“The bigger your business, the bigger your life, the bigger your problems are likely to be. Being prepared for that will save you a lot of emotional turmoil . . .” - Donald J. Trump
I feel strongly about the importance of wholeness. It's a combination of all the components of life that make us healthy, happy, and productive. To my mind, the opposite of wholeness is failure. If it happens, and sometimes it does, the best remedy is to move forward, to realize that failure is not permanent, and to immediately focus in the right direction. Ultimately, a solution will show up.
I don't mean to sound like a faith healer, but there is something profound and yet simple about viewing failure as a lack of wholeness. I will also add, it's effective. Believing that a negative situation is temporary and wrong will give you the impetus to do something about it, to feel righteous and energetic about fixing it. Being unhappy and unproductive is simply not part of my game plan, and it shouldn't be part of yours, either. See a situation as unacceptable, as taking you away from wholeness, and you will be motivated to get out of it as quickly as possible.
When I had a financial setback in the early 1990s, I saw it more as an aberration from the norm than as a final sentence. I knew what it was like to be whole, and all I had to do was get back to that place. I felt that a comeback was what was expected of me, and I expected it of myself. All I had to do was take the next step and get my momentum going again, which is what I did. It didn't happen overnight, but eventually things started to sort themselves out.
I've seen some people get completely swallowed up by failures. The worst thing you can do to yourself is to believe that bad luck is your due. It isn't! It's not just intelligence or luck that gets us places, it's tenacity in the face of adversity. Some people see problems as bad luck, but I don't. Problems are a part of life and a big part of business. The bigger your business, the bigger your life, the bigger your problems are likely to be. Being prepared for that will save you a lot of emotional turmoil, unnecessary deliberating, and even illness.
I've known people who have come back not just from adversity but from tragedy. There's adversity and then there's tragedy. Thinking about both is a good way to get an objective view of what you may think your problems are. Your situation may be tough, but you can bet others have had far worse things to deal with. One way to pave your way for a comeback (or for a first victory) is to read about people who have been courageous against long odds. My guess is they felt they had an obligation to succeed, and in some cases, an obligation to survive. That's how I feel. I had the privilege of a great family and a great education, and I am serious about honoring those privileges -- which means expecting the best from myself.
You can have the same attitude, no matter what your situation or background. When failure comes your way, you must believe that you matter, that you can overcome it, and most importantly, that success is what is expected of you. You'd be surprised at what you can accomplish when that's your attitude. It's not just survival, it's not just success, it is your obligation. A sense of duty toward wholeness will go a long way toward your personal and professional success.
What I learned at the time of my worst financial problems is that I was resilient and that I had this indomitable sense of success that couldn't be taken from me no matter what the newspapers said. That brings me to another level of thought, which is faith. Faith is a bit like wisdom. People can help you along the way with it but above all you have to develop it yourself. Faith in yourself can prove to be a very powerful force. Work on it daily. Sometimes when you're fighting a lonely battle, keeping yourself company with positive reinforcement and faith in yourself can be the invisible power that separates the winners from the losers. Losers give up.
In summary . . .
Strive for wholeness, believe in yourself, keep your momentum at full throttle, and be strong and tough in your resilience. Don't expect anything less than that from yourself, and I can assure you that success will become a permanent situation for you, even when your external circumstances may not show it.
Never Give Up!
Donald J. Trump
I love to learn and want to be quick learner, intelligent learner, modern learner.
Informal education
- works through, and is driven by, conversation.
- involves exploring and enlarging experience.
- can take place in any setting.
However, there is more - purpose.
In Coombs and Ahmed's view, informal education is:
… the lifelong process by which every individual acquires and accumulates knowledge, skills, attitudes and insights from daily experiences and exposure to the environment – at home, at work, at play: from the example and attitude of families and friends; from travel, reading newspapers and books; or by listening to the radio or viewing films or television. Generally informal education is unorganized, unsystematic and even unintentional at times, yet accounts for the great bulk of any person’s total lifetime learning – including that of a highly ‘schooled’ person. (Coombs and Ahmed 1974: 8)
Tech 'Solutions' Your Small Biz Can't Use
A lot of highfalutin software and gadgets aim to help you run your company, but too little of it is suited for a small business environment
by Gene Marks
I've used a lot of things that don't work as advertised. Maybe it's me or maybe it's bad luck. Or maybe it's just bad stuff.
I've never had any success with vitamins; I still get sick just as often. Teeth-whitening products have failed me. So has the Atkins diet. Rogaine shampoo? I just grew a little peach fuzz. Using my frequent-flier miles has always been a huge frustration, except for that one time I flew to Fargo, N.D., on a Saturday night in February. Baked potato chips? They taste like wood.
