fact, their flagship program, NonprofitSite123, was developed specifically to meet the website needs of nonprofits as they tend to lead with the heart but struggle due to lack of business understanding.

Mad Marketeer has recently secured two large clients,  The Farrah Fawcett Foundation and United Way, both of which are nationally recognized nonprofit organizations. They also released a service assisting nonprofits in managing their Google Grant and have made the shift from project-based pricing to a more retainer-based model, which has proven successful.

What sets them apart from other digital marketing firms is that they go a step further by educating nonprofits and other small businesses on how to make better marketing decisions.  This gives their clients a sustainable foundation for furthering the success of their business independently.

A completely bootstrapped venture, they have started looking to become affiliates with companies offering products and services that compliment their own.  One such partnership they have launched is with another startup, Zuznow, which offers clients technology to transform websites seamlessly into mobile form factors.

Zuznow, founded by husband and wife team, Racheli and Chen Levkovich, provides a platform for automatically converting websites into a fully reflective mobile website for any device.   According to the 2013 eNonprofit Benchmarket Study, mobile listings are growing at about double the rate of email lists, with a median increase of 32% in 2012. Blackbaud and Common Knowledge say 73% of nonprofits allocate half of a full time employee to managing social networking activities and 43% budget $0 for their social networking activities. While non-profit organizations may not always recognize the value of SEO (search engine optimization), blogging, social media or other online marketing tactics, they at least understand the importance of an interactive, functional, easy to navigate, well-designed an easily maintainable website.

With current revenues of over $250K annually, we can expect Mad Marketeer to continue to add value to non-profit marketing in the coming months.

Niche Photo via Shutterstock




New Flagship iPhone Sports Powerful Processor

new iphone 5S

The new iPhone 5c may be the choice for the budget conscious entrepreneur. But Apple says the new iPhone 5s, also released on Tuesday, demonstrates the full range of possibilities available from smartphones today.

In fact, if this smartphone lives up to its billing, it could offer small business owners the most powerful phone yet for working on the go.

In an official release posted on the Apple website the same day Apple unveiled both new phones, Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing explained:

iPhone 5s is the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, delivering desktop class architecture in the palm of your hand, iPhone 5s sets a new standard for smartphones, packed into its beautiful and refined design are breakthrough features that really matter to people, like Touch ID, a simple and secure way to unlock your phone with just a touch of your finger.

At 7.6 mm thick and 112 g in weight, Apple’s new flagship phone is both thinner and lighter than its predecessor, the iPhone 5. The device comes in silver, gold and a color Apple calls space gray. But otherwise reviewers have commented how much it physically resembles the earlier phone.

Still, both industry watchers and company officials say it’s what’s under the hood, so to speak, that makes a difference.

Reviews and specs say the new device has a 64-bit processor, the fastest yet available on a smartphone. The faster processing is said to allow faster search and download of any content you need while mobile.

A better camera and better flash are expected to allow better still photos and higher quality video for shooting products, video content or anything else for your business.

New fingerprint recognition software is said to allow more security and convenience. A user is supposed to be able to unlock the phone by placing a finger on a round button below the four-inch display screen eliminating the need for a pin number.

The new iPhone 5s will go on sale Sept. 20 and will be available from carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and in the Apple Online Store and Apple Retail Stores.

Costs will be $199 for 16 GB, $299 for 32 GB, and $399 for 64 GB models.

Image: Apple




Recapturing Your Entrepreneurial Spirit: 3 Things To Remember When Working Through The Rough Spots

Those of us who opt to start our own businesses are different than other people. Other people might be content to toil away at a nine-to-five job each day, making money for someone else. Entrepreneurs aren’t happy being confined to a desk, following directives issued by someone who may or may not appreciate our contributions to the organization.

I am blogging on behalf of Visa Business and received compensation for my time from Visa for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Visa’s. Visit http://facebook.com/visasmallbiz to take a look at the reinvented Facebook Page: Well Sourced by Visa Business. The Page serves as a space where small business owners can access educational resources, read success stoies from other business owners, engage with peers, and find tips to help businesses run more efficiently. Every month, the Page will introduce a new theme that will focus on a topic important to a small business owner’s success. For additional tips and advice, and information about Visa’s small business solutions, follow @VisaSmallBiz and visit http://visa.com/business. 

