|
Coming to a Business Like Yours: Webware
Whether you sell a product, a service, or a combination of both, those who are successful have one thing in common... an efficient back-office. But the “cost” of an efficient office has meant using complex accounting and order-entry programs that...
New Tax Law Turns Small Biz Loophole Into A Crater!
President Bush just signed a new tax law that turns a small business loophole into a monstrous crater.
In case you were too busy over Memorial Day to notice, our beloved politicians just passed another tax bill designed to put more dollars in...
One of The Best New Business Opportunities May Be Right there in Your Home - a New Daycare Business.
The day care industry is expanding. There are now more than 100,000 licensed child-care centers and 250,000 licensed family day care homes across the United States.
The market for day care increases every year as the working mother in society...
Product Review of Carelton Sheets' No Money Down Course
Real estate continues to be a very important part of any financial wealth building strategy. Most wealthy individuals have real estate investments as a portion of their overall net worth. Carleton Sheets has been in real estate since the 1970s...
Types of Investment
The word 'investments' is one that most of us are familiar with hearing in financial context. For many of us, it may make us thing of big business and vasts sums of money, but there's much to the world of investments than multi-million dollar...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No, I Mean Really Small Business!
Last week I attended two giant web shows at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The huge InternetWorld Spring 2001 and a concurrent show titled eCRM, both offered in the sprawling four block square building in the City of Angels. I went to seek out and report on ecommerce solutions for the little guy. You know, that's you and me. The companies that have less than 100 employees!
The traditional label of "Small Business" has come to apply to far too many companies. I guess we should adopt the term "Microbusiness" to get realistic about what most of the world imagines when you say "Small Business". I mean a business with less than 10 employees and I think most of the rest of the world does too. Monstrous companies define us as invisible.
Well picture this if you will, I brazenly approached one sales guy (there were dozens of them) at Siebel Systems booth (more like a small city dominating 10 spaces in the convention center). I simply asked him "Does Siebel offer any solutions for the small business?"
His response was predictable. "Our enterprise solutions can be applied across multiple platforms to unite all legacy systems throughout . . ."
STOP right there please! You might just as well have said a very simple NO! You could go on to say something really quite derogatory like, "NO, you puny imbecile! If we created anything for worker ants like you, we'd be broke in nothing flat! Go away and come see us when you have $30 grand or so to spend and we'll be happy to TALK with you then!"
I have to be honest and say that the Siebel salesman was really very courteous and pleasant. It's just the fact that they don't get big by providing small solutions for small business people. So here is my list of really worthwhile solutions that I was able to find for LittleGuy.com at InternetWorld 2001.
http://www.callbutton.com
As reported last week, my best of show award goes to CallButton. Reasonably priced, powerful, all around useful and a great ROI (return on investment) potential for small businesses online.
http://www.GoToMyPC.com
This is another of my picks from a previous conference called the Upside Events Showcase 2001. I like it so much I'm making it a repeat winner since they've now partnered with Expert City. Someone else clearly agreed with me on this one. ;-)
http://www.epage.com
This company offers free classified ads for your web site. Hold on now, not just another business opportunities classified site. These folks offer searchable, co-branded, subject specific ads and auctions that match the theme of your site!
Brilliant!
http://www.MyeHive.com
Set to capitalize on peer to peer technology in a huge way, they are offering a browser "skin" that allows linking to and download from other desktop users -- any digital content you like from ebooks to music. But they've worked out a way to pay YOU for it! This site is still in beta and will go live soon. (Bookmark it!)
http://www.gocard.com
Affordable advertising for the little guy. And guess what?! You'll be in the rack with the big boys. It's open to even you and I on a first-come first-served basis. Your postcard on racks right beside American Express and major manufacturers in big cities!
http://www.ibill.com
Various payment processing solutions for the small business online. These folks have been around for awhile and although they take a hefty chunk of sales, it beats some of the other options for little tiny businesses like mine. ;-)
http://www.cihost.com
These folks were a big hit at the show. As attendees lined up to grab CIhost tchotchkes like keychains and pens with thier logos on them, sales staff started throwing CIhost t-shirts to the crowd. Good natured fun, and not reason enough to choose a web host, but they offer top-notch customer service as a key component of sales. Good pricing and great webmaster revenue share affiliate program.
http://www.goback.com
Back-up and restore software that tops anything I've seen for system crash recovery. $40 bucks that could save you thousands in lost time and information. You just gotta check this one out! It's unbelievable in it's power to get you back up and running after an ugly system failure.
