The LaserJet Printer, Almost 30 Years Later

LaserJet Printer History: The 200 Million Milestone

In 1984 HP introduced its first LaserJet printer.  Even though HP didn’t invent the laser printer, it was the first company to take it to the mass market with a desktop version, according to Wikipedia.

Fast forward nearly 30 years.  Today HP shipped its 200 millionth LaserJet printer.

And supposedly paper is dead….  Apparently somebody forget to tell all the businesses and people buying those printers.

In an interview, David Laing, Director of Innovation for HP LaserJet and Enterprise Solutions, told us the LaserJet printer history.  It’s one of innovation.  Many of those innovations empowered small businesses, he said.  ”As I reflect on the HP LaserJet and when it first launched, it gave small businesses the ability to look bigger.  A small business had the ability to appear more professional, like larger companies, at a reasonable cost,” Laing told us.

Another milestone for small businesses came in 1998, when HP launched the first color all-in-one device for the mass market.  ”The all-in one saved small businesses money because you didn’t need to buy a separate printer, copier and fax any more,” he said.

The Printer Evolves Into A Business Kiosk

Today, new milestones are being chalked up at a fast clip.  The all-in-one printer has evolved into what Laing calls a stand alone business kiosk.  ”These multifunction machines used to be called ‘peripherals’ but now can function as a stand alone kiosk for a small business.”  In other words, given the direction of today’s technology, you don’t necessarily need to use a computer to locate and print documents.

Users can print directly from mobile devices such as smartphones (see above).

Another area involves accessing documents stored in the cloud directly from the printer.   HP’s newer devices have touch display panels so you can search, print and scan documents, without having to use a desktop computer or laptop.  Some models even have pullout keyboards for enhanced functionality.

From these devices you can locate and print documents stored in cloud filing systems such as Dropbox, Box.net and Google Drive.  HP also has its own cloud file storage system called Flow CM, which Laing says has more advanced technology than competing cloud file-storage systems.

For instance, using Flow CM you can search the entire text not only of written documents, but also in audio and video files. You don’t need to create a written transcript first â€" the technology is capable of searching the audio and video.  It also is intelligent enough to detect the meaning of the words, Laing claims.  ”Previously this technology was available only for large enterprises, but now is available for small businesses,” Laing noted.  The technology came via HP’s acquisition of Autonomy a few years ago.

The actual 200 millionth LaserJet machine will be placed in the HP offices in commemoration of the LaserJet printer history.  To mark the occasion, the company is also holding a sweepstakes and awarding a special limited editions as prizes. The sweeps is open through December 24, 2013.

Images: stills from HP video

Small Business Wellness Programs and Return On Investment (ROI)

It’s relatively agreed upon that reducing health costs is the top reason for small business wellness programs. I recently wrote about implementing wellness programs as a way to reduce overall company health care costs. However, the costs that come with it are often a barrier for organizations - especially for smaller businesses.

According to the 2013 Aflac WorkForces Report, only 7 percent of businesses with 3-49 employees have a wellness program. Even so, the survey showed that 61 percent of companies strongly or somewhat agree that wellness programs can directly impact corporate profitability.

So how can small businesses make the case for themselves that these programs are worth implementing?

It’s all about ROI (return on investment).

Showing the Worth of Small Business Wellness Programs

A study by Health Affairs found that medical costs fall by about $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programs and that absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73 for every dollar spent.

Another study by Harvard Business Review of several wellness programs shows a clear impact. In the Harvard study, one company saw a return of $2.71 on every dollar spent on wellness programs, and cumulative savings of $250 million on health care costs in a decade. Another reported an 80 percent decline in lost work days over six years, with a savings calculated of $1.5 million, along with workers’ compensation insurance premiums having declined by 50 percent.

Determining the Worth of Small Business Wellness Programs

Measuring the return on investment from small business wellness programs is a challenge. In fact, the Aflac study showed that only three out of 10 companies (32 percent) have managed to do so.

Each small business is different. I’m not going to pretend to know the nuances of your specific business and how a wellness program could deliver ROI for your particular situation.

However, we’ve identified a few measurements that can help companies determine program successes that may provide valuable perspectives.