Recapturing Your Entrepreneurial Spirit

Those of us who opt to start our own businesses are different than other people. Other people might be content to toil away at a nine-to-five job each day, making money for someone else. Entrepreneurs aren’t happy being confined to a desk, following directives issued by someone who may or may not appreciate our contributions to the organization.

In the early days, it was easy to appreciate every day of our independence. We didn’t mind putting in long hours and dealing with difficult customers because we were doing what we loved. But over time, it’s easy to lose sight of what we once loved so much. When funds get tight and demands seem overwhelming, we may begin to wonder if we made the wrong choice.

When that happens, I find it’s important to step back and try to remember what we once knew all too well. Even if it means taking a day off, far away from the daily demands of our business, we need to stop and appreciate just what we’ve accomplished. Here are a few things I remind myself to get me through the rough spots.

Entrepreneurship is Rare

More than half of Americans believe they could start a small business, but very few actually do. They may have a great idea, but most people simply can’t afford to take the risk of walking away from a day job to get started. Whether you walked away from a full-time salary or you took the risk before you had a reliable income, you may have forgotten that the freedom and independence of entrepreneurship is something most “day job” workers envy.

Remember Your Accomplishments

Building a business from scratch is no small feat. You should be able to look at the relationships you’ve forged and the work you’ve created with pride. If possible, take time to list those accomplishment and consider your own impact on your chosen industry, whether that impact is local or global. A small flower shop owner can look around the community and note the loyal customers that rely on that shop to provide flowers for special occasions like weddings and funerals. A business owner that offers services to other businesses can note how those services have been able to help those other businesses thrive. Every entrepreneur makes an impact, whether big or small, and we can often boost our own spirits through occasionally reminding ourselves what that impact has been.

Ask Someone Else

If you’re fortunate enough to have one or more employees, sit down with those workers and host a brainstorming session. You may not realize the inside resources you have at your disposalâ€"these people know your business well and often have ideas for improvement you might not have previously considered. If you are operating alone, consider joining a networking group to interact with others in the industry who can provide new, exciting ideas that will help reenergize you and possibly jump-start your business in a new direction.

As entrepreneurs, we’re lucky to be able to do what we love for a living, even on those occasions when we question our decision. Running a business is risky, but true success in life comes from taking risks. By stopping to remind ourselves of our accomplishments, we can keep going even through the toughest times.



Recapturing Your Entrepreneurial Spirit: 3 Things To Remember When Working Through The Rough Spots

Those of us who opt to start our own businesses are different than other people. Other people might be content to toil away at a nine-to-five job each day, making money for someone else. Entrepreneurs aren’t happy being confined to a desk, following directives issued by someone who may or may not appreciate our contributions to the organization.

I am blogging on behalf of Visa Business and received compensation for my time from Visa for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Visa’s. Visit http://facebook.com/visasmallbiz to take a look at the reinvented Facebook Page: Well Sourced by Visa Business. The Page serves as a space where small business owners can access educational resources, read success stoies from other business owners, engage with peers, and find tips to help businesses run more efficiently. Every month, the Page will introduce a new theme that will focus on a topic important to a small business owner’s success. For additional tips and advice, and information about Visa’s small business solutions, follow @VisaSmallBiz and visit http://visa.com/business. 

Recapturing Your Entrepreneurial Spirit

Those of us who opt to start our own businesses are different than other people. Other people might be content to toil away at a nine-to-five job each day, making money for someone else. Entrepreneurs aren’t happy being confined to a desk, following directives issued by someone who may or may not appreciate our contributions to the organization.

In the early days, it was easy to appreciate every day of our independence. We didn’t mind putting in long hours and dealing with difficult customers because we were doing what we loved. But over time, it’s easy to lose sight of what we once loved so much. When funds get tight and demands seem overwhelming, we may begin to wonder if we made the wrong choice.

When that happens, I find it’s important to step back and try to remember what we once knew all too well. Even if it means taking a day off, far away from the daily demands of our business, we need to stop and appreciate just what we’ve accomplished. Here are a few things I remind myself to get me through the rough spots.

Entrepreneurship is Rare

More than half of Americans believe they could start a small business, but very few actually do. They may have a great idea, but most people simply can’t afford to take the risk of walking away from a day job to get started. Whether you walked away from a full-time salary or you took the risk before you had a reliable income, you may have forgotten that the freedom and independence of entrepreneurship is something most “day job” workers envy.

