Web-based companies, or those providing digital opportunities, are the ones that can most easily "scale" and provide value to a wider community of clients and customers. If you are a service provider, what ways can you offer a technical component to your work. For example, if you only do written reports, is there a way to offer a digital option, a web-based form, or a "lite" … [Read more...]
New Technologies for Mobile Merchant Accounts
Guest Post by Ms. Bekiroglu, editorial consultant for mobilepaymentgeek.com (learn more about Ms. Bekiroglu at the end of this post) The rising popularity of smartphones and connected tablets has allowed mobile credit card processing providers to offer a range of new options for point of service or sales transactions. This level of flexibility is a considerable asset … [Read more...]
Free Website Design Spotlight: A Tool You Can Use
Being a small business owner myself, I understand the utter terror that grips you when you have to make a purchase for your business. Everything costs you a fortune and your cash flow is never where you want it to be. There seems to be a never ending mantra “I know I need it, but I just can’t afford it right now”. Well ladies the wait is over. We all know that to be successful … [Read more...]
Women in Technology [Infographic]
Women in technology are finding many successes, but those triumphs are still not the norm. An infographic from IT Manager Daily and Killer Infographics attempts to raise awareness of the impact women are having in the technology field, including their triumphs and barriers. Check it out below to see some uninspiring statistics, inspiring success stories, and resources for … [Read more...]
How GenX Affects Your Business
I was doing something decidedly none business yesterday (replacing my dead dryer) and the sales representative that was helping me was glued to his IPAD. Now I applaud the store for the use of technology to create a more accurate account of inventory, but to run a business you actually have to talk to your customers! The sales representative was great; he was friendly and … [Read more...]
The Capable Employee
As a modern business owner, I’ve caught the fever to rely on gadgets and depend on electronic communication in lieu of actually picking up the phone; but I wonder, have I done my company a disservice? As I visit client sites and assess the challenges they face, it becomes clear that sometimes the culprit is not the employee, it’s the technology. Excessive reliance on … [Read more...]
What Do 5 Top Women In Tech Have In Common?
Guest post by Kristen Brophy (learn more about Kristen at the end of this post). What Do 5 Top Women In Tech Have In Common? They are fierce and persistent pioneers. “Success in Silicon Valley, most would agree, is more merit driven than almost any other place in the world. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what sex you are, what politics you support or what color you … [Read more...]
HP Headed to Hotel California?
HP has made some controversial decisions lately, but is Meg Whitman a great strategic move or the kiss of death for this once great tech company? HP announced Whitman’s appointment on September 22, 2011 but given the public comments, customers seem to think it’s a bad choice. It’s my stance that HP usually leaps before it looks and I am not sure that I am sold on Whitman as … [Read more...]
The USPS Lesson
The post office is nearly bankrupt, the cost cutting is not working. We are in danger of losing a service that is vital to many small businesses. So while other business blogs are looking at this situation and wondering what went wrong, I’m asking “what can we learn?” The postal situation is not unique and what it highlights is how the wrong type of organizational culture can … [Read more...]
IT Overinvesting – Is it Better to be Safe than Sorry?
While I haven't read the book, an article on Reuters suggests that the book Aligning Technology with Strategy by Harvard Business Review advises companies evaluate their IT costs to prevent overinvesting. Specifically, companies should: "Spend less. Evaluate expected returns from IT investments. What's essential spending versus discretionary or unnecessary? Then eliminate … [Read more...]