3TechGuys Show - 15 Minutes of Fun about Tech and Business - Latest Episode Up Now (May 5)

Watch tonights the latest episode of 3TechGuys with Gene Marks, Brent Leary and Ramon Ray

Tonight’s episode covered, in about 15 minutes of fun:

• Amazon enables purchases with a hashtag
• Esty going public, Alibaba’s going public and Box.net stopped going public (what’s up with that?)
• Yahoo said it won’t honor “do not track” settings in browsers (what’s up with that?)
• Why does Brent love Twitter’s new Mute button??
• Google buys Rangespan and gears up to compete more heavily with Amazon

FUN and INSIGHT from… Watch it at 3TechGuys or below

Amazon Twitter integration
Ramon’s shoes
Esty going public
Yahoo won’t honor do not track
TWitter Mute button
Google buys Rangespan

In Workplace Communication, Words do Matter

Since the 1970′s, communication experts have been citing research results released by Dr. Albert Mehrabian on the related value of three vital components of human communication:

Mehrabian’s report reinforced reports released in the late 1960′s by the Journal of Consulting Psychology and the Journal of Personality and Psychology.

That research claimed that in a very limited scope of interpersonal communication, that the message conveyed was impacted:

• 57% by the body language of the communicator
• 38% by the tone
• 7% from the words

This communication model is now called, “The Mehrabian Myth.”

I believe, in most every context, words have significantly greater impact, as a recent client experience points out. My client is the CIO of a major division at her company. The division she oversees is named CCIS for Central City Information Services.

She and I have been working together to create a more engaged, motivated workforce in a public governmental setting. To do so we’ve created formats for employees to interact more, share ideas and make higher-level contributions to the future of their division. It’s been a refreshing approach after years of stagnancy in the division and its leadership.

After a recent coaching session, my client decided to change the name of her division to be more inline with what she wants it to become. It’s a subtle change. So subtle it will not even change the division’s acronym of CCIS. The new name will be Central City Innovation Services.

Notice the difference between what “information” and “innovation” conveys.

Providing “information services” in the public sector (or any sector for that matter) is reactive. This is what this division has been facing for years as it tries to react to the requests that come in from other departments and divisions in their city.

My client wants her division to become proactive, bringing ideas for innovative city services to their internal customers and stakeholders. Just one word shifts the focus and the expectations for 36 employees in this division.

Making this shift does not require any tone or body language to make it 100% understandable, inspiring and motivational.

That’s the power of one word, by itself.

Leaders must start paying more attention to the words they use to make their messages more powerful, inspirational and motivational.

Republished by permission. Original here.

Motivational Photo via Shutterstock

Make Your First Business Audacious

When starting your first business, it pays to show some audacity.

Some of the most successful companies - Google, Facebook, and Apple, to name a few - started out as ideas that many considered crazy or risky at the time. But a few bold entrepreneurs chose to take the necessary risks and it paid off for them.

Here from Inc.’s Branson Up Close video series, entrepreneur Richard Branson shares some more specific suggestions:

Throw Your Whole Self Into Everything You Do

The majority of new businesses don’t make it past the first year. So it might seem like a good idea to play it safe.

But Branson thinks you’re more likely to reach greatness by jumping in and giving it everything you have. This could mean dedicating more time to your idea. Or it could mean just going for that bold idea you’re really passionate about, rather than the safe idea that’s been done before.

Starting From Scratch Makes You Audacious

Regardless of what your idea is, starting something new already makes you audacious. Branson says:

“It’s actually the most difficult time when you’re starting from scratch with no financial backing, just an idea, and you’re trying to get your very first venture off the ground.”

He says that established entrepreneurs like himself have to try a lot harder to be audacious because they already have experience and resources. But, if you’re just starting out and don’t have those things, simply trying something new is an audacious act.

Strive To Be Extraordinary

To illustrate this point, Branson tells the story of his friend, Google co-founder Larry Page. In college, Page came to one of his teachers with three different business ideas. The teacher suggested he try “that Google thing” first, as it was the most audacious of the three.

And we all know how that worked out for him.

Any.Do Makes Managing Tasks Simple

Most productive people will tell you that they stay productive, getting stuff done, because they maintain some sort of system. Usually, at its core, it is a list. Any.Do is a task management app for iOS or Android smartphones that is designed to make you more productive.

The company did some research to understand how people achieve the greatest productivity. They discovered that people who review their tasks daily are more productive, so they created the “Any.Do Moment” as part of their system.

This moment is a few minutes you set aside each day to review your tasks and move them between “Today,” “Tomorrow,” and “Someday.” Moving tasks is only a matter of dragging them from one place to another in the order you want to see them.

As I used the app, I viewed the “Any.Do Moment” as a reality check - could I really get something done today or tomorrow and if not, then the someday box forced me to question how it fit into my priorities.

As a task manager, it goes above and beyond expectations. When you start to type in a task, it will offer suggestions for auto-completing it. It also will automatically link you to your email or even Amazon (if your task is shopping). These features can save you the small amount of time it would take searching for a contact or typing in a Web address. Throughout the day, all that time on small things adds up.

Any.Do does not automatically come with a calendar feature, so you will need to download the companion app, “Cal,” in order to get this. I connected mine to my Google Calendar and it works seamlessly. Maybe a bit too seamless because I now get lots of reminders â€" some from Google, some from Any.Do.

Still, you can fully integrate calendars with Any.Do, making it even more useful.

What I Liked:

• The voice activation works great, even on slower Internet connections.

• It was fun to shake the phone to erase my deleted tasks.

• It syncs with Google Tasks, and you can email your tasks to Any.Do.

• You can share tasks with other people, and you will receive a notification when they complete the task.

What I Would Like to See:

• If your phone is on silent, all your alarms will be silent, too. I would like to see an option to follow phone settings (including vibrate) or not to follow them.

• If you do not review your tasks, you will get a message to do it. Although this is designed to increase productivity, spending time reviewing tasks every day is not an option for everyone.

When using Any.Do, you will see ads because this app is free. It is powerful for being a free download. All in all, this is a great way to keep on top of your tasks, events, and meetings.

Image: Any.Do

After Its Chief’s Departure, What is the Future of Google Plus?

The recent departure of Google Plus chief Vic Gundotra from the company has many wondering what will become of Google’s social network.

In a Google Plus post announcing his departure, Gundotra praised the team that had helped build the social network and expressed excitement for its ongoing growth, writing:

“This is a group of people who built social at Google against the skepticism of so many. The growth of active users is staggering, and speaks to the work of this team. But it doesn’t tell you what kind of people they are. They are invincible dreamers. I love them. And I will miss them dearly.”

Even Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page seemed to remain committed to Google Plus’ ongoing development. In his own post on the social network bidding Gundotra farewell, he added:

“I really enjoy using Google Plus on a daily basis, especially the auto awesome movies which I really love sharing with my family and friends. Good luck with your next project after Google. In the meantime, we’ll continue working hard to build great new experiences for the ever increasing number of Google Plus fans.”

Despite this, however, media sources like TechCrunch insist the network is the “walking dead,” unlikely to survive Gundotra’s departure. Meanwhile, Business Insider has gone as far as to suggest Google Plus will be carved up. The idea is that teams responsible for Hangouts and other features would be reassigned or their products sent off for independent development.

At 300 million active monthly users, Google Plus is certainly nowhere near Facebook in popularity. However, those passionate about it like blogger Cendrine Marrouat insist it is much too important to its regular community to be allowed to die.

In a post at Social Slant, Marrouat explains:

“Google Plus is NOT a ghost town. Just because your friends and family are not there does not mean that it is useless. Actually, the whole purpose of Google Plus is to allow you to connect with new people who share your interests.”

