Myspace Returns With New Design Focused on Creative Professionals

Myspace Returns With New Design Focused on Creative Professionals
Hiring Temporary Employees: Read This First
5 Tools To Help You Close Sales Deals
Apps to Make Your Blogging Life Easier
Yahoo! CEO Reveals New Direction

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:00 PM PDT

Myspace is back, and it actually might be worth the time and effort for certain types of small businesses.

Although the site never actually left, it's been steadily losing its user base to other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. But now, the site has been completely revamped and it is more focused on new and emerging artists rather than trying to restore its place as the all-encompassing social networking site.

New MySpace

For small businesses in the entertainment or arts industry, including musicians, promoters, designers, photographers, filmmakers and other artists, this new Myspace could prove to be a useful promotion and networking tool.

After all, Myspace does have some high-profile investors such as Justin Timberlake, who is reportedly working on getting some celebrity friends to sign up and use the site, which is currently owned by brothers Tim and Chris Vanderhook.

The actual design of the site is quite different from the Myspace you might remember. It looks similar to a Pinterest-style collage, but everything scrolls horizontally rather than vertically. This feed layout gives users a platform to discover new musicians and artists, and easily save events and bookmark videos and other media.

But it's not without some of the old features. Users can still create profiles, add photos and other media like songs and mixes, post text updates, and talk to friends who are now called "connections."

Even before Myspace lost many of its daily users and went through its redesign, it was more focused on music and artistic media more than sites like Facebook have been. And musicians and other artists were some of the last to remain on the old Myspace once other users began flocking to other sites. So the emphasis on art and media and its usefulness to those in the industry might not be such a stretch.

Aside from the potential promotional value of Myspace, artists can use it to see analytics about their fans, including demographics and geographical data, as well as which users are most influential in their network. They can also send out messages to their fans, updating them about new shows, products, or behind the scenes information.

Check out the preview video below:

The post Myspace Returns With New Design Focused on Creative Professionals appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Hiring Temporary Employees: Read This First

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:00 AM PDT

When your small business needs extra hands on deck during busy times, are you relying more and more on temporary employees to fill the bill? You're not alone. NBCnews recently reported that the trend toward temporary employment is becoming a permanent feature of the U.S. economic landscape.

Temporary Employees

The number of temporary employees has increased by more than 40 percent since 2009, to about 2.53 million Americans, according to figures cited in the article, which focuses on bigger companies hiring temps, then letting them go when needed so they can operate "lean and mean."

That system may work for major corporations (if not for the temporary employees), but how do temporary workers work out for small businesses? If you're considering hiring temps, here are some factors to consider:

Cost. Carefully consider the cost of hiring temporary workers, keeping in mind that some of their wages go to the temp agency. Know the going rate for the jobs you are hiring for in your area, and consider whether bringing on a part-timer (with no benefits) might be cheaper than hiring a temp.
Convenience. Of course, sometimes (like when a sudden crunch hits your business) it may be worth spending extra money to have a temp agency find a qualified worker for you, handle payroll and paperwork and otherwise take hassles off your hands.
Training. Know how much training the position requires. Is it the type of job where a qualified temp can be shown their desk, given a computer and immediately get to work? Or will it require learning your specific systems and processes? Consider whether the time needed to get temps up to speed outweighs the convenience they offer.
Quality. Working with a temporary agency you trust is important. I've had situations where temps showed up one day and disappeared the next. When you've got deadlines to meet and your temps drop the ball, you may wish you had a regular employee to pick up the slack.
Your employees. Are your regular employees spending too much of their time training, initiating and helping struggling temps? Be careful bitterness doesn't build if employees feel they're putting in extra time but getting nothing in return. Relying too heavily on temps can also leave your team feeling like there's no room for advancement at the company.
Your customers. If your business is relationship-focused or your customers require lots of hand-holding, putting temps in customer-facing positions can send the wrong message. An inexperienced temp who handles one key client the wrong way can cost you far more than you saved by hiring him or her.

I may sound like I'm badmouthing the temporary employee concept. Far from it—I have relied on temps many times. And I understand small business owners' reluctance to hire full-time workers they might have to let go.

Temps can be a great way for a small business to staff up or down on an as-needed basis. But if you expect temps to be a panacea for your staffing and budget woes, you might need to look more closely at all your options.

Do you use temps in your business? How is it working out for you?