Remember Your Accomplishments

Building a business from scratch is no small feat. You should be able to look at the relationships you’ve forged and the work you’ve created with pride. If possible, take time to list those accomplishment and consider your own impact on your chosen industry, whether that impact is local or global. A small flower shop owner can look around the community and note the loyal customers that rely on that shop to provide flowers for special occasions like weddings and funerals. A business owner that offers services to other businesses can note how those services have been able to help those other businesses thrive. Every entrepreneur makes an impact, whether big or small, and we can often boost our own spirits through occasionally reminding ourselves what that impact has been.

Ask Someone Else

If you’re fortunate enough to have one or more employees, sit down with those workers and host a brainstorming session. You may not realize the inside resources you have at your disposalâ€"these people know your business well and often have ideas for improvement you might not have previously considered. If you are operating alone, consider joining a networking group to interact with others in the industry who can provide new, exciting ideas that will help reenergize you and possibly jump-start your business in a new direction.

As entrepreneurs, we’re lucky to be able to do what we love for a living, even on those occasions when we question our decision. Running a business is risky, but true success in life comes from taking risks. By stopping to remind ourselves of our accomplishments, we can keep going even through the toughest times.



Telling Stories Through Content: How 7 Brands Do It With Style

 Telling stories through content

Brands. Stories. Profits.

Story telling is powerful.  Stories help with branding, i.e., making an impression that stands out and sticks in our minds.

And businesses are getting better at telling stories through content - whether through video or in text form. Stories that follow a brand’s theme can be told over and over.

Let’s look at some of the best stories in the business and unravel how some brands do storytelling in style:

Triumph Over Conformity: Apple Declares War on IBM

Apple is a legendary marketer, and the company exhibited a genius for storytelling early on. Thirty years ago, in 1984, Apple launched an iconic - almost cinematic - Super Bowl ad that blew customers and industry watchers away. Using fascination and mystique, the ad literally launched Apple into the big leagues.

At the time IBM was the dominant player in the computer world. Apple, by comparison, was a small player - little more than a startup. But it was going after IBM.

The company did this with a dark, science-fiction style ad directed by now legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott.  It was an artistic allegory that didn’t even show a glimpse of the company’s latest product, the Macintosh. Instead, the ad merely said:

“On January 24, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ’1984.’”

The ad was an in-your-face assault against conformity playing off the idea of George Orwell’s famous novel. It aired just once, and was incredibly expensive, costing nearly a million dollars at the time. Yet it made an impact.

The message was clear to the world: Apple intended to take on IBM - the “Big Brother” that controlled the computer industry.  Apple had cast itself as the individual against a conformist system.

Nike: It’s All About Attitude

Nike doesn’t sell shoes. It sells attitude. And it’s another example of a brand with a story-telling approach to marketing. Nike creates community around these stories and around its continuing theme of promoting attitude. Want proof? Head on over to the company’s LiveStrong YouTube Channel and you’ll see how Nike showcases stories of people struck down by cancer. And how it builds a community of support for those who are struggling with the disease.

So far, the LiveStrong Community has racked up more than 2 million views on YouTube, more than 1.5 million likes on Facebook, and more than 250,000 followers. And through the community, Nike demonstrates how a good story goes social and how social media can be used to generate support and even raise funds for those who are suffering.

Volkswagen: The Force

What can one video do? It can tell an effective story, of course.

And how well can it do that? One look at The Force Campaign and you’ll be inspired to create a story for your own business.

The video does a great job highlighting a single product feature - the remote start system of the 2012 Volkswagon Passat. You can’t help but laugh when the little kid dressed in the Darth Vader costume thinks his efforts using “the force” actually started the car.

Aside from airing during the 2011 Super Bowl, the advertisement has gotten more than 58 million views on YouTube to date.  Today, Volkswagen’s website features a “Story Board” a blog of sorts with narratives contributed by both the company and customers. In this way, Volkswagon has invited car owners to contribute to the story as well.

Threadless.com: What Do Designers Think?

Threadless is a community built around designer, designers who submit their creations to Threadless to be printed on household items, clothing and other goods.  It’s literally a brand built on stories.  Not stories of beating the bad guys, building unity or attaining some great achievement, but real stories from designers who share details about their lives, work, inspiration, and more. The stories connect with customers because of the “sneak peak” behind how the company works. Videos embellish the true story of Threadless and how it works hard to produce quality products for its customers.

