Google Fiber To Get 10X Faster: What That Means to Small Businesses |  |
- Google Fiber To Get 10X Faster: What That Means to Small Businesses
- OpenTable Introduces Mobile Payment for Restaurant Checks
- How to Create DIY Professional Quality Writing for Your Small Business
- 60 Percent in U.S. See Current Economic News as Neither Good Nor Bad
- 13 Things to Consider Before Relocating Your Company
- Upstart: Backers Invest in You, And Your Future Earnings Repay Them
| Google Fiber To Get 10X Faster: What That Means to Small Businesses Posted: 20 Feb 2014 02:30 PM PST
Your business has finally bought into cloud technology. You’ve even set up operations to run off of mostly cloud services. This is all great until you realize that your Internet connection just isn’t allowing you to take full advantage of these services. You and your team can't get access to critical business systems. Or worse yet, you’re prevented from accessing these services altogether. That’s one of the problems a super-fast Internet connection was supposed to remedy. And it was one of the reasons why Google introduced Google Fiber last year. The special high speed Internet connection brings 1 gigabit-per-second of broadband to homes and businesses at a low cost. At the time, Google announced Fiber would be coming to three tech hubs in the U.S.: Kansas City, Mo.; Austin, Texas; and Provo, Utah. So far, it’s only available in Kansas City. But, before Google could even make good on that promise, the company announced it was already working on a faster version of Fiber. A USA Today report suggests that Google is already developing connections capable of 10 gigabits per second. The high speed should dramatically increase business confidence in software as a service (SAS) and cloud applications. This is because the higher speed assures access to even the most data intensive applications, the newspaper reports. It’s a speed already much faster than most connections available to businesses. At a Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet conference, Google CFO Patrick Pichette explained:
We’ve noted in the past how faster Internet connection speeds can improve your business. Here’s another perspective on the importance of Google Fiber to business from David Bresemann, Senior Vice President and Chief Product Officer at Silicon Laboratories Inc., a locally based semiconductor company, in Statesman:
Image: Google Fiber The post Google Fiber To Get 10X Faster: What That Means to Small Businesses appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| OpenTable Introduces Mobile Payment for Restaurant Checks Posted: 20 Feb 2014 12:30 PM PST
OpenTable has introduced a new feature to let you pay your restaurant check via the company’s mobile app. The change reflects a growing trend in which retailers give their customers as many options to pay as possible. This new feature is an expansion of the app’s original intent. OpenTable allows diners to reserve a table at a favorite restaurant. But the app also provides basic information on local restaurants, including the average price of a meal and the cuisine offered. Diners can provide a review of participating restaurants. But currently, the app is only available to iPhone users. The new payment feature also picks up on a growing mobile trend. On the official OpenTable Blog, Kashyap Deorah, General Manager of Payments explains:
Deorah says the check payment option is only available to a group of users in San Francisco at the moment during an initial testing phase. But in the coming weeks, Deorah says more and more current users will be provided access and that OpenTable also intends to offer an option allowing interested users to request access. In a comment on the blog post, Caroline Potter, OpenTable’s Chief Dining Officer, says the company is also planning an Android version of the OpenTable app after the pilot program for the new payment feature is completed. In a recent post on Venture Beat, consultant and investor Rakesh Agrawal, who says he owns stock in several potential competitors of OpenTable, insists the app has a considerable advantage. Agrawal writes:
Last year, a Forrester Research study suggested mobile payments will equal $90 billion by 2017. Some major food and beverage retailers have enjoyed early success by allowing their customers to make mobile payments. McDonald’s and Starbucks are among food and beverage retailers offering mobile payment options to customers in select markets as of last year. Image: OpenTable The post OpenTable Introduces Mobile Payment for Restaurant Checks appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| How to Create DIY Professional Quality Writing for Your Small Business Posted: 20 Feb 2014 10:00 AM PST
I’m fortunate in that I’m both a small business owner and a writer. But I know a lot of you may not be writers. You might have dreaded your Comp class in college, or you might now grind your teeth at the thought of writing even just a paragraph. The problem is: If you don’t have a big budget for marketing or writing, you’ll have to bite the bullet and do it yourself. Fortunately, you don’t have to jeopardize your business’ reputation with poor writing. There are a few ways to ramp up your skills, whatever they are, and look like a burgeoning business who’s hired a professional writer to do the job. How to Create Professional Quality WritingStep 1: Start ReadingIt might seem a strange place to start, but the more copy you read, including Web copy, blog posts, emails, books, articles, whatever, the better idea you’ll have for the style you can use in your own writing. Here are a few places you can start:
Step 2: Start LearningThere’s nothing complex about writing a webpage title or a blog post. But there are some style and formatting points you’ll want to pick up. The more you write, the easier it becomes. My two favorite resources for writing tips are:
