Woman Ticketed for Wearing Google Glass While Driving

Before you decide to wear Google Glass to hold a conference call or check your email while speeding down the highway, think again. That’s especially true if you happen to live in Southern California.

Cecilia Abadie says she wasn’t doing anything like that when police pulled her over for going 80 mph in a 65 mph zone near San Diego.

Besides the speeding, Abadie says the citation also clearly mentioned Google Glass. She was wearing the light weight frames containing the tiny computer interface while behind the wheel. However, she says the device wasn’t on at the time.

Typically, Abadie took to Google Plus immediately after being stopped. She wrote:

“A cop just stopped me and gave me a ticket for wearing Google Glass while driving! The exact line says: Driving with Monitor visible to Driver (Google Glass). Is #GoogleGlass [illegal] while driving or is this cop wrong??? Any legal advice is appreciated!! This happened in California. Do you know any other #GlassExplorers that got a similar ticket anywhere in the US?”

Abadie told the Associated Press she would probably fight the ticket. (She’s talking, presumably, about the part that doesn’t deal with her allegedly driving 15 miles above the posted speed limit.)

Remember to reconsider before donning your favorite wearable technology and climbing into the driver’s seat. Your friendly neighborhood law enforcement authorities may not take kindly to it.

Image: Google+

Ladies - Be Productive, Stay Warm and Use A Touch Screen in the Cold

We often don’t cover “fashion” , however, once in a while, I’ll allow myself to deviate and include some “fun” into our tech stories.

Mujjo, a company based in the Netherlands, has a new line of fashion gloves out. They claim are the world’s first leather touchscreen gloves for women.

Here’s their overview of their new line of gloves:

Regular leather gloves are incompatible with touchscreens, but our leather gloves are. Tailored specifically to the fit of a woman’s hand, these leather crochet gloves (enabled by a revolutionary nanotechnology) work flawlessly with almost every touchscreen.

In response to numerous requests for a female version of the leather touchscreen gloves, we undertook a design with women in mind, which resulted in the world’s first leather touchscreen gloves designed specifically for women, approved and tested by women.

The gloves feature a slim cut and increased length, tailored to fit the hands of women. Unlike the male version, the thumb of the female version is made entirely of leather instead of crocheted cotton to create a deliberate contrast with the crocheted cotton on top of the gloves; this accentuates the length and contributes to a seductively understated but elegant design. A short leather strap crosses an elegant notch on the wrist where a carefully placed sophisticated black leather button provides a snap closure.

Evolved from traditional practices, the crochet pattern became popular in Europe during the 19th century. Beautifully understated; these leather crochet gloves are crafted out of a well-considered and unique combination of Ethiopian lambskin and Egyptian crocheted cotton in uniform dark tones.

Revolutionary nanotechnology integrated into the leather of the gloves mimics the conductive properties of the human skin; this makes the gloves touchscreen compatible.

The leather crochet touchscreen gloves, available in female sizes: 7 and 7.5 are now available for pre-order from the Mujjo online store. Shipping will start from november 28.

Staffing Up For The Holidays

Is your small business going to need more help this year to handle the holiday rush and provide great customer service? If you’re planning on staffing during the holidays, you’d better get a move on.

A recent survey commissioned by Snagajob reports that nearly 70 percent of hiring managers will be adding hourly workers this holiday season, up from last year. They’ll be adding 28 percent more seasonal employees than last year.

Most managers who are adding seasonal workers started hiring last month, and will complete their seasonal staffing this month. That means competition is stiff. So if you’ve waited, below are some strategies to help you with your seasonal hiring and staffing during the holidays:

Tap Your Social Networks

Post seasonal job openings on your business website, of course, but also promote them on your social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter. Use photos or videos to give a feel for what it’s like to work at your business and make it look fun and exciting.

Of course, you should also check in with your contacts on social networks such as LinkedIn to see if they have any suggestions for people seeking seasonal work.

Try a Temporary Agency

If you want to avoid the headaches of hunting for workers, as well as the hassles of handling all the paperwork and tax withholding, a temporary agency can be a good solution. Tell the temp agency what you want, and they’ll find prospective candidates for you to interview.

You pay the temp agency and they pay the worker, plus handle all the documentation, payroll and tax withholding that’s needed so you don’t have to worry about it.

Think Outside the Box

Many seniors and stay-at-home moms are looking for extra money around the holidays. Depending on your seasonal hiring needs, these types of candidates could be perfect for you.

Tap into local PTAs, tot lots or other organizations that attract stay-at-home moms (you can find lots of them on Facebook) to let people know you’re hiring. Contact senior centers to see if you can post job listings on their boards or otherwise spread the word.

Work With Schools

Teens are the classic seasonal employee and the recession has left many teens looking for work as adults are filling jobs that typically went to them.

Contact high school career centers or counselors, or college career or job placement centers, to find out about posting your seasonal job listings. Many will be happy to put their students in touch with you.

Go Virtual

If you need customer service people to handle phone calls or online inquiries, consider hiring virtual customer service reps. You can place listings with companies such as oDesk or SimplyHired.

It’s not too late to find the perfect seasonal workers - you just have to know where to look.

This article, provided by Nextiva, is republished through a content distribution agreement. The original can be found here.

The Clock is Ticking Photo via Shutterstock

Ladies - Be Productive, Stay Warm and Use A Touch Screen in the Cold

We often don’t cover “fashion” , however, once in a while, I’ll allow myself to deviate and include some “fun” into our tech stories.

Mujjo, a company based in the Netherlands, has a new line of fashion gloves out. They claim are the world’s first leather touchscreen gloves for women.

Here’s their overview of their new line of gloves:

Regular leather gloves are incompatible with touchscreens, but our leather gloves are. Tailored specifically to the fit of a woman’s hand, these leather crochet gloves (enabled by a revolutionary nanotechnology) work flawlessly with almost every touchscreen.

In response to numerous requests for a female version of the leather touchscreen gloves, we undertook a design with women in mind, which resulted in the world’s first leather touchscreen gloves designed specifically for women, approved and tested by women.

The gloves feature a slim cut and increased length, tailored to fit the hands of women. Unlike the male version, the thumb of the female version is made entirely of leather instead of crocheted cotton to create a deliberate contrast with the crocheted cotton on top of the gloves; this accentuates the length and contributes to a seductively understated but elegant design. A short leather strap crosses an elegant notch on the wrist where a carefully placed sophisticated black leather button provides a snap closure.

Evolved from traditional practices, the crochet pattern became popular in Europe during the 19th century. Beautifully understated; these leather crochet gloves are crafted out of a well-considered and unique combination of Ethiopian lambskin and Egyptian crocheted cotton in uniform dark tones.

Revolutionary nanotechnology integrated into the leather of the gloves mimics the conductive properties of the human skin; this makes the gloves touchscreen compatible.

The leather crochet touchscreen gloves, available in female sizes: 7 and 7.5 are now available for pre-order from the Mujjo online store. Shipping will start from november 28.