Benefits Engagement and Knowledge

Employees enrolled in small business wellness programs are more likely to be knowledgeable about benefits options and health care. They are also more likely to be engaged in their benefits programs and choices.

Surveying benefits knowledge, understanding and overall engagement can show a direct link to a company’s investment in benefits packages and efforts to market those benefits options.

Employee Satisfaction and Morale

The Aflac study identified that employees who are enrolled in worksite wellness programs are more satisfied with their jobs and benefits packages, and also express more confidence in their employers.

These measures can have a critical impact on a company’s bottom line. Whether by measuring employee tenure and retention, or employee referrals, understanding worker satisfaction and morale can help show the enduring value of a company’s wellness initiatives.

Employee Well-Being

The Aflac study reveals employees that participate in small business wellness programs are more than 10 percent more likely to say they are healthy because they exercise and eat right (41 percent compared to 30 percent).

Financial Security

Likewise, financial security is critical to overall workforce health. The Aflac study found only 16 percent of employees say they are extremely or very prepared to pay for out-of-pocket expenses associated with serious illness or injury.

Tracking overall employee health and wellness is essential to understanding a program’s success. Measuring a decline in sick days or unexpected leave will help to gain a good measure of physical, emotional and financial health.

Wellness Photo via Shutterstock

Why You Should Ditch Old Intuit Quickbooks and Use Fresh Intuit Quickbooks Online

I’ve been using Quickbooks for a long time to manage the finances of Smallbiztechnology.com.

The problem I found with Quickbooks is that it was the only software that slowed my computer.

Other than my web browser and a few other tools such as Dropbox and Carbonite - Quickbooks was the only software I used. The benefit of using Quickbooks online (or any other online software) is that you can access it from anywhere you have access to the Internet and now the online software does not slow my computer down.

Recently, Quickbooks massively upgraded Quickboks Online - it’s fresh, it’s new, feature rich and looks darn good. I’ve ditched Quickbooks (with a bit of nervousness) and now use Quickbooks online.

According to Intuit’s press release, QuickBooks Online is now faster and easier to use than ever.

The engaging new design is not only beautiful, but also built for better functionality. The latest version streamlines business tasks to boost efficiency and help save small businesses time. Customized data now appears in a visual manner that is informative and easy-to-understand. Enhanced features include:

• Simple set-up and easy to learn, intuitive functions for any small business
• Fast performance, offering real-time data and reports
• Scalable solutions to fit the needs of any size small business
• The power of QuickBooks with the benefits of the Intuit accountant ecosystem

“I was happy with QuickBooks Online before, but when I saw the new version, I was blown away,” said Laura Redmond, founder of Redmond Accounting. “It’s sleek, fast, and simple and the layout is clean and fresh.”

Open and Integrated Platform

The online version of QuickBooks has been rebuilt as an open platform. For small businesses, this simplifies work by integrating all of Intuit’s powerful business management tools under one umbrella. The QuickBooks Online platform includes Intuit’s robust small business tools, including Payroll and Payments, which are now interconnected and built into the online version of QuickBooks. The open platform design allows third parties and app developers to create small business applications that are available to nearly 500,000 QuickBooks Online subscribers, which boast more than 1.3 million users, giving customers the ability to customize the online version of QuickBooks to meet their specific business needs, while providing them access to data across applications. The QuickBooks Online platform offers a range of collaborative tools including:

• Access to Intuit’s accounting, payments and payroll add-on solutions through one login, from a computer, iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablets
• Real-time data updates enabling immediate accountant or bookkeeper collaboration
• Large-scale app integration and access to Intuit’s Apps.com, one of the largest and most diverse small business apps marketplaces

Why You Should Ditch Old Intuit Quickbooks and Use Fresh Intuit Quickbooks Online

I’ve been using Quickbooks for a long time to manage the finances of Smallbiztechnology.com.

The problem I found with Quickbooks is that it was the only software that slowed my computer.

Other than my web browser and a few other tools such as Dropbox and Carbonite - Quickbooks was the only software I used. The benefit of using Quickbooks online (or any other online software) is that you can access it from anywhere you have access to the Internet and now the online software does not slow my computer down.

