iPad Air or iPad Mini Retina? ...Top 10 Tips for Business

If you're planning on buying a new iPad, you have to decide which size works best for you and your business.

The good news is that both the iPad Air (10") and the iPad Mini Retina (8") have the latest technology in the tablet industry and are rated very high by most of the industry reviewers.

Below are Top 10 Tips for selecting an iPad, a description of my ideal iPad and some Final Tips when considering buying an iPad.

Top 10 Tips for Selecting an iPad Air (10") or iPad Mini (8") Retina

1. Hands - If you have big hands, you may be more comfortable using the iPad Air for typing and for touching icons and screen links.
2. Eyes - There's good news and bad news... the iPad Air and the iPad Mini Retina have the same screen resolution.  That means that type, icons and just about everything will appear smaller and sharper on the iPad Mini. If you have a hard time seeing or need reading glasses, you should really test both the iPads before purchasing a tablet.
3. Travel & Commuting - The iPad Mini Retina is ideal for any type of  personal and business travel.  It just goes everywhere.  Plus you can do all your reading, watch movies and listen to music during your travels.  Many people say that if you travel with a laptop, you should buy an iPad Mini. Some people are buying an iPad Air for the Office or Home and an iPad Mini with Retina for Commuting and Traveling.
4. How Will You Carry the iPad - Key Question.  Do you have something to carry an iPad? If it is going into a woman's purse or a man's small "European case", the iPad mini is a no-brainer.  If you carry a business case or messenger bag, then the iPad Air will work fine.
5. Video and Photo Editing - The bigger the screen the better when it comes to editing photos and videos? Enough said.
6. Hours Working on the iPad - The longer you work on an iPad the more you will want (and need) a bigger screen. The iPad Air is the one to buy.
7. Watching Training Videos or Movies - Either iPad works well. The iPad Mini with Retina is now extremely sharp and clear so you don't strain your eyes watching a smaller screen.
8. Reading eBooks, Comics and Magazines - Either works.  The iPad Mini size is more like reading a paperback book.
9. Work with Spreadsheets, Writing and Small Group Presentations - The bigger the better in screen size. Buy the iPad Air. Note: Either iPad (or an iPhone) can be plugged into a standard projector and used to make presentations (with the Free Keynote Presentation App).
10. Games - You need entertainment during your work breaks.  The iPad Mini with Retina screen and a super-fast 64-bit processor is the perfect size for gaming.

My Ideal iPad

If I was going to buy a new iPad, I would order the following:

• 32-GBs of Memory - You need to think 4-5 years of useful life with the iPads.  They are incredibly built and they have the newest 64-bit chips that will be used for all future apps during the next 5 years. If you travel, you want space for video rentals, photos and videos.
• Cellular (ATT, Verizon or T-Mobile) - Most people at some time will be away from WiFi and need Cellular Data Services.  The new 4G LTE Technology is going to be around for the next 5-10 years. Also, note that WiFi only iPads do NOT have GPS Mapping functions.
• Apple Extended Support and Warranty - Apple also has special business programs to help you save money on services and support.  Visit the Apple Stores and ask for a Business Specialist to learn more.
• Case / Cover - You need to protect your investments.
• Bluetooth Keyboard - Sometimes you just need a real keyboard for major projects.  The bluetooth keyboards work great and increases the typing speed for most people.

Apple iPad Mini Retina 2013 via Apple PR

Final Tips

• We don't recommend buying an iPad 2 anymore for business, unless there is a very specific application.  The memory size is limited to 16GBs and may not be enough memory for new and upgraded applications over the next 3-5 years.  In addition, the plug/adapter uses the old Apple standard and NO future accessories will be made for it.
• The weight is less of an issue when comparing the iPad Air and the iPad Mini Retina. The key is to decide on the size of the screen, not the weight as much.
• The iPad Mini - NON Retina is still for sale.   However, Apple limits the memory to only 16GBs. Before buying  iPad Minis for the office, evaluate its use of the next 3-5 years.

Photo Credits: Apple Media

Please contact us if you have any questions or need additional advice with your specific business situation.