New Book Helps Startups Generate Ideas, Test Assumptions and Execute. “Pivot: How Top Entrepreneurs Adapt and Change Course to Find Ultimate Success”

I’m a sucker for reading a good book and expanding my knowledge. What about you? Check out this new title from Wiley.

If you’re a STARTUP then this book will give you an extra nugget of wisdom and help you avoid failures or fail fast!

Every startup or corporate entrepreneur makes certain assumptions about the market, technology, talent, organizational positioning, and the economy surrounding their project, often largely based on guesswork. These untested assumptions get baked into business plans to which their creators, showing admirable drive and determination, doggedly adhere to, come hell or high water and disaster ensues.

Based on more than 15 years of academic research and many more years of experience in business and corporate startups, Remy Arteaga, Joanne Hyland and their book Pivot: How Top Entrepreneurs Adapt and Change Course to Find Ultimate Success address topics ranging from resources and organizational uncertainties to the scope and scale of new business opportunities.

“While such a go-with-your-gut, pedal-to-the-metal approach to managing business startups may make for great film and business folklore, it bears little resemblance to reality, and emulating it has been the ruination of many a promising startup,” says Arteaga. “Groupon, PayPal, Hotmail, YouTube, and Twitter are just a few notable examples of successful ventures that began life as something altogether different. Fortunately, their creators had the wisdom to abandon their original models and the courage to change course, often dramatically, at least once on their road to riches.”

Arteaga and Hyland go beyond the lean startup model to provide readers with a revolutionary, three-phase approach consisting of:

1. Plant: The Discovery phase. Learn proven strategies and techniques for generating fresh ideas, conceptualizing new business opportunities, clearly stating new business concepts, and defining a compelling business startup vision.

2. Pivot: The Incubation phase. Arm yourself with powerful tools for testing underlying assumptions and identifying business uncertainties, while developing actionable business experiments that quickly get teams to their pivot point.

3. Propel: The Acceleration phase. Discover time-tested methods for precisely setting the pace of business scale-up and growth so as to capture the opportunity, without exceeding organizational tolerances or exhausting limited resources.

New Book Helps Startups Generate Ideas, Test Assumptions and Execute. “Pivot: How Top Entrepreneurs Adapt and Change Course to Find Ultimate Success”

I’m a sucker for reading a good book and expanding my knowledge. What about you? Check out this new title from Wiley.

If you’re a STARTUP then this book will give you an extra nugget of wisdom and help you avoid failures or fail fast!

Every startup or corporate entrepreneur makes certain assumptions about the market, technology, talent, organizational positioning, and the economy surrounding their project, often largely based on guesswork. These untested assumptions get baked into business plans to which their creators, showing admirable drive and determination, doggedly adhere to, come hell or high water and disaster ensues.

Based on more than 15 years of academic research and many more years of experience in business and corporate startups, Remy Arteaga, Joanne Hyland and their book Pivot: How Top Entrepreneurs Adapt and Change Course to Find Ultimate Success address topics ranging from resources and organizational uncertainties to the scope and scale of new business opportunities.

“While such a go-with-your-gut, pedal-to-the-metal approach to managing business startups may make for great film and business folklore, it bears little resemblance to reality, and emulating it has been the ruination of many a promising startup,” says Arteaga. “Groupon, PayPal, Hotmail, YouTube, and Twitter are just a few notable examples of successful ventures that began life as something altogether different. Fortunately, their creators had the wisdom to abandon their original models and the courage to change course, often dramatically, at least once on their road to riches.”

Arteaga and Hyland go beyond the lean startup model to provide readers with a revolutionary, three-phase approach consisting of:

1. Plant: The Discovery phase. Learn proven strategies and techniques for generating fresh ideas, conceptualizing new business opportunities, clearly stating new business concepts, and defining a compelling business startup vision.

2. Pivot: The Incubation phase. Arm yourself with powerful tools for testing underlying assumptions and identifying business uncertainties, while developing actionable business experiments that quickly get teams to their pivot point.

3. Propel: The Acceleration phase. Discover time-tested methods for precisely setting the pace of business scale-up and growth so as to capture the opportunity, without exceeding organizational tolerances or exhausting limited resources.

10 Things to Be Thankful For as a Small Business Owner

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we tend to turn our minds to the things that we’re thankful for. As an entrepreneur, I know that list is long for me, though I may not show my gratitude every day.

Think about your own life, especially as it relates to running a business. What are you grateful for?

Below is my list and maybe you can relate to some of these:

1. You Get to Do What You Love

We hear that a lot. Small business owners do what they love. And it’s true (at least for most of us). Imagine (or remember) working in Corporate America in an industry you weren’t very passionate about.

Now flip forward to now, when you wake up every day, excited about how you get to help people with your business.

2. You Have a Flexible Schedule

Not everyone does, and I appreciate that. But as a writer, I can write when I want, and still pick up my son after school.

3. You Work With Interesting People

Being in the services industry, I work with people who are running all kinds of small businesses. It’s fun to get to know what they do, and their excitement is contagious.

4. You Call the Shots

As the business owner, you get to decide whether you add a new product line, or take one away. You set the course for your business. There’s power in that.

5. You Compete With Yourself

If you’re like me, it’s less about the competition in your industry, and more about pushing yourself to do your best. I know I can improve my skills, and I take that challenge on wholeheartedly.

6. You Can Make Change Happen

If you want to make an upheaval in your company, you don’t have to wait for the red tape to make it a reality.

7. There’s No Cap to Your Financial Possibility

Sure, most entrepreneurs don’t start out making that much money, but you’re not limited by your earning power the way you are in a job. Shoot for the stars, my friend.

8. You Can Take a Day Off

No, really. I know a lot of you feel like your business will wither without you, but taking time off is paramount to your success. And you don’t even have to fake a cough to your boss to do it.

9. You Surround Yourself With Smart People

You can hire whoever you think will benefit your company the best, and have a hand in hiring, if you want it.

10. You Wouldn’t Change it For the World

Despite the rollercoaster that is business ownership, and all the risk, there’s nothing you’d rather be doing.

Thanks Photo via Shutterstock

10 Things to Be Thankful For as a Small Business Owner

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we tend to turn our minds to the things that we’re thankful for. As an entrepreneur, I know that list is long for me, though I may not show my gratitude every day.

Think about your own life, especially as it relates to running a business. What are you grateful for?

Below is my list and maybe you can relate to some of these:

1. You Get to Do What You Love

We hear that a lot. Small business owners do what they love. And it’s true (at least for most of us). Imagine (or remember) working in Corporate America in an industry you weren’t very passionate about.

Now flip forward to now, when you wake up every day, excited about how you get to help people with your business.

2. You Have a Flexible Schedule

Not everyone does, and I appreciate that. But as a writer, I can write when I want, and still pick up my son after school.

3. You Work With Interesting People

Being in the services industry, I work with people who are running all kinds of small businesses. It’s fun to get to know what they do, and their excitement is contagious.

4. You Call the Shots

As the business owner, you get to decide whether you add a new product line, or take one away. You set the course for your business. There’s power in that.

5. You Compete With Yourself

If you’re like me, it’s less about the competition in your industry, and more about pushing yourself to do your best. I know I can improve my skills, and I take that challenge on wholeheartedly.

