InformationWeek Stories by Michele Warren

InformationWeek Stories by Michele Warrenhttp://www.informationweek.comInformationWeeken-usCopyright 2012, UBM LLC.2011-08-09T08:00:00ZB2B Social Networking: Opportunity For SMBsCompany.com uses Facebook, Twitter to help SMBs save, make, and find money.http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/231300349?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbBill Wade's brainchild--Company.com--is only about a year old, but he's already got 14 million businesses listed in his directory. <a href="http://www.company.com/">Company.com</a> offers SMBs a three-in-one package: It's a marketplace for SMB services; it's a directory of businesses and the professionals that populate them; and, most important, it's a social networking platform. There are more than 50 products and services in Company.com's marketplace, and they include everything from <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/development/mobility/231000760">transaction processing</a> and web hosting to microloans and payroll systems. One partner that often gets referrals from Company.com is Telfair Capital, an Atlanta-based private lender. "Because of Company.com's social media expertise, we don't have to spend a lot of money building an internal salesforce," said Donald McGraw, managing partner at Telfair. "Our CRM systems talk to each other. We update our leads from them on a weekly basis, and it's amazing to see how far they've come in the B2B social media space." Another Company.com partner is <a href="http://www.gosmallbiz.com/default.aspx">www.gosmallbiz.com</a>, owned and founded by NFL Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton. Since his glory days on the gridiron, Tarkenton has started 20 businesses "from the dirt," he says, including an insurance company and a technology outfit in partnership with IBM. Today, the former football pro focuses his efforts on giving a voice to the really small businesses (1 to 20 employees) that he believes comprise the bedrock of American enterprise. The company's mission statement, according to its website, is to "help entrepreneurs run and grow their businesses, by providing access to a comprehensive body of knowledge and tools targeted specifically at the micro business." This fall, Tarkenton will debut monthly online training courses for small businesses. "We'll be bringing these folks the greatest thinking today in the small-business arena," said Tarkenton in an interview. "They'll learn about social media, SEO, financing--everything they need to know to make sound decisions. We're bringing technology to that Ma and Pa shop in your town." Meanwhile, SMBs can use Company.com's directory to locate potential suppliers, partners, and customers. They can also do a search of their own business and claim their profile. Once claimed, a profile can be customized and used to promote a business' product or service. The driving force behind <a href="http://www.company.com/">Company.com</a> is its social network. "One of our main goals is to offer SMBs an environment that allows them to find new customers and make their businesses grow," said founder Wade. "The key is providing a forum where they can share, communicate, collaborate, and recommend each other. I think Yelp has proven that when it comes to making a decision about what products to buy, what restaurants to eat in, what books to read--you name it--there's nothing like a recommendation from somebody you know and trust." Many, if not most, of Company.com's customers, 99% of which are SMBs, are exploring <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/231001601/is-social-medias-investment-bubble-ready-to-pop">social media</a> to improve their marketing and woo customers. But Wade cites how difficult it can be to actually cash in on those efforts. Here are 10 tips he offers SMBs that want to make social networking pay off. 1. Build an audience through consistent messaging; that is, make sure the topics of your social media conversations are relevant and consistent. 2. Look for others with similar interests and partner to expand your audience. 3. Go wide and deep. Broadcast your message across multiple social networks at once. Businesses can use Company.com, for example, to distribute updates automatically to <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/healthcare/patient/231001244">Facebook</a>Fan pages and Twitter feeds. 4. Be both a leader and a follower. If you want people to follow you, follow other people. 5. Use social media to share content, best practices, and other knowledge that helps position your company as an "expert" in your field. 6. Be transparent and candid with your communications, and don't speak poorly of the competition. 7. Make an effort to reward existing customers and offer special deals to new ones. 8. Stand behind a charitable cause that's near and dear to your heart. This will help establish brand recognition, engage supporters and followers, and build a positive company image. 9. Communicate that you are listening to your customers and addressing their needs. 10. Encourage feedback and discussions. Instead of aggressively pushing your marketing message, use social media as a tool for letting others sing your praises. Steer away from a business page that reads like an advertisement. Company.com customers can create a free business page where customers, contacts, and vendors can follow them. Ask your followers for feedback on your promotions and products, and don't get defensive if you get some negative responses. Think about Domino's Pizza: "The CEO openly admitted that the company's product needed some improving, and he focused on what the company was doing to improve it," Wade said. "That paid off in spades." If you're an SMB in search of contacts, leads, a product or service--or just about anything else--social networking can be a powerful tool that you can't afford to ignore. Michele P. Warren, a freelance writer and editor, has 15 years of experience covering technology and the channel. She spent 9 years at <a href="http://www.crn.com/">CRN</a> and was formerly the managing editor of VARBusiness, Long Island Press, and Long Island Business News. You can't afford to keep operating without redundancy for critical systems--but business units must prioritize before IT begins implementation. Also in the new, all-digital InformationWeek SMB supplement: Avoid the direct-attached storage trap. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/062011SMB?k=axxe&cid=article_axxe_os">Download it now</a>. (Free registration required.) 2011-08-04T07:00:00ZEntrepreneurs Tap Experts For MentoringTo be the best, it helps to learn from the best. That's why so many SMBs turn to mentors for assistance.http://www.informationweek.com/news/231300233?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbAre you the owner of a startup having trouble getting to the next level? Are you a midsize-business owner who wants to use social media more effectively to win new customers? Have you ever considered finding yourself a mentor? That's what Sue Manasse, owner of Doctor Digital, did when she started feeling as if her business was a "boat drifting without any direction." When Manasse heard about a speed <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/healthcare/mobile-wireless/230500037">mentoring</a> event being put on by IBM and the Women's Enterprise Development Center in Somers, N.Y., she thought it might be a good idea to sign up and see what kind of guidance she could get. Today the entrepreneur is glad she took the plunge. "I've been in business since 2003, but my direction of late had become unclear," said Manasse, whose company provides IT and computer services to businesses and residences in the New York metro area. For the event, she signed up to meet with mentors in three areas--IT, sales, and <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/231001601/is-social-medias-investment-bubble-ready-to-pop">social media</a>. They all told her the same thing: Target your audience. "I had a smattering of customers in different vertical markets," Manasse said. "There wasn't any focus. The mentors advised me to pick one or two areas to specialize in--real estate and retail, for example. That way, I can be more than just another IT service provider. I can be a consultant and subject-matter expert." Today, Manasse continues to work with the mentors she met at the IBM-WEDC event. She said she's seeing a big difference in her business already. Patty Lennon attended the same event, with equally positive results. The owner of MomGetsALife.com, a life coaching business for women who are also mothers, teamed up with mentors for several reasons--chief among them, to have somebody take an objective look at her business plan and to formulate ideas on how to create a bigger sales funnel. Lennon, too, continues to have an ongoing relationship with her mentors, who are helping her take the business where she wants it to go. "I come from a corporate background, and I wanted to access that corporate foundational knowledge," she said. "When a resource with the capacity of an <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/hardware/data_centers/231001389">IBM</a> or a WEDC extends an opportunity like this, you don't pass it up. With the right guidance, we [SMBs] could lead the economic recovery." IBM isn't helping just businesses in New York. In <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/software/enterprise_apps/230600173">celebration of its centennial</a>, the company is running mentoring programs in Hartford, Conn.; India; and Nigeria as well. "We're excited to be working with these SMBs and entrepreneurs," said Robin Willner, vice president of IBM Global Community Initiatives. "Some of these companies will be IBM customers, business partners, or suppliers one day. Meeting with them to help shape their businesses keeps us nimble and reminds us to keep the entrepreneurial spirit that got IBM to where it is today." But you don't have to go to IBM for a mentor. There are plenty of programs out there. Just search for "SMB mentoring" and see what I mean. Here are just a few resources to get you started: -- The Entrepreneur Mentoring Program (EMP), a partnership between the Clinton Foundation's Economic Opportunity Initiative (CEO) and Inc. magazine, pairs up entrepreneurs running emerging growth companies with successful business leaders. The focus is on entrepreneurs in America's inner cities, including Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. Visit <a href="http://www.inc.com/mentor/">www.inc.com/mentor/</a> for more info. -- MicroMentor is a free online service that connects small-business owners with volunteer business mentors. With more than 1,400 small-business owners and 1,200 mentors in 48 states, the MicroMentor network claims to have helped entrepreneurs achieve greater business survival rates and increase their annual business revenue. Visit <a href="http://www.micromentor.org/">www.micromentor.org/</a> for more info. -- The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides small-business counseling, training, and mentoring through a variety of partners and programs around the country. (WEDC, in fact, is one of the SBA's Women's Business Centers.) Go to <a href="http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/counseling-training">www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/counseling-training</a> for details. Check out these websites too: -- <a href="www.the-impact-center.org/p2p_women_mentoring_about/">www.the-impact-center.org/p2p_women_mentoring_about/</a> -- <a href="www.sbms.org.au/Mentoring/HowOurProgramsWork.aspx">www.sbms.org.au/Mentoring/HowOurProgramsWork.aspx</a> -- <a href="www.vistage.com/programs-overview/small-business.aspx">www.vistage.com/programs-overview/small-business.aspx</a> -- <a href="http://www.squaremartinimedia.com/work/small-business-owners-social-media-mentoring/">www.squaremartinimedia.com/work/small-business-owners-social-media-mentoring/</a> Why struggle trying to find the answers when there are so many experts willing to help you? There's no shame in asking for some assistance. One day, when you've met your goals and followed your dreams, you can always return the favor. Michele P. Warren, a freelance writer and editor, has 15 years of experience covering technology and the channel. She spent 9 years at <a href="http://www.crn.com/">CRN</a> and was formerly the managing editor of VARBusiness, Long Island Press, and Long Island Business News. The economies of storage networking have changed dramatically, especially in the options available for small and midsize enterprises. We analyze SME responses to our 2011 State of Enterprise Storage Survey and discuss which techs will best serve these businesses. <a href="http://analytics.informationweek.com/abstract/24/7614/Storage-Server/strategy-sme-storage-now.html?k=axxe&cid=article_axxe">Download our report now</a>. (Free registration required.) 2011-07-19T10:00:00ZCloud Computing For SMBs: 3 Questions, 3 RequirementsDon't move to the cloud just because everyone else is doing it. Explore whether it's right for you by asking yourself some questions first and then demanding answers from potential vendors.http://www.informationweek.com/news/231001818?