Add to this the recent launch of the social network’s +Post ads. There’s also this. Google Plus recently entered the top 15 mobile apps in comScore’s ranking, Marketing Land reports.

Given all of this, it’s a bit hard to reconcile with a plan to essentially shut down or drastically scale back the social network.

The question of whether any business venture can survive the departure of its leader or founder is often discussed in entrepreneurial circles.

Despite his iconic status, for example, it isn’t too hard to imagine Facebook surviving the departure of CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Apple has already survived the death of its guiding guru Steve Jobs with seeming success.

Twitter has survived and thrived seemingly independent of the fortunes of its founders.

It remains to be seen whether Google Plus will do the same.

Image: Wikipedia

More in: Google

10 Digital Assistant Alternatives To Apple’s Siri

Ten years ago it might have seemed impossible that someday you might have a digital assistant that lived in your phone. And that assistant would search for the answers you need when you need them and speak to you just like a flesh and blood office assistant.

When Apple introduced Siri on the iPhone all that changed. Today, Apple is not the only company that provides you a digital assistant for managing your day and your business.

Below is a list of some of the Siri alternatives. They may not do everything Siri does. (Some may even do more and in a different way.) But they’re all worth a look to see which, if any, might best suit your needs.

Google Now

Of course, it goes without saying that Google has tested the digital assistant waters by launching Google Now for the iPhone and Android. Being a Google product, it works remarkably well.

Using your built-in GPS function on your phone, it determines where you are at, at all times. Then it provides services which may prove useful to you.

For example:

• If you are on a trip, it will inform you of places of importance on your route.
• If you are commuting to and from work, it will tell you how long it will take to get home (based on current traffic reports), as well as provide a map.
• It will give you the current temperature, as well as the temperatures for the next few days.
• It will provide you with relevant news based on information you provide.
• You can tell Google to store your reminders, and, if it involves a geographical location, it will remind you when you arrive there.

This information is provided on “cards” which appear on the screen. When you don’t need it anymore, you can use your finger to swipe away the card.

If you use Google Chrome, Google Now is integrated into the browser. So if Google Now is activated on your phone, the reminders will be synchronized to your browser, too.

Getting started is easy. Google Now is already built in to the Google search app for either iOS or Android.

Windows Phone 8.1 Cortana

There has been considerable excitement over the release of Microsoft’s first digital assistant, Cortana. Named for a character in the video game Halo, Cortana has some features that are far beyond those offered by Siri. Available with Windows Phone 8.1, it does much more than simply navigate the Web to find the answers to your queries.

By telling Cortana who you are, including information about your business and some personal details, it can learn about you and how to provide you with more of the information you need. People will see plenty of similarities between Cortana and Google Now, which shows you your travel data, calendar updates and more. You can quickly glance at your day by checking traffic, weather, news headlines and so on. You can also plan your upcoming business trips and check for important locations along your route.

Vokul

This is not a free option - Vokul costs $2.99. I downloaded it for this post to see it in action, after hearing good things. After playing around with it for a while, I found it a bit difficult to get used to. But eventually it becomes easier to use and does have some worthwhile features.

One interesting feature is that it will read your Twitter or Facebook feeds to you. Beware, however. In the case of Facebook, Vokul will also read all the comments to a status update, too. And that may be a bit too much information, depending upon how many comments you usually receive. Another interesting feature is that it can actually enhance your workout. Vokul can adjust the tempo of the music you are listening to so that it matches the speed of your exercise regimen, say, when jogging, for example.

Dragon Go

If you own an iPhone, Dragon Go comes pre-installed. Widely considered to be one of the best voice recognition apps ever made, it is not so much a Siri alternative. It provides a totally different service, but one just as important.

Dragon Go is purely a dictation app, nothing more. It won’t start your music for you or check the traffic for your commute home. But using it, you can dictate text, then email it, SMS it, or use it to update your Facebook or Twitter accounts. For some people, that is more than enough.

For example, you can use Dragon Go to dictate reminders to yourself when you are out, then have them emailed to you. Dragon Go has a very high success rate when correctly understanding a user’s voice, so repeating yourself is rare if you speak clearly.

SpeakToIt Assistant

This digital assistant comes with a visual manifestation, not simply a voice. Appearing as a female named Sam, she performs a variety of functions. These include sending SMS’s, looking things up online, playing your music, composing emails, and more. You can customize the app by renaming your assistant. An upgrade to a premium version will give you even more services and allow you to change your assistant’s appearance.

Evi

Evi is a free app which can answer many of your questions. All you need to do is speak your question into the phone, and it will look the answer up and respond. Evi obviously relies very strongly on search engines, and your GPS. So you can ask it location-based questions, like the name and address of local restaurants or other important locations on a business trip. You can also ask it to research questions on the Web.

The simply named Voice Answer is represented visually as a robot that can send SMS’s, play music, send email and look up answers to questions. But it can also remind you of appointments to keep you on schedule. If you find the robotic voice annoying after a while, you can switch it off in the settings. The free version of the app runs advertising, but you can eliminate this by simply paying a few dollars for a premium version.

Voice Actions/Jeannie

This digital assistant  is another offering from Nuance, the makers of Dragon Go, which we reviewed earlier on this list.  There is no free version and the download is $2.99. But this visual assistant does send SMS’s, emails, and look up answers to questions online. It even posts to social media. User reviews on the iTunes store suggest it may not be your best choice, however, and the interface seems somewhat spartan.

Sara

For those brave enough to “jailbreak” their iPhone (install third party software to enable the iPhone to do things it previously couldn’t), you may consider using Sara. The website for this digital assistant says it is for iPhones and iPod Touch’s up to and including the iPhone 4. So it’s uncertain how the app will work on newer devices.

But before jailbreaking your phone, be aware that you will be voiding your warranty and thus have little recourse if there is a problem with installation.

EasilyDo

If your business involves remembering many dates or times, this next digital assitant may be a good fit. EasilyDo tries to take care of all your reminders. It can also send you directions to and from work and other important destinations, set up and schedule Facebook updates and keep track of your travel tickets and boarding passes. It can also manage your contacts, merging duplicate entries, adding new details to existing contacts, and so forth.

Donna

Though apparently no longer available, Donna is a digital assistant worth mentioning. Named after the character Donna Moss in the TV series “The West Wing,” the app collected and managed a wide range of information. This included an ever increasing list of resources including local traffic information, parking information, driving directions from Google and, of course, information from your own digital calendar.

The app’s maker, Incredible Labs, was acquired by Yahoo, however. And Donna was scheduled to be shut down. An email to Yahoo asking about Donna’s status was not answered at the time of this publication.

Using Smartphone Photo via Shutterstock

Self Employment Continues to Decline, Despite the Recovery

The recently released Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity (KIEA) shows that pace of entry into self-employment declined last year. The media has put a positive slant on the news. Because many people go into business for themselves out of necessity when the economy is doing poorly and they have few employment alternatives, this decline is okay, the reporters say. It means that the jobs market is doing better.

There’s a problem with this interpretation; it ignores the continued decline in the number of people working for themselves. Since 2007, America has lost nearly 1.4 million self-employed, or 9 percent of the 2007 level, Bureau of Labor Statistics data reveal. Moreover, the number of self-employed Americans declined both during the Great Recession (when we lost 831,000 self-employed people) and subsequent recovery (when we lost an additional 531,000). That’s very different from what’s happened to employment. The number of employed Americans increased by more than 4 million people between 2009 and 2013.

The problem with the positive spin on the KIEA is that it looks only at one part of the picture - entry into self-employment. But the number of self-employed people is affected by both entry into and exit from self-employment. Like the water in your bathtub, the number of self-employed depends on both inflows and outflows.