Threadless recently launched a series of mini-documentaries, artist interviews which highlight individuals and the stories they have to tell.

Lego Story

Another example of a well-crafted story, this time narrated through animated characters, is that of “The Lego Story.”

The video itself tells the company’s story not so much to convince but to share. It takes us back to the company’s origins in 1932, and gives us a glimpse of founder Ole Kirk Christiansen, and the principles and values he brought to the business he built. It also reveals the company’s commitment to children’s entertainment and education.

HSBC and American Express Open Forum

Brand stories are not always narrated and showcased through video. The written word still works well for some brands.

Across its global sites, HSBC curates and publishes content on financial markets, financial news, global business expansion, and much more. For some select markets, HSBC still publishes paper-based content such as booklets for its elite banking customers.

Another great example of how content marketing is utilized for brand image is American Express Open Forum, which focuses exclusively on entrepreneurship and technology. It leverages the power of community and the power of user-generated content to create a compelling brand story for its own lineup of products.

While we only mentioned large businesses and popular brands and their story telling successes here, the message is out. Anyone with a business can create a brand and build it using storytelling.

For some inspiration, you might want to check out these 50 Brands with Amazing Brand Stories. If you think there are no stories to tell in B2B, you might want to check out Eloqua’s 5 B2B Brands That “Get” Storytelling.

As a small business, do you leverage the power of telling stories? Do stories create impact and value for brands?

Please share your ideas with us.

What’s Your Story Photo via Shutterstock




Beating the Top 4 Productivity Zappers

Microsoft sparked a debate earlier this year by stating that social media might not be the workplace productivity drain it had been made out to be. Despite the company not having a popular social media site of its own, Microsoft conducted its own study that found social media tools actually improved productivity.

But as experts argue about the merits vs. pitfalls of Facebooking in the office, it’s important to note that social media still isn’t at the top of the list of productivity zappers in the modern workplace. Most are technology-related, granted, but you may be surprised to know that many are actually work-related.

#1: E-mail

The top productivity-zapper in the workplace today is e-mail. According to a study by the McKinsey Global Institute, the average knowledge worker spends 28 percent of his or her time composing, double-checking, and reading e-mails. That’s the equivalent of 73 full days per year. But more importantly, the fact that we’re pulled from the task at hand every time an e-mail comes in zaps our productivity more than the amount of time we’re dedicating to it.

The emergence of mobile devices has only exacerbated the problem. Today, we’re tapping that envelope icon almost every waking minute, cutting down on the amount of time we can devote to actual work. To maximize productivity, force yourself to avoid checking e-mail on an ongoing basis. Exit all notifications and allow yourself to only check e-mails at the top of the hour-every half hour at most. Believe it or not, the world will not fall apart if your response to an e-mail is delayed for a half an hour or so.

#2: Telephone

Whether it’s your cell phone or the landline on your desk, its incessant ringing is definitely cutting into your ability to get work done. By turning off that ringer and giving yourself a solid block of uninterrupted time, you’ll be able to concentrate and complete that project. It’s especially important you put the phone away the next time you sit around a conference table to brainstorm a project or strategize.

For business owners, personal cell phones can drag down productivity for a completely different reason. Employees may check phones under the desk or go to the ladies’ room to take a personal call on an ongoing basis. If you don’t have a personal phone policy in place, create one. Make sure it covers non-speaking personal phone use, as well, including your policies on playing games and listening to music while working.

#3: Internet

Google has made life easier for everyone, allowing curious minds to find the answer to any question in seconds. It’s both a blessing and a curse. If you’ve ever searched for information on a news story and found yourself still reading 45 minutes later, you know how easily the Internet can become a productivity-zapper.

Social media falls under this category, but it can also fall under the cell phone category. Even if you block social media use on company servers, that won’t stop your workers from checking their pages on their phones every time they get a chance. Instead, consider encouraging employees to use their social media sites to promote the latest product offerings from your business. Businesses who embrace the changing technology are more likely to successfully use it for their own benefit.

#4: Meetings

Do you meet to plan your meetings? If so, you’re likely wasting time. Weekly staff meetings and ongoing status reports waste time for everyone involved. Meet with key management personnel, if you must, and have those personnel share the information down the line. Or better yet, handle the issues you would discuss in an hour-long meeting in a short, succinct e-mail.