6. You Can Make Change Happen

If you want to make an upheaval in your company, you don’t have to wait for the red tape to make it a reality.

7. There’s No Cap to Your Financial Possibility

Sure, most entrepreneurs don’t start out making that much money, but you’re not limited by your earning power the way you are in a job. Shoot for the stars, my friend.

8. You Can Take a Day Off

No, really. I know a lot of you feel like your business will wither without you, but taking time off is paramount to your success. And you don’t even have to fake a cough to your boss to do it.

9. You Surround Yourself With Smart People

You can hire whoever you think will benefit your company the best, and have a hand in hiring, if you want it.

10. You Wouldn’t Change it For the World

Despite the rollercoaster that is business ownership, and all the risk, there’s nothing you’d rather be doing.

Thanks Photo via Shutterstock

The One Thing You Must Do on Small Business Saturday

On Saturday, November 30, millions of consumers will skip the malls and head to main street in support of Small Business Saturday. With $5.5 billion in sales last year, there’s nothing small about it.  Small Business Saturday provides business owners with an opportunity to gain greater visibility, attract more customers and rake in the cash. But all of the marketing effort and preparation for one day of strong sales isn’t enough. The one thing you must do on Small Business Saturday is create a way to follow up with visitors and establish life-long relationships.

Let’s take a look at the one thing you must do on Small Business Saturday.

Capturing Leads

The best way to follow up with visitors to your store is to encourage them to provide their information and obtain permission to market to them. This is referred to as Capturing Leads in the Lifecycle Marketing process, which is a systematic approach to the process of promoting, selling, and distributing your product. Capturing leads provides you with the ability to continue the relationship after Small Business Saturday comes to an end.

Capturing Leads in Your Store

Capturing leads typically involves a combination of creativity, a smart offer, and a mechanism for collecting the information. If you’re a brick-and-mortar business it can be as easy as setting up a table with a fishbowl to collect business cards for a prize. Other examples include: 

• Setting out a box for sweepstakes forms
• Placing a kiosk or iPad in the store for newsletter signups
• Using a business card scanning app such as Snap by Infusionsoft when you’re networking
• Providing onsite training and classes that require customers to provide information
• Having your assistant write down the information for everyone who walks into your store on a piece of paper or in a software program

Capturing Leads Online

If you’re an online retailer you’ll want to create content that serves your target market and is search engine friendly.  Great content coupled with strong calls to action drive visitors to your site. It’s important to place offers on well-designed landing pages with a method to capture visitor information. You can also:

• Provide a valuable gift or resource with a web form for capturing information
• Use a squeeze page, which is a landing page used to solicit opt-in email addresses
• Use an online form to collect entrant information for a contest or giveaway
• Ask visitors to leave a comment on your blog with a way to contact them

Following Up

Unfortunately, not all visitors will immediately purchase your product. They may need more time to decide. Luckily, you have their contact information and can follow up with them and continue to stay top-of-mind. Fulfill your promise to keep in touch with frequent and personalized communications. With a solid plan in place to capture leads, you’re well on your way towards success on Small Business Saturday and beyond.

 

About the Author

As the Thought Leadership Manager at Infusionsoft, Tracie Rollins helps small businesses succeed by educating and sharing innovative approaches to solve small business challenges. Tracie has nearly two decades of experience in training and curriculum design for large corporations, small businesses, and government agencies.

As an entrepreneur, Tracie has appeared on KTVK’s Good Morning Arizona show, and has been featured in the Institute for Industrial Engineering magazine, Woman’s World, Arizona Republic, and multiple local publications. She and her husband, Lonny help small businesses stand out amongst the competition with The Rollins Advantage, LLC.

Your Mother Used Coupons. You Love Coupons. Why Aren’t You Offering them to YOUR CUSTOMERS?

We all have been through the “daily deal” rush with Groupon and other companies. And these daily deals have some value, for some times for some businesses. However, EVERYONE loves a coupon. “Come to our store and get x discount”. Pretty simple.

Constant Contact continues their quest to help small businesses and through their SaveLocal service is now offering online coupons for online businesses. I can’t wait until you can PRINT the coupons and use them in a retail store too - but I suspect ShopKeep could help with that?

Check out Constant Contact’s new service below in their press release:

Over 100 million US adults are forecasted to use digital coupons in 2014, and 92 percent of American consumers say local deals are here to stay. Constant Contact®, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTCT) now gives small businesses the power to offer both with today’s launch of fully trackable and customizable digital coupons. Complemented by deals from SaveLocal, the digital coupons launch presents Constant Contact customers with the most robust and intelligent offers service for small businesses on the market.

The combination of deals and digital coupons gives small businesses the ability to offer the perfect type of discount mapped to their particular goals and objectives from one central and integrated resource. Whether they are looking for upfront sales with a deal (larger discounts requiring advanced purchase) or a steadier stream of profit over time with a coupon (traditionally smaller discounts which do not require advance purchase), small businesses can tap into the increasing consumer demand for offers of all kinds within their Constant Contact account.

“Offers have become an essential tool for small businesses looking to attract and retain customers,” said Dave Wachtendonk, product manager, SaveLocal at Constant Contact. “We recently found that small businesses find deals to be the most effective tool to attract new customers, and coupons are a classic and proven revenue-boosting technique. Managing them both from one place ensures that small businesses can test to see what works for their brand and track results for future campaigns.”

Like deals, the digital coupons will be fully trackable. Small businesses will be able to see the number of claims, how and where they were shared, and when claims are redeemed.  Additionally, they can determine which claims came from new customers and where new customers found the promotion. Contact information for everyone who claims a coupon is added directly into the small business’s Constant Contact account, opening up the opportunity to engage with coupon users in the future. For the small businesses owner on the go, coupon tracking will also be available via the SaveLocal mobile app.

“Two of the most important results from running coupon and deal campaigns are revenue boosts and new potential for long-term customers,” said Wachtendonk. “And full tracking capabilities means the difference between ‘spray and pray’ marketing tactics of the past and intelligent, targeted marketing. For example, seeing whether Facebook or email drives more coupon redemptions gives small businesses valuable insights into where they should focus future marketing efforts.”

To learn more about Constant Contact’s offers-creation products, visit SaveLocal here.

Your Mother Used Coupons. You Love Coupons. Why Aren’t You Offering them to YOUR CUSTOMERS?

We all have been through the “daily deal” rush with Groupon and other companies. And these daily deals have some value, for some times for some businesses. However, EVERYONE loves a coupon. “Come to our store and get x discount”. Pretty simple.

Constant Contact continues their quest to help small businesses and through their SaveLocal service is now offering online coupons for online businesses. I can’t wait until you can PRINT the coupons and use them in a retail store too - but I suspect ShopKeep could help with that?

Check out Constant Contact’s new service below in their press release:

Over 100 million US adults are forecasted to use digital coupons in 2014, and 92 percent of American consumers say local deals are here to stay. Constant Contact®, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTCT) now gives small businesses the power to offer both with today’s launch of fully trackable and customizable digital coupons. Complemented by deals from SaveLocal, the digital coupons launch presents Constant Contact customers with the most robust and intelligent offers service for small businesses on the market.

