Archive: November 2008

November 26, 2008

Protect Your Network: How Safe is Your USB Drive?

Moving files from PC to PC using a USB key drive is very common. As USB keys are able to...

November 26, 2008

Google Apps: Experiment in the Lab

If you believe a life with Google and hosted applications is the way to go, you'll want to check out...

November 25, 2008

Small Businesses Boost Marketing and Set Example for Success

It looks like things are going to get worse before they get better with the economy. The National Retail Federation...

November 25, 2008

Working Unplugged For 24 Hours: Notebooks Have More Features and Power

During my highly tech career I've gone through dozens of notebooks. All are pretty much the same, except for some...

November 24, 2008

When Will You Stop Using Software and Move to Cloud Computing?

I'm in Asia right now and have my usual supply of software and computer harddware with me (including The Flip...

November 24, 2008

Designing for Excellence: Why Small Things Make A Big Difference

My current main computer is a Lenovo 3000 N100 notebook. It comes with Thinkvantage AccessConnections software to connect to WiFi...

November 24, 2008

Fax: You Thought It Was Dead. It's Alive and Well and Online

I rarely ever send or receive a fax. Most of my communication is done via email - as I'm sure...

November 24, 2008

Parrallel Information Silos and Other Blockages to a Paperless Office

Investing in a scanner and document manage software is good but just having the technology is not good enough. You...

November 24, 2008

How Well Does Your IT Staff Know Your Company? Your Growth Could Depend on It.

Having an IT person to help you use technology as productively as possible is a MUST. However just having an...

November 21, 2008

Protect Your Network: Consider a UTM Solution

Unified Threat Management devices are network firewalls that also perform other security features like virus protection like web content filtering...

November 21, 2008

Small Biz Barry's Hard-Times, High-Tech Arsenal

Technology can help small companies cut expenses, boost sales, save time, and work more efficiently. This story about composite character...

November 21, 2008

Maximize Profits with Automated Sales Compensation

Even in the best of economic times, businesses should be getting the most out of their frontline employees - their...

November 20, 2008

Automatically Save on BlackBerry International Calls

If you make international calls from your BlackBerry, you might save a chunk of change by trying this service,...

November 20, 2008

Sales Leads on the Go: Hoover's Mobile

As each generation of smart phones and PDAs gets more powerful, we can accomplish more out of the office...

November 20, 2008

This Holiday Season Will Shoppers Pick You or Your Competition?

For many businesses, particularly retailers, this coming month is the highest volume selling time of the year. Right now...

November 20, 2008

Are You Rushing To Boost Email Marketing Sales? Don't Burn Your Customers.

Ok, it's November, Thanksgiving will be here next week, Christmas comes soon thereafter and you might be tempted to do...

November 20, 2008

Why Your Competitors Are Keeping Customers and Gaining New Ones Through Social Media

According to a recent survey conducted by online payroll service SurePayroll, the majority of small business owners believe there is...

November 20, 2008

It's Never Too Late To Learning: What Large Companies Can Teach Smaller Companies

As smaller businesses, our needs are often quite different than larger businesses. By the fact that they have larger budgets,...

November 20, 2008

The Cost of Free Security: It's More Expensive Than You Think

Earlier this week someone asked me if the free version of security software from AVG was ok to use on...

November 20, 2008

Security: Sometimes The Simplest Things Are All You Need To Do

Security is of course very important. Without a secure environment in your home, computer, business, around your children - whatever...

November 19, 2008

Mining Your Database: Find Exactly What You're Searching For

Hosted databases can be a powerful tool for businesses to manage everything from customer contact information to product details...

November 19, 2008

Don’t Leave Your Business Open to Cyber Attacks

Simple Steps Businesses Can Take to Protect Themselves from Cyber Crime Susan Sarna, Vice President of Marketing and Product Management...

November 17, 2008

Plan for Success: Free Workbook for Nonprofits from SCORE

SCORE is a valuable resource for small businesses, with help on everything from marketing to disaster recovery. Many nonprofit organizations...

November 17, 2008

Sharing Files: Go in Circles

There are many mature options for online collaboration. Services such as Google Docs, Office Live, Hyper Office and WebOffice...

November 14, 2008

Tales of the Neighborhood Nerd

By David Strom When I was going to high school, somewhere back near the invention of electricity, being a nerd...

November 14, 2008

The Promise of Collaboration in the Evolving Workspace

By David Butt and Nader Nanjiani, Cisco Inc.Unified Communications Team Unified communications vendors claim that collaboration will increasingly transform the...

November 14, 2008

Virtual PBX: Set Up a Full-Featured Phone System in Minutes

Of course telephone systems are important and necessary to running a business. However, old fashioned, expensive, hard to maintain PBX...

November 13, 2008

Mobile Collaboration for Creative Types and Those Who Work with Them

Traditionally, collaborating remotely with clients has been challenging for creative service providers like design firms, ad agencies, and photographers....