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbRecently publicized cloud outages, such as the three-day <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/cloud-computing/infrastructure/229402590">Amazon Web Services outage</a>, have raised concerns with some companies about moving applications to the cloud. How do you know whether or not to take that step for your business? Ultimately, whether or not you choose to move your business to the cloud depends on your situation. I spoke recently with Laurie McCabe, partner at the <a href="http://www.smb-gr.com/">SMB Group</a>, and she offered some key checkpoints for business owners and IT managers to consider as part of the planning process. Question 1: How well do you manage your applications and IT infrastructure? Are you able to minimize downtime? Can you maintain data privacy for your business and customers? If your answer is anything other than a confident yes, you may want to consider outsourcing to a cloud provider. "For most SMBs, a service provider is probably going to do a better job of this [keeping you up and running and keeping your data secure] than you will," <a href="http://www.smb-gr.com/blogs-twitter-2/blogs-laurie-mccabe/">McCabe</a> said. Let's face it: Chances are your IT team, if you even have one, has better things to do. And the rest of your staff is busy focusing on running the business, not maintaining the technology behind it. Question 2: How many people use each application that you're considering moving to the <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/cloud-computing/infrastructure/231000849">cloud</a> and do they need to collaborate? If multiple users need to work together--say, a group of engineers working inside a CAD app--migrating to the cloud makes sense. "But if you have a 10-person company and only one person manages the books, what's the motivation for having that accounting application hosted in the cloud?," McCabe asked. Question 3: What happens if the application goes down? "If we're talking about online expense reporting, some downtime probably isn't going to bring your business to a screeching halt," McCabe said. "But let's say you're an online retailer and your e-store goes down. Nobody can order from you for however long the outage lasts. That's a different story." Put another way, how mission-critical is the app that you're considering "cloudifying"? If maximum uptime is crucial, it might be a good idea to start scouting for service providers. If your answers to these (and other) questions have led you to decide that the cloud is right for your business, the next question is how to select a vendor. McCabe suggests you look at three things in particular. Transparency. One hallmark of a high-caliber service provider is openness. Does the company make performance statistics available to customers? "A number of providers, including <a href="http://www.site24x7.com/">Zoho</a> and <a href="http://www.salesforce.com/smallbusinesscenter/">Salesforce.com</a>, offer what I call real-time health status updates," McCabe said. "You can see how well their services are performing, both currently and historically. Offering this kind of transparency puts them in a different league than everyone else." It makes perfect sense, doesn't it? If a service provider is going to boast about 99.999% uptime, shouldn't they have the stats to prove it? Uptime guarantee. This one's self-explanatory. That 99.999% uptime I just mentioned? You should demand it. Remedies. Naturally, the standards for performance will be set out in the <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/global-cio/outsourcing/230700062">service-level agreement</a> or SLA. But what about remedies? If the server does go down--if there is downtime--how will the vendor rectify the problem? How long will it take? How will you as the customer be remunerated for your troubles? Beyond that, whether you decide to go with <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/smb/ebusiness/231000830">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.zoho.com/">Zoho</a>, or another provider will depend on which company you're most confident in and comfortable with. If you're a small or midsize business, you might want to take note of the fact that there are a number of SMB-focused service providers gaining traction in the <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/software/info_management/231000142">cloud</a> space. One of those is a Chicago-based company called <a href="http://www.hostway.com/">Hostway</a>. A majority of its customers--85 to 90%--are small or midsize businesses. According to Todd Benjamin, vice president of enterprise hosting at the service provider, its claims to fame are its reliability, flexibility, and breadth of solutions. "We can handle the client at every stage of growth, from websites and email to dedicated data centers," Benjamin said in an interview. "That means clients can stay with one vendor throughout their entire life cycle." As for flexibility, Benjamin said Hostway is "big enough to have a global footprint but not so big that we're inaccessible." Tony Tullio, director of <a href="http://www.inorbital.com/">Inorbital</a>, a Toronto-based web development firm, can vouch for all that. "The [Hostway support team] is quick to respond, knowledgeable, and always available, which is really important to us and our clients," said Tullio, whose company builds database-driven websites. "They proved they have the capability and infrastructure to support even our most complex hosting requirements." How likely is it that you'll migrate to the cloud sometime soon? If it's an idea that you've been kicking around for a while, maybe it's time you sat down with your IT team and started asking the kinds of questions that McCabe suggests. It could be that cloud computing is just what you need to maximize efficiency and trim IT expenses. Michele P. Warren, a freelance writer and editor, has 15 years of experience covering technology and the channel. She spent 9 years at <a href="http://www.crn.com/">CRN</a> and was formerly the managing editor of VARBusiness, Long Island Press, and Long Island Business News. You can't afford to keep operating without redundancy for critical systems--but business units must prioritize before IT begins implementation. Also in the new, all-digital InformationWeek SMB supplement: Avoid the direct-attached storage trap. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/062011SMB?k=axxe&cid=article_axxe_os">Download it now</a>. (Free registration required.) 2011-07-12T09:45:00ZHow SMBs Can Embrace The Social IntranetPart data repository, part social media platform, software such as ThoughtFarmer turns businesses into thriving communities.http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/231001410?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbRichard Hamlin knew that if he built it they would come. That's why he took the time to research, purchase, and install a social intranet at Farm Bureau Bank, where he's the director of IT. He also knew that they would come more quickly if the trip was easy, and that they would be more riveted by the destination if they could do some of the building themselves. So he selected <a href="http://www.thoughtfarmer.com/">ThoughtFarmer</a>, a social intranet platform he describes as unintimidating and user-friendly. And he got the employees involved in generating content. Hamlin isn't alone. Lots of companies are deploying social intranets. You need look no further than at ThoughtFarmer's customer base, which includes eHarmony, USDA, and Penn State University, to see how eclectic users are. For small and midsize companies, these social platforms present an opportunity to enhance productivity and promote community all at once. According to analyst firm IDC, worldwide revenue for the social-platforms software market was more than $500 million in 2010, representing growth of 31.9%, and is expected to grow by a factor of nearly two billion by 2014. Moreover, results of IBM's 2011 CIO Survey revealed that 55% of CIOs plan to invest in collaboration and social networking over the next few years. At Farm Bureau Bank in San Antonio, Texas, Hamlin was looking for a way to make the financial institution's 100-plus staffers feel more involved in their jobs and the workplace. "I wanted to tie all of us together and make everyone feel like part of a community," he said. "So far, it's been a huge success." On one hand, ThoughtFarmer is a platform for structured knowledge exchange, with each department maintaining its own data repository. The accounting department stores expense reports, for example; HR posts job openings and W9s. Having all of this data available to employees company-wide has dramatically boosted Farm Bureau Bank's efficiency and productivity, Hamlin said. On the other hand, the software's <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/workgrouping_team_collaboration_workspaces/230100026/ibm-from-networked-business-to-social-media">social media</a>-type features provide a virtual town square of sorts, allowing employees to get to know their colleagues and find out what's happening in different departments both inside and outside the office. Staffers can visit the "Barnyard," a subsite of the intranet, to post items for sale at the online General Store (baby carriages, gently used furniture, bicycles, whatever); read the Employee Spotlight profiles; scan the company calendar to find out when and where the Farm Bureau softball team's next game is; and view photos taken at the company picnic. To get staffers involved, Hamlin recruited "web masters," two people from each bank department to add and manage content, maintain the look and feel of their subsites, and come up with ideas for promoting the intranet. Each department keeps its "area" fresh and up-to-date with <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/228900057">newsfeeds</a>, tools, and employee profiles. Another ThoughtFarmer user, called Continuum, is a Boston-based global design consultancy whose brainchildren include the Swiffer sweeper, Pampers, and the Reebok Pump. The company deployed ThoughtFarmer in 2010 to help connect its international staff of about 150 people. "A strong intranet, one that's part professional content and part social media, helps to bring people together," said Chris Michaud, COO of Continuum, in a case study published at ThoughtFarmer's website. "It helps to make the right connections across silos, across continents." With five locations around the globe, Continuum is well acquainted with the challenge of unifying a distributed workforce. "ThoughtFarmer, which we call 'Orange' in-house, allows us to broadcast information that we all need to share," said Michaud in an interview. "It gives employees visibility into different areas of the organization; it builds community; and it allows people to share ideas, which ultimately leads to innovation. And innovation, after all, is what we're all about." If you think about it, this "social media-zation" of businesses shouldn't come as a surprise, given what's been happening in the consumer space. We've seen shades of <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/230600177/nuance-gives-voice-to-social-networking">social media</a> coloring company websites for a while now. About three years ago, I did some writing for the intranet of a software development company where I worked. The social aspects weren't nearly as ripe as they are in, say, ThoughtFarmer, but some of the other elements were definitely there. We had data repositories, Employee Spotlights, and news from around the company. Granted, this was a big organization with deep pockets, and I doubt most smaller players were as far along the technology curve back then. Now that the tools have become intuitive and affordable enough for SMBs, they're jumping on the bandwagon too. And why not? Here are some tips to keep in mind if you're an SMB looking to take a page from the playbook of Farm Bureau and Continuum: 1) Choose a social intranet package that's easy to use: You won't get buy-in from intimidated employees. 2) Use a social intranet that's customizable: Achieve continuity across your business by creating an intranet look-and-feel that aligns with that of your website, email, marketing materials, etc. 3) Engage users: Employers will be more invested in an intranet if they're given the opportunity to create and manage content, shape the user experience, and have a say in the direction the intranet takes. If you thought social media was only for weekend networking warriors or late-night Farmville fans, you'll have to revise your thinking. Just don't expect to be planting your "virtual" strawberries or Tweeting about last weekend's pub crawl until you get home from work. Michele P. Warren, a freelance writer and editor, has 15 years of experience covering technology and the channel. She spent 9 years at <a href="http://www.crn.com/">CRN</a> and was formerly the managing editor of VARBusiness, Long Island Press, and Long Island Business News. You can't afford to keep operating without redundancy for critical systems--but business units must prioritize before IT begins implementation. Also in the new, all-digital InformationWeek SMB supplement: Avoid the direct-attached storage trap. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/062011SMB?k=axxe&cid=article_axxe_os">Download it now</a>. (Free registration required.) 2011-06-16T10:00:00ZIT Help Desks Not Just For Large EnterprisesWith compromised productivity a constant threat to business success, the question for SMBs isn't how can we afford a help desk, but how can we afford not to invest in IT support?http://www.informationweek.com/news/230800044?