Using the figures reported in the KIEA, I created annual estimates of the number of people entering into and exiting from self-employment from 2007 through 2013 and compared that to the stock of self-employed people reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for those years to see what’s happened to self-employment.

The KIEA shows that entry into self-employment is counter-cyclical. Between 2007 and 2009 when the economy contracted from the Great Recession, the number of people entering self-employment rose by 441,000. But then, from 2009 to 2013, when the economy expanded again, the number of people going to work for themselves decreased by 574,000.

But, as you probably know, exit from self-employment is cyclical. During the Great Recession, when the economy was contracting, nearly 1.1 people gave up working for themselves because running a business was so hard during that time. During subsequent recovery when the economy was expanding again, the number of people giving up self-employment declined by a little more than 1 million people.

Because economic conditions don’t affect entry into and exit from self-employment equally, the negative effects on self-employment have outweighed the position ones in both the recession and the recovery. As a result, number of self-employed people declined 5.4 percent during the Great Recession and an additional 3.7 percent during the subsequent recovery.

The fact that the number of self-employed Americans has continued to fall during the recovery shows that something is amiss. Fewer people entering self-employment may signal that labor markets are getting better. But the absence of larger declines in the number of people exiting self-employment signals that economic conditions are still not good for those in business for themselves.

Rather than putting a positive spin on the decline in the rate of entry into self-employment, the media and pundits should be focusing on the core problem: Why are we still seeing declines in the number self-employed Americans five years into the economic recovery?

U.S. Postal Service Killed Startup Outbox, Report Says

Entrepreneurs Evan Baehr and Will Davis initially set out to change the way millions of Americans got their postal mail. For now, at least, the startup has buckled under the pressure of a skeptical and likely threatened U.S. Postal Service and federal government.

Their startup, Outbox, was a service that offered to digitize your snail mail. The $5 per month service included forwarding your mail to Outbox. From there, it was scanned and could be delivered to an Outbox mail app rather than your traditional mailbox. The aim of Outbox was to reduce the clutter created by paper mail, anything from letters to so-called junk mail.

In a recent report by expose site Inside Sources, Baher and Davis tell their story. It’s the story of how the U.S. Postal Service helped bring down a startup that could have given better options to consumers. It raises the question of how a government that claims it supports entrepreneurialism could allow one of its own agencies to snuff it out.

First, it should be noted it was not a healthy system Outbox intended to disrupt. Baher and Davis insist their system would have ultimately saved delivery costs. It’s those costs, among others, that have seen the Postal Service treading water financially for years. Last year, the U.S. Postal Service posted a $5 billion loss. In February of this year alone, the Postal Service recorded losses of more than $350 million.

But the agency still clearly viewed Outbox mail as a threat to the way it had done business for more than a century. It was this view that led to a confrontational meeting spelling the beginning of the end for the tech startup.

Baehr says that during the meeting in D.C., Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe told the Outbox duo that the company was disrupting the Postal Service’s relationship with its customers: Those that send the mail, not those that receive it!

Specifically, this included literally hundreds of junk mailers the Postal Service relies upon for revenue. And, not coincidentally, these would be the very mailers most likely to be screened out by Outbox’s new service. Donahoe told Baehr and Davis that the U.S. Postal Service would no longer cooperate with Outbox in its efforts to expand.

The decision very nearly spelled the end for the startup which relied on the forwarding services of the U.S.Postal Service as a critical part of its business model.

To be clear, Outbox was not breaking any laws by opening customers’ mail. Outbox customers signed-up to grant this permission in exchange for the convenience of not having to deal with paper mail. Exceptions to this were even made in the case of bills with sensitive information or packages that obviously couldn’t be scanned and delivered digitally.

Not wanting to give up, Outbox changed the way it conducted its business. Rather than essentially interrupting mail deliveries by having mail forwarded, the company sent out “un-postmen” to collect their customers’ mail. From there, the mail was scanned and delivered digitally.

But ultimately, the overhead made the business model unworkable. In a post on the official Outbox blog, Baehr and Davis explained:

“For startups, it’s difficult to know when to throw in the towel. Indeed, the main strategy for most of the life of a startup is overcoming impossible odds, and we built a team that did that over and over again.”

The Outbox team has since moved on to a new product, but the question remains. How can government officials proclaim their support for entrepreneurship and at the same time let their agencies attack business models that offer a better alternative to consumers?

It’s a question entrepreneurs and small business owners should be asking, too.

Image: Outbox

The Statistical Argument For Customer Advocacy

You may or may not have heard of the term “customer advocacy.” This is defined as a specialized form of customer service where companies focus on “what is best for their customers.” It seems like to should always be that way, right? Unfortunately, all too often that is not the way customer service is performed but rather the company’s own interests are priority over the customer.

In recent years however, more and more businesses have started to recognize the vital importance of customer advocacy and have started implementing strategies that focus more on the customer. I personally feel social media is a big factor in this move. because of social media, the customer has much greater power and leverage to influence others, whether for good or bad, than prior to the days of social media.

In the following infographic, App Data Room presents a statistical argument for customer advocacy.

Reducing risk by management of access privileges

May 04, 2014

Courion survey: 78 percent of IT security executives are anxious about the possibility of a data breach, but do other employees feel the same?

The role of the senior IT security executive is constantly changing,” said Christopher Zannetos, president and CEO of Courion. “Not only are they thought of as the front line defence for protecting sensitive company and customer information, they also feel responsible for brand image and customer satisfaction. IT security cannot tackle all this alone, however. We believe, and this survey confirmed, that better employee education and management of user access can provide much needed support for the security team.”

Indifference at the employee level, lack of knowledge and malicious acts by trusted insiders can present a challenge for IT security, as evidenced by the 2014 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, which included “insider misuse” as one of the nine basic patterns that all breaches can be described by. Within this pattern, “privilege abuse” was the top threat action observed in 88 percent of security incidents.

This is meaningful, since “Account Monitoring and Control”, “Controlled Access Based on the Need to Know” and “Controlled Use of Administrative Privileges”are three of the Top 20 Critical Security Controls recommended by the SANS Institute.

Reducing risk by management of access privileges

May 04, 2014

Courion survey: 78 percent of IT security executives are anxious about the possibility of a data breach, but do other employees feel the same?

The role of the senior IT security executive is constantly changing,” said Christopher Zannetos, president and CEO of Courion. “Not only are they thought of as the front line defence for protecting sensitive company and customer information, they also feel responsible for brand image and customer satisfaction. IT security cannot tackle all this alone, however. We believe, and this survey confirmed, that better employee education and management of user access can provide much needed support for the security team.”

Indifference at the employee level, lack of knowledge and malicious acts by trusted insiders can present a challenge for IT security, as evidenced by the 2014 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, which included “insider misuse” as one of the nine basic patterns that all breaches can be described by. Within this pattern, “privilege abuse” was the top threat action observed in 88 percent of security incidents.

This is meaningful, since “Account Monitoring and Control”, “Controlled Access Based on the Need to Know” and “Controlled Use of Administrative Privileges”are three of the Top 20 Critical Security Controls recommended by the SANS Institute.

How Semantic Search is Changing Insurance Industry Digital Marketing

Insurance industry digital marketing is changing. Gone are the days of paying an “SEO” to buy a bunch of links and stuff your website full of local keywords. These tactics are not only less effective, but in some cases, websites are being directly penalized by Google for “Black hat” SEO.

Using proper keywords and acquiring backlinks is still relevant strategy for ranking your insurance agency or carrier website in search engines, but the volume of keywords and accumulation of backlinks must look natural.