The combination of deals and digital coupons gives small businesses the ability to offer the perfect type of discount mapped to their particular goals and objectives from one central and integrated resource. Whether they are looking for upfront sales with a deal (larger discounts requiring advanced purchase) or a steadier stream of profit over time with a coupon (traditionally smaller discounts which do not require advance purchase), small businesses can tap into the increasing consumer demand for offers of all kinds within their Constant Contact account.

“Offers have become an essential tool for small businesses looking to attract and retain customers,” said Dave Wachtendonk, product manager, SaveLocal at Constant Contact. “We recently found that small businesses find deals to be the most effective tool to attract new customers, and coupons are a classic and proven revenue-boosting technique. Managing them both from one place ensures that small businesses can test to see what works for their brand and track results for future campaigns.”

Like deals, the digital coupons will be fully trackable. Small businesses will be able to see the number of claims, how and where they were shared, and when claims are redeemed.  Additionally, they can determine which claims came from new customers and where new customers found the promotion. Contact information for everyone who claims a coupon is added directly into the small business’s Constant Contact account, opening up the opportunity to engage with coupon users in the future. For the small businesses owner on the go, coupon tracking will also be available via the SaveLocal mobile app.

“Two of the most important results from running coupon and deal campaigns are revenue boosts and new potential for long-term customers,” said Wachtendonk. “And full tracking capabilities means the difference between ‘spray and pray’ marketing tactics of the past and intelligent, targeted marketing. For example, seeing whether Facebook or email drives more coupon redemptions gives small businesses valuable insights into where they should focus future marketing efforts.”

To learn more about Constant Contact’s offers-creation products, visit SaveLocal here.

The One Thing You Must Do on Small Business Saturday

On Saturday, November 30, millions of consumers will skip the malls and head to main street in support of Small Business Saturday. With $5.5 billion in sales last year, there’s nothing small about it.  Small Business Saturday provides business owners with an opportunity to gain greater visibility, attract more customers and rake in the cash. But all of the marketing effort and preparation for one day of strong sales isn’t enough. The one thing you must do on Small Business Saturday is create a way to follow up with visitors and establish life-long relationships.

Let’s take a look at the one thing you must do on Small Business Saturday.

Capturing Leads

The best way to follow up with visitors to your store is to encourage them to provide their information and obtain permission to market to them. This is referred to as Capturing Leads in the Lifecycle Marketing process, which is a systematic approach to the process of promoting, selling, and distributing your product. Capturing leads provides you with the ability to continue the relationship after Small Business Saturday comes to an end.

Capturing Leads in Your Store

Capturing leads typically involves a combination of creativity, a smart offer, and a mechanism for collecting the information. If you’re a brick-and-mortar business it can be as easy as setting up a table with a fishbowl to collect business cards for a prize. Other examples include: 

• Setting out a box for sweepstakes forms
• Placing a kiosk or iPad in the store for newsletter signups
• Using a business card scanning app such as Snap by Infusionsoft when you’re networking
• Providing onsite training and classes that require customers to provide information
• Having your assistant write down the information for everyone who walks into your store on a piece of paper or in a software program

Capturing Leads Online

If you’re an online retailer you’ll want to create content that serves your target market and is search engine friendly.  Great content coupled with strong calls to action drive visitors to your site. It’s important to place offers on well-designed landing pages with a method to capture visitor information. You can also:

• Provide a valuable gift or resource with a web form for capturing information
• Use a squeeze page, which is a landing page used to solicit opt-in email addresses
• Use an online form to collect entrant information for a contest or giveaway
• Ask visitors to leave a comment on your blog with a way to contact them

Following Up

Unfortunately, not all visitors will immediately purchase your product. They may need more time to decide. Luckily, you have their contact information and can follow up with them and continue to stay top-of-mind. Fulfill your promise to keep in touch with frequent and personalized communications. With a solid plan in place to capture leads, you’re well on your way towards success on Small Business Saturday and beyond.

 

About the Author

As the Thought Leadership Manager at Infusionsoft, Tracie Rollins helps small businesses succeed by educating and sharing innovative approaches to solve small business challenges. Tracie has nearly two decades of experience in training and curriculum design for large corporations, small businesses, and government agencies.

As an entrepreneur, Tracie has appeared on KTVK’s Good Morning Arizona show, and has been featured in the Institute for Industrial Engineering magazine, Woman’s World, Arizona Republic, and multiple local publications. She and her husband, Lonny help small businesses stand out amongst the competition with The Rollins Advantage, LLC.

You Know When To Buy New Shoes, But When Do You Change Your Phone System?

A few weeks ago as I was walking down the block in Midtown Manhattan in the rain I felt my left foot getting wet. After a close inspection I saw I had a hole in my shoe! Time to get a new pair. You might not have this kind of warning when it’s time to get a new phones system.

Phones systems are important. MAYBE email and other non-phone methods are increasing- but for many businesses the phone will be every so important. When you go to bed at night you brush your teeth - but when should you upgrade your phone system.

Phone system provider Fonality offers some guidelines.

“Communications upgrades often take place in the context of a significant event in the life of a business, such as a corporate-wide relocation or a frantic push to keep up with rapid growth,” said Jeff Valentine, Chief Marketing Officer of Fonality. “To prepare for these scenarios, SMBs must evaluate a solution that offers the best features and flexibility to scale in times of dramatic growth.”

In considering an upgrade, companies must weight a variety of factors and please a range of constituencies. Corporate executives crave the chance to shave costs, while customer service managers require new features that foster stronger customer service and product support.

To help businesses navigate these decisions, Fonality outlined six scenarios that frequently spark a system change, offering guidance on how unified communications and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) can be leveraged together.

Scenario 1: Moving to a new location

Moving creates a hard-and-fast deadline that forces companies to make tough decisions without delay. While it might be more economical to relocate a small, relatively new system, it’s usually more cost-effective to replace a larger one near the end of its depreciation schedule.

Switching to a hosted VoIP system can help cut costs and allow companies to hand off telephone tasks to an outside provider. Companies wishing to reduce the risk of downtime can choose a hybrid system combining the low cost of SIP trunk lines with the reliability of PRI connections to the public phone network.

Scenario 2: Expanding rapidly

A new round of venture funding or an IPO often leads a young company to hire hundreds or even thousands of new employees and open new offices across the country. Fast-growing companies require simplicity, deploying a plug-and-play model for each location to streamline the process of adding new users and offices. Speed is also essential, allowing IT to quickly implement a large, globally scattered install.

Scenario 3: Standardizing systems across multiple sites

Mergers can result in a tangle of incompatible phone systems, but instead of untangling them all at once, it’s frequently more cost-effective to do it in stages over a few years. Incompatible systems can require routing calls through the corporate headquarters and incurring local-calling costs. To centralize telecom spend, companies can route calls through a standardized VoIP system, and deploy a standards-compliant technology.

Scenario 4: Addressing failures in aging legacy systems.