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbWhen I hear the phrase "IT help desk," I experience mixed emotions. I've been the harried employee repeatedly calling the company's IT department to get my remote laptop connection working as the afternoon wasted away. Then again, I've also gotten through to IT and had my problem resolved quickly. As far as I'm concerned, having been on both sides of this fence, businesses (both small and large) can ill afford to skimp on IT support--efficiency and expediency should be paramount. SMBs often resort to managing IT requests with email and spreadsheets, thinking they can't begin to afford a <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/smb/hardware_software/230500071">help-desk</a> system. But I wonder how SMBs can afford not to invest in one. In a competitive market, every minute of lost employee productivity costs your business dollars and even has the potential to threaten the viability of your business. The help-desk field is a crowded one, so you'll need to do your research. That means reading product reviews online, using <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/software/enterprise_apps/230500179">social media</a> to check in with colleagues and other business owners, and contacting vendors to get a handle on what they have to offer. And don't forget to take advantage of application marketplaces, such as <a href="http://www.appdirect.com/">AppDirect</a>. These resources are invaluable for exploring IT help-desk applications, discovering what users say about them, and which vendor pricing models suit your business best. To jump-start your review process, <a href="http://www.business-software.com/it-management/it-help-desk.php">Business-Software.com</a> recently released a report listing 10 noteworthy players in the help-desk space. According to the report, these are the key features of IT help-desk software: -- 24x7 self-service that allows users to open trouble tickets, report problems online, and refer to FAQs and other documentation whenever the need arises. -- Support for multi-channel communications, including live chat and email. -- End-to-end activity tracking and status monitoring. -- Reporting and <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_crm/230500252/motivequest-takes-social-analytics-beyond-dashboards">analytics</a> to help IT staff identify important trends. For example, perhaps a high number of users are having trouble operating specific business applications. How reliable is the company's hardware? And what's your IT team's average response time? Those metrics and more can be tracked with reporting/analytic tools. -- Dynamic resource allocation, which assigns IT staff members to specific jobs based on their workload, skills, and experience. -- Real-time alerts that "flag" potential support breakdowns and notify management instantly when unusual or highly complex problems crop up. And here are the 10 players featured in the report: 1) TechExcel ServiceWise: Offers incident tracking and resolution, workflow-enabled email management, complete incident workflow, built-in reports and analysis, integrated asset management, an employee web portal, a fully customizable user interface, and knowledge base management. Focus: midsize to large companies 2) FrontRange Solutions: The foundation of the company's HEAT product suite, HEAT Service and Support delivers an array of functions, including incident tracking, inquiry tracking, and case management. Focus: SMBs 3) Epicor ITSM: Recognized for being easy to use, easy to customize, and built on the Microsoft .NET platform. Focus: midmarket companies and divisions of the Global 1000 4) Vivantio: 100% web-based and can be delivered on-site or as <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/cloud-computing/software/229700078">SaaS</a>. Small players get an intuitive interface, a dashboard, incident management, SLA management, email integration, and web self-service. Midsize companies get all of that, plus problem management, client management, powerful reporting, customizable web self-service, call templates, email templates, custom fields, and auto escalation of incidents and problems. Focus: small, midsize, and enterprise companies 5) Soffront: The company's help-desk software is part of a comprehensive customer service package, which includes self-service (Soffront Knowledge Management), online ticket submission (Soffront Tickets), email response (Soffront Email Response), and e-Call Center (Soffront Contact Center). Focus: midmarket 6) <a href="http://www.numarasoftware.com/">Numara Software</a>: The company's Track-It! is an all-in-one help-desk and asset management system known for delivering best-in-class features for incident, problem, and change management at a very low cost of ownership. Focus: SMBs 7) BMC Software: BMC's IT help-desk products include BMC Remedy Service Desk and BMC Service Desk Express. Key features of the former include best practice incident and problem management, a tightly integrated knowledge base, self-service, and prioritization of incidents based on business impact. The latter is the foundation of BMC IT Service Support for the Midsized Business. Focus: Global 1000, midsize organizations (Service Desk Express) 8) CA Unicenter Service Desk: Features include customer self-service, process automation, and enabling technologies that maximize the product's capabilities. Unicenter supports Microsoft Windows, Linux, and UNIX servers. Focus: Larger enterprises 9) ManageEngine (the Enterprise IT Management Software division of Zoho): ServiceDesk Plus is web-based help-desk software that offers request, asset, purchase, and contract management; a self-service portal; and a knowledge base. Focus: businesses of all sizes 10) Elsinore Technologies: The company's suite of IssueNet products includes IssueNet Intercept, for defect tracking, bug tracking, and issue management; IssueNet Assist, for both internal help desk and external customer support; and IssueNet Oversight, for IT change management, IT governance, regulatory compliance, and auditing. Focus: SMBs and enterprises And that's just a sampling of what's out there. There are many more help-desk packages available. Check out <a href="http://www.cloudbook.net/directories/product-services/cloud-computing-directory?category=Applications&type=Service%20%26%20Support">cloudbook.net</a> and <a href="http://www.smb-gr.com/smb-market/getapp-com-marketplace/">smb-gr.com</a> (click on "IT Support Services Software," under Editors' Picks) for more options. Elisabeth Cullivan, product marketing manager for Track-It!, concedes that many of the help-desk applications in the market offer similar features and functionality. "For us, it comes down to our heritage and history," she said. "We've built a great name for ourselves." Just a few weeks ago, Numara released version 10 of Track-It!, which features a redesigned self-service web portal and the ability to "mark" knowledge-base documents as public or private. Also, the Technician Web feature allows work orders and IT assets to be organized and managed anytime, anywhere. And a new product, called PC Migrate, joins the Track-It! family, allowing IT staffers to migrate application settings, wallpaper, bookmarks, drive mappings and other configuration files and data to users' new or updated PCs. Now it's time to do your research and narrow your options to three help-desk packages that would be a good fit for your company. Then drill deeper and pick just one. Once you've deployed the system and realized the benefits of a streamlined IT help desk--chief among them, happier, more productive employees--you'll be glad you made the investment. Michele P. Warren, a freelance writer and editor, has 15 years of experience covering technology and the channel. She spent 9 years at <a href="http://www.crn.com/">CRN</a> and was formerly the managing editor of VARBusiness, Long Island Press, and Long Island Business News. It doesn't pay for small and midsize businesses to protect against security threats faced by only the largest companies. Here's how to focus your efforts on the right threats. Download our all-digital supplement. <a href="http://www.darkreading.com/SMBSecurity/util/6014/download.html">Download it now</a>. 2011-06-08T22:00:00ZTop 4 Traits Of Successful Business OwnersWhat separates the good from the great? Guardian research unveils keys to success for entrepreneurs and business owners.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229900092?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbWhat separates a good entrepreneur from a great one? Innovation? Maybe. Creativity? Couldn't hurt. This question was at the crux of a recent study conducted by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, which engaged more than 1,100 respondents in an effort to get to the bottom of this question. In a webinar, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/229700201/how-guardian-life-insurance-is-going-social">Guardian</a> research advisor <a href="http://www.smallbizdom.com/LeadershipTeam/JohnKrubski/index.htm">John Krubski</a> and Guardian special academic advisor <a href="http://www.smallbizdom.com/LeadershipTeam/PatriciaG-Greene/index.htm">Patricia Greene</a> shared insights uncovered by the research. According to them, the most successful entrepreneurs/business owners have these four traits in common. 1. Self-Fulfilled If you're running a small business and find yourself counting down the minutes to quitting time, chances are pretty good that your company is running low on staying power. Key No. 1 to being wildly successful in business is doing something you love. Common sense? Perhaps. For noteworthy entrepreneurs, "there's very little difference between what's gratifying to them and to their business," said Krubski. "Also, they tend to have a lot of self-respect, giving themselves ample downtime to recharge their batteries. Ultimately, self-fulfillment starts with self." Think of anybody who's very successful, whether a Hollywood celebrity or your next-door neighbor, and I bet they're not dragging themselves to work every day. As the saying goes, do what you love and the money will follow. ACTION TIPS: -- Visualize the result of being a successful small-business owner. (For me, this evokes "The Secret." Envision success and you will achieve it.) -- Surround yourself with people more successful than yourself. -- Work hard and play hard. 2. Collaborative This one involves a few different things, and it can be especially challenging for early-stage-business owners. One aspect of being collaborative is delegating effectively. During the webinar, Greene talked about something she encounters frequently in her dealings with small-business owners; it's called "I'm the only one" syndrome. "I'm the only one who can do a first estimate." "I'm the only one who can get through to that particular client." If you don't surround yourself with people you can trust to do the work that needs to be done, your company is going to be at a disadvantage, and your efforts to grow could be futile. But what happens if you're not a particularly "collaborative" sort? One webinar participant brought up the question. Krubski's response: "Then you're doing more work than you need to. If you want to be a truly successful entrepreneur, you need to create some kind of mechanism within your organization that allows collaboration to occur." Another part of being collaborative is creating opportunity for others. Making your company a great place to work is a win-win for everybody. You attract and retain talent; your employees, in turn, give their all because they know that they're appreciated. Then there's collaboration that takes place outside of the company--with suppliers and customers, partners and other businesses. "The goal is to connect with others who have a vested interest in your success," Greene said. ACTION TIPS: -- Hire to meet your objectives. You should have people in your organization to whom you feel comfortable delegating responsibility. -- Teach and empower employees. -- Network with intentionality. Always keep "social capital" in mind. Think about who you want in your network and how you'll get them there. -- Know and understand everyone inside and associated with your business. -- Partner with integrity. 3. Tech-Savvy According to Greene and Krubski, this isn't just about having tech toys and knowing how to use them. The most effective entrepreneurs make informed decisions about which technologies to implement, deploy tools aimed at making their businesses more efficient, and figure out when to invest in technology. Greene said she met a jeweler with one retail location who invested $100,000 in CAD equipment her staff could use to design jewelry. To some, this might sound like a foolhardy move--to spend so much money on so small an enterprise--but this jeweler said her investment was the best thing she's ever done for her business. In other words, do what works for you. Be open to new technology, but don't do something just because you "should." Don't start using <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/workgrouping_team_collaboration_workspaces/229625504/jive-updates-social-media-platform">social networking </a> just because every other business owner on the block is doing it. Use social networking if it's truly going to open doors for you and make your company more productive. Another point made by Krubski and Greene: Recognize that technology can be invasive or disruptive. Knowing when and where to deploy it is key. ACTION TIPS: -- Invest in a professional, searchable website. Make use of <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/services/228901672">SEO</a>, blogs, and newsletters. -- Recognize that the future is in mobile technology. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/processors/229900082">Smartphones</a> are everywhere, and they're increasingly being used for transaction processing, inventory management, and calendaring. -- Research different technology products and decide which ones you don't want to deploy. That's just as important as deciding which ones you do. 4. Future-Focused "About 20 times a year, I get an opportunity to sit in a room with 10 or 15 small-business owners," said Krubski. "When I ask them to define 'the future,' almost all of them say something about it being what happens next. Even the brightest ones view the future as a set of circumstances [imposed on passive bystanders]. To be successful, you should recognize that you have control over your future." Krubski said a hallmark of successful entrepreneurs is that they have a plan. Actually, they have at least two plans--a short-term one and a long-term one. He said the long-term plan should be a strategy that remains relatively stable over time. (He cites the U.S. Constitution as a great example; it just happens to be a road map for a country instead of an organization.) With a plan in mind, you can decide what resources you need to get where you want to go. ACTION TIPS: -- Anticipate how your industry will change. -- Develop a COP, or Central Operating Premise. This is about cutting through the clutter and coming up with a core objective for your company. For Coca Cola, Krubski said, the COP has remained the same since 1946: to put a coke within arm's length of everyone on the planet. A COP should reflect focus, clarity, awareness, prioritization, diligence, commitment, and action. -- Create a long-term business plan. -- Be clear about your intentions for the company and realistic about the energy available (from you and everyone else involved with your business) to meet your goals. -- Find someone in your organization who can help you stay future-focused. It seems to me, though, that developing a COP may not be as easy as it sounds. How exactly would one go about doing that? At least one of the webinar participants must've been on the same wavelength as I was, because they asked about the process involved in creating a Central Operating Premise for one's company. Krubski said a COP begins with a series of statements. "This is done collaboratively, by asking people in the company, 'What is our business about?'" he said. "Make a list of the answers and reduce those comments to no more than seven statements. Then reduce those seven to three. Out of that, the COP will emerge." Although those were the main traits discussed in the webinar, Krubski and Greene mentioned two others that are often found in very successful business owners: curious and action-oriented. Business owners, they said, tend to be curious--and not just about their business, but about a bevy of topics. "Read what interests you," Krubski said. "Curiosity energizes you and gives you ideas for innovation." As for being action-oriented, it makes perfect sense that this would be a common characteristic among entrepreneurial sorts. "A lot of business owners I work with are very concerned about protecting their ideas, their business intelligence," said Greene. "But it's not as much about the uniqueness of an idea as it is about the ability to execute on it. A cocktail party entrepreneur is someone who keeps talking about their ideas but never does anything about them." One of the more interesting questions that came out of the <a href="http://www.nyreport.com/webinararchivedguardian512">webinar</a>--at least to me--was whether you're born with these traits or you learn them. When it comes to the nature-nurture debate, I'm a firm believer that both our genetics and our environment play a role in shaping who we are. I definitely don't subscribe to the theory of "tabula rasa"--that we're all blank slates just waiting to be scribbled on. When it comes to these four (or six, rather) traits, it seems that Krubski and I are pretty much in agreement. His thoughts on the matter: "You can't create these traits, but you can unleash them. Every entrepreneur has a common genetic code that predisposes them to be this way, at least to some degree." How do you measure up in these areas? Do you have what it takes to be a top-notch business owner? Stay tuned for more insights from the <a href="http://www.smallbizdom.com/">Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute</a>. Michele P. Warren, a freelance writer and editor, has 15 years of experience covering technology and the channel. She spent 9 years at <a href="http://www.crn.com/">CRN</a> and was formerly the managing editor of VARBusiness, Long Island Press, and Long Island Business News. Employees have more ways to communicate than ever, but until the mishmash of tools gets integrated, productivity will suffer. Also in the new, all-digital issue of InformationWeek: A buyer's guide to enterprise social networking. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/060611/index.jhtml?k=axxe&cid=article_axxe_os">Download it now</a>. (Free registration required.) 2011-05-24T22:39:46ZSaaS Offering Keeps Contact Info CurrentZoomInfo touts its proprietary technology as it seeks to 'map the business landscape in near real-time.'http://www.informationweek.com/news/229625525?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbGiven the rate of personnel turnover in corporate America today, this stat from The Sales & Marketing Institute isn't all that surprising: 71% of the business cards you collect will have at least one piece of outdated information within a year. About 66% of those changes will be related to job title or function. ZoomInfo, a business info provider based in Waltham, Mass., is aiming to be the go-to source of up-to-date contact data for businesses, especially SMBs. The company has its work cut out for it; the competition includes <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/smb/hardware_software/229401480">NetProspex</a>, JigSaw, LinkedIn, and others. But Kathy Greenler Sexton, vice president of marketing at ZoomInfo, believes that the company's patented, proprietary technology can do a better job of maintaining near-real-time data than anybody else's in the field. "We provide deep profiles 'beyond the business card,'" Sexton said in an interview. "We're talking about not just a name and contact info but also background data, including 10 years' worth of Web articles covering a professional and his or her career." To acquire data, <a href="http://www.zoominfo.com/search">ZoomInfo</a> uses Web crawlers that cull millions of websites, SEC filings, and newswires. In addition, users of the service contribute to the database by trading their contacts for fresh ones. The ZoomInfo Extraction Engine performs entity tagging and uses natural language processing to extract data from records. And the ZoomInfo Matching Engine checks "new" data against existing records to prevent the storage of redundant files. Having recently launched its free Community Edition, ZoomInfo has come under fire for including an <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/email/229400773/zoominfo-plugin-siphons-contacts-from-outlook">Outlook plug-in </a> with that version of the product. The plug-in mines contact information from a computer user's Outlook address book, and some are skeptical about the data-collection tactic, saying it breaches privacy and can even be considered a form of spyware. To date, the ZoomInfo database contains 50 million unique profiles of individuals and 5 million business profiles. According to Sexton, the company's goal is to map the business landscape in near real-time. "The freshest contact records I know of are about 90 days old," she said. "We'd like to narrow that time frame to 30 days." It's a tall order, especially when you consider this: According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 40 million people change jobs every year. That's 6,000 people every hour. Need I say more? 2011-05-22T22:53:27ZSurvey Reveals Rise Of Social Media MarketingThe latest research from Constant Contact shows that the best marketing strategy is an integrated, well-rounded one.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229624105?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbA recent survey by Constant Contact reveals that more and more small businesses are using social media to spread the word about their companies. But that doesn't mean that they're giving up on other forms of marketing. When asked "what keeps them up at night," 80% of the respondents said attracting new customers; 52% said finding better ways to encourage customers to refer their business; and 48% said not having adequate cash flow to run their businesses effectively. To address those issues, a greater number of small businesses are adding <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/229602107/branchout-bathes-in-reflected-glory-of-linkedin">social media </a> to their marketing arsenal. Of the 1,500-plus respondents to the survey, 73% are currently using this form of marketing, and among that group, 80% reported that their usage of social media marketing has increased in the past 12 months. Of the 27% not already using social media for marketing purposes, 62% said they will be using it at some point in the next year. Of social media's "Big Three," <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/security/client/229500030">Facebook</a> was cited most by respondents, with 95% saying they use it and 82% saying they find it to be an effective tool. Twitter and LinkedIn were neck-and-neck, with 60% citing the former and 58% citing the latter. For both Twitter and LinkedIn, 47% of respondents said they find the social media site effective for marketing. Video sharing tools such as YouTube were mentioned as well--by 45% of respondents--and nearly three-quarters of respondents (73%) find video sharing to be effective. "What's important to note, though, is that social media is not replacing other types of marketing, such as email, website, and event marketing," said Mark Schmulen, general manager of social media at <a href="http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp">Constant Contact</a>, in an interview. "Of respondents, 91% still use email marketing, for example." Email, in fact, remains the killer app, Schmulen said, pointing out that 83% of survey respondents said that checking email is the first thing they do when they go online. Among those surveyed, 72% said they check <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/cloud-saas/229502469">email</a> six times or more each day; only 13% said they check Facebook that frequently. "Ultimately, social media is just one component of an effective, integrated marketing strategy," said Schmulen. "As our CEO Gail Goodman likes to say, email marketing lights the fire; social media marketing fans the flames."2011-05-20T07:58:51ZWhy Are SMBs Wary Of SaaS?Lack of awareness and uncertainty about managing multiple apps are the culprits according to AppDirect co-CEO Daniel Sakes, whose firm provides an online marketplace for vertical apps.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229600003?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smb<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/smb/ebusiness/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=229000753"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/569/Cloud_1_tn.jpg" alt="12 Money Saving Tech Tips For SMBs" title="12 Money Saving Tech Tips For SMBs" class="img175" /></a> (click image for larger view) <div class="storyImageTitle">Slideshow: 12 Money Saving Tech Tips For SMBs</div></div>SMBs account for less than 10% of SaaS usage, according to IDC. Microsoft cites a similar number. With so many companies riding the cloud these days, why are small and midsize businesses so reluctant to make the leap? Daniel Sakes, co-CEO of AppDirect, thinks he knows why. "Many of these companies don't even know that <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/WAN_optimization/229500798">SaaS</a> apps exist or that they're relevant to their business," he said in an interview. "And those who use SaaS aren't sure how to manage multiple apps." AppDirect offers a solution that Saks believes is going to "revolutionize the way businesses interact with their applications." The company recently joined the ranks of <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/229503415/linkedin-not-so-boring-anymore">LinkedIn</a> and Flickr when it won "Best in Show" at this year's Under the Radar conference, which recognizes disruptive players with innovative emerging technologies. Businesses in any vertical can visit AppDirect's online marketplace to find, buy, and manage applications. Are you a hair salon looking for a Web-based POS program? A law firm seeking a cost-efficient financial management app? You'll probably find it at <a href="http://www.appdirect.com/tour">AppDirect</a>. The website provides a central point of access for all applications. Companies can do a little "window-shopping" to check out the features, benefits, and pricing of apps before committing to a subscription. They can provision and de-provision users with a few clicks of the mouse; do online invoicing; set up user roles and privileges; and manage multiple subscriptions--all in one place, and all without paper. Saks said about 80% of AppDirect's customers are smaller businesses (companies with 5 to 100 employees), but the company does draw quite a few Fortune 500 players as well. AppDirect is just emerging from private beta, and Saks said the company is working hard to recruit channel players--telecom companies, hardware and software vendors, and any other B2B service provider that would offer SaaS to its client base. "Reselling SaaS is difficult, just the way it was for mobile providers to sell apps before the <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/mobility/smart_phones/229500628">iPhone</a>," Saks said. "We're addressing the pain points." InformationWeek Analytics is conducting a survey to determine the satisfaction with mobile operating systems vendors. Respond to the survey and be eligible to win an iPad. <a href="http://informationweek.mobileOSvendoreval.sgizmo.com">Take the survey now</a>. Survey ends May 27. 2011-05-17T13:35:29ZSMBs At Risk For Financial FraudSmall and midsize businesses are at greater risk than consumers and need to improve identification and response, according to Javelin Strategy & Research.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229500715?