Unfortunately, the disappointment extends well beyond consumer products. My life as a small business owner has been littered with stuff that doesn't work as billed, particularly technology. We business owners are subjected to an endless array of tools that never fail to disappoint. We're promised. We pay. And we're let down. The list of overhyped and underwhelming technology changes constantly. So here's a quick snapshot of 10, in no particular order, that don't work. At least this week.
1. RSS Feeds
Bob, an electrical contractor, knows what RSS stands for, and I feel sorry for him. He had the misfortune of signing up for an RSS feed. This misnomer is designed to make us feel like we're getting a "feed" of data just like all the really, really important media people do. When he first tried RSS, he thought, "Wow, I can get immediate updates on product and industry developments, important news from Yahoo! (YHOO), and even get a new joke from The Onion, all as soon as they're published!" Instead, he was "fed" an endless stream of meaningless items displayed in an overly large browser window that winds up distracting more than informing. Like Bob, most of the business owners I know have abandoned RSS and gone back to controlling when they get their information. Still don't know what RSS stands for? Trust me, it's just not that important.
2. Spam Filters
I get this question at just about every presentation I give to business owners: "What spam filters do you recommend?" My answer: "None." They all suck. Let's face it: You're not going to eliminate spam in your business. Instead you're going to waste money on the latest filtering technology, which does nothing more than block that key e-mail you were awaiting from a prospective customer. Or you'll require a sender to complete a Sudoku puzzle before "allowing" their e-mail to reach your in-box. In the end, it's cheaper for your employees to just sort and delete spam as it comes in.
3. Antivirus Software
Betsy was looking for just the right technology to slow down her employees' computers and significantly degrade the performance of her business applications. Well, she found it, and it's called antivirus software. As an added bonus, this software prevents her from installing or upgrading applications without a team of NASA-trained IT consultants. Betsy's spent more money with her IT firm trying to work around antivirus software than she probably would've spent if she received an actual virus. What should a business owner do to avoid viruses, worms, and other evil applications that can wreak havoc in our systems? Our tools are still too limited. Even telling your employees, for the 900th time, not to open up suspicious files doesn't seem to work. I don't have a very good answer for Betsy's dilemma. But I do know the current group of antivirus software applications don't do the job for small businesses.
4. Blogs
Jamie! You started a blog for your business? That's dope! Now go out and get some accessories, like a pair of black-rimmed rectangular glasses and a Starbucks card. And oh, by the way, you'll need to set aside about 17 hours each day to keep it fresh. Dude, it'll be so viral. What's that, Jamie? You're not in the media business? You don't work for a software company? You just own a hardware store? Dude, that's a drag! If you don't have something new to say each day, no one's going to bother to stop by and check out your blog. It'll be, like, so lame.
And if you do have something to say, just be careful you don't give away too much information. You didn't consider all this? You don't have the time? You're not such a great writer? Word.
5. Search Engine Optimization
You mean for $5,000 I can get my company's name on the very top of Google's search results? Where do I sign? Many business owners have been fooled by the allure of search engine optimization (SEO)—and I'm one of them. I forked over a bunch of dough to a firm in California that promised to get my company's name on "all the major search engines" when someone was looking for products that we sell. How did they plan to do this? I'm still not really sure, but it had something to do with spiders, black hats, and link farms. That should've been enough of a hint that witchcraft was involved. After a brief flirtation with page 47 of MSN's search results, I gave up. SEO probably does the job for companies with oodles of money, but not for the typical small business.
6. Mobile Applications
Before you buy into any software vendor's promise to "enable a mobile application" for employees to use on their cell phones, think really hard about the reality of that claim. Remember that time you used your phone to look up the weather in Chicago? Remember how the seasons actually changed while you were waiting for the forecast to load? Your customer may die of old age waiting for you to enter an order or look up an inventory item on a cell phone. Mobile applications will be a great thing…someday. Just like hovercrafts, telepods, and renewable energy. But for a small business on a limited budget, it's still science fiction.
7. Customer Relationship Management Software
Readers of my work may find this item a little surprising. I've always been a big proponent of customer relationship management (CRM) software. One big reason is that my company sells this stuff. And we have a lot of small business clients who have really used this technology well. Unfortunately, we have a lot of other customers who haven't been as successful. Fred, a manufacturer of roofing materials, is one of them. Fred and I both learned that a CRM system doesn't work for a small business without an internal "champion" who takes ownership of it. His $20,000 system just sat there. No one used it. At best, we hope it will become a glorified Rolodex one day. A CRM system can be a good thing, but it takes more than paying for the software and training. Without a substantial internal investment, CRM won't work.