Some companies’ phone systems are simply worn out to the point of breakdowns at the worst possible times. By using this as an opportunity to switch to standards-based VoIP, companies can experience lower costs and a rich array of Unified Communications features. To limit the overall cost of the upgrade, VoIP can be deployed only where it’s needed, to avoid having to replace more technology than necessary.

Scenario 5: Converting to VoIP.

Many companies are eager to try VoIP, which promises substantial cost savings and adds a range of text, voice and video features that are impossible with legacy analog or digital systems.  Before diving in, companies must consider the user experience this offers employees, and the added complexity that the support team must be able to handle. While many companies balk at VoIP providers who force them to unplug from the public network, Fonality’s solution can be designed so inbound calls use the public phone network, while outbound and in-company calls take advantage of the full range of VoIP features.

Scenario 6: Adding web-based applications.

VoIP lets companies integrate a vast range of web-based technologies into their telecom systems, such as a database, CRM software, soft phones, or videoconferencing. By using an integrated dashboard, such as the Fonality Heads Up Display (HUD), businesses can unify their tools, while maintaining system security.

To help small and midsize businesses adapt during these six scenarios, Fonality created a free e-book available online at http://info.fonality.com/ebook-communications-upgrades.

Amazon Offers Developer Select Status to Some Apps

If you have a business app available through the Amazon marketplace, there’s a new way to get it noticed. Amazon recently announced a Developer Select program that will offer preferential treatment to those meeting what seem to be fairly minimal standards.

You’ll find a brief overview of the new program in this video:

Here’s what’s involved:

• Apps must be compatible with all designated Amazon devices.
• These devices currently include Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch, and Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch 4G.
• As of Jan. 1, 2014, they must also be compatible with the recently announced Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire HDX and Kindle Fire HDX 8.9-inch.
• Apps must render in native high definition on all these devices at full screen without distortion, stretching or pixelation and must have high definition screenshots to go with them.
• They must use Amazon In-App Purchase API if they allow in-app purchasing and Amazon Mobile Ads API if the app displays ads.
• There are a number of additional requirements if your app is a game.

Once you sign up for the program, there are a number of benefits that will put your app ahead of the rest. Here are some of the basics:

• 500,000 free mobile ad impressions on Amazon’s Mobile Ad Network.
• Merchandising in a dedicated section of the Amazon app store.
• Consideration for advertising on Kindle Fire.
• Customers who buy your app or an in-app purchase get 30 percent of the purchasing price in Amazon coins, the retailers new virtual currency, and first-time buyers get 250 extra bonus coins.
• 25 percent back on the cost of Amazon Web Services up to $500 a year to help you scale your business.

Getting apps noticed can be harder than some first-time publishers realize. Fortunately, most of the requirements for participation in the program seem as if they would make for a stronger app offering anyway.

Image: Amazon

Amazon Offers Developer Select Status to Some Apps

If you have a business app available through the Amazon marketplace, there’s a new way to get it noticed. Amazon recently announced a Developer Select program that will offer preferential treatment to those meeting what seem to be fairly minimal standards.

You’ll find a brief overview of the new program in this video:

Here’s what’s involved:

• Apps must be compatible with all designated Amazon devices.
• These devices currently include Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch, and Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch 4G.
• As of Jan. 1, 2014, they must also be compatible with the recently announced Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire HDX and Kindle Fire HDX 8.9-inch.
• Apps must render in native high definition on all these devices at full screen without distortion, stretching or pixelation and must have high definition screenshots to go with them.
• They must use Amazon In-App Purchase API if they allow in-app purchasing and Amazon Mobile Ads API if the app displays ads.
• There are a number of additional requirements if your app is a game.

Once you sign up for the program, there are a number of benefits that will put your app ahead of the rest. Here are some of the basics:

• 500,000 free mobile ad impressions on Amazon’s Mobile Ad Network.
• Merchandising in a dedicated section of the Amazon app store.
• Consideration for advertising on Kindle Fire.
• Customers who buy your app or an in-app purchase get 30 percent of the purchasing price in Amazon coins, the retailers new virtual currency, and first-time buyers get 250 extra bonus coins.
• 25 percent back on the cost of Amazon Web Services up to $500 a year to help you scale your business.

Getting apps noticed can be harder than some first-time publishers realize. Fortunately, most of the requirements for participation in the program seem as if they would make for a stronger app offering anyway.

Image: Amazon

You Know When To Buy New Shoes, But When Do You Change Your Phone System?

A few weeks ago as I was walking down the block in Midtown Manhattan in the rain I felt my left foot getting wet. After a close inspection I saw I had a hole in my shoe! Time to get a new pair. You might not have this kind of warning when it’s time to get a new phones system.

Phones systems are important. MAYBE email and other non-phone methods are increasing- but for many businesses the phone will be every so important. When you go to bed at night you brush your teeth - but when should you upgrade your phone system.

Phone system provider Fonality offers some guidelines.

“Communications upgrades often take place in the context of a significant event in the life of a business, such as a corporate-wide relocation or a frantic push to keep up with rapid growth,” said Jeff Valentine, Chief Marketing Officer of Fonality. “To prepare for these scenarios, SMBs must evaluate a solution that offers the best features and flexibility to scale in times of dramatic growth.”

In considering an upgrade, companies must weight a variety of factors and please a range of constituencies. Corporate executives crave the chance to shave costs, while customer service managers require new features that foster stronger customer service and product support.

To help businesses navigate these decisions, Fonality outlined six scenarios that frequently spark a system change, offering guidance on how unified communications and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) can be leveraged together.

Scenario 1: Moving to a new location

Moving creates a hard-and-fast deadline that forces companies to make tough decisions without delay. While it might be more economical to relocate a small, relatively new system, it’s usually more cost-effective to replace a larger one near the end of its depreciation schedule.

Switching to a hosted VoIP system can help cut costs and allow companies to hand off telephone tasks to an outside provider. Companies wishing to reduce the risk of downtime can choose a hybrid system combining the low cost of SIP trunk lines with the reliability of PRI connections to the public phone network.

Scenario 2: Expanding rapidly

A new round of venture funding or an IPO often leads a young company to hire hundreds or even thousands of new employees and open new offices across the country. Fast-growing companies require simplicity, deploying a plug-and-play model for each location to streamline the process of adding new users and offices. Speed is also essential, allowing IT to quickly implement a large, globally scattered install.

Scenario 3: Standardizing systems across multiple sites

Mergers can result in a tangle of incompatible phone systems, but instead of untangling them all at once, it’s frequently more cost-effective to do it in stages over a few years. Incompatible systems can require routing calls through the corporate headquarters and incurring local-calling costs. To centralize telecom spend, companies can route calls through a standardized VoIP system, and deploy a standards-compliant technology.

Scenario 4: Addressing failures in aging legacy systems.

Some companies’ phone systems are simply worn out to the point of breakdowns at the worst possible times. By using this as an opportunity to switch to standards-based VoIP, companies can experience lower costs and a rich array of Unified Communications features. To limit the overall cost of the upgrade, VoIP can be deployed only where it’s needed, to avoid having to replace more technology than necessary.

Scenario 5: Converting to VoIP.