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbSmall and midsize businesses remain a prime target for financial fraud based upon the findings of the 2011 Small Business Owner Fraud report from Javelin Strategy & Research. Between 2009 and 2010, there was a significant decrease in fraud rates, but despite that decline, they're still 17% higher for SMBs than for consumers. "There are several reasons why that's the case," said Phil Blank, senior research analyst, security risk and fraud, at Javelin Research, in an interview. "For one thing, SMBs are at the core of revenue-generation activity. For another, they're generally not focused on protecting themselves or their clients." According to the <a href="https://www.javelinstrategy.com/brochure/209">report</a>, SMBs usually don't have IT staff dedicated to fraud prevention and detection. What's more, small businesses are less likely than enterprises to have formal processes and procedures in place for their security practices and credit card operations. What kind of fraud are we talking about? The report focused on three types: -- Existing card (someone steals/uses your credit or debit card number) -- Existing non-card (somebody <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/security/attacks/229000777">hacks</a> into your savings account online) -- New account (someone opens a line of credit in your name) Fortunately, many SMBs catch on to fraudulent activity pretty quickly. Among respondents, 50% said they discovered the fraud within a week. On the flip side of the coin, however, 25% of SMBs took one month or more, and 7% didn't realize any fraudulent activity had taken place for a year or more. No matter how long it goes unnoticed, though, fraud takes its toll on businesses. And that toll goes beyond just stolen funds or compromised financial data. "There's a significant delta between the initial cost of fraud and the total loss once you've tallied up legal fees, account fees, and loss of business," Blank said. And this loss doesn't just affect SMBs; it also undercuts the <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/smb/security/229400827">financial institutions</a> that serve them. According to Blank, 1 out of 3 customers never goes back to the store where fraud occurred, and 1 out of 6 SMBs will defect to another financial institution or drop their credit/debit card within a year after fraudulent activity occurs. So, what can SMBs do to fight fraud? As noted in the Javelin report, "many of the tools and techniques used in the consumer market can be successfully used by financial institutions and issuers to help protect [small and midsize businesses]." These include real-time alerts; antivirus software; protection against man-in-the-browser, or MITB, attacks; and comprehensive ID fraud protection services. "The [SMB] must be empowered by the [financial institution]…," the report reads. "Rather than driving a change in behavior by imposing additional cost on the [SMB], the [financial institution] should use a system of no-cost incentives that will increase its revenue from the SMB while providing a more secure environment." In the new, all-digital InformationWeek supplement: Our 2011 Strategic Security Survey confronts the five biggest problems faced by midsize companies. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/041811S/index.jhtml?k=axxe&cid=article_axxe_os">Download it now</a>. (Free registration required.) 2011-05-11T16:11:56ZSIEM Vendor Gains Traction Among VARsLongtime partner BryTech commends TriGeo for its solutions and approach to the channel.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229500087?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbWhen it comes to choosing vendor partners, solution providers take a number of factors into account--chief among them, viability, margins, and channel-friendliness. So it's no wonder that TriGeo Network Security is filling its VAR ranks with relative ease. The vendor is working hard to recruit partners strategically as it further penetrates the midmarket space with its <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/antivirus/227700360">Security</a> Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions. In the past eight months or so, TriGeo has formed new alliances with about a half-dozen new solution providers. One of TriGeo's longtime partners is Smyrna, Ga.-based BryTech, an integrator that sells to a broad range of companies, 80% of which are SMBs. "TriGeo's channel program is what sold me," said Carl Garrett, regional sales director at BryTech. "They co-sponsor our security events and forums, helping us put together invite lists, flying in their experts, and helping us with presentation material. They even split the cost of events 50-50." BryTech customers say TriGeo's support is "off the charts--an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10," Garrett said. What's more, TriGeo keeps the lines of communication open and protects the solution provider's margins, which Garrett describes as outstanding. "We speak to the folks at Trigeo two or three times a week to discuss marketing strategies. They help us find new opportunities." A key draw of TriGeo's solutions is real-time log analysis, which Garrett says other vendors in the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/client/227500832">SIEM</a> space don't offer. This allows companies to proactively seek out potential problems before they occur instead of reactively engaging in damage control. "TriGeo's products work well for any company where security and government regulations are big concerns," Garrett said. This includes financial services firms such as banks and credit unions (Sarbanes Oxley), healthcare companies (<a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/healthcare/security-privacy/229402251">HIPAA</a>), and retail operations (PCI). "BryTech is one of several channel partners <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/security/229401655">TriGeo</a> currently works with across the country," said Michelle Dickman, president and CEO of the SIEM vendor. "We value our channel partners. They open up doors for us to potential new customers, and we work together to grow not only the TriGeo brand but their brands as well."2011-05-10T21:52:30ZAcronis Unveils Integrated Disaster Recovery, Data Protection PlatformTargeted to hybrid physical-virtual-cloud IT environments, Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 is designed to help businesses trim maintenance, support, and licensing costs.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229403201?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smb<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/smb/ebusiness/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=229000753"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/569/Cloud_1_tn.jpg" alt="12 Money Saving Tech Tips For SMBs" title="12 Money Saving Tech Tips For SMBs" class="img175" /></a> (click image for larger view) <div class="storyImageTitle">Slideshow: 12 Money Saving Tech Tips For SMBs</div></div> The latest release from Acronis combines disaster recovery and data protection in a single solution. With version 11, the vendor aims to help organizations address IT environments that are increasingly hybrid in nature, consisting of physical, virtual, and cloud-based systems. According to Izzy Azeri, senior vice president and general manager for the Americas at Acronis, business customers are facing several challenges today that are fueling the need for the vendor's products. "For one thing, the amount of data that needs to be protected is skyrocketing. Increasing storage requirements are being driven by email, <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/security/vulnerabilities/229402624">ERP</a>, document management, and imaging," said Azeri in an interview. "For another, backups need to be spread across physical, virtual, and cloud targets in order to reduce risk. That's complicated, and it costs more money." Azeri said most companies are using two or three different products for disaster recovery and data protection, and that spells higher maintenance, support, and licensing costs. With Acronis, everything is built into one offering that can be used across cloud, virtual, and physical environments. Acronis Backup & Recovery 11, which will be available later this quarter, delivers new catalog and search data protection capabilities, improved disaster-recovery plans, multi-destination <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/smb/services/229400053">backups</a>, improved support for tape drives and libraries, and an enhanced GUI that provides simplified workflows. Azeri said more than 175,000 business customers across a broad range of industries use Acronis software. About 80% of them are small and midsize businesses. And the vendor uses a channel-driven model to disseminate its solutions, engaging more than 20,000 partners around the world. As virtual and cloud environments propagate in the corporate arena, the need for a multifaceted solution such as Acronis 11 will increase. Azeri said <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/software/infrastructure/229402595">virtualization</a> is expected to increase 50% in the SMB space in the next 12 months, while cloud computing is expected to climb about 16%.2011-05-09T22:45:49ZLabor Time Tracker Helps Companies Track EmployeesCloud-based software lets remote workers clock in and out over the phone or the Internet.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229403093?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbOn a cattle ranch in Iowa, cowboys report to work before the sun rises, at 3 or 4 a.m. What do you suppose is the first thing they do? Put on their chaps? Good guess, but no. Round up the horses? Nope. That stuff comes later. First, they go to the barn and pick up the phone so they can punch in. They use a software application called Labor Time Tracker, which allows employees to clock in and out of work anytime, anywhere, from a phone or the Internet. But <a href="http://www.labortimetracker.com/">Labor Time Tracker</a> isn't just for ranchers and other rustic sorts. It's for city folks and suburbanites too--for anybody whose job doesn't involve going to an office every day. Given the significant rise in the number of <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/global-cio/trends/228701916">remote workers</a> and telecommuters, it's no wonder that an application like this is becoming so popular. According to William Dale, founder of Utiliware, the company that makes Labor Time Tracker, thousands of employees are using the <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/cloud-computing/software/229403071">cloud-based</a> application to punch in and out of work each day. Though a handful of Labor Time Tracker clients are very large companies, small and midsize businesses make up about 95% of the user base. "Labor Time Tracker is ideal for mobile and decentralized employees," Dale said in an interview. "In the old days, we had a time punch machine in a [bricks-and-mortar] location, but now we have more and more workers who need to clock in and out while on the road or in the field." Dale said the verticals using Labor Time Tracker run the gamut, from cleaning services and building contractors to physical security personnel (i.e., mall cops) and fitness clubs. Labor Time Tracker is priced at $4.95 per employee per month. There's no contract or service fee, and setup is free. Within a few weeks, Utiliware will roll out its latest software update, which will include a "job costing" feature. That will allow employers to analyze time and labor metrics for different types of workers. In a construction firm, for example, plumbers might use one code to punch in while electricians use another. Dale said Utiliware will continue to expand Labor Time Tracker's functionality. Soon employees will be able to record a message for their supervisors when punching in, and that message can even be converted to an MP3 and emailed to a <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/personal-tech/smart-phones/229403013">smartphone</a>. Employers will be able to leave a group message that each employee hears when clocking in or out. And voice verification will help eliminate "buddy-punching" (punching in for somebody other than oneself). "For the first few versions of our software, we were driving the innovation," Dale said. "But now our customers are in the driver's seat. They're telling us what features they'd like to see added to Labor Time Tracker." Labor Time Tracker is compliant with the Fair Labor Standards Act and supports all U.S. and international time zones. Data from the program can be exported/imported to Excel, QuickBooks, and ADP payroll systems. And administrators can log in to the program whenever they want to see who's punched in and out.2011-05-05T09:50:27ZSMB IT Roles ChangingSupport and maintenance were once the only roles for SMB IT staff, but now they are active participants in revenue generation, according to a Zoomerang survey.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229402838?