These changes are in part derived from Google’s dedication to the semantic search.

What is Semantic Search?

Don’t feel bad if you’re unfamiliar with the term, “Semantic Search.”

Search marketing expert Mark Traphagen, provides this definition;

“…semantic search is Google’s growing ability to make associations between things in ways that come closer to how we humans make such connections.”

Basically, Google is attempting to create search results which provide more relevant resources to our actual needs versus which company can play the technical SEO game best. The semantic Web creates an incredible revenue opportunity for insurance agents and carriers who are willing to take a long-view on digital marketing.

By focusing on building relationships, (what the insurance industry is built on), insurance agents and carriers can stand out in search without the mega marketing budgets of their direct and captive competitors.

How the Insurance Industry Capitalizes on Semantic Search

Semantic search is built on relationships. This means we can focus less on growing counting numbers, (i.e. followers, Web traffic, “likes,” etc.), and more on the quality and relevancy of the people we connect with.

This is networking 101 and should ultimately swing digital marketing success into the wheelhouse of insurance professionals. For the last 100 plus years, insurance agents and carriers have grown their business on relationships and referrals. Inevitably, more quality relationships leads to even more referrals and business growth.

Instead of focusing on the technical aspects of digital marketing, build human relationships, one at a time. This may seem counterintuitive to the mass marketing opportunity digital marketing is supposed to provide.

It’s time we look at Web visitors for what they are, not just units pushing the line graph higher in your Google Analytics account - human beings.

In order for human beings to take an action, such as filling out a contact form or picking up the phone for an insurance proposal, some sort of relationship must be established.

3 Ways to Build Human Relationships Online

Focus on Niche Product Offerings

Insurance consumers do not use Google Search looking for the best generalist in insurance. As an example, restaurant owners want to work with an insurance agent well versed in coverages such as spoilage, workers compensation, and liquor liability. They don’t care if you also write retail, construction and higher education insurance.

Be Geographically Specific

Insurance consumers want to know you understand the obstacles impacting their specific market. Speaking in geographically relevant terminology comes naturally to local and regional insurance professionals. However, most national carriers do a terrible job of creating a sense of geographic understanding in their marketing.

Use Native Advertising

Native advertising is a term used to describe digital marketing in a way that fits the platform and experience of the consumer. This means fitting your message and marketing to the platform, not shoving one message onto every platform regardless of it’s relevancy. Adhering to native advertising as a marketing principle shows consumers that: 1) you care about their experience and 2) you’re part of their online community.

Takeaway

By focusing on specific products, in specific locations using the digital marketing methods appropriate for each platform, insurance industry professionals are filling the semantic Web with data points feeding search engines the information they need.

The “Spray and Pray” method of marketing online no longer works (if it ever did). Insurance industry marketing must create relationships with human beings while providing search engines with the data to send more insurance consumers their way.

Marketing Photo via Shutterstock

PCs easily compromised, poorly patched

May 04, 2014

Secunia publishes vulnerability profile of the average PC user.

A report, published by Secunia, provider of IT security solutions for vulnerability management, reveals that as cybercrimes grow in complexity and frequency, infrequent patching and security maintenance is leaving users' systems open to exploits.

According to the report, the average PC user in the UK has 76 different programmes installed from 26 different vendors. Of these, 31 are Microsoft programs and 45 are from third party (non-Microsoft) sources. This means that on a typical PC the user is required to master 26 different update mechanisms to address vulnerabilities. 58 percent of the identified vulnerabilities originated from third party programs, 29 percent from Microsoft programs and 13 percent from operating systems.

 “Good security management means removing programs that aren't used and regularly patching those that are. However, cybercriminals know that most private users in the UK consider regular security maintenance hard work,” said Morten Stengaard, CTO at Secunia.

The report also reveals that private individuals respond to the single update mechanism for the 31 Microsoft programs but struggle to master the 25 other update mechanisms required for the remaining 45 programmes.

“It's imperative that businesses and private individuals take simple steps to make their computer as secure as possible. The best way for private users to stay secure is to make sure the software on their PCs is always updated with the latest software security updates.”

Monitoring the modern network environment

May 04, 2014

Importance of network visibility increases as complexity of modern enterprise networks increases: Enterprise Strategy Group survey.

A recent study, conducted by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), surveyed 150 IT professionals from multiple industries (including financial, business services, manufacturing, and retail) on network performance and security challenges. The results confirm that the complexity of modern enterprise networks is increasing due to data centre consolidation, server virtualisation/private cloud, compute layer virtualisation, new application architectures, and the shift to dense 10Gb Ethernet (10GbE) or higher network speeds, and that these factors necessitate deeper levels of network visibility to aid in the management and troubleshooting of these networks. Of particular note, more than two-thirds (69 percent) of respondents stated that they expect the number of requests to capture network data (including metadata and packet-level data) to increase dramatically, driven by the needs of a variety of IT groups including network architecture, security, compliance, applications, and IT audit teams.

 “The results of this survey point to exactly why enterprises need the ability to collect and monitor all network traffic - to improve network performance, security, and availability and to maintain regulatory compliance,” said Mike Riley, senior vice president and general manager, Endace division of Emulex. “The impact on the enterprise bottom line of network outages and security events is very large, and will only continue to grow. By implementing comprehensive network visibility architectures, organisations will be better prepared to ensure network performance, security, and compliance, and to dramatically reduce the time to find and fix critical problems.”

See infographic.

Islands of identity hard to track

May 04, 2014

New poll shows 94 percent of IT security professionals use third party apps on their mobile devices making it harder for IT to track and manage.

A flash poll conducted at Infosecurity Europe by Centrify Corporation found that 94 percent of IT security professionals use third party applications on their mobile devices for work, with 82 percent using up to 10 apps.

Applications are now at the heart of corporate IT and have become vital to employees, both in the office and on the move. Removing access to applications isn't an option, but the risk for organisations is that they create islands of identity, and are therefore harder for IT to track and manage says Darren Gross, EMEA Director at Centrify.

The poll also revealed that of the 169 people surveyed, seven percent of security professionals do not believe it is their responsibility to protect corporate information held on their personal device. Surprisingly, despite repeated warnings about the risks posed by WiFi networks, 52 percent of respondents said that they have accessed sensitive corporate information over unsecure networks at locations such as a coffee shop or airport.

Gross concluded, “As the poll shows, the majority of employees are now leveraging more and more applications on their mobile devices. Identity and access can often be overlooked, but unless enterprises can find a unified way to securely identify individuals, they risk their business coming to a shuddering halt.”

London\'s poor wireless security exposed

More than half of businesses own up to sensitive information being 'readable' when stored in the cloud, says Thales study.

New poll shows 94 percent of IT security professionals use third party apps on their mobile devices making it harder for IT to track and manage.

Robert Hannigan is to replace Sir Ian Lobban as the director general of the UK's GCHQ.

Cloud confidence grows, but at what cost?

May 04, 2014

More than half of businesses own up to sensitive information being 'readable' when stored in the cloud, says Thales study.

A recent report by Thales e-Security, a global provider of financial data encryption and cyber security solutions, entitled “Encryption in the cloud,” reveals that more and more organisations are transferring sensitive or confidential information to public cloud services even though more than a third expect a negative impact on security posture. In response, the use of encryption is increasing but more than half of respondents still admit their sensitive data goes unprotected when it is stored in the cloud, despite data security topping the global news agenda.

Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder, Ponemon Institute, which conducted the independent study of more than 4,000 organisations, says that there are still concerns that many organisations continue to believe that their cloud providers are solely responsible for protecting their sensitive data even though the majority of respondents claim not to know what specific security measures their cloud provider is taking.