Many companies are eager to try VoIP, which promises substantial cost savings and adds a range of text, voice and video features that are impossible with legacy analog or digital systems.  Before diving in, companies must consider the user experience this offers employees, and the added complexity that the support team must be able to handle. While many companies balk at VoIP providers who force them to unplug from the public network, Fonality’s solution can be designed so inbound calls use the public phone network, while outbound and in-company calls take advantage of the full range of VoIP features.

Scenario 6: Adding web-based applications.

VoIP lets companies integrate a vast range of web-based technologies into their telecom systems, such as a database, CRM software, soft phones, or videoconferencing. By using an integrated dashboard, such as the Fonality Heads Up Display (HUD), businesses can unify their tools, while maintaining system security.

To help small and midsize businesses adapt during these six scenarios, Fonality created a free e-book available online at http://info.fonality.com/ebook-communications-upgrades.

Securing Your Business and Eating Vegetables: Nasty But Needful

You know that hackers want to destroy your business and access your files, customer financial data and everything else they can steal.  You also know that you do not have the expertise to combat them, what to do? Hide in the corner and hope you don’t get attacked? Hire a professional and expensive security consultant? Or look for a great small business focused security solution.

Security vendor Kaspersky has a new solution that could be ideal for very small businesses. Here’s some information from Kaspersky about it. What I like about Kaspersky’s solution is that it has a LOT of features in ONE offering.

I think security is essential for all small businesses and not enough of you are doing what you can to be secure. I’ve included their entire press release below.

Kaspersky Lab has announced a new version of Kaspersky Small Office Security, the company’s security solution built specifically for businesses with fewer than 25 employees.  This solution includes new features that help small businesses stay ahead of modern security challenges, and includes Kaspersky Lab’s latest anti-malware technologies in an easy-to-use product that doesn’t require business owners to be IT experts.

According to IDC estimates, there are more than 75 million businesses worldwide that operate with fewer than 10 employees[i].  These “very small businesses” will process millions, if not billions, of dollars in 2014.  Yet this segment has been traditionally under-served by IT security vendors that don’t offer products with these businesses in mind.  As a result, business owners have been forced to use consumer-level products that don’t adequately meet their business needs, or stripped-down versions of enterprise-level products that are cumbersome to manage and force businesses to pay for security features they will never use.  Small business owners can find valuable resources, videos and tips for selecting the right security solution on Kaspersky Lab’s new small business web page.

Kaspersky Small Office Security is designed to cater solely to the needs of these small businesses, combining powerful protection from cybercrime with the features small businesses need to compete in the global economy.  Most importantly, Kaspersky Small Office Security is simple to install and manage, and offers incredible value in both purchase costs and administration time.  This simplicity allows business owners to equip themselves with world-class protection without taking their focus away from running their companies.

What’s New in Kaspersky Small Office Security

Kaspersky Lab solidified its commitment to the very small business segment in 2010 with the company’s first stand-alone version of Kaspersky Small Office Security.  It was then the industry’s first complete security solution built specifically for startups and growing businesses, and it is a distinction that still remains true in 2013.  Kaspersky Lab has continued to improve and refine its offering over the past several years, which has earned numerous awards from third-party test organizations, including Dennis Technology Labs in2012 and 2013.  In fact, Dennis Technology Labs’ latest report, published in October 2013, ranked Kaspersky Small Office Security a the most accurate and effective anti-malware solution for small businesses, well ahead of four competing products.  Built on the same award-winning platform, the latest version of Kaspersky Small Office Security includes several brand new features, and a host of technology upgrades and improvements, including:

• Safe Money to Protect Online Banking - By automatically activating new layers of protection when users are conducting financial transactions online, businesses can now pay invoices, make purchases, and access online financial data with peace of mind.  Kaspersky Lab’s award-winning Safe Money technology automatically activates an ultra-secure web browser whenever the user visits a financial site, such as an online bank or payment service. The Safe Money browser ensures no unauthorized programs can run and on-screen data is protected from key-loggers and screen-capture malware.  Safe Money will also verify that the website users are connected to is authentic and has a valid certification to defeat pishing attempts, and constantly monitors the connection to ensure information is not intercepted by cybercriminals.

• Enhanced Mobile Device Support - Small businesses are not immune to the challenges of protecting a mobile workforce and the fast-growing BYOD trends.  Kaspersky Small Office Security now includes support for Android tablets and smartphones, equipping these devices with an array of anti-malware, web browsing protection, and privacy controls.  Most importantly, these devices will now have Kaspersky Lab’s latest anti-theft technologies, allowing employees to find missing mobile devices, or remotely wipe the data from stolen mobile devices.

• Automatic Exploit Prevention - This unique technology prevents cybercriminals from using emerging vulnerabilities in legitimate software, commonly known as Zero Days, to launch malware attacks.  By proactively monitoring the behavior of commonly-exploited software, such as Adobe and Java, Automatic Exploit Prevention will protect customers from undiscovered exploits and ensure customers are protected even if the latest updates to their legitimate programs have not yet been installed.

• Password Manager - Secure passwords are a foundation for secure computing, yet all too often, users take the more convenient options of using simple passwords, reusing the same passwords for multiple accounts, or keeping a list of their passwords on a piece of paper next to their desk.  With a password manager, employees can get back on track with good password habits, and only need to remember a single “master password.”  Kaspersky Password Manager will store passwords in an encrypted vault, and automatically fill-in the correct password when needed.  It can also create customized secure passwords for new accounts so employees won’t be tempted to re-use existing passwords, and enables employees to create a secure portable version of their password vault on a USB drive.

• Online Backup - Small businesses can now automatically save their critical data securely in the cloud or to a local hard drive or server.  By making the backup process simpler, small businesses can be assured their most important business plans, financial records, and customer data will remain accessible in case of equipment failure or accidental deletion.

Protection and Control with Ease

The most compelling feature of Kaspersky Small Office Security is its ease of use, which makes advanced protection technologies accessible and straightforward for small business owners.  By de-mystifying features like data encryption and web policy controls through wizard-driven menus and one-click options, Kaspersky Small Office Security makes the benefits of web usage policies, data encryption, and central management available to businesses of all sizes.

• Web Policy Management - Business owners can easily customize each employee’s ability to access websites, social networks, and applications. This can include individual websites, or entire categories of websites that are classified by Kaspersky Small Office Security.

• Data Encryption and File Backup - Not only can business owners enable automatic file backups on each PC at scheduled intervals, but the files on both the PC and the backup storage can also be protected with powerful encryption settings.  Data encryption ensures that the most sensitive data in a business - such as product designs and customer financial information - is never vulnerable to theft, unauthorized access, or accidental deletion.

• Central Management - From any PC on the network, owners can remotely manage the security settings described above on every employee computer, along with additional management capabilities such as license renewal, monitoring of security settings, and more.

Kaspersky Small Office Security supports up to 25 user licenses per business, which includes PCs (Windows XP through Windows 8), file servers, and Android smartphones and tablets. Each user license includes protection of 1 PC and 1 mobile device, so businesses that purchase protection for 10 employees can protect 10 PCs and 10 mobile devices.  Kaspersky Small Office Security also supports popular Windows file servers, including Windows Server 2008 R2; Small Business Server 2011 Essentials/Standard; and Windows Server 2012 Foundation/Essentials/Standard.  Kaspersky Lab will include support for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 later in Q4 2013.

