Adobe Announces Retirement of Acrobat Workspaces – To Mixed Reaction |  |
- Adobe Announces Retirement of Acrobat Workspaces – To Mixed Reaction
- WordStream Improves Its Free AdWords Benchmark Tool For Small Business Advertisers
- 6 Ways to Use Instagram Direct for eCommerce Marketing
- 10 Startups You Should Watch in 2014
- Fast Answers About 1099 Forms for Independent Workers
| Adobe Announces Retirement of Acrobat Workspaces – To Mixed Reaction Posted: 07 Jan 2014 04:15 PM PST
Adobe has announced it will be retiring the Workspaces feature for Acrobat.com, the home for the company’s software and Web service products. Launched in March 2010, Workspaces allows teams to create a shared area to store and collaborate on files. In this way, the service is not unlike Google Drive, which offers a collaborative experience for users of Google Docs. Account holders could set up an Adobe Acrobat Workspace, share files with their team and even assign other administrators for the collaborative space. But according to an email sent out to Adobe users recently, most of the functions of the collaborative Workspaces will be shut down over the course of the year. That includes tools like Buzzword, Tables and Presentation. An official post on the company website explained:
Maintaining the collaborative spaces is apparently inconsistent with the company’s new direction. WorkSpaces Shutdown Raises ConcernsConcerns on an Adobe Forum included how the shutdown might affect other Adobe services like Shared Review. The feature allows users to share documents with team members on their contact lists and collect their input. One member commented:
Adobe says the Shared Review feature will still be available to users but adds that they will need to find another place other than Workspaces to archive comments. Examples might be a company’s own internal server or a SharePoint workspace. Meanwhile, another user complained:
Though the company says it will begin shutting down collaborative services by the fall of 2014, users will have about a year to retrieve any files they have shared. Adobe says users will be able to access, load, download and delete files through the Spring of 2014 using their regular Workspaces accounts. The company says it will also create a tool to help users download all their files at once if they wish. During the fall of 2014, Adobe says Workspaces will become “read-only,” meaning users will no longer be able to create, delete, modify or upload files. But users will still be able to download the remaining files in their account. The company says users will have until Jan. 6, 2015 to retrieve any files remaining on Workspaces. After that, all files will be deleted and users will no longer have access to their accounts. Image: Adobe The post Adobe Announces Retirement of Acrobat Workspaces – To Mixed Reaction appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| WordStream Improves Its Free AdWords Benchmark Tool For Small Business Advertisers Posted: 07 Jan 2014 01:40 PM PST
“There are roughly 3 million advertisers on Google, and 99% are small businesses,” says Larry Kim, the founder of WordStream. And too many small businesses spend more money on AdWords than they need to, while not always getting good results. “A small business spends on average $1,200 per month in Google AdWords,” Kim says. And when you’re as busy as most staff are in a small business, it’s “hard to figure out and use all the best practices for AdWords,” he adds. For instance, only 1% of small business advertisers log into their AdWords account at least once a week. As a result, small businesses using Google AdWords to advertise can waste a lot of money without knowing any better, and without knowing what to do to change the status quo. It doesn’t need to be that way, though, Kim says — if people just had the right tools and information. For instance, benchmarking information is important. Have you ever wondered how your business does, compared with other small businesses your size and in your industry, when it comes to Google AdWords? Are you spending more or less money? Are you getting more sales conversions, or less? For most of us who know just a little bit about Google AdWords, and don’t have the time to sift through hours of information, we may never improve. It’s too time consuming — and too baffling. Enhanced Business Data to Avoid Waste, Get Better ResultsAnd that’s where WordStream’s AdWords Grader Plus comes in. A version of the AdWords benchmark tool has been offered for a couple of years now. Today, WordStream launched an enhanced version of the Grader tool, to give small businesses access to even more business data and guidance. The enhancements focus on intelligence around mobile ad spending, which is growing at a fast pace, including assessing your mobile PPC readiness, as shown below:
There are also improved AdWords benchmarking statistics and performance indicators. The tool actually grades your performance. A grade is expressed in a percentage (see image at top of article) so you can tell how you’re doing. And now you’ll have access to even more data to compare how you’re doing in specific areas. And perhaps best of all, the enhanced tool features a performance tracker (image below) that compares how your AdWords account is doing over time, and can send you a monthly report showing progress or lack thereof. That way, you can monitor and manage your AdWords activity intelligently. Kim, like many a bootstrapped startup founder, started WordStream in his basement several years ago. He has built it up to the multimillion dollar business it is today, and says his company has now sifted through $3 billion in AdWords spending data. WordStream has been able to take that data and distill it down into insights and best practices advice