8. AdWords
John's a pretty smart guy. He runs a company that sells specialty pet foods. He manages his own investments. He keeps an eye on his taxes. But I've found a way to turn John into a blithering idiot. I've asked him to figure out how to use Google's (GOOG) AdSense profitably. Are you interested in a mind-numbing exercise? Give AdSense a shot. Or Yahoo SM or MSN AdCenter. Don't you know how much to budget for "clicks" on your ad? Are you just a little suspicious as to who exactly is counting these "clicks" that conveniently turn into revenue for these companies? Like John, you've just entered the alternate universe of Internet advertising! Here's a word of wisdom: Leave the mass-market advertising to Coke (KO) and Pepsi (PEP). Small business owners should stick to less mystifying forms of promotion.
9. Online Video
I totally agree with that…guy…I think…who wants us to "leave Britney alone." And yes, Barack Obama is pretty hot in his YouTube video. But none of this means online video is a workable medium for small business owners. Ron, a reseller of computer software, thought his business would be perfect for online video, what with the amount of Web-based training and support he provides. Ron figured he could post some videos on YouTube to help his clients. He soon learned that the cost and complexity was just too high. Quality videos require production companies. Otherwise you'll have grainy, useless footage. And videos that run beyond a certain length aren't even YouTube-able. They need to be housed with companies that sell storage space. Ron soon got sick of the process. Online videos are great—if you've got the budget of Time Warner (TWX) behind you.
10. Web 2.0
Want to make a room of small business owners go completely silent? Ask them to define Web 2.0. The world is full of industries coming up with sexy terms to create buzz and mystique around their genius. Web 2.0 is no different. A Web guy will tell you, "It's the next generation of Internet technology." And how does this affect small business owners? I hear all these great predictions of earth-shaking developments to come. I hear words like "mashup" and "wiki," and I'm still trying to figure out how these affect my business. All I really see are the same accounting, inventory, and order entry programs from the days of Reagan, albeit with new window dressing. I think we're supposed to be using Web 2.0 technologies to do more work online. But unless you're running an online business, these tools seem to have little relevance.
Gene Marks, CPA, is the owner of the Marks Group, which sells customer relationship, service, and financial management tools to small and midsize businesses. Marks is the author of four best-selling small business books and writes the popular "Penny Pincher's Almanac" syndicated column. He frequently speaks to business groups on penny-pinching topics. More penny-pinching advice from Marks can be found at www.quickerbetterwiser.com.
by Gene Marks
I've used a lot of things that don't work as advertised. Maybe it's me or maybe it's bad luck. Or maybe it's just bad stuff.
I've never had any success with vitamins; I still get sick just as often. Teeth-whitening products have failed me. So has the Atkins diet. Rogaine shampoo? I just grew a little peach fuzz. Using my frequent-flier miles has always been a huge frustration, except for that one time I flew to Fargo, N.D., on a Saturday night in February. Baked potato chips? They taste like wood.
Unfortunately, the disappointment extends well beyond consumer products. My life as a small business owner has been littered with stuff that doesn't work as billed, particularly technology. We business owners are subjected to an endless array of tools that never fail to disappoint. We're promised. We pay. And we're let down. The list of overhyped and underwhelming technology changes constantly. So here's a quick snapshot of 10, in no particular order, that don't work. At least this week.
1. RSS Feeds
Bob, an electrical contractor, knows what RSS stands for, and I feel sorry for him. He had the misfortune of signing up for an RSS feed. This misnomer is designed to make us feel like we're getting a "feed" of data just like all the really, really important media people do. When he first tried RSS, he thought, "Wow, I can get immediate updates on product and industry developments, important news from Yahoo! (YHOO), and even get a new joke from The Onion, all as soon as they're published!" Instead, he was "fed" an endless stream of meaningless items displayed in an overly large browser window that winds up distracting more than informing. Like Bob, most of the business owners I know have abandoned RSS and gone back to controlling when they get their information. Still don't know what RSS stands for? Trust me, it's just not that important.
2. Spam Filters
I get this question at just about every presentation I give to business owners: "What spam filters do you recommend?" My answer: "None." They all suck. Let's face it: You're not going to eliminate spam in your business. Instead you're going to waste money on the latest filtering technology, which does nothing more than block that key e-mail you were awaiting from a prospective customer. Or you'll require a sender to complete a Sudoku puzzle before "allowing" their e-mail to reach your in-box. In the end, it's cheaper for your employees to just sort and delete spam as it comes in.
3. Antivirus Software
Betsy was looking for just the right technology to slow down her employees' computers and significantly degrade the performance of her business applications. Well, she found it, and it's called antivirus software. As an added bonus, this software prevents her from installing or upgrading applications without a team of NASA-trained IT consultants. Betsy's spent more money with her IT firm trying to work around antivirus software than she probably would've spent if she received an actual virus. What should a business owner do to avoid viruses, worms, and other evil applications that can wreak havoc in our systems? Our tools are still too limited. Even telling your employees, for the 900th time, not to open up suspicious files doesn't seem to work. I don't have a very good answer for Betsy's dilemma. But I do know the current group of antivirus software applications don't do the job for small businesses.