As you examine whether or not productivity-zappers are actually impacting your business, ask yourself if employees are truly distracted or if the workload is simply unbalanced. Employees who cannot finish tasks may be overloaded more than unproductive. Employees who spend all day on the Internet may not be clear on their work goals or simply may not have enough to do. Focus on the results of an employee’s work output rather than how that employee is spending eight a.m. to five p.m. each day and you’ll see improved results.



Beating the Top 4 Productivity Zappers

Microsoft sparked a debate earlier this year by stating that social media might not be the workplace productivity drain it had been made out to be. Despite the company not having a popular social media site of its own, Microsoft conducted its own study that found social media tools actually improved productivity.

But as experts argue about the merits vs. pitfalls of Facebooking in the office, it’s important to note that social media still isn’t at the top of the list of productivity zappers in the modern workplace. Most are technology-related, granted, but you may be surprised to know that many are actually work-related.

#1: E-mail

The top productivity-zapper in the workplace today is e-mail. According to a study by the McKinsey Global Institute, the average knowledge worker spends 28 percent of his or her time composing, double-checking, and reading e-mails. That’s the equivalent of 73 full days per year. But more importantly, the fact that we’re pulled from the task at hand every time an e-mail comes in zaps our productivity more than the amount of time we’re dedicating to it.

The emergence of mobile devices has only exacerbated the problem. Today, we’re tapping that envelope icon almost every waking minute, cutting down on the amount of time we can devote to actual work. To maximize productivity, force yourself to avoid checking e-mail on an ongoing basis. Exit all notifications and allow yourself to only check e-mails at the top of the hour-every half hour at most. Believe it or not, the world will not fall apart if your response to an e-mail is delayed for a half an hour or so.

#2: Telephone

Whether it’s your cell phone or the landline on your desk, its incessant ringing is definitely cutting into your ability to get work done. By turning off that ringer and giving yourself a solid block of uninterrupted time, you’ll be able to concentrate and complete that project. It’s especially important you put the phone away the next time you sit around a conference table to brainstorm a project or strategize.

For business owners, personal cell phones can drag down productivity for a completely different reason. Employees may check phones under the desk or go to the ladies’ room to take a personal call on an ongoing basis. If you don’t have a personal phone policy in place, create one. Make sure it covers non-speaking personal phone use, as well, including your policies on playing games and listening to music while working.

#3: Internet

Google has made life easier for everyone, allowing curious minds to find the answer to any question in seconds. It’s both a blessing and a curse. If you’ve ever searched for information on a news story and found yourself still reading 45 minutes later, you know how easily the Internet can become a productivity-zapper.

Social media falls under this category, but it can also fall under the cell phone category. Even if you block social media use on company servers, that won’t stop your workers from checking their pages on their phones every time they get a chance. Instead, consider encouraging employees to use their social media sites to promote the latest product offerings from your business. Businesses who embrace the changing technology are more likely to successfully use it for their own benefit.

#4: Meetings

Do you meet to plan your meetings? If so, you’re likely wasting time. Weekly staff meetings and ongoing status reports waste time for everyone involved. Meet with key management personnel, if you must, and have those personnel share the information down the line. Or better yet, handle the issues you would discuss in an hour-long meeting in a short, succinct e-mail.

As you examine whether or not productivity-zappers are actually impacting your business, ask yourself if employees are truly distracted or if the workload is simply unbalanced. Employees who cannot finish tasks may be overloaded more than unproductive. Employees who spend all day on the Internet may not be clear on their work goals or simply may not have enough to do. Focus on the results of an employee’s work output rather than how that employee is spending eight a.m. to five p.m. each day and you’ll see improved results.



I Don’t Know What To Post!! A Simple Guide To Posting on Facebook and Twitter

Anyone who manages social media accounts for their business has had that moment where they just don’t know what they should be posting on Facebook and Twitter. You read all the guides and top tips, but if the creative juices aren’t flowing, it becomes a real task and a heavy burden. What do my followers want to see? What will encourage engagement? How do I come up with something new and exciting? When do I post and how often? These are all questions we ask ourselves and struggle with. Fortunately, the folks over at GroSocial have some great tips and suggestions to get us over the hump and back on track!