Step 3: Start WritingDon’t be apprehensive at this step. No one has to see what you write. You just want to get into the practice of writing. Model your article, Web copy or email after one you’ve found that you really like. Implement the rules and guidelines you learned in step 2. Then walk away from it for at least a few hours. Now that you’ve had your espresso and read the newspaper, come back and reread your copy. Tweak whatever needs a little work. There’s no shame in editing multiple times. Just don’t keep it in a perpetual state of edits. This is probably more about your lack of confidence than your writing really needing tons of work. Step 4: Have Others Read ItOnce you’ve got something you’re fairly proud of, share it with your coworkers, friends, or family. Ask questions, and be willing to accept the feedback:
Use this feedback to make additional edits to your work if necessary. Step 5: Put it Out ThereI know, this is the scary step. Other people will read it! But remember: Nothing’s permanent in the world of digital copy. Post it to your site for a few weeks, and pay attention to your traffic, clicks, and conversion. If it goes down after you post it, try again with the copy. If it goes up, you’re on the right track. Your goal is to draw more people to your site, get more clicks, and bring in more customers and your copy is the key to that. If you’re sending an email, you can try an A/B test to see which copy is most appealing to your subscribers. When you’re a tiny small business, you have to wear many hats. But that’s no excuse for your writing hat to have holes in it. With just a little practice, your writing can be on par with a professional (and costly) writer’s and you can be well on your way to creating professional quality writing. Writing Photo via Shutterstock The post How to Create DIY Professional Quality Writing for Your Small Business appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| 60 Percent in U.S. See Current Economic News as Neither Good Nor Bad Posted: 20 Feb 2014 07:30 AM PST
It’s easy for small business owners to get bogged down with the idea that a perceived “bad economy” is hurting their sales. Would it surprise you to learn that the majority of Americans don’t see the economy that way at all? If the public gets its perception of a good or bad economy from the news, then most Americans have mixed feelings, based on new data from Pew Research. Pew’s survey asked more than a thousand adults recently whether they hear, see or read mostly positive, negative, or mixed economic news in the media. The study found that 61 percent of the public see news on the U.S. economy as mixed. But they do remain cautious. Pew researchers write:
If there are economic areas where consumers are hearing mostly bad news, it’s regarding prices on gasoline, food and other consumer products. Still the only change is that the number of consumers hearing mostly bad news about the economy has actually dropped since this time last year. The amount of the public hearing all negative news on the economy has dropped considerably from five years ago, though. In December 2009, about 80 percent of people surveyed by Pew said they heard mostly negative economic news. Since then, however, that rate has steadied to around its current level. Today, only about one-third of the public, 33 percent, say they hear mostly negative reports about the economy through the news media. At the same time, just 5 percent hear all glowing reviews of economic conditions, Pew’s latest indicators suggest. So don’t assume negative attitudes about the economy will hurt you business. They may not be as negative as you believe. Image: Pew Research Center The post 60 Percent in U.S. See Current Economic News as Neither Good Nor Bad appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| 13 Things to Consider Before Relocating Your Company Posted: 20 Feb 2014 05:00 AM PST
Moving to a new city can be exciting, but scary. Moving and relocating your company to a new city? That can take some adjustment. While a big move can really ramp up business, it can never hurt to be over-prepared. To make sure everything on your list gets checked off (twice), we asked a panel of 13 startup founders from the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question.
Here's what YEC community members had to say: 1. Ecosystem Support“If you're going to try to break into a new market, it helps to have support. Who from your ecosystem has connections or extensions in the new market? What intros can they make? How can you parlay existing relationships into new ones? If you see a great opportunity for your offering in a new market but don't have the insider track on getting the word out, it will be hard to get traction. “ ~ David Ehrenberg, Early Growth Financial Services 2. Cost of Living“Manhattan sounds like a great place to do business, but if you’re moving from Conway, AR, you might be in for a surprise. Don’t let this prevent you from making the switch, but make sure the potential income gains outweigh the increase in expenses you’ll face. “ ~ Nicolas Gremion, Free-eBooks.net 3. Minimum Viable Move“Expanding to a new city tends to get us dreaming about new office space, additional hires and other expensive changes to our companies. But an expansion can be as simple as driving to that city once a month and getting a day pass for a coworking space. Consider what the minimum presence you can get away with is, along with how you can test that you’re moving to the right city.” ~ Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting 4. Regional Habits“Research the area, have knowledge of your target population specific to that region, and understand the area’s consumer habits before moving. “ ~ Zach Cutler, Cutler Group 5. Market Research“Many people look to expand their companies to other cities because they want to be a national brand, and as a result, they don’t do thorough market research. Understanding the demographics is essential, and evaluating the actual need versus the desire to expand is often the biggest factor in a successful expansion. Visit the city, and get a real feel for it before you even consider the expansion.” ~ Aron Schoenfeld, Do It In Person LLC 6. Craigslist“It sounds weird, and it might even be dated, but Craigslist is a great way to gather live data and tie into local communities before setting up shop. You can quickly test assumptions on office lease location and costs as well as gauge the local talent pool by posting a job.” ~ Andrew Fayad, eLearning Mind 7. Folkways“Look at the city’s folkways. In Portland, you can go to meetings wearing jeans and a Polo shirt. But in our new market in Carlsbad, CA, you would be laughed out of the door if you didn't show up in a suit and tie. Just be mindful of the local market’s customs.” ~ Mychol Robirds, Securus Payments 8. Remote Possibilities“If you’re moving for talent or moving your existing team, ask yourself, ‘Can I do this remotely?’ We have employees in nine different countries and have offices in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the Philippines. It allows us to scale faster and more efficiently than any local company because when we need more talent, we just hire it regardless of where it is.” ~ Liam Martin, Staff.com 9. Current Market Standings“Before venturing into a new market, you should look at your current market and see if you are No. 1 in that market. Make sure you have built a dominating business in your current market before you expand to another. If you can dominate your current market, then why go to another?” ~ Matt Ames, MN Pro Paintball 10. Sales Time“Before moving your company to a new city, consider the sales cycle for your product or brand. Think about how long it took you to establish yourself as an expert in your field in the current region you are operating out of, and add in the same amount of time to brand yourself as an expert in the new field. People often overlook how long it will take to get clients in a new city. “ ~ Kris Ruby, Ruby Media Group 11. Core Leader Candidates“You have to send a core member of your company to run a new unit. If you're hiring a new person to run a new unit in a new geography, it puts a lot of doubt into the company. You can have a new office that doesn't fit with the company culture. During all this confusion, nothing is done right. Move a core person in the beginning, and then once it’s settled, you can hire a new head.” ~ Rohit Singal, Sourcebits 12. Travel Expenses“Even in the connected world with FaceTime, Skype and other conference solutions, nothing replaces face-to-face meetings for crucial milestones. Consider travel costs, including flights and accommodations. Are you opening an office abroad? Consider the currency exchange, cost of flying out once per month and accommodations. You will need to visit no matter how “smoothly” your business runs.” ~ Gideon Kimbrell, InList Inc 13. Employee Expectations“In moving from the Midwest to Boston then San Francisco, I’ve seen a wide spectrum of things that new employees expect in startups. Employees in San Francisco expect to have lunches catered daily and fridges stocked with beer in the office. In Boston, they expect you to work late nights, whereas San Francisco pushes work-life balance. Just know what you’re getting into before uprooting your team.” ~ Heidi Allstop, Spill Moving Photo via Shutterstock The post 13 Things to Consider Before Relocating Your Company appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Upstart: Backers Invest in You, And Your Future Earnings Repay Them Posted: 20 Feb 2014 02:30 AM PST
It is the curse of a college education. You leave with an impressive qualification which can set up your career and set you on the road to success. But with it comes the crippling baggage of student loans — some of which can extend into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. So how can these former students get out from under this debt and be able to strike out into the world, and even start a business? One option is to turn to Upstart. Upstart is a new type of funding site, created by ex-Googler Dave Girouard. Think of Kickstarter but instead of individual projects, it’s all about people. Applicants put themselves forward on the site for funding – in effect offering themselves as a long-term investment. The site says:
In other words, Upstart backers are not investing in a company, and they are not investing in a new product ala Kickstarter. They are investing in a promising person. In return for backing a person, the Upstart backers are given a cut of that person’s earnings for a fixed term – but only once those are over $20,000 a year. An applicant has to upload transcripts, GMAT and SAT scores, a resume, and more. Then an algorithm written by Paul Gu, a co-founder of Upstart, determines how good a bet the person is, by calculating future earnings. Several factors are taken into account, in order to decide. This can include things like what qualifications the person has and any previous earnings. Backers can then choose whether or not to invest in you, and even mentor you. There are some safeguards. What if a successful applicant ends up creating a hugely successful company with millions or even billions in profit? Is it a sudden huge payday for the backers? Not so fast. According to Fast Company, Upstart caps repayments at three to five times the amount of the initial investment. Upstart has backing from Google Ventures and high profile investors. For instance, the photographs of Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban also appear on their page listing investors. The site is still in its infancy, though. According to the Upstart website, they have invested nearly $3 million, but show just 329 backers and 242 “Upstarts” as of this writing. Some have criticized Upstart as indentured servitude or slavery. Will Herman, a Boston angel investor, told CNN that he was one of those critics.
Yet, if it gives the person the start he or she needs, and backers are limited in the amount they get in return, calling it indentured servitude seems like harsh criticism. The post Upstart: Backers Invest in You, And Your Future Earnings Repay Them appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
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