4. Blogs
Jamie! You started a blog for your business? That's dope! Now go out and get some accessories, like a pair of black-rimmed rectangular glasses and a Starbucks card. And oh, by the way, you'll need to set aside about 17 hours each day to keep it fresh. Dude, it'll be so viral. What's that, Jamie? You're not in the media business? You don't work for a software company? You just own a hardware store? Dude, that's a drag! If you don't have something new to say each day, no one's going to bother to stop by and check out your blog. It'll be, like, so lame.
And if you do have something to say, just be careful you don't give away too much information. You didn't consider all this? You don't have the time? You're not such a great writer? Word.
5. Search Engine Optimization
You mean for $5,000 I can get my company's name on the very top of Google's search results? Where do I sign? Many business owners have been fooled by the allure of search engine optimization (SEO)—and I'm one of them. I forked over a bunch of dough to a firm in California that promised to get my company's name on "all the major search engines" when someone was looking for products that we sell. How did they plan to do this? I'm still not really sure, but it had something to do with spiders, black hats, and link farms. That should've been enough of a hint that witchcraft was involved. After a brief flirtation with page 47 of MSN's search results, I gave up. SEO probably does the job for companies with oodles of money, but not for the typical small business.
6. Mobile Applications
Before you buy into any software vendor's promise to "enable a mobile application" for employees to use on their cell phones, think really hard about the reality of that claim. Remember that time you used your phone to look up the weather in Chicago? Remember how the seasons actually changed while you were waiting for the forecast to load? Your customer may die of old age waiting for you to enter an order or look up an inventory item on a cell phone. Mobile applications will be a great thing…someday. Just like hovercrafts, telepods, and renewable energy. But for a small business on a limited budget, it's still science fiction.
7. Customer Relationship Management Software
Readers of my work may find this item a little surprising. I've always been a big proponent of customer relationship management (CRM) software. One big reason is that my company sells this stuff. And we have a lot of small business clients who have really used this technology well. Unfortunately, we have a lot of other customers who haven't been as successful. Fred, a manufacturer of roofing materials, is one of them. Fred and I both learned that a CRM system doesn't work for a small business without an internal "champion" who takes ownership of it. His $20,000 system just sat there. No one used it. At best, we hope it will become a glorified Rolodex one day. A CRM system can be a good thing, but it takes more than paying for the software and training. Without a substantial internal investment, CRM won't work.
8. AdWords
John's a pretty smart guy. He runs a company that sells specialty pet foods. He manages his own investments. He keeps an eye on his taxes. But I've found a way to turn John into a blithering idiot. I've asked him to figure out how to use Google's (GOOG) AdSense profitably. Are you interested in a mind-numbing exercise? Give AdSense a shot. Or Yahoo SM or MSN AdCenter. Don't you know how much to budget for "clicks" on your ad? Are you just a little suspicious as to who exactly is counting these "clicks" that conveniently turn into revenue for these companies? Like John, you've just entered the alternate universe of Internet advertising! Here's a word of wisdom: Leave the mass-market advertising to Coke (KO) and Pepsi (PEP). Small business owners should stick to less mystifying forms of promotion.
9. Online Video
I totally agree with that…guy…I think…who wants us to "leave Britney alone." And yes, Barack Obama is pretty hot in his YouTube video. But none of this means online video is a workable medium for small business owners. Ron, a reseller of computer software, thought his business would be perfect for online video, what with the amount of Web-based training and support he provides. Ron figured he could post some videos on YouTube to help his clients. He soon learned that the cost and complexity was just too high. Quality videos require production companies. Otherwise you'll have grainy, useless footage. And videos that run beyond a certain length aren't even YouTube-able. They need to be housed with companies that sell storage space. Ron soon got sick of the process. Online videos are great—if you've got the budget of Time Warner (TWX) behind you.
10. Web 2.0
Want to make a room of small business owners go completely silent? Ask them to define Web 2.0. The world is full of industries coming up with sexy terms to create buzz and mystique around their genius. Web 2.0 is no different. A Web guy will tell you, "It's the next generation of Internet technology." And how does this affect small business owners? I hear all these great predictions of earth-shaking developments to come. I hear words like "mashup" and "wiki," and I'm still trying to figure out how these affect my business. All I really see are the same accounting, inventory, and order entry programs from the days of Reagan, albeit with new window dressing. I think we're supposed to be using Web 2.0 technologies to do more work online. But unless you're running an online business, these tools seem to have little relevance.
Gene Marks, CPA, is the owner of the Marks Group, which sells customer relationship, service, and financial management tools to small and midsize businesses. Marks is the author of four best-selling small business books and writes the popular "Penny Pincher's Almanac" syndicated column. He frequently speaks to business groups on penny-pinching topics. More penny-pinching advice from Marks can be found at www.quickerbetterwiser.com.