for small businesses. Think of the AdWords Grader tool as “big data” meets Google AdWords, for small businesses. Pay Regular Attention and Use Available ToolsRobert Brady, a pay-per-click guru and founder of Righteous Marketing, echoes Kim’s sentiments about wasted advertising budgets and emphasizes the need for information and hands-on involvement. We reached out to Brady for his reaction to today’s news. (Brady is one of our top contributors here at Small Business Trends.) He told us in an interview, “Google AdWords has become more and more complex over the years, making it harder for SMBs. Many default settings in AdWords seem to benefit Google’s bottom line more than advertiser performance.” He advocates using tools so that they give you an advantage and help you perform better while spending less. The key is that you have to regularly tend your AdWords advertising, if you want to be effective and spend money wisely. “Use whatever system works for you (software, sticky notes, apps) but regular attention and activity are necessary for success,” Brady emphasizes. The WordStream AdWords Grader Plus can be found here. The post WordStream Improves Its Free AdWords Benchmark Tool For Small Business Advertisers appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| 6 Ways to Use Instagram Direct for eCommerce Marketing Posted: 07 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST
In the coming year, eCommerce marketing will be evolving from simple product promotion to creating personalized relationships between consumers and marketers. Customers actually want more than just an efficient transaction and there's always a better way to sell to them, too. Facebook's photo sharing application Instagram launched direct messaging, popularly known as Snapchat Killer. It’s a new way to share your product photos and videos with your customers. Instagram Direct is built to feel natural to the Instagram experience. Merchants can now drive personal messages containing photos and 15-second videos similar to twitter's direct message functionality. These messages can be shared with individuals or groups of up to 15 people and can attract users who are more apt to use apps. The app has evolved as a means of visual communication allowing online retailers to express detailed information about their products and services. You can directly advertise your brand using Instagram Direct to engage with your existing fans. You can also use this new feature for solving customer service issues and brand reputation management. How Do You Use Instagram Direct?
Use Instagram Direct for eCommerce MarketingHold a ContestPost a product photo with instructions stating that the first 10 people to comment on the photo will receive a direct message from you with detailed information on how to enter a secret contest. You can also ask each of the 10 people to submit a photo of themselves using the product to win prizes. Then post the best photos to different social channels for added content. Promote New ProductsNothing can beat the way of direct messaging to let select groups of followers know about a new product. You can send a private message containing a photo of a newly launched product through Instagram Direct (but cannot share them on social network sites). This encourages investigation and sparks word of mouth. Be sure to also include a link. Feature Sales and CouponsReward your top followers with exclusive sales promo codes and coupons. These are the people who comment, like and share your content frequently. A good idea is to send the photo to selected followers with a coupon code letting them know that they are your loyal fans. Hold a Q&A Group ChatInstagram Direct enables online merchants to interact with their followers by supporting a chat function. In addition to threaded conversations, you can also host question answer sessions to learn about your followers and educate them as well. This is a great way for qualitative market research. Target Followers Via Their DemographicsThrough direct message you can send special photos and videos to your followers based on their locations or demographics. This is important because you can ask for their feedback to be used as brand research. For instance, you can ask your California based customers about your latest products and services. Instagram is more popular among teens and millennials as they are the most active mobile users and more likely to share their lives online. Therefore, Instagram is considered an attractive channel to target this group of people. Behind the Scenes StoriesThis strategy serves as a way to humanize your business and deepen your relationship with your customers. The images and videos can include customers using your products or something like happy moments in their lives. Instagram Direct messages can help you to search for customers who are a fit for your brand and reach out to them directly. Image: Instagram The post 6 Ways to Use Instagram Direct for eCommerce Marketing appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| 10 Startups You Should Watch in 2014 Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST Sponsored Post