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbAccording to a recent Zoomerang survey, the role of IT staff at SMBs is changing. The first key finding is that IT staffs are becoming more involved in daily company business. Once sought after to provide support and maintenance only, today IT staff are active participants in revenue generation. Among the SMB respondents, 78% said they have in-house IT support for their organizations; of those, 79% indicated that IT staff members are involved in the company's day-to-day operations. Apparently, this is a growing trend: When asked how the role of IT has changed in the past year, 30% of survey respondents said that these team members are less often sideline players now and have, in fact, become key participants in daily business activities. At the same time, 15% of decision-makers said that in-house IT personnel have become more involved in sales and business development. Another area explored by the Zoomerang survey was the adoption of <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/cloud-computing/platform/229402789">cloud technology</a>. Despite the sizable sums of cash that cloud vendors are dropping on efforts to attract small and midsize businesses, only 10% of respondents reported that they have deployed cloud-based technologies. What's more, 47% said they're not familiar with cloud technology at all, and 25% said they've heard of it but aren't sure what it is. "These numbers are staggering given that cloud vendors are investing huge amounts of money in marketing to showcase the benefits of cloud computing," said Alex Terry, general manager of <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2010/11/smbs_set_sights_1.html">Zoomerang</a>, in a press release. "This research points to the need for cloud vendors to educate business owners on what cloud computing is and how it's relevant to SMBs." Here's more: Only 2% of respondents plan to deploy cloud technology at some point this year, and 20% said they're still engaged in a cost-benefit analysis of cloud computing. Among those that do plan to ascend to the cloud, 61% said they'll be taking on a cloud solution for <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/smb/hardware_software/229402783">data storage</a>; 53% are doing so for email and 38% for customer service. With IT figuring so prominently in today's corporate landscape, it's pivotal that SMBs look for ways to maximize existing and new technology to improve operations and optimize efficiencies. It looks as if these companies are on their way to doing just that, but the journey is far from over: Only 7% of respondents assess the current state of their business technology as Advanced (ahead of the curve; streamlined and efficient). But 58% do rate their IT as Good (not the latest, but everything runs smoothly and with minimal maintenance). For the <a href="http://www.zoomerang.com/blog/sites/default/files/2011-smb-technology-survey-results.pdf">survey</a>, which was conducted by Zoomerang Online Surveys and Polls, 525 decision-makers at companies with 1,000 or fewer employees were interviewed.2011-05-02T22:17:35Z8 Tips For 'Social' MarketingFacebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms can be effective ways to market your company, but only if you do it right. Power up your efforts with these tips from Web-based application provider Wildfire.http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/229402627?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbPerhaps you're just discovering the power of social media. Or maybe you've known about for quite some time. Either way, if you're using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to market your company, you probably want to make those campaigns as effective as they can be, right? Last week I wrote about <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/blog/smb/229402481">Wildfire</a>, a company that offers a Web-based application for social media marketing. Here are some tips, courtesy of <a href="http://blog.wildfireapp.com/2010/06/02/6-clever-tricks-to-double-the-effectiveness-of-your-fan-page-status-updates/">Wildfire</a> CEO Victoria Ransom, that might help you maximize the effectiveness of your "social" campaigns. Tip #1: Keep It Simple And Easy The shorter the entry form, or the fewer steps required to engage, the more people will enter your contest. And if you're looking to collect user-generated content, ask for content that consumers have readily available--for example, photos of their vacations, pets, friends, children, and hobbies. This is more effective than asking for content that requires effort to create, such as a video. Tip #2: Make It Social Look for ways to make your campaign inherently social. For example, you may want to run a user generated contest in which public voting helps decide the winner. That way, entrants will contact all of their friends to encourage them to vote. If you're running a sweepstakes, offer a group prize (for instance, "concert tickets for you and five of your friends") and ask entrants to invite the other members of the group. Another idea: Offer a referral prize; that means if someone you refer wins, you win too. Tip #3: Seed Your Campaign If you're using <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/smb/services/229402570">Facebook</a> ads to publicize your campaign, the following techniques will get you good results: -- Advertise to "friends of your fans," or use Facebook's new sponsored stories; the social context of these ads results in a much higher click-through rate. -- Advertise to fans of your competitors. The consumers you reach will generally be highly targeted. -- Run your promotion for a couple of days to see what kind of demographics it's resonating with; then tailor your ads accordingly. Tip #4: Communicate! Remember to remind your existing fans about your campaign regularly throughout its duration. At a minimum, message your fans when you launch the campaign, during the middle of the campaign, and a few days before it ends. Tip #5: Tap Into Passionate Communities We've found that tapping into people's passions and interests plays a greater role in determining the success of a campaign than do factors such as the value of the prize or even the size of an advertising budget. Campaigns that involve pets, children, charities, hobbies, music, and other interests are consistently among the most successful. For example, one nonprofit received more than 10,000 photo submissions in just one week for a pet-related photo contest, with no advertising budget. Tip #6: Run Regular Campaigns One of the biggest mistakes companies make is putting a lot of effort and money into a "big bang" launch campaign for their fan page without having a plan for running regular campaigns afterward. Generally, companies that run regular promotions (for example, "Win it Wednesday" or "Friday Flash Deal") are much more successful in building an engaged and growing fan base than those that do high-profile campaigns here and there. Likewise, centering campaigns on holidays (Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Earth Day, etc.) is a great way to provide regular engagement. Tip #7: Make Buying Fun Whereas many consumers visit <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/global-cio/interviews/229402599">Google</a> to search for specific information about specific topics or products, they generally go to Facebook to engage with friends and have fun. So it follows logically that the best way to encourage fans to buy is to make the buying process fun. Here's an example: Haute Look ran a campaign that offered "lucky coupons." Consumers had to become fans in order to get a coupon, and they didn't know whether they'd get a high-value coupon or a low-value one. Haute Look made three times its return on investment, and 20% of buyers were first-time purchasers. Tip #8: Choose Your Prize Carefully Of course, if you're running a sweepstakes or some other kind of contest, the prize you pick does play a role in determining the success of your campaign. Here are two things to keep in mind: -- Prizes that generate the most excitement are those that money can't buy--for instance, tickets to a sold-out concert, backstage passes, limited-edition merchandise, etc.) -- It's important to choose a prize that's relevant to your brand; that way, you'll attract the kind of consumers that'll ultimately be interested in your product. If you're a restaurant, for example, give away free dinners or a gourmet food basket, not an iPad.2011-04-28T23:07:48ZWildfire Helps SMBs With Social Media MarketingHere's a Web app that you don't need a lot of money or technical know-how to use.http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/229402481?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbIt seems that Wildfire is living up to its name. The company, whose Web application allows businesses to create social media marketing campaigns quickly and easily, is catching on like . . . well, you know . . . wildfire. Within just a short time of launching, Wildfire grew its customer base from hundreds to thousands and its employee head count from 10 to 100-plus. What's Wildfire got that everybody wants? A tool that allows businesses to create a campaign "in a matter of minutes," said Victoria Ransom, CEO, in an interview. "And with one click of the mouse, you can publish that campaign to Twitter, Facebook, and other <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/smb/ebusiness/229402275">social media </a> sites." Ransom said she discovered several years back that there was a growing need for such a product. "The co-founder of Wildfire and I had an adventure travel company, and we wanted to grow our fan base," she said. "We created a microsite and a sweepstakes campaign. It was tough, and we were fairly tech-savvy people." The executive saw how useful it would be to develop an application that allows businesses to create campaigns without needing technical expertise or deep pockets. Wildfire incorporated in June 2008 and applied for a grant from the Facebook Fund, an initiative run by the social networking company and a couple of venture capital firms. The idea behind it is to encourage the growth of Facebook's ecosystem. Wildfire was awarded $250,000 by <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/security/attacks/229100285">Mark Zuckerberg'</a>s thriving operation. Ransom and her cohorts used the money to build up their fledgling business. Using Wildfire is easy, Ransom said. You go to the website, <a href="http://wildfireapp.com/">www.wildfireapp.com</a>, and create an account. You decide on the type of campaign you want to run--photo contest, sweepstakes, whatever--set starting and ending dates, create an entry form, define age and eligibility criteria, and create the campaign. And Wildfire offers support if you need it, whether via live online chat, e-mail, or the phone. Ransom says most users go it alone, but there's plenty of assistance available for those seeking it out. Wildfire even offers marketing advice. Companies of all sizes use Wildfire, she said, but more than half of its customers are SMBs. Want to read about some of the campaign tips that Wildfire has to offer? Stay tuned for my next story.2011-04-25T22:24:16ZMicroVentures Funds First Three DealsOnline peer-to-peer investment service breaks new ground, connects entrepreneurs with start-ups and SMBshttp://www.informationweek.com/news/229402218?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbA former risk manager in the small-business space, Bill Clark says he has a "passion for start-ups." As a risk manager, he saw just how difficult it could be for a fledgling company to raise enough money to get itself off the ground. Finding angel investors is always an option, but finding the "right angels" can be a challenge, he says, and, as a small business, you usually need five to 10 of those investors to rustle up a sufficient amount of cash to get things moving in the right direction. Then there's peer-to-peer lending--Prosper and Lending Club, for example. Those have benefits, but they sometimes don't raise as much capital as a company would like, and some of them--Lending Club, in particular--tend to be very discriminating, declining as much as 90% of the applications they receive. "I thought, 'What about a model that combines equity with peer-to-peer?'" said Clark in an interview. "I spoke to some lawyers and the <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/229401339">SEC</a>, and once I was convinced I had a good idea, I launched MicroVentures Marketplace." That was last September, and Clark, CEO of MicroVentures, spent several months afterward getting the word out and building an investor base for his new online investment service. Last week, his efforts paid dividends: MicroVentures completed funding for its first three deals. Resources from 19 investors, totaling $100,000, were pooled for a company that develops an entertainment technology platform. (The name of the company, currently in a financial quiet period, is under wraps.) For each of two other businesses, MicroVentures facilitated $25,000 investments, bringing the grand total for its first three deals to $150,000. Typically, the businesses Clark works with are starting off with three to four people and are looking to raise anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 in three to six months. Although these companies run the gamut in terms of the vertical spaces they play in, Clark said he's seeing a predominance of start-ups in application development, gaming, high tech, and <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/229401928/social-media-research-may-expose-discrimination-claims">social media</a>. "It works like this," Clark said. "The first thing we do when a business requests funding is to look at its business plan. We run their ideas by our investors to see what they think. If the investors see potential, we have to do what's called due diligence: We gather financial information, run background checks on company officers, look closely at the market the company's entering, and study the competition." Clark said due diligence can take up to a week. If all systems are go and MicroVentures decides to take on a company as a client, the next step is to draw up a private placement memo, or PPM. This is an extensive undertaking, with the PPM running about 60 pages, Clark explained. Documents are made available to investors online, at the MicroVentures website, and interested parties can make their investments online as well--anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000. Investments of more than that can be made offline. MicroVentures charges $100 to review a company's business plan and $250 for due diligence. If the target amount of capital is raised, MicroVentures gets 10%. By combining online peer-to-peer networking with a pooling model that allows investors to make smaller financial commitments than they typically could, MicroVentures is unfurling a viable alternative for small businesses and start-ups that need money. It's an enterprising idea that appears to be taking flight. Check it out at <a href="http://www.microventures.com">www.microventures.com</a>.2011-04-25T00:00:48Z5 Tips For Effective NewslettersWhen it comes to written communication with customers, letting your personality shine through and soliciting feedback are among the important considerations.