The good news is that visibility into the security practices of cloud providers is increasing, as is the use of encryption to protect sensitive or confidential data stored in the cloud. Still, when it comes to key management there is a clear recognition of the importance of retaining ownership of encryption keys with 34 percent of respondents reporting that their own organisation is in control of encryption keys when data is encrypted in the cloud. Only 18 percent of respondents report that the cloud provider has full control over keys. The need to share keys between organisations and the cloud highlights the growing interest in key management standards - in particular OASIS Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP) - where 54 percent of respondents identify cloud based applications and storage encryption as the area to be most impacted by the adoption of the KMIP standard.

10 New Chromebooks From Acer Focus on Cloud Users

10 new Chromebooks from Acer will appeal to entrepreneurs and others who place a high value on mobility and favor cloud services over pre-loaded software. The new devices were introduced recently at an international press event in New York City. Small Business Trends was on hand for the unveiling. The event included a sneak peak ...

The post 10 New Chromebooks From Acer Focus on Cloud Users appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Are You Ready to Step Up to Leadership?

Are You Ready to Step Up to Leadership?

I was talking to a friend of mine recently who shared that a client of hers was constantly changing her mind.  Her business was successful, but she was also involved in several coaching groups and whenever she received feedback from the coaches, she would change her mind about something. This prompted an entire conversation around …

Content

Usefulness

Freshness

89

Summary

Learn to spot “leadership moments” and develop the valuable skill of being the “observer” of your own behavior and that of others.

89

I was talking to a friend of mine recently who shared that a client of hers was constantly changing her mind.  Her business was successful, but she was also involved in several coaching groups and whenever she received feedback from the coaches, she would change her mind about something.

This prompted an entire conversation around leadership and what determines a leader:  Title, level of success, followers?

We went round and around in this conversation.  It’s too bad we didn’t have a copy of Step Up: Lead in Six Moments that Matter by Henry Evans (@HenryJEvans) and Colm Foster (@DrColmFoster).  If we had would have learned a few things that I’m going to share with you here.

What’s In It For The Small Business Owner Or Solopreneur

Every time I pick up a review copy of a book, I ask myself, what will a small business owner get from this book - especially if it seems like it’s written for a corporate audience.

Step Up is a book that is written for leaders at every level; corporate, small business and even for volunteers.  If you are working with at least one other person - this is a book that you’ll want to explore.

I give the authors kudos for sharing my belief that leadership isn’t for everyone.  As you’ll see in the book, being a leader requires some very specific behaviors and skills; most prominent in the book is the skill of being the “observer” of your own behavior and the behavior of others.

Some folks do this naturally, and the rest of us require a little bit of practice.  For those of us that require some practice, Step Up will give you the tools you’ll need to - at the very least - improve your leadership skills and maybe even change the world.  But that result depends on you.

The Key To Leadership Success Is Spotting Those Leadership Moments

The authors focus on helping you spot what they call “leadership moments” and the entire book is written around these very valuable skills.  Throughout the book, they’ve also included handy QR codes that lead you to additional content such as assessments and videos that will give you examples to help you integrate what they are teaching.

Here are the six moments that are included in Step Up:

1. Using anger intelligently:  Instead of viewing anger as something to be avoided, the authors ask you to notice when you’re feeling it and then notice that anger or upset is really what you feel when what’s happening is going against your commitment to a specific outcome.
2. Recognize and deal with “terminal politeness:”  We all want to be liked, the question is; are you letting terminal politeness undermine your ability to lead?
3. Make decisions when no one is making them:  A leader steps up to make difficult decisions and takes responsibility for them - that’s why you are the leader.  This chapter allows you to embrace the possibility of being wrong.
4. Take ownership when others are externalizing the problem:  Are you brave enough to own-up to being part of the problem?  Learn how to observe when you’re contributing to the problem and transform it into a leadership victory.
5. Identifying and leveraging pessimism:  If you see pessimism in your organization, turn it around and see where YOU are being pessimistic.  Once you understand yourself, you will understand those around you.
6. Inspiring others to action:  This is the traditional leadership role.  In this section of the book, you’ll learn how to recognize when you and others are stuck in unproductive conversations and actions.

About The Authors

The forward of this book is written by Marshall Goldsmith, management guru and author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There  and he praises the authors for taking the complex topic of leadership and simplifying it in a way that leaders in all walks of life can embrace.

Henry Evans is the managing partner for Dynamic Results, a company that specializes in strategy execution, executive development and emotionally intelligent leadership.  Colm Foster specializes in working with executives and their teams to improve effectiveness.

What About YOU!

The question you have to ask yourself is, “Do I want to read another book about leadership?” Or maybe, “How is this leadership book any different?”

I can tell you, I wasn’t really into reading another book about leadership.  What you should really be asking yourself is, “Is this all I’m up to in the world?”

If the answer to that question is NO - then you’re ready to Step Up.

Are You Ready to Step Up to Leadership?

Are You Ready to Step Up to Leadership?

I was talking to a friend of mine recently who shared that a client of hers was constantly changing her mind.  Her business was successful, but she was also involved in several coaching groups and whenever she received feedback from the coaches, she would change her mind about something. This prompted an entire conversation around …

Content

Usefulness

Freshness

89

Summary

Learn to spot “leadership moments” and develop the valuable skill of being the “observer” of your own behavior and that of others.

89

I was talking to a friend of mine recently who shared that a client of hers was constantly changing her mind.  Her business was successful, but she was also involved in several coaching groups and whenever she received feedback from the coaches, she would change her mind about something.

This prompted an entire conversation around leadership and what determines a leader:  Title, level of success, followers?

We went round and around in this conversation.  It’s too bad we didn’t have a copy of Step Up: Lead in Six Moments that Matter by Henry Evans (@HenryJEvans) and Colm Foster (@DrColmFoster).  If we had would have learned a few things that I’m going to share with you here.

What’s In It For The Small Business Owner Or Solopreneur

Every time I pick up a review copy of a book, I ask myself, what will a small business owner get from this book - especially if it seems like it’s written for a corporate audience.

Step Up is a book that is written for leaders at every level; corporate, small business and even for volunteers.  If you are working with at least one other person - this is a book that you’ll want to explore.

I give the authors kudos for sharing my belief that leadership isn’t for everyone.  As you’ll see in the book, being a leader requires some very specific behaviors and skills; most prominent in the book is the skill of being the “observer” of your own behavior and the behavior of others.

Some folks do this naturally, and the rest of us require a little bit of practice.  For those of us that require some practice, Step Up will give you the tools you’ll need to - at the very least - improve your leadership skills and maybe even change the world.  But that result depends on you.

The Key To Leadership Success Is Spotting Those Leadership Moments

The authors focus on helping you spot what they call “leadership moments” and the entire book is written around these very valuable skills.  Throughout the book, they’ve also included handy QR codes that lead you to additional content such as assessments and videos that will give you examples to help you integrate what they are teaching.

Here are the six moments that are included in Step Up:

1. Using anger intelligently:  Instead of viewing anger as something to be avoided, the authors ask you to notice when you’re feeling it and then notice that anger or upset is really what you feel when what’s happening is going against your commitment to a specific outcome.
2. Recognize and deal with “terminal politeness:”  We all want to be liked, the question is; are you letting terminal politeness undermine your ability to lead?
3. Make decisions when no one is making them:  A leader steps up to make difficult decisions and takes responsibility for them - that’s why you are the leader.  This chapter allows you to embrace the possibility of being wrong.
4. Take ownership when others are externalizing the problem:  Are you brave enough to own-up to being part of the problem?  Learn how to observe when you’re contributing to the problem and transform it into a leadership victory.
5. Identifying and leveraging pessimism:  If you see pessimism in your organization, turn it around and see where YOU are being pessimistic.  Once you understand yourself, you will understand those around you.
6. Inspiring others to action:  This is the traditional leadership role.  In this section of the book, you’ll learn how to recognize when you and others are stuck in unproductive conversations and actions.