Recently, Quickbooks massively upgraded Quickboks Online - it’s fresh, it’s new, feature rich and looks darn good. I’ve ditched Quickbooks (with a bit of nervousness) and now use Quickbooks online.

According to Intuit’s press release, QuickBooks Online is now faster and easier to use than ever.

The engaging new design is not only beautiful, but also built for better functionality. The latest version streamlines business tasks to boost efficiency and help save small businesses time. Customized data now appears in a visual manner that is informative and easy-to-understand. Enhanced features include:

• Simple set-up and easy to learn, intuitive functions for any small business
• Fast performance, offering real-time data and reports
• Scalable solutions to fit the needs of any size small business
• The power of QuickBooks with the benefits of the Intuit accountant ecosystem

“I was happy with QuickBooks Online before, but when I saw the new version, I was blown away,” said Laura Redmond, founder of Redmond Accounting. “It’s sleek, fast, and simple and the layout is clean and fresh.”

Open and Integrated Platform

The online version of QuickBooks has been rebuilt as an open platform. For small businesses, this simplifies work by integrating all of Intuit’s powerful business management tools under one umbrella. The QuickBooks Online platform includes Intuit’s robust small business tools, including Payroll and Payments, which are now interconnected and built into the online version of QuickBooks. The open platform design allows third parties and app developers to create small business applications that are available to nearly 500,000 QuickBooks Online subscribers, which boast more than 1.3 million users, giving customers the ability to customize the online version of QuickBooks to meet their specific business needs, while providing them access to data across applications. The QuickBooks Online platform offers a range of collaborative tools including:

• Access to Intuit’s accounting, payments and payroll add-on solutions through one login, from a computer, iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablets
• Real-time data updates enabling immediate accountant or bookkeeper collaboration
• Large-scale app integration and access to Intuit’s Apps.com, one of the largest and most diverse small business apps marketplaces

Nexus 5 Becomes Latest in Growing Google Mobile Family

The Nexus 5 has finally arrived after leaked photos, specs and even a video. The phone features a 5-inch display (4.95 inches technically) and there’s  clearly a focus on the device’s front and rear facing cameras.

Google says there is an improved flash on the 8MP rear-mounted camera to get better photos in low light. There’s also image stabilization, keeping pictures steady when your hands aren’t, and a 1.3MP front-facing camera for video chats.

Check out this review from CNET:

The Nexus 5 is only the latest member of a continuously growing family of mobile technology from Google. So if your business isn’t too enamored with the Windows or Apple operating systems, these Android options may be attractive.

Nexus 4

The Nexus 4 is the immediate successor to the latest Google smartphone. The phone sports a 4.7 inch screen with 1280 by 768 resolution. It also has an 8MP camera on the back and a 1.3 MP camera on the front. Though the rear facing camera is not equal to the one built into the new Nexus 5, Google says.

Downsides, mentioned by reviewers include lack of 4G LTE. But a recently reduced price on the Nexus 4 may make up for any shortcomings.

Nexus 7

The Nexus 7 has a new slimmer look and more powerful capabilities thanks to an upgrade earlier this year.

In addition to front and rear cameras and HD display, this tablet has 2GB of internal memory and comes in 16GB WiFi and 32GB WiFi versions and a 32GB 4G LTE version too.

It’s also 2 millimeters thinner, close to 6 millimeters narrower and 50 grams lighter than an earlier model of the device.

Nexus 10

The Nexus 10 is the big brother of this family. Reviewer TJ McCue says:

“…you get a machine as powerful as many low-end laptops. A lightweight mobile keyboard will make you even more productive. I like the Gorilla glass screen…It has a special WiFi technology that speeds up your browsing, too.”

Bottom line: Google’s family of Nexus devices now offers a size and type of mobile device for a variety of needs at a price meant to appeal to various budgets.

Image: Google

The 10 Best Conference Call Services for Entrepreneurs

What are your favorite VOIP or conference call services (for calls, not necessarily video/meetings) and why?