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229402140?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbDo you use newsletters--electronic or otherwise--to reach out to prospects and customers? Are you getting a good response from them? If feedback from readers has been a little lackluster these days, you might want to skim through these tips. They come courtesy of email marketing company Infusionsoft, whose own email newsletter, Infusion Insight, offers marketing tips to SMBs. 1. Know Your Readers Although your newsletter should promote your business, its primary function is not to sell; it's to build relationships with prospects and customers. Making a connection is key. (The outrageous popularity of <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/229402011/facebook-tools-for-building-brands">Facebook</a> and its brethren make this yearning to connect abundantly clear, no?) Discuss topics that are relevant and interesting to your readers. If they know they're getting useful information, they'll continue to subscribe. 2. Make It Unique If you want people to actually read your newsletter, you need to make it stand out from the pack. This doesn't mean you have to add fancy bells and whistles. It's all about creating a personal touch. A few ideas: Include a snapshot from your office; incorporate a video message from your staff; put in a link to an entertaining <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/smb/ebusiness/229401561">website</a>. Don't be afraid to show your company's personality. 3. Take Time For Design A key determinant of your newsletter's success will be its visual appeal. "The right design can captivate your audience before they read a single word," reads the latest edition of <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/smb/1to49/229400035">Infusionsoft</a>'s newsletter. "Create a design that's clean and simple." Just make sure that the look and feel reinforces your brand as well. 4. Solicit Feedback Request comments from readers about your articles and stories. This is a win-win scenario. Your readers know that they're valued and appreciated, and you get feedback on how to make your newsletter even better. 5. Include Contact Information While it's true that the goal of your newsletter isn't to sell, an occasional sale here and there couldn't hurt matters, right? Make sure readers have a way to get in touch with you if they get an urge to buy.2011-04-22T08:00:00ZTriGeo Customer Boosts Security With ApplianceMidmarket financial institution LegacyTexas Bank automates processes and reduces labor hours by deploying an SIEM appliance.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229401655?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbFor many financial institutions, keeping up with federal regulations is getting harder and harder to do, and keeping tabs on network security risks and breaches has become more critical than ever. For LegacyTexas Bank, a midmarket financial institution based in Plano, Texas, it was time to stop poring over event logs and start automating some of the process. That's why the bank decided to implement a security appliance from <a href="http://trigeo.com/">TriGeo Network Security</a>, a vendor that provides Security Information and Event Management (SIEM). According to LegacyTexas, the bank's significant growth over the past several years was another key factor in ratcheting up and automating its security efforts. LegacyTexas had seven branches and about $800 million in assets just six years ago; today it has 19 locations and $1.5 billion in assets. "On top of that, our IT department supports more than just the bank," said Jon Drake, CIO of LegacyTexas, in an interview. "We have mortgage, title, insurance, and wealth advisory groups well. We decided to be proactive about security instead of reactive, so we can prevent problems from ever happening in the first place." Drake said he knew right away that TriGeo's offering was the right one for LegacyTexas because it went beyond collecting logs and reporting results. With TriGeo's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/client/227500832">SIEM appliance</a>, specific actions can be taken based on log results. For example, if two password entry attempts are made in a very short span of time--say, a second or two--the TriGeo appliance interprets this to mean that password cracking technology is being used (as no human could enter two passwords that quickly). The system disables the MAC address of the network where the password entry attempt is being made. Another thing LegacyTexas likes about the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/blog/smb/229400969">TriGeo offering</a> is that it puts all logs in the same format. "Every device creates a different log with a different format and a different look and feel," Drake said. "This solution accumulates them all and standardizes them in the same presentation, so we can parse the log data much more easily." "LegacyTexas Bank is a great example of a company that understands the value of SIEM and the network visibility it provides companies beyond traditional log management," said Michelle Dickman, president and CEO of TriGeo. "The technology and support we provide [the LegacyTexas team] has helped the bank stay ahead of potential breaches, meet FFIEC and FDIC requirements, and gain an upper hand in audits." In the "old days," before implementing the TriGeo appliance, the bank had two staffers report to work at 7 a.m. to go through the logs manually and seek out anomalies, Drake said. "Those [employees] spent an hour each, five days a week, going over the logs, and they probably hit only 1% of the records. Plus they were looking just at logs that appeared abnormal, so a lot of [suspect activity] was being missed." Today, the TriGeo appliance inspects all the logs and reports anything that's amiss. The result? Fewer (wo)man-hours wasted and much tighter <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/security/229401436">network security</a>.2011-04-18T21:36:46ZOnForce Eases Outsourcing For VARsCloud-based software gives solution providers a way to put their contracting work on autopilot.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229401822?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbBill Lucchini has a message for tech service companies--solution providers, integrators, and the like--outsourcing work: If you're running your own network of independent contractors, you're taking on too much and putting yourself at a huge disadvantage. You should be using a software solution, like the one his company offers, to do the work for you. "There's so much complexity to outsourcing these projects," said Lucchini, COO of <a href="http://www.onforce.com/">OnForce</a>, in an interview. "We've invested a lot of money in a SaaS solution that does it all for you." Here's an example of how it works. Let's say you're an SMB VAR in Chicago. You've just won a contract with a national <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/hardware/reviews/229000661">retailer</a> that wants to update its POS systems across the board. Great, right? This is a lucrative deal; the retailer has 1,000 locations, from New York to California. But how are you going to cover such a broad area with your limited resources? Sure, you've got talented staffers in Chicago. You've even got some connections in surrounding states. But you have no idea how you're going to hook up with techies in the Midwest, or in Seattle, where the retailer has several high-profile locations. This is where OnForce would come in. With OnForce, you would create a work order online and upload info into the cloud-based system. From there, everything would pretty much be on autopilot. At each retailer location, technicians in the OnForce network would be notified that there's work available. The software would profile each technician and, if you choose, select the independent contractors that are the best match for the job. The system even tracks performance and attendance and handles payments. "The whole process is very simple," said Lucchini. "There's no contract; you just go to our website and sign up for account. You can immediately create a work order after that." Lucchini said about 90% of the service companies that use OnForce are SMBs--tech shops with five to 100 employees. And with 90,000 registered technicians, the OnForce pool of independent contracting talent is substantial. OnForce's system is getting a lot of use from VARs that work in the <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/healthcare/mobile-wireless/229401173">healthcare</a> and retail spaces, Lucchini said. "With self-checkout becoming the norm and the growing popularity of mobile shopping apps, there's a lot of integrator activity in the POS arena," he added. "As for healthcare, clinics are becoming popular alternatives to hospital ERs, so there's a big focus on updating those facilities and their technology." The key benefits of OnForce for tech service companies? Geographical reach (OnForce's independent contractors are all over the country, from big cities to small towns), reduced costs and high-quality work (OnForce's techies compete for work; for each project, the system chooses people who have the right skill set and are willing to do the job for the right price), and low risk (all OnForce technicians are fully insured).2011-04-17T23:12:21ZOptify Refreshes SMB Social Media MarketingBy merging SEO and social media, the software seeks to help smaller companies boost site traffic and online marketing campaigns.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229401742?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbThe latest release from Optify merges social media and SEO, allowing businesses to increase their Web traffic, create and manage social media marketing campaigns, and track and share marketing results via high-power reporting tools. "Today 86% of SMBs see social media as the biggest driver of an increased customer base, and we're riding that wave," said Brian Goffman, co-founder and CEO of <a href="http://www.optify.net/">Optify</a>, in an interview. "These SMBs need software that helps them build repeatable, expandable processes in marketing. The sales process has been standardized in many ways, with CRM and the like, but marketing's been virtually a [free-for-all]." With the latest release of Optify, companies can engage in "closed-loop social media marketing," Goffman said. "You can focus on <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_crm/229401274/tweetroost-manages-remembers-twitter-posts">Twitter</a> to generate leads, score leads, and see who your leads are. You can integrate Twitter with Salesforce.com. You can go full circle, moving from a Tweet to a lead to a bonafide customer." The key today, Goffman said, is engaging in real-time Web marketing, which means you can react to news and events instantly and engage in ongoing dialogs with customers and prospects. Strategically aligning your SEO and social media efforts helps you do real-time marketing effectively. There's no ignoring the fact that social media is influencing search algorithms. Case in point: <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/internet/google/229401648">Google</a> and Bing's recent integrations of social media into search results. And hiring an SEO strategist isn't going to be enough for most companies, Goffman said. Here are some of the features built into the latest release of Optify: -- Keyword reports and other SEO enhancements. These help companies identify gaps and opportunities in their keyword strategy across multiple search engines and social media channels, including <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/hardware/data_centers/229401209">Facebook</a>, Twitter, and LinkedIn. -- Facebook "Likes" integration. Optify's integration of Facebook "Likes" data provides an interactive view that allows users to track how much exposure each page is getting via Facebook and to compare shares, "Likes," and clicks side-by-side with traditional search traffic. -- Twidget. This dashboard widget, designed specifically for the Twitter for Business application, allows customers to tweet, assign, and schedule campaigns, and to monitor traffic, leads, mentions, and retweets from the Optify Dashboard. -- Social media reports. These show results such as number of page views, visitors, leads, and conversion rates from social campaigns, allowing businesses to compare and analyze results across multiple sites, including LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Goffman said that 80% of Optify's customers are small and midsize businesses, although the hosted software is used by companies of all sizes. Optify is available in four editions--free, Professional, Premium, and Enterprise.2011-04-13T21:59:19ZDoes Your Website Do These 4 Things?When putting your site under a microscope, make sure you're giving people something they can use while entertaining them, interacting with them, and giving them something for free.