About The Authors

The forward of this book is written by Marshall Goldsmith, management guru and author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There  and he praises the authors for taking the complex topic of leadership and simplifying it in a way that leaders in all walks of life can embrace.

Henry Evans is the managing partner for Dynamic Results, a company that specializes in strategy execution, executive development and emotionally intelligent leadership.  Colm Foster specializes in working with executives and their teams to improve effectiveness.

What About YOU!

The question you have to ask yourself is, “Do I want to read another book about leadership?” Or maybe, “How is this leadership book any different?”

I can tell you, I wasn’t really into reading another book about leadership.  What you should really be asking yourself is, “Is this all I’m up to in the world?”

If the answer to that question is NO - then you’re ready to Step Up.

Put Service Before Sales and Master the Secret of Underdog Marketing

The Community News and Information roundup is here again. Taking the pulse of the online small business community, we look at the concept of putting service before sales and the secret of underdog marketing.

Service Should Come Before Sales. (Proforma Blog)

It goes without saying that when you visit a customer, especially for the first time, you’re looking for a sale. But perhaps you should be looking for ways to provide customer service from the beginning too, says Gina Zahran. Take the time to learn what your customer really needs and whether your product will fill that need.

Underdog Marketing Has Its Advantages (Capture Commerce)

One of the challenges of being a small business, especially a new one, is that many of your competitors are already entrenched in the market. And they have customers already using their products and services. So it’s pretty ironic that this can also be one of your advantages too. Tom Shivers discusses the definition of an underdog with the BizSugar community.

Email Marketing Remains a Key Technique (High Road)

There’s a reason Kent Garner asks the question. That’s because email continues to be the “workhorse” of online marketing. So unless you’re collecting customer email addresses and are fully maximizing this resource, you’re missing an important component.

Make Sure Your Advertising is Delivering Its Message. (Neuromarketing)

To this neuroscientist, advertising is more than a persuasive art. Its effectiveness can be measured right down to the length of the message. Important components including grabbing the audiences attention, engaging them emotionally, and giving them something to remember.

There’s a Reason Your Team Doesn’t Like Meetings (SmallBizDay)

Sure it could be the fact that you don’t have a more effective agenda. And it could also be the fact that they aren’t as productive as you’d like them to be. But the real reason could be a great deal simpler. And it has to do with a quality you’d welcome from your people under different circumstances.

Perhaps You Need a Project Manager. (Young Upstarts)

There are obviously qualities a project manager can bring your organization that won’t be available otherwise. So once you”ve decided you need this person on your team, veteran project manager Russell Harley makes these suggestions about to find the right one. As with anything, Harley says, you must start by deciding what you need.

It Starts With a Strong Brand. (Success Center for Entrepreneurs)

Business need a story, an explanation of who they are and where they come from. Here Randall Hampton explores just how brands are made. It’s an important thing for your small business to consider, especially if your just starting out. Do you have a strong brand? And what does it tell your customers about you?

Marketing Is the New Journalism. (ThursdayBram.com)

Advocacy journalism is a radical departure in the way the news has been covered up until now. It can refer to the work of activists, say, in support of a cause they feel to be just. But just as easily, it could serve your brand’s purposes. Bram discusses the implications of this new approach to journalism with members of the BizSugar community.

Now it’s your turn. Email us with your suggestions for coverage at sbtips@gmail.com. Or share your news on BizSugar.com. It’s the small business community we visit most often to find the freshest and most authentic small business voices.

Tablet readers catch up from anywhere image via shutterstock

Keep Kitty Out of Your Workspace with CATable

If you have a home-based office, you likely have to deal with a lot of distractions. One of those distractions may very well be your cat. From demanding belly rubs to planting themselves squarely in the middle of your keyboard, it can be awfully difficult to get any work done with a restless kitty around.

That’s why Ruan Hao of Hong Kong’s LYCS Architecture created the CATable. The CATable is a desk that features a flat top with a series of kitten-sized cubbyholes below.

The idea behind the desk is that it should keep your cat more interested in crawling through the lower level than walking through the middle of your workspace or sitting on your laptop.

The designer explained a bit about the idea behind CATable on the company’s website:

“Their curiosity would be greatly satisfied through repetitively exploring the unknown path behind the hole… It is a table for us and a paradise for cats.”

Of course, cat owners want to keep their cats happy. But as more and more entrepreneurs start businesses that allow them to work from home, entertaining feline friends yourself isn’t always feasible without sacrificing productivity.

There are already tons of products available for your cat’s climbing needs, from cat trees to shelves, various cat furniture and even kitty condos. But one of the aspects of the CATable that could appeal to cat owners is that it offers the opportunity to keep your cat nearby while you work.

Small business owners often work long hours and don’t always have the time to separate work and home life. So a piece of furniture like this has the potential to help you get more done while still spending quality time with your pets.

The desk was recently displayed during Milan Design Week and there is no telling yet when it might be available for sale. But it does show one way in which designers are beginning to think about work-life balance â€" including for home-based business owners.

Images: Lycs Architecture

The Small Business Book Awards Judges are Passionate Business Bookworms!

As voting has now begun for the 2014 Small Business Book Awards, our dedicated panel of judges will be assessing the 100+ entries and choosing the best in each category. I thought it would be fun to do a little Q&A with some of our judges to get to know them.

* * * * *

What was the trigger that launched you into being a small business owner?

Robert Brady,  Head PPC Wizard at Righteous Marketing:

I was working for an Internet marketing agency, but I was the only guy doing paid search. That meant that I went on sales calls, negotiated rates, sent reports, communicated with the client and did all the work. I realized that doing it for myself really wasn’t much different than what I was doing so I took the leap.

Martin Lindeskog, Owner of Egoist International Business:

The trigger came in the late 1980′s, during an one-year advanced study program after high school. The program was a theoretical and practical program in small entrepreneurship. We as students started, developed, and closed a company together during the school year. Our school company became an authorized dealer for dry flowers and plants. I started my first trading company together with my younger brother around the same time. We had the “big” company name, Swedish Important Import, and we imported computer peripherals, e.g., 3.5″ floppy disks.

Kimberly Crossland, Owner of The Savvy Copywriter:

I worked for a startup and loved the culture, the excitement, and the energy in the company - so much so in fact that I decided to branch out on my own and start my own thing. Startups have this unique way of focusing more on the actual value they deliver. It’s something that big brands can’t do as well.

Tell me about a time when you used a business book to solve a problem â€" and what were the results?

Daria Steigman, Founder of Steigman Communications:

I’m always looking for takeaways in business books, whether it’s big ideas that make me think or actionable takeaways I can implement either now or later. But rarely does a business book come in as handy as David Garland’s Smarter, Faster, Cheaper.

I was reading a review copy around the time of one of my website redesigns when I came across a bulleted list of things to consider in addition to content. One of the bullets: “It is clear how users can contact me? Do I tell them the best way to reach me is? E-mail? Phone?…”

I was so focused on making sure I was getting my shiny social media icons on my new site that I’d forgotten to include email and telephone information front and center. Fortunately, the site wasn’t yet live.

Scott Wolfe, Jr., CEO of Zlien: 

Our organization absolutely loves the book Switch, by Chip and Dan Heath.  Here’s the deal â€" our company, like many companies, has customers who use our product (i.e. our technology platform).  That requires folks within our customer’s organizations to “buy in” to the platform’s abilities, and then for the end users to “buy in.”  This frequently requires organizations to change how they think about the problem we solve…or Switch.  The Chip & Dan Heath book really analyzes the why and human elements behind change management challenges, and we have literally modeled our onboarding and account management theories behind the principles in this book.  The results have been very good. We feel like our customers are more successful at using our platform as a result.

