How Mansa Systems Crossed $2M Leveraging Salesforce AppExchange

How Mansa Systems Crossed $2M Leveraging Salesforce AppExchange
Hangout Magix: New Tool Lets You Add Branding to Google Hangouts
Self-Employment Do and Don’ts: Create the Right Balance
Main Streets May Soon Be Without a Bank
How a Small Business Can Use Big Data

Posted: 21 May 2013 04:00 PM PDT

mansa salesforce appexchange

In 2006, the concept of cloud computing was just beginning to gain ground. Siva Devaki saw the Cloud as a means to achieve his longtime dream of building a full-service IT company. He decided to leave his secure career working for large companies such as Oracle and VeriSign. Drawing upon his past experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications, Siva launched his venture that same year.

Initially, Siva focused his work on the Cloud computing niche. In this high growth market, Siva noted that Salesforce CRM was already quite strong, but lacked the same focus in other related areas. Here, Siva took advantage of AppExchange, a Salesforce-run marketplace of business applications.

Through AppExchange, partners can create specific apps to enhance Salesforce for businesses. Users can shop for available apps, search partners to develop a custom solution or list an app of their own. Siva quickly began work with Salesforce to build apps for enterprise and small and medium sized enterprise (SME) customers.

Today, San Francisco-based Mansa Systems is a provider of Cloud, mobile and social enterprise solutions. Mansa focuses on the creation of apps to fulfill the specific needs of both customers and developers. By leveraging partner solutions like Watchdox, SendGrid, Slideshare, Citrix, and Amazon AWS, each app is guaranteed to meet a certain proven user need.

In recent months, Mansa Systems has become an official Salesforce ISV partner. The company continues to work with Salesforce in the enterprise app space, creating, updating and launching through the Force.com platform. They have successfully launched several new apps at affordable price points.

Among the company's releases are two apps built to deal with Salesforce's data limitations. The Cloud Drop app expands file storage space and file size limits for teams, as well as enables folder hierarchies to better manage storage. Cloud Drop also provides service at the considerably lower price of 10 cents per GB, compared to $5 with Salesforce. MassMailer eliminates Salesforce email limitations for bulk and transactional emails. The app offers white label emailing for consistent branding.

Mansa offers additional apps to manage business data with Salesforce. Webinar2Lead saves time by automatically syncing all GoToWebinar data in order to align marketing efforts with sales for only $14.99 per month. Similarly, Slide2Lead offers auto sync for SlideShare leads, campaigns, documents and statistics, eliminating manual imports and exports.

A final recent release called 37 Seconds increases success with inbound leads by calling new leads as they are received. Calls can be made from any location and routed to a mobile or office line and are automatically recorded for ease tracking. This increased speed of response is a proven means to achieving sales, for only $4.99 a month.

Each app is priced according to its own specific attributes, using a set bracket for number of users or charging a percentage of the partner's original price. As a general formula, service costs are either project-based or calculated according to time and materials spent – both varying from project to project.

In addition to their relationship with Salesforce, Mansa targets mid-size companies in the financial services and public sectors. Their current verticals include education, non-profits and health care and life sciences. Additional leads are generated via company apps in AppExchange and cross-selling current services.

Mansa provides the high-level services of a large IT firm as well as off-the-shelf apps as solutions. This dual specialization sets Mansa apart from competitors such as Appiro, Bluewolf and Astadia. Mansa continues to develop a personalized business by constructing integration templates or connectors for specific areas, which will provide new leads to specialized customers and projects. Through a global delivery framework, Mansa expands customer options by providing expertise on a worldwide scale.

Mansa already lists prominent enterprise-level names Paypal/eBay, Logitech and Topcon among their customers. Wholly self-funded, the company has already passed the $2 million revenue mark by marketing primarily to Salesforce customers through the AppExchange.

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Hangout Magix: New Tool Lets You Add Branding to Google Hangouts

Posted: 21 May 2013 01:30 PM PDT

A new tool is available to give users options when it comes to Google Hangout graphics. Hangout Magix was unveiled on May 4 by entrepreneurs Alex Kozak and Bertrand Diouly.

The app is intended to work alongside Hangout Toolbox, a Google+ extension that is available on the left sidebar of Google Hangouts.

"Hangout Toolbox already lets you add some graphic elements to your presentations, but it's very basic," said Kozak. "Hangout Magix gives you more options."

The tool requires minimal design skills or experience, according to Kozak. Anyone can use the tool for free directly on hangoutmagix.com. Users can change around the design elements that appear on the screen during Hangouts, including text, backgrounds, colors, and logos. The design elements can be made to appear on the lower third of the screen, the sidebar, or even toward the top.

By simply clicking on the text part of the demo screen and typing a new title and subtitle, users can change the text to include their name, job title, social media accounts, a call to action, or whatever they choose.