Below are 10 startups launched in 2013 that are ready to rock the world next year: CollegefeedCollegefeed has a noble mission to help every college student and new grad get hired. The service has already grown to tens of thousands of users, over 1,200 schools and hundreds of employers. It was created by Google’s former product chief, Sanjeev Agrawal, who has turned all of his passion to using technology to solve the job crisis for millennials. Students are facing skyrocketing tuition, massive loan debt and nearly 50% can’t get jobs that use their degree. Users have been hired using the tool from Morgan Stanley to Facebook. RockbotRockbot is an out-of-home music service disrupting the billion dollar market dominated by Muzak. Many bars, restaurants and airports stream music. This service lets customers vote on the playlist and request songs. It's the modern day jukebox from the customer's smartphone. They recently announced their newest customer, JetBlue in their JFK terminal. CoverCover is a restaurant payment application that changes the way people pay at restaurants. Using an Uber-style experience, it lets diners leave without ever “paying” the check. The app lets people prepay it or split it among diners. The product is live at about 30 top-tier restaurants in New York. KONOKONO was inspired and created by culinary genius, Rossano Boscolo. It has over 130 locations in countries throughout world where it offers consumers an entirely new pizza experience with its cone-shaped crust filled with fresh Italian ingredients. Launched in August 2013, KONO USA has over 15 units in its development pipeline. Sense HealthSense Health helps providers create, deliver and monitor interactive patient support plans called 'scripts.' Providers simply answer three assessment questions about their patient: Their specific condition, their goals for the month and barriers that might be hindering their ability to accomplish them. Through their proprietary algorithm, Sense Health automatically creates a 28 day script which consist of daily text messages delivered automatically. Scripts are comprised of reminders, educational, motivational and interactive text messages. Providers have a dashboard which alerts them when a patient asks a question or are non-compliant. TouchcastTouchcast is an innovative video platform that brings interactivity of the Web into an online TV viewing experience so users can engage with Twitter, Web pages, maps, and polls inside the video without interrupting playback. It has been nominated by AdWeek as Hottest Startup in their Hot List. The company saw record downloads since launching in June. TokTok is a new social opinion network that turns online commenting into discussions and users into communities. Its networked, visual conversation interface creates a richer experience that brings people together and will offer companies with an audience an effective way to share targeted, dynamic, interactive content. 3Dagogo3Dagogo is an online marketplace of certified 3D designs to "print" consumer products at home. The company crowdsources "proven-to-print" designs and has an intuitive search interface that allows users to search for designs that work with their home 3D printer, materials and skill level. Simply InsuredSimply Insured is a way for small businesses to find and buy health insurance online. With the problems on Healthcare.gov, many companies will be facing different requirements and options for health insurance. This company helps small businesses navigate the changing health insurance landscape, using their technology to make it transparent and easy to understand. TestRockerTestRocker brings together premier academic tutors with the best technology to make quality private tutoring available to students around the world whenever and wherever they desire. Launched by two sisters, the company’s first two programs are SAT and ACT prep. Within one year of launch, TestRocker had students in 14 different countries studying on its platform. What startups are you watching in 2014? This article, provided by Nextiva, is republished through a content distribution agreement. The original can be found here. Startup Concept Photo via Shutterstock The post 10 Startups You Should Watch in 2014 appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Fast Answers About 1099 Forms for Independent Workers Posted: 07 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST
As a U.S. business owner, if you hire independent contractors and service providers, you probably will have to issue a special tax form to them during January, called the 1099. Keep in mind that there are several variations of the 1099 form. For example, there’s the 1099-INT for interest income that you may receive from your bank. For today’s purposes, we’ll limit this article to the 1099-MISC form. That’s the form that small businesses use to report miscellaneous income paid to others during the year. Let’s go through some commonly-asked questions and answers: What type of income do I report on a 1099 form?The 1099-MISC should be used for reporting payments to independent workers — not payments to employees. For employees, you use form W-2 instead to report employment income you paid them. Independent workers are typically self-employed individuals or small service firms that you hire as independent contractors. Examples of independent workers might include a graphics designer, Web developer, cleaning service, freelance writer, landscaping or grass cutting service, forum moderator or other self-employed provider. The key is that the independent worker is self employed — and not your employee. What is the $600 threshold?You are required to complete a 1099-MISC reporting form for an independent worker if you paid that independent worker $600 or more. You add up all payments made to a payee during the year, and if the amount is $600 or more for the year, you must issue a 1099 for that payee. If the amount you paid the worker totals less than $600 for the tax year, then you are not required to issue a 1099 form. Note: there are special threshold rules for reporting certain other types of payments, such as payments made to attorneys, fishing boat proceeds, and sales of consumer goods for resale. You’ll need to consult the IRS 1099 form instructions for details on reporting those types of payments. For purposes of this article, we are speaking only of payments to independent workers.