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

1. FreeConferencePro

As a startup, it can be challenging to project a professional image on a shoestring budget.FreeConferencePro makes it easy. In addition to providing free conference calls, this company will record a custom greeting for you for free. And when clients and partners dial into your conference line, they’ll hear your company name instead of a generic greeting.
- Pete Kennedy, Main Street ROI

2. Grasshopper

We love Grasshopper given its ease of use, low cost and excellent customer service support. I travel all over the world and like the fact that the calls are routed well with no issues whatsoever. I also like the administrative side where you can upload voicemail greetings, menu options and so many other features.
- Derek Capo, Next Step China

3. UberConference

I love UberConference. It gives you a visual way to know who is talking. There is no more asking, “Is that you, Jim?” It also provides you with stats after the call that show who spoke the most, who spoke the least and who had the longest monologue. All in all, it is an excellent service!
- Peter Awad, GoodBlogs

4. Flowroute

When I was shopping around for VOIP for calls, I was most impressed with Flowroute. They had the lowest prices and seemed to have the fastest speeds compared to other providers.
- John Hall, Influence & Co.

5. Join.me

At Poshly, we love join.me. It combines screen-sharing, chat, multi-monitor functions, recording, annotating and more to provide a meeting tool that is very accessible and intuitive. It is a clean and professional interface that we can use with ease to get in front of clients and onboard them or present our work to existing customers.
- Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc.

6. FreeConferenceCall.com

FreeConferenceCall.com is simple and easy to use with no web setup necessary. Almost everybody I’ve worked with knows what the service is and are comfortable with it. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s free, with upgrades available of course.
- Andy Karuza, Brandbuddee

7. GoToMeeting

We have used several services, but we end up going back to GoToMeeting. It’s very easy for our clients to use, and there seems to be the least amount of technical difficulties. Once or twice a year we’ll test something else out that has better features, but they usually end up falling flat.
- Phil Laboon, Clear Sky SEO

8. Lync

Lync is Microsoft’s new Office 365 WebEx replacement. While normally a loyal Apple fan, I think that this new conference service from Microsoft is good. It makes it easy to have your entire team on the same page through chat, audio, video and presentations. And because both Lync and Skype are Microsoft products, they work together seamlessly.
- Michael Costigan, Youth Leadership Specialist

9. Google Hangouts

We typically use Google Hangouts for conference calls regardless of whether or not they have a video component. The service is free and reliable, and everyone trusts Google. The app works great on mobile devices and has no issues with international participants. Hangouts are the only video conferencing tool I know that lets you put mustaches and funny hats on your team!
- Adam Lieb, Duxter

10. Skype

Skype is free and easy to use with anybody. With this service, I can connect with anybody over the world with relative ease for free. If I want to upgrade, the options are there.
- Russ Oja, Seattle Windows and Construction, LLC

The 10 Best Conference Call Services for Entrepreneurs

What are your favorite VOIP or conference call services (for calls, not necessarily video/meetings) and why?

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

1. FreeConferencePro

As a startup, it can be challenging to project a professional image on a shoestring budget.FreeConferencePro makes it easy. In addition to providing free conference calls, this company will record a custom greeting for you for free. And when clients and partners dial into your conference line, they’ll hear your company name instead of a generic greeting.
- Pete Kennedy, Main Street ROI

2. Grasshopper

We love Grasshopper given its ease of use, low cost and excellent customer service support. I travel all over the world and like the fact that the calls are routed well with no issues whatsoever. I also like the administrative side where you can upload voicemail greetings, menu options and so many other features.
- Derek Capo, Next Step China

3. UberConference

I love UberConference. It gives you a visual way to know who is talking. There is no more asking, “Is that you, Jim?” It also provides you with stats after the call that show who spoke the most, who spoke the least and who had the longest monologue. All in all, it is an excellent service!
- Peter Awad, GoodBlogs

4. Flowroute

When I was shopping around for VOIP for calls, I was most impressed with Flowroute. They had the lowest prices and seemed to have the fastest speeds compared to other providers.
- John Hall, Influence & Co.

5. Join.me

At Poshly, we love join.me. It combines screen-sharing, chat, multi-monitor functions, recording, annotating and more to provide a meeting tool that is very accessible and intuitive. It is a clean and professional interface that we can use with ease to get in front of clients and onboard them or present our work to existing customers.
- Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc.