November 13, 2008

Mid-Sized Companies: How Vulnerable Are You?

Security is critically important to businesses of any size. However, the security solutions needed for larger small and mid-sized businesses...

November 12, 2008

Save Time and Data with a PC that Fixes Itself

How different are desktop computers, really? While manufacturers (and their marketers) might disagree, there isn't a great deal of difference...

November 12, 2008

The Next Version of Windows: Windows 7 - Just So You Know...

Many of you are using Microsoft Windows XP and more and more of you are using Windows Vista. Especially thanks...

November 11, 2008

No Employees? How Technology Can Help You Manage Your Freelancers

The "job" of the future will not be taking place inside a large office building with employees at little Dilbert...

November 10, 2008

Desktop Computing: Can You Get Excited About Your Next Upgrade?

PC vendors regularly refresh their product line. Well for that matter all manufacturers of "things" refresh their product lines -...

November 9, 2008

Travel Agents: Use Email Marketing To Stir Up Sales

One of my friends who used to be a travel agent was great at customer service, but he didn't leverage...

November 9, 2008

Enabling Mobile Access to Data: Your Excuses Are Over

I know that having access to data while on the road is still challenging for many of you. However, as...

November 9, 2008

External Storage Options: Boost Security, Productivity and Fun

There are lots of external storage devices on the market. Walk into your local retail store or browse the digital...

November 9, 2008

Attend Events And Learn Ways to Grow Your Business

Earlier in October, Microsoft held its annual Small Business Summit. More than 35 experts shared information at this three day...

November 9, 2008

Online/Hosted databases: Who's Doing It and Why?

I've written to you, quite a number of times about using databases in your business. Many of you, don't be...

November 9, 2008

Promote Security Awareness In Your Company

If you've been trying and trying to get employees in your office to be more aware of security, check out...

November 8, 2008

Why You Might Buy Marketing Services From Your PC Vendor...and more

It seems like only a few years ago, when the lines of products from one's PC vendor was pretty clear...

November 8, 2008

The Insecurity of Hosted Applications: Google Sites?

It's been reported by CNet that A researcher has found that Google's JotSpot service, which allows people to collaborate on...

November 7, 2008

Save While You Grow with an Outsourced Telephone System

As companies look for ways to work smarter, many are considering outsourcing different business functions, including their phone systems. Using...

November 6, 2008

The Contribution Revolution: Making Customer Content Part of Customer Service

Imagine that you are a maker of shoes in Austin, or a law firm in Miami. What if your customers...

November 6, 2008

How Big Is Your USB Drive? 32GB Is Here

Most of us are already quite familiar with USB drives. In fact, many of you, like I do, carry several...

November 5, 2008

USB or Network? How About Both?

There's no excuse not to back up your files, especially when there are so many ways to do it....

November 5, 2008

Lotus: Like Good Wine, It's Better With Age

The Lotus brand has been the core of communications of large businesses for years. However, IBM has not only kept...

November 5, 2008

Learning From Others Tech Mistakes: A&E's Tech Show

Don't you hate it when your kids don't listen to you. Doesn't it annoy you when your children have to...

November 5, 2008

Buy Those Computers, Software and Etc...Soon

If you're trying to decide when you should replace that new server, buy that new notebook or upgrade that software,...

November 5, 2008

Why Telecommuting Is Beneficial to Your Business

Telecommuting, if done properly, can be a great way to: Retain employees who otherwise you would not be able to...

November 4, 2008

Five Things Social Networks Can't Easily Do

By David Strom You know that a technology is maturing when articles such as these start appearing. First is the...

November 3, 2008

Don't Forget Telecommunications in Your Disaster Plans

By Paul F. Kirvan, FBCI, CBCP, CISSP Suppose your phone system suddenly failed. What would you do? Who would you...

November 3, 2008

Tech Based on Customer Service: Not Long Term Contracts

When your copy machine goes down, some of you get service relatively quickly. But for many of you, the copy...

November 3, 2008

MySpace: Yesterday's Cool Tool Wants YOUR Advertising Dollars

I have not heard much about MySpace (owned by Fox) the media darling before Facebook (owned in part by Microsoft)...

November 2, 2008

Get Even More Mobile: WiMAX is Coming

For some time, we've written on Smallbiztechnology.com about WiMAX, the new wireless technology that is faster and has a longer...

November 2, 2008

Whether You Build It or Buy It, You Need a Website

There are still many businesses without websites. Some work around this by using email to send out information on...

November 2, 2008

Mobility: Is It Time You Leave The PC Behind?

The Wall Street Journal has a very substantive piece on how smartphones have matured in features and power. If you...

November 2, 2008

How Your Online Shopping Cart Affects Sales

Think about the last time you went into Starbucks, Macy's, or Payless to buy something. I bet the experience...