When does the 1099-MISC form have to be issued?There are two important dates to remember. One is the date for mailing the 1099 form to the worker. The other is the date for reporting to the IRS. A. Mailing form 1099 to the worker January 31, 2014 is the deadline for furnishing the 1099-MISC forms to independent contractors and service providers you paid money to during 2013. Mail a copy of the 1099 form to the independent worker by that date. Tip: mark that deadline on your calendar right now. And then back up a couple of weeks, say to January 15th, and put another reminder to get started on the task. That way you are less likely to forget and have to scramble at the last minute. Another tip: It’s a good idea to check in advance with each payee to make sure you have the payee’s current address. This will save you extra work. Why? Because the payee will contact you if he or she does not receive the 1099 in the event it’s not forwarded, and you’ll just have to issue a copy all over again. The Post Office is not as fast or reliable when it comes to forwarding mail, as it used to be. B. Reporting 1099s to the IRS February 28, 2014 is the deadline to file the 1099 information with the IRS, if you file by paper. That date is extended to March 31, 2014 if you do electronic filing of 1099s. Depending on state law, you may also have to file the 1099-MISC with the state. Greatland has an excellent chart showing various state law deadlines. (Note: there are different dates for certain other categories of payments such as payments to attorneys. Please consult the Form 1099-MISC instructions for dates for other situations.) Non-U.S. workers: Do I need to issue a 1099 to a foreign worker?If you hire a non-U.S. citizen who works remotely via the Internet from another country, generally speaking you do not need to file a 1099 for that person. For example, let’s say you hire a freelance writer who is a Brazilian citizen. The freelance writer performs all services (i.e., writes the articles) outside the U.S. from the writer’s home in Brazil, and earns $900 for the year, which you pay through PayPal. In that case, you probably don’t need to issue a 1099 to that foreign worker. However, if the foreign worker performs any work inside the United States, you would need to file the 1099. It is your responsibility to verify that the worker (1) is indeed a non-U.S. citizen, and (2) performed all work outside the United States. For that purpose, in the future you might want to have that foreign worker fill out, sign and return to you Form W-8BEN.
Corporations: Do I need to issue 1099 forms for payments made to corporations?No, in general you do not need to issue 1099 forms for payments you made to a corporation. For instance, if you pay a corporation that, say, provides Web design services or some other business service, you do not need to issue a 1099. However, there are a few exceptions. For example, if the payment is to a corporation for legal services, you must report those on the 1099. The IRS’s 1099 instructions outline the exceptions. Personal payments: Do I need to issue 1099s for payments made by me for personal purposes?No. You are required to issue 1099 MISC reports only for payments you made in the course of your trade or business. (If you run a non-profit organization, that’s considered a business for purposes of 1099s.) Let’s say that you pay a landscaper who is a sole proprietor to do grass cutting and mulching at your home, and it has nothing to do with your business. You don’t have to issue a 1099 to the landscaper, because it was a personal payment. How do I issue 1099-MISC forms and where do I file them?As the payer, you complete the form and send a copy to the recipient. You file the form with the IRS, and you may also have to file with state tax authorities. There are a number of ways to do this:
What if there’s an error in a 1099 form?A payer who later discovers an error should re-issue a corrected 1099 form to that payee, and correct the filing with the IRS. And if you are a payee, be sure to review every 1099 you receive against your own records. This is for a couple of reasons:
In the event of an error, the IRS instructions to recipients say, “If this form is incorrect or has been issued in error, contact the payer. If you cannot get this form corrected, attach an explanation to your tax return and report your income correctly.”
Is there a penalty for NOT issuing a 1099 MISC form?Yes. For this purpose, we went to the Turbo Tax website. It has a concise statement about penalties, noting that the penalty “varies from $30 to $100 per form ($500,000 maximum per year), depending on how long past the deadline the company issues the form. If a company intentionally disregards the requirement to provide a correct payee statement, it is subject to a minimum penalty of $250 per statement, with no maximum.” Tip: don’t ignore 1099 filings. Get on it – now! What if I received miscellaneous income during the year and the payer never sends me a 1099 form?If you performed work as an independent contractor and you earned at least $600 from a payer, that payer is required to send you a 1099-MISC form. But if you received less than $600 from that payer — say you received $350 — don’t expect to receive a 1099 form. However, let’s say you earned more than $600 for the year, but the payer fails to send out 1099 forms. Or let’s say you moved and forgot to tell the payer, and so you don’t receive the 1099. Contact the payer and ask them to quickly mail the form or a duplicate copy out to you. And remember, you are not excused from reporting your income, just because you never received a 1099 form (or because your income falls under the $600 threshold). Where can I learn more about 1099-MISC?The IRS’s 1099-MISC information center is here. An informational copy of the 1099 MISC form can be found here (PDF). Order tax forms from the IRS here. The IRS’s free electronic filing system for 1099s is here. Final Pointers: always consult your tax advisor and IRS 1099 instructions!Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes, not tax advice. While we strive to be accurate, we can speak in generalities only here. The tax code has just gotten too complex to cover this topic in under 2,000 words. There are many many exceptions to the rules, and individual facts can make a difference. Always read the IRS instructions for the 1099 form carefully. And consult your own tax advisor for advice specific to your situation. Image credits: IRS building, calendar (remixed) via Shutterstock. 1099 sample, penalty (remixed) via IRS. The post Fast Answers About 1099 Forms for Independent Workers appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
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