6. FreeConferenceCall.com

FreeConferenceCall.com is simple and easy to use with no web setup necessary. Almost everybody I’ve worked with knows what the service is and are comfortable with it. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s free, with upgrades available of course.
- Andy Karuza, Brandbuddee

7. GoToMeeting

We have used several services, but we end up going back to GoToMeeting. It’s very easy for our clients to use, and there seems to be the least amount of technical difficulties. Once or twice a year we’ll test something else out that has better features, but they usually end up falling flat.
- Phil Laboon, Clear Sky SEO

8. Lync

Lync is Microsoft’s new Office 365 WebEx replacement. While normally a loyal Apple fan, I think that this new conference service from Microsoft is good. It makes it easy to have your entire team on the same page through chat, audio, video and presentations. And because both Lync and Skype are Microsoft products, they work together seamlessly.
- Michael Costigan, Youth Leadership Specialist

9. Google Hangouts

We typically use Google Hangouts for conference calls regardless of whether or not they have a video component. The service is free and reliable, and everyone trusts Google. The app works great on mobile devices and has no issues with international participants. Hangouts are the only video conferencing tool I know that lets you put mustaches and funny hats on your team!
- Adam Lieb, Duxter

10. Skype

Skype is free and easy to use with anybody. With this service, I can connect with anybody over the world with relative ease for free. If I want to upgrade, the options are there.
- Russ Oja, Seattle Windows and Construction, LLC

8 Questions to Ask Before You Hire A Marketing Firm

As a small business owner who runs a marketing firm, I hear all the time about the relationships that didn’t work out. Small business owners who can’t find a marketing firm they “click” with, marketing firms that are frustrated by the clients who balk at every idea, etc.

Communication is key to avoiding these issues.

Remember, marketing is a partnership. Nobody plays tennis alone. You need to be able to do your part to make the relationship work. And a big part of doing your part is being extremely clear about what you want. To do that, you need to ask yourself some questions first.

Are You Willing to Listen and Try New Things?

Before you spend a penny on your marketing, it’s time to ask yourself if you’re ready, willing and able to listen to the person you hire.

No one says you have to implement every idea. Working with a marketer doesn’t mean slavishly adhering to everything they have to say. But if you’re not willing to even consider something different from how you’ve always done it, you’re wasting your money paying for someone else’s new ideas.

What’s Your Communication Style?

Every business owner is different. Some people prefer to communicate with their marketing firm very rarely, communicating primarily through emails and scheduled meetings. Other people want more time from their marketing team, expecting instant availability and response to calls, emails and tweets.

Understanding your communication style is very helpful when searching for a marketing firm. You want to find a company that’s a good fit. If you like instant communication and the firm you work with has a more laid-back approach to answering calls and emails, it will be a difficult working relationship to maintain.

Keep in mind that the more time a marketing company spends with you, the larger your bill will be.

How Are You With Deadlines?

Every marketing company will need certain things from you in order to do their jobs. It takes a lot of informational collateral to run a successful marketing campaign.

As the business owner, your marketing firm is depending on you to answer questions, provide insights and in-house graphics, review material as it’s developed and give approvals in a timely fashion to hit crucial implementation deadlines.

Maintaining an awareness of the project timeline is an important element to successful marketing.

Where Do Ideas Come From?

Be clear about what you expect your marketing firm to do. Do you want them to generate creative ideas for you, or do you want them to implement ideas you already have?

The answer to this question can vary over the course of time. In the progression of a long-term relationship with a marketing firm, some of the creative concepts are firm-generated while others come from the clients.  The best ideas are often collaborations.

Your personality and expertise are two of your business’ biggest assets. You need to think through how you’re going to integrate these qualities into your brand messaging.

Some people prefer to be very behind the scenes, letting their business be represented by logos and iconography, while other business owners want their customers to be able to put a face with the business name. When it comes to expertise, some business owners believe that sharing almost everything they know results in empowered, educated buyers, while other business owners are more close-lipped.

There is no right or wrong answer here. Only the approach that makes you comfortable. You need to know what your preferences are and communicate those preferences to your prospective marketing firm.