Don't Let Your Mobile Professionals Use Free WiFi at Starbucks

You have to be crazy to let your mobile professionals use the Starbucks Free WiFi without using a low-cost VPN App on their Smartphone, Tablet or Laptop. I'm not trying to pick on Starbucks (although it helped get your attention didn't it?).  This issue exists with most FREE WiFi services, including Airports, Restaurants, Cafes, McDonald's, Starbucks, Hotels, etc.  It's a bigger concern when you travel overseas.

If you are wondering... A virtual private network (VPN) enables a Desktop, Laptop, Smartphone and Tablet to send and receive encrypted data across open public networks like WiFi. In many small businesses, VPN is more secure than their own private company WiFi network.   Wikipedia has a more technical description of a VPN Network

Why You Should Care

There's a popular free hacker app called FireSheep that lets anyone sitting near you in a room see (and copy) everything you are browsing, sending and receiving over a Free WiFi connection.  All your passwords, emails,  browsing, client info, business transactions, reports... you get the idea.  If you have any doubts how easy this is to do, just read the FireSheep Test in this article.

The good news is that some of your existing apps already offer secure data protection. Google Apps and most Banking Apps have encryption built into their service to protect your data over the internet. However, you need to check your other apps to confirm if they are secure when using a Free public WiFi connection.

Is it hard to use?

No.  The new companies have made this a lot easier. You need to select a vendor, sign up for a service level, download the app and turn it on. That's it.

VPN Costs

In the past, VPN services were very expensive and only large companies used them.   Now like much of the new technology today there are free and low-cost versions of VPN. Some services are less than $10 per month per user. The cost is low and the protection is very high.  The challenge is always finding the best solution for you and your business.

Small Business VPN Vendors

Based on our research to date, we just started testing the following low-cost VPN services. Cloak for the all Apple Users: iPhone, iPad and Mac laptops ProXPN for Windows, Android, Apple Smartphones, Tablets and Laptops.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for Small Businesses on a tight budget?

Photo Credit: adamr with freedigitalphotos.net

Top 10 Tips for Setting Up a Partner Program

We've been working with various partner programs for the last 20 years. Some very good... many NOT so good.

Today, setting up partnerships in business is a standard practice for many new companies.

It's a lot of work to do it right. Since so many companies now have partner programs, it's also very hard to compete with all the other companies pitching their programs.  So how do you stand out from the crowd? How do you get your partners to use your product over the competition?

Here are our Top 10 "Must-Have" Tips for setting up a successful partnership program:

1. Give Partners a Free (limited, but usable) copy of your application - Establishing a "Freemium" model is very popular these days.  However, the "Puppy Dog" close is a better description of why you want to do this.  Salesforce.com used this technique to get started with partners and... well, look at Salesforce now. If you're not familiar with technique, the "puppy dog" close is a technique modeled after a parent bringing a child to a pet store to "just look" at the puppies.  The Store Owner offers to let you bring one of the puppies home for the weekend to "just see if your kid likes the puppy."  As we all know, your child will never let the puppy go back to the store on Monday... so the parent goes back to buy the dog.  It's worked for decades selling cats and dogs... and it works with selling partners as well.  Get them to start using your product or service every week.
2. Create Marketing Automation Campaigns for your Partner Program - Establish four campaigns (over time):  prospect partners, new partners, experienced partners and one for your special top-rated partners. Include the following:
   • Monthly Partner Webinars - Build better relationships with your partners than the competition. Keep them updated and interested in your programs.
   • Monthly eNewsletters - Keep them up-to-date with your products, services, customers, industry updates and recognition.
   • Update Social Marketing Programs
   • Video Success Stories
3. Set up a Special Phone Number and assign a Partner Specialist (even if you only have one person available).
4. Build a Partner Dashboard / Portal including:
   • Reward and Recognize partners to win them over to you
   • Provide an easy way to share information, logos, collateral, success stories, etc.
   • Registration Forms for new partnerships
   • List the Top 10 Partners - Rank your Top 10 Partners each month, quarter and year.
5. Make Joint Phone/Internet Sales Calls with your top ranked partners initially... and others when you have additional resources.
6. Build a Marketing Template Library - Make it easy for your partners. Give them tools to build your sales.  Other companies are doing this.  Partners usually go to the easiest sale. If you're too difficult to work with, they will go to other easier options.
7. Join or Set up a LinkedIn Groups - Regular groups that you actively promote and manage. The key is regular activity.
8. Set up Your Own MeetUp Groups around the country.  Start with one Meetup Group locally and grow as your resources permit.
9. Conduct Quarterly Partner Review Meetings with the Management Team. Keep them short initially.
10. Plan an Annual Company Partner Meeting. Start small and let it grow as you grow.