Carla Jenkins, Program Analyst, Federal Government:

I read The E-Myth while in graduate school and it crystallized the difference between a business owner and an employee who is just good at their job.

Steve Sipress, Publisher of Money-Making Magazine and RhinoDaily:

I often recommend a business book for one my clients to read and take action on to solve a specific problem he or she is having.  When my client does so, the results are almost always excellent.

What’s the last business book you read, and what did you learn from it?

Robert Brady:

7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and every time I read it, I’m empowered by the concepts of responsibility and accountability.

Martin Lindeskog:

The latest business book I read was Marketing Judo: Building Your Business Using Brains Not Budget by John Barnes & Richard Richardson. I got a Eureka moment and started a new blog, EGO Dojo. I learned that it is time to focus more on defense in a gentle way, rather than hard attack (read: hard selling).

Christina Bouza, Cofounder & Director of Content for CJ Creative Solutions:

The last book I read, and am still reading is,The Focused Business by Dave Crenshaw.  I enjoy the author’s language, tone, and honesty.  I learned that there is a lot more to be wary of as an entrepreneur when building a team.  I’ve gained some good insight here about certain characteristics of employees that can bring you down and how to combat unproductive habits from the start.

If you could be any business author, who would it be, and why?

Brian Smith, Senior Managing Partner of Individual Advantages:

David Avrin.  I find his way of writing to be down to earth and easy to understand.  I also find his approach toward personal interaction to be refreshing and honest.  He has always been approachable and offers himself without violating his set of ethics or his position as an author, speaker and coach.

Carla Jenkins:

Adrienne Graham. Her No, You Can’t Pick My Brain…It Costs Too Much is a classic for anyone who has been approached by someone to do something for free.

Kimberly Crossland:

I would be Dale Carnegie. I love his approach to winning people’s trust, and I love how he uses self-less communication tactics to skyrocket his own success.

Why are you excited about being a Judge for Book Awards?

Christina Bouza:

I am excited about being a judge for the 2014 Small Biz Book Awards because judging is something I have always loved and my immediate focus on reading as many business books on marketing, social media and management [as possible], is at the forefront of my list of priorities as a new business owner.  The opportunity to gain insight through shared reviews, new book introductions and networking with like-minded professionals is why I am delighted to be a part of the team of judges.

Daria Steigman:

There are so many books out there that it can be a challenge weeding through the clutter to find the gems. I’ve been a fan of the Book Awards for some time, and have relied on them to help me identify a few new books each year I might have missed but ought to read. So when the chance arose to help identify those gems for other members of the Small Business Trends community, I jumped at it.

Steve Sipress:

I love reading books on marketing, and business in general.  I hope that my participation as a Judge helps inspire entrepreneurs and small business owners to read more business books themselves.  I have my own saying:  “Lifetime Learners Are Lifetime Earners.”

Book Photo via Shutterstock

Top Stories: Minimum Wage Increase Defeated, Internet Explorer Fixed

Top stories for small business owners this week involved the fate of a contentious minimum wage bill and the repair of a major Web security issue. The Small Business Trends editorial team has you covered with this important news and more. Just follow our roundup.

Policy

Minimum Wage Bill Fails in Senate, Small Business Groups Respond. A Senate bill that would have raised the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 failed in the Senate Wednesday. But President Obama and other supporters have vowed to make it an issue in the 2014 elections. Small business leaders want elected officials to know they consider it an important issue too.

USDA Announces $150 Million Investment Fund for Rural Businesses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a $150 million fund the agency will use to invest in small rural businesses. The fund establishes a new Rural Business Investment Program with a new wrinkle for investment in rural ag-related companies. The new investment fund was announced as part of the Obama administration’s “Made in Rural America” initiative.

Michigan Creates $6.8 Million Fund for Tech Startups. Economically speaking, the news concerning Michigan typically focuses on the purported death of Detroit. To counter that negative trend, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is hoping to spearhead some new growth among high-tech startups. The Michigan Pre-Seed Fund 2.0 is actually a continuation of a previous effort. It will provide $6.8 million for investment in local business.

Web

Microsoft Announces a Fix to the Internet Explorer Bug. Federal officials had issued a warning to users of Internet Explorer: Stop using the Web browser until Microsoft can mitigate a security threat. The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, said the vulnerability had already been used for attacks. But later this week, Microsoft announced a fix.

Alexa Has Gone Back To The Drawing Board. There’s good news for those who rely on Web analytics to negotiate website advertising deals. Alexa Internet Inc. has completely revamped its daily updated Web traffic analytics services for $9.99 a month. The company, which is owned by Amazon.com, is targeting digital marketers and content publishers for their new service.

AdRoll Raises $70 Million as Retargeting Space Heats Up. Those ads for new shoes or a new car or for your favorite store may be following you. They’re known as retargeting ads and you may be seeing a lot more of them on your computer and now your smartphone. The company behind a lot of those ads, AdRoll, recently announced $70 million more in funding led by its primary shareholder, Foundation Capital.

Google Is Growing at Double Digits But Wall Street Still Isn’t Happy. Google is growing at double digit rates, and if that were your company, you’d likely be thrilled. Apparently, Wall Street investors are not. Such is the fickle favor of Wall Street. The search giant’s first quarter earnings report shows an overall increase in revenue. But investors weren’t impressed.

Economy

60 Percent of Small Business Owners Report Revenue Increase. For the majority of small businesses, increased revenue is outpacing increases in taxes. That’s the consensus from a new survey by online payroll provider SurePayroll. SurePayroll recently unveiled its April 2014 Small Business Scorecard covering the previous tax year. The survey showed that 60 percent of small business owners saw revenues increase during the previous year.

One Third of Microbusiness Owners Rely on Second Jobs. If you own a microbusiness, defined as a business employing five or fewer people, you occupy a very important part of the economy. Yet chances are, at least early on, you aren’t able to make a full time living at it. If not, you’re not alone. Nearly one third (33 percent), of microbusiness owners depend upon another job as their main source of income, a recent Gallup Survey says.

Entrepreneurship

Moving Mountains Design: Staging Luxury Homes for Sale. This week we shine the spotlight on Moving Mountains Design. Those needing to sell a big luxury home in the Los Angeles area call on owner Michelle Minch. She and her team swoop in and choose just the right paintings, rugs, sofas and even duvet covers to make a property fetch top dollar. Minch says she has 6 part-time employees in all and has been in business eight years.

Entrepreneur Creates Ghoulish Treats Like Marshmallow Brains and More. When launching a business, it’s important to offer a product or service that stands apart. That’s certainly what baker Annabel de Vetten has done with her bakery, the Conjurer’s Kitchen. Instead of basic cakes and other desserts, de Vetten creates ghoulish treats and unusual custom edible creations ranging from chocolate skulls to graveyard cakes.

What One Old Uniform Company Knows…That You Don’t. Jim Wasserson thinks about uniforms all day long. More than 100,000 of them. As CEO and President of Clean Rental, Wasserson, whose grandfather founded the company in 1918, is a born-and-bred expert on what makes uniforms unique, memorable, functional, clean and comfortable.

Talk About Bad Company: The True Cost of a Bad Hire. Hiring the wrong person for a position is an expensive mistake for a company to make. In a recent Career Builder survey 42% of companies reported that a bad hire cost them at least $25,000 in the past year, and 25% reported a loss of at least $50,000.