In a recent blog by Matt Broderick on the GroSocial Blog site, he shares a simple posting schedule with a daily theme that is open and flexible and can be used to help you create posts without additional stress.  The daily themes include:

  • Big Ideas - Share expert advise or a short quote
  • Humor - Share a comic, humorous image, meme or phrase
  • Interaction - Ask a question, share a photo contest or quiz, or post a fill-in-the-blank sentence
  • Current News - Share POSITIVE news about your business, your industry or your community
  • Giving Back - Feature customers, launch / share a giveaway, or make a coupon or discount available
  • Day in the Life - Share candid photos from your business or feature an employee
  • Education - Tell people about your product, what it can do, or teach people how to use it better

Here’s  how the weekly posting schedule looks:

Matt reminds us in his blog that each audience is different, so the days of the week assigned above are only examples and should be used as a guide. There are two things that should be kept in mind, though, when creating your schedule:

1. Wednesday is the worst day for posting, so you probably do not want to assign your most important posts to the middle of the week

2. Posts on Saturday and Sunday tend to receive more interaction, but less reach.

Ramon Ray, editor of Smallbiztechnology.com, provides another great resource for learning the in’s and out’s of Facebook for business and, of course, his book, ‘The Facebook Guide To Small Business Marketing’ is a must for any business looking to create a successful Facebook business page.

As someone who manages social media accounts for a number of different clients across many industries, I know first hand how difficult creating unique content can be and I’m definitely going to give this schedule a try to see if it pumps up my creativity!  How about you? Thinking about giving it a try? Let us know how it works for you or any other great solutions you’ve come across in the comments below.



I Don’t Know What To Post!! A Simple Guide To Posting on Facebook and Twitter

Anyone who manages social media accounts for their business has had that moment where they just don’t know what they should be posting on Facebook and Twitter. You read all the guides and top tips, but if the creative juices aren’t flowing, it becomes a real task and a heavy burden. What do my followers want to see? What will encourage engagement? How do I come up with something new and exciting? When do I post and how often? These are all questions we ask ourselves and struggle with. Fortunately, the folks over at GroSocial have some great tips and suggestions to get us over the hump and back on track!

In a recent blog by Matt Broderick on the GroSocial Blog site, he shares a simple posting schedule with a daily theme that is open and flexible and can be used to help you create posts without additional stress.  The daily themes include:

  • Big Ideas - Share expert advise or a short quote
  • Humor - Share a comic, humorous image, meme or phrase
  • Interaction - Ask a question, share a photo contest or quiz, or post a fill-in-the-blank sentence
  • Current News - Share POSITIVE news about your business, your industry or your community
  • Giving Back - Feature customers, launch / share a giveaway, or make a coupon or discount available
  • Day in the Life - Share candid photos from your business or feature an employee
  • Education - Tell people about your product, what it can do, or teach people how to use it better

Here’s  how the weekly posting schedule looks:

Matt reminds us in his blog that each audience is different, so the days of the week assigned above are only examples and should be used as a guide. There are two things that should be kept in mind, though, when creating your schedule:

1. Wednesday is the worst day for posting, so you probably do not want to assign your most important posts to the middle of the week

2. Posts on Saturday and Sunday tend to receive more interaction, but less reach.

Ramon Ray, editor of Smallbiztechnology.com, provides another great resource for learning the in’s and out’s of Facebook for business and, of course, his book, ‘The Facebook Guide To Small Business Marketing’ is a must for any business looking to create a successful Facebook business page.

As someone who manages social media accounts for a number of different clients across many industries, I know first hand how difficult creating unique content can be and I’m definitely going to give this schedule a try to see if it pumps up my creativity!  How about you? Thinking about giving it a try? Let us know how it works for you or any other great solutions you’ve come across in the comments below.



Is the Extra Layer Better? Layer 2 Versus Layer 3 Networking

layer networking

Catchy title, huh?

I will warn you up front that this article is going to be a tad technical, so bear with me. Since this site gets a broad audience with a wide range of technical skill levels, let me take a moment to describe what Layer 2 and Layer 3 mean, for anyone who does not know.

Layer 2 and Layer 3 refer to different parts of IT network communications. The ‘layers’ refer to how you configure an IT network, and the standard for network communications called the OSI model.

The reason we are having a discussion about layer 2 or layer 3, is that your choice of either layer has advantages and disadvantage in terms of scaling and costs. So let’s dive in and take a deeper look.