As you know, there are many more projects and tasks needed to build a successful partner program. I hope this list starts some conversations going with your team. Feel free to add your comments or other tips below.

Photo credit: freedigitalphoto.com

Contact Us to help you set up a Partner Program for your company or start-up

Top 10 Small Business Tech Trends in 2013

 In 2013, there is a much larger opportunity than in the last few years for non-technology oriented Small Businesses to implement the latest technology. All of them will help you increase your sales and/or reduce your costs.   In addition, technology prices have dropped like a rock and they are so much easier to use (and learn) than ever before.  This article was written for the non-technical owner or manager of a Home or Small Business.

 

Here are the 10 Key Small Business Trends: 

1.  Marketing Videos are being Added to Websites to Increase Sales Leads These days, most prospects want to watch a short 30- to 90-second video about your products or services on your website.  Many don't have time to read a long white paper or product description during their first visit to your site. You can thank the use of YouTube and Smartphones for this change.  The good news is that the cost of creating videos has dramatically gone down in the last few years.  You can create them yourself or hire professionals to publish them. This will reduce your cost of Sales and Marketing and increase the number of your Sales / Marketing Presentations to prospects over the next 12 months.

2. Lead Nurturing Programs are Increasing Sales Prospects while Reducing  the Cost of the Lead Process Send (or Scan) all Leads including: Trade Show Leads, Business Cards and Paper Lead Forms into your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System or a dedicated "Marketing Automation" system.   You can then use "Lead Nurturing" Campaigns to better qualify sales leads before sending them to expensive outside Sales / Account Managers. Sales and Marketing Productivity both go up.

3. Smartphones are Replacing  Basic (Feature) Phones I know many Small Business Owners don't believe this.  However, a Smartphone is NOT a "Nice to Have" product anymore.  It is a "Need to Have" It's simple... If your competition have Smartphones and you don't, you will be less responsive to your customers and you will lose sales over time.   Thanks to eMail, Texting, Instant Messaging, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, you need to respond to your sales prospects and customers much faster than even two years ago.  You can also use a Smartphone to process credit card orders in the field.  There are several companies that provide Free Apps and Credit Card Readers.  Smartphones let you and your employees respond to Customers, Partners, Managers and Prospects as quickly as your Competition... or faster.

4. Social Marketing is Reducing Telemarketing & List Buying Costs If you are still only using Telemarketing, Buying Cold Call Lists and Sending Paper Mailers, you are missing a lot of sales prospects, spending more money than the competition and falling behind in productivity. If you outsource your telemarketing overseas to save money, you very likely have other issues.   Your "under 40" prospects,  don't talk as much on the phone as before.  It's time to start learning and testing Social Networking... yes Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Facebook, Blogs and more....

5. Small Business Applications are Moving from old Client / Servers to Web or "Cloud Computing" If you need to replace or upgrade an old application or computer system this year, you should seriously consider replacing the application with a cloud computing application.  The new Cloud Apps are designed to work with the new Smartphones and Tablets.  Sales Leads are delivered real-time to your Sales Teams and Channel Partners which will increase the number of sales contacts per day. As a small business, you can also save significant money over the next three years by moving to this newer technology. You can usually reduce your start-up, training and conversion costs for employees. If you are new to Cloud Computing,  this article and video should help explain this basics: ABC News Brief Article: "What is the Cloud?" YouTube Short Video:  Computer Basics: What is the Cloud?