Kaspersky Small Office Security is available for purchase at computer retailers and the Kaspersky Lab e-store.  Kaspersky Small Office Security can also be purchased through local authorized Kaspersky Lab resellers, who can provide hands-on assistance with installation and configuration, as well as future support.

Power Up with 8 Battery Packs that Keep You on the Go

Batteries are not a hot business topic, but we each crave longer battery life for our devices and equipment, especially when traveling. This short list of portable battery packs may help you just enough to keep an important business conversation going on your phone or allow you to finish a document on a tablet.

A technical abbreviation that you’ll want to know when considering an external portable battery pack is milliampere hour (mAh). It describes the energy charge that a battery holds and how long a device will run before you need to recharge it. I’ve included the Amazon link for each battery pack, when possible and some of these devices were sent to me for media reviews.

Anker: Astro Slim2

This is my favorite for travel. Ultra-slim external portable battery that stacks against your smartphone and supplies simultaneous, full-speed charges for two devices. If you do a search for portable battery on Amazon, Anker frequently pops up first.  It’s available here (not an affiliate link) on Amazon for $27.99.

• Compact, easy-to-grip slim design specifically sized to stack battery behind your smartphone while in use.
• Hideaway micro USB cable for Android  reduces the number of cords you need to carry to stay connected; USB port available for iPhone. Elegant.
• 4500mAh battery offers enough power for 2-3 charges on most phones.
• Dual ports supply 1Amp of power each so you can power up in no time.
• LED column lets you know exactly how much battery power is left.

Satechi Portable Energy Station

Another favorite of mine. This company makes lots of great travel products and innovative gadgets. I have owned this one for a long time and it has taken some abuse and held up well. You can find it on Amazon here for $59.99.

• Instant dual power - recharge your tablet and smart phone or other mobile devices simultaneously.
• 10000 mAh Lithium Polymer Battery - Rapid charging - faster than charging from a traditional outlet.
• Battery life indicator & auto OFF feature that detects when fully charged. (When you look at these tiny devices, this becomes somewhat important.)
• Lightweight and compact - easily carry it on long flights in your laptop or tablet bag. You can expect the weight to increase when you increase mAh.
• It offers an overload protection feature to keep your battery safe.

iWALK: Extreme Series Universal Backup Batteries

This company has a large selection of portable batteries for devices, even one to power your laptop. Here is a link to the compact 5200 mAh model on Amazon, which sells for $43.99.

• 9 compact models ranging from 1,800mAH to 15,000mAH.
• Equipped with LED battery charge and discharge level indicator.
• Ideal for smartphones, navigation units, cameras, Bluetooth headsets.
• Extreme 15000 - largest capacity unit in the world with 8 different connectors.
• Extreme 8200 Duo - capable of charging two devices at the same time.

Snow Lizard: SLPower 7

Like some of the chargers above, slim and easy to pack. Plus, you have to give them credit for a creative name. It’s memorable. Not sure what it has to do with batteries though. Amazon has it for $51.91 here. White or black.

• Boasting a 7000 mAh battery the SLPower 7 has enough power to rapidly charge your iPad, tablet and smartphone.
• Designed for on the go use, the low profile charger provides power and portability at just over one half inch thick.
• 2 USB connections - Dedicated iPhone Connection and USB connection for tablets and  smartphones.

Digital Treasures: PowerFlask

Although I don’t think I would walk around with this battery in my pocket, it certainly fits. A portable, novel way to charge two USB devices simultaneously. You can find it on Amazon for $71.91.

• 13,000 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery which will keep supplying extra juice for devices on-the-go. I did find that when I had depleted the charge it took overnight to fully recharge.
• Two ultra-bright flashlight LED’s are situated at the top of the PowerFlask for lighting options while the user is on the road. (It took me a while to figure out how to turn these on - should have read the manual sooner.)
• The PowerFlask is wrapped in supple leather with an aluminum finish for a high-quality and eye-catching aesthetic.

Scosche: goBAT II

Dual USB portable charger and backup battery. Available at: Amazon for $42.88. You can also get it at BestBuy.com and Buy.com.

• Internal 5000 maH rechargeable lithium ion battery can charge a drained iPhone 4 2.6 times.
• 10 Watt (2.1 Amp) port is perfect for charging tablets and 5 Watt (1 Amp) port can charge virtually any other USB powered handheld.
• Four blue LED lights indicate how much battery life is left.

New Trent: Powerpak+

This battery is rugged looking and powerful. One of the small things I liked about it is the ridges on the side that made it less likely to slip out of my hand. You can find it on Amazon for $54.95.

• Powerful 13,500mAh battery pack quickly and efficiently charges USB-based devices.
• Features a 1A and 2.1A port to juice up both iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. (I found this handy for the occasional time when I needed to charge both devices.)
• Charges most smartphones up to 6 times.
• Slim and compact design allows it to easily fit into any backpack, purse or carry-on.

Goal Zero: Switch 8 Solar Recharging Kit

This small 3.5 Watt Solar Panel recharging system is pretty cool. It comes with four AA batteries (and will also recharge AAA). You also can purchase a portable unit called the “Switch” that is smaller than a roll of quarters, but powerful enough for smartphones, iPods or your GPS. It is available on Amazon for $119.99 (for the panel only) and $39.95 for the Switch.

If you are out in the field a fair amount, this solar recharger may be the unit for you. You can plug your device into the solar panel charger directly. Of course, you could buy extra battery units for your device(s), instead, but this one at least gives you some recharge options.

• Charges devices via USB port.
• Power pack and solar panel combined weight only .7 lbs. (less than one pound). It is small enough to fit in a backpack, briefcase or purse.
• Foldable and rugged Nomad 3.5 Solar Panel recharges Switch in 2-4 hours.

You may not think about batteries on a daily basis, but if you find your devices running low all too often this list may help. It might help you to prevent that beeping tone that says, “You have less than 10% battery life remaining, plug in now…”

How do you handle keeping your devices charged while on the road?

Full Charge Photo via Shutterstock

Securing Your Business and Eating Vegetables: Nasty But Needful

You know that hackers want to destroy your business and access your files, customer financial data and everything else they can steal.  You also know that you do not have the expertise to combat them, what to do? Hide in the corner and hope you don’t get attacked? Hire a professional and expensive security consultant? Or look for a great small business focused security solution.

Security vendor Kaspersky has a new solution that could be ideal for very small businesses. Here’s some information from Kaspersky about it. What I like about Kaspersky’s solution is that it has a LOT of features in ONE offering.

I think security is essential for all small businesses and not enough of you are doing what you can to be secure. I’ve included their entire press release below.

Kaspersky Lab has announced a new version of Kaspersky Small Office Security, the company’s security solution built specifically for businesses with fewer than 25 employees.  This solution includes new features that help small businesses stay ahead of modern security challenges, and includes Kaspersky Lab’s latest anti-malware technologies in an easy-to-use product that doesn’t require business owners to be IT experts.