The Functions of the OSI Layered Model

The OSI, or Open System Interconnection, is a networking model comprised of seven ‘layers’. It’s a controlled hierarchy where information is passed from one layer to the next creating a blueprint for how information is passed from physical electrical impulses all the way to applications.

This standard is a guide that allows engineers to keep communications organized.

Layer 2 is the data link where data packets are encoded and decoded into bits. The MAC (Media Access Control) sub layer controls how a computer on the network gains access to the data and permission to transmit it and the LLC (Logical Link control) layer controls frame synchronization, flow control and error checking.

Layer 3 provides switching and routing technologies, creating logical paths, known as virtual circuits, for transmitting data from node to node. Routing and forwarding are functions of this layer, as well as addressing, internetworking, error handling, congestion control and packet sequencing.

To summarize:

Layer 2 Data Link: Responsible for physical addressing, error correction, and preparing the information for the media
Layer 3 Network: Responsible for logical addressing and routing IP, ICMP, ARP, RIP, IGRP, and routers

Pros and Cons of Layer 2 Vs Layer 3

Some advantages of Layer 2 include lower costs, only requires switching, no routing gear is necessary and offers very low latency. Layer 2 also has some significant disadvantages such as the lack of router hardware, leaving them susceptible to broadcast storm and the additional administrative overhead of IP allocations due to flat subnet across multiple sites.

Layer 2 networks also forward all traffic, especially ARP and DHCP broadcasts. Anything transmitted by one device is forwarded to all devices. When the network gets too large, the broadcast traffic begins to create congestion and decreases network efficiency.

Layer 3 devices, on the other hand, restrict broadcast traffic such as ARP and DHCP broadcasts to the local network. This reduces overall traffic levels by allowing administrators to divide networks into smaller parts and restrict broadcasts to only that sub-network.

This means there is a limit to the size of a layer 2 network. However, a properly configured layer 3 network with the correct knowledge and hardware can have infinite growth.

A Layer 3 switch is a high-performance device for network routing. A router works with IP addresses at layer 3 of the model. Layer 3 networks are built to run on on layer 2 networks.

In an IP layer 3 network, the IP portion of the datagram has to be read. This requires stripping off the datalink layer frame information. Once the protocol frame information is stripped, the IP datagram has to be reassembled. Once the IP datagram is reassembled, the hop count has to be decremented, the header checksum has to be recalculated, a lookup for routing must be made, and only then can the IP datagram be chopped back up and inserted into frames and transmitted to the next hop. All of this takes extra time.

Not Which is Better, But Which Layer is Needed for the Job

As you can see, the question is not really “is it better?”. The real question is, “what do I need?”.

What most businesses need is control. Routing controls happen at Layer 3.

But the downsides of Layer 3 are speed because of all of the additional overhead, and that can be deadly in multi-site networks where fast communications among tens or hundreds of computers, servers and routing equipment are necessary for such things as Ip-telephony, or even shared internet access.

Enter Newer Technologies Such as Metro Ethernet Work Using Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)

Multiprotocol Label Switching is a mechanism in high-performance telecommunications networks which directs and carries data from one network node to the next. MPLS makes it easy to create “virtual links” between distant nodes. It can encapsulate packets of various network protocols.

MPLS operates at a layer that is generally considered to lie between traditional definitions of layer 2 (data link layer) and layer 3 (network layer), and thus is often referred to as a “layer 2.5″ protocol.

It was designed to provide a unified data-carrying service for both circuit-based clients and packet-switching clients which provide a datagram service model. It can be used to carry many different kinds of traffic, including IP packets, as well as native ATM, SONET, and Ethernet frames.

It also allows you to maintain controls on your end points using Layer 3 switching, so with the best of both worlds Metro Ethernet services can provide the speed between locations and allow network quality of service transparency desired by small businesses all with a smaller financial footprint.

Where you might normally use Layer 3 to manage traffic in ALL locations over internet connections… with the Metro Ethernet you can use Layer 3 only as needed at end points which saves you on equipment costs and IT support costs. And you gain speed.




Is the Extra Layer Better? Layer 2 Versus Layer 3 Networking

layer networking

Catchy title, huh?

I will warn you up front that this article is going to be a tad technical, so bear with me. Since this site gets a broad audience with a wide range of technical skill levels, let me take a moment to describe what Layer 2 and Layer 3 mean, for anyone who does not know.