How Much Education Do You Want Your Marketing Firm to Provide?

If you’re an experienced business owner and tech-savvy, you may feel fairly confident about your ability to implement the strategies your marketing firm recommends using the tools they suggest. However, if you’re not as confident, you may want your marketing firm to provide a certain level of education and training for your team.

For example, a digital marketing team may be asked to teach a business owner how to set up a Pinterest page or update a LinkedIn bio. Be aware of what your needs and expectations are, and communicate them to your prospective marketing firm. This will help you find the best fit for your needs.

What Do You Expect Your Marketing Agency To Do?

One big problem that crops up in marketing firm-client relationships is when clients expect services that the marketing firm doesn’t actually provide. Not every marketing firm does everything. The team that might create fantastic signage for your store could be a total flop when it comes to event marketing.

Understand what your team does, what they do well and when you’d be better served by seeking out another pro to handle your needs. It’s not always cost-effective to have your marketing firm do everything for you.

Taking some tasks in-house or finding a more affordable third-party provider to handle those tasks can make the most of your marketing budget. However, do make sure everyone knows how to work together to support your overall brand and message.

Do You Want Your Marketing Firm to Work With Other Professionals?

You may already have established working relationships with professionals. People such as your Web master, a graphic designer and so on - that you wish to continue.

Talk to your prospective marketing firm about the existing relationships you have, and ask about their willingness to work collaboratively. Some firms are very open to the possibility while others are not.

Clear communication around this point is essential.

What About a Guarantee?

As a business owner, you’ve learned to be cautious. Guarantees are good things. They mean if something doesn’t work out, you get your money back. Great marketers will present you with tactics and tools that have worked well for companies similar to yours in the past, as well as their own creative approach to implementation.

However, there’s no way to guarantee that your audience will respond the way you want them to. There are too many factors beyond the marketer’s control. The best sales campaign in the world can be useless if there’s a major blizzard the weekend of your sales event.

That’s why you seldom see guarantees offered by marketing agencies.

Ask Yourself Photo via Shutterstock

Lessons from eBay: How Easy Shopping and Fast Buying Are Recipes for Success

You find some common things with the top online retailers. They make it easy to shop and find things on their web sites. They make the speed of delivery as fast as possible. eBay has some new features we can all learn from.

For example, in the “old days” your vendor delivered your package and you HOPED you were around to receive it, to save the hassle of having to go pick it up from the courier’s office. Now, smart retailers, like eBay let YOU have pretty tight control of your shipping time.

Check out eBay’s upgrades and see what you can learn for your OWN business.

New Marketplace Experience

 eBay is blending the dependability of search with the inspiration of browse for its 124 million active users by introducing the following features:

• Collections: groups of products that have been hand-selected from eBay’s more than 500 million listed items by expert curators, eBay buyers, and sellers
• Curators: top trendsetters across a variety of interest areas, who create beautiful collections on eBay to help easily connect you with items you’ll love
• Follow: a simple, one-click way for you to personalize your feed by following the collections, curators, eBay users, and interests that inspire you
• Profiles: a customizable page - for both buyers and sellers - where you can share information about yourself, the collections you’ve created, and the interests, collections, and people you follow
• eBay Today: a new page on eBay that helps you easily discover the very best collections of items on eBay, selected daily by eBay’s Chief Curator and Editorial Director

 To learn more about eBay’s new site features, please visit ebay.com/followitfindit.

Local Commerce

Last October, eBay introduced eBay Now, a service available through iPhone, Android and desktop web that allows shoppers to have products from local stores delivered in as little as an hour. eBay Now is one element in a larger strategy to advance eBay’s capabilities in local commerce, and help retailers take advantage of technology to reach more customers and increase sales.