Worthwhile Small Business Technologi
These 10 able technologies can make life easier for the small business owner. Among them: wireless connectivity and free conference calling
by Gene Marks
There are things in life that just work as promised. Refrigerators. Clock radios. Flattery. Children's Motrin. FEMA. Velcro. Blue jeans. Big Macs. Seinfeld. Jack Daniel's.
These things make me happy. They consistently do their job. They do not inconvenience me. Except for FEMA (that's the Federal Emergency Management Agency). I'm just kidding about that one.
As a small business owner, I'm happy to say there's also technology that consistently works. None of it is as good as, say, a Big Mac. But there's a bunch of stuff out there that helps me do things quicker and better. I previously weighed in on products that small businesses may find less effective than advertised (BusinessWeek.com, 1/4/08) and took a lot of heat from some very passionate readers.
Now I'd like to point out a few small business technologies (in no particular order) that I can proudly say are worthwhile, reliable, and will—drum roll, please—work.
1. Remote Desktop Technology
Morale was low that bitterly cold day in January. The troops were tired. They were no match for the enemy. Jonah, their leader, was desperate. And then, when all seemed lost, a lone soldier arrived at the front. "I come bearing a very special, top-secret weapon from HQ," he said. "It is called Microsoft (MSFT) Windows Terminal Server and it enables computers to be operated remotely. And it will vanquish the enemy." Though skeptical, Jonah gave the order to deploy. And suddenly—information flowed.
The men tossed aside their overpriced laptops that were unable to synchronize the data they needed. They armed themselves with cheaper, more efficient models with good Internet browsers. They fought. They surfed. They uploaded and received customer information in real time. They were productive. The enemy faltered. Jonah had won this battle. But deep down he knew that remote desktop technology was the real hero.
2. Desktop Sharing Software
In December, Lake Superior State University published its List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness. Check it out for yourself. One of these words is Webinar. I couldn't disagree more. Webinars use desktop sharing software, a perfect storm of technologies that help small business owners decimate waste. In short, the software lets a user show the information on his or her computer simultaneously with others around the world.
Back in the day, face-to-face meetings had to be held. It was like waterboarding. Now, it's possible to meet without leaving your office. Desktop-sharing technology, authored by companies including Microsoft, Cisco (CSCO), Glance, and CrossLoop, gives back productivity to the business owner.
3. Free Conference Calling
Well, not exactly free, but pretty close. Try freeconferencecall.com. Once you sign up on this Web site (no credit card needed) you get assigned a unique conference code and a regular phone number to call. Mine starts with 712, which I'm told is in Idaho. Who cares? I pay for my call only. Everyone else calls the same number and uses the conference code I give them. They pay for their call. If their long-distance plan allows unlimited calls or cheap U.S. rates, then they're not even affected.
But man, I was affected. In one month, my cost of conference calls disappeared. Suddenly, I'm using the service all the time. I'm conferencing with my kids. I'm conferencing with my employees. I'm now getting yelled at by my clients in stereo.
How do these guys offer something for nothing? Well, they've got other products to sell. More advanced services. Whatever. I'm not buying any of that stuff. I guess someone is. All I know is the reception is clear, the price is right, and this technology is saving me time.
4. Wireless Connectivity
I'm pretty sure there's a tumor growing somewhere in my brain. And I'm expecting my grandchildren will be born with three heads. But who cares! The wireless world is here and I'm loving it! Those invisible cancerous waves floating around our atmosphere let me watch a training video while sipping a mocha at the local coffee shop. I can check e-mail and look up a customer's order history while on the train. I'm quickly getting online at hotels, bookstores, and libraries. Embracing wireless technology enables more business to be done in more places more of the time. It's fast and mostly reliable. And if I wasn't blacking out so often nowadays I'd really be enjoying this technology to its fullest.
5. E-mail Marketing Services
Fred took his family on an RV trip to Niagara Falls a few years ago. He rented the RV from a place called RV Universe. The trip was a success, and the company was extremely professional. Problem is, RV Universe is probably missing out on a lot of extra business from Fred. Why? Because it never got back in contact with Fred after the trip. Not a peep! For well short of $100 per month, RV Universe could be sending out great-looking e-mails to happy customers like Fred with camping tips and special deals. Fred probably would've taken them up on one or two as well. These services are easy to use and work very well for the small business owner who wants to generate a continuous communication with people that can turn into potential business.
