Archive for the ‘Small Business’ Category


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Foursquare Not So Square After All

March 10th, 2010 by Erin Posted in Business, Small Business | No Comments »

There has been a lot of talk about Foursquare lately. People are saying how the new location-based social network is going to change the world; how it’s redefining what it means to be just a Joe Shmoe establishment; how it’s pioneering a “deeper connection” between patrons and place. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Me? I’ve been on the fence. I’ve seen my friends Foursquare “check-ins” and have wondered…. what’s the point? Do people really want to know where I am having lunch or getting coffee?

Yesterday, I discovered that the answer is yes. While my average Twitter and Facebook followers could care less about my whereabouts… businesses care.

In fact businesses care so much, Foursquare has created a new dashboard that will soon be rolling out to business owners across the country.

The dashboard is still an alpha product… but word is that it will be able to make the distinction between staff and customers, and track check-ins on a daily, weekly, 30/60/90-day or all-time basis.

The new Foursquare business data will also include:

-Total check-ins

-Unique visitors

-Male-to-female ratio

-Social media-sharing (i.e. showing how many users are sending their checkins to Twitter.)

-Top visitors

-Check-in time breakdown

Foursquare reps have also confirmed the possibility of correlating check-ins with weather patterns, a feature that may prove beneficial to businesses that offer rainy day incentives.

I think this all sounds very innovative… and it will certainly help put some small businesses on the map (emphasis on the word some). I don’t see Foursquare doing much for companies like Stature Software, or even big businesses like McDonald’s or Wal-Mart.

I mean, c’mon, why would you ever want people to know that you’re shopping at Wal-Mart?

We’ll have to see where all of this goes at Foursquare. My gut says though that it’s a flash in the pan.

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Website Plans to Predict the Future in Business

February 24th, 2010 by Erin Posted in Business, Small Business | No Comments »

One Boston-area start-up is going where no website has gone before – to the future.

Recorded Future gives business-minded users a look at who-what-where-and-when down the road.

Sounds abstract, doesn’t it?

The concept is simple really. Recorded Future has Google-like search capabilities and a simple interface to a tightly constrained set of data: occurrences that are expected or predicted to happen tomorrow and beyond.

The site presents three input boxes – what, who/where, and when – and then aggregates results by searching across blogs, news outlets, and social media sites.

Who will use this site?

Businesses – large and small say the founders of Recorded Future.

“Recorded Future allows financial analysts, intelligence analysts, and predictors to organize and aggregate future observations with ease,” the company explains on its YouTube Channel. Recorded Future also boasts (on its LinkedIn company profile) that its customers include “top government agencies and trading firms in the world.”

The website hasn’t officially launched yet and word is the company is trying to keep a low-profile while it raises more venture capital.

Unfortunately, time (and money) will tell whether or not Recorded Future is a boon or bust.  It isn’t everyday you see a business-based website that offers a look at the future. That is, one that doesn’t have a talking soothsayer on its homepage.

One final thought – a quote from Recorded Future’s website that really hits the nail on the head:

“What we anticipate seldom occurs; what we least expected generally happens.” – late British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.

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ClickHunt – An Ad Option For Small Business?

November 4th, 2009 by Erin Posted in Small Business | No Comments »

A teeny-tiny Website has entered the big bad world of search engines.

It’s called ClickHunt.net.

Like I, you’ve probably never heard of it – and you probably never will.

ClickHunt bills itself as an alternative for small business owners who can’t afford to advertise with search engines like Google or Bing.

How?

Through a little incentive package.

ClickHunt goes after small businesses by offering them a $100 sign up credit.

Simply sign up, get the credit, and start promoting your business.

Curious… I checked it out myself.

Like Google’s homepage, ClickHunt has no frills.

Users are given categories in which to conduct their search, and the results are mediocre at best.  Links open up in a new window and I didn’t see a hint of advertising.

Granted ClickHunt is brand new – so I won’t be too hard on the website’s appearance and functionality.

I do, however, have a piece of advice for the small business that created the website, Accurate Message Center, LLC.

When promoting your site, take the time to proof read your press release. Or, better yet, spend the extra $100 and hire someone who can actually write a complete, grammatically-correct sentence.

It’s ashame.

I think ClickHunt could have had potential – especially in the small business advertising niche.

Unfortunately, this site shot itself in the foot before it even entered the race.

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Is Email Dead?

October 15th, 2009 by Erin Posted in Business, Small Business, Twitter | No Comments »

There have been a lot of rumblings lately about email.

People say that with the invention of Google Wave and rise in social media – email has died a slow death.

The philosophy is this:

According to Jessica Vascellaro at the Wall Street Journal, we still use email – but not the way we used to.  It wasn’t that long ago when we would log on and off the Internet – in turn checking our email periodically throughout the day.

But that isn’t the case anymore.

Now, we’re always connected either through Facebook, Twitter or some form of instant messaging.

Put it this way. Let’s say you want to catch a movie with a friend. You send him an email – and wait. Two hours later, still no response. As you get ready to shoot off a second email to your friend – or in fact pick up the phone to call him – you see on your Facebook mobile app that your friend is indeed sick with the flu (H1N1?) – and is at the doctor’s office.  Your friend has, in a sense, answered your email via a Facebook status update.

Ok. I get it.

Social media has taken the place of email to a certain extent.

But let’s not forget how many folks out there – hardworking lawyers, investors, software developers, accountants, small business owners – who find themselves composing and responding to emails several hours a day. I, myself, am one of those people.

Email is not dead in the working business world. In fact, it’s alive and well.

WSJ’s Vascellaro points it out herself, writing that email continues to grow. In August 2009, 276.9 million people used email across the U.S., several European countries, Australia and Brazil, according to Nielsen Co., up 21% from 229.2 million in August 2008.

Business professionals simply don’t communicate with each other via social media or IM.  In fact, many employers – roughly 54% - ban social media sites at work.

Will Google Wave change the way we communicate with colleagues and friends?

Probably so.

But in the meantime, let’s not get carried away and cast off email before it’s past its prime.

I like my Yahoo and Gmail accounts – and I’m not ready to give them up just yet.

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Google Chrome: No Shine For Small Business

September 17th, 2009 by Erin Posted in Small Business, Technology | No Comments »

Google Chrome.

The browser everyone was super duper excited about a little more than a year ago – appears to be sitting stagnant.

Sure, its third iteration was just released – but as a devoted Chrome user, I see no improvement in its functionality.

It appears small business owners aren’t getting any sparks from Chrome either.

In fact, small business owners are being warned to steer clear of Chrome altogether.

Sure, it has speed that far surpasses the likes of competitors Firefox and Internet Explorer, but it lacks what small business owners really need: compatibility.

Certain advanced web applications (Microsoft)  simply don’t work with Chrome - and the browser’s sparse user base only compounds the problem. Web developers are not designing apps with Chrome in mind.

Nevertheless, Google has made strides in trying to maintain Chrome’s edge, adding improved Javascript performance and HTML 5 support.

Can Chrome eventually cut it in the small business world?

Perhaps, but it has a lot of catching up to do.

I’m a big proponent of Chrome because of its small user base . I can browse quicker and surf safer – but I sure get annoyed when it can’t support a simple app.

It might be fledging, but we shouldn’t lose hope in Chrome. After all, it was developed by the world’s search giant.

And think of the alternative – Internet Explorer.

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