 |
 |
 |
CONTACT US 913.385.1551
|
 |
|
Open Source Software for Small Business
Open source software represents one of the most
exciting opportunities for small business. It is free to download, and
in many cases is as good or better than commercial products. Fortune
500 companies have been using open source for years. MS: is it advertising supported? No,. It's really free. Development is supported by thousands of programmers, universities, and even some companies. MS: What types of software are available? Customer Resource Management, Content Management, Databases, Manufacturing Support, and hundreds of others. Now, these packages are not as easy to install as off-the-shelf software, but a small investment in setup can yield tens of thousands of dollars in savings. Software that was beyond the reach of small companies is now readily available. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Binding Customers with the Internet
Let's say you're a food distributor, and you develop a web-based cash register for your customers and offer
it at little or no cost. It just happens to have your products programmed in, and supports automatic re-ordering from you.
Support can be outsourced, so you don't need to get into the software business.Once adopted, that customer is bound with golden handcuffs. Competitors will be forced to offer more than just a lower price. This principal can be applied to most industries, so in the future, I believe most small business software will be free or very low cost, because it will be in someone's best interest to provide it. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Professional Computing
Computers for design professionals such as architects, landscapers and engineers have undergone the largest jump in
computing power that we've seen in a decade. Multi-core, 64-bit machines can dramatically increase productivity, improve employee
satisfaction and can typically pay for themselves in six months.
Obtaining the maximum power available requires that the machine be customized to your needs. For example, consumer hard drives operate at half the speed of a professional drive, and configuration is important. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Email Security
Most people are aware that email is not secure, but don't realize how insecure. Not only can your Internet Service Provider read your email,
they have the legal right to do so. There's also the issue of performance. If you send a large attachment to five employees, it will cross your
connection to the internet six times, which can really hamper performance.MS: What can a small company do? An internal email server is an excellent investment. It will keep internal company email inside the company, and dramatically improve performance. It will also allow you to send and receive attachments as large as you'd like. MS: Isn't that expensive? Not anymore. You can purchase an email server with spam control for less than $1000, and with remote management, there's no need for internal expertise. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Small Company E-Commerce
Even a little sandwich shop can benefit from e-commerce. There is now an entire generation that has no use for phone books, so if you don't
have a robust web presence, you don't exist.Customers enjoy the convenience of ordering online. In addition to allowing you to take more orders during peak periods, every order allows you to collect another email address. Over time that will become hundreds, then thousands of email addresses. Unlike spam, your customers know you and like to hear from you as long as don't get greedy. We've seen open rates for customer emails reach 30%, higher than any other medium. That can translate into a lot of sales, especially during the holidays Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
The Rise of the Virtual Machine
Virtual machines allow one computer to behave as two or more, even running different operating systems at the same time. For the first time,
it is possible to have a computer running Windows XP with the latest version of office, and run old clunker Windows 98 programs at the same time.
You can finally retire that ten year old box before it dies. In addition, virtual machines can be transferred from one computer to another,
or stored away. You can create a virtual server with evaluation software without affecting production software. We have only begun to
explore the possibilities of this exciting new technology.
Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Small Company Technology
In a lot of ways, the computer revolution hasn't really begun. Most small companies are still a lot more like Gunsmoke than Star Trek.
Often, it is just a lack of familiarity with the powerful technologies that can be employed in your business. Few business owners have
technical backgrounds and even fewer technical people have business backgrounds. Vendors can help fill the gap, but you're not going to gain a
competitive edge with off-the-shelf solutions. As an example, Amazon weighs every package that goes out the door to determine if the right items are being shipped. That decreases return costs and increases customer satisfaction, and you won't find that solution in the office supply store. A good multi-disciplinary technology consultant can help you identify opportunities you may never have considered. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Business Class Computers
The biggest it mistake that small companies make is throwing a discount store PC in the shopping cart whenever they need a new one. Consumer PCs have very short model
life spans, usually six months or less. The end result is mishmash. You can't get replacement parts, you can't keep spares, and every one needs different software and device drivers.
Business class PCs have warranties of at least three years, and feature built in monitoring. You can keep a spare on-hand, and if one crashes your employee doesn't need to take a vacation day. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Web Site Featur-itus
When designing a web site, the most important feature is simplicity. It is easy for creative people to assume that everyone is comfortable with their
creativity. While a number of sites provide complicated customization features - such as for business cards, birth announcements and the like -
what most of us want is for a professional to do it for us. We don't want to learn a new software application to order a set of blinds.
Offering too many options is a very bad thing. If a customer is unsure about a choice they can freeze up, and you can kiss your sale goodbye. Web sites need to be drop dead obvious - if you need to explain it, you've failed. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Save Money at Any Cost?
In too many companies, the motto is "Save money at any cost!". Not only can this have the opposite of the desired effect if you're paying to
service old clunker computers, it can lead to disaster.
