iWork for iCloud Now in Limited Beta

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• iWork for iCloud Now in Limited Beta
• How to Handle a Public Relations Crisis
• Clarity of Purpose: What’s Your Promise?
• Things Aren’t Looking Good

iWork for iCloud Now in Limited Beta Posted: 30 Aug 2013 01:36 PM PDT Small business owners and employees know the value of working across multiple devices. This allows you to access your documents from where ever you are without needing to lug a laptop or other device with you. Apple recently opened a beta of its iWork for iCloud free to all users with an Apple ID account letting you do just that. The office suite package lets you create letters and other documents, create professional looking graphics and presentations, and edit document pages easily, according to reviews. Comparable to Google Drive or SkyDrive The new iWork suite is comparable to Google Drive or free Word, Excel and Powerpoint features available free through Microsoft’s SkyDrive. (iWork is compatible with Microsoft Office, by the way, meaning you can drag your Word, Excel and Powerpoint files into iWork’s file manager and edit them there.) Reviews are mixed about how iWork stands up to these competitors. PC Magazine suggests the new suite doesn’t offer much not available already from the other two services. Although Apple has apparently already had to limit the beta due to overwhelming public response. Apple is expected to formally launch the service in the fall. The Important Thing About iWork The most important thing about iWork for iCloud may be that it adds yet another tool for businesses of all sizes and professionals in many fields to work on documents from any computer or device. In fact, as Apple points out in its introduction of the service, you can even do a presentation on another computer by simply accessing your iCloud account. To get started with iWork you will need to either sign in to iCloud from your Mac or other Apple device or follow setup instructions for your Windows PC. See a demonstration of iWork for iCloud below. Image: Apple The post iWork for iCloud Now in Limited Beta appeared first on Small Business Trends.