“Today, approximately 75 percent of what people buy is local, found within 15 miles from their home,” said Wenig. “Traditional retail isn’t going away. But it is transforming, and that creates enormous opportunity within the $10 trillion total commerce market.”

eBay’s new local commerce initiatives include:

• eBay Now: The company plans to expand the eBay Now service to 25 markets by the end of 2014, including major metro areas in North America, including Chicago today and Dallas later this year, and select international markets, including London in early 2014.
• Shutl: The company has announced its agreement to acquire Shutl, a marketplace that uses a network of couriers to deliver local goods that same day.  The company believes that the acquisition of Shutl’s technology, talent and expertise will help eBay to reach its goal of expanding its local delivery capabilities.
• In-Store Pickup: In keeping with eBay’s commitment to enable shoppers to choose how, where and when they receive purchases, customers can also now buy online at eBay.com and pick-up in local stores. This service is available today for Toys “R” Us and Best Buy, with more retailers coming soon.
• Scheduled Delivery: Soon, eBay will be releasing scheduled delivery for eBay Now, enabling customers to buy something on their mobile phone, pick a time that works for their schedule, and have their items delivered to them then.
• Now on eBay.com: The company also plans to offer eBay Now same-day delivery for local goods on eBay.com, bringing the speed and convenience of eBay Now to cities where the eBay Now service is live.

For more information, images and video related to this announcement, please visit eBayInc.com.

Better Business Bureau Introduces Verified Customer Reviews

Imagine customer reviews like the ones on Yelp. But these reviews would all be from real people who had actually used a product or service. No fake reviews from PR agencies or competitors would be tolerated. No one would be allowed to manipulate reviews to make businesses seem better or worse.

Sound too good to be true?

A program slowly being rolled out by the Better Business Bureau is aimed at accomplishing this seemingly impossible task.

A New Kind of Customer Review

Katherine Hutt, Better Business Bureau national spokesperson, said online reviews in the process of being launched by the non-profit group are tied to the organization’s original mission. In an email interview, Hutt explained:

For more than a century, BBB has been all about fostering trust in the marketplace between businesses and consumers. What started out as a truth-in-advertising campaign in 1912 has grown to include dispute resolution, industry self-regulation, consumer education, and charity reports.

Customers are justified in being skeptical of review sites these days. In September, 19 small businesses were hit with fines totaling $350,000. The New York state attorney general’s office says they recruited freelancers to create false reviews on sites like Yelp, Google Local and CitySearch.

Then, a study concluded 16 percent of the customer reviews on Yelp might be fakes. Also recently, Yelp filed suit against a San Diego law firm claiming the company faked its own reviews.

The Verification Process

Hutt insists the Better Business Bureau’s online reviews will have more credibility because of the way they are screened.

As with the complaints it takes from customers, Hutt says the Better Business Bureau will employ a verification process for all reviews appearing on its sites.

Identities of reviewers will not be shared with the public, Hutt says. But the Better Business Bureau insists all reviewers share their names and other details sufficient to verify that they are indeed customers of the businesses they are reviewing.

She says the information is also shared with the businesses being reviewed as part of the verification process, adding:

If a consumer cannot prove he or she is a real customer, we will not publish the review…it’s as simple as that.

History of the Program

While the first BBB online review pilot program was launched back in 2004 (the same year Yelp was founded), it wasn’t until 2012 that it was announced as an option for BBBs to implement.

Hutt says the organization’s careful benchmarking and exacting verification standards have caused it to move more slowly than many startups and has led to fewer reviews being published.

She says about 20 local Better Business Bureaus are already using online reviews on their websites with more rolling them out as they are ready.

The reviews are being incorporated into local sites alongside existing BBB accreditation, ratings and other data. But Hutt says customer reviews are not part of the organization’s overall ratings formula.

Reviews Photo via Shutterstock

Lessons from eBay: How Easy Shopping and Fast Buying Are Recipes for Success

You find some common things with the top online retailers. They make it easy to shop and find things on their web sites. They make the speed of delivery as fast as possible. eBay has some new features we can all learn from.

For example, in the “old days” your vendor delivered your package and you HOPED you were around to receive it, to save the hassle of having to go pick it up from the courier’s office. Now, smart retailers, like eBay let YOU have pretty tight control of your shipping time.

Check out eBay’s upgrades and see what you can learn for your OWN business.