An office employee typically costs 2 1/2 times their salary if you include overhead, vacation and benefits. It is clear that you can lose hundreds or thousands of dollars an hour if a server goes down. In addition, customers have limited patience, so you don't have much time before they are forced to seek an alternative. A service contract can't save you, as they usually don't guarantee to the have the parts you might need on hand. A little spare hardware and some advanced planning can save you a lot of grief. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Web Site Security - Part 1
If you run an e-commerce site, protecting customer information is essential. If credit card information falls into the
wrong hands, it could not only damage your reputation, but you could be liable for fines up to a million dollars.
MS: Doesn’t the lock symbol on the browser mean that a site is secure? No, it means the connection between your browser and the web site is secure. It says nothing about internal security. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Web Site Security - Part 2
Securing an e-commerce site requires more than just a firewall. You cannot allow old orders to accumulate.
I’ve seen sites where thousands of credit card numbers were still on the server. That’s a real danger, because many sites have no
intrusion detection, and wouldn’t know if they were compromised. It’s also possible on some sites to retrieve sensitive information without breaking in.
If you process credit cards, it’s a good idea to have your security policies reviewed by a professional. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Using Photographs on Web Sites
It’s common for distributors and retailers to borrow product pictures from a manufacturer’s web site for use in their own site.
That’s risky, because in the US, photographers are automatically granted copyright, even if you’re paying them to take the picture, so the manufacturer may not own the rights.
By the same token, web sites that offer free pictures may not own them either. You can buy the rights from a legitimate photography house for a few bucks, so it’s not worth the risk of getting sued for copyright infringement. Always insist on an accounting of where the developer obtained the pictures for your web site. If you’re going to do some illegal, it’s best not to post it on the internet! Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Planning an Exit Strategy
Any fire marshal will tell you to look for the exits when you enter a building. The same is true when commissioning a web
site or custom software. Even with the best of intentions, projects can go bad, and you need to protect your investment from the start.
It comes as a surprise to most people that copyright is automatically granted to the developer, even though you paid to have the work created. Insist on a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty free license to the source code – the instructions that tell the computer what to do. That way another developer can pick up where the old one left off. Make sure it’s clear from the beginning what is to be delivered and when if you decide to terminate the relationship. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Protecting Web Site Rights
It’s all too common for a web developer to register your web site address in their name instead of yours. This is like buying a car
and not getting a title. You won’t have the rights to change web hosts if needed.
There are ways to recover ownership, but it can be a long and expensive process if the developer decides not to co-operate. You can check the ownership status of your web site address at net2business.com. If you are not listed as the owner or registrant, it’s important to get that changed while you and your developer have a good working relationship. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Let Them Buy Something
It’s a safe bet that if a sales method wouldn’t work in the real world, it’s not going to work on the internet. Imagine if the
Wal-Mart greeter forced you to watch a thirty second commercial before you were allowed to shop. You wouldn’t be pleased,
so why would you build a web site that essentially did the same thing?
You only have a few seconds to convince a visitor that they’re in the right place, and that you’re offering what they’re after. They’re not interested in reading pages of text about how wonderful your company is, or your mission statement. Your goal should be to drive the customer to action in as few clicks as possible, whether that is making a purchase, a phone call or filling out a contact form. They’re there for a reason, so get out of their way. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Double Your Web Site Hits Overnight!
Hits are the most widely misunderstood statistic. If your home page has five pictures, the web server will record six hits when a customer visits.
If it has ten pictures, that’s eleven hits. Double the number of pictures and you’ve doubled your hits!
Your most useful statistics are the unique visitors and the conversion rate. The conversion rate is the percentage of customers that buy or make contact versus the number of unique visitors. Conversion rate varies widely by industry. Typical numbers for a retailer average 1.5% to 2%, but can reach 5% or more during the holidays. If your rate is below that, there may be problems with your web site that need to be addressed. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Active Internet Sales
Ever walk into a jewelry store expecting to spend a few hundred dollars and walk out perfectly happy having spent twice as much? That’s the power of active sales.
The salesperson begins by asking a few questions. What’s your price range? Do you prefer silver or gold? They’ll then present three options, one at your price point, one a little more expensive, and a third more expensive still. Once you exhibit a preference, they’ll present three more. It’s all about leading the customer where they want to go. Virtually all web sites use the passive model of selling. They’ll list 50 similar products and let you sort them out. Active sales can reduce customer confusion and increase satisfaction, while boosting your profits. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Expect Respect from Developers
I am constantly surprised at the number of people who apologize for not being computer experts. We don’t apologize
to our doctors, why should programmers be any different?
You the have right as a customer to have your choices presented in an understandable and respectful manner. No one understands your business and your customers better than you do. In the end, technology is a means to achieve a business goal. The nuts and bolts of how that goal is achieved is less important than the satisfaction of your customers. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
|
|
|
Why Are We Still in the Game?
Why haven’t the big players dominated the internet to the point where the little guy doesn’t have a chance? The answer
is that they use brute force and a ton of money to generate sales. Virtually all big online stores are poorly designed to appeal to the search engines.
The internet is a big place, and there’s room for you by taking a more subtle and analytical approach. Pouring cash into pay per click for the most commonly used and highest priced keywords is not necessary to get attention. Search engine appeal is not something that can be tacked on to a site after it’s been built. It must be part of the site’s DNA to get results. Click here if you would like to listen to the live presentation of this article. |