How to Handle a Public Relations Crisis Posted: 30 Aug 2013 11:00 AM PDT Admit it: None of us are as graceful as we think we are. We've all "stepped in it" so-to-speak and sometimes, the results aren't pretty. Whether we're out for a run or walking within the confines of our home, we've all had a clumsy moment with unintended consequences. Likewise, no matter how appropriately you run your business, if you've been in business long enough, then you’re bound to receive publicity you don't like. Meet Nivia, the focus of today's case study. After releasing its "Re-Civilize Yourself" ad campaign, Nivia was criticized for undertones that many claimed were racist. The ad prominently featured a clean-shaven black man tossing away a head with an afro and facial hair, implying that he was throwing away his old-self to "Re-Civilize" himself. Fortunately, Nivia has become a role model of how small businesses should handle a public relations crisis and negative PR situations, immediately apologizing through social media and other platforms. Nivia then removed the ad and suspended the campaign due to the widespread backlash. If your business becomes the center of unwanted controversy and a public relations crisis, it's important to know how to react. Handle Your Public Relations Crisis with Grace Avoid Knee-Jerk Reactions Whether warranted or unwarranted, it's important to remain calm while handling any sort of controversy online. If your brand did nothing wrong, such as Cheerios in their recent "Just Checking" ad (seen below), then there's no reason to withdraw any of your campaigns or apologize for a wrongdoing. However, if there's legitimate dicey-ness such as in the Nivia campaign, you'll certainly want to react as quickly as possible without a knee-jerk reaction. Remember, an inappropriate response can cause more damage. It's Sometimes Better to Say Nothing Sometimes it's better to stay quiet and avoid making the situation worse than to try and give a lengthy explanation and apology. Just like avoiding a knee-jerk reaction, sometimes less is more. Especially when your brand is under heightened scrutiny. Be Aware Moving Forward When it comes to new marketing strategies and campaigns, sometimes we get so excited in the potential value that we forget to consider any potential pitfalls. Just as you might trip while walking because you weren't paying attention, many controversies happen because marketers didn't fully consider or understand the dynamics of a campaign. Ultimately, the best way to handle controversy is to prevent it. But just as Cheerios learned, sometimes controversy is unwarranted and can come swiftly from various sects of the online community. By handling a public relations crisis and controversy appropriately and gracefully, your brand will be able to establish itself as one of the most professional in its industry. Angry Mob Photo via Shutterstock The post How to Handle a Public Relations Crisis appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Clarity of Purpose: What’s Your Promise? Posted: 30 Aug 2013 08:00 AM PDT Does it live consistently across your company? Clarity of purpose extends well beyond the boardrooms of beloved companies. It unleashes the organization's imagination to make decisions guided by its promise. It's no wonder that companies with clarity of purpose have the most loyal and engaged employees. The opportunity to deliver to a clear purpose elevates day-to-day tasks, giving work direction and joy. Internet clothing and shoe retailer Zappos earns 75 percent of their daily orders from repeat customers. Clarity of purpose fuels its customer devotion. Zappos wants to be known as a service company that happens to sell shoes, handbags and an expanding array of products in the future. The lens through which the company makes decisions is service. This clarity frees everyone there to live the "Golden Rule" in the way they work. Zappos Clarity of Purpose One decision Zappos acts on every day is helping customers find a pair of shoes, even a pair they don't stock. Customer Loyalty Reps who take customer calls are encouraged to know competitors' Web sites for one simple purpose: Service. If a customer calls Zappos for a shoe it doesn't have, their Reps will search the Internet to help the customer find it. Customers are continuously amazed, delighted and dazzled by this act of genuine customer care. Zappos' clarity of purpose – that doing the right thing for the customer is ultimately the right thing for the business – transcends any short-term gain it might get by pushing the customer toward another shoe they have in stock. Clarity for being a service business first gives Customer Loyalty Reps energy and a compass for decision making. And it gives them the joy of delivering Zappos' version of the "Miracle on 34th Street." You may remember that in the movie Miracle on 34th Street, a Macy's-employed department store Santa joyfully sends customers to competitors when the store didn't stock what they wanted, making Macy's the "winner" of the Christmas season. In this single, simple decision, Zappos wins over the hearts of customers. It is this type of gesture that makes customers love them. They are loved for being the kind of people who send a customer to the competition because it's the right thing to do. Every type of business prospers when clarity of purpose steers decision making. People across your company live up to the promises you make. Customers become emotionally connected with you and want others to experience what you deliver. Their stories of your service, experience, and people become the folklore that defines you. And customers become your sales force, telling your story to everyone they know, fueling your growth. Image: Wikipedia The post Clarity of Purpose: What's Your Promise? appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Things Aren’t Looking Good Posted: 30 Aug 2013 05:00 AM PDT I saw a lot of movies this summer. For the most part, I enjoyed them all. But unexpectedly, my favorite by far was not any of the various superhero reimaginings, sequels or prequels. It was Pacific Rim, where giant mechs fight giant monsters from below the sea. POW! ROAR! PEW PEW! HEE-HEE! FUN! So when I was drawing a new bar graph cartoon and the bars looked like tall buildings – adding in an angry kaiju just couldn’t be helped. The post Things Aren’t Looking Good appeared first on Small Business Trends.

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Explore the New Twitter Features for Smartphone Users

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• Explore the New Twitter Features for Smartphone Users
• IRS Claims Small Businesses Underreporting Cash Payments
• How You Can Make App Store Optimization (ASO) Digestible
• Facebook Posts Get Most Engagement in First Five Hours
• 11 Tips for Avoiding Startup Legal Battles