Then they can choose from a predetermined group of background styles and colors to appear behind the text.

They can also add a logo to appear to the right of their text by choosing from a selection of popular logos or uploading a custom company logo. Once all the elements have been customized, users can download the file and then use Hangout Toolbox to add the design to their Hangouts.

Once Hangout Toolbox is open, users need to turn on the custom overlay option on the right side of the screen. Then upload the file created with Hangout Magix. Users can upload graphics to use with both Google Hangouts and Hangouts On Air.

Kozak is a self-proclaimed "Google Hangouts fan." He said that the idea for Hangout Magix came to him just a few months ago out of a desire to have more options to customize his own Hangouts. Diouly had been involved in creating some similar graphics tools, so the two were able to form a partnership and quickly launch the new tool.

Hangout Magix is still a work in progress, according to Kozak, as the creators are looking to gain feedback from users.

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Self-Employment Do and Don’ts: Create the Right Balance

Posted: 21 May 2013 11:00 AM PDT

do and don'ts

When you are planning to start your new business and become self-employed, you need to know about the things you need to do. But that is not all. You also need to know about the things you need NOT do.

Properly Balancing Do and Don'ts

Customers – Too Few or Too Many?

It is true that the chances of failure of a new business increase when it cannot generate sales. However, it is also equally true that the chances of failure also increase when you target everyone as a potential customer.

Suppose you work as a self-employed Web designer. If you try to convince everyone you know to create a website, it would take up much more time than the core business task, the creation of website designs. Moreover, it would be a waste of effort when you try to convince someone who has no idea about how a website works. It is not necessary to give an affirmative response to a business proposal if it would only be a headache right from the start.

The right thing to do is do your research about your target customers and build a plan to attract the right ones. If you do not know your customers, you have a slim chance of success with your new venture.

Funds – Too Much or Too Little?

Do you need to invest in the latest software? Do you need to buy a high-end desk for your new home office? Do you need to get help from an accounts expert? Your business and your budget determine the right answer to these questions.

If you have a Web-based business, you may need to invest in the latest software. However, if it is too much for your budget and you can do without it for the present, you can get it after your business starts to generate cash flow.

High-end furniture is, in most cases, a splurge for a newly self-employed individual. It may impress the people who come to visit you, but in the long run, it is of no use for your core business. Opt for functional furniture instead.

It is always a good idea to outsource certain tasks to specialized service providers. This would save you time and effort. Do not outsource any tasks related to your core business area, as it may have a negative impression on customers.

Belief – Too Optimistic or Too Pessimistic?

It is a bad idea to lie to anyone, a business associate or a customer or anyone else, when you begin your new business. However, this does not mean that no one would lie to you. A common mistake that a new entrepreneur makes is to rely on contracts. They think that just because it is in a written format, it is inviolable. A contract is important; however, it is seldom the last word on how a business relationship will work.

You need to focus on the relationship behind the contract. If the relationship works out, chances are the deal will work out too. If the relationship heads into trouble, no contract may be able to save the deal.

Every self-employed individual needs to understand that lies do not make the task easy. Do not display the show of a big company, with a number of employees, when you are actually on your own because it can backfire.

Attitude – Too Formal or Too Casual?

Too formal and you can be dubbed a fake; too casual and no one may ever take you seriously. The right thing to do is have a balanced attitude. Most importantly, do not lose your individuality just because you are now the self-employed owner of a business.

People lose patience with long, monotonous business proposals. Large corporations and their head honchos may take the formal approach because it suits them. A new-age, self-employed entrepreneur needs no such pretensions.

If you think that this means you can have a client meeting in your pajamas, you are obviously a little too casual. It is still a good idea to be a bit formal, at least in your attire, for client meetings, especially if they are with the large corporations.

Do not let the common perceptions dictate your attitude or your attire when you start your new business. You need not behave in a particular manner just because others do. Focus on your instincts. They will guide you in the right direction.

Purpose – Too Value-focused or Too Profit-based?

What is the goal of your business? This is the first question you need to answer before you give up your job and become self-employed. It is important to learn how to create the right balance between value creation and profit making.

If your business does not create value, for yourself and for your customers, it has no chance of success in the long run. You need to zero in on how your product or service can add to the value of yourself and your customers.

For example, your Web design business will create value for Web-based businesses to attract more customers and generate more profits for them. However, that is not all. You need to ensure profits for your business too. You may not be able to make profits immediately with a new business. However, you may be able to create value with it. Your next step would be to take apart the business concept and enhance it in ways that may contribute to profits.

It takes time, but with the right balance of key elements – you will succeed.