6. Contact Management Software
Ah, remember the good old days of the mid-1990s? Hillary was just the First Lady. Will Smith was just the Fresh Prince. And customer relationship management (CRM) was just contact management software. Things were so much simpler then. Apparently, Microsoft is a little misty-eyed for the old days, too. Its Office 2007 Small Business Edition includes the latest iteration of Outlook Business Contact Manager. Like the Spice Girls, contact management is making a comeback, and it's about time. Small businesses (and many large ones) don't need all the complexity of a CRM system. We just need a simple place to keep all of our business contacts, along with some notes, so that we can track who spoke to them last and what's scheduled next. Good software like the Outlook Business Contact Manager ably accomplishes that goal.
7. Hosted Phone Systems
Seth runs a marketing company from the basement of his house. He has two employees, two contractors, and a dog. You'd never know that Seth's in boxer shorts or that he sports an Ozzy tattoo. He's got an 800 number that's answered by a very professional-sounding attendant. His phone system is hosted. When a client calls his "office" in Boston, the call is actually going to a server in San Francisco. When a caller selects Seth's extension, the call is either bounced to his cell phone, a phone in his basement, or right to voice mail (which, in turn is made into a .wav file and e-mailed to him for storage). How much? Twelve dollars per month per mailbox. Does it work? "Never failed yet," he told me the other day.
Other small business owners I know report the same. The leaders in hosted (or outsourced) phone systems are VirtualPBX and GotVMail Communications.
8. Messaging Software
Solutions Management Group has offices in Philadelphia and London. How they communicate still amazes me. Why? Because my wife is from London, too. In the seven years between when we met in 1984 and married in 1991 we corresponded via telegraph and carrier pigeons. Well, pretty close. The employees at SMG look at me with pity when I tell them this story. Life for them is much easier now.
For example, if someone in Philadelphia wants to, say, recommend a good tanning salon to a visiting Londoner, they just send an instant message. And don't leave out text messaging, either. Back in Philly, the SMG people frequently text each other rather than wasting time on the phone. Messaging software is a technology that works reliably and saves time.
9. SQL Server
Here are a few words you don't normally see in the same sentence: Microsoft, reliable, bug-free, worth the money. But Microsoft SQL Server 2005, used as a standard for so many applications, works and works well. Hopefully you've thrown Microsoft Access out the door by now, along with your cassette tapes and "Reverse the Curse" T-shirt. SQL Server, and its smaller but still attractive cousin SQL Server Express (which is free) makes all those older database systems obsolete. Nowadays, an SQL back end is a key component an IT person looks for when evaluating software systems.
10. Google Applications
Tony started a biotech company this year and, wanting to keep the cost of technology down, uses Google's (GOOG) free business word processor and spreadsheet applications. They do the job well. A client who's in the recruitment business needed a quick way to search thousands of résumés on file. So he downloaded Google's desktop search and solved the problem—for free. I have other clients who use Google's calendar, e-mail, and analytics. This stuff works. And did I mention it's free? Hang on. Maybe this Web 2.0 stuff isn't so bad after all.
Gene Marks, CPA, is the owner of the Marks Group, which sells customer relationship, service, and financial management tools to small and midsize businesses. Marks is the author of four best-selling small business books and writes the popular "Penny Pincher's Almanac" syndicated column. He frequently speaks to business groups on penny-pinching topics. More penny-pinching advice from Marks can be found at www.quickerbetterwiser.com.
by Gene Marks
There are things in life that just work as promised. Refrigerators. Clock radios. Flattery. Children's Motrin. FEMA. Velcro. Blue jeans. Big Macs. Seinfeld. Jack Daniel's.
These things make me happy. They consistently do their job. They do not inconvenience me. Except for FEMA (that's the Federal Emergency Management Agency). I'm just kidding about that one.
As a small business owner, I'm happy to say there's also technology that consistently works. None of it is as good as, say, a Big Mac. But there's a bunch of stuff out there that helps me do things quicker and better. I previously weighed in on products that small businesses may find less effective than advertised (BusinessWeek.com, 1/4/08) and took a lot of heat from some very passionate readers.
Now I'd like to point out a few small business technologies (in no particular order) that I can proudly say are worthwhile, reliable, and will—drum roll, please—work.
1. Remote Desktop Technology
Morale was low that bitterly cold day in January. The troops were tired. They were no match for the enemy. Jonah, their leader, was desperate. And then, when all seemed lost, a lone soldier arrived at the front. "I come bearing a very special, top-secret weapon from HQ," he said. "It is called Microsoft (MSFT) Windows Terminal Server and it enables computers to be operated remotely. And it will vanquish the enemy." Though skeptical, Jonah gave the order to deploy. And suddenly—information flowed.
The men tossed aside their overpriced laptops that were unable to synchronize the data they needed. They armed themselves with cheaper, more efficient models with good Internet browsers. They fought. They surfed. They uploaded and received customer information in real time. They were productive. The enemy faltered. Jonah had won this battle. But deep down he knew that remote desktop technology was the real hero.