Explore the New Twitter Features for Smartphone Users Posted: 29 Aug 2013 04:00 PM PDT Many of us may skip our meals, but never forget to keep ourselves on top of social media – be it Facebook or Twitter.  As you know, Twitter is one such platform that plays an important role in facilitating conversations, sharing your thoughts and delivering news and information. Therefore, Twitter performs updates, modifications and adds new Twitter features every now and then designed to make your tweeting experience more enjoyable. If you are one of the fans who use this powerful medium via your Smartphone, then there is indeed great news for you with the recent Twitter announcement of an update for its iOS and Android apps.  Twitter has added multiple new Twitter features such as photo galleries and a completely new form of two way authentication. Not only this, Twitter has made an effort to improve its list as well as search management. But before you download the latest version from the Google Play and Apple's App store, stay ahead of this recent update. Today's Twitter for Android and iOS allows you to enroll in login verification and also supports login requests directly from your mobile applications. There has been a growing complaint against twitter accounts being compromised by a breach of password data on the Web or through email phishing schemes. To address this problem, Twitter introduced a new security feature to effectively protect your Twitter account. New Twitter Features for Smartphone Users How is the Login Verification Approach Formed? Once you login to your Twitter account, there is a security check to ensure that it is really you attempting to login. Next you will be asked to verify your email address and phone number. You have to go through these following steps to get into your account: Login to your account setting page. Choose "require a verification code when I sign in." Click on the link to "add a phone" and then follow the instruction. Once you enroll in login verification, you will be prompted to enter a six-digit code that is sent to your phone via an SMS. Don’t worry; your existing application will work with this new login verification. You may wonder, "What if I login to my Twitter account on other apps and devices?" Yes, it is possible by visiting your application page to create a temporary password to log in and authorize that application. Instead of just relying on a password, login verification keeps your account secured. However, even if it assures tight security, you must ensure that the following factors are properly checked: Use login verification. Use a strong password. Be careful of suspicious links. Make sure the operating system is up-to-date. What are the Advantages of this Approach? Added Context: You can see browser details and location in the app, once a login request is made. Extensive Support Internationally: Login verification via SMS is mainly available through supported mobile carriers across the globe. All that’s required is Twitter's supported apps and an Internet connection to enroll in login verification. No Need of a Phone Number: You can avoid giving your phone number by using in-application approvals and push messaging. This is especially required when you create multiple Twitter accounts but only have one phone number. No Worries, When You Lose Your Phone: If you lose your phone, the backup code in the apps can be written down in a secured place to access your Twitter account. How are the New Search Engine and List Management Approaches Formed? Twitter's improved search engine is more in line with Google Universal Search. Coupled with displaying tweets and people, the new search also includes videos, social context and photos. From now on, when you start searching for something, the results will be widely classified into three segments: Photos Social Context People Searches will auto-fill, providing the context of how you are connected to certain people on your account. It will also feature photos in an Instagram-like type of gallery. It enables you to view all the pictures a person has posted to Twitter. You can also request to "view more photos" which provides a gallery view of images. The list has been successfully managed to enable you to create a new list, edit the existing lists, add or remove members or manage titles and descriptions. It is quite interesting to see how Twitter is taking the time to put more effort into evolving its new Twitter features. While it has focused on iOS and Android, we hope that it brings the same functionality in the app to all devices. Blue Bird Photo via Shutterstock The post Explore the New Twitter Features for Smartphone Users appeared first on Small Business Trends.

IRS Claims Small Businesses Underreporting Cash Payments Posted: 29 Aug 2013 01:30 PM PDT If you’ve been receiving more credit card payments in your small business lately, you may soon be getting a notice from the Internal Revenue Service. Media reports suggest the IRS has sent out 20,000 of these 1099-K notices since fall 2012 mostly to small businesses. Form 1099-K is the return on which small businesses must report “payment card and third party network transactions” including credit card payments. The official IRS website explains the reason for the 1099-K notice this way: You received one or more of these letters and notices because you may have underreported your gross receipts. This is based on your tax return and Form(s) 1099-K, Payment/Merchant Cards and Third Party Network Transactions that show an unusually high portion of receipts from card payments and other Form 1099-K reportable transactions. Specifically, the IRS is targeting businesses whose ratio of credit card to cash seems unusual for their industry, a CNN report suggests. The agency seems to believe these higher than average credit card reportings mean businesses are underreporting cash receipts. Trends Show Credit Card Payments Increasing It’s certainly important for small businesses to accurately report their earnings and pay their fair share. But it’s also possible a simpler explanation exists for high credit card receipts. Customers in the U.S. are increasingly choosing plastic to make their purchases and small businesses here are eager to accommodate. According to recent data, point of sale cash payments are expected to decline to just 23 percent by 2017. Over the same period, credit card purchases are expected to climb to 33 percent. They were only 29 percent of point of sales purchases in 2011. What’s more, 68 percent of consumers between ages 18 and 33 will only shop at businesses that accept multiple forms of payment including credit cards. So this trend is likely to continue. Tips for Dealing with an IRS Notice If you receive a notice from the IRS about your 1099-K reporting, don’t panic. 1.) Your income tax return should already include the earnings reported on your 1099-K as part of your business’s gross receipts. So the IRS recommends checking all your tax records to determine whether the agency’s assessment is correct. 2.) The IRS also suggests you talk with your tax professional if necessary for some assistance and to decide how to proceed. Hiding Cash Photo via Shutterstock The post IRS Claims Small Businesses Underreporting Cash Payments appeared first on Small Business Trends.