Temp Employees Photo via Shutterstock

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5 Tools To Help You Close Sales Deals

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 08:00 AM PDT

Making sales is difficult enough. You’ve got competitors up to your ears, rapidly improving technology that continues to change your industry, and customers who will always shop based on price.

Who wouldn’t take help if it was available?

The great thing about technology is that we’re constantly seeing new products and services that help us as small business owners do more, and more efficiently.

closing the deal

Here are some of the latest and greatest sales tools and apps that can help you close more deals:

1. SalesTrakr

A sales tool worth checking out is SalesTrakr. It’s especially useful if you need to limit access to data in your sales hierarchy. If you’re a data junkie, SalesTrakr lets you create reports and lists to your heart’s desire. You can also use Dropbox to keep all your client emails together.

Info: This platform appears to be Web only (no mobile app), and is $99 per user annually. The company blog says a mobile app is in the works.

2. Mothernode

If assigning leads to your salespeople gives you a headache, Mothernode may be able to help. The Web and mobile platform lets you assign leads and send all pertinent information about a lead to your sales rep easily. You can identify each lead as it progresses through your sales pipeline and assign action items so nothing falls through the cracks.

Info: Mothernode has monthly and yearly plans, starting at $39.99 per user per month. It’s available as an app for both iPhones and Android phones.

3. DemandForce

Purchased by Intuit, DemandForce focuses on the communications side of sales. The software allows users to manage referrals and their online reputation, as well as create targeted offers. The platform has solutions catered to dozens of industries.

Info: Pricing isn’t posted on the site, though visitors are invited to request a demo. It appears to have a mobile app for iPhone.

4. PipelineDeals

PipelineDeals helps simplify the sales pipeline by tracking progress of sales leads and standardizing common processes. Users can set sales goals to foster competition and get real-time status updates on deals.

Info: Plans start at $15 a month, and the site doesn’t list a mobile version.

5. Do.com

Part productivity tool, part sales tool, Salesforce’s Do.com boils down what can be a complex system for salespeople and makes it easy to collaborate on the sales process, as well as track deals and revenue. New features let you collaborate with contacts from Gmail, Facebook and other social channels.

Info: Currently available for the iPhone, Do.com expects to release its Android app soon as well. The platform is free, though there may be fees for using some features like Deals and Contacts beyond the free level.

Why Focus on Sales-Driving Tools?

If you’ve heard a lot about CRM (customer relationship management) tools, you may wonder why you should consider tools like the ones mentioned above. Brent Leary, owner of CRM Essentials, says you might not need so much power for your small business:

“CRM suites are broader in functionality and may be overkill for small organizations very focused on selling.”

Leary suggests looking for an app or platform that is nimble and easy to configure for your organization’s needs. Here are the questions he recommends asking when choosing sales tools:

How easy is it to share information and collaborate with the sales team?
Does it integrate with popular data sources like InsideView, Data.com and Fliptop.com? Social profiles from Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn?
Does it integrate with popular email services like Outlook and Gmail, as many sales pros still do most of their 1-on-1 interactions via email?
Does it work with the mobile devices your sales team is using?

Consider what your business’ needs are, and where your focus is. If you want to manage your client relationships, CRM should work just fine. But if you’re extremely sales-driven, a sales-focused tool might fit the bill better.

Closing The Deal Photo via Shutterstock

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Apps to Make Your Blogging Life Easier

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:00 AM PDT

As we've mentioned many times before, blogging is hard. It's hard to fit the habit into your day and to keep coming up with new and exciting things to talk about. So when inspiration strikes, you need to capture it. Regardless if that stroke of genius comes during your lunch break, when you're lying in bed, or when you're brushing your teeth in the morning. As busy business people and bloggers, we must record it!

using tablet

And that's where apps can come in handy, allowing you to take your genius with you, wherever you are. Below are some I rely on to make my blogging life easier:

Evernote

Evernote is everyone's favorite Web capture tool, as it lets us grab full Web pages, snippets of text, images, audio, whatever, and then quickly recall it later, when we need it.

For those of us constantly on the go, Evernote makes recalling information easier and seamless. In line somewhere and find something you want to write about later? Stumble across a neat visual you want to reference?

Clip it when you see it, and then save it so you can search for it when you're ready to use it. Evernote offers a lot of cool integrations that make it super valuable and easy to use.

Tape-A-Talk Recorder Dragon Dictation

If you prefer to speak than write, get yourself a voice recorder or dictation app to allow you to "talk out" your blog posts instead of writing them by keyboard. I find my voice recorder app particularly useful on my drive to and from work when my mind is already bursting with ideas and I just need an outlet to release and save them for later.