6. Web Training Programs will Increase the Professional Skills of your Employees Technology is rapidly changing almost all industries. Some companies are being turned upside down due to these changes.  You need to help your people keep up (and get ahead) of all the changes.... or you may NOT be in business in the future.  Web-based Training is ideal for remote sales teams working out of their homes or small offices.  Affordable Web-based training can now keep your costs down, your peoples' skills up and improve sales productivity.

7. Web-based Meetings/Events Increase the number of Sales Calls, Demos & Seminars per month Web-based Meetings and Event technology is now used by most larger companies on a daily basis.  The cost of Web-based Meetings and Events has dramatically decreased and Small Businesses can now take advantage of this technology. It also reduces their cost of sales significantly. ROI is in months, not years.

8. iPads are Increasing Sales Productivity A dirty little secret is that many Sales Reps still leave their laptops at home, in the hotel room or in the trunk of a car when they make sales calls.  The Tablet is  replacing the need to carry around a laptop for everyone. Tablets also lower the cost of training remote staff and laptop maintenance.  I recently traveled to Europe for two weeks with an Apple iPhone, iPad and a Bluetooth keyboard.  It's the first time I ever traveled without my laptop and I never missed it for a minute. One strategy is to keep your old desktops and laptops for another year. Invest in new tablets for your key people this year and run pilot tests on how to improve productivity.

9. Web Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is Replacing  Old PC and Client Server CRM The modern Web-based CRM Systems were developed for the Web / Cloud and Mobile Apps.  Older systems just do not work as well with the new Smartphones and Tablets. This increases your maintenance costs and many of the real-time updates are just not available to your employees.

10. Evaluate Replacing  or Supplementing MS Office with Google Office to Reduce Costs & Improve Collaboration Most employees only use 10-25% of the features in Microsoft Office.  As more Applications are moving to the Web / Cloud,  there is less and less need to buy and upgrade expensive Microsoft Office Applications for everyone in the company.   Note: Google Office is less polished and has fewer features when compared to Microsoft Office.  Many Small Businesses are moving to Google Office (@ $50 per person per year) or Zoho Office or other solutions to save money, and improve staff, client and partner collaboration.

If you have any questions or comments, please give us a call @ 650-866-5517 or comment in the field below.

Image above courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Please share your comments below on any other key trends that you think are important in 2013.

Top 10 Small Business "Windows 8" Upgrade Tips

In 2013, Microsoft significantly changed the Windows 8 and Office user interface. Your employees are going to have to re-learn how to use Office Applications after you upgrade your PCs and Laptops.  Here are a few key tips to help evaluate this upgrade for your Small Business.

Small Business "Windows 8" Upgrade Tips:

1. Read the Walt Mossberg article (see link below) on Windows 8 before you spend any money 2. Increase (or establish) a budget for employee Office Software training 3. Line-up extra help for your staff, including: phone and one-to-one coaching 4. Make sure your existing software will work with Windows 8 5. Identify and Implement any business process changes 6. Re-write any office manuals 7. Confirm who in IT Support actually knows anything about Windows 8. It's new to everyone.... 8. Check that all your existing PC & Laptop accessories will work 9. Budget lots of extra money to deal with the unknown 10. You may want to wait for the rest of the industry to come up to speed before you invest in this upgrade.

The bottom-line is that your Small Business Staff & Information Technology Resource "Productivity will likely go down" and your "PC Costs will go up" by implementing Windows 8 in 2013.

Hope these tips help....

Note: It's important for a Small Business Owner to read the Mossberg review below before you upgrade or buy a new Windows PC.  Microsoft will have a Windows 8 upgrade by 2014 to fix many of the problems created by the new design.

"Microsoft is giving Windows its most radical overhaul since 1995 and even its most devoted users won’t recognize the venerable computer operating system in this new incarnation, called Windows 8, when it appears Oct. 26."  Walt Mossberg

Windows 8 Review by Walt Mossberg - AllThingsD

Note: Photo Image courtesy of  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How to Print from an iPad for Under $20

When you run a Small Business you are always looking for ways to improve productivity by saving time and money.   Our last article on "18 Tips for using an iPad in a Small Business" focused on finding the top iPad Apps. After you use an iPad for a day or two, you quickly begin asking yourself... "How can I print from my iPad?"  Here's the good news.  After much research, we found a very easy way to print from an iPad for under $20.