How You Can Make App Store Optimization (ASO) Digestible Posted: 29 Aug 2013 11:00 AM PDT As the app ecosystem continues its breakneck pace of growth – something to expected to accelerate as Google Play will start begins to offer textbooks in the fall – businesses would be crazy not to consider the app store part of their marketing strategy. However, as App Store Optimization (ASO) is still in its nascent stages, it's important that marketers understand what they can and can't control before devising a strategy to market their app. Additionally, those looking to break into the marketing field may want to consider this a skill worth picking up. Factors That Influence App Purchases Before launching an app and beginning to market it, it would behoove the developer to understand the market – and how people make their decisions. These factors, according to Nielsen’s, demonstrate the importance of ASO pretty clearly: 1.  App Store Search:  63% of consumers use this channel to find apps. 2.  Friends and family recommendations:  50% of consumers use this channel to find apps. 3.  Editor's Picks and Top Lists:  34% of consumers use this channel to find apps. However, many analysts predict that top lists will soon become a tool of marketers as more apps are developed which will diminish their value over time. The Basics of App Store Optimization ASO is still very new, as are the algorithms that control the rankings, so there will be many changes still to come and this will influence the ways companies can market their apps. In the appstore, marketers can really only control the appearance of the app's page. These factors include: 1. App Title A good name is important regardless of what you're marketing, so it's important to pick an app title that is short and punchy – something that people will remember. Additionally, it's best to include a few keywords that describe what the app does. For example:  Zeebox – TV's sidekick. Be sure to avoid keyword stuffing as it is also important that the app title read in a natural manner. 2. Description As Patrick Haig, Vice President of MobileDevHQ, an ASO company, says, app descriptions consist of two blurbs – one above the fold and posted one below the fold. What goes above the fold should be concise and to the point – 1-2 sentences that outline the primary use of the app. Below the fold can be a lengthier discussion of how the app works and should include screenshots. Though it sounds petty, screenshots will be one of the most important part of your app page. They make the app tangible and easy to explain to the consumer. Once again, always include screenshots of the app, this is extremely important. 3. Keywords This is something that is only available to those on the Apple iOS ecosystem, Google Play only uses descriptions. This field is only 100 characters – so be sure to be very specific and choose your keywords wisely. 4. Logo Customers are going to be drawn to what they think is most beautiful, so the more appealing your logo is, the most likely you are to succeed. Pick a bright color as it will catch a shopper's eye and keep the size of the logo in mind. It will be a very small thumbnail most of the time, so too much detail will make it blurry and hard to see. App Marketing ASO will likely go through many change before there is a real system in place. In the meantime, a great way to market your app is to get it traditional SEO (search engine optimization) exposure and do things like press releases, reviews and build links to the page. Additionally, be sure to listen to your customers. App ecosystems tend to be rife with reviews which are important influences for consumers. Be sure to respond to these concerns as a means to prevent bad reviews. Launching an app can be a scary. However, as the mobile market continues to explode and app ecosystems continue to grow and improve, a well down launch is likely to be a profitable experience. App Store Photo via Shutterstock The post How You Can Make App Store Optimization (ASO) Digestible appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Facebook Posts Get Most Engagement in First Five Hours Posted: 29 Aug 2013 08:00 AM PDT That post you just left on Facebook won’t interest your followers for long. In fact, several studies suggest most engagement for your post occurs in the first 5 hours after you create it. Engagement, by the way, at least as defined by Facebook, means actions – likes, shares, clicks or comments – taken by a user when he or she sees your post. That’s an incredibly short time to get your audience’s attention. Let’s face it. Some may go much longer without even glancing at their Facebook page. But that’s not all. The Limited Shelf-life of a Facebook Post Wisemeterics, the firm that did the latest of these studies and recently shared the results, dug a little deeper. Here’s what they found: 90 percent of a post’s total expected engagement happens within the first 12 hours after its creation. That’s just half a day! Your Facebook post receives 75 percent of its impressions — the number of times it’s displayed in the news streams of your followers or the people they shared it with — within the first two and a half hours. It gets 75 percent of its reach — the number of people impressions are sent to and hence possibly a lower number than impressions — in less than two hours. It reaches 50 percent of its global reach — the total number of Facebook users in the world who an impression will ever be sent to or shared with — in just 30 minutes. Getting More From Your Facebook Content There are a few ways to get more mileage out of your Facebook posts: Wisemeterics recommends optimizing the time you post messages by researching when your followers are online and when your peers and competitors post most of their content. You can also consider using Facebook’s new embedded posts to share your content on your blog or other website giving others the chance to see and possibly share it. Remember recent research also indicates social media content “liked” soon after posting generally gets more engagement. Like Photo via Shutterstock The post Facebook Posts Get Most Engagement in First Five Hours appeared first on Small Business Trends.