If you're someone who prefers to talk out problems or things you're dealing with, a voice recorder may be especially useful.

For Android phones, Tape-A-Recorder is my preferred app because it allows me to append the recording, and send it to email or Evernote with one touch.

iPhone users will want to check out Dragon Dictation, which allows you to speak and instantly see your message appear. This app includes Evernote integration, as well.

Google Drive

For me, the biggest blogging convenience is being able to take my content and post ideas anywhere I go. And that means using a Web-based word processor like Google Drive.

Because I'm often crafting documents on multiple computers or devices, and collaborating with different authors, storing documents in the cloud means I can always pick up where I left off or check in to see edits others have made to something we're working on.

Writing in the cloud and being able to access it via my phone means I'm never without the documents that I need. This saves me time by not forcing me to log into a specific device.

Google Reader

Blog reading is a writer's best friend and provides a constant source of new ideas. But it can be hard to make blog reading part of your day unless you're using an app to help you.

I use Google Reader both on desktop and mobile, but you'll want to get the mobile app for whichever feed reader you rely on for your news.

Luckily, most feed readers come with app integration.

White Noise – Rainy Day

The most difficult part of working and writing on the go is controlling your environment. Coffee shops are loud. So are buses and trains and other places that we're often forced to try and get work done.

White Noise – Rainy Day is a noise generator app intended to help you block out all other distractions. This is a staple for me anytime I'm working on the go (or even in my office) as I am very easily distracted.

By plugging my headphones into my phone and running this app I'm able to focus in on the task at hand and get writing done.

Above are some of the apps that help me write content wherever I am. What apps do you find yourself relying on?

Using Tablet Photo via Shutterstock

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Yahoo! CEO Reveals New Direction

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:30 AM PDT

Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer announced her plans to turn the iconic tech giant around on Tuesday. Some critics insist the new plan is big picture and short on specifics. Small businesses, too, must sometimes reinvent themselves. Here is a closer look at the new Yahoo! battle plan and some thoughts for how you can turn your small business around when necessary.

Project Personalization

A new direction. In an “act of radical transparency” Tuesday, new Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer introduced her plans for a new direction. Mayer sees the company’s strength as its “personalization” in arenas ranging from e-mail to advertizing to content. Mayer’s other thoughts were less specific, but seemed to rally the troops at the company-run URL's Café. The trick to turning your business around is to have a plan. All Things Digital

A new team. As part of her efforts to rejuvenate Yahoo!, Mayer has been recruiting a new team. The latest addition, also announced Tuesday, is Chief Financial Officer Ken Goldman. Assembling new talent or restructuring an existing team must be part of any business turnaround. What other steps are necessary to re-imagine your brand, product, or service? Read on! Yahoo! Inc.

Reinventing Your Brand

Keep it simple. Keep it safe. Another important step toward breathing new life into your business may be easier than you think. Instead of adding features to your products or services, making them more like your competitors, try focusing on one small feature that differentiates your product or service from all the rest, and simplify the buying decision for consumers by setting yourself apart. M4B Marketing

Perfect pitch. It’s not just your product or service features, but how you pitch them to your customers that really matters. Here are two case studies shared by blogger Diana Pohly that may give you a better idea of how to effectively put your offers into words. Telling your customers what sets you apart is an important step toward distinguishing your brand in the marketplace. Step By Step Marketing

Unleash your marketing Ninja. In the second post of this series, guest blogger Nicolas Dalleva talks about the analytics that will help you know your customers as well as they know themselves. Segmenting your customers lets you learn more about their behavior and buying trends individually and as a group, while helping you to remember that the customers you serve are people, not just numbers. Keep Up With The Web

Watch your mouth. The way you talk about selling to your customers betrays how you think. While selling is all about you, blogger David Brock suggests we change things up a bit. Let’s focus on the customer and fulfilling their needs instead of our desire to make a sale. Focusing on serving customers first by helping them make a decision about your product may seem obvious, but it may also be the key to transforming a business. Partners in Excellence

Make some measurements. Once you’ve got your team in place, measure their performance. Guest blogger Jessica Sanders makes this simple suggestion and then outlines some tools that will help you do it. Here are three creative ways to manage your team’s performance and improve your company at the same time. Make sure the team you’ve got is accomplishing what is needed to set your brand apart. bizCompare

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