According to IDC estimates, there are more than 75 million businesses worldwide that operate with fewer than 10 employees[i].  These “very small businesses” will process millions, if not billions, of dollars in 2014.  Yet this segment has been traditionally under-served by IT security vendors that don’t offer products with these businesses in mind.  As a result, business owners have been forced to use consumer-level products that don’t adequately meet their business needs, or stripped-down versions of enterprise-level products that are cumbersome to manage and force businesses to pay for security features they will never use.  Small business owners can find valuable resources, videos and tips for selecting the right security solution on Kaspersky Lab’s new small business web page.

Kaspersky Small Office Security is designed to cater solely to the needs of these small businesses, combining powerful protection from cybercrime with the features small businesses need to compete in the global economy.  Most importantly, Kaspersky Small Office Security is simple to install and manage, and offers incredible value in both purchase costs and administration time.  This simplicity allows business owners to equip themselves with world-class protection without taking their focus away from running their companies.

What’s New in Kaspersky Small Office Security

Kaspersky Lab solidified its commitment to the very small business segment in 2010 with the company’s first stand-alone version of Kaspersky Small Office Security.  It was then the industry’s first complete security solution built specifically for startups and growing businesses, and it is a distinction that still remains true in 2013.  Kaspersky Lab has continued to improve and refine its offering over the past several years, which has earned numerous awards from third-party test organizations, including Dennis Technology Labs in2012 and 2013.  In fact, Dennis Technology Labs’ latest report, published in October 2013, ranked Kaspersky Small Office Security a the most accurate and effective anti-malware solution for small businesses, well ahead of four competing products.  Built on the same award-winning platform, the latest version of Kaspersky Small Office Security includes several brand new features, and a host of technology upgrades and improvements, including:

• Safe Money to Protect Online Banking - By automatically activating new layers of protection when users are conducting financial transactions online, businesses can now pay invoices, make purchases, and access online financial data with peace of mind.  Kaspersky Lab’s award-winning Safe Money technology automatically activates an ultra-secure web browser whenever the user visits a financial site, such as an online bank or payment service. The Safe Money browser ensures no unauthorized programs can run and on-screen data is protected from key-loggers and screen-capture malware.  Safe Money will also verify that the website users are connected to is authentic and has a valid certification to defeat pishing attempts, and constantly monitors the connection to ensure information is not intercepted by cybercriminals.

• Enhanced Mobile Device Support - Small businesses are not immune to the challenges of protecting a mobile workforce and the fast-growing BYOD trends.  Kaspersky Small Office Security now includes support for Android tablets and smartphones, equipping these devices with an array of anti-malware, web browsing protection, and privacy controls.  Most importantly, these devices will now have Kaspersky Lab’s latest anti-theft technologies, allowing employees to find missing mobile devices, or remotely wipe the data from stolen mobile devices.

• Automatic Exploit Prevention - This unique technology prevents cybercriminals from using emerging vulnerabilities in legitimate software, commonly known as Zero Days, to launch malware attacks.  By proactively monitoring the behavior of commonly-exploited software, such as Adobe and Java, Automatic Exploit Prevention will protect customers from undiscovered exploits and ensure customers are protected even if the latest updates to their legitimate programs have not yet been installed.

• Password Manager - Secure passwords are a foundation for secure computing, yet all too often, users take the more convenient options of using simple passwords, reusing the same passwords for multiple accounts, or keeping a list of their passwords on a piece of paper next to their desk.  With a password manager, employees can get back on track with good password habits, and only need to remember a single “master password.”  Kaspersky Password Manager will store passwords in an encrypted vault, and automatically fill-in the correct password when needed.  It can also create customized secure passwords for new accounts so employees won’t be tempted to re-use existing passwords, and enables employees to create a secure portable version of their password vault on a USB drive.

• Online Backup - Small businesses can now automatically save their critical data securely in the cloud or to a local hard drive or server.  By making the backup process simpler, small businesses can be assured their most important business plans, financial records, and customer data will remain accessible in case of equipment failure or accidental deletion.

Protection and Control with Ease

The most compelling feature of Kaspersky Small Office Security is its ease of use, which makes advanced protection technologies accessible and straightforward for small business owners.  By de-mystifying features like data encryption and web policy controls through wizard-driven menus and one-click options, Kaspersky Small Office Security makes the benefits of web usage policies, data encryption, and central management available to businesses of all sizes.

• Web Policy Management - Business owners can easily customize each employee’s ability to access websites, social networks, and applications. This can include individual websites, or entire categories of websites that are classified by Kaspersky Small Office Security.

• Data Encryption and File Backup - Not only can business owners enable automatic file backups on each PC at scheduled intervals, but the files on both the PC and the backup storage can also be protected with powerful encryption settings.  Data encryption ensures that the most sensitive data in a business - such as product designs and customer financial information - is never vulnerable to theft, unauthorized access, or accidental deletion.

• Central Management - From any PC on the network, owners can remotely manage the security settings described above on every employee computer, along with additional management capabilities such as license renewal, monitoring of security settings, and more.

Kaspersky Small Office Security supports up to 25 user licenses per business, which includes PCs (Windows XP through Windows 8), file servers, and Android smartphones and tablets. Each user license includes protection of 1 PC and 1 mobile device, so businesses that purchase protection for 10 employees can protect 10 PCs and 10 mobile devices.  Kaspersky Small Office Security also supports popular Windows file servers, including Windows Server 2008 R2; Small Business Server 2011 Essentials/Standard; and Windows Server 2012 Foundation/Essentials/Standard.  Kaspersky Lab will include support for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 later in Q4 2013.

Kaspersky Small Office Security is available for purchase at computer retailers and the Kaspersky Lab e-store.  Kaspersky Small Office Security can also be purchased through local authorized Kaspersky Lab resellers, who can provide hands-on assistance with installation and configuration, as well as future support.

Long Commutes Can Kill and There’s Actually Proof

Advocates for working from home when starting a business cite all kinds of reasons. There’s the lower overhead, spending more time with friends and family, a more flexible work schedule and more.

But one reason for cutting out long commutes rarely even gets mentioned â€" the fact that long-term, you may be saving your life!

Jane E. Brody, a columnist for The New York Times observes:

A recent study of 4,297 Texans compared their health with the distances they commuted to and from work. It showed that as these distances increased, physical activity and cardiovascular fitness dropped, and blood pressure, body weight, waist circumference and metabolic risks rose.

Chris Tackett of Treehugger says the study makes the case for neighborhoods built to encourage shorter commuters and more walking and biking.

But, of course, entrepreneurs can’t wait for urban renewal. So the question becomes how do you make sure you’ll still be around to enjoy the fruits of your labor once your business has grown?

Again, Brody argues less commuting allows more time to live a healthier lifestyle including more exercise, eating better and getting more sleep.

If your business can be started from home, you should consider how much time you could save that would otherwise be lost in commuting.

Learn more on the study and the connection between commuting distance and health from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine here.

Long Commute Photo via Shutterstock