11 Tips for Avoiding Startup Legal Battles Posted: 29 Aug 2013 05:00 AM PDT When starting a new business, planning for potential legal issues is essential. The last thing you need to be focusing on is damage control, particularly if you have a brilliant, game-changing idea that could be a thriving business otherwise. To find out how to make sure your crazy startup idea isn’t going to get you into hot water, we asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council, an invitation-only organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following: “What’s one valuable tip you’d give an entrepreneur with a disruptive technology/service to prepare for legal problems down the road? “ Here's what YEC community members had to say: 1. Consult With an Attorney “Entrepreneurs should consider consulting with an intellectual property attorney while they are developing their products to avoid potential legal disputes. By doing so, they can possibly navigate around intellectual property battles instead of having to fight them.” ~ Doug Bend, Bend Law Group, PC 2. Build an Army of Engaged Users “If you’re small, the existing institutions will fight you on their turf with lawyers and lobbyists. The easiest way to disrupt entrenched interests, such as unions and trade associations, is to bring the battle out into the open. Acquire and engage a passionate user base, and it will take on the old industries for you.” ~ Neil Thanedar, LabDoor 3. Put Together a Legal Team “Get a high-quality legal team in place. Traditional industries are fighting back hard against new innovations, and if you don’t legally prepare in advance, you might struggle before you ever make it out of the starting blocks.” ~ Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance 4. Don’t Over Plan Around Legal “Disrupting old industries is inevitably going to cause some type of legal or regulatory challenges. You can’t avoid it, and you can’t plan around it. But don’t let the future threats of legal issues prevent you from building your company at the start. If you build something awesome, then you’ll have a reason to fight, but start with the building something awesome first.” ~ Eric Koester, DCI 5. Invest in Legal Support “If you’re going to disrupt the status quo, it’s critical to know your rights, legal precedence and regulations that you may need to fight. Don’t go into this blind — even if you have legal training. Focus on the growth of your business, and hire a legal team that can research and fight for you. “ ~ Kelly Azevedo, She’s Got Systems 6. Invest in Liability Insurance “Although it may not keep you out of court in our litigious society, a general business liability insurance policy may mitigate your exposure when you end up there. Even though most people know that insurance can protect them from personal injury and property damage claims, it can also cover claims of false or misleading advertising for startups, including libel, slander and copyright infringement.” ~ Peter Minton, Minton Law Group, P.C. 7. Include Board Members “If you know you are gearing up for a fight, I would look to include board members who are either lawyers or have been closely associated with other companies that have had similar legal situations.” ~ Sam Saxton, Salter Spiral Stair and Mylen Stairs 8. Use Patent Lawyers to Protect Technology “Disruptive technology from a small company attracts attention from larger companies with confidence in their legal budgets. Expect patent infringement and appeals to your patents as larger companies try to outlast your legal resources. Choose a patent attorney who is well versed in every legal protection possible and will apply for every patent you need before the technology is publicly known.” ~ Jay Wu, A Forever Recovery 9. Hide Under the Radar and Make Allies “Incumbent companies will do whatever it takes to protect their market shares and interests to the point where they’ll find ways to sue you just to throw a wrench in your wheel. It’s best to stay below the radar while you’re getting your business in order, gathering funding, etc. During that time, look for large strategic partners that might benefit from your entry, and get them on your side. “ ~ Andy Karuza, brandbuddee 10. Be Prepared “All entrepreneurs should assume that they will encounter some sort of legal issues once they start showing success. To combat these legal issues, start preparing immediately. Before you launch, you should perform your due diligence and create a list of all foreseeable legal situations. Review these with your lawyers to develop strategies to defend against or prevent these issues. “ ~ Kevin Tighe II, WeBRAND 11. Build a Relationship With Your Lawyer Now “Begin building a great relationship with your lawyer before the legal issues arise. You need to be comfortable with their communication styles, confident that they won’t run up the clock unnecessarily and assured they understand that ultimately they are the advisors, and you call the shots. “ ~ Michael Simpson, DJZ Legal Concept Photo via Shutterstock The post 11 Tips for Avoiding Startup Legal Battles appeared first on Small Business Trends.

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