There are a three good options for printing from an iPad:

1. Buy a new Printer that works with Apple iPad AirPrint

2. Transfer your data to a PC or Mac and then print from there.

3. Buy "Printer Apps" that are compatible with Apple AirPrint technology and will let you print on most existing printers in the office

Here are the Details.........

Option 1. Buy a New Printer You can print from an iPad on almost all the new Hewlett-Packard (HP) Printers and a few Epson Printers support Apple Airprint.  Prices run from $100 to $300, plus the cost of any extended maintenance contract. Tip: Plan on extra time to evaluate,  select,  purchase, install, test, check printer drivers for the new printer and recycle the old printer.  Click to see a list of  the top printers that work with iPad Apple AirPrint technology.

Option 2. Transfer your data to your PC or Mac and then print from there. Here are two good options for transferring the files from the iPad to a PC or Mac.

• Use iTunes App (Free): You can sync an iPad with your PC or Mac using iTunes. After the sync is completed you can find the file on your PC or Mac and print it like any other file.
• Use the DropBox App (there is a Free version):  If you use the DropBox App on your iPad, PC and Mac, you can just save a file in the iPad Dropbox Folder and then go to your PC or Mac and print the file.  The iPad App that created the page or file you want to print must be compatible with Dropbox. You can look this up on dropbox.com

Option 3. Buy a Printer App (NOT a new Printer) for your PC or Mac (Our Favorite - We Did This) After doing a lot of research, we found a printer App for our PCs and one for our Apple Macs. Here's what you need to do.

First install the appropriate printer app on any relatively new PC or Mac that is connected to an inkjet or laser printer. Then make sure you have a WiFi Wireless Network turned on in the office (or home).  Get the network Password... You'll need to enter the password in the printer software settings.  That's it... you're done!   Now anyone in the office (or home) that has an iPhone, iPad, iPod or Touch can print.  It is amazing to watch... and it just works.  Here are the two Apps we use and recomend:

• Printopia - by ecamm Network:  Works on the Mac only and costs $20
• FingerPrint - by Collobos:  Works on a PC or Mac and costs $10

Hope this helps.   We have not had any problems with both of these Apps since they've been installed.

Please add your comments for any other Wireless iPad Printing Options that work for you (and you would recommend to a family member)  :)

Give us a call @ 650-866-5517 or feel free to contact us to discuss how you can use the latest mobile technology to boost sales in your Small Business.

Small Business Poll - Top Technology to Implement in 2012?

Are you starting to think about planning for next year? Do you have any feel for the top cost-effective new technology that will boost your company sales and productivity? During the fourth quarter, we asked Small Business Executives, Managers or Owners to share  the Top 3-4 NEW Technologies that they were thinking about implementing in 2012.  Based on the survey, the following are the top 4 technologies for 2012:

1. Upgrading the Company Website with the Latest Technology
2. Implementing Smartphones and Tablets
3. Testing and Implementing Social Marketing
4. Adding Video Content for the Website including: Customer Demos, New Product Announcements, Success Stories and Best Practice Tips

[polldaddy poll=5485445]

Note: The votes were  anonymous and we do NOT collecting any personal info.  All poll results are available now.

Please share the poll results with other managers or owners... and add any comments or questions in the comment field below.

Top 10 Must-Do Tips For Creating & Updating Your Website or Blog

Your website is the most important technology needed today to grow your small business.   Yes. It is more important than Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Smartphones, Tablets and everything else you read about. We recently underwent a big project to move and update several of our company Websites and Blogs.  We learned a lot from these projects and would like to share some of experiences.

The following are the top 10 tips that helped us minimize the time, cost and hassle of this project.

1. Move to a Popular Content Management System (CMS)

If you are spending the time and money to update an existing or create a new website or blog, you want to move to using a modern "Content Management System" or CMS.  Some of the more popular Content Management Systems  include: Wordpress, Google Blogs (Blogger), Drupal or Squarespace.