Layer 2 and Layer 3 refer to different parts of IT network communications. The ‘layers’ refer to how you configure an IT network, and the standard for network communications called the OSI model.

The reason we are having a discussion about layer 2 or layer 3, is that your choice of either layer has advantages and disadvantage in terms of scaling and costs. So let’s dive in and take a deeper look.

The Functions of the OSI Layered Model

The OSI, or Open System Interconnection, is a networking model comprised of seven ‘layers’. It’s a controlled hierarchy where information is passed from one layer to the next creating a blueprint for how information is passed from physical electrical impulses all the way to applications.

This standard is a guide that allows engineers to keep communications organized.

Layer 2 is the data link where data packets are encoded and decoded into bits. The MAC (Media Access Control) sub layer controls how a computer on the network gains access to the data and permission to transmit it and the LLC (Logical Link control) layer controls frame synchronization, flow control and error checking.

Layer 3 provides switching and routing technologies, creating logical paths, known as virtual circuits, for transmitting data from node to node. Routing and forwarding are functions of this layer, as well as addressing, internetworking, error handling, congestion control and packet sequencing.

To summarize:

Layer 2 Data Link: Responsible for physical addressing, error correction, and preparing the information for the media
Layer 3 Network: Responsible for logical addressing and routing IP, ICMP, ARP, RIP, IGRP, and routers

Pros and Cons of Layer 2 Vs Layer 3

Some advantages of Layer 2 include lower costs, only requires switching, no routing gear is necessary and offers very low latency. Layer 2 also has some significant disadvantages such as the lack of router hardware, leaving them susceptible to broadcast storm and the additional administrative overhead of IP allocations due to flat subnet across multiple sites.

Layer 2 networks also forward all traffic, especially ARP and DHCP broadcasts. Anything transmitted by one device is forwarded to all devices. When the network gets too large, the broadcast traffic begins to create congestion and decreases network efficiency.

Layer 3 devices, on the other hand, restrict broadcast traffic such as ARP and DHCP broadcasts to the local network. This reduces overall traffic levels by allowing administrators to divide networks into smaller parts and restrict broadcasts to only that sub-network.

This means there is a limit to the size of a layer 2 network. However, a properly configured layer 3 network with the correct knowledge and hardware can have infinite growth.

A Layer 3 switch is a high-performance device for network routing. A router works with IP addresses at layer 3 of the model. Layer 3 networks are built to run on on layer 2 networks.

In an IP layer 3 network, the IP portion of the datagram has to be read. This requires stripping off the datalink layer frame information. Once the protocol frame information is stripped, the IP datagram has to be reassembled. Once the IP datagram is reassembled, the hop count has to be decremented, the header checksum has to be recalculated, a lookup for routing must be made, and only then can the IP datagram be chopped back up and inserted into frames and transmitted to the next hop. All of this takes extra time.

Not Which is Better, But Which Layer is Needed for the Job

As you can see, the question is not really “is it better?”. The real question is, “what do I need?”.

What most businesses need is control. Routing controls happen at Layer 3.

But the downsides of Layer 3 are speed because of all of the additional overhead, and that can be deadly in multi-site networks where fast communications among tens or hundreds of computers, servers and routing equipment are necessary for such things as Ip-telephony, or even shared internet access.

Enter Newer Technologies Such as Metro Ethernet Work Using Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)

Multiprotocol Label Switching is a mechanism in high-performance telecommunications networks which directs and carries data from one network node to the next. MPLS makes it easy to create “virtual links” between distant nodes. It can encapsulate packets of various network protocols.

MPLS operates at a layer that is generally considered to lie between traditional definitions of layer 2 (data link layer) and layer 3 (network layer), and thus is often referred to as a “layer 2.5″ protocol.

It was designed to provide a unified data-carrying service for both circuit-based clients and packet-switching clients which provide a datagram service model. It can be used to carry many different kinds of traffic, including IP packets, as well as native ATM, SONET, and Ethernet frames.

It also allows you to maintain controls on your end points using Layer 3 switching, so with the best of both worlds Metro Ethernet services can provide the speed between locations and allow network quality of service transparency desired by small businesses all with a smaller financial footprint.

Where you might normally use Layer 3 to manage traffic in ALL locations over internet connections… with the Metro Ethernet you can use Layer 3 only as needed at end points which saves you on equipment costs and IT support costs. And you gain speed.