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229401561?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbIf you think just having a website is enough, you might be doing yourself--and your company--a disservice. Your best bet for drumming up business via your online presence is to make that website a really good one. Here are four principles to keep in mind when assessing your company website. These come courtesy of <a href="http://www.infusionsoft.com/">Infusionsoft</a>, an email marketing company based in Gilbert, Ariz. People are egocentric. It's sad but true: We're out for ourselves--for the most part anyway. So you have to figure that, when people visit your <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/229401208/social-media-influences-website-traffic-indirectly">website</a>, they're wondering what's in it for them if they purchase your product or service. Instead of boasting about your latest product enhancements, talk about how the product will improve the lives of your customers. People love to be entertained. If visitors find your site both unique and entertaining, chances are good that they'll stick around. Infusionsoft execs suggest spicing up your site with compelling quotes, graphics, pictures, blogs, and interactive "widgets." That will increase your traffic, and it'll help you capture and convert more leads. People want to be heard. Websites that provide information, but don't promote interaction with you, are basically dead ends, say Infusionsoft execs, adding that "visitors will simply flip a U-turn and get out of there." Post a blog or forum at your site that allows visitors to offer their opinions and become more engaged with your company. People want (valuable) free stuff. Yes, it's a reality; people love giveaways. "Give your visitors something for nothing, such as a report, <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/storage/portable/228800567?queryText=ebook">e-book</a>, video, or coupon," execs say. "As visitors begin to interact, you can gather information--names, email addresses, and phone numbers. Guess what you just got? Qualified prospects who are engaged in learning about your product or service. It's a sales dream come true."2011-04-12T17:11:45ZVendor Helps SMBs Build Contact DatabasesCompanies can use cloud-based software from NetProspex to trade names, numbers, email addresses, and social media information.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229401480?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbIt's not what you know; it's who you know, right? Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. I mean, knowledge is important in the grand scheme of things. But it's definitely true that knowing the right people can be very helpful. And having a way with others can certainly be a boon to business. How do you make connections with the right people, be they prospects, partners, suppliers, sources of information--whatever? If you're not as successful in this area as you'd like to be, you might want to take a look at <a href="http://netprospex.com/">NetProspex</a>, a cloud-based software application that's dedicated solely to making your little black book thicker. "When you're prospecting for new business, the key is who you need to target and how you're going to reach them," says Michael Bird, chief revenue officer at NetProspex. "The problem often is amassing a large quantity of contact info." Bird says three to five million records are traded every month through the software and the company's database has grown 100% year over year since NetProspex's inception five years ago. NetProspex acquires contact info via crowdsourcing. That is, all of the info in the NetProspex contact database comes from NetProspex users, who engage in a sort of barter system. Here's how it works. Say I'm a real estate agent in New York City with 300 contacts to share. I'm moving to Boston and would like to build up my new clientele as quickly as possible. I upload my 300 records to NetProspex, and a bunch of algorithms are performed on the data. The software makes sure the records are complete and holds on to those that aren't duplicates of what's in the existing <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/security/app-security/229400153">database</a>. If 100 of those contacts are "new"--i.e., they're not already available in NetProspex--I've just bought myself 100 records. Now I can sift through the NetProspex database and select 100 contacts I want in return. Perhaps I'll hit the mother lode in finding a slew of top-notch real estate contacts in the Boston area. The idea of buying compiled contact lists isn't new, so what makes NetProspex different? Two things, according to Bird. First, all contact info is verified by overseas staffers who call each number to make sure it belongs to the person whose name is attached to it. Second, "we're the first to bake social media--<a href="http://informationweek.com/news/hardware/data_centers/229401209">Facebook</a>, LinkedIn, and Twitter info--into each record in our database," Bird says. "This is a huge time-saver. It's one thing if you have to sift through 20 Scott Gordons in LinkedIn to find the one you're looking for. This might take you an extra 40 seconds or so. But if you have to do that with multiple prospects? This is a huge time-waster and drain of your resources." When searching for contact info at NetProspex, you can get granular. You can drill down by industry, job function, company size, and location. For example, you might want to find network administrators at New York-based accounting firms with less than $500 in annual revenue. No problem. You can do that with NetProspex. Bird says the company's customers range from big names like Microsoft and Deloitte & Touche to small and midsize businesses, which account for about 50% of NetProspex's users. Think about it: How valuable is it to gather as many contacts in your field as you can? A solution like this one could be just what you need to make the right connections.2011-04-11T17:58:30Z10 Compliance Tips For SMBsCT Corporation offers small and midsize businesses suggestions for staying aligned with government regulations and other legal guidelines.http://www.informationweek.com/news/229401367?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbAs a small or midsize business, you've already got your hands full, don't you? You're probably working around the clock just to make ends meet and keep your momentum going. Never mind the little details that come with the job. But those "little details" can be a killer. Take <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/healthcare/policy/229000958">compliance</a>, for example. Managing tax, regulatory, and business license filings might not be at the top of your daily to-do list, but it needs to be addressed--and preferably not at the last minute, in a mad scramble to avoid penalties, fines, or lost business opportunities. "Nowadays there are a lot of changing regulations to keep track of," says Cherie Hernandez, senior group product manager at CT Corporation, a company that offers corporate business compliance solutions. "It's easy for things to fall through the cracks. And the penalty for not staying in compliance can range from hundreds of dollars to thousands." Here are 10 tips for proactive business compliance, courtesy of CT Corporation: 1. Assess your compliance situation. How much of your resources are being dedicated to compliance? These resources include staff, time, and money, and a quick, informal audit will show that it's not only the person with compliance in their title who's involved with compliance activity. 2. Centralize accountability. Determine which department should be empowered with central responsibility for business compliance. Typically, it's the legal department. The audit mentioned above will give you a realistic estimate of workload and staffing needs. 3. Gain control of your compliance calendar. With all compliance execution residing in one area, all important dates can be put on one master calendar. A Web-based calendar is probably best because it allows you to populate compliance events and other regularly occurring business dates automatically. 4. Communicate and collaborate. Create standardized processes and procedures for how information should flow between the centrally authorized compliance function and other departments, divisions, and subsidiaries. Establish controls for accountability, and leave enough flexibility for <a href="http://informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/workgrouping_team_collaboration_workspaces/229400946/novell-debuts-enterprise-vibe-cloud-collaboration">collaboration</a>. 5. Use one productivity tool to consolidate compliance. Implementing a Web-based business compliance tool can be very effective. With this kind of tool, a list of daily tasks can be generated from the calendar, and customized <a href="http://informationweek.com/news/government/cloud-saas/228500093">email</a> alerts can be sent to responsible parties. 6. Centralize information in one place. Ideally, this would be the same productivity tool as described above. A Web-based tool will automatically update requirements as they change, eliminating the need to check in constantly with each state. Those updated requirements will update the central calendar automatically, so accurate due dates will always be available to everybody. 7. Use "pre-filled" forms. In addition to populating the calendar, a central repository of key company information should also pre-fill in re-usable forms. Re-using and repurposing data will save hours of effort and improve accuracy. 8. Store and organize evidence for all your filings. This is essential for every compliance activity. Electronic confirmations of all filings can be stored in the document repository so that a complete history of everything pertinent to a filing is quickly and easily accessible. 9. Document and publish your systems, procedures, and checks and balances. Having everything related to filings in one centralized place means that staffing changes won't pose a problem when it comes to compliance. If one key person leaves, the company's vital compliance knowledge won't leave with them. 10. Ask the experts. Subscribing to a Web-based compliance tool usually means you also get access to a vendor's team of expert compliance specialists. Demand a partnership from this vendor to get full value from their expertise. 2011-04-05T08:08:55ZNew Tool Simplifies Selling For SMBsWith the release of CrunchConnect, SalesCrunch is taking sales presentations to a whole new level. Part webconferencing tool, part presentation tracker, the Web-based CrunchConnect allows companies to capture and measure real-time customer engagement.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229400951?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Company_Size:_50-249_smbWith the release of CrunchConnect, SalesCrunch is taking sales presentations to a whole new level. Part webconferencing tool, part presentation tracker, the Web-based CrunchConnect allows companies to capture and measure real-time customer engagement."Sales success is hard to repeat," says Sean Black, founder and CEO of New York-based SalesCrunch. "About 10 to 20% of any sales team generates 80 to 90% of a company's revenue. There's no training; it's sink or swim." At the core of CrunchConnect is a webconferencing tool that allows salespeople to meet online with prospects and customers to go over presentations (or "decks," in webconferencing parlance). Before an online meeting begins, attendees gathered in the virtual waiting room can get acquainted by checking out each other's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/social_network/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=229301199">LinkedIn</a> and Twitter accounts. There are assorted other icebreakers, too, such as local weather and news. There's no software to download and attendees always know where to find you--at your own personal URL. Meeting hosts can even tell who's engaged and who's not as they progress through the slides of a presentation. Example: You're at slide 15 and you've lost Jed. How do you know? There's a red border around Jed's on-screen picture or avatar. You can let Jed be and see if he comes around in a few more slides, or you can be a little more proactive and ask Jed what he thinks about the content of slide 15. Think of it as a "virtual nudge." But here's the most exciting part (at least to me). You can e-mail these presentations to anyone, and you can track everything. No more hitting the "Send" button and then waiting and wondering whether the recipient actually opened your <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=229219491">e-mail</a>. Send it return receipt, you say? Yes, that's an option, but you still won't know whether the person on the other end actually took any time to look through your presentation. With CrunchConnect, you get metrics--<a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=229400335">analytics</a>--for anybody who opens your presentation. And the numbers get granular. You can see, for example, how much time Prospect A spent viewing each slide in the presentation. And based on that data, you can customize a follow-up message. You can also record meetings and use them as training tools. "Let's say you just closed a big deal and certain comments from meeting participants reveal what you did right to win the customer," Black says. "You can snip out some sound bites and send them to your salespeople so they can repeat the success." That brings us to SalesCrunch's mantra: "Taking selling from fuzzy art to repeatable process." Catchy, isn't it? The beta is available for free right now, but you have to be invited to use it. Visit the SalesCrunch website to get an invitation.