We suggest Wordpress for most Small Businesses.  It may not the best solution for everyone.  However, it is very popular,  with  50+ million worldwide websites (that is not a typo).  Wordpress is also very cheap and there are lots of resources for help everywhere.  There is even a Free version available for companies that have virtual no budget or staff.  More on this later.

2.  Design Your Site for Mobile Visitors

According to Mary Meeker of Morgan Stanley, by 2015, the majority of users will be accessing your website from a Smartphone, Tablet or even a TV.... NOT a laptop or desktop computer of today.  If you are creating a new website or updating an existing site, you want to do this project once now and have it work for the short-term future.

You should only use a Content Management System (CMS) that will support mobile devices now... or will in the future.

3. Remember HTML 5.... NOT Flash

As I just mentioned in the  last tip, mobile is important now and will be extremely important in the near future.  Unfortunately, there is a website technology battle going on today in the industry. The older technology is Adobe Flash.  The new technology is called HTML 5.  HTML 5 is the worldwide standard. We recommend that you make sure your website is designed with HTML 5 support... not Flash.

Many website and marketing vendors  like to push Adobe Flash technology because that's what they have been using for the last 5 to 10 years.    Please DO NOT let someone talk you into creating an Adobe FLASH Website or Blog.   The whole worldwide industry is quickly moving to the HTML 5  standard. Even Adobe, the developer of Flash recently announced that it will be selling a product to create HTML 5 websites in direct competition to their Flash technology.

By 2011, there were 200 million Apple mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, iTouch & Apple TVs) that use HTML 5... but DO NOT read FLASH technology.   If you use Flash Technology on your new website or blog, you will exclude millions of potential customers.  Many fancy restaurant and resort websites were designed using Flash... and for the last two years,  million of potential customers haven't been able to see their websites.  Now, many restaurants are rebuilding their sites using HTML 5 technology for mobile and desktop users.

Wordpress supports HTML 5.

4. Six Must-Have Websites  Pages

If you are creating your 1st website, there are a six key pages that you need to publish on a website. Below are some thoughts about the type of  information you would write for each page.

• Home Page - You 1st page summarizes a few key points:
  • Company Name
  • Contact Info
  • Poduct and Services List
  • One Paragraph describing your business
• About Us - Tells everyone about who you are
  • Company Name
  • Background
  • Company Founder and Management Summary
  • Partnerships
• Services/Products/Solutions
  • List of each Product or Service with a description of key info
• Blog - Blog Articles that are published on a regular basis and provides your readers and customers tips, key info and advice
• Contact Us - The Page that gives your readers info on how to contact you
  • Address, Phone and eMail
  • Social Networking Info
  • Map and Directions to Your Office
• Landing Page - A special page designed to capture Sales Leads
  • Key Sales Lead or Order Form
  • Info on a product or service

Tip: The best thing to do is to read other websites and blogs that you like and see what they have written on their key pages.

5. "Share Widgets"

It is very important to add a way to share your website and Blog content to help grow website visitors, marketing leads and provide customer service.  There are two top FREE widgets you can use for your website: Addthis.com or  Sharethis.com.

You publish a share widget on each page of content to help increase readership.  These widgets should be placed in the website design templates or plug-ins. Here are a few of the top share links:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• eMail
• LinkedIn
• Google+

6.  Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

How do you attract the most visitors to your updated website?  One of the ways is to to have great Search Engine Optimization or SEO.   The following video explains SEO in 3-minute video.

7. Key Accounts You Need to Open

In addition to publishing a website / blog, you need to also open important internet accounts to help you market your company and website. Most of these services are Free or are very inexpensive.

• Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn
• gMail and YouTube
• Flickr
• Hotsuite or Tweetdeck
• CRM
• eNewsletter
• Skype

8. Metrics & Reporting

Use Google Analytics for website reporting, management tools and metrics.  Almost all small businesses use Google Analytics service. It's Free.

9. Videos and Photos

Almost all new Small Business websites should use video as well as photos.   Adding videos is one of the top trends.  The top three video publishing services include:  YouTube, Vimeo and Brightcove.

10. Update Weekly - Website-Blog + Social

Once you have your Website / Blog up and running, you need to update them with fresh new content and let the world know about your wonderful information.