My favorite crowd pleasing publicity stunt was from
http://www.SpiderCache.com
Your picture with a friendly Tarantula on your shoulder. They offer a wonderful product aimed at the small to mid-sized ISP or company with it's own servers. Traffic spikes and heavy bandwidth users gain stability and reduce peak loads. Where does that spider come in?
Unbelievably, there are more. But I'll save them for later. Good show. Most journalists were discussing the low crowd count and a few no-show show demonstrators. I was real happy to have the chance to talk with some innovators without too much t-shirt tossing and was glad to see Siebel Systems salespeople with nothing to do. Little-guy solution providers were quite busy.
About the Author
Mike Banks Valentine WebSite101 "Reading List" Weekly Netrepreneur Tip Sheet Weekly Ezine emphasizing small business on the Internet Subscribe address mailto:WebSite101-subscribe@listbot.com articles available: http://website101.com/freecontent.html
|
|
|
|
|
United States Small Business Administration |
An electronic gateway of procurement information for and about small businesses. Search engine for contracting officers, marketing tool for small firms, ... |
www.sba.gov |
  |
SBA |
The Small Business Planner includes information and resources that will help you at any stage of the business lifecycle. ... |
www.sba.gov |
  |
Main Page - SmallBusiness.com - Small Business Resources |
Find Small Business plans, advice, tutorials about organization, corporations, entrepreneurship, and smallbusiness. |
www.smallbusiness.com |
  |
Yahoo! Small Business: Domain Names, Web Hosting, E-commerce ... |
Yahoo! Small Business provides products and services that enable you to establish and grow your business on the Internet. Services include domain name ... |
smallbusiness.yahoo.com |
  |
Small business advice business start up small business finance ... |
business start up small business finance start up advice. |
www.smallbusiness.co.uk |
  |
Smallbusiness.gov.au redirect to business.gov.au |
Business Entry Point - Helping small business in big ways. An Australian Government initiative. The content from this website has now been consolidated into ... |
www.smallbusiness.gov.au |
  |
Business & Small Business |
Online and print small business publication. Information to help start, grow or manage a small business. |
www.entrepreneur.com |
  |
Microsoft Small Business Center |
Your home for information about Microsoft's small-business products and services, tailored business advice, technology tools, and more. |
www.microsoft.com |
  |
The Small Business Advisor - advice for starting and operating a ... |
Advice and assistance for starting and operating a small or home based business. |
www.isquare.com |
  |
SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" |
A nonprofit association dedicated to encouraging the formation, growth, and success of small business nationwide through counseling and mentor programs. |
www.score.org |
  |
Small Business and Self-Employed One-Stop Resource |
IR-2006-2, January 3, 2006 - Temporary and proposed regulations will significantly reduce tax filing burden for nearly 950000 small business owners. ... |
www.irs.gov |
  |
Welcome to Small Business BC your business resource in British ... |
BC Business Services offers assistance and resources for those running or starting a business in British Columbia and Vancouver. |
www.smallbusinessbc.ca |
  |
Small Business Service | Home |
Provides information and advice to help small businesses realise their potential. |
www.sbs.gov.uk |
  |
NSW Small Business |
A site developed by the NSW Department of State and Regional Development for small businesses. Topics include management, resources, current issues and ... |
www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au |
  |
Business Management & Advice: Small Business Resources & Information |
Looking for business management and advice? Our website includes small business resources and information that can help you. Visit the small business ... |
www.businessweek.com |
  |
Small Business Lawyer, Attorney, Law, Legal Help - FindLaw for ... |
Information and legal sites relevant to small business. |
smallbusiness.findlaw.com |
  |
Small Business Funding Opportunities (SBIR and STTR) |
Links to Small Business Funding Opportunities and SBIR / STTR Applications. |
grants.nih.gov |
  |
Microsoft bCentral Small Business Directory |
Directory categorized by industry with company business card feature. |
sbd.bcentral.com |
  |
Our site has moved! Please update your bookmarks! |
Facilitates the sharing and exchange of information among small business development centers, the small business administration and other business-oriented ... |
sbdcnet.utsa.edu |
  |
Small Business Development Corporation |
Our business information services provides guidance to improve business skills and knowledge on advice on starting, buying, selling and expanding a small ... |
www.sbdc.com.au |
  |