2. Desktop Sharing Software
In December, Lake Superior State University published its List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness. Check it out for yourself. One of these words is Webinar. I couldn't disagree more. Webinars use desktop sharing software, a perfect storm of technologies that help small business owners decimate waste. In short, the software lets a user show the information on his or her computer simultaneously with others around the world.
Back in the day, face-to-face meetings had to be held. It was like waterboarding. Now, it's possible to meet without leaving your office. Desktop-sharing technology, authored by companies including Microsoft, Cisco (CSCO), Glance, and CrossLoop, gives back productivity to the business owner.
3. Free Conference Calling
Well, not exactly free, but pretty close. Try freeconferencecall.com. Once you sign up on this Web site (no credit card needed) you get assigned a unique conference code and a regular phone number to call. Mine starts with 712, which I'm told is in Idaho. Who cares? I pay for my call only. Everyone else calls the same number and uses the conference code I give them. They pay for their call. If their long-distance plan allows unlimited calls or cheap U.S. rates, then they're not even affected.
But man, I was affected. In one month, my cost of conference calls disappeared. Suddenly, I'm using the service all the time. I'm conferencing with my kids. I'm conferencing with my employees. I'm now getting yelled at by my clients in stereo.
How do these guys offer something for nothing? Well, they've got other products to sell. More advanced services. Whatever. I'm not buying any of that stuff. I guess someone is. All I know is the reception is clear, the price is right, and this technology is saving me time.
4. Wireless Connectivity
I'm pretty sure there's a tumor growing somewhere in my brain. And I'm expecting my grandchildren will be born with three heads. But who cares! The wireless world is here and I'm loving it! Those invisible cancerous waves floating around our atmosphere let me watch a training video while sipping a mocha at the local coffee shop. I can check e-mail and look up a customer's order history while on the train. I'm quickly getting online at hotels, bookstores, and libraries. Embracing wireless technology enables more business to be done in more places more of the time. It's fast and mostly reliable. And if I wasn't blacking out so often nowadays I'd really be enjoying this technology to its fullest.
5. E-mail Marketing Services
Fred took his family on an RV trip to Niagara Falls a few years ago. He rented the RV from a place called RV Universe. The trip was a success, and the company was extremely professional. Problem is, RV Universe is probably missing out on a lot of extra business from Fred. Why? Because it never got back in contact with Fred after the trip. Not a peep! For well short of $100 per month, RV Universe could be sending out great-looking e-mails to happy customers like Fred with camping tips and special deals. Fred probably would've taken them up on one or two as well. These services are easy to use and work very well for the small business owner who wants to generate a continuous communication with people that can turn into potential business.
6. Contact Management Software
Ah, remember the good old days of the mid-1990s? Hillary was just the First Lady. Will Smith was just the Fresh Prince. And customer relationship management (CRM) was just contact management software. Things were so much simpler then. Apparently, Microsoft is a little misty-eyed for the old days, too. Its Office 2007 Small Business Edition includes the latest iteration of Outlook Business Contact Manager. Like the Spice Girls, contact management is making a comeback, and it's about time. Small businesses (and many large ones) don't need all the complexity of a CRM system. We just need a simple place to keep all of our business contacts, along with some notes, so that we can track who spoke to them last and what's scheduled next. Good software like the Outlook Business Contact Manager ably accomplishes that goal.
7. Hosted Phone Systems
Seth runs a marketing company from the basement of his house. He has two employees, two contractors, and a dog. You'd never know that Seth's in boxer shorts or that he sports an Ozzy tattoo. He's got an 800 number that's answered by a very professional-sounding attendant. His phone system is hosted. When a client calls his "office" in Boston, the call is actually going to a server in San Francisco. When a caller selects Seth's extension, the call is either bounced to his cell phone, a phone in his basement, or right to voice mail (which, in turn is made into a .wav file and e-mailed to him for storage). How much? Twelve dollars per month per mailbox. Does it work? "Never failed yet," he told me the other day.
Other small business owners I know report the same. The leaders in hosted (or outsourced) phone systems are VirtualPBX and GotVMail Communications.
8. Messaging Software
Solutions Management Group has offices in Philadelphia and London. How they communicate still amazes me. Why? Because my wife is from London, too. In the seven years between when we met in 1984 and married in 1991 we corresponded via telegraph and carrier pigeons. Well, pretty close. The employees at SMG look at me with pity when I tell them this story. Life for them is much easier now.
For example, if someone in Philadelphia wants to, say, recommend a good tanning salon to a visiting Londoner, they just send an instant message. And don't leave out text messaging, either. Back in Philly, the SMG people frequently text each other rather than wasting time on the phone. Messaging software is a technology that works reliably and saves time.