Social Media

Pinterest May Be The Perfect Answer For Marketing Your Apparel Business. Social media is probably the best thing that has happened to businesses of all shapes and sizes. The viral nature of social media, along with the possibility of community and relationship building is an awesome deal that no business can afford to ignore. E-commerce stores that specialize in apparel are no exception.

Transforming Twitter With More Images Means More Social. You’ve most likely heard the old adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words” and it appears that Twitter would agree.  It is now possible to tag multiple photos in a single tweet. Twitter Tagging Photos Twitter 6.3, the upgraded version of Twitter, brings multiple features which are expected to make use of the site more engaging.

Google Plus Users With More Than 1,000 Followers Can Now Use +Post Ads. At the end of last year, Google started testing the concept of +Post ads. The ads enable those with an account to turn any of their Google Plus content into an interactive ad, and have it run across the Google Display Ad network. Now Google has moved +Post ads out of their limited testing phase.

Tools & Apps

Skype Introduces Free Group Video Calls for Up To 10 People. Your next video conference on Skype may now be free. Skype announced this week that its Skype group video calls service is now free for up to 10 participants on some platforms. Prior to this, group video calls on Skype had been available only if one participant had a premium membership ranging from $4.99 a month to $8.99 for a single day pass.

FedEx Office Launches New Printing App for iPhone and Android. FedEx Office has announced a new mobile print app for both iPhone and Android devices. The FedEx Mobile Office App allows customers to manage printing jobs from anywhere. Documents that are saved on your mobile device, in emails, or in several cloud storage apps can be sent to a FedEx Office store to be printed.

People Who Want to Visit Your Business Can Tell Their Friends Via Superb. The problem with consumers constantly being glued to their smartphone screens is that sometimes they forget there is a real world around them. A new iPhone app called Superb aims to show them what is in their area. That could mean bringing your local business to their attention and allowing them to tell their friends about it too.

Podio Redesign Makes Project Management Simpler for Non-Project Managers. Podio is a tool that allows teams create their own collaboration apps without knowing code or bringing in an IT department to help. So, for example, if you need an app to track your team as they complete a major marketing or other project, Podio can do that, the tool’s creators say.

Reading Photo via Shutterstock

This Was the First Video on YouTube

Recently, YouTube marked its ninth anniversary. Since the site launched in 2005, small business owners and entrepreneurs around the world have used it to market their products and build their online networks. Some have even built their entire businesses around the platform.

But most of the videos on YouTube don’t have as many views as the very first YouTube video. Entitled “Me at the Zoo,” the video shows YouTube Co-Founder Jawed Karim on a visit to the San Diego Zoo. You can view the video in its entirety below:

Though only 19 seconds long and not exactly groundbreaking in the content department, the video has racked up more than 14 million views over the years.

This look back at YouTube’s first video serves as a reminder that there are so many different factors that can contribute to your video’s success. Of course, great content is key. But the timing of your video can be just as important. In this case, being the first-ever YouTube video made all the difference in the success of “Me at the Zoo.”

Over the last 9 years, there have been countless videos that have gained reach beyond anyone’s expectations. Who would have thought that a video called “Charlie bit my finger” would gain worldwide fame? And who could have predicted that “Gangnam Style,” a music video from a relatively unknown artist, would become the most viewed online video of all time?

The key, as with Karim’s video, is to create the right kind of content at the right time. Then let your customers and community do the rest.

Girish Mathrubootham of Freshdesk: CEOs Doing Time on the Support Desk

As small business owners build their businesses up, add new people and take on more responsibilities, it’s easy to become disconnected from the very folks spurring that growth - their customers. But customer needs and expectations change over time, just like small businesses do, which makes it critically important for the CEO of a growing company to find ways to stay in tune with the voice of the customer.

Girish Mathrubootham, CEO and founder of online customer support platform Freshdesk, came up with the idea of having CEOs dedicate some of their time playing the role of a customer support agent in order to help them stay within ear shot of what’s on the mind of their customers. He discusses what he calls CEO on Support, and the impact it can have on customer relationships.

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Small Business Trends: Before we jump in, can you give everybody a little bit of your personal background?

Girish Mathrubootham: Prior to starting Freshdesk, I worked for close to ten years as VP of Product Management at Zoho (another software-as-a-service company). In 2001, I joined them as a presales engineer and customer support person. Over the years, my career was built from being a customer support person to being a product marketer and then a product manager, and also having run customer support teams.

Small Business Trends: Talk a bit about Freshdesk and the role you play in helping your customer provide better support to their customers.

Girish Mathrubootham: Freshdesk is an online customer support software. We all know customer support software or helpdesk has been around for 20 or 30 years.

What we do differently at Freshdesk is integrate a lot of channels. We start with traditional channels. We also interlink social channels. If you have a mobile app, your users can even contact you via mobile app.

We integrate all these channels and bring those customer conversations to you, to be able to “respond” to your customers across these channels.

Small Business Trends: You have this really interesting new initiative you started called “CEO on Support” where the idea is for top executives to spend some time in the shoes of a support agent to really understand what’s going on. Talk to me a bit about why you started CEO on Support.

Girish Mathrubootham: I think when a CEO talks to customers, you get a sense of reality. When you’re able to match what you’re building with what customers really want, that’s when you start to have a successful business. When you talk to customers, you get insights into things you should be doing - they help validate whether you’re doing the right things or dreaming while your customers are actually suffering for lack of some basic software.

So I think every CEO needs to spend time on customer support just to have that reality check.

Small Business Trends: Share something that may have been a surprise that you learned as you went through this exercise yourself.

Girish Mathrubootham: In 2004, I was building a helpdesk for internal IT departments; we built a nice product, then we were sending it off for trials. We had an early version and found no customer was able to successfully trial it. People were looking for an easy way to get existing users or employees into the system, and we didn’t build an import to let them quickly do that. In those days, we didn’t know that was going to be a critical killer feature, so we invented everything, but didn’t make it easy for a customer to test it out.

So that was a lesson I learned when I first talked to customers.

Small Business Trends: You have put the challenge out to other CEOs to try this. Maybe you could talk a little about some of those CEOs.

Girish Mathrubootham: A few months ago, a lot of our customers seemed to be talking about simple small issues with email ticketing. I was able to focus on doing this, making it better, before taking on the big stuff.

This was what we were discussing last month with our marketing team when we saw this could be something most CEOs would relate to. For example, we’ve seen interest from the CEO of Buffer, a vocal proponent of CEOs being on support. Then we have the CEO of LaunchBit who’s expressed interest. And I think as we go on, we’re going to see more CEOs sharing their support stories.

Small Business Trends: What do you think CEOs should take away after going through this exercise?

Girish Mathrubootham: I think the broader takeaway for CEOs is customer support has fundamentally changed. It’s no longer about one-to-one colonization between the customer and the company. CEOs have to realize what we call customer support is the new marketing. Basically, it’s impacting a brand, so you better take care of your customers.

Small Business Trends: Do you expect CEOs that try this out this first time to start to look at this as something they should do on a regular basis?

Girish Mathrubootham: I definitely think that is going to happen, because this is valuable. I don’t expect every CEO to do it, of course, but I think a lot will find value.

Small Business Trends: I see there’s a hashtag, #CEOonSupport, but you also have a site. Is this where people will be able to hear the stories the CEOs are telling about their experiences?

Girish Mathrubootham: Yes. We created the hashtag because we’re trying to collect all the stories and put them together. We will have links to these interesting stories on CEOonSupport.com.

This interview on CEO on support is part of the One on One interview series with thought-provoking entrepreneurs, authors and experts in business today. This transcript has been edited for publication. To hear audio of the full interview, click on the player above.