New Marketplace Experience

 eBay is blending the dependability of search with the inspiration of browse for its 124 million active users by introducing the following features:

• Collections: groups of products that have been hand-selected from eBay’s more than 500 million listed items by expert curators, eBay buyers, and sellers
• Curators: top trendsetters across a variety of interest areas, who create beautiful collections on eBay to help easily connect you with items you’ll love
• Follow: a simple, one-click way for you to personalize your feed by following the collections, curators, eBay users, and interests that inspire you
• Profiles: a customizable page - for both buyers and sellers - where you can share information about yourself, the collections you’ve created, and the interests, collections, and people you follow
• eBay Today: a new page on eBay that helps you easily discover the very best collections of items on eBay, selected daily by eBay’s Chief Curator and Editorial Director

 To learn more about eBay’s new site features, please visit ebay.com/followitfindit.

Local Commerce

Last October, eBay introduced eBay Now, a service available through iPhone, Android and desktop web that allows shoppers to have products from local stores delivered in as little as an hour. eBay Now is one element in a larger strategy to advance eBay’s capabilities in local commerce, and help retailers take advantage of technology to reach more customers and increase sales.

“Today, approximately 75 percent of what people buy is local, found within 15 miles from their home,” said Wenig. “Traditional retail isn’t going away. But it is transforming, and that creates enormous opportunity within the $10 trillion total commerce market.”

eBay’s new local commerce initiatives include:

• eBay Now: The company plans to expand the eBay Now service to 25 markets by the end of 2014, including major metro areas in North America, including Chicago today and Dallas later this year, and select international markets, including London in early 2014.
• Shutl: The company has announced its agreement to acquire Shutl, a marketplace that uses a network of couriers to deliver local goods that same day.  The company believes that the acquisition of Shutl’s technology, talent and expertise will help eBay to reach its goal of expanding its local delivery capabilities.
• In-Store Pickup: In keeping with eBay’s commitment to enable shoppers to choose how, where and when they receive purchases, customers can also now buy online at eBay.com and pick-up in local stores. This service is available today for Toys “R” Us and Best Buy, with more retailers coming soon.
• Scheduled Delivery: Soon, eBay will be releasing scheduled delivery for eBay Now, enabling customers to buy something on their mobile phone, pick a time that works for their schedule, and have their items delivered to them then.
• Now on eBay.com: The company also plans to offer eBay Now same-day delivery for local goods on eBay.com, bringing the speed and convenience of eBay Now to cities where the eBay Now service is live.

For more information, images and video related to this announcement, please visit eBayInc.com.

Get Your Customer Service in Shape for the Holidays

Black Friday is fast approaching (in fact, this year there will be two Black Fridays as Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah fall on the same day - a rarity that won’t happen for another 70,000 years).

With competition for shoppers’ dollars stiffer than ever, is your small business prepared to offer the kind of holiday customer service needed to stand out in the crowd?

Below are some holiday customer service tips to get your business’s customer service in shape for the holidays:

Staff up

I posted recently about hiring tips for the holidays. If you haven’t already got your team in place, get going!

Educate

“Showrooming” - customers coming into your store to touch and try merchandise, then using smartphones to look for lower prices online - is a game-changer for retailers (and not in a good way).

Combat the practice by making sure your retail associates are educated about the products you sell so they can answer all your customers’ questions and basically be more helpful than the Internet.

Equip

Make sure your team has the tools they need for smooth selling this holiday season. That means a well-stocked inventory, up-to-date point-of-sale systems and mobile technology like iPads and smartphones.

Mobile tools can shorten wait times if you use software like Square so customers can pay from anywhere in the store (instead of waiting on line). They can also help fight showrooming by allowing clerks to look up product information or check inventory levels.

Test

If you sell online, make sure your customer service team is ready for the holiday overload. Start by testing your website to ensure it can handle heavy traffic and that browsing, shopping and checking out are clear and intuitive. Provide a variety of ways that users can contact your customer service team, from email and phone to live chat.

Speed things along by making sure your Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), shipping, returns and other information is current and clear.

If customers can answer their own questions, they won’t need your customer service team.

Motivate

Holiday customer service can be grueling during the rush, so plan how you will reward and motivate your team.

Setting attainable goals, holding regular meetings to bring up problems or concerns and encouraging employees with rewards and prizes are great ways to keep your holiday customer service reps powering through the toughest times.

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

Christmas Clerk Photo via Shutterstock