9. SQL Server
Here are a few words you don't normally see in the same sentence: Microsoft, reliable, bug-free, worth the money. But Microsoft SQL Server 2005, used as a standard for so many applications, works and works well. Hopefully you've thrown Microsoft Access out the door by now, along with your cassette tapes and "Reverse the Curse" T-shirt. SQL Server, and its smaller but still attractive cousin SQL Server Express (which is free) makes all those older database systems obsolete. Nowadays, an SQL back end is a key component an IT person looks for when evaluating software systems.
10. Google Applications
Tony started a biotech company this year and, wanting to keep the cost of technology down, uses Google's (GOOG) free business word processor and spreadsheet applications. They do the job well. A client who's in the recruitment business needed a quick way to search thousands of résumés on file. So he downloaded Google's desktop search and solved the problem—for free. I have other clients who use Google's calendar, e-mail, and analytics. This stuff works. And did I mention it's free? Hang on. Maybe this Web 2.0 stuff isn't so bad after all.
Gene Marks, CPA, is the owner of the Marks Group, which sells customer relationship, service, and financial management tools to small and midsize businesses. Marks is the author of four best-selling small business books and writes the popular "Penny Pincher's Almanac" syndicated column. He frequently speaks to business groups on penny-pinching topics. More penny-pinching advice from Marks can be found at www.quickerbetterwiser.com.
An little resource for UML-Unified Modeling Language
I read a book in bookshop about using UML for BIG project. Woo.... UML is not only for software development but also business system.
UML is officially defined at the Object Management Group (OMG) by the UML metamodel, a Meta-Object Facility metamodel (MOF). Like other MOF-based specifications, the UML metamodel and UML models may be serialized in XMI. UML was designed to specify, visualize, construct, and document software-intensive systems.
UML is not restricted to modeling software. UML is also used for business process modeling, systems engineering modeling, and representing organizational structures. The Systems Modeling Language (SysML) is a Domain-Specific Modeling language for systems engineering that is defined as a UML 2.0 profile.
Did some researches.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UML_tool
Total 13 Diagrams in UML2.0 - 3 types Structure, Behaviour, Interaction
Structure diagrams emphasize what things must be in the system being modeled:
Class diagram
Component diagram
Composite structure diagram
Deployment diagram
Object diagram
Package diagram
Behavior diagrams emphasize what must happen in the system being modeled:
Activity diagram
State Machine diagram
Use case diagram
Interaction diagrams, a subset of behavior diagrams, emphasize the flow of control and data among the things in the system being modeled:
Communication diagram
Interaction overview diagram (UML 2.0)
Sequence diagram
UML Timing Diagram (UML 2.0)
Article about Creating Use Case Diagrams
http://www.developer.com/design/article.php/2109801
UML® Resource Page
http://www.uml.org/
Comments for UML tools -
My Little UML (Tools) Page
http://plg.uwaterloo.ca/~migod/uml.html
DIA - GNU
Dia is a vector-based drawing tool similar to Win32 OS Visio. It is suitable for graphical languages such as dataflow diagrams, entity-relationship diagrams, organisation flow
http://www.togaware.com/linux/survivor/DIA_Charts.html
...more to go
UML is officially defined at the Object Management Group (OMG) by the UML metamodel, a Meta-Object Facility metamodel (MOF). Like other MOF-based specifications, the UML metamodel and UML models may be serialized in XMI. UML was designed to specify, visualize, construct, and document software-intensive systems.
UML is not restricted to modeling software. UML is also used for business process modeling, systems engineering modeling, and representing organizational structures. The Systems Modeling Language (SysML) is a Domain-Specific Modeling language for systems engineering that is defined as a UML 2.0 profile.
Did some researches.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UML_tool
Total 13 Diagrams in UML2.0 - 3 types Structure, Behaviour, Interaction
Structure diagrams emphasize what things must be in the system being modeled:
Class diagram
Component diagram
Composite structure diagram
Deployment diagram
Object diagram
Package diagram
Behavior diagrams emphasize what must happen in the system being modeled:
Activity diagram
State Machine diagram
Use case diagram
Interaction diagrams, a subset of behavior diagrams, emphasize the flow of control and data among the things in the system being modeled:
Communication diagram
Interaction overview diagram (UML 2.0)
Sequence diagram
UML Timing Diagram (UML 2.0)
Article about Creating Use Case Diagrams
http://www.developer.com/design/article.php/2109801
UML® Resource Page
http://www.uml.org/
Comments for UML tools -
My Little UML (Tools) Page
http://plg.uwaterloo.ca/~migod/uml.html
DIA - GNU
Dia is a vector-based drawing tool similar to Win32 OS Visio. It is suitable for graphical languages such as dataflow diagrams, entity-relationship diagrams, organisation flow
http://www.togaware.com/linux/survivor/DIA_Charts.html
...more to go
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