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Main Streets May Soon Be Without a Bank

Posted: 21 May 2013 08:00 AM PDT

main street bank

Is the main street bank becoming a thing of the past? Over the last three years, banks have been steadily closing branches around the country. Many small communities are finding themselves without a bank branch for the first time since the Great Depression. U.S. banks and thrifts shut 2,267 branches in 2012, according to SNL Financial, a Charlottesville, Va., research firm.

According to a recent Celent study, branch closing is long overdue. "Branch growth over the last 40 years has dramatically exceeded US population growth. In 1970, there were approximately 107 branches per million individuals. By 2011, that had grown to 270 branches per million." Banks cite the immediate reason for closures as a need to cut costs and a general consumer shift towards online and mobile banking.

While bank adoption of online technology is indeed essential, the move seems a bit premature given the fact that the online infrastructure needed to support full service remote banking is not yet in place. For instance, almost every major bank in the country still requires business owners to apply for business loans in person. Online applications are not accepted. Without a community bank branch, small business owners around the country will be forced to seek alternative means of financing.

There is also evidence to suggest that many of the communities that were targeted by predatory mortgage lenders are the same communities losing local branches. Those under-served communities tend to be low-income communities with a high percentage of unbanked (no checking or savings account) and underbanked (has an account but relies on alternative means of financing like check cashing) residents. A recent CFED study cited Miami, Florida as the city with the largest population of unbanked residents. Texas had the most unbanked counties on the list, and Bronx County in New York came in second on the top ten list with 20.8% of its residents unbanked.

Government regulations have also forced many small community banks to close over the last three years. The Dodd-Frank Act was designed to regulate the banking and lending industries and decrease the likelihood of another financial catastrophe. Unfortunately, an unintended consequence is soaring costs for community banks struggling to comply with the new regulations. Many of those banks are located in smaller communities. The FDIC released a report last month that stated that no new community bank charters have been granted since 2011 due, in part, to Dodd-Frank.

While there are online financial resources available to those residents who seek them out, the loss of local bank branches is already impacting the small business community. In order to make banking accessible to all, the industry as a whole must continue to invest time and resources into improving online technology, automation, and community education.

Main Street Photo via Shutterstock

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How a Small Business Can Use Big Data

Posted: 21 May 2013 05:00 AM PDT

big data

Big data is big news in today's digitized world. With the explosion of Internet usage and social media networks, there's a massive cloud of data being generated about people all over the world, and it's growing at an exponential rate.

Until recently, big data has been a mining center for big business to learn more about customer behaviors, desires, trends and browsing or buying patterns. It takes a sophisticated system and considerable computing power to sort through all that information and pull something useful out of it.

However, technology has advanced in power—and come down in price. Now, even small businesses can tap into the power of big data to improve the customer experience and boost bottom lines.

Analytics: The Key to Using Big Data

The term "big data" covers a lot of ground. Data is collected from every action that's performed on an Internet-connected network—sending an email or tweet, posting to Facebook or a blog, commenting or rating, updating a profile, shopping online, using a cell phone or tablet, even swiping a credit card at a physical store. Every action generates a digital footprint that's stored somewhere in the ether.

That's a lot of data. To obtain useful information from this vast ocean, you'll need some serious analytical power that can find the relevant bits and display them in a format you can understand. Fortunately, that power is both affordable and accessible through various platforms from free programs like Google Analytics to inexpensive business tools like customer relationship management (CRM) software.

What Can Your Small Business Do With Big Data?

If you're looking to tap into the vast, rich landscape of big data, there are a number of avenues to explore.

Sort Through Your Social Media

You're already connected to many of your customers through your business social media networks,aren't you? Well, the data collection doesn't have to stop there. Tools like Social Mention, Twilert, and Kurrently let you set up alerts and notifications whenever a subject is mentioned online like your business itself, the products or services you offer or any relevant keyword.

Once you start tracking these mentions, you can tailor your responses and conversations to build buzz, generate more interest and improve customer satisfaction and engagement.

Collect Customized Data With CRM

There are many inexpensive (even free) CRM systems that offer fully featured platforms to track interactions with customers and prospects. Programs such as Insightly, Zolo, and Nimble not only provide an inside line to big data, but also help you sort through it and pinpoint the most helpful information.

These platforms also include social media functionality, so you can streamline your big data collection from multiple sources.

Monitor and Mine Customer Calls

Whether you're working with a few office lines, a VoIP system with mobile capabilities, or a third-party call center, customer service calls can be an important source of data. Be sure you're collecting your call logs and analyzing the information.

Customer call data can help you:

Discover the demographics of your callers.
Identify the most common problems that result in a phone call.
Analyze inbound calling trends.
Optimize customer service through strategic call routing.

Many web-based VoIP systems include analytics and automated call logs, and they're also an inexpensive solution for business voice needs.

How can your small business take advantage of big data?

Data Photo via Shutterstock

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